Hello!
After a sad goodbye in Holland, we were off to Belgium. To be honest, I wasn't even sure what the language was in Brugge (answer: Flemish, closely related to Dutch) What excited us most, was that we were meeting up with friends from home. Gerry and Ellen Marcotte have been friends with Andrew's parent for years. They happened to be on a 5 week trip in Europe, so we kept in touch, making a plan to meet at some point in our travels.
We decided on Brugge, and spent two nights exploring the small medieval town, testing out beer, and cycling away the calories the next day ;)
After a few emails back and forth, we agreed to meet in the main sunny square of Brugge. After a quick walk around, we hadn't found our fellow Grande Prairiens, but minutes later, Ellen spotted us with our noses stuck in a map. Tourists much??
First on order? Belgium beer!
We headed to 'T Brugs Beertje, a hole-in-the-wall type pub (aren't they all?) with a ridiculously large beer selection. The guys tried some local brew, while us ladies went for the fruit beer. Thirst-quenching!! Our stomachs were talking to us, so we went in search for a suitable restaurant after finishing our pint. Gerry and Ellen treated us to a wonderful meal, and we spent the rest of the evening walking around Brugge. It's quite pretty, with old castle-like buildings, canals filled with swans. Narrow side-streets. Along the streets, you'll find lace and chocolate shops. Restaurants and bars. We walked down the super narrow street that was once the Red Light District of Brugge. Not overly exciting. Unless of course, you like looking through the windows of Chocolate Shops like I do ;)
The next day we decided to rent bikes and head to the coast. We had a quick breakfast and then stopped at the main square where the Wednesday Food Market was set up. It was the perfect spot to get some picnic supplies. It was also a perfect spot to try some belgium waffles! Deeelish.
It was a beautiful day. We rode past farms, small towns, the beach. We stopped for our picnic lunch at the Zeebrugge harbor, a coffee on the coast, and later, a beer in the small village of Damme. We biked our sore butts back to Brugge in time for another beer...I mean dinner!
We headed to another pub called De Garre, where we tried their locally brewed beer that you won't find anywhere else.
After another good meal, we went to Gerry and Ellen's hotel for one last drink before parting ways.
It was so good to see people we know from home. It definitely reminded us how much we miss everyone. Thank you so much for taking care of us for a couple days Gerry and Ellen! We so appreciate it. We hope the rest of your Euro trip went well, and we will be seeing you back in Grande Prairie!
After Brugge, we took a bus to the Brussels airport and hopped on a plane to Dublin!
That's next,
A&C
Saturday, June 30, 2012
Holland: Here You Go Weird
Hello All!
Andrew and I had the pleasure of spending 3 nights in a cozy home/Bed and Breakfast in the small town of Oude Nredorp. Only a 40 minute drive from Amsterdam, this place looks exactly as I would have pictured the countryside of Holland to look. Grassy pastures home to grazing sheep and cows. Narrow canals running along the quiet roads. Cute colonial or barn-style houses. Sounds quaint, doesn't it? Aside from the landscape, the people are also phenomenal. I can say in complete confidence that the Dutch are the friendliest lot we have met thus far. Above ones interest in us foreigners, was the ability to communicate. Dutch people are extremely well-spoken in English (as I'm sure they are in Dutch, but seeing as I haven't a clue what they are saying...). Understandably so, being that they are the only Dutch-speaking country. Still, I was so impressed at the range of English vocab held by many.
You may be wondering how we found ourselves in Oude Nredorp. Trust me, I couldn't have told you where to find it, and I still can't pronounce it correctly.
While traveling SE Asia, we met Maarten, a lively and thoughtful Dutch guy on a world adventure of his own. We first met in the rice fields of Batad in the Philippines, and then by chance, again in Chiang Mai. We enjoyed Maarten's company so much, so we knew a trip to the Netherlands was a must.
We kept in touch, and closer to our date of arrival Maarten informed us that his girlfriends (Sabine) parents (Kees and Gerda) ran a Bed and Breakfast out of their home, and had offered us to stay free of charge. We were elated. Our hope was to see the countryside of Holland, and here we were being offered a home in the heart of it all. What struck us most, was the willingness that family had to help us out in any way they could. Maarten even took the day off work, and him and Sabine drove us around and kept us company for our three days there.
Our first evening in Oude Nredorop, Sabine and Maarten cooked us a simple, traditional Dutch meal. Mashed potato mixed with some kind of shredded lettuce-Im not sure the of the English word, it was a bit bitter in taste on it's own-slices of sausage, all topped with gravy. It was delicious. Really though, you can't beat the comfort of mashed potatoes and hot gravy. We finished the evening with Maarten, Sabine, and her parents Kees and Gerda, chatting and drinking wine. We felt so at home. Something about those Dutchies really makes you feel uninhibited and relaxed. I never felt like I might do something weird or out of order.
Although the language is completely foreign, there was still that sense of familiarity. The farms, just smaller. The wind. The cooking and eating of meals together. It's a very kind and open-minded country.
After a wonderful sleep, we woke up to a big breakfast. My favorite? The dark bread with Dutch Peanut Butter (yes, it's better!) and fresh strawberries. Mmmm.
After breakfast we joined in on a local 14km walk along the Omringdijk. A Dijk is a man-made hill, once used as a barrier to keep the water from flooding the land. The Dijk runs for 126km and is particularly popular with cyclers. The organized walk was a huge turn out, with at least 100 people taking part. I am pretty sure we were the only non-Dutch people there. Being the friendly crowd they are, we had several "What do you think about Holland??" type questions come our way.
It was a lovely, windy day, and the walk was an absolute perfect way to see Holland. Looking back, I can see that I was too busy looking and enjoying the scenery to take pictures. I have very few from that day! Let's hope my memory serves me long and well.
Over halfway, there is a river separating the Dijk. The whole point of the walk was to fundraise for the bridge that is going to be built to connect the two Dijks. For the time being, they had boats and even a crane to take people over. It was quite the ordeal. Everyone wanted to take the crane, the operator was getting cranky at the mass amounts of people, and the organizers were getting stressed. So, on the boat we go! It didn't make any difference to us. We Canadians were just happy to be there, haha. On the other side we ate our sandwiches, listened to the local choir, the speeches. The bridge architect spoke, the organizers. It was really cool to be part of such a local fundraiser. The only words I caught throughout the entire thing? Dank u well!!
That evening Andrew and I went with Maarten to meet his father Gerret in their hometown, Heerhugowaard (get my post title now?? Hehe). Gerret is a man you take to instantly. He greeted us with a big smile, and twinkling eyes.
Maarten, we can see where you get your kind heart from! Thank you for introducing us to your father.
While Garret started dinner, he refused to let us do anything but sit in the garden and relax. Shortly after, we were spoiled with a pannekoeke feast!! Dutch pancakes with cheese, bacon, apples and cinnamon. Complete with stroop-the very delicious Dutch syrup. Ahh, my mouth waters at the thought.
Later on we met up with Sabine and their friends to watch the football game. We ended up at their friend Cheryl's house, where Andrew swapped stories with her Father, chatting about their work similarities and love for motorbikes. Cheryl's Mom marveled at the fact that I packed for six months in a backpack. I'm still not sure how I did it either...
The end of the evening came, we said our goodbyes and headed home for one of those head-hits-the-pillow-and-your-asleep kinda nights.
The next morning...Amsterdam!
Our first task was to send a box home. 14kg, and a hefty price later... Thankfully, my Mom has reported back to me that the "heavy son-of-a-gun" has arrived in one un-opened piece and is now sitting in my bedroom, awaiting my arrival.
