sajawata

Friday night the au-pair girls planned a night away to Interlaken to say good-bye to all the girls who were leaving. Went up late Friday night to hang out with Kat, Sammi Jo, and Susanna one last time. Also I met up with Dani, Jameel, and Kade, who I was flying to Marrakech with on Sunday morning. A fun night even though I got there super late. The next day I went for a bike ride with Jameel, Kade and Kyla to beautiful lake Thun. Then lots of lazing around Balmers with the au-pair girls and a crazy train ride back to Geneva.

Sunday the 4 of us took an early flight to Marrakech. Kade is Dani’s friend from home, he is an au-pair in southern France. Jameel is Dani’s friend from home who I met skiing in Verbier this spring. He is also my new boyfriend

Sunday we arrived in Balmy Marrakech and struggled to find our hotel. A guy standing in the street offered to help us find it (for a fee of course) and it’s a good thing he did because it was buried in a seemingly endless maze of corridors. A beautiful riad, or traditional style house with an open courtyard and beautiful tile work everywhere. The nicest place I’ve stayed anywhere this year.

That afternoon we starting perusing the souks (markets). The markets there must be the best in the world. They go on forever and are a real treat for the senses. Not to mention everything is super cheap after you bargain with the vendors down to a third of their asking price. We started at the spice shop. The vendor was a very fun guy who insisted we smell everything he sold. Saffron, Moroccan curry, loose-leaf teas, and herbal remedies were purchased. Particularly appreciated was the deodorant ‘rock’ considering how hot it was. We spent the rest of the afternoon and a little of each of the next 2 days perusing the stalls in the souks. Amazing stuff. Leather goods, metal lanterns, tea-sets, scarves, pastries and fruit. The most amazing thing was seeing the artisans crafting these things in the market stalls. There was an amazing, elaborately carved wooden bench that we saw 4 guys working on in a space the size of a small closet. There was a boy the age of maybe 12 working on it. The craftmanship of all of these items is fantastic. After our shopping we stopped for our first of many glasses of fresh squeezed orange juice. (45 American cents, fantastic)

Sunday night we went to the main square Djemma El Fna, which turns into a massive restaurant-by-cart after dark. Cous-cous, tagine chicken, olives, grilled meats, snails, tasty salads. mmmmmm. More food than anyone could hope to eat and for only a few dollars a person. In the same square there are musicians and dancers, snake charmers, monkeys. An unforgettable experience.

Tuesday El Bahia Palace which had some beautiful intricate wall and ceiling paintings. We then went to the Ben Youssef Medrassa, an old Islamic School. The building was built in 1565 and is where the classes were held and where the students lived. Fascinating courtyard with a fountain and beautiful tile and carved stucco. Stunning. That night we caught the overnight train to Tangier. We then took a ferry from Tangier to Algeciras in Spain and then a bus to Granada. Arrived Wednesday evening and spent that night tapas bar hopping. Fun.

Thursday we saw the Alhambra palace & Generalife (Alhambra gardens). It was started in the 9th century as a fortress, the palace was added in the 13-14th centuries. It is impossible to describe the beauty of this structure, the tile and stucco work are phenomenal. The gardens are stunningly framed by the Sierra Nevada mountains. The whole thing is so spectacular I couldn’t even talk while we were there.

That afternoon we sadly said good-bye to Dani and Kade. Dani was flying back to the U.S. as her time as an au-pair was finished Kade went to Barcelona for a few days. Jameel and I tried out some more tapas bars that night and had some really good sangria, cerveza and food.

Friday we walked around Granada a bit and then rode the bus to Cordoba. Our hotel in Cordoba was in the greatest location, right at the entrance to the spectacular Mezquita mosque-cathedral. We found out about a guitar festival that was going on and went to see Manuel Moreno, a Spanish singer with a fantastic voice who was accompanied by 2 amazing Spanish guitar players. We also saw a little flamenco dancing. A really great show.

