Interlaken, Switzerland

The Swiss Alps are breathtakingly beautiful. This morning I signed up for white water rafting. With so many extreme sports choices (skydiving, parasailing, canyoning, etc) I was glad to pick the one that would get me back on the water and would make my parents the least worried! We went down a glacier melt river for an hour and half. The river was so fast moving that we really got to just ride and marvel at the mountains the majority of the time. It was me and 9 boys from a high school in New Jersey. We broke up into 2 boats and complete with our New Zealander guides had a great time getting jetted down the river and through some very drastic white water.

The river poured out into Lake Brien (East). Rich the guide has us put our hands in the water as we transitioned from river to lake. You could feel the difference! First you could see the transition from gray water to clear blue, next you realized the water wasn’t gritty at all, and finally the temperature change. Both were very chilly, but the lake was most definitely warmer. We had a ton of fun – it was so fun to be the eldest (and only girl) around the high school boys. Haha they were cracking me up! When we got back at the base camp they had out some cheese, bread and drinks (beer and dr. pepper). I cracked open a beer because I hate Dr Pepper and offered to split it with Kevin and Matt (my 2 favs) and they said they were only 17. I guess they didn’t realize that no one in Europe cares… I met 15 year olds in bars in Sevilla.

I got dropped off by Sven at my hostel and changed and headed out again. This time my destination was HarderKlum – a panoramic hiking spot at 3,300 ft. I had to take the train up because I started out too late to hike up and back before dark but the train turned out to offer some of the best views! The 10 minute train/tram ride was gorgeous – you got to see both lakes and look out at the most impressive mountain range I have ever seen. At the top I had an hour and a half before the last train down for the evening. So what did I do? HIKED!

I choose what looked like a promising path and set off. I guessed well because after about 30 minutes when I was about the turn around to get back on time I found a sign leading me back in a loop to where I started from. It felt so good to get some exercise. Hiking up, up, up for the first half hour and back down in a windy trail the second. The views were amazing. Purple and yellow wildflowers were blooming in between the carpet of ferns. Little babbling brooks would cross my path every few hundred meters. Evergreens made the air smell like the best car air freshener ever and the air was so clear and crisp. I don’t have the words to explain how happy I was and how great I felt while hiking! 

*I also found some pretty sweet Swiss cows  - thanks to them we can all enjoy swiss cheese! they were so close that I touched one! The bells they wear make quite a lot of noise but, I guess that's the point

Tomorrow is supposed to rain all day. As long as it is not storming I will be venturing out. I got nuts cooped inside all day!  I think I will try to figure out a oath to the west lake and go for a run. I am glad I got to spend all day outside today. This area was such a fun place to explore. I didn’t see a single person while on my hike and it was nice to be utterly alone for a while. I found a little bench in the sun surrounded my wildflowers and laid down for a short rest. The hike was so relaxing I wish I could have stayed up there for hours.

I miss and love you all. I am enjoying myself so much on this trip. I can hardly believe it is over half way over! Peace - At

Gorgeous view plus some of my favorite flowers - columbines. These ones were a deep purple and were growing all over the mountain. So beautiful!

The lake we ended in after rafting.

One of the many impressive views from my hike

Zee Sviss Alps!  Zey are zo impressive

The hidden tresure (bench) I stumbled upon. The 10 minutes I spent laying on this bench might have been the most relaxing, tranquil minutes of my life thus far.

I couldn't get enough of the snow capped mountain views - this one shows the glacier that feeds the river I rafted down

Hiking! So much fun!

Mountain goats in their natural habitat!  Just kidding, these were in a nature reserve I found on accident.

Hard to lose this guy, that bell can be heard from far away - it's what lead me to find these cows!

Swiss francs - the most colorful, non-monopoly I have ever seen.  Dad: if you think euros look fake you would think twice after seeing the swiss franc!

the schloss - the castle

Paris - round 2!

I am writing this as I sit on the train that will take me to Interlaken, Switzerland. I cut it way too close this morning on getting to the train station. I left the hotel at 7:40 for an 8:10 train. What was I thinking? I have no clue- but I made it! I am on the 4^th of the 4 trains it will take to get me to Interlaken and have met a couple girls who are staying in my same hostel. We are going to hike together tomorrow while the weather is nice. It is supposed to rain the next 2 days but as long as it’s not storming a little rain won’t stop me!

Paris with Emma and Reuben was so much fun. It was great to see my sister. This was by far the longest amount of time we had ever been apart. But after about half an hour it felt just like normal, like a day had gone by, not almost 5 months! So what did we do in Paris? We walked and walked and walked! We got to do everything I had wanted to do the first time I was in Paris but didn’t have time to do. Meaning we went on a cruise down the Seine! Emma, always the planner, made sure our days were chalked full of activities and I am so thankful for that. We never had a dull moment but Em and Reuben were also like me in that they are more than happy to sit in a park for a while to rest tired feet and people watch.

