- In this episode of "Fly Brother" we go on the grand tour of Suisse, Schweiz, Svizzera, with my fellow Fly Brothers.

We start off in gorgeous Geneva, with hometown baller Clint Capela.

Then it's mountain meditations in "gemutlich" St.

Gallen, with the notorious Director X. Finally, we get inspired in tantalizing Ticino, with artist extraordinaire Ini Archibong.

It's "wilkommen," "bienvenue," "benvenuti," in exotic Switzerland.

Let's get fly.

(lively music) I'm Ernest White II.

Storyteller, explorer.

Don't try this at home.

I believe in connecting across backgrounds and boundaries.

Join me and my friends.

Just like home.

And discover that no matter the background, no matter the history, the whole world is our tribe.

This is fun.

Come with me.

See how my friends do?

"Fly Brother."

- [Announcer] Major funding for this program is provided by... (whimsical music) (exhilarating music) (spacey music) - Switzerland.

A kaleidoscopic nation of lakes and languages.

Of cities and cultures.

Of towns.

And traditions.

And we are here to sample some of the very best the country has to offer.

Right to the top.

Along the grand tour of Switzerland, an array of driving journeys, threading through more than 1000 miles of Swiss beauty and charm.

And we're starting off our summertime sojourn on the Swiss west side, Geneva.

Known globally as a center of diplomacy and world affairs, Geneva is known more locally as the world's smallest metropolis.

With a population of just over 200,000 people, in the far western pocket of French-speaking Switzerland, Geneva punches well above its weight class in history, culture, food, and fun.

Long a world leader in watchmaking and chocolate production, Geneva also has plenty of surprises for visitors.

And there's no better place to embark on our grand tour than on pristine Lake Geneva, with my good friend, basketball superstar Clint Capella.

- Welcome to Geneva.

- [Ernest] Shaped like a crescent moon, and straddling the Swiss border with France, Lake Geneva crests just north of the Alps along the Rhone River.

Punctuated by the striking Jet d'Eau, Lake Geneva has been at the heart of the city, and of Europe, for centuries.

Born and raised in Geneva, Clint takes us out for a cruise in his hometown.

(light music) How many languages do you speak, man?

- So at home we speak in Lingala, from Congo.

- Lingala, okay.

- French in school, German a little bit.

But yeah, I'm good with English, so that's pretty much it.

I'm learning a little Spanish.

You know, it's just so fun to try, you know?

So when I hear you speak Spanish, Portuguese, I love it.

I'm like, man- - Oh, thank you, man.

- That's where you show how intelligent you are.

It means that you made an effort to get better at it, you know?

- That's true, that's true.

- And that's when you know that someone really tried.

You should be proud of that, like it means that, oh wow, like, I expand my, you just expanded.

So, you're a child of the world, and that's we want, you know what I'm saying?

- Thank you.

- That's why people, yeah, where you from, man?

I'm a child of the world, man, I'm from, you know, like everywhere, you know?

I started feeling challenged first when I left for high school in France.

So it was so hard, I was really homesick to leave Geneva, I had to learn new culture in France, I had to to learn a new way to do, a new way to express yourself.

And that's when I first felt that challenge about being a kid of the world.

And the US, it was even more of a challenge, because I'd never seen buildings higher than these before, you know?

And you go there, you're like, wow, like, sure that's real?

- Sure, sure.

- You know what I'm saying?

So I was like, man, I don't understand nothing.

I'd dream of meeting Kobe Bryant, I'm like, man, I can't even speak to Kobe Bryant, I need to learn English, man, like, I want to be able to speak to one of my idols.

and it just pushes you to learn and get better.

- Did you meet Kobe Bryant?

- Yeah, I played against him two for a year or two before he retired.

And it was great, man.

- How was your English at the time?

- It was better, (chuckles) it was better, I was two years in, so it was definitely better.

It was his last year, so the whole arena was on fire, ah.

But I was like, well, at least I had a moment with Kobe Bryant.

- That's right, you got dunked on by Kobe Bryant.

- I got a moment.

(both chuckle) Nah, it was just part of my journey, but that's how I submit, kid of the world.

- Oh man.

- And I love that.

- After our foray on the lake, Clint takes us to the elegant L'Auberge D'Hermance for lunch.

Among the array of delectables on the menu, the star of the show is "le poulet 'Tradition de l'Auberge,'" finger licking chicken baked in a salt crust.

Yummy.

(light music) You got to add a little drama.

(sings) (Clint sings) (both chuckle) - It has arrived.

