Moo!
I was lucky to get this shot when the copter was headed up the mountain (click on the picture to zoom in)
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
Our anniversary in Gimmelwald, Switzerland!
I can't imagine a better spot to celebrate our 4 year anniversary then Gimmelwald (W's are pronounced with the 'v' sound). It is WITHOUT A DOUBT THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE I HAVE EVER BEEN, EVER!; to experience this with the love of my life is truly amazing and I feel very fortunate. I have taken some pics as well as video, but haven't been able to figure out how to add videos to the blog.
Getting here was not the easiest thing, but we made it, and to anyone who is thinking about traveling to Europe, Gimmelwald is an ABSOLUTE MUST!!!! We arrived on Thursday afternoon after taking a train from Bern to Interlaken, then a train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen, a bus from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg, and then the tram from Stechelberg up to Gimmelwald; the journey was stunning!
We are staying in the Mountain Hostel which overlooks INCREDIBLE views of huge mountains right outside our door, seriously, right outside the door. Our Hostel is great and only cost $26 Swiss Francs per night per person, which is very reasonable. Switzerland on the whole is expensive, the current exchange rate is $.97 US cents to 1 CHF (Swiss Franc) so were not getting much value for our dollar. To put things in perspective, a McDonald's Big Mac was $11.90 CHF. We sleep upstairs in a room with about 14 other beds (but not necessarily 14 other people, although last night it was about full). There is a community kitchen with everything you need to prepare you food if you would like, but you do have to clean up after yourself (Bur) and choose the right time to cook. Showers cost 1 CHF for 5 minutes, but it's really plenty of time considering you move a little faster when you're 'on the clock'. Community tables are in the lounge for everyone to use for eating, drinking beer, playing games, or talking about past and future travels (many great connections can be made as well as valuable information learned).
Cathy and I were eager to check things out so we decided to head to Murren, the small town (but bigger than Gimmelwald) up the path. [Side note-hiking distances are posted in times and not miles, which I thought was interesting] Murren was stated on the sign (everything is extremely well marked) as a 50 minute hike, but we made it in 20. Up we went to this great little town where we went to the local CO-OP for some groceries. Thinking prices would be sky-high, we were pleased to find them very reasonable (50cl bottled Lager beers (about 20 oz) were only .86 cents! We bought some veggies, pasta, wine, beer, and other items (of course Swiss chocolate) for the time we would be here. We made a tasty dinner and had good conversations with the other travelers who are here (most in their 20's). Sleeping was a little difficult until it was 'quiet time' (midnight) as the '20 somethings' stayed up to play drinking games and tool around on the piano-oh joy. Even after 'quiet time' started we had to deal with 'The Snorer', damn that guy was loud, but we finally made it to sleep.
Today we were hoping to go for a monster hike that was sure to be an all day event (up to the Schilthorn where the James Bond movie was filmed- 2970 meters at the top, Gimmelwald sits at 1363 meters, but it's straight up to anywhere you hike), but we woke up to a cloud-filled and rainy day. Throughout the day the clouds/mist would move in and out and the views would take our breath away, along with the incredible waterfalls across the valley. It has been raining on and off the WHOLE day.
During a break from the rain we ventured up to the 'Cheese/Egg lady' just minutes up the path. We went into her small cheese house where the fresh cheese was aging on the shelves and she gave us both a little sample, OMG it was so good! Along with the cheese, we bought fresh eggs that were layed yesterday! So, for lunch it was fried eggs, aged cheese and a fresh baguette, Y U M yum!
Tomorrow is our last day here and we hope to wake up to sunny skies (or at least not raining) so we can do a great hike. We really want to see the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau, which up to this point has been covered in clouds; come on sun!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Arrive in Bern; Our Brushes with Fame
BERN, SWITZERLAND
Today (Wednesday) we arrived in Bern, the capital city of Switzerland located 132 kilometers (82 miles) north east of Geneva at the base of the Swiss Alps. As we pulled into the train station, we knew we were going to love it. This cosmopolitan and charming town is bustling with people enjoying the outdoors-riding their bikes, walking, or running. As we walk through the city, the downtown streets and parks are filled with people enjoying a picnic, playing petanque (a French game similar to bocce ball) while others tube down the Aare River cooling off from the hot day. (See a few pictures located on the right side of the blog.) Tomorrow, we will venture out to find out more about one of our new favorites cities, Bern as well as look for Elke's relatives, Bernese Mountain Dogs.
