European Vacation 2015: Eastern Europe Calling

      Leaving Switzerland was definitely bittersweet; we could easily have stayed longer! But we had an itinerary, airline tickets and Prague was waiting. Alex came with us on the 1.5 hour train ride from Lyss to Zurich. The train brought us right into the Zurich Airport. Europe seriously has a lock on commuting convenience! How's that light rail going Ottawa? (sigh)

    We flew Zurich to Dusseldorf and then Dusseldorf to Prague. Pretty uneventful flights, unless you count Jenn 'temporarily' losing her passport! We had just come off the first leg of our trip and we had a few hours before the next flight. I suggested scoping out the gate, before getting a bite to eat or something to drink. As we checked out the area, we noticed the Passport Control counter. Al and I thought nothing of it, but from the paniced look on Jenn's face it was obvious something was up. She began frantically checking her purse and pockets, but no passport. We rushed back to where we had just deplaned. That plane would be leaving within the hour for Zurich and with it any chance of finding Jenn's passport. We inquired at the counter and the very nice ladies got right on it. One lady picked up the phone and began making numerous calls.  We were 'assuming; one of these calls was to the plane, but it was all in German and she was also busy dealing with other calls and people at the counter. We understood when she gave 'whoever' our seat numbers, but little else. When she suddenly said, "kanadischen Pass?", we all three looked at each other and smiled. We'd never told her we were Canadian, but there was no doubt in our minds that she was referring to Jenn's Canadian Passport!  Phew that was a close one. At the gate in Zurich there was some computer confusion with our boarding passes and amid the confusion Jenn had slipped it into her back pocket. Who knew that it would slip out again?  Crisis was adverted and all thoughts of food was gone. We enjoyed a nice beer (Prost!) to celebrate the luck of  finding the passport in time.

     We arrived in Prague and there was a taxi waiting for us. I had made all the arrangements and was happy to see our name, even if it did say Mr. Gabel. He smiled apologetically when he saw the 3 of us! We stayed at Boutique Hotel Seven Days for 5 days, 4 nights. If you have a chance to visit Prague this is a great place to stay. It's centrally located and not far from Old Town and Wenceslas Square. The hotel has an old school charm with lots of guilded furniture and wood decor and brocade carpeting on the steps. The people were extremely nice and helpful. The buffet breakfast was a delicious way to begin our days and with all the walking we did, we really needed it! We ate a few nights at the restaurant and the food and wine was always good,

    We came to Prague, not knowing alot about the city, but after walking it's length and breathth we really got to know it. We were unaimous in our praise. Prague is a beautiful old city with the  Vltava River running though and countless bridges. The Charles Bridge with its tower at one end is a gateway to Old Town. Prague contains one of the world's most pristine and varied collections of architecture, from Romanesque, to Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Neo-Renaissance, Neo-Gothic, Art Nouveau, Cubist, Neo-Classical and ultra-modern. The Dancing House, building for example, seems too modern, but the amazing archetecture everywhere you look is all part of Prague's charm.  This is a unique city well worth seeing. Surprisingly, the people of Prague, with the exception of the Hotel staff, weren't all that friendly. It was almost like speaking English offended them. The friendliest person we encountered was a Vietemese shop keeper and she and her daughter aren't even Czech! But don't be discourage because Prague is still well worth seeing. Maybe we just caught some of them on a bad week or year!

    Each morning after breakfast we headed out for a full day of exploring. We lucked out with the weather as each day was sunny, with highs of 17 and 18 C. It took a fair amount of time to decide on what to wear as heavy coats weren't needed, but the breeze could be cool. We figured it out and with knapsack, cameras, and iPad we were 'those tourists'.

     It's extremely difficult to narrow down the search of pictures that will give you a sense of what we saw in Prague, but here goes. Our first day we just walked and walked and were blown away with the beauty, age and uniqueness of the city. We enjoyed soaking it all in.

Prague main drag!

Contemplating Crossing the street

Schweet Girls

Anyone got the time?

Crowded square waiting for the clock to toll

Lunch spot on the water

Vltava River View

Lunch Time

Cheers

Chillin'

I












           Prague is a beautiful city and we did our best to see all that we could. The weather in April was beautiful and certainly contributed to our sightseeing excursions. Keeping up with the Girls was a challenge....................to my feet!  Allison basically mapped out the sights that were interesting and each morning after an amzing breakfast we were off and walking and walking.

I'm here looking at this Blog entry (August 2016) and realize it was never posted!  Ooopsies!  But so much has gone on since. Suffice it to say that we left Prague full of memories and pictures and continued our tour to Warsaw, followed by Belgium and then on to Ireland.  I'll get back to those incredible travel destinations in another Blog, but I feel this entry is long overdo, so time to post!

Trip of a Lifetime! 

I'm Back!

Hello All!

