Ferney Voltaire, France to Cedar Springs, Michigan

Awake at 6. In the car and on the way to the airport at 7. The start of a very long day - 22 hours until we were in bed again.

Because the airport is in the border of Switzerland and France, it makes things at there rather complicated. We had to return the rental car to the Swiss side but had trouble finding it. The absence of any signage certainly didn't help. Once we were back at the Hertz location, Dave was breathing easier. It's quite stressful at times - being in a foreign location and not speaking the language. Since we were flying back with Air France, we had to go to the French side of the airport - after parking the car on the Swiss side. 😕

Check-in was a breeze - even though I wasn't able to pre-check the day before. Due to Dave's "gold medallion status" -  with Delta, who's a partner with Air France - we were allowed to wait for our plane in the Air France lounge. A first for us! We had a free breakfast and sat in comfy chairs until it was time to go to our gate.

The flight to Paris was smooth but a bit late. The gate for the flight to Chicago was quite a ways away from our arrival gate. The plan was that Dave would run ahead and hold the plane - if needed - which it wasn't. While the gate was in the same terminal - a huge one - it was a far bit of running to get there. The flight had actually started to board just as our first flight was landing. We made it - which was a huge relief. I did wonder how they were going to get our suitcase over to the Chicago bound plane in time. 

We left Paris shortly after 1 pm and arrived in Chicago at 9 pm - 3 pm local time. The flight was smooth but long. Neither of us got out of our seats for the whole flight. It felt really good to stand up. 

The line for customs was incredibly long due to a couple of full flights arriving at the same time. There were literally hundreds of people waiting to go through customs. We snaked through the line for almost an hour. At all times, there were four or so agents there but not taking any people. Why that was remains a mystery. Once we got to the agent, it was a couple of questions and we were on our way to get our suitcase. It had been well over an hour since we landed so we weren't sure where the bag would be at that point. Not in Chicago, that's where.

The plan was to get an Uber to where we parked our car. We ended up taking a taxi - watching the meter go up as we sat at red lights. The car was still there - we were a bit concerned about this. It took us almost four hours to get home. A very long time after an already very long day. 

We were home and in bed by 10 pm - 4 am for our brains and bodies. It's good to be home. It was an amazing trip. We had many new experiences and created lots of delightful, and some less so, memories. Now it's time to reconnect with the kids and grandkids and pick up our everyday lives at home.

One thing I learned today: Air France's food is not good. The main meal was supposably pasta but it looked like fish eggs and had a gluey texture. It had nothing to offer. Dave got a Heineken and even that didn't taste good. However, the celery and carrot sandwich - who knew this was a kind of sandwich? - was a pleasant surprise. The freshness of the roll had a lot to do with it.

One new thing I experienced today: How to deal with "lost" luggage. Due to a far too short layover between flights, and the fact that our flight from Geneve was 15 minutes late - doesn't sound like much but it sure made a difference - our checked bag didn't get on the plane to Chicago. We had to find the guy who processed the paperwork and get that in order. The bag will be put on the next flight to Chicago and couriered to us. (If we lived 200 miles or less from the airport, we were expected to pick it up.) Here's hoping it makes it. There are a lot of things in that bag we don't want to loose.

Most powerful moment of the day: Getting into bed after being up and traveling for 22 hours. Our own bed with our pillows. So, so great!

One pleasurable experience: Seeing signs in English. I was reading many of the signs and billboards on the way home. It was so nice to be able to read, and understand, them. 

By the numbers:

We drove: 1,317 miles

Churches visited: 5

Castles visited: 4

Countries visited: 5 - Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, Germany, and France

Modes of transportation: 5 - train, gondola, plane, taxi, and car 

A Day in Geneve

It was a bumpy night with a slow start this morning. It must have been the ribs. I had more than Dave so I felt worse than he did. I woke up at 3 am feeling pretty bad. My imagination started running away from me - as it will do at 3 am. What if I'm sick tomorrow and have to spend our last day in this sardine tin of a room? What if I'm still sick on the plane and have to be near a bathroom at all times? What if there are bed bugs in this bed? Apparently Dave was thinking much more creatively than I was. What if I had to go to the hospital? What if there was something really wrong with me and I had to stay there?

While I didn't feel 100% in the morning, I was determined to enjoy our last day. I got the repacking for the trip home completed. That can't wait until tomorrow. With that, sleeping until 8, and moving pretty slowly (well, at least I was), we didn't leave the room until about 11. 

The old part of Geneve, centrum, was about a 20 minute drive. After parking the car, we ventured out for a day of Reformation fun. Interesting facts about parking garages: they're super clean, well lit, and user friendly. There's either a red or green light by each parking spot to let you know if it's open or not. In today's parking garage, there were spots that were reserved for women after 6 pm - to keep them safe. Love it!

Geneve is on Lake Geneve and apparently, it's always windy in town. Well today didn't disappoint. There were white caps on the lake. It was one of those days when you should just crawl of out bed, get dressed, and go out. You're going to look like you just got out of bed due to the wind whipping around so no need to put any effort into trying to look put together. It'll only last a minute or two. 

We started our day in a super ritzy shopping area - by "started" I mean we walked past the stores. Versace, Prada, Cartier, Gucci, Dior..... First stop was the information centre and then off to Saint Peter's Cathedral where John Calvin was the pastor for awhile. The church was massive. There were choir stalls from the 1400's, five different bells dating from 1,000, Calvin's chair, and so much more. We went up the 173 spiral stairs to the top of the tower. It was hard with my dizzy mode kicking in. However, once at the top, the view was amazing. We were able to see very old parts of the tower/bell area. There were 173 steps coming down as well. 😀 

The first church was built on the site in the 300's. We were able to see the original "entrance step" of that church on the archeological tour. More on that below. The Romans were actually there before that. So much history!

The Reformation museum was included in our ticket so we did a quick walk through of that. There were some interesting items but almost everything was in French which makes it rather frustrating. 

Hunger was getting our attention. We had a snack at about 12. Breakfast was bread and jam in our room. We found a lovely restaurant and decided to sit inside. It was just too cold to be outside - 57 degrees but the wind! Lots of people were braving the cold and sitting outside. Dave had a "John Calvin" beer which he really liked. I really liked the bottle so that's going home. Meal #3 with really good food. (Pretty sad in the eating out department this trip.)

After supper we walked a short way to the "Reformation Wall." It's a must see for visitors and of special interest to people who've studied the Reformation - like Dave. It was getting colder so we started back to the car. Dessert and coffee/tea was calling us. We shared a raspberry crepe. This last delightful experience officially ended our vacation. After that, it's just getting ready to go home.

Things are pretty much set for the morning - bags packed, car gassed up, alarm set. I tried to check-in for our flights but the system isn't cooperating so we'll just have to do it at the airport tomorrow. Up at 6. Return the car by 7ish. Fly out at 10:30. Get to Paris in just over an hour and then the 8 hour flight home. What's really important is a good night's sleep. Let's hope that happens!

One thing I learned today: Geneve is the birthplace of fine watch making. There are a lot of watch shops around - ones where you can spend a fortune for a watch. We briefly looked through a window at them but couldn't see any prices. If you have to ask the price, you can't afford them.

One new thing I experienced today: Laying down in a church. The Maccabee Chapel - part of Saint Peter's Cathedral - was amazing. The painting/decorations were spectacular. I laid down on a pew to get a picture of the ceiling. I've never done that before.

Most powerful moment of the day: Being under Saint Peter's Cathedral and seeing archeological excavations from 100 BC. It was amazing to see parts of many different religious buildings from 100 BC to the 1,000's. One area showed the tiled floor - still with a lot of color - of a bishop's "parlor" from almost 1,000 years ago. And, we saw coins from 75- 50 BC!

One pleasurable experience: Eating a lovely meal and talking about the things we're going to do in our future.

Allschwil, Switzerland to Ferney Voltaire, France

The last leg of our journey began this morning. We're making our way back to the Geneva (Geneve is what it's called here) and the flight home on Thursday. After stopping for gas (and a coffee and Nutella croissant for Dave), we were on our way. By the way, Nutella is to Europe as peanut butter is to Canada/U.S. It's everywhere and a staple. Today, we saw a container of it with a pump on it.

