The train journey was simply wonderful. Although we were traveling IInd class it was more like an AC Chair car of the Indian Railways. The train itself was so spick and span and clean. We had sandwiches for our breakfast and coffee from the Restaurant Car. The journey to Gare de Lyon took us just 4 hours .The international inter country journey just gave me the thought as to why we cannot have similar trains running from India to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangla Desh, Sri Lanka and Nepal and even Burma. May be this will happen some day in the not too distant future. Then I took consolation from the fact that Europe was constantly fighting each other from Biblical times right up to 2nd World War.But what an achievement! In a short span of 64 years after World War II, the European countries have realized the value of peace and have made their borders seamless, making trade and travel absolutely easy and profitable.
27 Countries now form part of the European Economic Union including far away Turkey. The implications are simply enormous. Thanks to the seamless borers of al these countries a farmer from say Turkey just has to move across to distant Spain by road /rail and sell his produce at a more profitable rate than what he may get in his own country! No export import procedural formalities! What an enormous change this has made. No wonder the Euro is more powerful than the USD!
Even though Switzerland is not a part of the EU they have signed the Shengen agreement which permits all economic relations and travel except for their own currency the Swiss Franc much like Great Britain who retain their currency but are part of the EU.There is a big difference however – the Swiss are not a part of the EU. They have consistently and persistently refused to be drawn into any bloc economic or political and this is the reason for their economic prosperity - they are a nation which has the best standard of living in the World – as they have not seen a war for centuries – they do not have even the thought of violence in their hearts and thus are a very hospitable friendly people who are very peace loving by nature.
Incidentally no one checked our visas as we entered France, (announced over the PA system of the train) 45 minutes after we left Lausanne in Swiss. Neither did anyone check our visas at Gare de Lyon railway station! And what a fabulous railway station it was ! High tech but also beautiful and absolutely clean . It was a pleasure to be in the Railway sation a veritabe tourist spot !
