Sunday, March 29, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Verona!
Just got back from the BEST weekend EVER! Thursday morning I left early for Milan. I got there around 11am and since I wasn't able to check into the hostel yet, I went straight to the Duomo. As I was trying to decide which metro ticket to get, a man came up to me and "helped" me. Then, when my change came out, he asked if he could have it. WOW, that's one I've never seen before. Anyway, the Duomo was gorgeous! I climbed up to the top where you literally stand on the roof, surrounded by the amazing architecture, and look out over the city. It was fantastic! Then, I went to a castle that, unbeknownst to me, had a great fountain in front of it-- and you know how I feel about fountains! After meandering around the castle (complete with a drawbridge and everything!) I went to the hostel to check in. Originally, I wanted to go straight to Lago Como after that (in hopes of running into George Clooney), but it didn't make sense in terms of time. So instead, I sat down at a restaurant in an awesome indoor (but really outdoor) mall and had a delicious mushroom pizza as I watched the passersby.
When it got dark, I headed back to the hostel and although I wanted to go right to bed, the one other girl in the eight-bed room with me wasn't back yet, and I felt weird going to bed without meeting her. So I waited for her, expecting to go to bed moments after she walked in. However, within minutes of her walking in, we were chatting as if we'd known each other forever! She's Alix, from Texas, traveling Italy for 3 weeks on a budget from her school. Turns out we have everything in common, and stayed up all night talking. I knew I had to wake up at 6am to get to Verona, but I figured it was worth it to make a friend. It was!
The next day I got up bright and early and got on the train to Verona. Of course I bought my ticket myself even though I should have known better. On the train, I was reminded why I hate the Italian train system as much as I do. I had the wrong ticket (Regional, not this or that, or whatever) and had to pay an extra 15 EUR. Freaking Italians and all their loopholes. Anyway, I got off the train in Verona and rain to Ashley in slow motion. Just kidding, we...walked quickly, but it was very exciting! First, we set out to find the hostel and were AMAZED at how amazing it was. Seriously, it was like this woman had just taken her really beautiful, well-decorated apartment and turned it into a B&B. It was gorgeous! Balconies with a view of the city, elegant curtains and bed sheets, a breakfast room with a white couch and floor-to-ceiling corner windows. Anyway, we didn't stay long. We left our luggage and went out to sightsee. At the first attraction, the Arena (much like the Coliseum in Rome), the woman at the ticket office told us we could buy this little card for 10 EUR and get into 13 different attractions free, for the day! WOOO, savings, baby! So we did and went church hopping, saving about 15-20 EUR. We strolled the biggest piazza, lined with vendors, and climbed to the top of a tower to take in Verona from above. Amazing. We also went to Juliet's house, where I got to rub the statue's breast for good luck. YES! For lunch, we ate outside (it was GORGEOUS out) and Ashley and her friend Moe used their mealpoints to pay! Apparently their plan is accepted at select restaurants all over Italy and they just happened to have a TON of extra points! We were all so exhausted from lack of sleep that after having seen 6 of the biggest sights, we decided to se reposer at the hostel. BAD idea. Even though Ashely kept saying "Don't fall asleep! Don't fall asleep!", we did. And we forced ourselves to wake up an hour later with dessert as an incentive. We stopped at a gelateria nearby and bought cannoli (Moe's first ever!). But we were VERY dissapointed when the cream was ICE and filled with fruit gummies. We tried to find some real cannoli, but to no avail. Instead, we bought a tiny Tiramisu and sat in a park and shared it. Then, we went to bed. At 8pm. =)
The next day we woke up at 8 for breakfast. The large table was all set for us and it smelled great. We helped ourselves to cereal and then decided to try the chocolate cake. It was DELICIOUS! So we decided to try the the cake that was next to it, too. Even MORE delicious! When the owner walked back in, hald the cake was gone. She said, "Vi piace la torta?" And we were like, "SI!!" And she said, "Ho fatto io." WHAT?! It did seem really warm...and smell fresh. She made it herself this morning. I'm telling you, this hostel was something else. After an amazing breakfast, we bought another discount card, went church hopping again, and again saved a ton of money! We also saw Juliet's tomb and went two museums. One was in an old castle (Castelvecchio) and was a great combination of art and castle. It was right on the river, too, and the view at times was breathtaking. Behind the castle was Ponte Pietra, a gorgeous brick bridge, where you could climb to the top for another great view. We had another awesome lunch, on Ashley and Moe's program, and then headed back to the hostel to get our stuff for the train station. Oh, and it was supposed to rain all day but it didn't start until we were on our way to the station! Perfect. That's what the weekend was, overall. Perfect.
Pictures to come. =)
When it got dark, I headed back to the hostel and although I wanted to go right to bed, the one other girl in the eight-bed room with me wasn't back yet, and I felt weird going to bed without meeting her. So I waited for her, expecting to go to bed moments after she walked in. However, within minutes of her walking in, we were chatting as if we'd known each other forever! She's Alix, from Texas, traveling Italy for 3 weeks on a budget from her school. Turns out we have everything in common, and stayed up all night talking. I knew I had to wake up at 6am to get to Verona, but I figured it was worth it to make a friend. It was!