When last we spoke it was June 2015.  I was in the midst of preparing to leave Ethiopia. Paul's project was winding down and it was time to return to Canada.  Well here I am, August 27, 2016 living in a different house, but once more I am back in Addis Ababa.  So much has gone on since June 2015 and I look forward to filling you in on all the details.

Stay tuned!  I promise not to take too long in filling in the gaps!

European Vacation 2015: First Stop is Switzerland

Clark Griswold had nothing on our adventures as we prepared for our European vacation. It's hard to do justice to two and a half weeks spent in the company of both Schweet Girls, followed by another week and a half with Jenn. It was an amazing trip and I hope the following words and pictures capture just how truly amazing it actually was!! I'll begin with Switzerland.

Let the shenanigans begin! Allison, Jennifer.........oh Kathy. 

        The trip for me began March 31st, but in reality it only really started when we picked up our third partner in fun and adventure, April 1st at the Southampton Airport. I journeyed in from Ethiopia, Jenn flew from Maynooth, Ireland and we congregated at Al's apartment at Archers Rd, Southampton. I had previously visited Al at her first apartment at Wyndham Court. This one, nestled in a lovely, green and treed residential area, was a welcomed improvement. Don't get me wrong, Wyndham Court was great and served its purpose, but Archers is a nice quaint duplex, far from from the hustle, bustle and noise. Al has two great new roommates, Igga and Katy. She has survived quite nicely from the impact of losing her bestie roommate Kat, who returned to Ottawa to marry (sigh!) her true love, Matthew. I had 'just' seen Al in February, but I had not seen Jenn since August 2014. Let's just say there were a few tears, but it felt so good to be reunited with both Schweet Girls.

      Jenn's Easter break began April 1st, but Al still had another day of teaching. Jenn and I had no problems keeping ourselves amused until Al came home.  Surprisingly, on Good Friday, though a teaching holiday, all the stores were open. The Girls and I did what we love to do: shop! West Quay is an impressive mall located between Above Bar and Bar Gate. There was something for all of us and when our feet got tired we headed home to pick up Katy. We then went to Mango's and indulged in delicious Thai cuisine, There was no point calling it an early evening as we had a 1:50 am bus to catch that would take us to Gatwick Airport. Katy is an amazing roommate as she stayed up and drove us to the bus depot.

     Fatigue is only a state of mind, expecially when it's fuelled by excitment. We were headed to Switzerland! We arrived at Basel Airport and we were met by Alex. No need to say how excited Al was given that it had been 5 weeks since she had last seen him.

.........and the roadtrip and shenanigans begin!

       While in Switzerland we stayed with Alex and his parents, Chris and Helen in Lyss. I can not say enough about the hospitality and the warmth of the welcome we received. Allison has told us so much about Alex's parents, family and Switzerland, but now Jennifer and I had the opportunity for a first hand experience! Switzerland is all that Allison claimed and more, Between the absolutely delicious meals prepared by Helen, Easter brunch with Alex's extended family, guided tours by Chris and Helen of Berne, Lake Biel, Neuchâtel and more and of course excursions lead by Alex of Lyss (how high is this tower?), Lucerne and Zermatt (Matterhorn), we could not have asked for more, Switzerland is absolutely stunning. Everywhere you turn you are faced with another panoramic view that is only rivaled by your next photo op.
      Chris and Helen were the consumate hosts during our 5 day visit.  We arrived the day before Easter Sunday so we were invited to a traditional family brunch next day at the home of Chris's brother Willi. It was so heart warming to witness how well  Allison has been accepted into Alex's family. Aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents were there and Jennifer and I were also made to feel at home. An interesting tradition is performed with the beautifully decorated Easter eggs. You choose a partner and you knock your egg against their's. If your egg cracks, you lose and get to eat the egg. The winner goes on to challenge someone else. To me it was a win-win: be a winner and move on or 'win' the right to eat your delicious egg!
     Allison had told us about what a great cook Helen is and we were not disappointed. The first night we were treated to raclette. If you've never had it, it's like fondu in that you individually prepare the fixings that goes on your raclette cheese (veggies, sausage, potato, etc), but rather than dipping into a fondue broth or cheese, you slide your individual raclette pan under a broiler. It's ready when the cheese melts and you slide it onto your plate, toppings and all. In a word: delicious! And that sums up all the meals we enjoyed during our stay. Did I also mention that Lyss is home to Alex's family's two adorable cats? Hello Marly and Charlie. They felt the room Jenn and I shared was their's as well, so they spent much of the time reclining on our beds! Seriously, how do you say no to those faces?