(bright music) - [Ernest] And for dessert, we hit up one of the best artisanal chocolatiers in town, La Bonbonniere, which has been whipping up chocolatey delights for over a century.

(Clint speaks in French) - Here, we get to play around with the sweet stuff and learn how to make the choc pot to end all choc pots, a symbol of Geneva's indomitable spirit, the "Marmite de l'Escalade."

- It's made of chocolate with the Geneva logo on it, just to remind you that it is from Geneva and nowhere else in Switzerland.

- G-V, baby.

- G-V-A.

- G-V-A.

(both chuckle) - Cheers to that.

- To work off some of those calories, if only with more conversation, Clint brings us to Geisendorf Park, and the basketball court in Geneva where it all began.

Clint, man, this is a lovely park, you know?

- Yeah, I love it.

- So what's the story behind it?

- The story behind it is that, that's the first park that I came growing up, that's the park where I first started playing my sport, basketball.

-Okay.

-So that's the park where, when you start playing, everybody beats you at one-on-one, 'cause you're too small- - All right, all right.

- Then years later you start beating everybody, 'cause they're too small.

And you'd better, 'cause you've been practicing here.

So that's why this park means so much to me.

- And man, that's cool, I get the distinction, you can have multiple passions, right?

- You can have, yeah.

- Yeah.

And do you think that multiplicity of passions growing up has served you well in where you've lived, and the kind of travels that you've had?

- Oh, for sure.

A lot of us come from different families, different backgrounds, most of us are immigrant from different families.

And so growing up, you grew up with kids that are different than where you're from and which already put you in a different kind of culture, and accepting it, and then enjoying it even more.

- What do you find has been the impact of basketball on the city?

And especially after you made a name for yourself in the league, and in the world?

- I mean, for myself, I knew it impacted so much, because I know that like before me, there wasn't really a player that people would talk about that much, especially in Geneva, there was nobody.

So I'm really happy that I had the capability to put my city on the map and make people love basketball who are from here.

Because before that we weren't really watching basketball, we had nobody to watch, we were just watching the greats of the NBA.

But I'm happy that now they can see someone that is from where they're from, especially being the first one, so it's always special to be the first one, you feel like you're opening the doors for other kids to dream about it.

Yeah.

- Representation.

- The representation.

So I feel that that's what I did, that's what I'm doing, coming back here and inspiring them, and I'm just grateful for that.

- Man, you are inspirational to me.

Clint invites me out onto the court with him, but I really don't see how this could go well for me.

- Hezzy.

One, two Lay up.

- [Ernest] Show off.

- Going this way.

- Man.

Hey.

- Yes sir.

- I could not do that.

That's a wrap.

- It's a wrap.

- [Ernest] Perched high atop the Alps in central Europe, Switzerland has been home to the alpine ibex, and human beings, for some 300,000 years.

Celtic, Germanic and other tribes traipsed back and forth before the Romans and Hapsburgs rolled through.

But the modern country started to take shape at the end of the 13th century, when a group of independent small states within the Holy Roman Empire joined forces in what's known as the Old Swiss Confederacy.

This was also the foundation of Switzerland's renowned cultural diversity.

The country has four major language regions, German, French, Italian, and Romansch, and almost 40% of its 9 million people are of immigrant background.

And one of the best ways to enjoy this magical melange of cultures is to take the Grand Tour of Switzerland, a nationwide driving circuit of unique attractions, natural wonders, and peak experiences.

(thoughtful music) After about four and a half hours on the road, we arrive in lovely Saint Gallen, deep in the heart of German-speaking Switzerland, and our next stop on the Grand Tour.

A mid-sized berg of 167,000 people, and with a lot of heart, St.

Gallen holds court at the center of Eastern Switzerland.

Work and pleasure have always lived stylishly side by side here.

Aside from its easy access, nature, picturesque architecture and scrumptious food, St.

Gallen is renowned for its textiles and embroidery.

Michelle Obama, Queen Elizabeth II and Amal Clooney are just a few of the icons seen wearing St.

Gallen embroidery.

But beyond these fine fabrics, St.

Gallen smiles on visitors, and welcomes home its native daughters and sons.

Well, grandsons, like Toronto-based filmmaker extraordinaire, Director X, whose father hails from St.

Gallen, and who takes me to some of his favorite spots, on land and on water.

- Welcome to St.

Gallen.

- Known as Bodensee in German, and stretching for nearly 40 miles along the Rhine River between Switzerland, Germany, and Austria, Lake Constance provides a placid counterpoint to the rugged Alps to the south.

