Hot tubs by the lake, fireworks on the green...

New Year's Day, and with our afternoon and evening already committed, we needed something to occupy our morning. And so it was that we made our way back to Interlaken Ost station to board the Lucerne-Interlaken Express - our destination, Brienz.

Brienz sits as the eastern end of the Brienzersee, one of the two lakes that lie either side of Interlaken, and the Zentralbahn runs along the northern edge of the lake, providing some scenic views across the water to the mountains beyond.  It isn't a big place, but the setting is attractive and it offered an opportunity to walk along the lakeshore.

And there, we discovered something unexpected - a clutch of hot tubs and saunas, set up for public use, as part of a winter event, "Hot Pot Brienz". Now I'm not sure if I'd have the courage to use an outdoor hot tub when it's below freezing, but clearly the locals are up for it.

The rest of the lake promenade is rather pretty, but we had more pampering planned, so it was back to Interlaken for us. The afternoon was spent with more spa activity, courtesy of Ariane, before a buffet dinner and the evening's big excitement, a serious firework display.

Interlaken isn't as big a town as I had expected, so the crowd gathered for the display did lead me to suspect that we might be in for a treat. We weren't let down, as the sky was filled with explosions of colour for nearly half an hour as an enthusiastic crowd sipped gluhwein and the town was as lively as I had rather expected it to be on New Year's Eve.

We wandered back to our hotel, swept along by a well-organised crowd, to get some sleep for our last day...

The dinner jacket gets another airing...

I am not the suit wearing type - traditionally, I do not look good in suits due to the minor detail that I'm carrying far too much weight to look anything other than vaguely uncomfortable. However, as the weight has come off, I've revisited that a bit.

Who is this glamorous stranger?

Simultaneously, I've found myself doing a few more formal black tie events - Needham Market's Barrandov Opera, for example. And when the opportunity came to attend a gala dinner at our hotel on New Year's Eve, I grabbed the chance to give the old dinner jacket an airing.

There was one catch - my weight loss means that my dinner jacket, and the matching trousers, were a bit on the big side. Rummaging through my wardrobe, in the area invisibly marked "if you think that you'll find anything here that fits...", I discovered my old, but still perfectly wearable dinner jacket, from my slimmer days, and that it fit rather well. Replacement trousers weren't a problem either.

And so, after our adventures in Grindlewald, we returned to the hotel in good time to change for dinner. First up was a champagne reception as, despite my diet, it seemed a shame to eschew a glass or two, especially as we did, if I say so myself, brush up quite well...

And as for this even more
glamorous stranger...

An excellent meal followed, courtesy of the hotel's rather good chef, with a decent bottle of Sauvignon Vaudois (I always like to try local wines, and you aren't likely to go far wrong in a good hotel...). The company of my lovely wife, who is looking more lovely by the day, I must say, was the final adornment to a fine evening.

We're not necessarily huge New Year's Eve people, and having discovered that, in Interlaken at least, not much happens on the night itself, I left Ros for a little while and went for a post-dinner stroll in a cold, and almost deserted town. It seems that the locals save themselves for New Year's Day itself and, at 10.30 on New Year's Eve, there was no sign of life.

So, one asks, what happened the next day?...

High on a hill stood a (not actually) lonely bureaucrat...

Trains. I'm rather fond of them, fond enough to spend much of the day on them if given the opportunity. Ros is not so keen, unless there is a purpose. And so, day 3 started with a train ride to Lauterbrunnen, the other branch of the Berner Oberland Bahn. The train was packed with tourists evidently bound for the Jungfraujoch, as well as skiers heading up for some time on the slopes.

There hasn't been any snow so far this winter, but it had been cold enough for the authorities to start up the snow cannons, and you could see white ribbons, filled with small dots, running up the hillsides.

Lauterbrunnen itself was a bit grey, partly because the village sits in a bit of a gorge, with high cliffs blocking out the sky, but as our connecting train reached Wengen, the skies cleared and we were joined by dozens of skiers, all in search of a sense of motion. It turns out that a ski pass entitles you to use the railway to get back to the top of the ski run, so people circulate up and down.

Naturally, for this is a country which is nothing if not organised, the trains have racks to hold skis in so that you don't batter some hapless tourist with them, and they interconnect with the ski runs so that you don't have to walk too far.

At Kleine Schiedegg, the sun was shining out of a gorgeously picture-perfect sky, and hundreds of skiers of all ages were milling around until their turn to push off onto the run came. And again, because they are Swiss, they don't have to be managed, they ski with respect towards those around them.

We headed off towards Grindlewald again, past more skiers, heading downhill fast, with lunch in mind. Rosti is not entirely a core part of our diet these days, but you do need to cut yourself some slack on holiday, and it was very good. A brief walk through the town, and it was time to head back to base. We had a gala dinner to attend...

A bureaucrat takes a rest cure...