The next day I got up bright and early and got on the train to Verona. Of course I bought my ticket myself even though I should have known better. On the train, I was reminded why I hate the Italian train system as much as I do. I had the wrong ticket (Regional, not this or that, or whatever) and had to pay an extra 15 EUR. Freaking Italians and all their loopholes. Anyway, I got off the train in Verona and rain to Ashley in slow motion. Just kidding, we...walked quickly, but it was very exciting! First, we set out to find the hostel and were AMAZED at how amazing it was. Seriously, it was like this woman had just taken her really beautiful, well-decorated apartment and turned it into a B&B. It was gorgeous! Balconies with a view of the city, elegant curtains and bed sheets, a breakfast room with a white couch and floor-to-ceiling corner windows. Anyway, we didn't stay long. We left our luggage and went out to sightsee. At the first attraction, the Arena (much like the Coliseum in Rome), the woman at the ticket office told us we could buy this little card for 10 EUR and get into 13 different attractions free, for the day! WOOO, savings, baby! So we did and went church hopping, saving about 15-20 EUR. We strolled the biggest piazza, lined with vendors, and climbed to the top of a tower to take in Verona from above. Amazing. We also went to Juliet's house, where I got to rub the statue's breast for good luck. YES! For lunch, we ate outside (it was GORGEOUS out) and Ashley and her friend Moe used their mealpoints to pay! Apparently their plan is accepted at select restaurants all over Italy and they just happened to have a TON of extra points! We were all so exhausted from lack of sleep that after having seen 6 of the biggest sights, we decided to se reposer at the hostel. BAD idea. Even though Ashely kept saying "Don't fall asleep! Don't fall asleep!", we did. And we forced ourselves to wake up an hour later with dessert as an incentive. We stopped at a gelateria nearby and bought cannoli (Moe's first ever!). But we were VERY dissapointed when the cream was ICE and filled with fruit gummies. We tried to find some real cannoli, but to no avail. Instead, we bought a tiny Tiramisu and sat in a park and shared it. Then, we went to bed. At 8pm. =)
The next day we woke up at 8 for breakfast. The large table was all set for us and it smelled great. We helped ourselves to cereal and then decided to try the chocolate cake. It was DELICIOUS! So we decided to try the the cake that was next to it, too. Even MORE delicious! When the owner walked back in, hald the cake was gone. She said, "Vi piace la torta?" And we were like, "SI!!" And she said, "Ho fatto io." WHAT?! It did seem really warm...and smell fresh. She made it herself this morning. I'm telling you, this hostel was something else. After an amazing breakfast, we bought another discount card, went church hopping again, and again saved a ton of money! We also saw Juliet's tomb and went two museums. One was in an old castle (Castelvecchio) and was a great combination of art and castle. It was right on the river, too, and the view at times was breathtaking. Behind the castle was Ponte Pietra, a gorgeous brick bridge, where you could climb to the top for another great view. We had another awesome lunch, on Ashley and Moe's program, and then headed back to the hostel to get our stuff for the train station. Oh, and it was supposed to rain all day but it didn't start until we were on our way to the station! Perfect. That's what the weekend was, overall. Perfect.
Pictures to come. =)
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tandem
Today I finally got to meet my Tandem, which is someone you're placed with to practice speaking a language. Her name is Raphaelle and she's originally from Bordeaux but has been studying at UniFri for 4 years and is now working on a PhD. She's the nicest person and I had so much fun talking to her. Since she wants to practice her English, too, we started out speaking in English and then halfway through switched to French. I think this might end up being the most helpful thing for my French. Also, I think I just made my first non-American friend. Woohoo!
Then I went to class, where my profressor picked on me just because I wasn't a native French speaker! He said, "Mademoiselle, quel est la structure du verbe 'se douter'?" And I said, "Se douter quelquechose?" And HE said, "Non, c'est 'se douter DE quelquechose'. Vous voyez que c'est difficile pour les non-francophones?" Thanks, buddy!!
After class I went to volleyball, where not far into the first match I completely blocked the formidable Red-pants' attack and immediately after felt pain in my left pointer. I looked down to see a blue "growth" forming and I couldn't fully bend or straighten my finger. THAT'S how good this kid is. Haha. Anyway, our next game was against my friend Blue-shirt's team. I greeted him excitedly and high-fived and he said, "Every third." And I said, "What does that mean?" And he said, "You have to set every third ball. The other two you can pass." And I said, "Why thank you." HAHAH. I'm pretty sure we're best friends even though I have no idea what his name is. (SECOND non-American friend? Perhaps!)