It was going to take us about 2.5 hours to get to Geneve. (After two weeks we're almost locals). It was a pretty drive. Lots of farmland, greenery, hills - all the things we saw when we first landed. It felt familiar and comfortable. The weather was a mix again - drizzle to rain to full cloud cover to peaks of sun and, as a bonus today, wind. With one day left to go, we've only had two days were we'd say it rained for the better part of the day. There have been a few days with sun, not as many as we'd like, but overall it's been just fine. We prefer this weather to summer weather with the crowds of tourists it brings. For the most part, the driving was clear sailing today - unlike the chaos (Dave's word) of Basel. If he thought it was chaos, you know how crazy it really was.

The night before we left for our trip, we watched "25 must-sees in Switzerland." We didn't have any plans for our trip - which is generally how we travel - but over the course of the trip, we've seen seven of the 25. As we approached Bern, Dave remembered that Montreux had an amazing castle. It was still morning so we decided to go there - which in the end only added about an hour to our total driving time. And it was SO worth it!

Lunch was fresh bread and jam in the car at a rest stop area. I'm really going to miss the incredible bread here! (The language has switched back to French at this point.)

We got to Montreux about 1:30 where is was lightly raining and cold. The thermometer said it was about 57 but it sure didn't feel like that. The dampness and wind combined to make it feel much colder. However, that didn't hinder us exploring the best persevered medieval castle (Chateau de Chillon - pronounced "she on"), and most visited historical site, in Switzerland. It's kind of like Alcatraz in that it's built on an large rock with water (Lake Geneve) all around it. It was delightful. We got the audio headsets and spent over three hours exploring and learning. I got some really great pictures. (The first part of the castle was build in the 1000's with additions put on in the 1200 and 1400's.)

Back in the car and on our way to Geneve. We hit a bit of rush hour traffic, and our first traffic jam since we arrived, but still made good time. We arrived in Ferney Voltaire, France at about 6:30. 

It was time for supper and some meat. We've had so very little of it on this trip. Right by the hotel, which is just across the Swiss border in France, we came upon a steak like place that was doing it's best to "be American." Country music played and the menu was much like what you'd find at Logan's. Dave had a variety plate that included buffalo (tasted like beef) and I had ribs. Interestingly, the sauce comes on the side. We popped into the grocery store next door and bought, you guessed it, a loaf of fresh bread for our breakfast. France uses euros - which I didn't have - but they accepted Swiss francs. Thankfully.

We arrived at the hotel about 8ish. At check-in, we didn't get the guy's full attention as he was talking to his friend (?) on the phone the whole time. We opened our room door and voila, there was our teeny, tiny room. We briefly talked about going somewhere else but decided to stay. It's an experience. It's something new, I kept saying.

One thing I learned today: So very many things at the castle. Here's one about food. People in the medieval times ate fewer than 10 vegys. Potatoes, corn, beans, squash, and peppers all came from the Americas in the 1500's - which is after the Middle Ages. They used to eat lilies, roses, gladiolas, and catnip. 

One new thing I experienced today: The smallest hotel room ever! Our hotel for the last two nights is seven minutes from the airport and was only $50 (US) per night. We booked it before we left. What do you get for $50? A very clean but super tiny room that doesn't even provide one towel. (We're using a t-shirt.) We had to get creative with our suitcases. They were in the shower, and lying on the floor in front of the door to the hall. 

Most powerful moment of the day: Let's go with painful this time. The castle was built many years ago when people where much shorter than they are today. I'd be a giant to them. The doorways in the castle are all very low and most are made of stone. I was doing really well until I didn't. I walked right into a "door frame". Rock meets head. Not good. No blood. No concussion. But I did wonder if it had some impact as I laid in bed later - not feeling well at all. More on that tomorrow.

One pleasurable experience: We made a pit stop in our travels this morning atone of those pull of the highway type of stops. It was delightful. After finally finding a one franc coin out of my stash of change so I could use the bathroom, I went to two of the shops. I was able to get the last things I was looking for to take home. That may not sound like a big deal but it was. There's a certain level of stress that goes along with making those purchases. I always want everything to go well, and bringing home "good gifts" is included.

A day in Basel

Having a B&B with a kitchen again allows me to have oatmeal for breaky which is lovely. We headed out the door about 9:30 - our usual starting time on this trip - to spend the day in Basel, a medieval town in the northeast corner of CH. 

The car park near the centrum was only a few minutes drive from where we are staying. We're pretty much pros again at the "mechanics" of travel - certainly a long way from where we were when we first arrived here. The information centre was about a 10 minute walk. I was able to finish my shopping for gifts for the grandkids there. Always a a nice feeling.

There were five walking tours through the heart of the city. We had some trouble downloading the app with the commentary for the tours but finally got it. For the first time on this trip, it felt like we were in Europe - meaning: it felt very familiar to the other trips we've taken. The history, old buildings, narrow winding streets. So nice!

We spent about five hours sightseeing and enjoying the amazing weather - in the low 70's and mostly sunny. Our first stop was Munster Cathedral. The very first church was built there in the early 800's and the current building was built in the late 1400's. An earthquake destroyed the previous structure. The gothic architecture on the exterior was stunning. In the crypt were tombs from bishops from as early as 820. The church was Catholic but now is Evangelical Reformed.

We did our best to follow one of the walking tours but it was really challenging. The streets go wherever they want with no pattern. At one point we ended up in a market square with lots of "food trucks." Lunch was the best fish and chips. Right beside the marketplace was the town hall - an incredibly beautiful building that's been in use since the 1300's. 

This is the oldest city that we've ever been in. Many of the homes/shops were from the 1400's. Cobbled streets. There was a lot of construction going on - replacing pipes (?) under the roads. Back hoes are able to have their buckets literally a few feet from pedestrian's heads. It's up to the people to pay attention.

We wandered up and down streets, crossed a bridge over the Rhine River, and found our way back to the car. A lot of walking today. I do need to mention the traffic. In the old part of the city there are very few cars but a ton of buses and streetcars. At one point, there were four of these that could be seen by looking straight ahead. The streetcars are 100' long. No kidding. With so many of them, the roads going every which way, and crosswalks everywhere, to me it felt like Russian roulette trying to cross a street. Interesting thing about the crosswalks. When someone wants to cross, out they go. Bikes, cars, etc. are just expected to stop for them. Streetcars obviously can't stop so people do need to pay attention to them. We saw a man almost get hit. He didn't even look before stepping into the crosswalk so he didn't see the car the barely missed him.

Next stop was the spot where France, Germany, and Switzerland meet. It was a bit tricky to find. The "meeting point" is in the water. And again the question comes to mind: How was this monitored before the EU existed?

One last stop at Aldi where we picked up some food for supper and breakfast. The bakery section at Aldi is phenomenal - quiches, all sorts of fresh breads/rolls, European fruit tarts.... Maybe the Cedar Aldi will have the same thing. 😁

Supper (mini pizzas - I know, more carbs) on the back patio in the sun. Dave went for a bit of a walk. The rain finally started so reading commenced. Off to our final stop tomorrow - Geneva where we'll focus on John Calvin and the Reformation.

One thing I learned today: Shortly after the Reformation took place, highly decorated/designed buildings were forbidden which resulted in rather bland architecture for a period. Another example of the church meaning well but.....

One new thing I experienced today: Seeing a small boat attached to a cable that spanned the river. The current was so strong that the only way to easily, and fairly quickly, get from one side of the river to the other is by being sure the boat is tethered to the wire. It takes people from one side of the river to the other - about 500'. Also on the river were massive barges. Whether going against or with the strong current, both required very skilled pilots.

Most powerful moment of the day: Powerful isn't the ideal word here but it did evoke a strong emotional response in me. When we first arrived in Geneva, there was graffiti on every barrier along the sides of the roads. It was most annoying - and ugly. Today, in the heart of this beautiful town on houses from the 1300 - 1500's, houses that are very well cared for, there was graffiti. Not on a lot of houses but still. It's infuriating for me to see and I'm sure much more so for the home owners. One house had the original shutters from the 1400's - pealed paint and all - with some graffiti and stickers on them. Stickers ruin all sorts of things here. You can never "fix" those shutters so they're free of the "mess" and yet are still original. I'm still upset thinking about it!!

One pleasurable experience: While we sat in an outdoor café beside the Rhine River in the delightfully warm sunshine having coffee/hot chocolate and apple strudel, a duck walked through. He stood by our table until it was clear he wasn't going to get anything and then moved on.

