We arrived in Berlin to rainy weather. Chris and Joe’s train was suppose to arrive at 1pm, leaving just enough time to find the location of the RV lot. Apparently missing your ride out of Amsterdam is contagious or common or something, because when they didn’t show up by 2pm, we assumed they had done the same as us… which they did, only in the form of oversleeping. Saw that one coming!

Legoland!

By the time we got to the RV, it was pretty late but we were exccittteeeed! We whipped up a yummy dinner and just parked it in a grocery parking lot to stew up plans for the rest of the week. The next day, the journey began to find parking for this beast. Keeping an eye out for other Rv’s to buddy up with, we found a parking lot near the Sony Center and decided to check our the massive infrastructure. It was pretty impressive, with tons of restaurants, a movie theater, and shops….none of which heavily appealed to our needs (The Lego Land was cool though!)

We did end up finding a special RV lot where the boys collaboratively emptied out the WC and filled up the water. HAhahaha it was hilarious! I was inside happily doing the dishes and cleaning when suddenly i heard them all just howling and laughing and eww-ing! It was then we decided ONLY pee IF it’s an emergency…we’ll stop at rest stops from now on!

…poo…

When everyone felt fresh again after a few showers, we headed out to the nearest absinthe bar! Being a Tuesday night, it was dead but we didn’t let is stop us. We found ourselves a comfy couch and ordered the strong flaming shots. I actually didn’t know Absinthe was supposed to be lit on fire, but the process is pretty cool! You dip the sugar cube into the stronngg liquor, then pull it out on your spoon to light it on fire for a few seconds before dropping it back in! It’s pretty rough.

Absinthe

Berlin wall!

The funniest thing though was that we all thought it was going to be a crazy night and we were going to hallucinate or something…like the movies say haha! We ended up having this intellectual conversation about gravity and physics and who knows what?! And we all felt really relaxed! Maybe we didn’t drink enough…i don’t know! But it ended up being an early night for everyone!

On our way out, we caught the Berlin Wall! It’s crazy to think that it came down only 20 years ago!!! And yet Germany seems like such a put-together country…impressive! Of course on the day we had to leave, the weather finally cleared up…but we were determined to get to Oktoberfest for opening weekend, so on we went! Next stop…Prague!

Brothers!

Brewery!

We hoofed it to the brewery Brouweij’t IJ, a favorite watering hole for locals. Located next to an old windmill, the brewpub opens in the late afternoon and closes early evening thanks to a high demand for its specialty brews. The inside was lined with beer bottles and behind the bar was a glass window allowing a view of where all the magic goes down. Chris taught us the ins and outs of blackjack as we enjoyed some of the best beer I’ve ever had!

Another reason we chose to visit the brewery on this particular day was for the free tour.. which we took full advantage of, but mine was cut short on account of me already “breaking the seal” . At some point we realized how strong the beers were (between 7 – 11%) and headed back to the hostel, devouring snacks along the way.

Tight alleyway….

A brief nap and a rally cry got us moving towards the infamous red light district. There are no warning signs when you enter the area, nobody waving a flag telling you there are half naked hookers swimming in windows up ahead. So, literally all of a sudden you make a turn down a side street and Bam! It’s funny and sad at the same time. I suppose most of the women choose to be there; they even have a union called the De Rode Draad in Dutch or “The Red Thread”. Although there ARE some girls who do it for drugs or against their will. Nevertheless, the reason it is not illegal, is actually for deterrence purposes. By permitting prostitution (among other things) they hope to avoid forcing it underground or to the black market where violence and abuse is rampant. Probably better to have it as an isolated, contained issue than a non regulated and destructive problem.

hmmm…had a few!

Call girls are the main attraction to the Red Light District, but sex is sold on other levels in and around those few glowing city blocks. “Live sex shows” (yes, it is exactly what it sounds like) and various sex shops ranging from classy to down and dirty are there for those of us who just enjoy the novelty of the area. And of course there are coffee & smart shops every 10 feet. The ratio of men to women, naturally, is heavy on the men side which makes it a bit awkward as you’re squeezing through these narrow alleyways. Without saying much more, the Red Light District is.. truly a unique experience.

Red Light

Joe came the next morning and we decided it would be fun to rent some bikes for the day! Cruising around Amsterdam on a bicycle is the best way to see the city. Since Chels and I had done this before and loved it, we thought it would be cool for Chris and Joe. It is also a great way to participate in the culture. After touring the streets for a bit we hit up Vondlepark for some snacks, a nap and a photoshoot.

Riding through Vondel park

Relaxation station!

