Poland/Switzerland 2012-Final Day

I am composing this on the final flight…London to Los Angeles…and according to the map we are above Hudson Bay in Canada and have 5 hours and 30 minutes left before we land.  Libby and I have dozed on an off the last few hours as the flight so far has been very smooth.

Looking back, we had 8 flights on this trip;  1.  LA to London, 2. London to Warsaw, 3. Warsaw to Amsterdam, 4.  Amsterdam to Geneva, 5.  Geneva to Amsterdam, 6.  Amsterdam to Warsaw, 7.  Warsaw to London, and finally 8.  London to LA.  Quite a trip.  None of them was comfortable either, with the first flight LA to London on British Air leading the worst of all flights.  No leg or seat room at all.  Flying coach now days is much worse than a Grey Hound bus.  Enough complaining.

We got up at 4:45 am this morning and Risa took us to the airport.  No problems except we had a very short time between flights at London.  Made it but we had to move very fast.

If we make it to LA early as the pilot says we will, we might make it on the Airport express at 3 pm instead of 5:30 pm.  Please, please, please!!!! 

I have a cold that I got in one of flights back from Switzerland.  My ears completely plugged up upon landing in London.  Libby thinks she is getting it now.  We are taking ZiCam spray in hopes it decreases the severity and length of the cold.  We will see.

Finally, beside the flights and colds, our 11th trip to Europe was great!  Especially seeing the family and touring one of the most beautiful countries in the world;  Switzerland.  It will be good to get home though.  Less than 5 hours to LA.

We are home.  Been up 23 hours.  Ready for bed.  

 

Poland/Switzerland, Day 10…Interlaken and the Real Alps

Neither one of us slept too well last night.   Why? Who knows.  Up at 7 a.m. and off at 8 a.m. on the longest day of our trip so far.  We drove somewhere around 200 miles today in a circle route. The weather was clear and warm.  We could see the  Alps from top to bottom.  

We headed into the heart of the Alps in the south and west part of Switzerland.  We came close to the Italian and French borders on the trip. 

All of the outdoor persons were out in force especially on their Para-gliders.  The flowers were were everywhere and and it was a great day.  We stopped at a Chateau that was surrounded by vineyards whose leaves were just bursting out.

The most interesting was a ride on a train with our car that went through a 7 mile long tunnel through a mountain range.  The tunnel was completely dark the whole way.  What a day in Switzerland that we found a few words for;  dandelions, mountains, cows, and tunnels.  It also had the best roads we have ever seen. 

Tomorrow back to Poland. 

 

Poland/Switzerland, Day 9…Bern, Rude Waitress,Special Dinner

We woke up to the singing of a 1000 birds this morning even though, the sky was overcast and the Alps had disappeared in the clouds.  Even part of the lake was covered with the clouds. 

We ate a light breakfast and loaded up in the car and jumped on the autobahn and headed to Bern(Bear in French).  The closer we got to Bern, the more it cleared up.   Berne is the capital of Switzerland and it showed.  Very sophisticated and old.  We toured the gothic cathedral and it was under construction but looked perfect to us.  Built in the 1400’s out of grey stone and oak.  

About 11 am we decided to have a cup of coffee and stopped in a small café.  We sat down and the waitress came up and we ordered 4 cups of coffee and a hot chocolate.  She insisted rudely that we must order lunch or no coffee.  We insisted nicely we wanted coffee only.  Finally the standoff ended up with for us getting our coffee and chocolate for 5 and the bill was $32.00.  Yep, $32.00 instead of the $140 with lunch/coffee.  Bring money to to eat out in Switzerland.   

We headed out of Bern and stopped in the Freiburg and lunch that we had packed.  We ate it under a fountain that was build in 1526 and watched the world go by.  Home again to our apartment for a nap and when we woke the sky had completely cleared and the Alps were stunning.

We headed out to the special restaurant that served Marisa’s birthday dinner.  The restaurant “Le Museum” was in a basement and it’s specialty was potatoes au gratin made with 10 different cheeses.   It was delicious and not soon to be forgotten.