Dachau, Germany to Allschwil, Switzerland

Today was a travel and rest day. We left the hotel in Dachau and drove to Allschwil, Switzerland which took about four hours. The temperature started about 50 and was in the mid 70's by the time we got to our next B&B. On the journey it drizzled, poured rain, blazed full sun, and filled the sky with lots of clouds - so a bit of everything. The drive through Germany was almost like driving in MI or southern ON. The landscape and trees looked very familiar.

The border between Germany and Austria was "nothing" - just a sign that noted you were now in Austria. The same is true for the border between Switzerland and France. However, the border between Austria and Switzerland had us slowing right down and passing by police officers again - no guns though. It's so interesting how this differs from country to country and whether you're entering or leaving a country. In all of our other European travels, borders have only been marked by signs.

Yes, we did drive through four different countries today. A long drive in Germany, about 30 minutes in Austria (where we were instantly met by old mountains and tunnels), a long drive in Switzerland, and literally 15 seconds in France. The town we're staying in tonight is on the French/Swiss border. I wanted to experience being in four countries in one day (it could have been five if we had gone about 20 minutes out of our way to Liechtenstein). The French/Swiss border was marked by a tiny building and the tightest roundabout you can imagine. We drove around it and so were officially in France - for seconds yes, but we were there. Our final two nights will be spent in France. The hotel is seven minutes from the airport in Geneva (CH).

Tonight's B&B is located on the edge of the town. It's the last house on a dead end road - surrounded by countryside. It's another truly unique place with a lawn that doesn't get cut but looks great with tall grass and wild flowers.

We arrived at the B&B and were settled in by 4 pm. We have a private patio right outside our door so reading in the sun while watching the chickens was enjoyed for a couple of hours. 

Finding a place to have supper was a bit challenging - being Mother's Day and all. I've realized that almost all of our food on this trip has been carbs - mostly in the form of bread products and pasta. While the fresh bread items are super amazing, it's time for something else.

Except for the first couple of days of our trip (where people spoke French), German - in different dialects - has been the spoken language. Today is the first time we've come across people who didn't speak any English.

The plan was to go for a walk along the paths by the B&B but that didn't happen. What did happen was reading and sleeping so we could ready for another day.

One thing I learned today: Trucks aren't permitted to drive on Sundays. Pick-ups are the exception. We've seen less than 10 pickups in all of our travels. Not having big trucks on the road makes driving much more enjoyable because there are many, many of them. Not so nice for the truckers who have to stay parked in truck stops for the entire day. Dave could really related to that.

One new thing I experienced today: Driving on a road without a speed limit. Unless otherwise noted, you can drive as fast as you want on German highways/freeways. They suggest 130 kms/hr (81 miles/hr) but there's no limit and it's completely legal to go as fast as you want. Dave got our little puddle jumper up to 150 kms (93 miles/hr) when I put an end to that. Our car is adorable but it's also a tiny, tin can that will crunch like one.

Most powerful moment of the day: Wondering how borders between countries looked/operated when they were in place. The borders literally go through neighborhoods/backyards. How was that monitored? Were there walls that have been taken down? What a massive project it was when the EU came into existence. Borders gone. All EU countries changed their currency to the euro. It's hard to get your head around. But, it does make things much easier for travelers and those who live here. (A reminder: Switzerland is not part of the EU and has its own currency, but they have done away with border requirements.)

One pleasurable experience: Seeing the B&B owners out walking - with their cat! The cat runs beside them as they walk - like a dog would - without a leash. And! The sign on the toilet that says men may not stand up to pee. 

Sistrans, Austria to Dachau, Germany

The goal was to get to Dachau Concentration Camp by 12:30 so that we could get two of the 30 spots on the guided tour. While the drive was just over two hours, things take time. So we were up and at it and out of the door by 9:30. 

The drive was a combination of sun, clouds, and some sprinkles. The rain, once again, held off all day! The scenery went from snow capped mountains to flat ground. The car's GPS had been working wonderfully until it decided it had had enough. We were on a very busy stretch of freeway and the GPS made it look like we were driving through fields. The SIM card we bought for Europe sure has come in handy - with this being the most valuable time yet. Pulling up Google maps got us to the camp. Without it.......

While the thermometer said it was in the low 50's, it sure felt colder than that. A shirt and two coats and it still felt "cold." However, I felt guilty for even thinking about being a bit cold when I stood in the camp's massive roll call area (held 30 - 40,000 people) knowing that others had stood here in nothing but pajama like clothes for hours in the dead of winter - unable to move or they'd be shot.

We decided not to be part of the guided tour and got audio tour headsets instead - which was definitely the way to go. We arrived at the camp at 12:30ish and left about 4:30. There aren't words to adequately describe the camp or the emotion felt while being there. I'm not even going to try. I'll just say that we were both very deeply impacted. I'll list the pictures I took with a bit of info for each - in the order I came across things.

• watchtower at entrance to camp - These were located all around the camp and were always manned with SS and guns.
• train tracks and platform - Where the people arrived from all over Europe - most to end their days behind the fence.
• camp commandant's headquarters - Beautiful building just outside the "prisoners camp" - a small part (5 acres) of the entire concentration camp (25 acres). You can only visit the prisoners' camp section of the camp. The rest of the original camp is part of the town and being used for "regular" things.
• entrance to the prisoners' camp - At this point, prisoners would think this place was going to be quite nice. 
• a photo of the prisoners welcoming the US troops - It makes you want to cry just looking at it.
• gate at the entrance which says "work sets you free" - The SS were told that if people couldn't work, they were useless, and therefore needed to be killed.
• roll call area - It's massive. Truly, breath-takingly massive. Trying to imagine it filled (and it was to overflowing) with prisoners is impossible.
• the sign that says "never again" (placed well after the war) - May it be so. And yet, evil people continue to do Satan's work on earth.
• perimeter fence, guard tower, and death zone - Fences were electrified with a high voltage charge. A small ditch was between the fence and 8' of grass - the death zone. If anyone stepped onto the grass, they were killed. Some, who couldn't take it any more, did so or ran to grab the fence.
• bunks in the bunk houses - There were 30 bunk houses that each held many 100's of prisoners'. Conditions couldn't have been worse. All of the bunk houses were torn down in the mid 1960's at the request of the former prisoners. The cement foundations are all that's left. There were two reconstructed bunk houses.
• Toilets and wash basins - Hundreds of prisoners had literally a few minutes to use these facilities. Every. Single. Thing. was impossible. And set up that way on purpose. If the stripes on the blankets on the beds in a row of bunks weren't lined up and perfect (for the entire length of many bunks), horrific punishment was the result.
• camp road - All of the barracks were along this road. Many for prisoners, a library, a brothel (prisoners could go to the brothel where other prisoners would service them), human experimental barracks, etc. The ones closest to the gate were for the staff - library, etc. - and the ones at the farthest end were for the "worst of the worst" - according to the SS's system. Beautiful trees grow along the road so it made for good PR photos - which were needed.
• exterior of the crematorium - A nice looking building that held untold horrors - including the next three points.
• cremation ovens - Dead bodies were stacked a room and then taken into the "oven room." Live prisoners were hung in the oven room.
• gas chamber - Prisoners entered a room where they took off their clothes to get ready for a delousing shower. Next room .......
• chamber for disinfecting clothes - Prisoners clothes were disinfected in massive chambers - six of them. 

At this point, we were overwhelmed and while there was much more to see in the museum, we just couldn't do it. We did stop at the bookstore and purchased a few books.

Supper, check in at a very modern hotel, and bed. 

One thing I learned today: A massive number of things. Here are a few: 1. People can be unbelievably evil. 2. People can have a tremendous will to live. 3. Hate knows no bounds. 4. Compassion can come at a price.

One new thing I experienced today: Crossing the border between Austria and Germany. Traffic was slowed to 10 kms/hr with the two lanes of traffic having to split and drive on either side of a cement barrier in the middle of the road. There stood two police officers - one with some kind of rifle that I'm sure was very powerful. The officers looked at each car/the passengers as they went past them very slowly. Off to the side was a covered area with about ten more officers - in case they were needed we assumed. While the borders between the EU countries are gone (if you miss the sign, you don't even know you've crossed the border,) this sure felt like a border.

Most powerful moment of the day: So, so many of them. Here's just one. That we were able to walk out of the concentration camp. Literally 100's of thousands of people couldn't even dream of doing that.