Since we had bikes now we thought about what the next move should be… Brewery!! We went back to the Brouweij’t IJ. But we really DID have a good reason to go back! I was SURE i left my beloved scarf there that Kelly got me for Christmas! I was sending off good vibes the whole ride there, and it WAS!!! The sun was shining and the place was packed, good vibes all around. The brewery makes 6 different beers and being such big fans (not to mention the great prices) we tried every single one; then rode home, taking back roads of course. I left my umbrella there…hahah…boo.

Chels and I were to catch our final busabout ride from Amsterdam to Berlin the next morning, so we had an early night after one last stroll through the Red Light District. Up at 6:45, and at the Flying Pig Hostel (drop off/pick up point) in plenty of time for a good seat on the bus.

As we stood in the middle of this tiny cobble stone street in front of the hostel, we had a funny feeling we might not be in the right place. Well, turned out that the Busabout uses the OTHER Flying Pig Hostel for pickup. After 3 failed attempts to catch a taxi, we gave up and found the nearest internet point, booked a Eurolines bus for that night then went back to take advantage of the free breakfast at Chris and Joe’s hostel.

We rode around in the rain all day, mixing sight seeing with lots of coffee! The last place we stopped was a bar playing some NFL games, and we watched the Patriots pummel the Bengals (WooHoo!) We left Chris and Joe there, reminding them of the 6:50, morning train they had to catch and we rode off.

]]> http://www.driftingduo.com/amsterdam-2-0/feed/ 0 http://www.driftingduo.com/family-time-in-holland/ http://www.driftingduo.com/family-time-in-holland/#comments Tue, 19 Oct 2010 14:52:20 +0000 http://www.driftingduo.com/?p=194 read more]]> Finally time to visit the “Dutchies”…. haven’t seen them in years and years since i was too young to really remember! It was a really nice few days to spend relaxing with family, sleeping in our own room with nice pillows, eating actual meals (and nutritious too!) THANK YOU!!!

Real Rumikub!

Clogs!!

The weather was nice the first day we arrived, so we enjoyed a nice dinner with everyone on the balcony and reminisced about family and old times. Jan and Adrie offered to take us to Zaanse Schans to see all the windmills and how clogs are made! It turned out to be a really nice day! The old windmills were really interesting to see again and i cannot believe people actually wore some of the clogs i saw at the museum!! One of the best parts was the cheese factory we ran into that had a tasting with about 15 different kinds of cheese! Again the goat cheeses were the favorite for both brad and myself!

Windmills!

Afterwards we went on a drive to Volendam where you get the family photos dressed up in traditional Dutch wear! It’s such a cute little fishermans town, and we were all tempted to get some fried fish from a street vendor! YuM!

Fish sandwiches!

When we arrived back home, i shuffled through Jan and Adrie’s albums hoping to find some fun family photos, and look what i found….!!! THe most hilarious photos from a New Years….not positive of the year, maybe 94, with the theme..”crossdressing’ i suppose! 0o my family is awesome!

My awesome cross-dressing family!

Before we knew it, it was time to go back to Amsterdam to pick up Chris, but not before a nice visit from Hyung and Sash! It was so nice to catch up with Hyung again and we arranged to meet up in Amsterdam yay!! And so we left …. sad to leave the fam but excited to see more fam…Chris!

Beautiful canals!

Brad and I arrived to our couchsurfer Simchah waiting for us at the train station. He’s not

Simchah and Herring!

exactly a typical-looking Dutchman …he’s tall but actually has some skin on his bones, and has a headfull of dreads! Very cool vibes! We immediately went to rent bikes while he gave us the low-down on the rules…

1. Look everywhere (for tourists mostly!!)

2. Give way to the right

3.Don’t be afraid to use your bell!

So on we rode with our massive backpacks on ha! Simchah first took us to the coffee shop he worked at and treated us to a cappuccino before heading to his humble abode to drop off the packs! The town is just incredible to ride around in….bike lanes EVERYWHERE! The bikes rule the city! There’s a parking garage dedicated to BIKES at the train station!

Backpacks and bikes!

Come nightfall Simchah took us to this underground “lighting festival” put on by a squatting community! We rode all the way out to the shipping warehouse and were terrified upon entering when there was a massive clap of synthetic thunder! We walked down a pitch black path to an exciting world of art, music, lighting and fire! This community had made something beautiful out of junk and free stuff they found! Taking a bath 20 feet above ground, chilling out in tree chairs and abandoned school buses are just a few things they enjoy!

Synthetic Lightning!

