A Weekend In and Out of France… Twice

Saturday, August 28 - Sunday, August 29 2010

You may recall us describing Geneva, geographically, as a peninsula sticking into France (imagine Florida sticking into the ocean, that’s pretty much the same thing).  Needless to say, we are close and weekend trips are a breeze.  We decided to take advantage of that fact this weekend with two different trips into France, one on Saturday and one on Sunday.
 
Annecy, France, is about 45 km from the Geneva city center.  It’s been a popular day-trip among our Expedia co-workers, so we decided it was our turn to pay a visit.  We caught a bus out of Geneva on Saturday morning and arrived at around 11am in Annecy.  (Of course, to prove that this really is a popular Expedia destination, we ran into one of our co-workers taking his family on the same excursion).  It occurred to us shortly after stepping off the bus that this was one of the few trips we’ve ever taken that didn’t have some sort of a schedule previously planned by us.  All we knew was that we needed to make it back to the bus at 5:15 for our return ride; the rest was up in the air...
 
We started by exploring the downtown market area.  The architecture was so quaint and charming it was hard not to take photos of every building (seriously, Dave took way too many-- our favorites are below).  To add to the charm, the once-a-month flea market was going on that day so vendors were sprawled out everywhere selling ‘antiques’ (mostly old junk according to Dave).  Ang saw a lot of cool stuff and was tempted, but the prices were even too much for her to swallow.
 

Notre Dame de Liesse

We are learning through visits of other European towns that part of the fun in traveling to these places is discovering new and unexpected things.  For example, the ice cream in Annecy was presented in a way we’ve never seen.  As you can see from the photo, it looked like blobs of frosting.  But when served, it’s as cold and delicious as ever.  Fun fact: Have you ever thought about what ‘Notre Dame' translates to?  “Our Lady”—made sense once we thought about it.  We came across a large cathedral named Norte Dame de Liesse, which translates to “Our Lady of Joy”.  It was beautifully ornate and peaceful.  Another treat was stumbling across a café that was playing covers of Michael Jackson songs, only in a very slow, swanky, laid-back fashion.  We tried to capture some of the audio when they were playing the song “Wanna Be Starting Something” but after reviewing the tape it didn't turn out.  The best was the first song we heard—“Thriller”—and thinking, “Wait, why do I sort of recognize this song, but sort of not…?” And then finally realizing what it was… while dumbfounded that someone would change up a classic so drastically and somehow make money off of it —very amusing to us.




We rounded out the day with a hike up to Basilique de La Visitation, which as you can see was hard to miss when viewing the town from the waterfront.  After reaching the basilica and checking out the great view of Annecy from above, we caught the bus and were back in Geneva to relax and prepare for another adventure on Sunday.






La Saleve, a large hill/small mountain in France just Southeast of Geneva, has been taunting us ever since we arrived here.  It’s actually in the same area where our friend Jaime and his family live, in Veyrier, and where the Tour de France rode by in July.  The forecast called for clear skies on Sunday so we planned accordingly and decided that we would conquer the beast.  Ok, beast is a little bit of an exaggeration, but it was a bit of a strenuous hike—a good challenge.  While we thought it would take longer, it was only about an hour and a half to climb up to the main attraction, the Telepherique du Saleve, a large cable car that transports less ambitious tourists to and from the top of La Saleve and the town at the base of the mountain.
 

As you can see from the photos below, we chose the right day to hike!  The views of Geneva and the surrounding lake and hillsides were amazing.  We could literally see our house from up there. (In the zoomed in city photo below—the one without the fountain—you can see a large circus tent in the middle-left.  Our building is the pinkish one two buildings to the left of the tent’s steeple.)  To add to the fun of the day, we ran into one of our co-workers randomly as we were enjoying the view. (We’ve heard Geneva is a small place but are now starting to realize it for ourselves.) 
 

Besides a lookout area known for stunning views, or perhaps because of it, La Saleve is a popular paragliding launch site.  We were lucky enough to catch a lift-off on our Flip Video (below).  Maybe someday we’ll head up and experience La Saleve on a whole other level…!

Lucerne? Check.