One pleasurable experience: Good food. While we've not eaten out a lot, finding good food at restaurants has been challenging. Tonight we ate at a local German restaurant where many people knew each other - having conversations amongst three different tables of people. You could tell some folks were regulars as drinks arrived without being ordered. I had cordon bleu (pork) and Dave had wiener schnitzel (also pork) and it was delicious!

A Day in Innsbruck

Before 8 am, Dave was at the small grocery store - which is just down the road - and got chocolate croissants hot out of the oven. Yum! 

Today, we were going to spend the day exploring Innsbruck via the hop-on-hop-off bus. We parked at the southern most point on the route - which was the location of the ski jumping at the 1976 Olympics - and boarded the first bus at 11 am. The guy driving the bus was not a people person. 

There were 28 points of interest - three of which we wanted to spend some time at. Turns out we only had time for two of them - plus a bonus stop. Some sort of protest had closed the road to traffic so the bus couldn't get to where we were waiting for it after we got off the first time - which resulted in us loosing a half an hour. It did allow us to have a lovely stroll in a park as we made our way to the next bus stop. 

Our first stop was an indoor market. An unplanned stop but a delightful one! Lots of fruits and vegys, meat and fish, flowers, baked goods, and places to have a drink. At 11:30 in the morning several of the tiny "shops" had people sitting in very tight quarters chatting and enjoying a glass of wine. We enjoyed a piece of really good apple strudel on a bench outside the market overlooking the river with colorful homes on the other shore.

Our next, and first planned, stop was the Hofkirche - a Catholic church with the tomb of Emperor Maximilian I. Some false advertising here. Yes, it's a church but it turns out the "tomb" is really a memorial since the emperor isn't buried there. The "tomb" is really amazing - the most splendid imperial tomb in Europe. There are 28 bronze statues  (almost 10'  tall) of family and important people (from 526 to 1555 - 1555 was "Joanne the Mad" - poor woman to have a name like that) standing along the sides of the "tomb." The statues were very impressive. How the artists were able to create the intricacies/details (in bronze!) is a mystery.

Our ticket allowed us to visit the attached museum which had items from the 1400's to the 1900's. They have the largest collection of furniture/cabinets/ceramic heaters that I've ever seen.  I'm sure most of the items all came from very wealthy people as the craftsmanship was excellent. One of my favorite things was a small wooden calendar (about 4" x 6") for June and July from the late 1400's.

This is where the protest came in so we didn't get back on the bus until 2:30. We had to be back at our car by 4:45 or else we'd have to find another way to get there. The commentary on the bus was quite good but rarely matched where we were. 

Our second planned stop was Schloss Ambras. It's a castle/palace built by Archduke Ferdinand II of Austria (mid 1500's) for his wife, a commoner - which was a serious no-no in those days. Marrying a commoner that is. Unfortunately, this is another case of false advertising. Yes, it's a castle (very different than the ones we've seen in other parts of Europe) and while there were a few original tables and chairs, one spectacular and authentic hall (for entertaining), and a bath tub (a metal lined box with a stool in it), this stop was mostly an art gallery, armory (many, many suits of armor in pristine condition), and an extensive collection of glassware. While rare and very valuable, not so interesting for us. The interesting part were the "curiosities" displayed as they were in the 1500s. A collection of "things" for people to look at. I could have spent a lot of time there but the clock was ticking. We couldn't miss the last bus of the day. (The peacocks were beautiful - at least the males who were doing their best to attract the females who didn't seem too interested.)

After getting the car, we headed back into the center of the city for supper. It was a beautiful, warm (70ish), sunny day so we wanted to sit outside to eat. Our view was an old city gate and colorful buildings beyond it. The sun was warm and the food was fantastic. This was a definite highlight of our trip. The small things, right?

Since the weather was much better today, we could see the snow capped mountains that surround Innsbruck and Sistrans. The mountains never cease to please and amaze. I think we've seen mountains (or foothills) everyday so far. That will change tomorrow as we head to Dachau, Germany - yes, where the famous concentration camp is located. Strange as it may be, I've always wanted to see a concentration camp. WW II and the camps are the topics I've read the most about. Not sure why I'm so interested in this but I am.

One thing I learned today: The housing built for the Olympians were repurposed for regular housing. Today, people from over 50 countries live in them. 

One new thing I experienced today: Ordering supper. We went to an Italian place - with outdoor seating which was the most important factor in choosing where to eat. When we entered, we went to the "station" were the food was that we wanted - pasta for both of us. There were seven different kinds of noodles to choose from - all handmade that morning. The staff cooked our food in front of us as we told them the ingredients we wanted - garlic, cheese, spice, etc. It was such fun! We got rhubarb drinks. They were suggested to us because I asked for noodles that were "fun." When it came to drinks, the woman asked if we wanted a fun drink. I love it when people play along.

Most powerful moment of the day: Being in the curiosity room. I imagined all of the people who stood by those same displays hundreds of years ago and were just as impressed and interested in the artifacts as I was. I'm sure bragging rights went along with it. "I've seen the XXX at the palace. Have you?"

One pleasurable experience: This trip. I was hoping for a slower pace, relaxing trip where we could take our time and not be overly busy. That's exactly what the trip has been. The normal schedule that we've kept on these trips, of lots of sightseeing and going until 9 or so every night, hasn't been our pattern. Both are great options but at this point in time, the slow and relaxed is what's needed. 

Sevelen, Switzerland to Sistrans, Austria

Day two of rain - which ended about 5 pm. It doesn't rain hard but the clouds block all the spectacular views that we're missing. The forecast has rain for the next week. Hoping it's wrong!

After blogging, repacking all of the suitcases, and getting ready for the day, we left Switzerland and headed toward Austria (which was "right there.") Everything is so close here. Our actual travel time to Innsbruck was just over two hours but with stops along the way, it always takes longer.

It rained on and off for most of the drive - until it was snowing. Due to construction on the freeway, we were rerouted on a secondary road that took us into the mountains. The switchbacks, with many huge trucks coming right at us, were anxiety producing. Oh. My. Goodness. We kept climbing in the mountains until it was just above freezing and snowing. The towns had snow everywhere - so it's still very much winter for them. At one point either a whiteout or fog was so thick we couldn't see the road. Yes, on May 11. (Happy birthday, Laura!)

People speak German in Austria, as they did in Lichtenstein and in most of Switzerland. The dialects vary and we have yet to hear what we normally think of as "German" - which has a heavy, guttural sound. 

At one point, we pulled over to have a cat nap of just 10 minutes or so. It makes all the difference! We arrived in Innsbruck (population about 132,000) about 2 and headed for the "centrum" - the oldest part of every European city. Other than landing in Geneva, this is the first time we've been in location larger than a smaller town. It was overwhelming. People, cars. Where do you go?

We found a parking garage and started to walk - with me being quite concerned we wouldn't find our way back to the car again. We're finding the language difference to be problematic. To date, our travels have pretty much had English speakers close at hand. Not this time.

Breakfast was seven or so hours ago but finding a place to eat lunch was challenging. Instead of lunch, we had apple strudel with ice cream and coffee/hot chocolate. We wandered around the beautiful city square with old, delightfully painted buildings/shops. A surprising number of people were out and about but we think many were tourists.

Finding an information center was key. We have one day in Innsbruck and wanted it to be a good one. We decided to do the hop-on-hop-off bus tour which visits 28 different stops - all between 10 am and 5 pm. There's no way we'll get off the bus at more than one or two stops so we have to choose those stops wisely. Tickets have been purchased. Tomorrow will be a full day.

About 6 we headed to the B&B which was just a few miles outside of Innsbruck but as different as day and night from it. We stopped at a grocery story (croissants and chocolate) - which we're doing every day. Today is day nine of our trip. We've eaten a meal out only six times. We usually eats out at least once a day, if not twice. The fresh bread products are amazing and so we're eating a lot of them - for breakfast and lunch. Only one place has given us breakfast. We now look for places with access to a kitchen which is a new thing on this trip.

Once we had our stuff in the room, we walked around the village. Farms were obviously here first so the houses have been built up around - and right beside - them. The grocery story is literally right across the street from a farm with a manure pile facing the store. People are milking cows in large, wooden barns right beside very modern homes. The contrast is wonderful. And the perfume of manure makes Dave's heart sing.