We've been in Switzerland for the past four days, taking a break to recharge the batteries after the excitement of Christmas. Based in a very nice hotel in Interlaken, the Grand Hotel Beau Rivage, we've taken the train into the mountains (Grindlewald, Kleine Schiedegg) and along the lake to Brienz, and had a bit of pampering in the spa.

Our journey here was, given the chaos we found at London City Airport, remarkably straightforward. Whilst our scheduled flight was delayed, the early morning flight was so late that we were able to be transferred onto it, putting us pretty much back on schedule. At Zurich, the train to Berne was on time, as was the tight, but manageable, connection for Interlaken Ost. That's one of the things about Switzerland - things just work.

The hotel is a very good one, and the provision of a shuttle from the station is a genuine courtesy rather than a necessity- it's about 250 metres away. Everything was ready for us, including a brief explanation of dinner arrangements and our luggage was conveyed to the room without our active involvement. That's another thing about Switzerland - hotels live up to your expectations and service is discreet.

Day 2, starting with a bit of pampering - a facial for Ros, and a massage for me. I am, as I've noted previously, a late convert to this. But Ariane, my German masseuse, gently, and occasionally not so gently, drove out some of the knots in my neck and shoulders, leaving us set up nicely for an afternoon riding the train to Grindelwald.

Grindlewald is a jumping off point for the ski-slopes, and a rather nice village. If you need ski equipment, look no further (just don't look at the prices, would be my advice). From there, there are cable cars and ski lifts, plus the Wengenalpbahn to Kleine Schiedegg, the last stop if you're heading onwards on the Jungfraubahn to Jungfraujoch, described as the "Top of Europe".

We pottered about a bit, but not too long, especially as we had to be back in Interlaken for dinner...

HSBC Geneva: perhaps there's some mistake here?

It seems that a big story, some five years ago, has come to the attention of politicians, the media and now, the public. And, as it becomes clear that this information had been kicking about for some time, I find myself a bit perplexed.

There is no doubt that a press release was issued in 2011, confirming the existence of a list of British taxpayers who held accounts with HSBC in Geneva. The now ex-HMRC senior official, David Hartnett told the Treasury Select Committee that September that such a list was working with HMRC, and it was known HSBC had been strongly linked to said list, even if official confirmation had not been given.

The press release included what looks like a pretty standard 'cut and paste' quote from the relevant minister, David Gauke, which might imply that he knew about the list (admittedly, he may not have read the press release but one might assume that it wouldn't have been issued without him being made aware).

On that basis, elements of all three main political parties in Westminster would have known about the list, although not necessarily the role of HSBC in helping their clients to shield their assets from the various national tax authorities. They might very easily not have made the connections though. And nobody seems to doubt that HMRC acted upon the list, although whether or not the action taken was sufficiently firm is another question - albeit one that can't be answered to everyone's satisfaction due to the right to taxpayer privacy.

We don't know exactly what information HMRC were given, what rights they had to use it and, more importantly, transfer it on, and we also can't judge how cost-effective it would have been to prosecute more cases - if they aren't found guilty, you can lose everything in terms of additional tax raised.

So, it looks as though the original story was rather too complex for most key players - media and politicians - to understand, and now that HSBC have been, quite deservedly, hung out to dry, everyone is running to catch up, and to condemn those bits that they think they might understand (they probably still don't).

And, whilst HMRC are obliged to shelter behind the walls that taxpayer confidentiality provides, there will be a lack of clarity which will allow those with little understanding of taxation, but a tremendous sense of outrage, to volley accusations at the Government and the Official Opposition for weeks to come. I fear that, as was the case in the Vodafone saga, we will earn very little of value but squander further the credibility of bankers and politicians alike.

The Swiss to become poster children for second order consequentials?

This weekend's referendum vote by the Swiss to impose strict migration levels into the Confederation is a demonstration of how the political understanding of the implication of free movement of people is not shared by a significant chunk of voters. The Swiss people may now be about to find out just how far the world has moved on.

One presumes that, in order to enforce this, they will need to tighten border controls, which will make life a little more annoying, but that is entirely their choice, and it will give Government, at both the Federal and cantonal levels, more control over population levels. So far, so good, presumably.

However, the Swiss have to get out of the country, and being surrounded by the European Union on all sides, the unanswered question thus far is, "What will the European Union do in response?".

Early suggestions include a review of trade access agreements, and a restriction on the right of Swiss citizens to live and work in the European Union, neither of which is likely to do the Swiss economy much good.

Many Swiss voters, especially those who voted 'yes' in the referendum, may not have understood the potential consequences of voting as they did, as they aren't direct beneficiaries of free trade and free movement of people, and it is perhaps a failure of those who do understand to make the case, but they may not like what happens next much.

I'm going to Vienna in May, and had in mind a pretty journey by train from Zurich. But, as I'm seemingly somewhat unwelcome in Switzerland, perhaps I ought to take a different route instead. For no country is an island any more, and the Swiss might find themselves dwelling on that point in the weeks and months ahead.