small trips around a big world
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 →
Our jaws still drop every time we realize that it is only a two hour drive North from Geneva to the Burgundy wine region of France. We decided to drive out during the grape harvest, staying in a lovely airbnb in a winemaker's home in the village of Pommard, 3km SouthWest of Beaune (pronounced "bone"), the wine capitol... Continue Reading →
The Asturias region of Spain may be the best kept secret in Europe. Famous for its cider, fresh local seafood, over 40 varieties of cheese (like Cabrales, Gamoneu, Afuega'l Pitu, Los Beyos) reflecting the finest flavors the countryside has to offer, gorgeous beaches and lush green parks and hills, we should all get on a plane right... Continue Reading →
Chris had another one of his terrible conferences on a gorgeous beach somewhere in Europe this past week, a perk that may be enough to make just about anyone want to be a physical chemist. The one also happened to coincide with our friends’ wedding in Oviedo, only a few hours farther down the coast of Spain, so we found ourselves in Basque... Continue Reading →
Berlin is a fun city all year long, but it is a particularly wonderful place to be in August, with crisp, bright autumn-like mornings that turn into warm sunny days where the light lasts long into the evening, and a constant buzz of activity as Berliners strive to enjoy the last summer rays. After a late flight followed by... Continue Reading →
A supersaver ticket that, when combined with our annual half price passes, let us travel for a quarter of the price of normal tickets on the Swiss rail systems, inspired another weekend trip. This time we headed north almost to the German border, then northwest into the Alsace wine region of France. The train took the familiar track towards Lausanne, which... 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 →
As I toast a glass of champagne and slurp a briny oyster from its shell, I can't help but marvel at the French passion for eating well. This would have been beyond a fantasy a year ago and yet here we are, spending a weekend at "home" that feels like a dream vacation. This is owed primarily to France's... 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?