The best part of the night was after midnight (officially my birthday!) when they put on a tribal fire show! I imagine it was a scaled down version of burning man. Everyone came out painted

Fire show!

 in robes, banging on trash cans, with bags of sawdust and fire! It was incredibly impressive, and by the end of it…they had burned down this whole contraption!

By the time we finished exploring, took the hour-long bike ride home, and got to sleep it was 6am and the sun was riding! So the next morning was a late start, but Brad and I eventually went out with the bikes and explored the red light district a bit before having a really nice lunch/dinner in Vondel park! It’s so massive with fountains and gardens and playgrounds….it can be explored for hours!

With a fairly easy night enjoying each others company….we were rested and ready to spend time with the family

Vondel Park!

1) There is a good variety of Quality Beer for cheap! Brands like Chimey and Duvel which might cost you $10-$12 in a bar, are $3 MAX.. and even cheaper if you opt for the six pack in the supermarket.

Beeer!!

2) Some of the worlds best splurge foods are in abundance and a cut above! Chocolate, French Fries and Waffles.. need I say more? I will. Even in the United States & Australia these foods are amazing, but in Belgium.. they are better. Who knows why, they just are, and it is probably a good thing that I live outside of this country!

Waffles!

As sad as it might sound, those two reasons stand alone as the only purpose Chelsea and I even went to Belgium: Beer and Treats! Yum! Yum indeed! Even though these aren’t the best reasons for visiting, we left with more excuses to return. Some other highlights were hanging with our CS host Jenny, a cool Fin who was light-hearted and possessed a love of Irish Pubs. Also the chocolate museum in Brugge! Brad and I kept going back to the demonstrations for the free chocolate samples

Choco-man!!

Our CS host Jenny!

The scenery in Ghent was well deserving of the star recommendation from Kelly and the rest of Chelsea’s fam, especially along the “sandless beach. Ghent was very similar to Amsterdam with bicycles wizzing past, spinning unsuspecting tourists around and chill canals running through the city.

The Beach in Ghent!

Good job Belgium, always nice to have expectations met, then exceeded!

Lauterbrunnen!

Lauterbrunnen! Goodbye Alps. If ever you’re in Europe and have an itch to do some extreme sports, this is the place you want to be! Paragliding, skydiving, hang-gliding, canyoning, white water rafting, ect. Activities at your fingertips, and a landscape perfect for all of them. You can even take a 3 hour cable car/train ride to the “top of Europe” for breathtaking views, on top of a glacier. This place is truly a land of brilliant adventures. Amazing as it sounds, none of these extreme sports fit into our tight budget. The cheapest option coming in somewhere around 480 Swiss francs. It was not an easy decision though. We both have been wanting to skydive, and we’ve read that free falling over the Alps can be a life changing experience, BUT, we decided to put it off for another great location..possibly New Zealand (anybody interested?).

New friends!

SO Brad and I basically spent our time hiking (FREE!)! But we saw some beautiful views! It was hilarious because anytime we happened to look up…we saw people falling from the sky! Helicopters zooming back and forth, dropping people out of them! Cool! We met a guy that went to University of Florida whose tent was pitched next to ours…which by the way..the campsite there is really awesome! So anyway we explored and had a few drinks with him the first night!

Fondue!!

Besides the scenery…the highlight of Lauterbrunnen was our dinner that last night! FONDUE and Rosti! We found a little restaurant with a great view and even treated ourselves to a drink as well! While we were waiting for our food.. we noticed a couple sitting across from us trying to take photos of themselves…so we offered to take one for them! Then we found out they were from Massachusetts too!! Then we found out they are from the North Shore!! Craziness! THEN…we found out they are doing a house exchange! I thought that was super super cool! I immediately wanted to comment.. “oh like in that movie The Holiday!” But didn’t want to sound silly…but when we asked how they got started with that…they said well… first we saw it in that movie…The Holiday! haha! So we continued to chat about that when our delicious food arrived! The fondue came with tons of herbs and spices that you could dress it up with, and bread and potatoes to dip! The Rosti was unbelievable too! So that was Lauterbrunnen…pretty uneventful BUT REALLY nice! We can see why the Busabout uses that as a sort of middle point!

Our new ride for the next few months!

Speaking of Busabout…we started it the next morning for our first time! We got special VIP looking passes and the bus was FULL of Kiwis and Aussies! We were the ONLY Americans! Haha but it was nice because everyone spoke English…the guide was really cool and informative, AND all the movies were in English WOO HOO!

View of Bern from Botanical Gardens!