Saturday morning we saw the Mezquita. A truly unique building. The Mosque was started in 785. Inside is an endless maze of red and white two-tier arches and a beautiful prayer niche. In the 16th century the mosque came under Christian rule, the center was ripped out and a Cathedral was installed. The changes made during this time are horrific. The mosque was so unique, peaceful, balanced, airy, elegant. The additions are the aesthetic opposite (not to mention religious opposite), which alone would be beautiful but inside the mosque just seem wrong. We walked around all morning and were simultaneously amazed by it’s beauty and baffled by it’s 2 juxtaposed styles. After the Mezquita we saw the Castle of the Christian Kings with some lovely gardens. I got the stomach bug after eating a dodgy sandwich and spent the rest of the afternoon in bed, but was able to go to another concert at the festival that night. A Japanese guy was playing Spanish guitar accompanied by the Cordoba symphony. The music was all written by the Cuban conductor. Completely different from the previous night but again very enjoyable.

Sunday we headed to Sevilla. Walked around a bit that afternoon. Saw the magnificent gothic cathedral, one of the largest in the world. Inside we saw Christopher Columus’ remains. We climbed to the top of the bell tower which was actually the minaret of the mosque that stood where the cathedral now stands. That night we ate more tapas (it sounds like it would get old but it never does.)

Monday we walked around a while, saw the Hospital de la Caridad: an old hospice with a chapel and really morbid art. A wealthy Sevillan started the hopice after he had a dream of his own funeral. Also saw the Iglesia de la Magdalena (beautiful). We took a picnic lunch to the park (Love gazpacho out of the carton! and sangria!) In the afternoon we walked to the parque de Maria Luisa and out of nowhere got caught in a sand storm. Saw Plaza de España. Went to the Archivo General de Indias which is the North-American museum. Saw some interesting artifacts dating from the era of conquistadors. That night we went for paella. Mmmm.

Tuesday we saw the magnificent Alcazar palace. One thing that struck me about many of the Moroccan and Moorish-Spain structures we saw (and particularly this one) is that they are often very humble on the outside but lavish on the inside. We hadn’t heard much about this palace and were pleasantly surprised by how beautiful it was. It was started in 913 and was added to over the years by centuries of kings living there. Stylistically, it was influenced by Muslim, Christian, and Jewish artisans. Again, the tile and plaster work are phenomenal. Walking into each room your eye automatically goes to the ornate ceiling and takes your breath away. Rooms after rooms after halls after courtyards, it goes on forever and each room is unique. Outside, the gardens are beautiful. There are fountains and sculptures made out of volcanic lava. Spectacular.

That afternoon we went to the Museum of art and popular costumes. Saw some really interesting old workshops set up: leather, metalsmithing, olive presses, bakeries, guitar making, woodworking, lace making. Then we headed to the Archaeological Museum. That night we took an overnight train to Barcelona.

Arrived in Barcelona early Wednesday morning. Stumbled around La Rambla street and the cathedral in a state of sleepiness. Found our very trendy (but very small) all white hotel and rested up. Went to the produce market and saw all the wonderful fish, tried some Calamari and Nevajas. Met up with Kade and his friend for some cerveza and dinner.

Barcelona is a fabulous crazy city. Quiet during the afternoon hours of 12-3 for siesta, loud until 5 am. Covered in mosaics, bright colors and crazy architecture. Outrageous hair and clothes everywhere, it seems no one can pick a single hairstyle so there are lots of mullet slash dreadlock slash mohawk creations. Probably the most collectively posh city I’ve seen for restaurants, night clubs and shops.

Thursday we went to the Sagrada Familia cathedral, designed by Antoni Gaudi. What an incredible structure. It’s not finished yet but what stands is a fascinating modern version of the Christian cathedral. We then saw Gaudi’s La Pedrera, an apartment building with a crazy rooftop terrace. We also went to the Gaudi park and saw the fantastic mosaic bench and forest-like corridors. That night we went for sushi mmmm.

Friday we saw the Picasso museum which chronologically traced the artist’s life (and seemingly the history of modern art as he seems to have at least dabbled in nearly every movement of his time) Also a very interesting exhibit on Picasso and other artist’s copies and interpretations of Velazquez’s Las Meninas. Picasso based hundreds of paintings and drawings on this 1 painting. Fascinating. Next we headed to the national museum of Catalan art. Saw an exhibit on Man Ray, Duchamp and Picabia which was a little disappointing. The collection of Romanesque art from Pyranees chapels more than made up for it however. The style of painting in the murals was fascinating.