Unable to find a place to eat in the village, we walked back to our B&B (all up hill of course) and drove a couple of minutes down the road to the nicest restaurant with the best food we've had so far on the trip. Almost two hours later, we were back in the room and tucked in for the night.

One thing I learned today: How much I love Sistrans! I could live here. It's very quiet, small, with such interesting architecture. Farms beside homes. I'm so glad we came here.

One new thing I experienced today: The most unique entrance to a B&B ever. The key lock box was beside two large metal doors in a garage - attached to condo units. We walked through the garage full of a lot of people's stuff. Went out the back door, down several steps into a small patio area and the door to our "space."  It's the only way to get here.

Most powerful moment of the day: Again, not many "powerful moments" on this trip (yet) but something of great interest - the tunnels. Today's drive was especially "tunnel rich." We were in tunnels about 25% of the trip. One tunnel had an off ramp - in the tunnel! Some of them are very long. The longest one in Switzerland is 30 miles - which we haven't been in.

One pleasurable experience: Ordering one dessert to share and having the waiter cut the cake in half, put the pieces on their own plates, and decorate/garish them as if they were individual orders. So thoughtful.

A Day in Lichtenstein

Our B&B is about a mile from the Swiss/Lichtenstein border. Switzerland is 216 miles from east to west and 220 miles from north to south - so quite a small country. Lichtenstein is 4 miles from east to west and 16 miles from north to south. A really small country. There are 38,000 people and no taxes for the residents. It's a very wealthy country.

Some interesting tidbits from both Switzerland and Liechtenstein: 

• Food in the restaurants arrives in a dumb waiter. The kitchen is on a different floor.                     
• There are specific garbage containers for dog poop. Bags available at each one.                             
• Gas in Switzerland is $4.26 (US) per gallon. It's a bit more in Lichtenstein.  (It's currently about $3.75 at home.)                                         -
• Hamburgers come with a fried egg. I got one that must have come from a teeny, tiny chicken as it was the cutest little egg I've ever seen.                                                                                               
• Food prices are generally lower than at home - in grocery stores in "non-tourist" locations.            
• Tombstones have photos of the deceased (in Lichtenstein.)                                                               
• Other than restaurants, businesses close for 1.5 to 2 hours for lunch.                                                
• Road/building construction carries on in the rain. Mind you, the rain so far has been quite light.   MI = Michigan   FL = Lichtenstein   CH = Switzerland                                                              
• In this part of CH, and in FL, the sides of the streets/boulevards aren't cut but grow up with grasses and lots of wild flowers. So pretty!                                                                                        
• The typical Swiss houses in this area (stucco, brown roofs, and shutters on all windows) are quite similar to the FL houses except the FL houses mostly look like big boxes. However, when you get higher up in the mountains, they again look like Swiss homes.                                           

Now to our day. We were going to visit the Walser Museum in Triesenberg but arrived too late to see it before it closed for lunch, so we went for lunch and had the best food we've eaten so far on this trip. The museum focused on people similar to the Amish (very broadly speaking) who were still living and working in this area following the traditional ways in the late 70's. Except for some artifacts from as early as 1,350 BC (spear found in the Alps), you can touch everything - which was very surprising.

We went into St. Joseph's Parish - a very large Catholic church that was built in the late 1930's on the original site of the church first built in 1769. The ceiling was very unique. There were live flowers on the ends of the pews.

Sevelen (where our B&B is) was 54 degrees and has an elevation of 1,510'. The highest point in our day was in Malbun where it was 41 degrees and has an elevation of 5,250. So, lots of steep roads and crazy, tight switchbacks.

We drove up to Malbun which was pretty much deserted. Most of the homes' windows were shuttered up. Snow covering the road stopped us from going any further up the mountain. It's a big ski area but I'm thinking many people use the area for their "summer homes"  - at least those houses that were past where we could drive. There was a sign that said you should have chains on your tires to drive down the road.

It rained (lightly) all day - until 5 or so which means that there were a lot of clouds that blocked the scenery and made taking great pictures challenging. However, I was able to get a great shot of the countryside where you can see FL on the left, the Rhine River/valley below, and CH on the right.

One of things we wanted to see was Burg Gutenberg - which is a castle. Of course, it was at the top of a very steep hill which we had to walk up. We arrived slightly winded only to find that access was restricted to pre-arranged tours. In attempting to find someone, we did get inside the castle but left quite quickly as we didn't want to get "caught." Castle #2 that failed to please. 😒

The walk did result in some pretty terrific pictures - of the vineyards growing on the terraced hill, the church in the valley with clouds/mountains, and an amazing snail.

Back down in Vaduz, FL's capital city, we parked the car and walked along the Rhine River - which has very rapidly flowing water right beside a a stretch of dry, exposed rocks which is right beside a gentle section. The river is about 200' across. What I just described was covering the 200 span. Quite odd.

There's a covered wooden bridge that joins the two countries. We walked through it - being sure to take "I'm in two countries at the same time" photos.

A quick stop at the Lidl (grocery store) and back to the B&B. The cat was waiting for us. It comes and goes out of our room as it pleases - which pleases me very much. 

Tomorrow we're heading to Innsbruck, Austria. Lodging has been secured. 

One thing I learned today: The green, ceramic "bench" in our room is actually a way to heat the room - with wood from the stove on the other side of the wall. The problem was I had left chocolate on the "bench" and it was soft when we got back at the end of the day. It'll be a bit deformed but will taste just fine.

One new thing I experienced today: Taking a picture on a switchback road where there isn't any shoulder/place to stand, worrying a car will come tearing around the corner and/or falling over the side of the road down an incredibly steep "hill." Folks here assume people will use common sense so there aren't fences/barriers to "keep you safe." I did the picture though!  

Most powerful moment of the day: Being able to walk across a bridge from one country to the next and it's "no big deal." Europe has come such a long way with open borders. The downside is that we can't get our passports stamped with countries we can drive/walk to.

One pleasurable experience: Dave isn't a cat lover but the cat likes him. He sits on the back of the chair Dave's in - once licking Dave's neck. Love it!

Murren to Sevelen

The forecast said we'd wake up to rain but it was a cloudless, sunny, beautiful morning! The mountain peaks were clearly visible from our bedroom window. We've been so blessed with the weather. After being here almost a week, we've only have had a couple of hours of light rain. However, the forecast is saying that there's a 90+% chance of rain for the next seven days - which is what they said when we got here. We'll see.....

I made myself some oatmeal for breakfast. Dave had the provided breaky. We chatted with the South African couple and Denise (the B&B owner) for awhile. Such nice people. We collected all of our stuff and headed off to the gondola station. Back on the ground (about 2,200' lower than the B&B), the car was packed and headed to the spot to pay - or so we thought. Turns out we needed to pay at another location and then leave the parking lot. By the afternoon, we felt like we'd finally gotten our "travel groove" back. It's been a bit bumpy until today - out of practice I guess,

The town of Grindelwald was about 20 minutes out of our way but Rick Steeves said it was a must see so off we went. There was a café - with the chairs facing the road/mountain across the street - where we stopped for coffee and hot chocolate (always made with milk.) And, to finally write postcards to the grandkids. They had to be nailed before we left Switzerland as they had Swiss stamps. Yes, leaving Switzerland is next!

We've not done a lot of driving here. Our stays have been for two nights (rather than our typical one night) followed by about two hours driving to the next stop. Today was the longest drive at about 2.5 hrs. I'm tracing our path acorns a map of Switzerland. By the end of the day, since our arrival, we've gone from the country's western boundary to the eastern boundary.

I didn't sleep well at all last night so I slept for part of the drive - which Dave said was a good thing. The road had many "extreme switchbacks" (which are both scary and make me really nauseous). There were times when Dave hands were sweaty with fear so that indicates what the roads were like. It takes a lot to get him scared. The landscape changed significantly. Mountains were replaced by foothills. There were large sections of flat ground making farms plentiful. Dave was missing the mountains already.

We stopped to stretch our legs - going into the store where you have to pay to go to the bathroom. That's pretty normal here. The first thing we see going into the store are American products - Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Pop Tarts, Snickers, etc. - all in the "English boxes/wrappers." Honestly, that's disappointing.