When we arrived Patric was playing his bag pipes AWESOME! It was dinnertime so we went to this massive grocery store together which reminded me of a Kroger back home…they were even giving out food samples!! (Which Brad and I took full advantage of). Patric thought we could make pancakes which sounded great to us..but they were not what we expected! We cooked up some ground beef and rolled it up in these really thin pancakes (Not Crepes for all you Talladega Nights fans)! It was really delicious! My contrbution was the salad BUT me being the American didnt make salad dressing..assuming they had a bottle of it..or some balsamic vinegar Felt like a complete dummy! BLAH! Anyway other than that..great meal!

The River!

The next day Anita and Patric took us around the city and were GREAT tourguides! They took us to the bear pit which actually is not in the pit itself anymore..but rather a big clearing for the bears to wander around with grass and water (much better!) There were 2 cubs..super cute!

Bears!

“White beer”

Then we went to a local brewery and tried some really yummy Swiss beer…Brad and I got the white beers which happened to be dark white beers that day! But still yummy and were enjoyed over informative conversation! This place overlooked the river AND you could see the Gurtenfest festival on top of the hill…where John Butler and Groove Armada were playing…that was SOLD OUT that day!! BOO … all i could think about was trying to get into that show!

And so we continued on our way to see the rest of the city…walk around on the pedestrian streets and visit the big giant clock! All around the city there are these little men as fountains..so i snapped a pic of them everytime we passed a new one! They are all decorated differently…but recognizable as the same type of statue! Eventually we parted ways so Brad and I could attempt to scalp some tickets for this festival!

Giant Clock!

When we got to the grounds, there were a FEW scalpers…but selling ONE ticket for 160 Francs!!! It is supposed to only be 80 Francs!! Ridiculous! Chances weren’t looking good and we almost left but decided to walk up the massive hill to the top just to heck it out! It was a HIKE and was going to suck if it was for nothing…although the view up top was at least nice to admire! Unfortunately everyone up there seemed to already have their wrist bans so we kind of sat around sulking and starting talking to his guy who really liked the U.S. and blah blah!

Gurten festival!

WELL it came up that we didn’t have tickets and he had one extra one!! He said he would sell it to us for 80…but Brad and i didn’t want to be stuck with one ticket in case the other couldn’t find one. Then he mentioned how he MIGHT know this guy that MIGHT have an extra one … but he couldn’t get in touch with him! AHHH we are soo damn close…teetering on the edge here! He decides to head in and tells us to not wait long cus he really doesn’t know…but 5 minutes later he comes back … “Wow i couldn’t believe it..i ran into this guy at the entrance so here are the tickets…you can have them for 160 swiss francs total” ! !!!!!!! YAY!! I quickly throw out hmm…i know we have 120 swiss francs… and he just goes thats fine! WOO HOO!! EVEN BETTER!!! John Butler here we come!!

The atmosphere was on point inside the festival grounds. The main stage was directly to our right, and we had only 30 mins before JBT was rocking it out so we grabbed a seat on the ground about 20 feet back. We happened to plop down right next to this group of Aussies who we made friends with. That also happened to work for bus-a-bout…which we were about to hop on! They gave me a lot like OH….MY….GOD….SHIZA! Hahah i guess because they were partying and drinking and didn’t want us to say anything! (Found out later that all the tour guides go out and party like crazy…so don’t think it was a big deal!)

Before we knew it…John Butler was on stage and we were close as ever…as he looked handsome as ever (Never as handsome as Brad though) His new band was great…played all sorts of instruments and the drummer was FULL of energy! His new songs were awesome too! He of course ended with Funky Tonight and every danced their asses off and we were sad to see him go!

JBT!

Rosti!

After the JBT show we had a while to explore the area. For a major festival hosting 20,000+ people the area wasn’t that big. There were three stages and four party tents playing house or drum and bass. The food and merchandise vendors were confined mostly to one area but alcohol and coffee stands were spattered throughout the grounds. In our exploration we saw heaps of people scarfing down tasting treats. There was a decent variety of food but under the advice of Kelly we went with the rosti (typical Swiss dish, potatoes; cheese; bacon; friend egg) and our expectations were exceeded. Thanks Kel!

After the meal, we dropped in for the Kooks. An indie rock band from the UK, who’s personality fit their name. They had incredible energy and kept us dancing throughout the entire show. We cruised the merchandise tent for a bit after that show but wanted to get real close for the Groove Armada.

Front row and Center!