Well tomorrow I'm leaving for Milan and then Verona, where I'm meeting up with Asheelee! I'm very excited to meet the REAL Romeo and Juliet. Hahaha. Anyway, I'm sure I'll have lots to update you on when I get back. =)
Then I went to class, where my profressor picked on me just because I wasn't a native French speaker! He said, "Mademoiselle, quel est la structure du verbe 'se douter'?" And I said, "Se douter quelquechose?" And HE said, "Non, c'est 'se douter DE quelquechose'. Vous voyez que c'est difficile pour les non-francophones?" Thanks, buddy!!
After class I went to volleyball, where not far into the first match I completely blocked the formidable Red-pants' attack and immediately after felt pain in my left pointer. I looked down to see a blue "growth" forming and I couldn't fully bend or straighten my finger. THAT'S how good this kid is. Haha. Anyway, our next game was against my friend Blue-shirt's team. I greeted him excitedly and high-fived and he said, "Every third." And I said, "What does that mean?" And he said, "You have to set every third ball. The other two you can pass." And I said, "Why thank you." HAHAH. I'm pretty sure we're best friends even though I have no idea what his name is. (SECOND non-American friend? Perhaps!)
Well tomorrow I'm leaving for Milan and then Verona, where I'm meeting up with Asheelee! I'm very excited to meet the REAL Romeo and Juliet. Hahaha. Anyway, I'm sure I'll have lots to update you on when I get back. =)
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Oh My Sion
There are no words for Sion. I have no words. But I do have a number: 65. And sunny. Ok, I'll give it a shot with the words. So I went to Sion today and again couldn't find the Tourism Office. So instead, I followed signs that said "Châteaux et musées", because what more could a girl want? So I hike up this steep cobblestone street and come to a clearing with two signs, one pointing to a castle on a hill to the left and one pointing on a castle on a hill to the right. I decide to go first to the one on the left, Château Tourbillon. This is where the loss for words comes in.
This castle, perched high on a cliff, was reachable by a curvy, steep, half nature-made, half man-made stone path. On the way up the path with no rail, simply just the edge of the cliff and rows of vineyards below, was THE most fantastically amazing view I've ever seen. Immense white and blue mountains with houses speckled at their bases, lush green countryside, and of course, the other castle, perched across the valley on its own hill. I think I was taking more pictures than I was steps; at 2,116 feet in the air with nothing but a cliff's edge before me, I felt like I was on top of the world. I finally get to the castle itself, or what's left of it. I walked in and out of the ruins, through broken archways and along crumbling walls. The 360-degree view continued to astonish me. After exploring the castle, I found myself at this flat, park-like area where families were having picnics. (I know, I was nervous walking up there, imagine how a 3-year-old must feel). I walked to the edge of the wide green space, sat at the edge of the wall with the mountainous valley before me, and had lunch.
After, I hiked back down and then up to the other castle, Château Valère. This one was still fully intact and had parts of it turned into a museum. At the top, I explored an old church and continued to marvel at the same view from a different angle. Then, I went to the museum of the history of the canton of Valais (of which Sion is the capital). It was awesome; since it was in the castle it was equipped with small stone passageways and panoramic views from the windows.
Four hours later I finally, and reluctantly, made my way back down into the town. I strolled the pedestrian-only, stop-lined streets, visiting the Town Hall and the Cathedral of Notre Dame du Glarier. I still couldn't get over how amazing those castles were; Frommer's definitely underplayed them. One star? I'd give them TEN.
=)
This castle, perched high on a cliff, was reachable by a curvy, steep, half nature-made, half man-made stone path. On the way up the path with no rail, simply just the edge of the cliff and rows of vineyards below, was THE most fantastically amazing view I've ever seen. Immense white and blue mountains with houses speckled at their bases, lush green countryside, and of course, the other castle, perched across the valley on its own hill. I think I was taking more pictures than I was steps; at 2,116 feet in the air with nothing but a cliff's edge before me, I felt like I was on top of the world. I finally get to the castle itself, or what's left of it. I walked in and out of the ruins, through broken archways and along crumbling walls. The 360-degree view continued to astonish me. After exploring the castle, I found myself at this flat, park-like area where families were having picnics. (I know, I was nervous walking up there, imagine how a 3-year-old must feel). I walked to the edge of the wide green space, sat at the edge of the wall with the mountainous valley before me, and had lunch.
After, I hiked back down and then up to the other castle, Château Valère. This one was still fully intact and had parts of it turned into a museum. At the top, I explored an old church and continued to marvel at the same view from a different angle. Then, I went to the museum of the history of the canton of Valais (of which Sion is the capital). It was awesome; since it was in the castle it was equipped with small stone passageways and panoramic views from the windows.
Four hours later I finally, and reluctantly, made my way back down into the town. I strolled the pedestrian-only, stop-lined streets, visiting the Town Hall and the Cathedral of Notre Dame du Glarier. I still couldn't get over how amazing those castles were; Frommer's definitely underplayed them. One star? I'd give them TEN.
