Travels Abroad, Part 2: Those Crazy Swiss
So one of my favorite places in Europe had a lot going for it even before I got there: chocolate, mountains, snow, and cows. Little did I know it would knock my socks off, bend me over, smack my behind and make me like it! But that's just what pretty Miss Switzerland did.
Let's start with Interlaken.
Beautiful, isn't it? Imagine waking up to that after a miserably long train ride, stumbling exhausted through the empty streets to the hostel, and having absolutely no idea what the city looked like in daytime. Yeah, knocked my socks clean off.
Thought I'd get a better view of it all from above...
Yes, that's actually me in the picture. My ex had the camera for the flight. They strap you in, tell you everything is prefectly fine, and then say "Okay, now run off the edge of this cliff." No problem. This is the part where it bent me over. I was totally expecting a nice cocktail of adrenaline, but the flight was almost like a mid-air meditation. So peaceful and supernaturally quiet.
Well, I had to get my thrills somewhere. So we signed up for something they can only get the most foolhardy tourists to do: night sledding. Gorged us on cheese fondue and white wine. Packed us, tipsy and bulging, up into the Alps in the dark and handed us little plastic sleds. "You just go down the mountain, wait for the funicular and ride back, and then go down again."
That was us on the way up, and Switzerland is in the back there, smacking my ass. That was before we found out there were a few things they didn't tell us. They didn't tell us there were no lights on the path, no fences separating us from the abyss, or the inconsequential fact that our sleds didn't have brakes. He he. And somehow we managed to make the trip three times in two hours? They could have heard our screams and laughter for miles. Or kilometers. And unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the actually sledding because it looked mostly like this:
-sigh- What fun. See? I liked the abuse! So for anyone considering a visit to Europe, you've got to give this mountaintop hideaway-of-a-country a consideration. I mean, come on, they're so cool they're not even in the EU.
So one of my favorite places in Europe had a lot going for it even before I got there: chocolate, mountains, snow, and cows. Little did I know it would knock my socks off, bend me over, smack my behind and make me like it! But that's just what pretty Miss Switzerland did.
Let's start with Interlaken.
Beautiful, isn't it? Imagine waking up to that after a miserably long train ride, stumbling exhausted through the empty streets to the hostel, and having absolutely no idea what the city looked like in daytime. Yeah, knocked my socks clean off.
Thought I'd get a better view of it all from above...
Yes, that's actually me in the picture. My ex had the camera for the flight. They strap you in, tell you everything is prefectly fine, and then say "Okay, now run off the edge of this cliff." No problem. This is the part where it bent me over. I was totally expecting a nice cocktail of adrenaline, but the flight was almost like a mid-air meditation. So peaceful and supernaturally quiet.
Well, I had to get my thrills somewhere. So we signed up for something they can only get the most foolhardy tourists to do: night sledding. Gorged us on cheese fondue and white wine. Packed us, tipsy and bulging, up into the Alps in the dark and handed us little plastic sleds. "You just go down the mountain, wait for the funicular and ride back, and then go down again."
That was us on the way up, and Switzerland is in the back there, smacking my ass. That was before we found out there were a few things they didn't tell us. They didn't tell us there were no lights on the path, no fences separating us from the abyss, or the inconsequential fact that our sleds didn't have brakes. He he. And somehow we managed to make the trip three times in two hours? They could have heard our screams and laughter for miles. Or kilometers. And unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the actually sledding because it looked mostly like this:
-sigh- What fun. See? I liked the abuse! So for anyone considering a visit to Europe, you've got to give this mountaintop hideaway-of-a-country a consideration. I mean, come on, they're so cool they're not even in the EU.
VIEW 14 of 14 COMMENTS
Were you guided down the mountain in that parachute or did you have to land yourself? I could imagine that being rather amazing, as you descibe.
The view up that street is amazing!
i am getting high on paint fumes. I think I need to burn a candle or something, geez. Actually kind of nauseating.
Listening to PJ Harvey "Rid of Me" I so love her.
Glad you enjoyed the photos. Did you get the email I sent with some others?
My Uncle was in the Congo. In 40 years it changed from the Congo to Zaire and back to the Congo again. He is a very interesting speaker. Today I started reading his new book on Afrikan witchcraft. I'm the first family member to get it. He wants my opinion as I've traveled to many places in the world but never to Afrika as you know. He wants to see if his writing has painted the picture for someone who hasn't been there.
I jumped on the scales naked today. 200.20LBS. Not bad.
As for the flowers, it is a great job, but very low pay. The chips are much better and less hours.
Let me know if you got the pics k?
Have a lovely Monday.