We then headed down to the lake and took a long walk among the flower gardens and we let Alex run and play with new found friends.  A terrific day in Switzerland.   

 

 

Poland/Switzerland, Day 7, 8…Montrose, Switzerland

We landed in Geneva, Switzerland last evening…I mean thumped in and the majority of the passengers were green.  The flight path from Amsterdam climbs over the Alps and then the plane dives into a valley that is surrounded by huge mountain ranges on both sides and ends with a wall of rock.  The winds throw the plane around as it maneuvers at the end of the valley… plane turns…and then it bounces in for a landing in the rain.  Luke, Risa, and Alex are running in the rain toward the rental car building.  

It was in the low 40’s F and cloudy.  For the first time in 7 days, were were dressed correctly in coats and warm clothes.  We rented a van and loaded up and headed off along Geneva Lake for 50 miles or so and made a stop at the COOP grocery store for tea, bread, cheese, yogurt’s and milk for breakfast. That really tasted good this morning.

We had a GPS from Luke and Marisa’s friend and it took us right to our apartment overlooking the lake and the Alps.  What a view this morning.  A camera cannot take it all in. 

We unpacked in the 3 bed room apartment and I made a pot of soup with fresh bread and of course a sweet.  Slept well last night. 

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We really got a good view of our apartment this morning.

 

Great place to live for 5 days. 

After breakfast we headed out for a long day!  First to the Castle Chillon.  Built back in the 12th century it was a great tour.

We then headed off to Gruyere about 30 miles from our apartment.  We toured a cheese factory, a chocolate factory and ate a $105 lunch.  Switzerland is not  cheap place to eat out.  Nice lunch though. 

The cheese factory is a special place as it was where the first Gruyere cheese was made.  It is a powerful and delicious cheese.  The cows that provide the milk are all around the factory.

We then headed off to the famous Nestle chocolate factory.  My stomach hurts.  Great tour with as much chocolate a human could eat. 

Finally home again and grocery shopping for the next 4 days.  Happy birthday daughter Marisa.  We enjoyed spending you B-day with you in Switzerland. 

 

Packing Day and Checking the Weather

Our packing lists are done and packing time is upon us.  We have done this so many times that  it’s second nature for us.   The 10 day forecast for Switzerland is 60 high-40 low, and rain, rain, rain.  Guess that answers the “Desert Dog’s” question about a rain coat and umbrella.  Just checked the temperature here in Palmdale, 42.

Mary;  should we take any shorts with us on the trip?

 

Well Here We Go Again!

Libby and I looked at each other the other day and laughed.  2012-13 looks to be the biggest year of travel for us since we retired 11 years ago.  Don’t blame it on us;  blame it on our kids, family, and college basketball team.  

We headed off to Sacramento, California in March for the Junior College final 4 championship.  Our guys were 24-8 for the year and we had a great time.  Didn’t win the championship but “wait till next year!”

Then we had my sister Connie and her husband David along with their daughter Rhynda and her two boys aged 5 and 3.  Busy 8 days including a trip to the big cat breeding compound locally, parks and of course Disneyland!

We took a deep breath and we leave LAX on April 24, 2012( 9 days) for Warsaw, Poland.  We will be at our kids house for 5 days and then we all jump a plane for 5 days to Geneva, Switzerland.  We have a 3 bedroom apartment overlooking Lake Geneva and with Marisa leading the charge, I expect we will be all over Alps in those 5 days.  Then back to Warsaw for 4 days and back home. 

Another deep breath now and Marisa, Luke, and Alex will be arriving in early June for a month and then we will be taking off mid-July on a 5 day driving trip to…we believe…Atlanta, Georgia where they will be on a sabbatical for a year.  A few days there to help them settle into their new home and off on the 5 day return trip to Palmdale. 

Should be home a week or so and the off for 8 days to the North Shore of Hawaii with our son Jeff and his family Alexis, Bailey, and baby Olivia.  We have 3 bed room apartment there and it should be fun!  That all so far but one knows what else could come up!   We will have 4 months left in the year. 

I will be keeping you all informed on our trips as usual on this site so please enjoy our trips with us.