One of our favorite places to chill was in the Marias district where Aunt Marj, Jerri, and Hannah will be staying in a week! Here you find Paris’s oldest square complete with lots of shaded benches and lots of Parisians basking in the warm sun by the fountains. The square was bordered by 4 story red brick apartments – including Victor Hugo’s! We went inside Hugo’s house (now a museum) and I have to say, it was a pretty sweet location – at least 12 foot ceilings, crazy wall paper, giant windows, and hardwood floors. But Reuben and I both agree that the Orsay Museum (the old train station) would make the coolest house on earth. We would decorate it differently – he would have a sports court on the first floor while I would opt for a swimming pool and a ball pit like at Chuck’E’Cheeses.

We hit the big 3: the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and the crepe stands along the way! Reuben got to see the Mona Lisa for the first time along with Venus d’Milo. We walked all the way down the river to see the French Statue of Liberty (WAY smaller than the one they gave us). One of my favorite things we did was walk through the gardens of the Rodin museum. For only a euro (free for me with my handy Sevilla University card!) you get to stroll through the beautifully manicured gardens and see some of his most famous bronze statues including the Thinker!

Apart from museums and walking – we ate so well! The first night there Em treated me to dinner. What a nice big sister! We had giant salads with warm goat cheese on toast. Paris is delicious! We went to the grocery store every day and got our breakfast of yogurt, croissants, and bananas, and our lunch – a baguette split 3 ways, a delicious herb cheese spread Reuben’s grandmother would bring home from France when he was little, a carrot, apple juice, and nectarines. All for under 5 euros a person! You can’t beat that!

Our second night 3^rd night in Paris we tried to do Paris by night – to see the city of lights! We had it all planned out (thanks to Em) we would walked down the Champs-Elyesse, shopping and dessert eating until night fall when we would climb the almost 300 stairs to the top of the Arc de Triumphe. We did not triumph – the arc’s stairwell was closed indefinitely due to a strike. It was 9:50pm when we read the sign about the strike. I had an idea – at 10pm the Eiffel Tower would begin to sparkle… one problem- we were at least a mile away from the tower. We power walked like none other and in the end got to see the top 1/4^th of the tower sparkling like a jewel in the Parisian night. It was kind of comical that our city of lights night turns out to be kind of a bust – but on the plus side earlier that evening Emma and Reuben got into the Louvre for free!

The only thing we did in Paris that I would not enjoy doing again would be the sewer tour. While the information is really very interesting and I enjoyed that part, the smell I could do without. Paris has the worldest largest sewer system and it was started way before the majority of the rest of the world’s sewers. If you straightened out all of Paris’s sewers they would reach past Istanbul!

It was fun to get to shop for souvenirs with Emma because she (unlike me) actually has room to bring them home! When she gets home, she comes bearing treats for the family! Em and Reuben had a great time on their cruise and enjoyed their time in Grenoble with Reuben’s great aunt and uncle. The view from their backyard is probably the prettiest view possible. The French Alps! Right now they are on a 9 hour flight back to the states. See you both in 2 and half weeks! My backpacking is already half way over! I can’t believe it – it is going so fast!  I head from Interlaken to Vienna on the 1^st where I will meet up with Nick, my travel partner. After a couple days in Vienna, together we head onto Budapest. There could be a ruder pest! Haha Sorry, my dad’s joke!

Hannah leaves in 5 days with my Aunt Marj and Jerri to head to Paris. I will meet them on the 8^th in Brugge. I look forward to it! I have only 2 hostels left! Interlaken and Budapest. In Vienna Nick and I get to stay in a swanky 38^th floor apartment of my friend Mitzi’s aunt and uncle. In Karlsruhe, Germany I will stay with my friend Evan in his apartment (my stop between Budapest and Brugge), in Brugge and are staying and a B&B, and in Holland we get to stay with Marieke (she was an exchange student with my Mom’s family when she was younger and has stayed a close friend). I look forward to the rest of my trip and am trying to make it last! I will be happy to be home though – family, friends, and the lake await! 

Under the Arc du Triumphe!  Our semi-failed attempt at seeing Paris by night   :)

Cruising down the Seine!

The gardens at the Rodin Museum

Thinkers

Tres cute!

Notre Dame from the boat cruise view

Un croque madame  - toasted bread with melted cheese, ham, and an egg on top! Yummy, paired with goat cheese, baguette, and salad and it was a scrumptious dinner

The beginning of the Champs-Elyesse

Em and I at Luxemburg gardens - so much prettier in the summer when there are actually flowers blooming! They completely change all the flower beds and pots 3 times each year.

 

Roma!

Tossing our pennies in the Trevi!

The dome of St. Peter's from across the river

Just a really cool building and the ivy hanging from it.

^   I WANT THIS CAR   ^

Enjoying Roma by night - as always coming back to our favorite spot, the Trevi fountain

Inside St. Peter's basilica  - it's huge!