The last time we saw them it was a killer set so we set up shop front row center. (One of the perks of music festivals, you pay the same for front row as you do for the last) Neither of us had been front row at a concert before and it was absolutely INSANE. We were getting bashed around the entire show. A few songs into the show I went into protection mode, grabbed Chelsea and put her in front of me and grabbed on to the rail to shield her from the semi-mosh pit that had developed. But after a while we realized it was easier to just go with it and bounce around with the crowd. I’ve always wondered what clothes felt like after going through the washing machine and after this wild experience, I think I know. An awesome time, but next time maybe we’ll just settle for a few rows back. After that show we made a long walk back to our hosts flat.

Easy Peasy!

I just have to quickly mention this great new invention! The “Easy Peasy”…the new way to pee standing up for women wooo hoo! It was great…they set up all those urinal-style porta potties that are usually only for men…blocked it off..and as you walk in they hand you some cardboard that you pee into! I walked in and saw all these bare white bums and it was really weird…but i had to try it! I was wearing shorts do figured it out without exposing my white bum But i experienced a little stage fright when i looked over and saw a girl right next to me holding her cardboard like a penis! hahaha weirdest thing ever…but GREAT! So much faster! AND they provide toilet paper too!

River!!

The next day we hit the river. It weaves through the city moving rapidly down from the Alps. We dropped our stuff off then hiked upstream to a good entry point. The water was frigid at best, and for a few seconds it was hard to catch our breaths. It was crazy how fast it moved…Brad and I tried to swim the upstream and would barely stay in place…i think we still moved back a bit! When we swam forward..we were the fastest swimmers in the world! But he is being humble about the temperature of the water…it was FREEEZING! We could not even put our heads under for more than 5 seconds or we got brain freeze! It was a blast to float down the river and by the time we warmed up we had to get out. I forgot to mention that tourists die every year in this river because they fail to get out before they hit the massive turbines. So we weren’t that disappointing to get out.

The girls!

Next stop…Lauterbrunnen!

Cog train!

Unfortunately we had no official plans to meet Devon (Brad’s cousin)! We told her last minute we were coming so found ourselves wandering around campus with the computer trying to get signal! and YAY suddenly Devon came running down screaming Brad’s name! Phew! Since they were living in the boarding school, they just had a dorm-like room, and Brad and i were given the “common area” to sleep in, which was actually really cool! But cross-your-fingers that nobody comes in! After dumping our stuff, and eating some food Devon snuck away for us, we went on a short hike, which was sadly strenuous for Brad and me. Mike (Devon’s fiance) had practically sprinted to the top while Brad and I were panting at the bottom still hahah! But it offered beautiful views and we took some fun pics before heading back down for an easy night!

Grrr!

The next morning we went down for breakfast and tried to “blend in” with the other students, but soon enough it came out that we were just visitors! Nobody seemed to mind too much though! Brad and I explored around during the day, but later was the fun part!

Mike and Devon had organized to play Ultimate Frisbee, which apparently they are pro at BUT Brad and I had never even attempted before! So a little intimidated, we learned the rules and joined in to what ended up being an incredibly fun non-stop game! We were panting almost immediately again (We blame it on the ALTITUDE!!) but we both caught and threw some good passes!

Ultimate!

After Frisbee, it was dinner time YUM, a quick shower, and then a hike up to build a fire and have a SMORE party!! Half of the international teachers ARE in fact NOT from America surprise surprise…and actually had no idea what smores were, so it was fun to see everybody’s strategies! Not only was it a beautiful view of Lake Geneva, but everyone had a great time roasting marshmallows and having a few drinks.

Yummmm

Eventually the crowd started dwindling, but the Brad, Mike, Devon, myself and one other guy waited until the fire went out before leaving, and on our way out….with NO light around for miles, noticed how GORGEOUS the sky was!! We all layed down in the grass and watched the stars for a few minutes, and saw 4 SHOOTING STARS!!! In one sitting!! It was so so SO nice! AND i got to make lots of wishes!

View of Lake Geneva!

We headed down into civilization the next day. The town of Veyvey, which is right on Lake Geneva was our destination and the markets were in our sights. After a quick spin through the aisles of fresh produce, spices and merchandise, we knew exactly what we wanted: Cheese Pie!! A yummy treat which we enjoyed on the banks of the lake, and watched two young boys attempt backflips of the dock. I would have been jealous but the cheese pie kept me at bay.

Vevey Markets

After snack time we finagled some free glasses for the wine tasting. This was done inside the Parthenon-looking building to where, we thought it was confined. BUT, as we were leaving we noticed a man pushing a cart around pouring wine to those who had the proper glass. Road wine for us, as we walked through the streets.