Saturday, August 21 - Sunday, August 22 2010 

Ang with Priyanka and Sid

Not only was this our first over-night trip since arriving, but it also marked our first group-trip.  There is another “Expedia-power-couple” (both work at Expedia) over here in Geneva - Priyanka and Sid - who let us tag along on this trip.  They are nuts when it comes to travel, and have been gone pretty much every weekend since the beginning of July.  Priyanka seems to have found her second calling in life doing itinerary planning, so when she invited us to come along and presented us with a list of all the things to do in Lucerne, it was really easy to say ‘yes’.  :)

We left early Saturday morning, by train, to Lucerne and arrived around 10am.  The first order of business (and most exciting for Priyanka) was to scale Mt. Pilatus.  No, we did not do this by foot, although we did see others attempting this and we both agreed that it would be a fun option for next time.  The round trip from Lucerne to Mt. Pilatus started with a 90-minute scenic boat ride offering views of grassy hillsides and tall hills/mountains that screamed ‘Switzerland’.  At the end of the ride we reached the base point for the steepest cogwheel train in the world (or so the signs claim—but it is the Alps, so we’ll trust them), which would be our ride up.  We’ve heard stories that the alpine transportation infrastructure in Switzerland is second to none and we are slowly seeing why.  The ride up was filled with more ‘classic Switzerland’: steep mountains, green pastures and even cows with large, loud bells around their necks! (video below)  Ang commented that those poor cows must be deaf by the end of their lives because the sound of those bells really carries!

Toward the end of the ride we entered some fog, which made us nervous, and once we reached the top, ours fears became a reality – no spectacular views to behold! :(  Yes, we were almost completely fogged in, although Dave thought for a second he could make out Lake Lucerne below, but he was probably just making that up to look cool.  Nonetheless, the top of the mountain was fun even without the view.  We enjoyed a bratwurst while listening to the four-piece band and there was even a guy walking around with an Alp-horn (long horn seen on the ‘Ricola’ commercials).  Surprisingly, there are two hotels at the top (fun fact: one of them named the ‘Bellevue’ Hotel) and a couple restaurants, so it’s quite developed for the little amount of flat ground up there.  


We saw something neat as we were hiking up a path to the main viewpoint - we were pleasantly surprised to find a plaque with Psalm 66:5 posted on the mountainside.  Of course it was in German-- so we didn’t immediately know what it said.  Come to find out, it reads: "Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf!"  Yes, indeed!

After holding out for about an hour to see if things would clear up, we gave in and took the gondola ride down the other side of the mountain.  We spent the last couple of hours with Priyanka and Sid walking around downtown Lucerne (they were taking a train to Zurich that night…did we mention they were nuts when it comes to travel?).  We finished the evening checking out a couple more sights in the city and had a great dinner at a little Italian restaurant, which quickly became one of our favorites because of the amazing food and wine (some of the best we’ve found over here!).

We promise we usually won’t write in detail about our lodging accommodations in order to keep these posts from turning into a small book (too late), unless of course it’s special.  The hotel we opted to stay in that night was called the ‘Jail Hotel’.  Not metaphorically, but literally.  It was a functioning prison from 1863 until 1998 (watch out for Dave, he only plans the best for his lady!).  As you can see from the photos below, it had less of a ‘prison’ feel to it and more of a ‘minimum security’ vibe.  It even still had bars in the windows!  


We at least pushed the beds together.  It actually turned out to be a great stay except that the hotel was a magnet for the younger crowd (noisy all night) being that it’s by far the cheapest lodging in the area.  The front desk did provide complimentary ear plugs, so at least we had that going for us.

The next morning we took a self-walking tour around the city.  Lucerne is surprisingly similar to Geneva, just a little smaller.  We included some of our favorite shots below. 

Mt. Pilatus...on a clear day

Finally, a few hours before our train back to Geneva, we spent some time in the Transportation Museum.  Take every form of transportation that you can think of and it was all probably there.  It had great reviews as a family activity but actually turned out to be pretty interesting for adults, too.  We spent around four hours exploring each unique exhibit about how different forms of transportation have evolved over time.  And of course we had to save the best for last-- the tractors. :)  A few choice shots below.  (If only the Germans knew how funny their language is).

So that’s Lucerne!  Checked off the list.

Great News!

No, we're not pregnant... haha.