Chaaarrrrlie

Marley

   
      Chris and Helen took Jennifer and me for a drive to Lake Biel and it's surrounding areas. Like everything else in Switzerland it was beautiful. Together with Lake Morat and Lake Neuchâtel, it is one of the three large lakes in the Jura region of Switzerland. We drove to the top of the mountain which gave us a spectacular view of the outlying areas of Neuchâtel, Berne, Lyss, and the lakes. Later we stopped at a restaurant on the water, with a view of St Peter's Island and enjoyed ice cream and the view. St Peter's Island is a long peninsula and is famous for many things. It's a real nature treat and is popular for hiking and cycling. It's also famous because Jean Jacques Rousseau lived there for a period of time before being deported and where he wrote "Reveries of the Solitary Walker". Allison too can relate to its beauty as this was one of the first places Alex introduced her to. Unfortunately Alex's definition of a short walk seems to have been lost in translation and was not exactly in keeping with Allison's expectations. 'Short walk' ultimately translated to 12 kms. I can say that looking at the Island while eating an ice cream was infinitely more enjoyable.

Lake Biel

Let's not forget the Alps in the background

Front row seats!

Best Tour Guide ever!

Jenn, Chris and Helen: overlooking Lake Biel

Chris gave us a personal tour of Bern. He is also Head of Communications for the local government so due to his priviledge of rank we were able to tour the legistlative building where he works.

Forget it, no one is listening; well maybe Alex.

Where decisions are made....

Time's up!

Girls here's the door, what's your hurry?

Churchill spoke from this very balcony.

The tour continued through the historic Old Town at the centre of Bern. Medieval structures make old town very picturesque. The medieval covered shopping promenade adds charm to the shopping experience. We toured the promenade on Sunday so fortunately we weren't tempted (not!) by the likes of Rolex as stores were closed. Holy Ghost Church which has undergone big changes since 1228, was, not surprising, under going some refurbishing the day we visited. The church was completely rebuilt in 1726 and it's an incredible structure both inside and out.

Chris, Jennifer, Alex and Allison

Medieval City Centre recognized by UNESCO

 Zytglogge Clock Tower

River Aare flows though and around Bern

 Bärengraben: Home to the Bern Bears

Einstein lived here 1903-05: a 'relatively' short time

Outside of the Legislative Building

A view you never tire of: Swiss Alps and Lucerne, d'oh!

       Switzerland is very much a train society. Just about everywhere is accessible by train. Convenient for sure, but rather expensive if you don't have a pass or aren't able to take advantage of specials. On the day we visited Lucerne we traveled by car and train. The drive didn't seem so long because of the wonderful scenery along the way. Switzerland in April is an oasis of rolling green fields and let's not forget the Alps in the background. Jenn and I were madly taking pictures as we drove. No matter how many times you see them, views of the Alps never get old. We parked outside of Lucerne and then took the 10 minute train ride to the centre. Lucerne is an idyllic town located on the shore of Lake Lucerne. It straddles the Reuss River so there are a number of bridges. We walked the 669 feet that makes up one such bridge: Chapel Bridge. We learned that it is the oldest covered bridge in Europe and dates back to 1333. Now that's old and its amazingly well preserved!

Jenn waiting to walk the covered bridge.

Chapel Bridge

The picture below shows the result of our long climb to the top of Lucerne, where we sat on a bench and ate bread, cheese and cold cuts. Have I mentioned how great the bread, cheese and chocolate are in Switzerland?  Just more reasons why you might want to visit!

Long walk up, but the view of Lucerne was worth it!

       Just off Löwenplatz we visited a Park that contains a Lion's Monument. The carving was made to commemorate the hundreds of Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French 

Revolution. They were defending the Palais des Tuileries.

Bertel Thorvaldsen''s famous carving.

Löwendenkmal or Lion's Monument

The Park wasn't all seriousness. We spent a fun time in the House of Mirrors! 

One is never enough!

Seeing is not believing.

Too much bread, cheese and Swiss chocolate.

The day we travelled to Zermatt Matterhorn was a long one, but wow what a day! We caught the first of 4 trains at 7:30 am. Total travel time was around 3.5 hours from Lyss to Berne to Zermatt! In Zermatt we caught our last train which would take us to the peak of Gornergrat. Allison was not joking when she said that trains go everywhere in Switzerland! The Gornergrat (3,089 m) is one of those must-see places that if you have the opportunity to go, take it!  The mountain panorama and the glorious view of the Matterhorn are unforgettable. Also don't forget to apply sunscreen. Even though we did, we still came back with sunburns! You feel like you're at the top of the world and nature's wild beauty will blow you away.

Next stop: Matterhorn

                                        Going up, up, up, nowhere but up from here!

And when we got to the top, what did our eyes see:

Zermatt Matterhorn, nice place to chill.

Taking it all in.

This is my life, these are my choices.

Spectacular!

Too close to the edge Jenn!

Jumping for joy.

Smile and say: 'simply amazing'!

Ice cold beer!

Time to come down. Hang on Jenn!

A picture is worth a thousand words!!

   
        So that marked the end of our Swiss adventure. It was wonderful from beginning to end! How do you top 5 days in Switzerland?  Well you don't, but that didn't stop us from trying. Stay tuned as we continue our adventure to Prague, Warsaw, Brussels and Ireland.