The streets were super cute and antique looking! We wandered around a bit before heading to the lake to go for a swim…and found the perfect spot for it…at the fork! It is there because they have some sort of museum of food ha (which we heard wasn’t that impressive). The water was sooo beautiful! It was as blue as the water in tropical islands, and really refreshing! We noticed how much harder it was to swim though without the salt water!

Fork in the lake!

Underwater kisses!

After our swim and chilling out on the grass for a bit, we quickly headed to Montrieux when we saw scary clouds rolling in! There was a jazz festival there and tonssss of markets and vendors everywhere! Really fun to walk around and people watch… some people were super dressed up in heels, others were in shorts and dreads! It was a really nice day and tempting to hang around longer, but we all decided to head back up the mountain to grab dinner and watch Fantastic Mr. Fox (weird movie!)

.

We had to wake up bright and early the next morning for our big hike to the second biggest peak in Leysin! Again…Brad and I slightly intimidated after being annihilated by the HILL we climbed the other day! BUT, also excited to see what the Swiss Alps had in store for us.

It was the four of us plus three and within 5 minutes we fell behind the group. Even though we had been walking around cities for three months with 30lb packs, it didn’t exactly prepare us for the constant barrage of steep, rocky inclines we were all of a sudden facing. Not to mention the altitude. We wanted to laugh at ourselves but couldn’t manage wasting breath on laughter… bc of the altitude.

Steep climb!

Eventually we made it to a paved area with a grade less inclined than before. We caught our breaths, and the group and we conversed as we climbed. Once we were halfway we stopped to refill our waters at the mountain cottage restaurant. We waved hello to the chickens and geese, but since it was Sunday, they were all in church and couldn’t respond.

Church’s Chicken – or Chicken’s Church!

Now, for the difficult part of the hike. The inclines got more dramatic as we climbed higher up the mountain. Along the way we had a small snowball fight, climbed ladders and used chains to help get up rock faces and when we made it to the top.. it was all worth it. A 360 degree view of the Swiss alps, nothing above us but the clean blue sky.  Quite a sight to see, which we enjoyed as we ate peanut butter and nutella sandwiches.

Snow!

Beautiful view!

On the way down we stopped for a frappe at the restaurant, made with milk from there cows. They must have been the happiest cows in the world, cause the frappe was delicious! Expensive, but worth the experience (sorry Mike).

Milkshake shack!

Devon and Mike had class during the week, and Brad and I basically took that time to relax, regroup, read and eat! It was really nice to hang around somewhere longer than 3 days, and not have to pack up our backpacks, AND to spend some time with family…and skip the smalltalk! Brad and i went for another hike (I think to the highest peak) by ourselves and were soooo proud we made it to the top! It was really cloudy when we started which made it much easier to hike! But by the top, it was beautiful, clear and sunny! We decided to do a little meditation (thanks Mahima!) and the air was so beautiful and fresh to breathe. AND…there was no traffic, or sirens, or generators in the background…just stillness and bees buzzing around us! Really cool experience!

Scary!

Newbies enjoying the view!

Leysin was a highlight of our trip so far. It was great to breath in some clean air, see the beautiful landscape and challenge ourselves physically.. BUT most importantly spend some qt with family!

Swiss flag bottle!

Ahhh, the land of cheese, chocolate, yodeling and banks.  Switzerland, the ever neutral, vastly beautiful country with mountains that stretch through the clouds and lakes blue as the Caribbean, Switzerland not only provides the world with top quality consumer goods, but is also the birthplace of Albert Einstein and the World Wide Web.

View riding in!

The ride in from Salzburg was comfortable and picturesque, dipping in, out and around the Alps. Our 10pm arrival at the Zurich Train Station put us smack in the middle of peak time for those meeting up for the night. With the momentous Züri Fäscht festival and the World Cup quarterfinal game (Spain vs. Paraguay) the place was packed! We did a quick loop of the impressive Zurich HB, getting passed in all directions by the crowds of people. The vendors from the festival had spilled into the train station and there was even live music! After our brief tour we went to meet our CouchSurfing host Jose at the big clock, the major meeting point of the station, and judging from the size of the crowd, maybe the entire city.

New friend Jose

We had to wait about 20 minutes until the end of the game because as it turns out, Jose was a native of a small town in Northern Spain, and a loyal fan. Jose came up and introduced himself. (He was crazy and fun and full of energy…we felt like friends immediately!) He was rocking his Spain jersey and broke the ice by joking about how it was a good thing his team had won because he probably wouldn’t have showed up if they didn’t. He bought us each a beer to toast the victory then we hopped on the tram to drop our bags at his place.