=)
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Swissitude
My weekend so far: Thursday I spend the day in Neuchâtel, another lakeside town built into a mountain. I explored the hilly, cobblestone streets until I found the tourism office. Then, with a brochure as my guide, I found my way to the castle. Climbing to the top yielded an AMAZING 360-degree view of the roofs staggering before the lake. I continued walking along a street with a similar view and then wandered back down to the waterfront to eat lunch. After, I went to the Museum of Natural History and almost got locked in for the night! (Night at the Museum..) I must have been the only one left and I was walking out of the bathroom and this woman carrying a tray of cash was like, "Oh! J'ai déjà fermé la porte!" And she unlocked it to let me out, HAHA. Imagine. As I headed back to the train station, which happened to also yield a fantastic view, the sun was setting pink over the mountains.
Friday, planning to go to Basel, I took the train to Bern to connect. But for some ridiculous, unexplainable reason, I got on the wrong train, even though it didn't say "Basel" as any of the destinations. So I ride it for about 20 minutes and then ask this woman if it's going to Basel. She shakes her head no and looks at me like I'm crazy. So I get off at this tiny stop in this podunk town with tumbleweeds and only two other people wating for the train to go BACK to Bern. Of course, the past two trains I was on, no one came by to check my ticket, but on this train, two minutes before getting to Bern, the guy comes by and tells me I have the wrong ticket. I try to explain that I got on the wrong train and that I was just trying to get to Basel, and he "let me off" with a lower price. Anyway, I finally get on the right train and an hour later arrive in Basel. Of course, because I only have a small map in my Frommer's book, I start walking the wrong way, thinking it's the right way (much like in Madrid, Mom). After about a half an hour I realize it's the wrong way and head back the way I've come. By this time it's already mid-afternoon and all the sights I want to see will be closed in about an hour and a half anyway. So, dejected, I head home. The good part was that although I didn't get to see Basel, coming home early allowed me to pick up Liz at the train station, in from Zurich! That night we went out for gelato with Isabel, Lauren and Seth and spent the night talking. It was a good ending to a bad start of the day.
Today, Saturday, Liz and I slept in and then went out to explore Fribourg. It was great because I haven't even had the chance to explore my own city! We walked up and down and all around, discovering that Fribourg is a BEAUTIFUL medieval town. We walked through the open-air marker, down to the river, across a covered bridge, in a gorgeous cathedral, pass a convent and a panoramic view of the city. I fell in love with the city I've lived in for a month without really knowing. After, we had a lunch of waffles (with Nutella for me, apples and cinnamon for Liz) at an adorable cafe, and before we knew it, Liz had to go back to Geneva. Great day.
Word of the week: Swissitude (n) the Swiss attitude about life, including punctuality, logic, and cleanliness.
Friday, planning to go to Basel, I took the train to Bern to connect. But for some ridiculous, unexplainable reason, I got on the wrong train, even though it didn't say "Basel" as any of the destinations. So I ride it for about 20 minutes and then ask this woman if it's going to Basel. She shakes her head no and looks at me like I'm crazy. So I get off at this tiny stop in this podunk town with tumbleweeds and only two other people wating for the train to go BACK to Bern. Of course, the past two trains I was on, no one came by to check my ticket, but on this train, two minutes before getting to Bern, the guy comes by and tells me I have the wrong ticket. I try to explain that I got on the wrong train and that I was just trying to get to Basel, and he "let me off" with a lower price. Anyway, I finally get on the right train and an hour later arrive in Basel. Of course, because I only have a small map in my Frommer's book, I start walking the wrong way, thinking it's the right way (much like in Madrid, Mom). After about a half an hour I realize it's the wrong way and head back the way I've come. By this time it's already mid-afternoon and all the sights I want to see will be closed in about an hour and a half anyway. So, dejected, I head home. The good part was that although I didn't get to see Basel, coming home early allowed me to pick up Liz at the train station, in from Zurich! That night we went out for gelato with Isabel, Lauren and Seth and spent the night talking. It was a good ending to a bad start of the day.
Today, Saturday, Liz and I slept in and then went out to explore Fribourg. It was great because I haven't even had the chance to explore my own city! We walked up and down and all around, discovering that Fribourg is a BEAUTIFUL medieval town. We walked through the open-air marker, down to the river, across a covered bridge, in a gorgeous cathedral, pass a convent and a panoramic view of the city. I fell in love with the city I've lived in for a month without really knowing. After, we had a lunch of waffles (with Nutella for me, apples and cinnamon for Liz) at an adorable cafe, and before we knew it, Liz had to go back to Geneva. Great day.
Word of the week: Swissitude (n) the Swiss attitude about life, including punctuality, logic, and cleanliness.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Das Ist VOLLEYBALL!
HAHAHAHAHAHHAAAAAAHAHAHHAHA!! I just came from volleyball and experienced something absolutely worth blogging.
