small trips around a big world
Microtripping has taken on a whole new meaning for us now that our travels include a tiny human being. After a long search for a fall vacation destination with a 5-month old, we discovered the new parent dream getaway: the Greek island of Crete, with direct flights from Geneva to Heraklion in under three hours.... Continue Reading →
Every year on the last Sunday in July, the cantons of Berne and Valais meet on the famed Gemmi Pass to celebrate their brotherhood by bringing their sheep together for a friendly shepherd's festival. The Gemmi Pass, linking the Bernese Oberland with canton Valais, is steeped in history. One of the most frequented north-south mountain routes during the... Continue Reading →
"I see two chameleons by that root...can you find them?" asked our guide Claudio, pointing to a patch of leaf-litter no more than four inches wide. Squinting, our noses almost touching the ground, Chris and I searched until we eventually gave up. Grinning smugly, Claudio picked them up and placed them on our hands. The... Continue Reading →
Ever since I watched Gerard Butler serenade Hilary Swank in P.S. I love you, Ireland has captured my imagination, conjuring romantic fantasies of rolling green hills and cozy wooden pubs where charming Irishmen strum the banjo all day. Ten years later, my best friend Katie and I finally found ourselves on a much anticipated road trip... Continue Reading →
People have been wandering through the Lötschental Valley since before the Bronze Age. Up until the Middle Ages, the Lötsch Pass was an important connection between Switzerland's Bernese Oberland and Valais. Nestled between the Bernese and Valais Alps in the Jungfrau-Aletsch UNESCO World Heritage Site, the remoteness of the Lötschental has preserved a simple way... Continue Reading →
I had my weekend sights set on the newly opened World's Longest Suspension Bridge, connecting Grächen to Zermatt on the breathetaking Europaweg. So on Friday evening I put my computer away, hoisted my pack over my shoulder, and jumped on a three-hour train to Visp. From there I climbed on a yellow post bus that... Continue Reading →
Once upon a time, herders used to walk their sheep across the massive 23km Aletsch glacier from the Belalp to the Riederalp. Sadly, today this is no longer possible due to the effects of global warming, which have caused the largest ribbon of ice in the Alps to retreat 3km since 1870, with 90 percent of... Continue Reading →
"It's amazing that we were in Berlin this morning, and now it's like we're in another world", I said. "Who would have thought that after just a taxi ride, a plane, a train, another train, a third train, and a bus, we'd somehow manage to get somewhere far away!" my dad replied. "And yet, we're still... Continue Reading →
Well, Switzerland, you’ve outdone yourself again. My previous list of most adorable towns has been shown up by Ticino, where Switzerland and Italy collide, and it’s as wonderful as you might imagine when two of the most incredible places on the planet are combined. Once on the other side of the Gotthard Base tunnel, the world’s... Continue Reading →
One thing about living in Switzerland stands out above all else, and that is the access to the outdoors. I decided to enter the winter sports scene by starting with low-adrenaline activities: cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. And after scouring the glocals website, I found all the necessary equipment for next to nothing. Now, fully prepared, it was time to hit the... Continue Reading →