Director X offers a few reflections on the Lake - [Captain] Crew aboard, and therefore, there will be a movies being done.

If you don't like to be in the background, please contact the personal crew.

Thank you very much, and have a nice trip.

- How do you feel being back in the homeland of your father and grandfather?

- I feel great, man.

I feel great to have that connection, you know, walk those same streets, be in those same places.

And just, I love the landscape, I like that small town vibe, I love the nature.

Just, you know, low buildings.

I'm used to big city monstrosities, everywhere you turn condos, so being a place where it's just low buildings is a, you know?

- Right, a smaller scale.

- Yeah.

- A more manageable life.

- Yeah, it's special.

St.

Gallen may seem intimate, but there's always something going on.

Some people go beaching and sunbathing at Drei Weieren, the three ponds.

Originally created to supply water to the local monastery, the ponds now supply watery fun and relaxation to the local community.

As for me, myself personally, I'm going to the library.

The Majestic Abbey of St.

Gallen dates back to the medieval days of the eighth century, when most people weren't reading all that much.

This UNESCO World Heritage site holds nearly 160,000 volumes of knowledge and information.

As an unrepentant nerd, I am in heaven.

Well, we're moving on up.

Up an alp, that is.

Right to the top.

Rising over 8,200 feet above sea level, Santis is one of the most prominent summits in Switzerland, with panoramas encompassing six countries on a clear day.

Today, Director X takes us to the top of Santis, to find a moment of Zen.

And one of the things I love about the Alps is just, kind of this meditative quality of the nature here, you know?

It's powerful, and at the same time it's calming.

- Yeah.

- Like, how do you relate to it?

I mean, nature's a meditative space, there's something very special about the mountains and being high up.

I promote meditation.

I have a community organization called Operation Prefrontal Cortex, and our mission is to, basically preach the gospel of meditation and how it can reduce violence, it was born out of a violence prevention program.

- Sure.

- Yeah.

I was shot in my back- - Oh man.

- In 2015, yeah, a bullet went through two people and hit me, right?

And just a little shift in my weight would've been the difference between paralyzed and walking.

But I did a Ted Talk, a Ted Talk Toronto, called "Message to the man who shot me."

And I brought together all these different studies that I'd found about, you know, a violent and aggressive person, that their brain is just a little different than the average person.

- Sure.

- Their prefrontal cortex is smaller than average, that's your decision making.

Their amygdala is bigger than average, that's your- - Emotion.

- Emotional control.

So big emotions, small decisions.

- Right.

- And meditation actually gives volume to the prefrontal cortex, grows the prefrontal cortex, and shrinks the amygdala.

- Oh wow.

- Right?

But beyond that, we want everybody to meditate, we want everybody to gain those benefits.

'Cause once you get past the repair, then you start getting into the bigger hippocampus, better memory, life just gets better- - That's right.

- With meditation, so.

- What I love is being made aware of the mission, so I can kind of couple it with what we try to do, which is help people connect, not only with each other, but with themselves.

And the best way to do it, of course, is meditation.

It's the gateway, if you will, to self-expression, self-awareness, self-confidence.

And I feel like, when you've got all of those things, when you've got self-love, you're less likely to do harm to others.

- Yes.

- And so, I definitely am all for it, I'm an acolyte and a devotee.

And what do you say we maybe do a little meditation here?

- Oh, okay.

You want me to lead it?

- Why not?

- Okay, let's go.

All right, so close your eyes.

- Okay.

- Take a deep breath.

And as you exhale, visualize and repeat the number three three times.

Tell your body to relax, starting with the head, legs, and take in the sounds of nature, the feeling, the wind on your body, experience this.

And I want you to go deeper into your mind, visualize a goal, or simply just focus on the breathing, the in and out of your breath.

Breathe open your eyes, feeling fresh and awake.

(exhales) Opening your eyes fresh and awake.

It's nice.

- Danken Sie, my brother.

- It's good to meditate on a mountaintop, right?

- Oh man.

Nothing better.

(thoughtful music) Through high-speed tunnels, skirting glistening lakes, around bends and atop alpine peaks, Switzerland's road network connects everywhere you want to be, and see, along the Grand Tour.

And after a couple hours on the road, we emerge into the southernmost canton of Switzerland, Italian-speaking Ticino.

With Mediterranean flair, and its food, architecture, and overall vibe, Ticino's principle city of Lugano is a multicolored jewel in the crown of Europe.