Next, we went searching for a tent. Several outdoor stores later, we found ourselves a lovely 3-Man that will be our luxurious home in Iceland.
Once we got the "work" stuff out of the way we stopped at a Snack Bar to order our list of Dutch fast-food that Frederike had advised us to try. I'm sure some of you have seen Pulp Fiction? There is a scene where Vincent and Jules are talking about Europe...
"You know what they put on French fries in Holland instead of Ketchup?...Mayonnaise...I've seen em do it, man. They drown em in that sh*t." --Vincent
Well, it's true! And it doesn't taste too bad either.
After our fill of patatje, we continued on our tour of Amsterdam. Dam Square was full of casual, chatting students. Bicycles dominate the streets, canals circle the city. The smell of smoke oozes onto the streets outside of the many coffee shops. We walked the infamous red-light district;witnessed the (legal) prostitutes selling themselves in the windows. It was quite strange to sit on a bench eating ice-cream, while a man casually strolled by the windows, made his pick, and headed inside. Only in Amsterdam.
That evening we had ordered in pizza, snuggled in the living room and watched (part of) a movie. The next morning, unfortunately, we were off.
There are many reasons we want to go back to the Netherlands. The tulips in April. Kayaking down the canals in the summer. Skating the canals in the (very lucky) winter when they decide to freeze. Lastly, most importantly, to visit our wonderful Dutchies we've come to love so much. Sabine, your family was unbelievably accommodating and welcoming. You have such a contagious smile, and we will miss you dearly. Maarten, we are so grateful that you opened up your life to us. We can't wait to see what the future holds for you and Sabine. You two are a couple we could easily spend time with, and it's such a pity we are countries apart. Dank u well for the tour of the quirky and open-minded Amsterdam. Dank u well even MORE for the time spent in both your homes. We'll be seeing you. xx
Next post...Bruges, Belgium!
Doei!
A&C
Andrew and I had the pleasure of spending 3 nights in a cozy home/Bed and Breakfast in the small town of Oude Nredorp. Only a 40 minute drive from Amsterdam, this place looks exactly as I would have pictured the countryside of Holland to look. Grassy pastures home to grazing sheep and cows. Narrow canals running along the quiet roads. Cute colonial or barn-style houses. Sounds quaint, doesn't it? Aside from the landscape, the people are also phenomenal. I can say in complete confidence that the Dutch are the friendliest lot we have met thus far. Above ones interest in us foreigners, was the ability to communicate. Dutch people are extremely well-spoken in English (as I'm sure they are in Dutch, but seeing as I haven't a clue what they are saying...). Understandably so, being that they are the only Dutch-speaking country. Still, I was so impressed at the range of English vocab held by many.
You may be wondering how we found ourselves in Oude Nredorp. Trust me, I couldn't have told you where to find it, and I still can't pronounce it correctly.
While traveling SE Asia, we met Maarten, a lively and thoughtful Dutch guy on a world adventure of his own. We first met in the rice fields of Batad in the Philippines, and then by chance, again in Chiang Mai. We enjoyed Maarten's company so much, so we knew a trip to the Netherlands was a must.
We kept in touch, and closer to our date of arrival Maarten informed us that his girlfriends (Sabine) parents (Kees and Gerda) ran a Bed and Breakfast out of their home, and had offered us to stay free of charge. We were elated. Our hope was to see the countryside of Holland, and here we were being offered a home in the heart of it all. What struck us most, was the willingness that family had to help us out in any way they could. Maarten even took the day off work, and him and Sabine drove us around and kept us company for our three days there.
Our first evening in Oude Nredorop, Sabine and Maarten cooked us a simple, traditional Dutch meal. Mashed potato mixed with some kind of shredded lettuce-Im not sure the of the English word, it was a bit bitter in taste on it's own-slices of sausage, all topped with gravy. It was delicious. Really though, you can't beat the comfort of mashed potatoes and hot gravy. We finished the evening with Maarten, Sabine, and her parents Kees and Gerda, chatting and drinking wine. We felt so at home. Something about those Dutchies really makes you feel uninhibited and relaxed. I never felt like I might do something weird or out of order.
Although the language is completely foreign, there was still that sense of familiarity. The farms, just smaller. The wind. The cooking and eating of meals together. It's a very kind and open-minded country.
After a wonderful sleep, we woke up to a big breakfast. My favorite? The dark bread with Dutch Peanut Butter (yes, it's better!) and fresh strawberries. Mmmm.
After breakfast we joined in on a local 14km walk along the Omringdijk. A Dijk is a man-made hill, once used as a barrier to keep the water from flooding the land. The Dijk runs for 126km and is particularly popular with cyclers. The organized walk was a huge turn out, with at least 100 people taking part. I am pretty sure we were the only non-Dutch people there. Being the friendly crowd they are, we had several "What do you think about Holland??" type questions come our way.
It was a lovely, windy day, and the walk was an absolute perfect way to see Holland. Looking back, I can see that I was too busy looking and enjoying the scenery to take pictures. I have very few from that day! Let's hope my memory serves me long and well.
Over halfway, there is a river separating the Dijk. The whole point of the walk was to fundraise for the bridge that is going to be built to connect the two Dijks. For the time being, they had boats and even a crane to take people over. It was quite the ordeal. Everyone wanted to take the crane, the operator was getting cranky at the mass amounts of people, and the organizers were getting stressed. So, on the boat we go! It didn't make any difference to us. We Canadians were just happy to be there, haha. On the other side we ate our sandwiches, listened to the local choir, the speeches. The bridge architect spoke, the organizers. It was really cool to be part of such a local fundraiser. The only words I caught throughout the entire thing? Dank u well!!
That evening Andrew and I went with Maarten to meet his father Gerret in their hometown, Heerhugowaard (get my post title now?? Hehe). Gerret is a man you take to instantly. He greeted us with a big smile, and twinkling eyes.
Maarten, we can see where you get your kind heart from! Thank you for introducing us to your father.
While Garret started dinner, he refused to let us do anything but sit in the garden and relax. Shortly after, we were spoiled with a pannekoeke feast!! Dutch pancakes with cheese, bacon, apples and cinnamon. Complete with stroop-the very delicious Dutch syrup. Ahh, my mouth waters at the thought.
Later on we met up with Sabine and their friends to watch the football game. We ended up at their friend Cheryl's house, where Andrew swapped stories with her Father, chatting about their work similarities and love for motorbikes. Cheryl's Mom marveled at the fact that I packed for six months in a backpack. I'm still not sure how I did it either...
The end of the evening came, we said our goodbyes and headed home for one of those head-hits-the-pillow-and-your-asleep kinda nights.
The next morning...Amsterdam!
Our first task was to send a box home. 14kg, and a hefty price later... Thankfully, my Mom has reported back to me that the "heavy son-of-a-gun" has arrived in one un-opened piece and is now sitting in my bedroom, awaiting my arrival.
Next, we went searching for a tent. Several outdoor stores later, we found ourselves a lovely 3-Man that will be our luxurious home in Iceland.
Once we got the "work" stuff out of the way we stopped at a Snack Bar to order our list of Dutch fast-food that Frederike had advised us to try. I'm sure some of you have seen Pulp Fiction? There is a scene where Vincent and Jules are talking about Europe...
"You know what they put on French fries in Holland instead of Ketchup?...Mayonnaise...I've seen em do it, man. They drown em in that sh*t." --Vincent
Well, it's true! And it doesn't taste too bad either.
