small trips around a big world
The longest sled run in Europe happens to be an easy train ride from Geneva, in the resort town of Grindelwald, set in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. Rick Steves has it out for Grindelwald, so I set my expectations low, picturing a town like Interlaken, overrun with tourists and shopping strips . But Grindelwald, though full... Continue Reading →
(Spoiler: we did not see Ibexes, only their hoof prints – or maybe they were just plain old goats – in the sand along the Rhone. But you can see photos of Ibexes here!) A visit from Allison’s brother inspired our second trip to the Swiss wine region of Valais, this time during the beautiful autumn colors.... Continue Reading →
Today was a window into Swiss tradition at the "Desalpes" festival in St. Cergue. After spending four months in the high alpine pastures where cheese is made on site the old-fashioned way, the farmers and their cows parade down from the mountains at the end of September to rejoin their winter farms in “Desalpes” (French-speaking areas)... Continue Reading →
Every time we take a trip, it seems like we’ve traded one type of experience for another: Green vineyards or blue water? City or countryside? Yet somehow Gimmelwald had it all without any of that. It’s hard to explain the duality of it’s existence, but it feels simultaneously like the oldest place on earth yet still undated.... Continue Reading →
We hopped on the train after a morning at the local farmers market in Ferney on a rainy Saturday. We were heading northish then eastish around the lake to the Valais canton -- a valley framed by the Alps and punctuated by jagged mountains and occasional glimpses of some of the tallest white-capped mountains in the Alps.... Continue Reading →
"Franzerland" is what I am officially calling the border area. And here are a few great things that we've discovered round these parts so far. 1) Bikes! We got bikes! There's an amazing site in Geneva called glocals that is essentially a pre-screened Craigslist for only people living in Geneva. It's how I found my apartment and... Continue Reading →
Move to France. Steam some local artichokes. And crack open a bottle of local wine. But beware the crunchy snails. Though maybe this is how they harvest them to sell in the escargot section of the grocery store?
For our first weekend in Geneva, we decided to stick close to the city and explore Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) by taking a boat up it's North-South shores to Yvoire, France, an adorable medieval town 25km North of Geneva. Ferries leave every hour or two from port Geneve-Mont-Blanc, just a few blocks from the main train... Continue Reading →
We made it! And life is grand. I mean really, how many chances does one ever get to live in a quaint french village, work in an ultra-modern Swiss city, and commute back and forth from Geneva to Berlin? We couldn't be happier that we made this decision. Here are a few snapshots of life here, to give you... Continue Reading →
This is just a quickie, but a big one because we are finally both permanently moved to Europe for the indefinite future! It feels great. I flew in yesterday morning, and when I got to customs in Amsterdam I decided to give my German passport its first go, which allowed me to skip the long... Continue Reading →