Switzerland

Switzerland2011_7613

Flashback: Switzerland 2011

Walk and I have been going back through old photos lately (and still planning our big adventure later this year for our 5th anniversary!), and found a whole area of Switzerland we visited in 2011 that we never posted here. It's a theme lately: old places in new posts! It's hard to believe this was us 4 years ago, not even at our first anniversary. To this day, Switzerland remains in the top 3 places I've been. The fresh air, the idyllic trains, and the spectacular alpine lakes. Sigh. We took…

Switzerland2011_7155

the day we saw an avalanche

We were walking through a pasture of wildflowers when we were frozen by a harsh, crashing, rumble. A huge sheet of snow and ice skidded off a mountain thousands of feet above us. Walker shouted to me, Al, get it! I was holding the tiny lens and yelled back, over the roar, Why don't you get it? (His lens was bigger.) He yelled back, I can't. I have the ultrawide! All this happened in about 2 seconds, and I lifted the camera and bam. Caughtcha! (It was finishing, but you can see the streak in the…

Switzerland2011_6953

Swiss bliss

First things: we are in America. Yesterday, we survived four flights and traveled for over 24 hours. With five checked bags and two heavy carry-ons, I think we qualify for some traveling record. I'd like to nominate us for Eyes-Most-Dry-From-Flying and Most-Bags-of-Delta-Pretzels-Eaten-in-One-Day. But, before it slides too deep into the past, I wanted to talk about Switzerland. I wrote this on Friday, June 17 (shame, Alie), but here it is now. Let me just say that when I stepped out of bed…

Switzerland2011_6950

And the view from our hotel is . . . (Wengen)

gold. We opened our balcony door yesterday, and stepped out into a choir of cowbells and sweet mountain air. It's delicious here. Delicious, sunny, and cool. I want to bring it all home. Yesterday was a train day from Geneva into the mountain town of Wengen where our hotel is (howdy, 4 connections!), and about a quarter through our journey, a man with a thin moustache, red plaid shirt, suspenders, and felt hat with feathers walked by us on the train. I whispered Walk about four times in…

Geneva2011_1068

Bienvenue à Genève!

Heidi braids, red-checkered plaids, and yodeling were what I long imagined as Switzerland. Visions of my childhood reading come to life with a log-cabinesque structure and snow-capped mountains. Let me tell you---whatever you’d imagine as the complete opposite of a log cabin, that’s where we’re staying. Asian-inspired with the sweetest aromas floating in the air above our orchid, welcome to the world of supersonic elevators, leather headboards, and designer body milk. (In case you don't know,…