OUR BRUSHES WITH FAME
We have been traveling for just over a week and a half and we have already had two experiences with running into someone famous. Our first was on our flight from New York to Nice, France back on July 12> We shared business class with Stephanie Seymour and her entourage. She is a model/actress and has been featured in such publications as Victoria Secret, Vogue and Sports Illustrated. She was traveling with her two daughters (one of which was the whiniest child I have ever heard), 2 sons and a nanny, whom I did not envy. While we waited for our flight, she gave each of them several $100 bills like she was handing them a tissue after they sneezed. Regardless, she is very beautiful and seems to have a very comfortable lifestyle.
Today, we saw our next famous person in the Geneva, Switzerland Train Station. I will give you a hint -- he's had the role of James Bond, was featured in the movie Hunt for Red October and is from Scotland....did you guess it? Yes - Sean Connery. While Ad and I were in the train station trying to figure out the schedule, I noticed his wife and him standing next to us looking around and trying to figure out which direction they should go to catch their train. And as we all headed up to the same platform, Ad decided to walk over to him and see if it really was him. Just as he was about to approach him, another gentleman suddenly recognized him and walked over to shake his hand and tell him how much of a fan he was of his. And, Mr. Connery graciously thanked him.
Good night!
Today (Wednesday) we arrived in Bern, the capital city of Switzerland located 132 kilometers (82 miles) north east of Geneva at the base of the Swiss Alps. As we pulled into the train station, we knew we were going to love it. This cosmopolitan and charming town is bustling with people enjoying the outdoors-riding their bikes, walking, or running. As we walk through the city, the downtown streets and parks are filled with people enjoying a picnic, playing petanque (a French game similar to bocce ball) while others tube down the Aare River cooling off from the hot day. (See a few pictures located on the right side of the blog.) Tomorrow, we will venture out to find out more about one of our new favorites cities, Bern as well as look for Elke's relatives, Bernese Mountain Dogs.
OUR BRUSHES WITH FAME
We have been traveling for just over a week and a half and we have already had two experiences with running into someone famous. Our first was on our flight from New York to Nice, France back on July 12> We shared business class with Stephanie Seymour and her entourage. She is a model/actress and has been featured in such publications as Victoria Secret, Vogue and Sports Illustrated. She was traveling with her two daughters (one of which was the whiniest child I have ever heard), 2 sons and a nanny, whom I did not envy. While we waited for our flight, she gave each of them several $100 bills like she was handing them a tissue after they sneezed. Regardless, she is very beautiful and seems to have a very comfortable lifestyle.
Today, we saw our next famous person in the Geneva, Switzerland Train Station. I will give you a hint -- he's had the role of James Bond, was featured in the movie Hunt for Red October and is from Scotland....did you guess it? Yes - Sean Connery. While Ad and I were in the train station trying to figure out the schedule, I noticed his wife and him standing next to us looking around and trying to figure out which direction they should go to catch their train. And as we all headed up to the same platform, Ad decided to walk over to him and see if it really was him. Just as he was about to approach him, another gentleman suddenly recognized him and walked over to shake his hand and tell him how much of a fan he was of his. And, Mr. Connery graciously thanked him.
Good night!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Monday-Tuesday: Annecy, France
After a 6 hour train ride that included a crying child and a Rottweiler dog at our feet (yes, you can bring your dog on the train), Adam and I arrived in Annecy, France. Annecy is a small town located next to a pure water lake (Le Lac) in the French Alps and also known as “Venice of the Alps”. The town is filled with buildings dating back 3100 years before Jesus Christ, water canals, parks, bike paths and colorful gardens. Similar to Boulder, it is known for its natural beauty, outdoor recreation and preserving the environment.