Saturday we walked around awhile. We headed to the port for a picnic lunch and were sitting on a park bench when a guy stopped to ask for directions. In the 3 seconds I turned to look at him my bag was stolen by a guy on a bike. Passport, license, cash, credit card, cell phone, camera (luckily my cheaper one), ipod, journal all long gone. Embassy closed. Spent the rest of the afternoon with the police filling out a report. Thank God Jameel was there. I had no money, i.d., sanity. We tried to make the most of our last night together, went for a stroll on the beach, got take-out and sat on the steps of a nice plaza (even had some surprisingly good wine from a can), went for dessert and coffee at a nice bar.

Sunday I said farewell to Jameel at the airport. I was assured by the officials I would have no trouble flying to Switzerland with only my police report. Arrived in Geneva only to be told I had to fly back to Barcelona due to lack of i.d. Spent the next 4 hours begging with the Swiss officials to allow me to stay. Ughhhh. Luckily my host family had a photocopy of my passport and they came to get me out of the airport. I felt like hell.

Despite the dramatic end to the trip, and the hassle I’m going to have replacing all my stolen stuff, I would gladly go through it all again. I absolutely loved this trip. Fantastic architecture and art, scenery, music, food, company. Doesn’t get any better.

My American friend Kelly asked if I wanted to join her for a weekend trip to Naples. Her friend had already paid for the flight and was unable to go so I got a free ticket! Yipeeeee!

I take back anything I said about any other cities being dirty. Naples is known for not having regular trash pickup due to the garbage collectors constantly being on strike, also there is some story with local mob types controlling the city and not allowing the trash to be collected. Supposedly the worst of this is over, but there was still trash everywhere. In front of our hostel there was a pile as tall as I. We saw a car driving by get their tires stuck on a rotting mattress. In addition it rained nearly all weekend. This coupled with the crazy buzz of the city led to an unforgettable chaotic weekend.

Friday we arrived and made the most of a stand selling pizzas for 1 euro. Unbelievable. We then headed to the archaeological site of Pompeii. In the year 79 nearby Mt. Vesuvius blew up and covered Pompeii, killing many of the people living there. Many of the buildings have been uncovered and preserved. It was very interesting to see how advanced the city planning and architecture was for a 2,500 year old town, very well organized and efficient. I very much enjoyed seeing inside the houses, some of which had mosaic floors and frescoes which barely survived the eruption and years of burial. The house that was best preserved was the brothel which had some very ‘interesting’ frescoes. There were several temples and theaters and a collection of pottery.

Friday night we wandered out for some dinner and found a very modest local joint. The owner insisted we stay and even showed us the inside of the refrigerator to convince us to stay. Good thing we did. The food was mediocre but it was the most fun I’ve ever had people watching. We ended up staying for hours. Neapolitans are extremely spirited, the polar opposite of the conservative quiet Swiss. This restaurant was owned by several brothers, we didn’t understand them, they didn’t understand us. The cooks got in a good-spirited fight with the waiters, there were spoons and bowls being thrown all over the restaurant. The place was small but it was packed and sooo loud, everyone shouting and laughing with full force. The brothers brought us round after round of wine, limoncello, licorice spirits. They sat down and drank with us and then after we finished our food they took us over to their wine shop which had been closed for hours but they let us in to try the wine. One of the other diners spoke English, he took us to a nice bar and we ended up talking to him all night. Sooo much fun.

Saturday we took a ferry to the Isle of Capri. Beautiful. The sun came out for a few hours, just long enough for us to play on the beach and take a nice stroll through the town. More people watching. Capri is very ritzy and watching the men in their beautiful suits and the ladies in their stilettos and tiny dresses was good fun. We followed a small path through the beautiful villas down to the sea, then some boys driving a milk cart let us hop on the back and gave us a ride back to the top. We had a nice picnic with the best Mozzarella and prosciutto. The ferry back to Naples was crazy, we sat on the deck to get the views and the Italians turned it into a massive party. It seems as if everyone in Italy knows each other, by the end of the ride everyone was best buds, including us even though no one understood us.

That night we had some food then realized the trains weren’t running any more and we couldn’t find a taxi. Some really nice boys who spoke English stopped to offer us directions and then after talking a while they gave us a ride all the way across the city to our hotel. I don’t know when I’ve ever met people so friendly and helpful. Neapolitans as a whole are the most welcoming, most hospitable people I’ve encountered in Europe. They are so high spirited and genuine in their love of life and each other. Life is a party it seems.

Monday night I arrived late to the most disgusting hostel. grossss. But affordable for Rome.