Ang got a promotion today!  Her new title is "Instructional Designer", which basically means her main emphasis will be creating training materials, documentation, and videos for our internal lodging teams and external hotel partners.  Well deserved --- so says me (Dave)!  We celebrated with a delicious pizza dinner.  Yum.  We are super excited and just wanted to share the news. :)

Swiss Wine Hike

Saturday, August 14 2010 


This weekend we enjoyed our first official outing together since arriving in Geneva.  Dave found a website outlining the 32 most enjoyable hikes in Switzerland.  The first one was calling our name (“Swiss Wine Hike”), a day hike through the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces on the shores of Lake Geneva.  We took roughly an hour train ride to the small town of St. Saphorin.  The plan was to hike 11K to the town of Lutry and train back home.  Once we arrived it was like being transported back hundreds of years.  As you can see from the pictures below, the villages were quaint, the vineyards were lush, and views were awe-inspiring.  We couldn’t wait to do some tasting…the only problem is that nothing was open to taste!  Out of the 5 or 6 villages and dozens of wine caves, only 2 or 3 of them actually opened that day and only during the evening hours (we arrived at noon ready for business!).  Unfortunately we found all this out slowly throughout the day and ended up making it to only one tasting room.  Regardless, the wine we did try was pretty delicious and the wine maker was very hospitable.  Dave was even able to speak a little French to him, telling him the wine was très bien (very good), at which the wine maker smiled (perhaps he understood, perhaps he was just being polite).  In the end it was a fun first adventure for us and great exercise climbing up and down the rolling vineyard hills.

Speaking of pleasant encounters, we are continually amazed by all the friendly people over here.  It’s not just new acquaintances, it’s pretty much everyone we interact with.  One of our favorite things to do thus far is go out to the local farmers market in the park right outside of our place.  Even after we ask the vendors parlez-vous anglais (do you speak English) and clearly establish that we are not from around here with our dumbfounded looks when they try to speak French back to us, they just smile warmly as we fumble our way through the transaction and say merci beaucoup, au revoir (thank you very much, goodbye).  We bought some snowshoes for Dave off of our local Craigslist-type site, and when we met up with the seller we immediately hit it off and are going to have a drink with him this week.  At the fireworks show we met a nice couple that invited us over the next day and offered to loan us several hiking maps and a DVD player.  What a blessing to help us settle in and feel more comfortable and at home in our new city.

Fireworks in Geneva

Saturday, August 7 2010 


Aside from the joy of unpacking and setting up shop, we did have some fun breaks to enjoy Geneva over the last couple of weeks.  The first day in August was Swiss National Day (Geneva’s Independence Day).  We aren’t quite sure yet who they became independent from, but it was a great excuse to set off fireworks!  On Saturday night (the 31st) there was a “big” (at least we thought it was big at the time) firework show over the lake, which we caught a glimpse of from the park outside our home.  The next night (the actual holiday) we got a taste of the celebration up close.  In one of the parks near our place, we stumbled upon a designated firework area and people were going crazy lighting off all the fireworks they had.  Apparently it was legal, albeit not safe (so says motherly Ang).  After enjoying the show put on by the pyro-Swiss citizens, we continued on and witnessed a bizarre (but not really surprising anymore) interpretive dance with people in large, illuminated blow-up suits.  We can’t really explain it, but you can see it below.  The people around us seemed to love it so I guess that’s all that matters. 

Yeah, we don’t get it either.

Above we mentioned that there was a “big” firework show the weekend of Swiss National Day.  Well that was nothing compared to a week later.  Dave’s boss was lucky enough to score an amazing apartment with a roof-top terrace.  His view is incredible any day of the week, but it was prime real estate for the show on Saturday.  Unfortunately the video below doesn’t do it justice, but this was every firework show we’ve ever seen in the states on steroids…x10.  We literally found ourselves speechless, staring in awe throughout the 45 minute firework show (yes, 45 minutes—we don’t even want to know the price tag).  When they opened the first 5 minutes with what would have been an encore in any respectable show, we knew we were in for something special.  It even had an intermission!  We were told it continues to be one of the biggest firework shows in the world and that different countries sponsor it every year.  One of our friends asked a local what they thought of the show this year, and the guy said it was just “ok” because a few years ago the Russians were in charge and they sent skydivers jumping out of planes with fireworks attached to them.  Seriously.  Maybe Moscow for New Year’s Eve this year?

All Settled In

Almost a two-week drought in blog posts, we are so ashamed! :)  As you can probably imagine it’s been a busy week and a half of settling in with our sea freight delivery.  Yes, it does feel nice as we sit here in our living room/dining room (did we mention our place was small?) sipping wine, but it took several long nights and trips to different department stores to make it happen.