It was a quick 10 minutes ride to his place, to an area called Albisrieden.  He had a nice, modern looking flat, decorated with pictures of his trip to Galapagos Island. He answered our barrage of questions about the islands as we rode back into the city to join the party for Züri Fäscht.

The streets were PACKED full of people and vendors. We went straight to a stage that was playing a mixture of pop hip hop and techno and pretty much danced all night! Brad and I couldn’t help but smell the pungent smell of cheese around us and were dying to try the famous “Raclette”. Jose insisted on buying us some, and we got the melted cheese over bread – itwas AMAZING and a great end to the night!

Raclette!

The next day we got a chance to see the festivities in the daytime.  It was a much different atmosphere, with tons of little ones and all sorts of people running around.  First Jose took us to the top of the University to get a nice view of the city before we started exploring through the mass of vendors at the festival! There was CHEESE everywhere, and tons of Asian food, and then the occasional traditional Swiss band. When we found our way to the river, we saw a variety of water sports from trick skiers to the air chair to the high dive. Then suddenly we looked up and saw helicopters looping around in the air doing tricks, and skydivers floating around! It was full on entertainment!  Eventually we gave in and got the more traditional version of “Raclette” melted cheese with a couple potatoes, pickles and baby sweet onions! YUM again!

Zuri Fascht

After walking around for a few hours, it was time to meet up with Jose’s girlfriend Sonja who is super sweet and was so accommodating to us the whole time.. and also his family. We all went to the Hispanic part of the festival, Caliente and passed through a beautiful park along the lake on the way! Later that night we sat down for some more music – being pretty exhausted by the point, and relaxed while we enjoyed the beats. Sonja and Jose had to work in the morning, but for Brad and myself, it was the 4^th of July!!

Whiskey in honor of America :)

We had ourselves a bottle of American Jim Bean Whiskey hehe and were going to celebrate!! Also we were hoping to catch some fireworks! We were lucky. They weren’t too extravagant, but it was still a cool moment for us! We wandered around and found ourselves in the dark little area of the park that was blaring with music and had crazy people dancing everywhere! We made friends with a guy named Richard and hung out admiring the glow stick talent! Eventually we decided to make the long walk home because we were enjoying our time together and walked past a huge bakery making fresh bread through the window! It was the MOST amazing smell – I could never even begin to describe it!!

Festival!

The next day we were off to our new hosts, Mahima and Kai, who lived just a little outside of the city center.  When we stepped into their place, our first reaction was how beautiful and amazing is this place!! There was eccentric art work all over the walls (which turned out to be Mahima’s) , a couple of Indian guru statues meditating among the beautiful furniture, and a balcony with an incredible view.  We were to stay in the meditation room, which had a huge fluffy white rug, a white couch, and some cushions! COOL!

Mahima and Kai’s place!

We chatted with Mahima for a bit before she took us to a barbeque her friends were hosting! We immediately felt welcomed by everyone we met that night. We helped with the food and drinks. Mahima asked us if we would be in some photos for a brochure advertising a weekend retreat of meditation she was leading. Of course we accepted and we even got to participate in a session in the yard of our barbeque hosts. After that we ate a delicious combination of veggies and meat (that was cooked in this really cool wood stove) talking away well into the night.

Meditating with Mahima!

The next day we went for a game of tennis at some courts down the road from their apartment. We were excited since we heard they were clay courts, which neither of us had ever played on before. The place was set on the side of a huge hill that had a gondola running to the top. Surrounding the courts was our fans, a family of goats, with cow bells attached to them that would have been distracting had it not been so hilarious. Chelsea kicked my butt as always but it was a close match.

Tennis!

Mahima and Kai

The rest of the day we hung out, chatted up with Mahima and got our social media fix. That night we were suppose to cook dinner. Not wanting to spend any money we planned a meal around what they had in the fridge and pantry. This turned out better than expected. They had a full chicken, potatoes, plenty of garlic and veggies. We stuffed the chicken with lemon peels and bay leaves and rubbed it down with a garlic sauce. We roasted the baby potatoes and Chelsea whipped up her amazing broccoli salad! The meal was a complete success and our hosts were impressed and grateful. Our belly’s comfortably full we gathered around the television for some world cup action, Netherlands vs. Uruguay.