Tuesday I took a tour of the Colosseum and met a nice girl from New Zealand. (Another Sarah W, how many of us are there in this world!) The Colosseum is very interesting even if it is in poor condition. It is still amazing to imagine it in its full glory and of course to imagine the things that took place there! Sarah and I walked around the Forum next to the Colosseum and then over to the Pantheon. The Pantheon is fabulous! Amazing to believe it is 2,000 years old and in such amazing condition. The dome is so fantastic in its scale and simplicity. After this we walked for hours and hours: the Trevi fountain, the Spanish steps, Column of Marcus Aurelius, Piazza Navona…. Rome is amazing in that there is something amazing to see in nearly every area. Every time you turn the corner there is another fabulous church, square, fountain or sculpture. That being said it seems a shame Rome is so dirty. Also there are few crosswalks so the chaos is fueled by people running across streets and cars honking at them everywhere. That evening we headed to Campo de Fiori for drinks with another girl we met that day. Fun night.

Wednesday I heard the Pope was giving a speech in St. Peter’s square so I went over not expecting much due to the fact that I didn’t have a ticket to get in. Luckily the guards weren’t checking tickets so I got into the square and was able to get a seat very near the front. The pope came in on his chariot and rode around the crowd. Actually I couldn’t believe how casual the whole thing was. He was mixed in with all the people (I was almost close enough to touch him, wonder if he knew I’m a horrible non-Catholic) and there were ‘marching bands’ playing the song played at all American graduations. The whole thing was shockingly common. Was amazing to see however. Afterwards I headed to the Vatican Museum to see the the Sistine Chapel etc…. Spent several hours walking through the maze of halls which were so overwhelming it was difficult to appreciate them in their full glory. Headed back to St. Peter’s to go inside the Basilica, which again was overwhelming in it’s scale and detail. That night I met up with Sarah and we went for a drink and antipasti dinner. Then joined the party that was the Spanish steps and we people watched for a while.

Thursday I did a little shopping (although most of it was window shopping, my budget was exhausted) and a little more sightseeing: Castel Sant Angelo, back to the Pantheon (so fabulous it’s worth seeing twice), some smaller streets and other churches. Was very nice to have a totally open day to go wherever whenever.

I didn’t enjoy the food as much as I did in Milan, too much pizza and gelato. Is ok though, the art and architecture was so fantastic there wasn’t much time to eat anyway. Such a fantastic crazy city.

I had 2 weeks off work so headed to warm and sunny Greece. Arrived in Athens on Saturday afternoon and was sad to see rain, also realized very quickly that my hostel was in the WRONG part of town. Athens is a dirty city and there are crazy dogs and crazy men running
all over the city. (A Greek man told me Greece was the “land of the crazys” so I don’t feel so bad about saying this. Most of the Greeks I met were very nice but some of the men were stalkerish) Arrived at the hostel after a frightening walk from the metro station and realized the only other person staying at the hostel was leaving for Cairo. Just as I was about to cry another solo traveler walked in, a French/Spanish girl (Natalie) who lives in of all places Geneva. Thank God for small miracles! We went out for a bite to eat and met a bunch of other backpackers and spent the night wandering around. I didn’t realize it was the weekend for the Greek Orthodox Easter, which meant there were festivities all week. Saturday night there were services at the churches and then processions through the city. Also they were roasting lambs over open fires at the restaurants, a traditional Easter meal. Yumminess.

Sunday everything was closed due to Easter so I took a ferry with another backpacker to the island of Aigina, about an hour by boat from Athens. We rented a scooter and drove around the island, through the Pistachio orchards, over to the 2,500 year old Temple of Aphaia, the Temple of Apollo, to see the magnificient church Agîa Triada. A beautiful sunny day!

The next day Natalie and I went round to the major sites in Athens: the Agora, the Acropolis, the districts of Plaka and Monastiraki . Was disappointed the Parthenon was mostly covered in scaffolding but it was still amazing to see. That evening we went to Lykavittos hill in Athens and took the telepherique to the top, which provided a nice view of Athens and the sea. A small whitewash chapel is at the top of the hill and we had hoped to peak inside not realizing there was an Easter ceremony/procession. At the end of the service we were allowed in the chapel, it was the most interesting church I have ever seen. The contrast of the outside and the inside was so great, outside being a simple sculpted mound of white and inside elaborately painted with rich, dark colors. Amazing. And so interesting to see the Orthodox priest and the traditions of their faith.