After our fill of patatje, we continued on our tour of Amsterdam. Dam Square was full of casual, chatting students. Bicycles dominate the streets, canals circle the city. The smell of smoke oozes onto the streets outside of the many coffee shops. We walked the infamous red-light district;witnessed the (legal) prostitutes selling themselves in the windows. It was quite strange to sit on a bench eating ice-cream, while a man casually strolled by the windows, made his pick, and headed inside. Only in Amsterdam.
That evening we had ordered in pizza, snuggled in the living room and watched (part of) a movie. The next morning, unfortunately, we were off.
There are many reasons we want to go back to the Netherlands. The tulips in April. Kayaking down the canals in the summer. Skating the canals in the (very lucky) winter when they decide to freeze. Lastly, most importantly, to visit our wonderful Dutchies we've come to love so much. Sabine, your family was unbelievably accommodating and welcoming. You have such a contagious smile, and we will miss you dearly. Maarten, we are so grateful that you opened up your life to us. We can't wait to see what the future holds for you and Sabine. You two are a couple we could easily spend time with, and it's such a pity we are countries apart. Dank u well for the tour of the quirky and open-minded Amsterdam. Dank u well even MORE for the time spent in both your homes. We'll be seeing you. xx
Next post...Bruges, Belgium!
Doei!
A&C
Monday, June 25, 2012
Two Little Moose & One French Doughnut do Paris
Bonjour!
Landing in Paris, we were greeted by our favorite Frenchman, Camille. This genuine, down to earth guy was part of our "Spicy" crew at SpicyThai hostel in Chiang Mai. Originally, we planned at least four days in Paris-if you're going to do it, do it right...right? Well, after the many other additions to our list of cities to visit, we realized we'd left only two nights for Paris. It wasn't near enough to see and do everything one may normally do on a Paris trip, but we did what we had looked most forward to-spending time with a friend.
Camille opened up his flat to us, even giving up his bedroom. And I must say, having a French-speaking local with us was incredible! Our first day, we stopped for a nice lunch (think-steak, sausage, duck) paired with a bottle of Rosé. Magnifique. After lunch, Camille played tour guide(and a good job at that!) and showed us around the enchanting city of Paris. It was easy to see how one would fall in love with this city. Romance, history, fashion. Croissants and fresh baguettes. Espresso, espresso, espresso. The streets are a hustle bustle mass of well-dressed men and women, walking under the ever-present cloud of smoke. The sidewalks are covered in small round tables, holding even smaller cups of espresso. We've both actually really started to enjoy our espresso. We've ordered several of these energy-jolters since being in Europe. With that said, you can't beat a BIG coffee. A drink-till-it's-afternoon sized coffee. Ahh Grande Skinny Vanilla Lattes, I'll never stop loving you...
Enough about coffee.
The three of us checked out the Notre-Dame and the gardens around the Louvre, marveled at the shelves of english books stuffed into the cozy little Shakespeare book store (the oldest British book store in Paris) and walked along the Pont de l’Archevêché, or the "Love Bridge"-named this because people leave locks on the chain siding of the bridge, symbolizing their love for each other.
That night we went to a small bar to watch a "football" game. The Euro cup is going on right now, so everywhere you go, there is a game playing.
We had an early celebration for Andrew's 23rd birthday...let's just say the European beer kicked his butt, and he may have left a little treat under the Eiffel tower the next day...You can ask him for the story.
We had a delicious breakfast of French pastries the next morning. Croissants, pain au chocolat, complete with an espresso.
After breaky, we got ourselves ready to climb the Eiffel tower! First, we had a little picnic in a park nearby, then we bought our tickets and made our way up. After enjoying the view of Paris, we went to Les Buttes Chaumont, a beautiful park with a huge manmade stone hill, complete with a waterfall and creek. Camille ran to a nearby bakery for some birthday cake, and we fought with the wind to light the candles. Once we got a few to stay lit, Andy made a wish and-with the help of the wind-blew them out.
HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!! (on June 15th)
We had a nice dinner and spent the evening relaxing at Camille's. I think we were all still feeling the effects from the night before, so the chill-out time was needed.
After a good sleep, we got up to enjoy our last half-day in Paris. We went and seen the Sacré-Coeur Church, which is also the highest geographical point of Paris. We walked around Montmartre, an area full of tourists, as it's dubbed to be the "typical" Paris. Tons of shops and restaurants line the narrow cobblestone streets. We had lunch with Camille and his friend, and then they sent us off at the train station.
Camille, merci beaucoup for sharing your city with us. Paris has an enchanting air to it. I loved the food, the fashion. Andrew loved hanging out at the local pub and watching football with the boys. It was a great, although quick, 2 1/2 days. We will miss our French doughnut, so Camille, don't wait too long before coming to Canada. Your little moose will need a little French in our lives again soon.
The train from Paris took us to Amsterdam Centraal, where another SE Asia friend was waiting for us. I'll write about our amazing 3 nights in the Netherlands soon!
Love to all,
xx A&C
Landing in Paris, we were greeted by our favorite Frenchman, Camille. This genuine, down to earth guy was part of our "Spicy" crew at SpicyThai hostel in Chiang Mai. Originally, we planned at least four days in Paris-if you're going to do it, do it right...right? Well, after the many other additions to our list of cities to visit, we realized we'd left only two nights for Paris. It wasn't near enough to see and do everything one may normally do on a Paris trip, but we did what we had looked most forward to-spending time with a friend.
Camille opened up his flat to us, even giving up his bedroom. And I must say, having a French-speaking local with us was incredible! Our first day, we stopped for a nice lunch (think-steak, sausage, duck) paired with a bottle of Rosé. Magnifique. After lunch, Camille played tour guide(and a good job at that!) and showed us around the enchanting city of Paris. It was easy to see how one would fall in love with this city. Romance, history, fashion. Croissants and fresh baguettes. Espresso, espresso, espresso. The streets are a hustle bustle mass of well-dressed men and women, walking under the ever-present cloud of smoke. The sidewalks are covered in small round tables, holding even smaller cups of espresso. We've both actually really started to enjoy our espresso. We've ordered several of these energy-jolters since being in Europe. With that said, you can't beat a BIG coffee. A drink-till-it's-afternoon sized coffee. Ahh Grande Skinny Vanilla Lattes, I'll never stop loving you...
Enough about coffee.
The three of us checked out the Notre-Dame and the gardens around the Louvre, marveled at the shelves of english books stuffed into the cozy little Shakespeare book store (the oldest British book store in Paris) and walked along the Pont de l’Archevêché, or the "Love Bridge"-named this because people leave locks on the chain siding of the bridge, symbolizing their love for each other.
That night we went to a small bar to watch a "football" game. The Euro cup is going on right now, so everywhere you go, there is a game playing.
We had an early celebration for Andrew's 23rd birthday...let's just say the European beer kicked his butt, and he may have left a little treat under the Eiffel tower the next day...You can ask him for the story.
We had a delicious breakfast of French pastries the next morning. Croissants, pain au chocolat, complete with an espresso.
After breaky, we got ourselves ready to climb the Eiffel tower! First, we had a little picnic in a park nearby, then we bought our tickets and made our way up. After enjoying the view of Paris, we went to Les Buttes Chaumont, a beautiful park with a huge manmade stone hill, complete with a waterfall and creek. Camille ran to a nearby bakery for some birthday cake, and we fought with the wind to light the candles. Once we got a few to stay lit, Andy made a wish and-with the help of the wind-blew them out.