I've gone Wednesdays so far, so this was my first Monday night. We get there and we start running laps, which Lauren and I already thought was a bit ridiculous for pick-up, but little did we know that the Europeans would soon far surpass our ideas of ridiculousness. On Wednesdays, the coach is usually this petite little French woman. Today, it was a young, solemn-faced German man. So we start peppering in pairs and we see him bring out four benches and line them up across from each other, two by two, on each baseline. What are the benches for? we wonder as we continue to pepper. Then we see him bring out small red cones. He begins to place them strategically all over the court. When he's done, he calls us over, about 14 of us, and starts explaining in German. I'm just zoning out, but Lauren, who understands a little bit, whispers to me, "We're doing 25 minutes of conditioning."
And for some reason, I BURST out laughing. I mean BURST. And I felt so bad, but I couldn't help it; can you BELIEVE this guy?! Conditioning?! What are we, a division-one team going into a championship match?! This is freaking pick-up! I hunch over and hide behind Lauren, trying to stifle my laughter until I can compose myself. He then proceeds to show us the drills he wants us to run, including a suicide-like drill with the cones. He even gets FRUSTRATED when the kid he picks to demonstrate a setting drill with doesn't do it right! I turn to Lauren. "And are the benches so we can sit and take a break between drills?"
Oh, no. The BENCHES were to STAND on and pepper to each other as you shimmy down them. Yep. AKA: How to play volleyball without killing yourself. He says to go ahead but Lauren and I can barely stop laughing let along run sprints between cones. I was dying. By the end, I wasn't sure if I couldn't breathe because of the drills or if I couldn't breathe because I was laughing too hard. We run through the course three times and he yells out, "Après cinq fois vous pouvez s'arrêter!" CINQ fois?! I gape at Lauren and we start laughing again. I can't take this guy seriously! But HE sure took himself seriously, let me tell you. After that drill he changed it oh-so-slightly and we ran it five more times. In between drills I heard a kid whisper to his friend, "J'ai soif." NO DRINKS! DRILLS, DRILLS!
Finally he lets us have drinks and begins to dismantle his contraptions for the game. We all get into position and I notice he's got a score card. That's right, the Volleyball Nazi is going to keep score. Ooo, I took that too far. Considering he spoke German I probably shouldn't call him a Nazi. The Volleyball ENTHUSIAST was going to keep score. Anyway, the games went well and Lauren and I pissed our pants all the way home. "Das ist volleyball!" Needless to say, Monday nights is clearly not for messing around.
=)
I've gone Wednesdays so far, so this was my first Monday night. We get there and we start running laps, which Lauren and I already thought was a bit ridiculous for pick-up, but little did we know that the Europeans would soon far surpass our ideas of ridiculousness. On Wednesdays, the coach is usually this petite little French woman. Today, it was a young, solemn-faced German man. So we start peppering in pairs and we see him bring out four benches and line them up across from each other, two by two, on each baseline. What are the benches for? we wonder as we continue to pepper. Then we see him bring out small red cones. He begins to place them strategically all over the court. When he's done, he calls us over, about 14 of us, and starts explaining in German. I'm just zoning out, but Lauren, who understands a little bit, whispers to me, "We're doing 25 minutes of conditioning."
And for some reason, I BURST out laughing. I mean BURST. And I felt so bad, but I couldn't help it; can you BELIEVE this guy?! Conditioning?! What are we, a division-one team going into a championship match?! This is freaking pick-up! I hunch over and hide behind Lauren, trying to stifle my laughter until I can compose myself. He then proceeds to show us the drills he wants us to run, including a suicide-like drill with the cones. He even gets FRUSTRATED when the kid he picks to demonstrate a setting drill with doesn't do it right! I turn to Lauren. "And are the benches so we can sit and take a break between drills?"
Oh, no. The BENCHES were to STAND on and pepper to each other as you shimmy down them. Yep. AKA: How to play volleyball without killing yourself. He says to go ahead but Lauren and I can barely stop laughing let along run sprints between cones. I was dying. By the end, I wasn't sure if I couldn't breathe because of the drills or if I couldn't breathe because I was laughing too hard. We run through the course three times and he yells out, "Après cinq fois vous pouvez s'arrêter!" CINQ fois?! I gape at Lauren and we start laughing again. I can't take this guy seriously! But HE sure took himself seriously, let me tell you. After that drill he changed it oh-so-slightly and we ran it five more times. In between drills I heard a kid whisper to his friend, "J'ai soif." NO DRINKS! DRILLS, DRILLS!
Finally he lets us have drinks and begins to dismantle his contraptions for the game. We all get into position and I notice he's got a score card. That's right, the Volleyball Nazi is going to keep score. Ooo, I took that too far. Considering he spoke German I probably shouldn't call him a Nazi. The Volleyball ENTHUSIAST was going to keep score. Anyway, the games went well and Lauren and I pissed our pants all the way home. "Das ist volleyball!" Needless to say, Monday nights is clearly not for messing around.
=)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Montreux
Today I spent the day in Montreux, about an hour away on Lake Geneva (the other end of it). It was gorgeous outside; at one point I took my jacket off! Montreux was absolutely stunning. Honestly, there were times when I thought, "Seriously? Seriously?? This has GOT to be fake. Is that a backdrop...or a green screen?"