The next day I took a ferry to the island of Naxos, in the Cycladic Islands. In the main port town on the island there is a large marble gateway that was supposed to be the entrance to a never competed Temple. After seeing that and laying on the beach for a while I walked around the town, seeing the old whitewash village and churches. The next day I rented a scooter and drove around the island. Up the coast to see the massive kouro (marble statue), then to the small town of Apeîrathos for a quick hike. The island is spectacular, with goat farms, white chapels, olive orchards, and mountains running into crystal blue water all over. Naxos town however is a bit dumpy and it was odd being there in the off season. The town seems to be built mostly around tourism but I was 1 of very few tourists around.

After 2 nights on Naxos I met Natalie and we took a ferry to the island of Santorini. It is unbelievably gorgeous and a very interesting island. 3,500 years ago there was a massive volcano which blew most of the island away, leaving a caldera on the western side of the island. Rumor has it this is the lost island of Atlantis. We rented an ATV (they wouldn’t rent us a scooter for some reason. An ATV does not get you around small windy island roads particularly well just for the record. Also don’t wear a skirt when driving one) We rented a room on Perissa Beach for remarkably cheap, Yay for off season prices! Then we rode up to the main city of Thira for lunch and to walk around. The town is built into the volcanic cliff giving the impression that it will slide into the sea at any moment. Luckily it didn’t. The Agîou Mina is a spectacular church.

That afternoon we drove down to the south coast and made our way over to the ‘Red Beach’ for some sun worshiping. It is built into a beautiful cove surrounded by red clay cliffs. That evening we braved the ATV to the northwestern part of the island to the magnificent village of Oia for sunset. Too beautiful for words. Such a great night. We found a taverna overlooking the water for dinner and sat enjoying the sea air for hours. Heaven.

Friday we took a sailboat to the tiny volcanic island of Nea Kaméni (it’s still active! eeeek) And went for a hike around the crater. Then we sailed to Palai Kaméni for a mud bath in the hot springs. We jumped off the boat out in the harbor and swam through the painfully cold water to the warm water, it was very refreshing. Natalie had to leave early to catch her flight back to Geneva but I stayed on Santorini an extra night.

The next day I hiked along the caldera from Thira to Oia then caught the overnight ferry back to Athens.

Sunday I walked around Athens, then stopped somewhere to use the internet and ended up sitting down next to Tabitha Penner, my friend from Geneva. She was in Greece for a cruise which was supposed to have started already but was canceled at the last minute. We spent a nice lazy afternoon lounging in the park and then wandering the streets. She left that evening for Corfu so I went to happy hour on the roof of my hostel which provided fantastic sunset views of the Acropolis. Met 2 nice girls from Australia and New Zealand and we went for a drink and a bite to eat.

Monday I went to the Archaeological Museum and searched the markets for the perfect pair of Athenian sandals before flying to Rome.

Greece was so interesting culturally, a real blend of the Old World/Middle East and Europe. The music, language, religious traditions, and architecture seem to have ties to both worlds. I have a real urge now to visit Turkey to see more of the history of the area.

I had some fantastic food in Greece, in particular 1 meal: The most perfect Greek salad with fresh peppers, cucumbers. olives, onions, tomatoes and herbs topped by a giant block of Feta. Also delicious bread with green olive tapenade and unbelievably good iced coffee. Can I please eat this meal every day for the rest of my life. Also we had a very nice Easter sweet bread that they passed out to passers-by at one of the Easter processions. Of course I ate Baklava at every available opportunity.

Sharron ran in the Paris marathon so Molly & I went to cheer her on.

Took the train and arrived late Friday night.

Saturday morning we went to a market and scoured the secondhand clothing stalls for vintage finds. Then we headed to the Notre Dame cathedral for a picnic lunch in the garden. Paris is beautiful in April while the cherry trees are in full blossom and there are not a lot of tourists clogging the streets. For such a big city it is very clean and fairly quiet (at least this time of year it is.) We walked around all afternoon trying to see the major sites: the Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Royal Palace, Arc de Triomphe & Champs-Élysées, Place de la Concorde, a walk along the Seine…. That evening we had another picnic in the garden at the Eiffel Tower. Afterwards we sent Sharron to bed and Molly and I headed to the Latin Quarter for some people watching. We sat at one particularly well placed table and watched the glamorous Parisians walk by for hours. Our waiter gave us free wine because he thought we were Slovakian (huh?) Very very fun.