Just in case a whole bunch of good catholics want to confess at the same time....

The Sistine Chapel!  Pictures weren't allowed so I couldn't use the flash - sorry it's blurry

The street drinking fountains. The water was so good! Very refreshing and so cold!

The Coliseum - not what I expected but still very interesting it was built in the first century AD

When in Rome... do a LOT!

Oh my goodness we walked a ton in Rome! We spent 3 night in the city of the ancients. When in Rome do as the Romans do. So we strolled down the Spanish steps, tossed pennies in the Trevi fountain, explored the Coliseum and the forum, got neck cramps looking at the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, and felt like a an Episcopalian gone rouge at St. Peter’s basilica.

The Trevi both day and night was my favorite spot on Rome. We always found ourselves being drawn back to the light blue water and the intricate façade of the fountain. The lights that shine on it at night make it even prettier after dark. It was the perfect place to sit and eat my favorite combination of gelato – lemon and fruta de bosque.

Our hostel was great (minus the nasty bathrooms). It was small with only 3 rooms of bunks housing at most about 2 dozen people. It had free pasta dinner which we all ate together in the main room/kitchen/check-in/common area. There were 2 old sofas and a couple stools and everyone crowded onto them and people who had wine or beer in the fridge shared and we shared our salad mix. It was a homey experience and one I really enjoyed. I like the litter hostels where you can get to know the other people staying with you. It makes for a much more fun experience.

 We were there for 3 nights and made good friends with the people each night as new people came and old ones moved on. The last night a bunch of native Spanish speakers were there so I got to use my Spanish which I realize I miss speaking! I chatted with a couple guys from Argentina the whole night and acted as the spanish-italian translator between them and the old man who ran the hostel, not that I know Italian but I was better at guessing what each party was trying to say! 

The Coliseum was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be a big circle with a hole in the ground where people used to run away from lions. Well that’s still true, it’s a big circle and people did run away from animals but through a maze of walls. I ran into Tess, a friend from Sevilla at the Coliseum and another, Sarah, when I was in Florence– it really is a small world we live in!

We spent at least half a day in the Vatican City (its own country!) First we went into St Peter’s Basilica which is really quite impressive. I counted over 20 confessionals and not one people actually confessing. While in the Vatican I didn’t get to see the head cheese ball with the little Bo peep hat. He must have been busy that day. We grabbed some focaccia with goat cheese and of course the daily (if not twice daily…) gelato and headed back to the main city.

There is so much to see in Rome but it is easy to see. Every corner you turn there is something waiting to be discovered. We stumbled upon countless churches and arcs, fountains and ruins. We walked into a random church near the river only to find out that it was built on top of 3 ancient temples to the roman gods and the eastern wall was built around the 3 remaining columns from the original temple.

The last thing I will say about Rome is its public water fountain system. Ask any local where to get the best drinking water and they will kick you out onto the street. Rome is peppered with water spouts that you bend over and take a swig from. You can fill up a water bottle over cover the end with your finger and cause the water to pop out of a smaller hole on top that you easily bend down to drink from. Just don’t go dipping your water bottle into the Trevi. I’m not sure that would taste as good.

Love and miss you all. Pictures to come tomorrow most likely. I am enjoying Paris with Emma and Reuben so much. We are having a blast. Today was a huge day for us so we are kicking back a little more tomorrow. We had to have walked at least 10 miles today and were gone for over 13 hours! I’ll write about it all soon!  Love youuuuuuuuuuuu  - At

A picture is worth a 1000 words - CT & Florence

The cliffs we jumped from. We jumped into the middle part where the water was nice and deep and clear of rocks. Our first jump was from half up the side closest to us. The next jump was at least 3/4th of the way up the other side. Exhilarating!

I officially love the Mediterannean

Cinque Terre, you have not seen the last of me  :)

Doing cartwheels at Pisa!

My favorite view of Florence from Michaelangelo's palace

view from the top of the duomo

Gusta Pizza = best local pizza joint in Firenze! The hostel guy was impressed that we knew about it, thanks to Kenzie's friend who studied there!

A baby drinking beer at Gusta Pizza! 

The oldest bridge in Florence has shops built into it. It is a cool place to stroll during the day and has an entirely different feel at night when a guy with a guitar sings for everyone.

A leather-making school in Florence. We meet the daughters of the guy who founded the school as a way of giving orphans a livelihood. The daughters had been working there for 40 years, their bags are now legendary and run for a hefty 2,000 euros if you want a fancy one!

A ceramics shop with a cool patio

The most intense sidewalk chalk I have ever seen.

David!  You are not allowed to take pictures so I had to sneak in a side view one instead of getting a good one from the front.

The note I found attached to my shoes which were dangling from a window in our Florence hostel. The Italian guy who was my bunk mate had put them out there for me.

We enjoyed our time in Florence and have loved Rome as well. I will keep you posted in the next couple days! Enjoy  :)  Miss you all!  Love, Attie