Our sea freight arrived in the morning as planned on Wednesday (the 4th).  The movers were actually from Germany, which is where our stuff passed the customs process, so they knew about as much French as we did.  The lead mover spoke a fair amount of English so he did most of the interacting with us, like asking which room certain boxes went in, etc.  Surprisingly it only took about 3 hours and everything was unloaded, but not necessarily unpacked.  The movers hung around until all the furniture was put back together and everything was unwrapped (all that excessive paper that the U.S. crew used to pack our things had to go somewhere).  A couple dozen boxes remained-- this was the fun we would have over the next several days.  You can see from the video below, what the place looked like right after they left. 

Long story short, everything is now organized, put away, hung, stored, clean, etc. (except our ceiling light fixtures which will be another adventure) and it feels great!  We’ve now lived in 3 different homes during our 3 years of marriage, and each time we move we improve our time trial for unpacking and getting settled.  Probably helps that we seem to downsize the square footage each time we move. :)  Below is a video walk-through tour of our new home and several pictures…

Master Bedroom

Master Bedroom

Guest Bedroom

Kitchen

Kitchen

Living Room

Living Room

Back in Geneva

We’ve been living in our new home for over a week now (!) and the jet lag is only now starting to wear off. :)  Regardless, we’ve really enjoyed getting to know our new city—the old architecture is fantastic and the area is just beautiful.  Below are a few photos of what we see everyday as we walk to and from work.  Also, for anyone who comes to visit—have no fear, there is a McDonald's within a block of our apartment. :)  Although don’t be shocked when you fork over nearly $13 for a “Cheeseburger Royal” (basically a quarter-pounder) with fries & a soda.

 
One night we were walking home at about 11:30 and it was surprisingly dead quiet as we walked through Old Town.  As we turned the corner toward the Cathedral of Saint Pierre (photo on left), we were astounded to hear an organ playing quite loudly.  Someone inside the cathedral was going crazy on what sounded like an immense pipe organ—at 11:30 at night!  Ang convinced Dave to stop and sit on the steps to listen.  We sat there nearly dumbfounded at the serenity—there was not a sound around us other than the organ playing rapidly and beautifully; the only light to be seen was that of the cathedral steps and the moon.  It was great.

Luckily we were able to wrap up the rest of our move activities in just a few days last week.  On Wednesday we finally figured out how to rent a Mobility car and we were off, driving for the first time in Europe!  Driving in Switzerland is challenging, the only saving grace is that we kind of knew where we were going.  The Swiss don’t see a need to post large street signs (or at times any street signs at all) in their intersections like we do in the states.  Most street signs are a small blue plaque on the corner of a building, which is impossible to see from the intersection.  Regardless, we carefully made our way down to Jaime’s place to retrieve our things.

We also scored a TV from a nice couple in France who posted an ad on a local Craigslist-like site (they are about to move to New York and couldn’t take the TV with them due to voltage & signal differences, so we got a great deal).  By the time we got back to Geneva, our car reservation was up, so we returned the car and walked the TV home (about a mile).  :)

On Friday we were invited to go out to the town of Nyon (20 minute train ride from Geneva) to watch a rugby match—our first ever rugby match.  We were somewhat familiar with the basic concept of rugby, but the extra knowledge we derived from the movie "Invictus" helped, too (who says Hollywood isn’t informative?).  One surprise to both of us was the size of the players – practically monsters!  A couple of guys had arms that were nearly the size of Dave’s legs (only pure muscle).  It was an exhibition match (basically a scrimmage) but that didn’t really matter to us.  We enjoyed some cold beer and delicious sausages while watching large men beat the living crap out of each other. (a little glimpse below)

Back to the jet lag.  We did far too much sleeping-in this weekend, getting out of bed at the crack of 11am on Saturday and Sunday.  It really puts a cramp in exploring the area!  Fortunately we did drag ourselves out of the house on Sunday to enjoy the 85 degree weather on Lake Geneva at Bains des Paquis.  This park, which is essentially a lake front water area, is probably the cheapest activity in Geneva at $2 per person.  The highlight of the park is a large three-tiered structure, which has jumping areas off of three different heights.  The first at about 10 ft, second at about 25 ft and the third at about 35 ft.  It took a little courage but Dave eventually made it off all three, while Ang did the first two and vowed to tackle the highest jump next time (yeah right).  She made a deal with a 10-year-old girl that she’d jump off the middle tier if the little girl would, too.  (Yep, the girl ended up having to jump first). 

It’s our last night with temporary furniture before the movers come tomorrow morning to deliver our sea shipment!  Hopefully by the end of the week (and after a large IKEA run this weekend) we will be settled in.  Next time we’ll post some pictures and videos of all the excitement.