HAPPY 23rd BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!! (on June 15th)
We had a nice dinner and spent the evening relaxing at Camille's. I think we were all still feeling the effects from the night before, so the chill-out time was needed.
After a good sleep, we got up to enjoy our last half-day in Paris. We went and seen the Sacré-Coeur Church, which is also the highest geographical point of Paris. We walked around Montmartre, an area full of tourists, as it's dubbed to be the "typical" Paris. Tons of shops and restaurants line the narrow cobblestone streets. We had lunch with Camille and his friend, and then they sent us off at the train station.
Camille, merci beaucoup for sharing your city with us. Paris has an enchanting air to it. I loved the food, the fashion. Andrew loved hanging out at the local pub and watching football with the boys. It was a great, although quick, 2 1/2 days. We will miss our French doughnut, so Camille, don't wait too long before coming to Canada. Your little moose will need a little French in our lives again soon.
The train from Paris took us to Amsterdam Centraal, where another SE Asia friend was waiting for us. I'll write about our amazing 3 nights in the Netherlands soon!
Love to all,
xx A&C
Friday, June 22, 2012
Spain: Nothing in Life is Free...Except for Tapas in Granada!
Ola!
After a great weekend in Freiburg we were on our own again, this time, in the Spanish capital of Europe...Spain! Hellooo Sangria.
Our first stop was Barcelona, a city full of eye-candy for architecture lovers of all kinds. We were constantly craning our necks to see structure after structure. From buildings with giant eye-ball looking globes attached, to over-sized cartoon lobsters-the streets of Barcelona are anything but boring.
We wondered up and down the tourist-filled streets, relished in the sun beaming down in the grassy parks, and admired the wonderful and playful works of Gaudi. We got a good taste of his art by touring Guell Park and then walking around the Sacred Familia Church. Everything has a cartoon-ish feel to it, but it's nothing short of magnificent. The church is especially unique and breath-taking.
We took a day to tour around the National Art Museum and Olympic Stadium area. We could just imagine what the atmosphere would be like during the games-the sweat, blood, and tears-amazing!
We seen even more strange and intriguing art, deciding we needed more eyes to really take everything in.
Evenings were spent sipping on sangria in the many sidewalk restaurants and walking through the city, marveling at the lit up fountains and buildings.
Spain really comes alive at night. The culture's way of having a siesta in the afternoon is seriously necessary if you want to keep up once that sun goes down!
After getting our fill of Barcelona ,we decided to head south to Granada. What a good decision...we loved Granada! Cozy, laid-back, and beautiful. The best part? Free Tapas!! Every restaurant in Granada serves free finger food with every drink-whether it be beer, sangria, or just a cola. Andrew was flabbergasted.
Our hostel was in an area full of Arabic-type shops, Tapa Bars, and little streets to get lost in.
We took advantage of the quiet mornings by running in the parks around the Alhambra.
We met an extremely sweet couple, Josh and Erica, staying in our dorm. We spent the evening swapping stories with these two, both from Pennsylvania. We had dinner at the hostel and then walked around the lit up streets of Granada, making our way up to the San Nicolas for a fantastic view of the city.
Andrew had decided one of the things he wanted to do while in Spain was see a real, traditional Spanish bull fight. For anyone as dense as I...a bull fight is not two bulls fighting each other. Classic mix-up...right? Anyways, we made it a priority!
During the day we toured around the Alhambra Gardens and Palaces. Once evening came we hopped on the city bus to the Bull Ring! Talk about local experience at it's finest. The streets were lined with cars, and flooded with people. Vendors were selling white flags, cushions, and various "torro" paraphernalia. We've been told that this is the last year that Spain will be having the bull fights; I can't confirm that as being entirely true, but there were crowds of protesters outside of the arena. It is definitely cruel on the animals side of things, even if the Spanish do eat the meat. Although, it's hard for me to construct an opinion on a tradition that has been in the Spanish culture for years and years. Andrew compared the atmosphere to that of a play-off hockey game. It was funny, because during their intermission, EVERYONE pulled out beers or bottles of wine, plastic cups, and sandwiches. Literally, in unison. We may have been the only weirdos without a tinfoil-covered sandwich and beverage. Next time we'll google what to bring ;)
With four nights left, we decided to make our way to Spain's capital, Madrid.
Two minutes walk from the Plaza del Sol sat our pleasant little gem of a hostel. More of a hotel, we had our own cozy room, with just enough room for the bed and a couple chairs. But, we were smitten. One wall was made out of old brick, looking as if it used to be the outside of the building. We had our own little balcony-barely fitting our two chairs, but lovely none-the-less. We sat and listened to the sounds of Madrid.
This city isn't a place that you are going to find that one big "wonder". The fact that it is so full of life makes it a go-to. Madrid didn't need a coliseum, Eiffel tower, or some huge poplar cathedral. It was full of street art, fashion, parks, and busy squares. Good restaurants, live music and markets. We really just enjoyed getting up, going for a run in the parks, sitting outside a cafe for a drawn out coffee, and then exploring and people watching through Plaza del Sol and Plaza Mayor. I introduced Andrew to the Spanish delight, churros & chocolate. I first tried it while in Peru. Love at first sight. You can't beat the fresh, crispy-yet soft-churro, dipped into a cup of rich liquid chocolate.
We took a half-day trip to Toledo. A small, mysterious-looking historical city, only a 33 minute train ride from Madrid. It's narrow streets are hidden behind old castle walls that perch high atop the hills. We were lucky with the lack of big tour groups, as I've heard the small streets become quite crowded in high season. We got more of a "ghost town" experience out of Toledo.
After making our way back to Madrid, we packed up again to catch our flight to Paris! I was a wee bit excited. I'll post on our quick two nights with our friend Camille soon.
Love to all,
A&C
After a great weekend in Freiburg we were on our own again, this time, in the Spanish capital of Europe...Spain! Hellooo Sangria.
Our first stop was Barcelona, a city full of eye-candy for architecture lovers of all kinds. We were constantly craning our necks to see structure after structure. From buildings with giant eye-ball looking globes attached, to over-sized cartoon lobsters-the streets of Barcelona are anything but boring.
We wondered up and down the tourist-filled streets, relished in the sun beaming down in the grassy parks, and admired the wonderful and playful works of Gaudi. We got a good taste of his art by touring Guell Park and then walking around the Sacred Familia Church. Everything has a cartoon-ish feel to it, but it's nothing short of magnificent. The church is especially unique and breath-taking.
We took a day to tour around the National Art Museum and Olympic Stadium area. We could just imagine what the atmosphere would be like during the games-the sweat, blood, and tears-amazing!
We seen even more strange and intriguing art, deciding we needed more eyes to really take everything in.
Evenings were spent sipping on sangria in the many sidewalk restaurants and walking through the city, marveling at the lit up fountains and buildings.
Spain really comes alive at night. The culture's way of having a siesta in the afternoon is seriously necessary if you want to keep up once that sun goes down!
After getting our fill of Barcelona ,we decided to head south to Granada. What a good decision...we loved Granada! Cozy, laid-back, and beautiful. The best part? Free Tapas!! Every restaurant in Granada serves free finger food with every drink-whether it be beer, sangria, or just a cola. Andrew was flabbergasted.
Our hostel was in an area full of Arabic-type shops, Tapa Bars, and little streets to get lost in.
We took advantage of the quiet mornings by running in the parks around the Alhambra.
We met an extremely sweet couple, Josh and Erica, staying in our dorm. We spent the evening swapping stories with these two, both from Pennsylvania. We had dinner at the hostel and then walked around the lit up streets of Granada, making our way up to the San Nicolas for a fantastic view of the city.