On our first day in Annecy, Adam and I decided to rent “comfort bikes”, heavy bikes with very large seats, and ride to a town on the other side of the lake called Doussard, located 19 kilometers (12+ miles) from Annecy. On our ride we enjoyed photographing spectacular views of the mountains, the lake, greeting others with “bonjour and watching a few locals rock climb. Once in Doussard, we parked and locked bikes and headed to the “le plage” (the beach) to cool off from the ride.
At the beach, we enjoyed a refreshing dip and the cool water of the lake. Next to us was a German family of 5 that Adam called the “naked family” as they seemed to have fewer clothes on than most around us. The youngest was an adorable 1.5 to 2-year old little girl, naked of course, with “floaties” on her arms. She was enjoying the water so much she decided to pooh in it. We thought, cute but not that cute -- time to go!
After returning from our bike ride, we headed to the nearest restaurant that served lunch and televised Stage 16 of the Tour. We enjoyed a few Belgian beers, some food and watching the race with other fans, a Frenchman and his family and a cute couple from Denmark. We were hoping Lance would take the stage, but unfortunately he didn’t have the sprint in him.
After the race finished we headed out to shop for dinner. We decided to enjoy a picnic rather than spend money at a restaurant when we didn’t know what we were ordering (almost all menus are in French). We stopped at the local “chacuterie” (cured meats) for some “saucisson” (salami), then the “boulangerie” for a baguette and finally to the “epicerie” (grocery) for the camembert cheese, a few kiwis and a bottle of Bordeax. All of this for $12 Euros! Hard to believe yet meats, baguettes and wine are incredibly inexpensive as well as delicious in France.
While picnicing out on the deck of our hotel room, we enjoyed live entertainment from a local Frenchman fixing the frame of a futon on his deck. With a hammer in his hand he got into a heated argumet with his neighbor across the building (we believe the neighbor was complaining about the noise of the hammer). After a few heated exchanges in French, the gentleman with the hammer stormed down four flights of stairs to confront his neighbor. Luckily, no blood was shed and Ad and I were happy not witness a homicide.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), we leave for Geneva, Switzerland and then to Bern for the night. Bern is located on the Swiss Plateau just west of the center of Switzerland. The official language of Bern is German yet most residents speak either German, French and/or Italian. Most importantly, Bern is home to Berner Sennenhund (or in English, the Bernese Mountain Dog), referring to the area of the dog breed's origin. We can’t wait to hopefully see little Bernese Mountain pups bouncing around town reminding us of our beautiful and very much missed little girl at home.
Love you,
Cathy and Adam
On our first day in Annecy, Adam and I decided to rent “comfort bikes”, heavy bikes with very large seats, and ride to a town on the other side of the lake called Doussard, located 19 kilometers (12+ miles) from Annecy. On our ride we enjoyed photographing spectacular views of the mountains, the lake, greeting others with “bonjour and watching a few locals rock climb. Once in Doussard, we parked and locked bikes and headed to the “le plage” (the beach) to cool off from the ride.
At the beach, we enjoyed a refreshing dip and the cool water of the lake. Next to us was a German family of 5 that Adam called the “naked family” as they seemed to have fewer clothes on than most around us. The youngest was an adorable 1.5 to 2-year old little girl, naked of course, with “floaties” on her arms. She was enjoying the water so much she decided to pooh in it. We thought, cute but not that cute -- time to go!
After returning from our bike ride, we headed to the nearest restaurant that served lunch and televised Stage 16 of the Tour. We enjoyed a few Belgian beers, some food and watching the race with other fans, a Frenchman and his family and a cute couple from Denmark. We were hoping Lance would take the stage, but unfortunately he didn’t have the sprint in him.
After the race finished we headed out to shop for dinner. We decided to enjoy a picnic rather than spend money at a restaurant when we didn’t know what we were ordering (almost all menus are in French). We stopped at the local “chacuterie” (cured meats) for some “saucisson” (salami), then the “boulangerie” for a baguette and finally to the “epicerie” (grocery) for the camembert cheese, a few kiwis and a bottle of Bordeax. All of this for $12 Euros! Hard to believe yet meats, baguettes and wine are incredibly inexpensive as well as delicious in France.