It was 3 pm and we still needed a place to sleep. Using Dave's phone, we found a B&B in Sevelen which is right on the border of Switzerland and Liechtenstein.  We booked it but needed to kill some time as it wouldn't be ready until 5 pm. Driving around we found an Aldi (in Switzerland)! Going into Aldi stores in different countries is fun - the products are so very different. More fresh bread and chocolate was purchased. 😉

The bridge to cross into Liechtenstein was right there so over we went. Immediately, on the other side of the bridge, you knew you were in another country. Slight but noticeable differences in the roads, signs, stores, etc. After about 10 minutes, we headed to the B&B (in Switzerland) - which is probably the most unique place we've ever stayed in. It's located on the very edge of town - so fields opposite the house and "subdivision" around it. There's a field of cows between two of the houses and another field with sheep - in the "subdivision."

The house itself is old and a work in progress. The decorating in our living room/bedroom is one of a kind - quirky, imaginative, odd - but it's delightful. The cat comes and goes into our "space". It's currently sitting on the chair Dave is in. I love it! The dogs, not so much. There are two pugs. At supper, one was clawing at my leg while I ate. Its breath was like 100 year old, rotting fish. Yuck and yuck. I'm not letting the dogs into our rooms but the cat can come anytime.

We went for a walk after supper in a light rain and then settled into our room for the night to get ready for a day of exploring in Liechtenstein.

One thing I learned today: Airbnb charges the host 17% of the advertised room fee and adds the cleaning/service fees - all of which the guest pays. So, the host is only getting 83% of the room fee and the rest goes to Airbnb. If you can connect with the host another way, you'll only pay the "83%." One place we stayed had a cleaning fee of $56. Quite a system. 

One new thing I experienced today: Meeting a Belgium women in her 70's who took a bus to Italy, with her bicycle and is biking back home. She's planning on taking four weeks to get home. She's done it before. What an incredible woman! Brave on multiple levels and in incredibly great shape at her age!

Most powerful moment of the day: Another near miss on the roads. We were in the middle lane of the express way, when a car on the left came into our lane. It barely missed us. I honestly don't know how we did crash. Angels working over time!

One pleasurable experience: Watching five mother goats and their tiny kids coming out of a trailer and going into a field (a steep, lush hill) right across the street from the B&B. So nice!

The Farming Village of Gimmelwald

Finally! A really good night's sleep. Thank you Tylenol PM. 

Dave was up and about early so he went for a walk - checking out two constructions sites, one of which had someone yelling at him to get out of the way. The engineering in the mountains is amazing. All the water used in the homes/for animals comes from the mountains. No need for any filtration system. The gondolas have a compartment under them to bring up all sorts of things: food for the stores, furniture, etc. Really large items are brought in by helicopter. Dave saw building supplies arriving by helicopter this morning.

There's a couple staying at the B&B from South Africa. They're thinking of moving to Australia. There's a father and daughter, from Slovakia, who were here for a skiing festival that ended on Sunday - the last winter fling for the town. Techinally, the winter season ended this past weekend with many of the stores, hotels etc. not opening for the summer season until mid May. It used to be that winter was the busiest time, but now it's the summer.

After breaky, we walked down to the next village - Gimmelwald. Note the word "down." It took about 30 minutes to walk down and just over an hour to walk back up. It's so steep there were switchbacks on the path! The adorable farming town is about 1,000 years old. You can buy cheese, jerky, and smoked sausage right on the farms. At about 1:30, we were very hungry so bought some sausage which was very good - even with the large, white clumps of fat in it.

Everywhere we've gone so far is super clean and tidy.  This is true even on the farms. The manure is stacked in perfect cubes. The cows stay in the barn in the winter and are taken up to the high meadows in mid June. They wear the huge bells around their necks on the way up and again on the way down in late September - just before the first snow. Winters here are very bitter. While they're in the high meadows, they wear much smaller bells so the cow herders know where they are.  

There was a QR code that allowed us to take a walking tour of the town with lots of interesting commentary along the way. We stopped at the tiniest shop I've ever been in. It was about the size of our bathroom. Everything was either handmade by the woman who lived there or from products in the village/from the farms. The man who lived in the house came out to chat and we learned some interesting things from him. The gardens around the house were beautiful. A lovely jar of jam was purchased for us to enjoy later.

The weather was perfect for most of the day. It was about 50 with sun on and off.  It started to rain on our way back to Murren - which gave us a chance to wear our new rain coats. We got back to Murren about 3 pm. Breakfast was many hours ago so we looked for a place to eat but decided to go to the grocery store to get a pastry and go out for supper. We bought our fifth type of Swiss chocolate and it's been the best one so far. Dave bought a drink which turned out to be the whey left over from making cheese. It sounds awful but it actually tastes really good - an apple flavor. 

We hung out in our room for awhile - trying to find our next place to stay. We're off to Lichtenstein tomorrow. It's the smallest country in Europe, the sixth smallest country in the world, and made famous in the Heath Ledger movie - A Knight's Tale. After searching unsuccessfully for about 90 minutes, we decide to find a place when we get there. Living on the edge!

Supper was at the Edelweiss Hotel. (So far the food hasn't been anything special.) A short walk in the rain and then back to the room for the night. Here's hoping we sleep well again!

One thing I learned today: Rick Steeves has stayed in this B&B, wrote about it in his Switzerland book, and Denise (the B&B owner) knows him quite well.

One new thing I experienced today: Muesli. I thought it was oatmeal. My only option was to make it with hot water - not how I like my oatmeal. Turns out you mix it with yogurt. I added some raisins and sugar and was able to get it down but I won't be having that again.

Most powerful moment of the day: Once again, it's the mountains. Specifically, the view from the path to Gimmelwald of several mountains - snow covered at the top - the valley below with a creek of mountain water, the farms and animals on the lush, green foothills. Words and pictures can't capture the beauty.

One pleasurable experience: Coming upon on babbling brook with marsh marigolds blooming by it. So nice!!

Ackersand to Murren

The laptop is giving me problems today so there'll probably be mistakes in the post that I can't fix. It's most frustrating but it is what it is.

After perhaps the poorest night's sleep so far (this is getting old), we packed up to head out to our next stop. Many businesses are closed on Sunday - including hotels. We were the only people in the hotel when we "checked out." No staff. Just left the key on the front desk. It was very strange. 

Dave had booked a room in a chalet in Murren which was about two hours away - mostly through mountains and some valleys. The actual distance between the two places probably wasn't that far but travel just takes time here - which is fine because the scenery is breathtaking. The switchbacks today were - wow! At one point we had to board a train since the road continued on the other side of a mountain. Dave had bought the ticket online but the QR code that we received didn't work at the train station. An impatient person behind us thought honking his horn would "help". I had to get out of the car and have a attendant scan the code. More on this experience below.

About 1 pm, we stopped in a Lidl (grocery) store to get some lunch. Sitting on a bench in a park (which I don't think people do here as we got some strange looks), we ate a sandwich (meat, pickle, and a slice of hard boiled egg) and drank milk. I drink skim milk at home. That's not an option here. Most of the milk is 4%. It's like drinking cream. Dave loves it. It's sweeter than our milk. Perhaps all of the lush grass the cows enjoy?

We weren't super clear on how to get the cable car station - the only way to get to our B&B - so we used What's App to call our host. Dave was quite delighted that this worked. After packing a couple of bags to take, and forgetting a few key items I later found out, we boarded the gondola. Two stops later we were in Murren. A short walk and we were at Chalet Fontana - our B&B. (I should mention the parasailers that were jumping off of the mountains/cliffs and landing at by the cable car station. While the views and experience would be incredible, there's no way either of us would do that!)

Up until this point, it had been another beautiful, warm, sunny day. The rain that we had expected several days ago, finally arrived. We're literally in the mountains here so the clouds and the rain hid the peaks that are right outside our bedroom window. We really hope it clears up so we can see what must be an amazing view.

The grocery store is literally across the street from the B&B. We got a couple of things for supper. I had oatmeal and tea - simple but it was so good. There's a kitchen here so we can make our food rather than having to eat out all the time - which is refreshing and much cheaper.

By 7 pm were we tucked into our very cosy, tiny room - about 8' across and not much longer - for the night. It was raining and we were so very tired. The tiredness is a combination of lack of sleep and the altitude. We're hoping for a good night's sleep tonight and some rain free time so we can explore this truly unique spot tomorrow.

One thing I learned today: The colored eggs at the grocery store are colored to indicate that they're already cooked. Fresh eggs are brown or white.