Like Lugano, it's build on a hill with the lake at the base, backed by mountains. First, I walked along the lake, a picturesque walk. The path is lined with a stone wall that breaks off every so often into small stone steps that lead to a bench surrounded by flowers and sometimes an ancored sailboat or long dock, where you can sit and enjoy the view of the cloud-topped mountains. Simply amazing. I walked about 2 miles along the water until I reached Chateau Chillon. This castle was so cool! I took an audio tour that led me through all this tiny stone passageways and into cramped stone towers with breathtaking views of the lake and the mountains. Awesome.
After the castle, I took the bus about five minutes to Villeneuve, which is where Lord Byron apparently wrote some of his works. This tiny town was your quintessential seaside village. Boats everywhere and people just strolling among them. It was the most peaceful walk, just going up and down the docks with a distant Montreux in the background. (I'll add pictures). I laid down on this bench by the water and under the warm sun, nodded off for about an hour. It was fantastic.
After my nap I headed back to Montreux and walked the other way along the water. Here, I discovered a Freddie Mercury statue-- apparently he and Queen spent some time in Montreux and may have even written some songs here! (Weeee arre the chaaaampions!!) Again, just an amazingly peaceful walk. Kids rollerblading, parents pushing strollers, elderly couples sitting on benches overlooking the lake, a group of teens playing soccer on the green grass of a park. I sat on the edge of the wall, dangling my feet over the water, and watched a Montreux sunset.
I just have one thing to say if you plan on visiting Switzerland: Montreux, Montreux, Montreux!! (OK, that was three...)
PS. The kid in picture #2 definitely got a little suspicious afterwards..
Like Lugano, it's build on a hill with the lake at the base, backed by mountains. First, I walked along the lake, a picturesque walk. The path is lined with a stone wall that breaks off every so often into small stone steps that lead to a bench surrounded by flowers and sometimes an ancored sailboat or long dock, where you can sit and enjoy the view of the cloud-topped mountains. Simply amazing. I walked about 2 miles along the water until I reached Chateau Chillon. This castle was so cool! I took an audio tour that led me through all this tiny stone passageways and into cramped stone towers with breathtaking views of the lake and the mountains. Awesome.
After the castle, I took the bus about five minutes to Villeneuve, which is where Lord Byron apparently wrote some of his works. This tiny town was your quintessential seaside village. Boats everywhere and people just strolling among them. It was the most peaceful walk, just going up and down the docks with a distant Montreux in the background. (I'll add pictures). I laid down on this bench by the water and under the warm sun, nodded off for about an hour. It was fantastic.
After my nap I headed back to Montreux and walked the other way along the water. Here, I discovered a Freddie Mercury statue-- apparently he and Queen spent some time in Montreux and may have even written some songs here! (Weeee arre the chaaaampions!!) Again, just an amazingly peaceful walk. Kids rollerblading, parents pushing strollers, elderly couples sitting on benches overlooking the lake, a group of teens playing soccer on the green grass of a park. I sat on the edge of the wall, dangling my feet over the water, and watched a Montreux sunset.
I just have one thing to say if you plan on visiting Switzerland: Montreux, Montreux, Montreux!! (OK, that was three...)
PS. The kid in picture #2 definitely got a little suspicious afterwards..
Monday, March 9, 2009
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Vermont On Steroids
What an interesting weekend! I must say, it's pretty grand traveling for four days and going to class for three. Thursday I left for Interlaken early in the morning. When I got there, I bought a CHF 90 ticket (and that's half price) to go up to Junfraujoch - The Top of Europe. That's what they call it. It's the highest train station in Europe and that's because it sits on top of one of the tallest mountains in Europe-- Junfrau, literally, Virgin. It was snowing wildly, so it seemed as if we were chugging through a white abyss. Two and a half hours later we arrive at the "Top of Europe" and you can tell; it's very hard to breathe. Since the snow made it impossible to get that famous view, I decided I'd settle on dog-sledding, only a dream of mine. But when I asked the info woman how to get there, she said they only do that in the summer! So instead I went to the Ice Palace, which is a misnomer. Ice, yes. Palace, not so much. It was...a large igloo. After the large igloo, I asked the info woman again what else I could do when the weather was so bad. She said I could watch a video on Jungfrau. Wow, that's her suggestion? So I left. It was unfortunate that I paid so much, but I learned and I'll just have to go back in the spring when the view is...existent.
Back at sea level the weather was just as bad-- a mix of rain and snow. I found my hostel and, sopping wet, settled in and tried to decide what to do for the next few hours. After looking through Frommer's and a tourist newspaper, I realized that the attractions in Interlaken are all based on good weather: summiting mountains, skydiving, parasailing, lake cruises, etc. I decided to just walk around in the rain and explore the town. Unfortunately, my favorite part of exploring is taking pictures and the rain stopped me from doing any of THAT. I returned to the hostel and met my hostelmates, Jared from Ohio and Brad from California, roadtripping Europe with a rental and a GPS. We ended up just hanging out in the room for the rest of the night, laughing a lot.