And Nigerian American artist and designer, Ini Archibong, who studied in Switzerland, tells us why Ticino has a place in his heart.

- Welcome to Ticino.

- Hey man, this is breathtaking, my brother, like, it's beautiful.

I know I'm saying what everybody can see, but it's just, what other words are there?

- [Ini] I mean, I think you said it, I think you said it.

It's one of my favorite places.

- And what calls you, aside from the obvious charms, you know, what specific to you brings you back here time and time again?

- One thing that's beautiful about Switzerland period, is that like, the majestic views are otherworldly.

Like it's not anything close to normal to have, you know, these green mountains growing out of the blue lake.

So, just the ability to look at that is inspiring.

So like, the first few years, you know, when I was on my own after graduating, and starting to work on some projects, I started coming here every summer.

And I would get a flat in Ascona, it's probably one of these little villages, and rent one of the very high up flats, so that I could set up my computer and look out the window and see all of this.

And that just became a tradition for me, and I would pop out around the time of the jazz festival, so the town would be alive, and just, it's a beautiful experience, so.

It's the type of place, I feel like that there's been a lot of stuff culturally that goes on here that people that know know.

You know, I was here one time chatting with a gentleman, and you know, he told me that he's been coming here for years, and one time he met Quincy Jones.

- When we think about the cultural offerings that we have here, you know, number one, we've got music, which we touched on when you mentioned the jazz festival, we've got the natural music of the cicadas.

But there's also art, there's architecture.

- Yeah.

- You know?

And you as an artist extraordinaire, in all the different areas of creation, you know, human endeavor almost, where you just kind of create, what inspires you here?

- I mean, honestly, it's not that difficult to get inspired.

You know, like I said before, there's just sitting and looking out at the natural beauty, there's getting up and walking around, you know, in the cobblestone streets.

There's, you know, getting on a funicular and going up somewhere high like we are right now, and looking down on everything, you know, and having like the semi-quiet contemplation.

I mean, at a certain point, the cicadas fade into the background.

(chuckles) - That's right.

- You know, all those things can be inspiring.

And then going to see some architecture, you know, you go and you see something, or you sit still in a place, and you know, everything kind of has, I don't know if it's appropriate to say, but it has this level of Swiss perfection combined with like Italian creativity, and like that sauce.

Right?

You know what I mean?

- [Ernest] Sure, sure.

- And like when you have these two things combined in a place like this, like, it's unmatched.

When I come here, and I'm able to see that architecture up close, you know, it's a special thing.

And it's not easy to get to some of these places, so I haven't seen all of it, but you know, the ones that are ground level we can get to quite easily.

- Well man, I'm stoked to experience it, and certainly through your eyes, so why don't we hit the town and see what we can see?

- Love it.

- Let's go, my brother.

- Yeah.

(thoughtful music) (thoughtful music continues) - [Ernest] Melding Italianate, alpine, art deco, and an array of contemporary styles, Ticino's architecture is unique and impressive.

And one of the canton's most famous sons is architect Mario Botta, known for cathedrals, museums and other structures around the world, designed in what he calls his response to modernist architecture.

And we respond to Botta's work with both awe and respect, as Ini takes us to some of his favorite Botta buildings.

- [Ini] That's it.

- Less than two hours away from Lugano, in the mountain village of Mogno, sits the striking and symmetrical Church of Sangiovanni Battista, designed by Botta, and completed in 1996 on the site of the previous church, which had been destroyed by an avalanche a decade earlier.

This church, a symbol of rebirth and renewal.

Oh man, it is beautiful in here.

- The energy jumps off the page, You automatically feel the energy of what the intention is, right?

So then you sit in these perfect geometric spaces, and you feel that spirituality.

And Botta- - Captures it.

- Captures it.

- Art.

Before saying ciao to Ticino, there was one last Botta church Ini wanted us to see.

The humbling and marvelous chapel, Santa Maria degli Angeli.

Completed in 1996, high atop Monte Tamara, the chapel rises 6,500 feet above sea level.

A masterpiece of stone, light, and peace.

Connecting there with Ini at the chapel, with Director X atop Santis, with Clint on Lake Geneva, I was reminded, again and again, along the Grand Tour that Switzerland is indeed a land between heaven and earth.

(deep chord plays) - [Announcer] Major funding for this program is provided by.

(whimsical music) (exhilarating music) - [Ernest] Fly with us.

Join the "Fly Brother" travel community, and build a life of adventure, abundance, and connection.

(elegant music)