One new thing I experienced today: Taking a train ferry. In order to get to Murren, we had to board a train with/in the car just like you would a ferry. The vehicles were parked in single file on flat bed rail cars with a Quonset type roof. The 15 minute ride was entirely through a tunnel in a mountain with almost no light. It could cause claustrophobic people a lot of stress.

Most powerful moment of the day: The majestic waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen - a town in valley in the Alps with very steep, shear cliffs. The waterfalls start at the top and cascade/plummet to the valley floor where most of the water gathers into small, but very swiftly flowing creeks (they actually have rapids). The color of the water is hard to describe - a white/gray/green - but very beautiful. And it's ice cold.

 One pleasurable experience: Taking a gondola up to Murren (5,374') where we'll stay in an authentic Swiss home in the mountain.:  

A Day in the Alps

After a breakfast in the hotel restaurant, we drove about 20 minutes to catch a train to Zermatt. There were some switchbacks on the road which makes you marvel at the engineering that goes into creating roads in this terrain. We went through one mountain tunnel that was about 2 miles long. 

Without too much trouble, we found the parking lot, purchased train tickets, and ran to catch the train before it pulled out of the station. There are very few cars allowed in Zermatt so everyone arrives by train. 

About 10 minutes later, we arrived in Zermatt which reminded us both of the city of Banff and Mackinac Island. Many of the restaurants and hotels aren't open yet but there were plenty of people around and places to serve them. Zermatt's elevation is 5.315'. Much of the town "goes up hill" - when you arrive that is. We had a bit of trouble finding the place to get tickets to get to the highest point possible which is Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (12,740'). We were scheduled to take the first cable car at 1:30 so we had a bit of time to kill. I got a couple of gifts in the shops and got lost on the way back to where Dave was sitting. With most of the walking "going up," having to take extra steps isn't ideal.

It was another glorious day - full sun and about 74 in Zermatt and about 25 on the glacier. We rode the cable car to the first stop - a ride that made me nervous but Dave was okay with it. We switched to a gondola and went to the next stop and then a different gondola to the top. Dave was very nervous in the gondolas but I loved it. The views were spectacular! 

It was much colder at the top - especially in the ice tunnels. Tunnels have been carved out of the mountain - tunnels which are completely covered in very thick ice. Rubber mats line the floor so you can walk around. About six very impressive ice sculptures are throughout the tunnels. It was truly amazing in there.

We had to use an elevator to get to the "next place." It was a bit scary. There was no indication if we were going up or down. The two of us were in this small metal box inside a mountain. What it if stopped?!! We got to the "panoramic viewing platform" and hesitated to go up as the steps/flooring were metal grates. Some were packed with snow and others, not so much. But we came all this way so we were going up there! Words can't express the beauty of what we saw. You could see over 40 mountain peaks including the Matterhorn - which is world famous. On the other side of the Matterhorn is Italy. The air was clean and crisp. It was quite warm with the sun shining brightly. At almost 13,000 feet, this is the highest we've ever been.

There were lots of skiers. You can ski year round there. We went to one of the spots the skiers left from and saw someone parasailing down the mountain. That looked amazing but terrifying. There were also 20 or so people hiking up to the highest "hikable" peak. Since we left our sherpas at home - along with our crampons - we decided not to do the hike. 😁

We took the two gondolas down but decided to hike down the last leg of the journey - from Furi (6,125') to Zermatt (5,315'). It was 5 kms and took us an hour and 45 mins. It was easy walking in that we were always on "roads" but that's were the easy part ended. The first bit was climbing up and then we went down, at steep declines, for most of the hike. The scenery was breathtaking. We came across a couple of tiny villages (a few houses), the oldest being Zematt (from the 1200s). By the time we were back in Zermatt, our knees were unhappy.

The day ended with supper at an outdoor restaurant on the main street, train ride, car ride, and arrival back at the hotel by 8. A very full and wonderful day!

One thing I learned today: High altitudes = poor sleep. It's hard to fall asleep. We wake up a lot. Don't feel rested. (I googled this so these are facts.) This! explains why we're both sleeping so poorly. 

One new thing I experienced today: Seeing a cervice on/in a mountain and thinking what a horrible thing it'd be to fall into that. 

Most powerful moment of the day: Being in Zematt (the tiny, old village) imaging what life was like for the residents almost 1,000 years ago. It takes "being in the middle of nowhere" to a whole new level. (Some people still live there.)

One pleasurable experience: Standing on the viewing platform looking at the mountains. Total peace. Incredible beauty. There were two bible verses there about how great God and his creation are. A bit surprising to see but so true!

Montbovon to Ackersand

What a rough night. Neither of us slept well at all. We spent way too many hours awake when we should have been sleeping. No idea why. Here's hoping we don't do that again!

The plan was that we were going to move on from the B&B but it seems we've lost a bit of our regular traveling rhythm.  This is probably mostly due to the language barrier which makes things more difficult. Once we got ourselves "functioning well", the decision was made to go Zermatt where the famous Matterhorn mountain is located. It's one of the highest mountains in the Alps/in Europe. While it's not that far from the B&B, travel in the mountains takes a long time. We drove about 50 miles in an hour and 40 minutes.

After packing up and a breaky of bread (fresh every day from the store - available even at gas station stores which are nothing like the ones back home), we headed out, We drove up the mountain to the small village of Allieres which has about 10 homes in it. These tiny villages are everywhere. On the side of the mountain were about 10 brown Swiss cows being tormented by flies. The bells around their necks were constantly clanging because they had to keep whipping their heads around to try to get the flies off of them - which was impossible.  We felt bad for them. The drive and the cows were the highlight of Dave's day.

Two interesting tidbits. Along the narrow roads you can see garden hoses running from the farmer's house to the water trough for their animals. And in the villages are signs noting the distance to many villages/towns - all with walking times. Some are as high as 5+ hours. 

We made our way back to the castle at Gruyeres. What a difference from last night. The parking lots were full - including seven or so buses full of tourists. We met people from Toronto and MN. Hearing English was delightful.

The castle was unlike any other we've visited - totally different architecture. The kitchen was "remodeled" in the 1400's. There were tapestries and graffiti on the walls from the 1500's. Two guys bought it in the 1850's as a summer house. They invited a lot of artist friends to stay which is why today the castle is hosting what I consider an "intrusive art exhibit." Very odd pictures significantly clashing with the décor - which we heard was the desired effect. I found it very annoying.

Things are pricey here. We sat in the village square and each had a hot chocolate (six ounces - if that) and an apple tart. It was really good but cost us $40 US. The cost of living here is very high. Hopefully people are paid well.

About 3 pm, we headed off in the direction of Zermatt. It was a nice drive with just a few rain drops. The forecast for the next seven days is rain which we're not excited about but we're really enjoying the sun while it's around. Today was another warm day in the mid 70's. Tomorrow is still supposed to be nice and then.....

The motorway was the quickest way to get to our destination. The terrain became more mountainous with farmers working any little bit of tillable land as far up the mountain as they could. How equipment can operate at such steep angles is a mystery. Some of that land is terraced with grape vines.  

The drive took us into the Alps - rather than seeing them in the distance. If you didn't know better, you'd think you were in the Canadian Rockies. Our hotel is in a valley of the Alps. The view out of the window is spectacular. Tomorrow could be our last day of sun for quite awhile so we're going to make the most of it by going up the Matterhorn - as far as we can.

Supper was pizza at the hotel restaurant followed by relaxing in our room. (The language has switched from French to German.)

One thing I learned today: If you don't have an account with a bank, they can't give you change for your bills. It took three different stops to get the coins we needed. 

One new thing I experienced today: Relief from the sun coming through the car roof. (Something I never thought was even a thing.) The map of Switzerland is between the glass and the screen in order to block out the sun. What relief!

Most powerful moment of the day: I'm finding these more difficult to come up with so far on this trip. Nothing for today I'm afraid.

One pleasurable experience today: We were struggling with a parking meter and a German speaking Swiss man, who also spoke English, helped us figure it out. We couldn't have done it without him!

Lessoc and Gruyeres

Dave was up and at it by 7 - walking along the very quiet roads of the countryside where we're staying. I slept until 10 or so. The owners of the B&B had moved their sheep - about 8 of them - to a different field as they're heading off to Italy for a vacation tomorrow. Dave watched them as they were walked down the road. 