The next morning we took Sharron to the Marathon which started from the Arc de Triomphe. There were almost 30,000 people running so you can imagine the chaos. Saw Sharron off then headed to the Pantheon. Tried to go to the Musee d’Orsay but the line was ridiculously long. We were sitting in front of the museum and saw some of the marathon runners nearby and decided to have a look when who do we spot but our girl Sharron. At 3/4 the way through she was doing very well and we couldn’t get over our luck at spotting her right away. She carried on and we found our way to the Rodin museum. Went to meet her at the end of the race, she did very well for her 1st marathon. We headed to Montparnasse and found a café for her to relax in. Molly really wanted to go to the Catacombes, after searching for a while we realized they were closed for renovation (They’re dead, they don’t need renovating!) But we found the Montparnasse cemetery which cured our need for talking to the dead, including Charles Baudelaire, Constantin Brancusi, Man Ray, Simone de Beauvoir. Then took a leisurely stroll down a beautiful avenue to the train station.

Was lucky to have a long weekend so Susan and I took a train to Marseilles, then along the coast to Nice. Nice is so unbelievably gorgeous. The water is a breathtaking shade of turqouise that seems to take on new hues at each hour of the day, each more spectacular than the last. The view facing away from the coast is just as picturesque, with lush rolling hills giving way to the Alps. The city is large but is very clean and the style of architecture complements the landscape so well. The buildings (painted neutral colors with the occasional splash of vibrant color) are beautiful with the rich weathered texture created by the Mediterranean.

Friday afternoon we arrived and quickly found our way to the beach where we soaked up those glorious first few hours of spring sun. We then walked around the old town and learned our way around town. We stopped at a café for a drink and ended up talking to the French guys at the table next to us for hours and hours.

Saturday we went to the famous Nicoise market in Old town which was fantastic. The greatest thing about French cuisine is their attention to using local, fresh produce. The market in Nice looks entirely different from the markets around Geneva. Mediterranean produce (Olives, lemons, seafood) with a hint of the neighboring Provencal specialties (herbs galore.) Brunch was Blette with a nice rosé.

We headed up the hill to the public park which provides a spectacular view of the harbor, then walked around the port and the city for a while. Back to the beach for some sun worshipping (although we were to shy to go au naturel as most of the French ladies around us) We then rented bikes and rode down the coast. That night we found a place that had shockingly low prices for dinner. We feasted like queens: escargot, goat’s cheese salad, risotto, a giant bowl of mussels, chocolate mousse and caramel flan. A meal I will never forget.

Sunday we caught a bus to Monaco. The ride along the coast was beautiful: Many small port towns and houses that look like they could fall into the sea at any moment. Monaco is in a beautiful spot and the many parks are beautiful but the town itself is so ritzy and over the top I didn’t particularly love it. We snuck in to a casino, walked around the Castle, the Cathedral where Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier are buried, the Old town.

That evening we got of the bus in a small village where we heard there was a Medieval village. We walked along the beach but couldn’t find the village, so asked a guy on the beach for directions and ended up talking to him for a long time. He gave us a ride up the mountain to where the village of Eze really was. It was an amazing stone village with walls surrounding, only 1 door into the village. The tight alleyways through the village created an intricate maze we loved exploring. We felt so lucky to be nearly the only people there and were having so much fun that we lost track of time. We missed the last bus back to Nice but that ended up being a blessing because we found a trail that lead down to the beach so we went for a sunset hike and caught the last bus back from there.

Back in town we were regretting not having swapped info with the nice French guy who gave us a ride, then we coincidentally ran into him in Old town. We insisted on taking him for a drink to thank him so he showed us his favorite pub and introduced us to his friends, a fantastic night!

The next morning Susan had to book it back to Geneva but I had the day off so I decided to take advantage of my open train pass and I headed to Avignon in Provence. Due to a massive train delay I only had about an hour to spend in Avignon but what I did see was beautiful. The train ride was equally stunning, following first the sea and then into the Provencal countryside, finally through many small Alpine villages.

An incredible weekend!