Andrew had decided one of the things he wanted to do while in Spain was see a real, traditional Spanish bull fight. For anyone as dense as I...a bull fight is not two bulls fighting each other. Classic mix-up...right? Anyways, we made it a priority!
During the day we toured around the Alhambra Gardens and Palaces. Once evening came we hopped on the city bus to the Bull Ring! Talk about local experience at it's finest. The streets were lined with cars, and flooded with people. Vendors were selling white flags, cushions, and various "torro" paraphernalia. We've been told that this is the last year that Spain will be having the bull fights; I can't confirm that as being entirely true, but there were crowds of protesters outside of the arena. It is definitely cruel on the animals side of things, even if the Spanish do eat the meat. Although, it's hard for me to construct an opinion on a tradition that has been in the Spanish culture for years and years. Andrew compared the atmosphere to that of a play-off hockey game. It was funny, because during their intermission, EVERYONE pulled out beers or bottles of wine, plastic cups, and sandwiches. Literally, in unison. We may have been the only weirdos without a tinfoil-covered sandwich and beverage. Next time we'll google what to bring ;)
With four nights left, we decided to make our way to Spain's capital, Madrid.
Two minutes walk from the Plaza del Sol sat our pleasant little gem of a hostel. More of a hotel, we had our own cozy room, with just enough room for the bed and a couple chairs. But, we were smitten. One wall was made out of old brick, looking as if it used to be the outside of the building. We had our own little balcony-barely fitting our two chairs, but lovely none-the-less. We sat and listened to the sounds of Madrid.
This city isn't a place that you are going to find that one big "wonder". The fact that it is so full of life makes it a go-to. Madrid didn't need a coliseum, Eiffel tower, or some huge poplar cathedral. It was full of street art, fashion, parks, and busy squares. Good restaurants, live music and markets. We really just enjoyed getting up, going for a run in the parks, sitting outside a cafe for a drawn out coffee, and then exploring and people watching through Plaza del Sol and Plaza Mayor. I introduced Andrew to the Spanish delight, churros & chocolate. I first tried it while in Peru. Love at first sight. You can't beat the fresh, crispy-yet soft-churro, dipped into a cup of rich liquid chocolate.
We took a half-day trip to Toledo. A small, mysterious-looking historical city, only a 33 minute train ride from Madrid. It's narrow streets are hidden behind old castle walls that perch high atop the hills. We were lucky with the lack of big tour groups, as I've heard the small streets become quite crowded in high season. We got more of a "ghost town" experience out of Toledo.
After making our way back to Madrid, we packed up again to catch our flight to Paris! I was a wee bit excited. I'll post on our quick two nights with our friend Camille soon.
Love to all,
A&C
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Freiburg: Railay Round Two
Hallo!
Back in March, while Andrew and I were in Railay, Thailand, we met a kind and vivacious couple from Germany. Despite the slight language barrier, Oliver and Christina were extremely easy to get along with. We spent a couple of evenings with them, chatting over pizza about our trips and lives back home. We hadn't planned on traveling into Germany on this trip, but after meeting this couple, our minds were changed. So, after Switzerland, we took a quick train ride to Freiburg.
We were greeted with huge glowing smiles, just as we remembered them. After hugs, we dropped our bags off in their car and went for a walk around the city. Freiburg is really beautiful, and being surrounded by the Black Forest doesn't hurt either. After a bit of walking we stopped at a brewery for a bier(beer) and brezel(pretzel)! It was so nice to just sit back and catch up with each other.
Later, we made our way to Oli and Christina's home, a cute and tidy flat just outside of Freiburg. O & C have two sweet little girls completing their family. Thessie(6) and Anni(2 1/2) were with Grandma for the night, but we were greeted with a beautiful drawing and two very pink rooms-although once we met these little ladies, it didn't take long to realize Thessie was no girly-girl.
That night, we went and got our first taste of chicken schnitzel at an awesome local restaurant.
The next day, we put our "play clothes" on and drove to Europa Park-a huge theme park divided into "countries". We spent the day walking through Greece, riding roller-coasters in Iceland and Russia, and eating in a park in the UK. It was a really cool set-up for a theme park. All the countries had music, food and architecture to match the appropriate cultures. We watched a really good cirque-du-soleil type show, and dizzied ourselves on my favorite ride-the teacups! I felt like I was 6 years old again, back in Disneyland. It was Andrews first big theme park experience, and both our firsts on huge roller-coasters. I think we may become adrenaline junkies! The sometimes hour-long wait in line was SO worth the 4 minutes of thrill on the rides. Oli and Christina take their girls there on Sundays, but they said it was a nice change to go on the "big kid" rides. We were happy to join them :)
That evening, after Christina cooked us a delicious dinner, we dolled up and headed out for a night on the town. Being out with these two in Germany was really cool, as we had talked in Railey about visiting them, and how we would go to Europa Park and then have too many beers on the town--and we did just that! Talk about Deja Vu.
Sunday was what we like to call a hang-over day. We snuggled on the couch, watched movies and ate great food (our first taste of Raclette). Later in the day we finally got to meet the two cutest German girls on the planet. Thessie, a matter-of-fact 6 year old full of energy, and the more reserved Anni, with the biggest blue eyes, just like her Momma.
Thessie drug out the boxes of Lego, so we spent the afternoon building ships and helicopters under her (very strict) orders. Andrew definitely won best prize with his helicopter!
The next day Andrew and I spent the morning and early afternoon walking in and around the Black Forest-named this due to the dense population of pine trees. It was good to get some fresh air, and walking off the alcohol wasn't such a bad thing either.
Before leaving we spent a couple more hours playing with the girls. We built forts, played Play-Doh, and made puzzles. Every time something needed fixed on the fort, or anytime the girls wanted our attention, they yelled "Chessie!". It was close enough, and after realizing how quick I would respond, it became the word for everything. I'm sure Oliver and Christina are still having nightmares with "Chessie!" ringing in their ears.
It was yet another sad goodbye. The girls sent us off with stuffed animals and pictures, hugs, and some tears.
O & C, you two are so genuine and fun; you opened your home to us, and treated us like family. Your girls are very lucky to have such great parents, and you guys are just as lucky to have such wonderful daughters. We are so thankful for meeting you at that fire show in Railey. We hope to meet again soon. Give Anni and Thessie hugs for us, and tell them their Teddies are keeping us company :) xx
After goodbyes, Oliver drove us to Basel, where we caught our flight to Spain. In a (quick) ten days we toured Barcelona, Granada, Toledo, and Madrid. That's up next!
We are down to only three weeks left. Ah, how time flies. We most definitely have mixed emotions about our upcoming flight home, but there are no words to express how excited we are to spend some quality catch-up time with friends and family.
Until then,
xx A&C
Back in March, while Andrew and I were in Railay, Thailand, we met a kind and vivacious couple from Germany. Despite the slight language barrier, Oliver and Christina were extremely easy to get along with. We spent a couple of evenings with them, chatting over pizza about our trips and lives back home. We hadn't planned on traveling into Germany on this trip, but after meeting this couple, our minds were changed. So, after Switzerland, we took a quick train ride to Freiburg.
We were greeted with huge glowing smiles, just as we remembered them. After hugs, we dropped our bags off in their car and went for a walk around the city. Freiburg is really beautiful, and being surrounded by the Black Forest doesn't hurt either. After a bit of walking we stopped at a brewery for a bier(beer) and brezel(pretzel)! It was so nice to just sit back and catch up with each other.