We started our day by going to the hillside where the sheep were. Walking up to the tiny barn on the side of the hill was challenging since it was so steep. After visiting the sheep, we kept climbing until we came upon a very small  - seats about 10 people - Catholic chapel. It seems rather odd to have a chapel in this remote location but the B&B owners said their kids were baptized there. 

We took the road back to the B&B and sat in the front garden for a bit but the sun was so hot that we couldn't stay long. It got up to 75 today which we didn't expect when we were planning for the trip but it was glorious weather to be out and about. However, the heat and our car don't go very well together. It has a permanent sun roof - meaning you always have the glass exposed. It makes the car super hot and hard to see at times - with the sun shining overhead.

We drove a couple of miles to a small village, Lessoc, which was settled in the 1500's. In the heart of the village, the original, wooden homes sat along stone streets with the only green being vegy, and a few flower, gardens. Most of the houses appear to heat with wood. The large church had a cemetery beside it and it's the most unique cemetery we've ever seen - large, shiny tombstones with none older than 15 years. All of them have either fresh flowers or flowering plants growing on the stone. Moms were walking to the school to pick up their kids. 

On this our first full day, we went to a must see - a chocolate factory. It took a bit to find it. In all our travels, we're finding Switzerland the most challenging in regards to the language. Not many people speak English so it takes more effort to get the info /help that we need. At the Cailler factory we learned a lot about chocolate. The tour ended with samples - about 15 for each of us. Delightful! Of course, you end the tour in the gift shop where we got our favorite of the sampled chocolates. Those packages will remain unopened until we get home as they're for the family - not us!

Beside the parking lot a farmer was round baling hay - baling and wrapping it all at the same time. Dave was very impressed by this since he'd never seen this done before. In the opposite field were a herd of Holsteins - the cow of choice for the milk used to make chocolate. They all had bells on - the sound of which bounced around in the air. It sounds a lot like large wind chimes which Dave doesn't like at all. I don't know that he could live here with those bells ringing all the time.

It was now 6 pm and we were hoping to get into a castle that we could see in the near distance. We parked and had to walk up a steep path. This is what it'll be like here. Lots of walking up steep hills, paths, roads to get where you want to go. Of course, you also get to come down again but the legs are getting a work out that's for sure!

The castle was located in the small village of Gruyeres which is where the cheese by the same name comes from. It was settled in the 1200's. After climbing the the hill, we entered the very picturesque village square. Stone cobbled streets with shops and restaurants. The church at the top of a hill. We ate outside which is favorite thing for us to do. Dave had a local dish - ham, cheese, and egg toast. The whole thing was covered with almost 1/2" of cheese. He ordered tiramisu for dessert and got two meringues with more cheese for dipping. 

We took a walk through the village. On the side of a very steep hill were about 20 sheep that had recently been sheared. It's amazing they could stand on the hill due to the incline. They loved attention and wanted to be touched. 

Up the hill was a large Catholic church and the castle - which, of course, was closed since it was 8 pm. We'll go back tomorrow to see that. We were back to our B&B by 9 and settled in for the night.

One thing I learned today: When the Spanish explorers first brought chocolate to Europe, the people loved it so much that the monks declared it a sin to eat it. The pope said it was fine and the love affair with chocolate began.

One new thing I experienced today: We've seen many "deer crossing" signs but today we saw a "frog crossing" sign. It wasn't a joke but an "official" sign. What fun!

Most powerful moment of the day: The winding roads are everywhere which makes pulling out onto them very tricky. Dave was going to pull out in front of a motorcycle coming around the corner but thankfully I saw it the the mirror that was on the other side of the road. That got my heart thumping.

One pleasurable experience: Being "older" has it perks. It appears that we might be considered "seniors" and able to get discounted tickets for sightseeing spots. (Women can retire at 64 and men at 65.) We'll see how we make out with this tomorrow.

Door to Door = 20 Hours ------- Cedar Springs to Montbovon, Switzerland

I'm sitting in a tiny kitchen on the second floor of a 300 year old farm house with an attached barn, sipping tea as I start another blog series on our travels. It's been four years since I've done this and it's exciting to be able to do it once again!

We left home at 7:30 on Tuesday morning and began a near perfect traveling experience. The trip to Chicago was smooth sailing. We parked our car at an off-site spot and took our first Uber ride to the airport. Next was check-in and security where we were able to go through the TSA precheck line which had about two people vs the the regular line with many, many people. After lunch we went to our gate and only had to wait for about an hour before boarding our flight to JFK. Landed in New York, grabbed a bagel, and were ready for the 8 hour flight to Geneva. 

After a smooth flight and some sleep, we landed in Geneva. The first thing we noticed is how quiet and clean everything is - not only the airport but it's been the same everywhere we've gone so far. Customs was amazing. Said hello, handed over the passports, and we were on our way. Not one question! We got our bags and after a conversation with the guy at the car rental booth, found out that we had to go downtown to get our rental car. It took about an hour from getting the bags to getting on the train to downtown - even though the train station is right at the airport. We had to get cash to pay for the train, buy tickets, ask a couple of people for help, etc. It all takes time. (Not everyone speaks English. French is the language in this part of Switzerland.) 

The car rental place was a five minute walk from the train station but it took us about 30 minutes since we got lost. It was a beautiful day so we didn't mind walking around. We have the cutest little red car - a Fiat 500 which has enough room for us and our suitcases and that's it. We forgot our GPS at home (first trip without "her"). The car rental guy had to help us figure out the one in the car. Off we went to our first B&B - almost two hours away.

All of the signs are in French and we haven't figured out how to get the GPS to talk yet so there were a couple of hiccups on the trip but that adds to the adventure. The farther we got away from the city the more beautiful it became. Almost all of the houses are light yellow/tan stucco with orangy colored ceramic tiles or a steel roof to look like tiles. Their roofs are very large. 

As we drove, the mountains were always in the distance and for quite awhile, Lake Geneva was in sight. The terrain became more hilly, with several tunnels going through the hills/sides of very old mountains (which look more like large hills.) The sun was shining and everything is so lush and green. Farmers are doing first cut leaving huge rows of very deep grass to dry. The fields of canola are in full bloom showing off huge patches of bright yellow amongst the green. The Swiss cows - some with large bells around their necks - are in the fields looking very healthy. There were even a few sheep on the hillsides. Apples trees are blooming in the orchards which are covered by nets to keep the birds out. It's very beautiful here. They're about a month or more ahead us at home so it looks like summer. 

Our B&B is just outside the village of Montbovon on a road that's super narrow, winding, and steep. Coming around the corners cause me anxiety but doesn't phase Dave. Apparently there's room for two cars to pass each other. We'll see.....

Our B&B is on the side of a "hill"/old mountain with the village quite a distance below. There are about 8 black nosed sheep in the backyard which we can pet. That'll happen tomorrow. The doorways in the house are very low - one of which I have to duck to get through. The hinges on the bedroom door must be the original from 300 years ago. Such fun!

After getting our things in our "mini apartment", we headed out to buy a few things for breakfast and to find a place to eat supper. The combination of the winding road and my "lack of sleep hangover" was making me incredibly nauseous. Dave had to keep pulling over to let cars go by because we were going so slow. He would have loved to go much faster. Maybe when I'm not in the car he can do that.

In the grocery story, I had to rely on my two years of middle school French and the help of two nice guys who spoke almost no English. We got the essentials: bread, butter, chocolate, wine, milk, and some fruit. After a few unsuccessful attempts at finding a place to eat supper, we headed back to the B&B for bread and chocolate. 😀

We were able to stay up until 9 pm and then went to bed. So tired, but excited to be here and looking forward to our adventure to begin tomorrow!

One thing I learned today: It's best not to drive behind a truck with wood strapped into the back of it. We'd been following the truck for a bit when Dave pulled out to pass it. It's a good thing that he did because as soon as we were in the other lane, one of the 12' boards came flying off the truck. It would have hit us and caused a lot of damage and probably a bad accident.  

One new thing I experienced today: Biometrics check-in at JFK. No ticket needed, No passport needed, Just look at the camera and you're good to go. Great system!

Most powerful moment of the day: This is a hard one for a travel day so I'm going to have to go with being able to lie down in a bed to sleep after being up for a very long time. So sweet!

One pleasurable experience: Coming back from the grocery store to find the Burmese mountain dog that lives at the B&B lying on the step in front of the door. Such a beautiful dog, It made for a great picture.