The next day we slept in some. Instead of playing tennis again, Mahima suggested some yoga. She led us in a brief session which was semi-strenuous and stimulating. After that we went right into some meditation. Chels and I were both excited to partake since we had read about, heard about and been sleeping in the meditation room. Neither of us had participated in a proper meditation before so we were both eager but kept cool. I was expecting some light music, candles and incense burning but we sat in silence with no external distractions allowing us to focus inward.  She took us through some relaxation then breathing exercises.  We would breathe in naturally then exhale with purpose intentionally making a noise.  When she rang the bell we became quiet, embracing the silence. Before we knew it we were opening our eyes feeling completely peaceful.  Afterwards our minds were clear and we both felt at ease but energized.  I had no idea what to expect when we started but the experience was definitely worth the hour it took (although felt like 10 minutes) and if possible I’ll do it again.

Our meditation and sleeping room at Mahima’s!

We ate breakfast and headed off for some swimming in the lake. Mahima took us to this nice grassy park on the water and we did some snorkeling.  After soaking up enough sun we unanimously decided it was time for ice cream. Sorry, I mean Gelato. We hit up the Italian part of Zurich for our tasty treats and on the way back we listened to Mahima’s album, which had this hip-pop, jazzy soul feel, and pretty good considering she produced it. After living in India and having some life-changing experiences, she decided she wanted to live her life fulfilling her dreams and making her work what she enjoys in life. So with an album, artwork, meditation retreats, she’s got a lot of cool things going on! Her web site is www.mahimasworld.com for anyone that is interested!

Mahima and Brad!

We had made arrangements to watch the Spain vs. Germany game with Jose and Sonja so that’s were Mahima dropped us off. We were sad to say goodbye to such a cool couple but we figured our paths would cross again. We made a quick stop at the grocery store then walked the rest of the way to Sonja and Jose’s place devouring a rotisserie chicken along the way.. So proper I know! We got there, wasted no time, got dressed as best we could to support Spain and Jose and took off to meet up with his friends.

Go Spain!

Decorated with a Spanish flag, I was feeling ready to cheer on Espana!  And so was the entire crowd at the bar.  Not one German fan, which I think made for a better environment.  It was such a blast watching them win with someone who was from that area and we partied into the night. On the walk back we made a mandatory stop at that bakery mesmerized by the wonderful smell (AGAIN). In the basement were the guys whipping up the next day’s bread. For some reason the owner of the bakery was there, he approved of our attire and decided to give us a loaf of the most incredible looking bread. We took it back and attacked it, spreading the Swiss version of Nutella on it. The food kept coming out of the fridge and soon the entire coffee table was full of snacks. We all enjoyed a night cap of some Bailey’s and passed out.

My Love!

As usual, our visit to Zurich was highlighted by the people we met.  We could not have handpicked two better (and different) hosts. It’s a perfect city with its beautiful surroundings and we would definitely go back there someday!

Brad watering the garden!

Salzburg is a quaint little city on a river and probably most famous these days for being where “The Sound of Music” was set…they even have tours, although Brad and I couldn’t bring ourselves to do it! Brad did agree to watch the movie with me though since he had never seen it We walked around the streets for a while, which were pretty typical of Europe… paved pedestrian streets filled with shopping! It’s always nice to look though! We avoided most shops but couldn’t resist one lady who had a stand full of giant pretzels with crazy toppings. We picked out one covered with chocolate to eat right away (which sadly turned out to be a bit disappointing, but still yummy!) and one filled with bacon and cheese for the next morning which we baked in the oven and was AMAZiNG!!

Pedestrian street!

Chocolate pretzel!

Eventually we made our way up to the famous castle on top of a big hill that overlooks the town. There is a train that takes you vertically up the mountain, but Brad and i opted for walking, as we usually do! It wasn’t a bad hike, just hot, AND when we finally got to the top, the entrance fee was outrageous so we skipped it! We figured we just wanted to see the views anyway, so found our own wall to climb for a beautiful and private view! After a pretty full day exploring the town, we felt satisfied that we had seen what we wanted, and made our way back to Christina’s!

Beautiful view from the castle!

Brad and I were planning to go out with Christina and her boyfriend to a kind of underground “punk” scene in Salzburg, which apparently are not very common, but unfortunately we got back too late…after getting a bit lost on the walk home, an had no way to contact them! Luckily though, Christina stopped by the next day and took us to a garden party she had organized! It was a community garden that everyone contributed to and enjoyed! It was a really nice evening with “pay what you think is fair” food which were served on compostable plates with compostable knives and forks There was also a kind of silly looking man with a great voice walking around to everyone playing guitar for their enjoyment –  0o AND a fun playground that Brad and I played on all night!

Garden Party!

That was pretty much our time in Salzburg. It was simple, but we really enjoyed ourselves and the highlight was meeting Christina and being introduced to her lifestyle!