While picnicing out on the deck of our hotel room, we enjoyed live entertainment from a local Frenchman fixing the frame of a futon on his deck. With a hammer in his hand he got into a heated argumet with his neighbor across the building (we believe the neighbor was complaining about the noise of the hammer). After a few heated exchanges in French, the gentleman with the hammer stormed down four flights of stairs to confront his neighbor. Luckily, no blood was shed and Ad and I were happy not witness a homicide.
Tomorrow (Wednesday), we leave for Geneva, Switzerland and then to Bern for the night. Bern is located on the Swiss Plateau just west of the center of Switzerland. The official language of Bern is German yet most residents speak either German, French and/or Italian. Most importantly, Bern is home to Berner Sennenhund (or in English, the Bernese Mountain Dog), referring to the area of the dog breed's origin. We can’t wait to hopefully see little Bernese Mountain pups bouncing around town reminding us of our beautiful and very much missed little girl at home.
Love you,
Cathy and Adam
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Another day in the French Riviera
Yesterday (Saturday), Adam, Luc, Genevieve and I explored the French Riviera by car starting in downtown Nice. Elegant and trendy, the downtown area is filled with fountains, colorful buildings, museums, churches and open markets. There are also many visitors and locals walking and riding their bicycles and enjoying the beautiful and very hot day. Nice has both an old and new part of town which is outlined by the color of their rooftops. Old Town has rust-colored rooftops dating back many centuries while the newer building rooftops outline the more recent era.
Leaving downtown Nice, we drove further down the coast and stopped on a hilltop. The views were breathtaking, a blue coastline was filled swimmers and boaters enjoying the beaches, water, and sun. You could see far down the coast beyond Cagnes Sur Mer and discover the length and beauty of the French Riviera.
Our next stop was a small and very exclusive area called St Jean Cap Ferrat. This area was gorgeous with a small lively downtown filled with people enjoying their lunch overlooking the Mediterranean. Music could be heard from the promenade and many were enjoying a post-swim glass of wine.
After St. Jean Cape Ferrat, we were off to Eze, a small town perched on a hilltop overlooking the sea. In the heart of village there are two 4-star hotels featuring amazing views of the Mediterranean. With a total of 44 rooms available, each offer private gardens, fine dining, and exclusive views. All of this for the low price of only $1300 Euros per night. Uh, not in our travel budget!
Next, we headed to the furthest town on the east coast of the French Riviera, Menton. Menton is a quiet beach town bordering Italy and was described to us as a quiet place for those looking to retire. Surrounded by both French and Italian accents, we enjoyed a small lunch and refreshing dip in the Med.
Time to go peel potatoes for dinner tonight (while we visit these places of the rich and famous, we are still serfs).
Au revoir!!!
Cathy and Ad
(Saturday's photos are listed under French Riviera)
Leaving downtown Nice, we drove further down the coast and stopped on a hilltop. The views were breathtaking, a blue coastline was filled swimmers and boaters enjoying the beaches, water, and sun. You could see far down the coast beyond Cagnes Sur Mer and discover the length and beauty of the French Riviera.
Our next stop was a small and very exclusive area called St Jean Cap Ferrat. This area was gorgeous with a small lively downtown filled with people enjoying their lunch overlooking the Mediterranean. Music could be heard from the promenade and many were enjoying a post-swim glass of wine.
After St. Jean Cape Ferrat, we were off to Eze, a small town perched on a hilltop overlooking the sea. In the heart of village there are two 4-star hotels featuring amazing views of the Mediterranean. With a total of 44 rooms available, each offer private gardens, fine dining, and exclusive views. All of this for the low price of only $1300 Euros per night. Uh, not in our travel budget!
Next, we headed to the furthest town on the east coast of the French Riviera, Menton. Menton is a quiet beach town bordering Italy and was described to us as a quiet place for those looking to retire. Surrounded by both French and Italian accents, we enjoyed a small lunch and refreshing dip in the Med.
Time to go peel potatoes for dinner tonight (while we visit these places of the rich and famous, we are still serfs).
Au revoir!!!
Cathy and Ad
(Saturday's photos are listed under French Riviera)
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