The next morning I went to the tourist office and asked what to do when the weather is so bad. The lady told me, "Go to Lucerne." HAHA. The tourist office actually told me to get out of Interlaken! I wasted time until 2pm, when I met Liz Bruner (UVMer!) at the train station. Then I had a partner to walk around in the rain with! For dinner, we had FONDUE! The most amazing...I can't even talk about it. It's normally CHF 22 per person, but for some reason we paid CHF 22 TOTAL! OH man. We had a bowl of bread, a bowl of pears, and a bowl of potatoes. My mouth is watering as I type this. Basically, you stick the carb of your choice into a small pot of boiling Swiss white wine cheese. OH BABY!! After dinner, we bought some Swiss chocolate and went back to the room to eat it with come Swiss wine Liz had brought. We spent the night talking about UVM and how great it is, and by the end we were both school-sick.
The next morning Liz walked me to the station for my train to Lucerne. Her dad and sister were arriving from the States a few hours later to go skiing (the one activity that's great to do when the weather's bad). The train ride from Interlaken to Lucerne was two hours and not enough. When I got on, I wondered why the train had "Golden Express" written on it. I soon found out. This thing, literally the entire two hours, yielded breathtaking views of green, green countryside backed by white and blue Swiss Alps and a lake here or there. And mind you, this is a view from a mountainside. I was constantly snapping pictures. It was amazing! While on the train, I decided on an adequate description of Central Switzerland: Vermont On Steroids.
In Lucerne it was gorgeous out. I found my hostel quickly and then ran back out to take pictures. This city is stunning. Two covered bridges, a castle, small cobblestone walkways, a huge lake and 180 degrees of mountains. Again with the taking pictures every other second. I decided to go to the Glacier Gardens. This museum was awesome; apparently, long, long ago, all of Lucerne was covered in ice. Now, the reminants of that time are huge nature-made holes in rock. I would tell you more, because there was so much more, but it'd sound silly if I tried to describe it. You need to go. Unfortunately (how many times have I used that word?), in the middle of the museum, I started to feel sick to my stomach. It continued to get worse until I was having trouble walking. I hobbled all the way back to the hostel and lay in bed, writhing in pain, from about 4pm-9pm. I have no idea what it was.
The next day (today) I was feeling better, though not great. I decided to walk along the lakeside path that would eventually take me to the Swiss Transport Museum (one of the best museums in Switzerland according to Frommer's). The walk took me about two hours, partially because I was hobbling, partially because I was stopping to take pictures every other minute. At the museum, I bought a combi-ticket for the museum and an IMAX show. I chose one on elephants. The exhibits were fantastic, hands-on and packed with information; reminded me a lot of the Deutches Museum in Munich. After a couple hours (and of course, not enough time), it was time for my IMAX movie. Since the movie was in German, I had a little headset in English. It was funny because the German narrator would always come on first and then my little guy would start talking, and at one point, just for three words at the end of a sentence they coincided-- and I swear they said the EXACT same thing!! It was hilarious; the other guy just had a German accent. The movie was really good; I learned a lot about elephants...
Anyway, back in Fribourg now and finally got my permis de sejour for those of you that were on the edges of your seats. I know!
Back at sea level the weather was just as bad-- a mix of rain and snow. I found my hostel and, sopping wet, settled in and tried to decide what to do for the next few hours. After looking through Frommer's and a tourist newspaper, I realized that the attractions in Interlaken are all based on good weather: summiting mountains, skydiving, parasailing, lake cruises, etc. I decided to just walk around in the rain and explore the town. Unfortunately, my favorite part of exploring is taking pictures and the rain stopped me from doing any of THAT. I returned to the hostel and met my hostelmates, Jared from Ohio and Brad from California, roadtripping Europe with a rental and a GPS. We ended up just hanging out in the room for the rest of the night, laughing a lot.
The next morning I went to the tourist office and asked what to do when the weather is so bad. The lady told me, "Go to Lucerne." HAHA. The tourist office actually told me to get out of Interlaken! I wasted time until 2pm, when I met Liz Bruner (UVMer!) at the train station. Then I had a partner to walk around in the rain with! For dinner, we had FONDUE! The most amazing...I can't even talk about it. It's normally CHF 22 per person, but for some reason we paid CHF 22 TOTAL! OH man. We had a bowl of bread, a bowl of pears, and a bowl of potatoes. My mouth is watering as I type this. Basically, you stick the carb of your choice into a small pot of boiling Swiss white wine cheese. OH BABY!! After dinner, we bought some Swiss chocolate and went back to the room to eat it with come Swiss wine Liz had brought. We spent the night talking about UVM and how great it is, and by the end we were both school-sick.