Later, we made our way to Oli and Christina's home, a cute and tidy flat just outside of Freiburg. O & C have two sweet little girls completing their family. Thessie(6) and Anni(2 1/2) were with Grandma for the night, but we were greeted with a beautiful drawing and two very pink rooms-although once we met these little ladies, it didn't take long to realize Thessie was no girly-girl.
That night, we went and got our first taste of chicken schnitzel at an awesome local restaurant.
The next day, we put our "play clothes" on and drove to Europa Park-a huge theme park divided into "countries". We spent the day walking through Greece, riding roller-coasters in Iceland and Russia, and eating in a park in the UK. It was a really cool set-up for a theme park. All the countries had music, food and architecture to match the appropriate cultures. We watched a really good cirque-du-soleil type show, and dizzied ourselves on my favorite ride-the teacups! I felt like I was 6 years old again, back in Disneyland. It was Andrews first big theme park experience, and both our firsts on huge roller-coasters. I think we may become adrenaline junkies! The sometimes hour-long wait in line was SO worth the 4 minutes of thrill on the rides. Oli and Christina take their girls there on Sundays, but they said it was a nice change to go on the "big kid" rides. We were happy to join them :)
That evening, after Christina cooked us a delicious dinner, we dolled up and headed out for a night on the town. Being out with these two in Germany was really cool, as we had talked in Railey about visiting them, and how we would go to Europa Park and then have too many beers on the town--and we did just that! Talk about Deja Vu.
Sunday was what we like to call a hang-over day. We snuggled on the couch, watched movies and ate great food (our first taste of Raclette). Later in the day we finally got to meet the two cutest German girls on the planet. Thessie, a matter-of-fact 6 year old full of energy, and the more reserved Anni, with the biggest blue eyes, just like her Momma.
Thessie drug out the boxes of Lego, so we spent the afternoon building ships and helicopters under her (very strict) orders. Andrew definitely won best prize with his helicopter!
The next day Andrew and I spent the morning and early afternoon walking in and around the Black Forest-named this due to the dense population of pine trees. It was good to get some fresh air, and walking off the alcohol wasn't such a bad thing either.
Before leaving we spent a couple more hours playing with the girls. We built forts, played Play-Doh, and made puzzles. Every time something needed fixed on the fort, or anytime the girls wanted our attention, they yelled "Chessie!". It was close enough, and after realizing how quick I would respond, it became the word for everything. I'm sure Oliver and Christina are still having nightmares with "Chessie!" ringing in their ears.
It was yet another sad goodbye. The girls sent us off with stuffed animals and pictures, hugs, and some tears.
O & C, you two are so genuine and fun; you opened your home to us, and treated us like family. Your girls are very lucky to have such great parents, and you guys are just as lucky to have such wonderful daughters. We are so thankful for meeting you at that fire show in Railey. We hope to meet again soon. Give Anni and Thessie hugs for us, and tell them their Teddies are keeping us company :) xx
After goodbyes, Oliver drove us to Basel, where we caught our flight to Spain. In a (quick) ten days we toured Barcelona, Granada, Toledo, and Madrid. That's up next!
We are down to only three weeks left. Ah, how time flies. We most definitely have mixed emotions about our upcoming flight home, but there are no words to express how excited we are to spend some quality catch-up time with friends and family.
Until then,
xx A&C
Saturday, June 09, 2012
Switzerland: "Like a Box of Chocolates Bursting with Unexpected Flavors"
Ola!!
Alright, so I know "Ola" doesn't exactly fit the Swiss part, but I am writing from Granada, and we have been filling our mind, body, and soul with Spanish culture, so I couldn't help myself :)
The last couple of weeks have been wonderfully busy, and we were lucky to spend it with several friends we met while in Asia. The ONLY downside is that I've fallen behind on keeping all of YOU up to date! Sorry Mom!! So, here goes. An update on our life up to today :)
We LOVED Switzerland. A lush, green, and diverse country ruled by four different languages(Swiss German, French, Italian, and Romanche) and beautifully different cultures to go with. Options are endless in the land of Swiss.
We started our adventure in the city of Zurich. While in Indonesia we met Frederike and Thomas, who left us their info with a note to come visit if ever in Zurich. Well, we made our way there, and were welcomed with open arms. We spent 8 nights exploring Zurich, visiting Frederike's hometown, Reschen, and just enjoying some quality downtime with friends. Frederike and Thomas are loving, intelligent, and extremely easy to talk to. Andrew and I really felt at home in their awesome flat(with an even more awesome rooftop terrace!!).
We spent the first day with Frederike(unfortunatley Thomas had to work)taking a walk up a Üetliberg, a hill overlooking Zurich, picking some bārlauch(wild garlic type plant) from the forest(which we used to make some amazing pesto!) and enjoying some Italian Spritz on the terrace. We lucked out with a beautiful, sunny day. That evening some friends of theirs came over and Frederike made us an absolutely delicious meal-paired with several glass of red wine made for an even better meal! Toby, a friend of F and T made Spätzle, a special type of noodle, or pasta. The taste is similar to gnocchi. Very tasty.
The next day (Friday), while F and T went to work, Andy and I did some catching up online, relaxed, and did some walking around Zurich.
Saturday, we packed a weekend bag and left for a little road trip with Frederike. Thomas was stuck working the weekend :( We drove through four countries that day! Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, and Italy! Never thought I'd visit so many countries in a day, hehe. We shared a beer...in the car...while driving...because that's aloud! Crazy, I know. I still felt strange sitting in the passenger side holding a beer. I thought a policeman would pop up and arrest me, like, "Ha! Stupid tourist, believing everything you hear!". But, nope, turns out it's legal ;)
Frederike grew up in the village of Reschen, Italy surrounded by mountains, forests, grassy hills filled with bunkers from the war, and farmers fields. We went for an awesome hike up Spitzige Lun, where we found some patches of snow, and an unbelievable view. We enjoyed some homemade soup and dumplings thanks to Frederike and her sister Ines, played some Dutch games, and ate some of Frederike's rhubarb cake for dessert. Yumm. Red wine was of course enjoyed as well. We felt so refreshed from the mountain air, and left wanting more!
Back in Zurich, we spent the rest of our days exploring the city, visiting the Lindt and Sprüngli factory(even the parking lot smelt divine) stuffing ourselves with Swiss chocolate and cheese, and chatting with F and T over good meals, coffee, prosecco, beer, and maaybe the occasional glass of water. We also visited the Rhine Falls, which contain the highest volume of water in Europe.
Frederike and Thomas, we can't tell you enough how much we enjoyed our time with you. We can only hope you make it to Canada so that we can spoil you the way you did us. Thomas, thank you from Andrew for the late night beers and the rooftop fire. Frederike, thank you for all the cooking tips I picked up from you, the "girl-talk", and to both of you, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to accommodate us! Much love.
Next stop in Switzerland, La Chaux-du-Fonds. Moving in to the French-speaking part of Switzerland was a quick transition. La Chaux-du-Fonds, known as the city of Watchmakers, is the most quaint, organized, and beautiful city we have seen yet. It was built specifically for watchmaking, right down to the distance between houses, and the arrangement of house-garden-street, house-garden-street. Amazing. The people are so friendly and passionate about their wonderful city. I felt like I was in Belle's city, from Beauty and the Beast.
La Chaux-du-Fonds will always be very special to Andrew and I. Not just because of the unique set-up and history, but because of the family living in it.
