Posts tagged Switzerland
Hiking the Swiss Alps
You haven’t experienced true natural beauty until you arrive in Switzerland – well, at least I hadn’t.
“It’s impossible to take a bad photo here” was the first thing we were told by our tour guide, Sam from Topdeck, upon entering the village of Lauterbrunnen.
And she couldn’t have been more right. Holy cow (and sheep), the Swiss Alps are absolutely glorious.
I almost started crying as we drove through the mountains, and it wasn’t due to acrophobia. The way the snow-capped peaks sit against the clear blue skies is absolutely picturesque. It’s unreal. And it’s so clean – the air, the water, the land – everything. The water is so pure that you can drink from the creeks.
I went hiking up a mountain and didn’t even have to worry about running out of drinking water. I simply filled up my bottle from the nearest creek. Twice.
What makes Switzerland even better is that its people truly care about their environment. Not only do they not litter, they recycle every single thing possible, and actually have to pay to dispose of non-recyclables. Wouldn’t it be awesome if the whole world shared this same mentality? It definitely helps make for a beautiful experience.
I will undoubtedly going back to the Swiss Alps. And this time I’ll be camping.
Fondue Fountain
Just due it. Fondue it. And I can assure you it will be one of the best eating experiences of your life.
Everybody’s got to love a chocolate fountain, right? Even if you may not be the world’s biggest chocolate lover, you can still respect the culinary ingenuity of a flowing fountain of chocolatey goodness. Being the connoisseur of it that I am, I stopped dead in my tracks at the sight of the 3-tiered chocolate lava flow from a Swiss restaurant window.
The chocolate freak in me had to investigate the scene.
I detour inside the quaint and colorful eatery only to find that Team Nat Kat had just stumbled across one of Zurich’s best fondue restaurants in all of Old Town! Of course it’s the best… they have a chocolate fountain window display. Restaurant WIN.
The popular place attracts such a crowd that we wait 3 hours to taste test the award-winning fondue.
As the clock tower strikes 9 and our stomach levels approach empty, we are seated at a romantic table for two with multicolored sets of fondue sticks. Kathryn and I both agree that the restaurant has the feel of a Swiss ski lodge and Cracker Barrel hybrid with smells of melted cheese and toasted bread mingling in the air.
At last, our kind waitress brings on the edible goods as pots are plugged in, lit, and the cheese melting ensues. Bottomless bread slices dipped in the flavorful raclette cheese have never tasted so delicious.
We stabbed.
We dipped.
We ate.
And just when we thought we could handle no more, we made way for the infamous chocolate fondue. I’m positive this is what heaven tastes like.
So here’s to you, chocolate fountain that brought the masses. Because of you and the 3 hour wait that expanded our stomachs, we could fully enjoy every ounce of our meal! Thanks. You are the best.
Visting Swizterland and Paris
From the relaxed chaos that is Italy, we made our way to the on-time and ever-clean country of Switzerland…and what a stunning country it is!
Seriously, folks – the scenery is wild.
Upon entering the country, we hopped on a tram and headed up to the mountains to appreciate the Alps and lakes spread out beneath us. Even the most talkative were left momentarily breathless (and not just because of altitude).
We rocked out with those big horns you see in Ricola commercials (what are they called again?) and pretended we were mountaineers, standing tall and proud above the green and snowy peaks. I’ll tell you – that’s a great way to clear your mind. If ever you’re in need of some R&R, hit up Stanserhorn. After that, we ventured on to Lucerne, a stunning little place! We wandered about awhile before drinking in the scenery on an evening cruise upon the lake. Then back to the hotel…a converted woman’s prison. Uh, what?? Not as creepy as it sounds, though…unless you’re alone in a 4-bed room like I was! Oh dear 
Then after Lucerne, we made our way to the city of lights and love: Paris. Upon entering the city, Pom Pom and our driver Super Pete took us on an absolutely fabulous Illuminations Tour of the city by evening. In all seriousness, I had been to Paris twice before, and this tour made it new again. New and perhaps even more exciting than it had been the other times. Honestly! We got jokes, history, and unparalleled guidance before making it to the Eiffel Tour just in time to see it light up with flashing fairy lights it displays each evening. It was an entirely magical evening.
The following day we were free to roam Paris, so I attended the optional perfumery tour, got all snazzed up with a new fragrance, then explored the city with some of my new found friends. We made sure to visit cathedrals, drink plenty of coffee, and ride the carousels like any good Parisian would do. And if that’s not Parisian, well…okay, so the carousels bit isn’t really, but it was a blast anyway! Then on to the Arc de Triomph and Champs Elysees for some shopping.
That night we hit up a traditional Parisian cabaret which was absolutely nuts! Balancing acts, women twirling about on ropes hung from the ceiling, magic, juggling, dance and song…not to mention the delicious dinner and drinks. Wow, buddy was the show awesome! And after that, we had one last night all together in the big city of Pah-ree before heading our separate ways the next morning. Let me just say that it was really difficult to say goodbye to all the people we’ve gotten to know so well over the last two weeks. I miss them already!
Alas, the incredible whirlwind of a trip has come to an end and I can’t stress enough how blown away I am by the amount of fun I had on this tour. I met an insanely fun bunch of people, visited a crazy number of vastly different cities and countries, and mixed the cultural, social, and geographical in ways I didn’t think possible in 13 days.
And for those of you who have been asking about my tech gear, I’ve been using the most chic little black Mac you’ve ever seen. I’ve heard more pickup lines while carrying this thing than during the entirety of my life…all the youngsters just want my laptop 
I’m using iMovie and iPhoto for the pics and podcasts, so check them out if you’re into user-friendly programs!
Off to Berlin tomorrow to meet up with tour two, so wish me luck! Look forward to being in contact soon.