Sunday was my turn to cook family dinner at Fadmar’s so I cooked chicken pie. Unfortunately I didn’t realize French stoves were so different from American ones so I burned the paint right off the stove covering. Ooooops. Fadmar was really nice about it. We celebrated Austrian Eva’s last night in Switzerland, she’s moving to Nepal to teach English to Buddhist monks. Really going to miss her but admire her sense of adventure! A few weeks later we celebrated Fadmar’s 30th birthday in true Austrian style. They even had a separate room at the party for sausages. There are about 10 or so Austrain guys that are all super-genius physicists working for CERN and for some reason they are highly amsued by the au-pair girls. Its always fun.

Have found excellent trail system behind my house that takes you in any number of directions. Am determined to explore as much as possible, also to try and counteract the 15 pounds I have put on since moving to the land of cheese and chocolate.

Went back to the Musée de l’Elysée in Lausanne with German Sara to see the Edward Steichen exhibit. Such an amazing photographer. That night we celebrated Dutch Pete’s 30th birthday. Went to a Brazilian steak house for dinner. Started with giant salad and grilled veggies followed by a 14 course parade of meats, including the more popular beef fillets and lamb but also the chicken hearts and the horse meat. Was a very fun night and I never need to eat again.

The next day a few of us headed to Les Diablerets for some very wet skiing. Fun sunny day. Is fantastic the way so many of the pistes are linked to each other. You can ski all day and never ski the same run twice. We started at Les Diablerets and were following the snow and before long everything started looking very familiar, we were at Villars, where I skied a day at the beginning of the season.

Dan invited me to his French friend Jessica’s house for dinner one night to work on the language thing. Was fantastic evening. She cooked the most amazing French dinner: mushrooms stuffed with chorizo and courgettes, potatoes and beans with bacon, delicious pork, and strawberry tirimasu. I love to eat.

The next Saturday there was a chocolate festival in Versoix, a village just north of Geneva. Took a tour of the Fabarger factory and saw how they make all those little pieces of heavenly goodness. Free samples of every type of chocolate imaginable meant we tasted choc fondue, the greatest brownie ever, white choc, choc with every possible combimation: nuts, fruit, chili, spirits, mustard (not a fan), Earl Grey tea, you name it, it was at this festival…..

That night rode my voie 7 pass (Free trains anywhere in Switzerland after 7pm, yay for free stuff!!) to Basel and crashed in a really nice hostel. Too bad this really nice hostel turned out to have bed bugs. Not such a pleasant experience. The next morning walked around the town, saw the Tinguely sculptures in the the water park, the cathedrals, the usual sightseeing stuff. Then headed just over the German border to the Vitra Design Museum to see some architecture. Also to the Beyeler Fondation which is a very nice modern art museum. Had fun walking around the German countryside for a few hours.

Last Friday I woke up to tremendous amounts of snow YIPEEEE!!!! Caught the train to Verbier and met up with some friends, hit the slopes and skied until our legs gave out. Saturday there was so much snow and so few people not to mention blue skies, it was probably the best skiing I’ve ever experienced. Sunday morning was fantastic although the weather cut our day short in the afternoon. Really enjoyed skiing with Dani’s friends visiting from Minnesota, one in particular who I’m hoping will come back to visit this summer. Sunday we all headed back home and went to this fantastic pizza joint in Nyon then Monday I was lucky enough to get the day off work so we all went to the Red Cross Museum in Geneva and then laid around Dani’s place all day watching movies and being lazy. Good times.

The next two weekends I stayed in Geneva. Was Ida’s last weekend in Switzerland so there was a party for her. For some reason she wanted everyone to dress up as cowgirls and we had serious fun dancing around Tabitha’s house rocking out to country music. Love that so many Europeans have a fascination for all things Western-American (there is a bar called Cheval (horse in French) in Verbier that has cowboy license plates all over the walls including lots of Teton County Wyoming ‘22′ plates. Giggle Giggle.

Skied at Le Crozet in the Jura. Then to Sunday Night “family dinners” at Fadmar’s house. Pamela cooked a typical Chilean dish. Yummy.

Next Saturday was another Carnival in Bern. Major fun dancing in the streets with all the Swiss families dressed in costume and playing music all over town. Sunday was a hike in the Jura with and then Gerhard made Austrian breakfast for family dinner night.

Took Madalena to the Natural History museum in Geneva and it was so much fun watching how excited she was to see all the animals. She is such a good kid.