We met Val by chance in a bus station in Manila. When Andrew got sick, we delayed our departure from Manila by 3 days. The day we left, Val just happened to be hopping on the same bus. Thank goodness for that, because he is truly one of a kind. People say everything happens for a reason, and now we have proof.
Val took Friday off work, and invited us to stay with him at his parents house in the city he grew up in. Val's parents, Rémy and Françoise. Meeting them really made us understand where Val gets his kindness, generosity, and zest for life from. We were given a spot at the table as if we were already part of their family. Françoise gave me a Swatch as a gift, simply because I wasn't wearing a watch. Rémy shared the history of La Chaux-du-Fonds with us, and they both cooked amazing meals for everyone. We told stories, played games, ate and drank wine, explored La Chaux-du-Fonds-all this, without speaking the same language. Yep, we don't speak French, and Rémy and Françoise don't speak English. Val was so great for translating for us, but the fact that we created such a bond with people who don't speak the same language just goes to show how amazing these people are. The world is a beautiful place, but the people you stumble upon are even more so.
Val really went all out! He completely spoiled us, and showed us all around the French-speaking area of Switzerland. The first night, Val took us to a lovely local restaurant, where we enjoyed gourmet meals with locally made red wine.
Our first day we jumped in the car and explored the region of Neuchâtel. We went for a hike up to the very windy top of Le Creux-du-Van, massive landslides creating a semi-circular shape of cliffs. We stopped for a coffee in La Vue-des-Alps, and then for a nap in the meadows of Chasseral, the highest point in the Neuchâtel region.
The next day we had breakfast and coffee with Val and his parents, stopped at a bakery, cheese house, and grocery store, and then made our way to the region of Valais. We drove through Sion city, went for a walk on Le Bisse de Torrent Neuf, and enjoyed a picnic of different cheese picked out by Val. The way to eat the cheese is very particular, which is really interesting. It makes sense of course, because the way to do it is to start with the least strong and end with the most, have a bite of meat, some bread, and start over. I really can't describe the cheese. It was just...spectacular. My favorite was a creamy, stuffed brie, a cheese made only by Val's favorite cheese maker(such a friendly man...he let us try tons of his cheese while we were there). We love that meals are more of a ritual, and much more traditional then we are used to. Everything is paired with a specific wine, and meals aren't complete without an apértif and then a digestive or espresso to finih. The best was when the luxurious Swiss chocolate was brought out for desert. I have never tasted such dark, melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
We spent the third evening at Val's flat in Lousanne. We went for dinner with him and his friend Roman, where Andrew and I tried horse for the first time, and then out to a Canadian bar for one too many drinks. We had so much fun, but payed for it the next day! I especially, was not feeling so hot. Françoise fixed me up with some of her tea, and we enjoyed a relaxing day, and a big lunch! We also took a walk to a farm outside of La Chaux-du-Fonds to try Rémy's favorite dessert, cornet à la crème. It's literally an ice-cream cone filled with homemade whipped cream. Very tasty! The walk to the farm itself was wonderful. The country-side of Switzerland is breathtaking!
Our last day we took a walk with Val and Rémy to le Saut-du-Doubs, a waterfall separating Switzerland and France. After a bit of walking, we made our way back to the house to pack our bags, and catch a train to Interlaken. It was another sad goodbye, and we again, can not express our gratitude. Val we will be seeing you next year in Canada.
We spent a few nights in the outdoor-sports based town of Interlaken. It had the same feel and atmosphere that Jasper, Alberta has, and we loved it! We spent our days hiking and picnic-ing through the Alps. The Swiss Alps are so vast, with huge steep canyons. Grassy fields lead you to snowy mountain tops. We did a wicked canyoning trip while there too. A seven hour day of sliding, repelling, and jumping down waterfalls. Absolutely thrilling.
I told our guide that the excursion was my weeks worth of "Do one thing a day that scares you". Andrew was totally in his glory, doing backflips into the pools of water. The highest jump was just over 30 feet, and the slides and repels were up to 50 feet. It was crazy fun, and it definitely had our adrenaline going.
After Interlaken we took a train up to Winterthur to spend a night with Nico. We met the crazy and hilarious Nico while in El Nido, Philippines. He introduced us to his friendly and sweet girlfriend, Nora, and his creative and extremely kind mother, Dora. We spent the night chatting and catching up, and Dora cooked us an awesome supper. Andy and Nico took it back old-school and played some Mario Cart, while I took pictures of their amazing home. Nico and his family are all very artistic(his parents both teach in Art)and their house definitely reflects those abilities. There was so much to look at! It was a quick visit, but it was so incredibly cool to meet up with Nico again. Nico, you have such a laid-back and refreshing outlook on life, we will miss you dearly! Our doors are always open to you in the Great White North :)
That concludes our adventures in the country of Switzerland! We would go back in a heartbeat...perhaps in the winter, to see those Alps REALLY filled with snow! Plus, we have so many people to visit again.
The most important thing Andrew and I want to say regarding Switzerland is one last huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our friends that invited us into their homes. We have never been shown such love and hospitality from people who, not long ago, were strangers. To Frederike and Thomas, Val, Rémy and Françoise, Nico, Nora, and Dora-You all hold a very special place in our hearts, our gratitude is endless. We learnt something from each and every one of you, and we will take your kindness home with us.
To everyone at home, I hope you are enjoying the blogs, and know that Andrew and I are always well taken care of. Missing you all as usual.
Keep tuned, I'll be writing a post on our stay with more amazing friends in Freiburg, Germany very soon!
Love to all
xx A&C
Alright, so I know "Ola" doesn't exactly fit the Swiss part, but I am writing from Granada, and we have been filling our mind, body, and soul with Spanish culture, so I couldn't help myself :)
The last couple of weeks have been wonderfully busy, and we were lucky to spend it with several friends we met while in Asia. The ONLY downside is that I've fallen behind on keeping all of YOU up to date! Sorry Mom!! So, here goes. An update on our life up to today :)
We LOVED Switzerland. A lush, green, and diverse country ruled by four different languages(Swiss German, French, Italian, and Romanche) and beautifully different cultures to go with. Options are endless in the land of Swiss.
We started our adventure in the city of Zurich. While in Indonesia we met Frederike and Thomas, who left us their info with a note to come visit if ever in Zurich. Well, we made our way there, and were welcomed with open arms. We spent 8 nights exploring Zurich, visiting Frederike's hometown, Reschen, and just enjoying some quality downtime with friends. Frederike and Thomas are loving, intelligent, and extremely easy to talk to. Andrew and I really felt at home in their awesome flat(with an even more awesome rooftop terrace!!).
We spent the first day with Frederike(unfortunatley Thomas had to work)taking a walk up a Üetliberg, a hill overlooking Zurich, picking some bārlauch(wild garlic type plant) from the forest(which we used to make some amazing pesto!) and enjoying some Italian Spritz on the terrace. We lucked out with a beautiful, sunny day. That evening some friends of theirs came over and Frederike made us an absolutely delicious meal-paired with several glass of red wine made for an even better meal! Toby, a friend of F and T made Spätzle, a special type of noodle, or pasta. The taste is similar to gnocchi. Very tasty.
The next day (Friday), while F and T went to work, Andy and I did some catching up online, relaxed, and did some walking around Zurich.