The next morning Liz walked me to the station for my train to Lucerne. Her dad and sister were arriving from the States a few hours later to go skiing (the one activity that's great to do when the weather's bad). The train ride from Interlaken to Lucerne was two hours and not enough. When I got on, I wondered why the train had "Golden Express" written on it. I soon found out. This thing, literally the entire two hours, yielded breathtaking views of green, green countryside backed by white and blue Swiss Alps and a lake here or there. And mind you, this is a view from a mountainside. I was constantly snapping pictures. It was amazing! While on the train, I decided on an adequate description of Central Switzerland: Vermont On Steroids.
In Lucerne it was gorgeous out. I found my hostel quickly and then ran back out to take pictures. This city is stunning. Two covered bridges, a castle, small cobblestone walkways, a huge lake and 180 degrees of mountains. Again with the taking pictures every other second. I decided to go to the Glacier Gardens. This museum was awesome; apparently, long, long ago, all of Lucerne was covered in ice. Now, the reminants of that time are huge nature-made holes in rock. I would tell you more, because there was so much more, but it'd sound silly if I tried to describe it. You need to go. Unfortunately (how many times have I used that word?), in the middle of the museum, I started to feel sick to my stomach. It continued to get worse until I was having trouble walking. I hobbled all the way back to the hostel and lay in bed, writhing in pain, from about 4pm-9pm. I have no idea what it was.
The next day (today) I was feeling better, though not great. I decided to walk along the lakeside path that would eventually take me to the Swiss Transport Museum (one of the best museums in Switzerland according to Frommer's). The walk took me about two hours, partially because I was hobbling, partially because I was stopping to take pictures every other minute. At the museum, I bought a combi-ticket for the museum and an IMAX show. I chose one on elephants. The exhibits were fantastic, hands-on and packed with information; reminded me a lot of the Deutches Museum in Munich. After a couple hours (and of course, not enough time), it was time for my IMAX movie. Since the movie was in German, I had a little headset in English. It was funny because the German narrator would always come on first and then my little guy would start talking, and at one point, just for three words at the end of a sentence they coincided-- and I swear they said the EXACT same thing!! It was hilarious; the other guy just had a German accent. The movie was really good; I learned a lot about elephants...
Anyway, back in Fribourg now and finally got my permis de sejour for those of you that were on the edges of your seats. I know!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Fribourgeois Volleyball
Today I went to play volleyball with Lauren, with my Swiss shorts, sneaks, and t-shirt. It was crazy. I mean, Europeans are crazy; volleyball was fun. I need to learn the French volleyball lingo. I think they say "oui" when they've got it and I heard them say "out" for "out", but that might've been the Germans. But their nets are set up by some odd chain system and when they're practicing they ALWAYS start a play by a set. For example, if you're in a hitting line and you toss the ball to the setter, they'll catch it and toss it back because you didn't set it to them. I know, it's weird. There were some people that were really good (this one guy's serve bruised my arms) and it's been way too long since I last played, but overall it was a blast.
Classes are going well; I made a friend that's in all three of mine, Claudia from San Diego studying SLP! She knows ASL, too, so we've vowed to have signing dates so our signing won't get rusty. Today I was talking to Mme. Dardel, who owns the complex I live in, and who happens to be the nicest person in the world! (I know, before I left, I was convinced she was evil.) I told her how I don't get a lot of opportunities to speak French because all my new friends are American and whenever I tell someone I'm from the US they want to speak English with me. It's really annoying! I need to meet a nice Swiss person that doesn't know a lick of English. Anyway, I also told her that I was worried I might not be able to make the next payment for the room because of my stupid money situation. She actually GAVE me back the postal check I mailed to her in January and told me to try to get cash for it. Seriously. Nicest woman alive.
Anyway, tomorrow morning I'm leaving bright and early for Interlaken armed with my new money-saving half-fare public transportation card. YES! I'm going to spend two days in Interlaken, meet up with Liz (YEY!), and then head to Lucerne for two days where I might meet up with Claudia. Until then! =)
Classes are going well; I made a friend that's in all three of mine, Claudia from San Diego studying SLP! She knows ASL, too, so we've vowed to have signing dates so our signing won't get rusty. Today I was talking to Mme. Dardel, who owns the complex I live in, and who happens to be the nicest person in the world! (I know, before I left, I was convinced she was evil.) I told her how I don't get a lot of opportunities to speak French because all my new friends are American and whenever I tell someone I'm from the US they want to speak English with me. It's really annoying! I need to meet a nice Swiss person that doesn't know a lick of English. Anyway, I also told her that I was worried I might not be able to make the next payment for the room because of my stupid money situation. She actually GAVE me back the postal check I mailed to her in January and told me to try to get cash for it. Seriously. Nicest woman alive.
Anyway, tomorrow morning I'm leaving bright and early for Interlaken armed with my new money-saving half-fare public transportation card. YES! I'm going to spend two days in Interlaken, meet up with Liz (YEY!), and then head to Lucerne for two days where I might meet up with Claudia. Until then! =)
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