Found a place in Geneva that offers Salsa dancing lessons for rythmically challenged persons such as myself. Good fun. Am trying to go every Tuesday.

Have FINALLY started French classes. J’mapelle Saja!
Is a bit overwhelming at first due to the immersion technique (The teacher only speaks french, not a word of any other language) but I think this is the fastest way to learn. Its probably a good thing there are no other native English speakers in the class so I can’t cheat. Until now I butcher the pronunciation of everything with my American accent, or default to really bad Spanish pronunciation which surely sounds bizarre. Rolling the r in merci gets you some pretty strange looks. Must work on that.

This past weekend my host family was extremely generous and offered their Chalet in Verbier. I went up Thursday afternoon, had a lovely day on the mountain Friday. The girls came up Friday night and we found some fun aprés ski. Saturday was a glorious warm sunny day on the slopes. Then a bit more aprés ski. Sunday we were all a bit exhausted and it was so warm we decided to forgo skiing in favor of lawn chairs. Wonderful lazy day with a yummy brunch and playing Apples to Apples, the most fun card game ever.

Weekend solo trip to Munich (Munchen). I think they call this ‘getting to know oneself’. I call it getting to know the cold dark Frankfurt train station at an ungodly hour after sleeping through your stop. eeeek.

Overnight train, arrived early Saturday morning. Walked around the city: Marienplatz and the glockenspiel, the Frankenkirch (Gothic cathedral said to be built by the devil due to the fact that it was built super fast), Asamkirche (Rococo cathedral), the Hoffbrauhaus (the most famous Munich beer hall, where Hitler made several important speeches), a beer garden for some dunkel-sipping and pretzel consuming.

That night I met some friendly British guys living in Munich and we ventured out to a Cuban place for mojitos.

Sunday I spent the day at the Pinakothek Museums. Yet again the German museums proved to be phenomenal.

Alte Pinakothek (Middle Ages to 18th century painting)

Neue Pinakothek (18th and 19th century painting and sculpture) Very interesting was the 19th century painting on display that was under restoration. At 8 meters wide it took up the whole room. Very interesting to see how they repair the cracks and blemishes in the canvas.

Pinakothek der Modern with a fantastic collection on the history of furniture. Impressive collection of 20th century paintings. Absolutely loved it. Am now totally obsessed with modern furniture design.

That afternoon there was a giant parade celebrating Carnival, or the last hoorah before Lent. Hundreds of people dressed in costumes on elaborate floats. There was a “wild west” float with cowboys and indians, a saloon, & a confederate flag (Not quite western but made me laugh all the same)

First weekend in Chamonix was so amazing we went back for more the next weekend.

Poor Ida was ill so Swedish Madeleine and I drove up Friday night. Madeleine lived there last winter so she showed me around the aprés ski scene. Hung out at the ‘monkey bar’ most of the night, then the Swedish bar- there are so many Swedes in Chamonix and also lots of Anglo-Saxons. Very few french?

The next morning Dani caught the train up and met us on the slopes. Also a Swiss-American guy Mike she met on the train. Snow wasnt as great as the weekend before but it was nice to have Madeleine show us where to go (Chamonix is so huge you could ski all week and still not see everything) We skied the Flegere area which which looked like heaven on Earth.

That night my new friend Chris (Opey we call him cause he’s a peanut farmer from North Carolina) that I met in Amsterdam came over to visit. Back to the monkey bar, the Swedish bar. Hugely fun night. Opey learned a few Swedish pick up lines which he tried out on all the girls. He is the master of accents, so he tried to convince all the Irish and Australian blokes he was one of their own. Dani and I convinced some Australian guys that we were in Geneva on a search for rich husbands. They then told us they own a private island. Mike was the only one dancing in the whole place. Many many laughs. Back to the hostel for more hijinks including a Northern Irish bloke who spoke part English, part Gaelic, part alcohol-induced rambling. Understood about 10% of what he said, but his story of how he got the nickname “Turkey” was the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.

The next day we all skied the Grands Montets area. Our picnic lunch at the top provided spectacular views of the Chamonix valley. Great skiing.

Opey came back to Geneva for a few days. We took a tour of the United Nations. And he joined our usual Thursday night trivia team at Spring Brothers Irish pub. Nice to have someone to speak ’southern’ to.