Saturday, we packed a weekend bag and left for a little road trip with Frederike. Thomas was stuck working the weekend :( We drove through four countries that day! Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Austria, and Italy! Never thought I'd visit so many countries in a day, hehe. We shared a beer...in the car...while driving...because that's aloud! Crazy, I know. I still felt strange sitting in the passenger side holding a beer. I thought a policeman would pop up and arrest me, like, "Ha! Stupid tourist, believing everything you hear!". But, nope, turns out it's legal ;)
Frederike grew up in the village of Reschen, Italy surrounded by mountains, forests, grassy hills filled with bunkers from the war, and farmers fields. We went for an awesome hike up Spitzige Lun, where we found some patches of snow, and an unbelievable view. We enjoyed some homemade soup and dumplings thanks to Frederike and her sister Ines, played some Dutch games, and ate some of Frederike's rhubarb cake for dessert. Yumm. Red wine was of course enjoyed as well. We felt so refreshed from the mountain air, and left wanting more!
Back in Zurich, we spent the rest of our days exploring the city, visiting the Lindt and Sprüngli factory(even the parking lot smelt divine) stuffing ourselves with Swiss chocolate and cheese, and chatting with F and T over good meals, coffee, prosecco, beer, and maaybe the occasional glass of water. We also visited the Rhine Falls, which contain the highest volume of water in Europe.
Frederike and Thomas, we can't tell you enough how much we enjoyed our time with you. We can only hope you make it to Canada so that we can spoil you the way you did us. Thomas, thank you from Andrew for the late night beers and the rooftop fire. Frederike, thank you for all the cooking tips I picked up from you, the "girl-talk", and to both of you, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to accommodate us! Much love.
Next stop in Switzerland, La Chaux-du-Fonds. Moving in to the French-speaking part of Switzerland was a quick transition. La Chaux-du-Fonds, known as the city of Watchmakers, is the most quaint, organized, and beautiful city we have seen yet. It was built specifically for watchmaking, right down to the distance between houses, and the arrangement of house-garden-street, house-garden-street. Amazing. The people are so friendly and passionate about their wonderful city. I felt like I was in Belle's city, from Beauty and the Beast.
La Chaux-du-Fonds will always be very special to Andrew and I. Not just because of the unique set-up and history, but because of the family living in it.
We met Val by chance in a bus station in Manila. When Andrew got sick, we delayed our departure from Manila by 3 days. The day we left, Val just happened to be hopping on the same bus. Thank goodness for that, because he is truly one of a kind. People say everything happens for a reason, and now we have proof.
Val took Friday off work, and invited us to stay with him at his parents house in the city he grew up in. Val's parents, Rémy and Françoise. Meeting them really made us understand where Val gets his kindness, generosity, and zest for life from. We were given a spot at the table as if we were already part of their family. Françoise gave me a Swatch as a gift, simply because I wasn't wearing a watch. Rémy shared the history of La Chaux-du-Fonds with us, and they both cooked amazing meals for everyone. We told stories, played games, ate and drank wine, explored La Chaux-du-Fonds-all this, without speaking the same language. Yep, we don't speak French, and Rémy and Françoise don't speak English. Val was so great for translating for us, but the fact that we created such a bond with people who don't speak the same language just goes to show how amazing these people are. The world is a beautiful place, but the people you stumble upon are even more so.
Val really went all out! He completely spoiled us, and showed us all around the French-speaking area of Switzerland. The first night, Val took us to a lovely local restaurant, where we enjoyed gourmet meals with locally made red wine.
Our first day we jumped in the car and explored the region of Neuchâtel. We went for a hike up to the very windy top of Le Creux-du-Van, massive landslides creating a semi-circular shape of cliffs. We stopped for a coffee in La Vue-des-Alps, and then for a nap in the meadows of Chasseral, the highest point in the Neuchâtel region.
The next day we had breakfast and coffee with Val and his parents, stopped at a bakery, cheese house, and grocery store, and then made our way to the region of Valais. We drove through Sion city, went for a walk on Le Bisse de Torrent Neuf, and enjoyed a picnic of different cheese picked out by Val. The way to eat the cheese is very particular, which is really interesting. It makes sense of course, because the way to do it is to start with the least strong and end with the most, have a bite of meat, some bread, and start over. I really can't describe the cheese. It was just...spectacular. My favorite was a creamy, stuffed brie, a cheese made only by Val's favorite cheese maker(such a friendly man...he let us try tons of his cheese while we were there). We love that meals are more of a ritual, and much more traditional then we are used to. Everything is paired with a specific wine, and meals aren't complete without an apértif and then a digestive or espresso to finih. The best was when the luxurious Swiss chocolate was brought out for desert. I have never tasted such dark, melt-in-your-mouth goodness.
We spent the third evening at Val's flat in Lousanne. We went for dinner with him and his friend Roman, where Andrew and I tried horse for the first time, and then out to a Canadian bar for one too many drinks. We had so much fun, but payed for it the next day! I especially, was not feeling so hot. Françoise fixed me up with some of her tea, and we enjoyed a relaxing day, and a big lunch! We also took a walk to a farm outside of La Chaux-du-Fonds to try Rémy's favorite dessert, cornet à la crème. It's literally an ice-cream cone filled with homemade whipped cream. Very tasty! The walk to the farm itself was wonderful. The country-side of Switzerland is breathtaking!
Our last day we took a walk with Val and Rémy to le Saut-du-Doubs, a waterfall separating Switzerland and France. After a bit of walking, we made our way back to the house to pack our bags, and catch a train to Interlaken. It was another sad goodbye, and we again, can not express our gratitude. Val we will be seeing you next year in Canada.
We spent a few nights in the outdoor-sports based town of Interlaken. It had the same feel and atmosphere that Jasper, Alberta has, and we loved it! We spent our days hiking and picnic-ing through the Alps. The Swiss Alps are so vast, with huge steep canyons. Grassy fields lead you to snowy mountain tops. We did a wicked canyoning trip while there too. A seven hour day of sliding, repelling, and jumping down waterfalls. Absolutely thrilling.
I told our guide that the excursion was my weeks worth of "Do one thing a day that scares you". Andrew was totally in his glory, doing backflips into the pools of water. The highest jump was just over 30 feet, and the slides and repels were up to 50 feet. It was crazy fun, and it definitely had our adrenaline going.
After Interlaken we took a train up to Winterthur to spend a night with Nico. We met the crazy and hilarious Nico while in El Nido, Philippines. He introduced us to his friendly and sweet girlfriend, Nora, and his creative and extremely kind mother, Dora. We spent the night chatting and catching up, and Dora cooked us an awesome supper. Andy and Nico took it back old-school and played some Mario Cart, while I took pictures of their amazing home. Nico and his family are all very artistic(his parents both teach in Art)and their house definitely reflects those abilities. There was so much to look at! It was a quick visit, but it was so incredibly cool to meet up with Nico again. Nico, you have such a laid-back and refreshing outlook on life, we will miss you dearly! Our doors are always open to you in the Great White North :)
That concludes our adventures in the country of Switzerland! We would go back in a heartbeat...perhaps in the winter, to see those Alps REALLY filled with snow! Plus, we have so many people to visit again.
The most important thing Andrew and I want to say regarding Switzerland is one last huge and heartfelt THANK YOU to all of our friends that invited us into their homes. We have never been shown such love and hospitality from people who, not long ago, were strangers. To Frederike and Thomas, Val, Rémy and Françoise, Nico, Nora, and Dora-You all hold a very special place in our hearts, our gratitude is endless. We learnt something from each and every one of you, and we will take your kindness home with us.
To everyone at home, I hope you are enjoying the blogs, and know that Andrew and I are always well taken care of. Missing you all as usual.
Keep tuned, I'll be writing a post on our stay with more amazing friends in Freiburg, Germany very soon!
Love to all
xx A&C
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