From a very personal perspective, I always admired the Swiss political system, and pretty much adopted it as my 'utopian' model when I had to write a good society paper. Then when I visited, I completely fell in love with the place. I was only in Lucerne for a few days, and drove through some other parts, but it probably made the biggest impression on me out of all the European countries I went to. It was just so beautiful. I was walking around by myself one morning, and it just started snowing, and you could look across the lake to the mountains beyond, and it was so magical. I felt completely safe there (it was the only place I ventured out alone in Europe), the people were gorgeous, and well, I wouldn't be able to tell you anything wrong with the place in terms of actually being there.

And it's not like you walk around there and go 'oh, all they have is the cuckoo clock' (though Patek Phillipe? I'll take that, thanks). Sure, it's calmer and quieter than some other cities, but it is not like it has no life in it. We went out to celebrate a birthday while there, and were drinking all night long in a packed bar. And I mean, comparing it with Italy...I went to Europe expecting to love Italy. And I did. The cities are architectually beautiful, if a little scruffy (but that just added to it really) and the art there would make you weep. But I was stunned, completely and utterly captured instead by Switzerland. I can't even really explain why - I expected to like Italy best. Yet...well. Switzerland stole my heart.

(And I think the story about the Swiss Guards is incredible and powerful and beautiful too.)