We diverted from our original itinerary when we learned that
Kristina and David, fellow round-the-world travelers who we knew from their website http://www.wired2theworld.com were going to be
near us in Europe. They were just ending their trip, and as we were just beginning we
thought it would be neat to meet and compare notes.
We took a night train from Barcelona to Geneva, and spent
several hours exploring that town. Geneva is your typical European city except every
other building housed a bank. Our highlights included climbing up many stairs of a church
to view the city from its towers and exploring an artist's community on the edge of
town.
Then we took several smaller trains and buses to get to the
small mountain village of Champery, where Kristina and David were staying.
We landed in heaven on earth. Not only were we able to
finally meet David and Kristina and hear about many of their adventures--some of which
didn't make their website--but their chalet was in the middle of a fabulous little alpine
village, and had many of "the comforts of home" that we had forgotten about in
two short months. Many we didn't think we'd encounter until we returned to the States. We
could:
- drink the alpine tap water
- watch CNN and NBC in English
- put ice cubes in our drinks
- do laundry with washers and dryers (virtually
unheard of)
- drive around in their car
- peruse through a library of books in English
Those little luxuries alone would have been enough to call
it heaven, but Kristina, being a chef from LA, also whipped up gourmet fare for us the
entire time we were there, including a traditional Swiss Fondue.
Kristina and David were wonderful and we had a great time
talking with them and sharing travel stories. Being the "old masters" they
prepared us for a lot of little-known things. We just absorbed as much information as we
could including some Telephone 101 tips on how to connect a computer to the Internet from
different hotels, with different challenges and only a small screwdriver. Hopefully
this will help us get our updates out a bit quicker!
The only bummer to our mini-holiday was that it rained on
our one full day there, so we couldn't go on a mountain hike. But during a small break in
the clouds we were able to explore an old castle near town.
One of the benefits of "neutrality" is
well-preserved ruins. Montreaux's Castle Chillon seemed very livable and was in great
condition--considering that parts of it dated back to the Bronze Age, with the first of
many subsequent additions and renovations starting in the 11th century.
And we can't forget the cow judging contest right down the
road from the chalet. We woke up to find several dozen cows arranged in long rows on a
sandy patch of land. It was pouring rain and the judges (and presumably the owners) had
left to partake in a nearby cookout. So the cows saw us and noisily tried to plead their
case--they did NOT like it out there in the rain. And who could blame them. They did look
quite picturesque though; they all sported large leather collars with traditional Swiss
canton designs and huge metal bells.
Between our new friends, the Alps, the cows, Kristina's
fondue, David's stories about life in Switzerland (he spent a year of his childhood living
in that chalet) we were truly experiencing the best of Swiss life. Heck, we were
living the best of any life.
We're surprised we ever left. If it wasn't for the
fact we had already booked our train to Venice, they might not have been able to get rid
of us. We stayed up all night chatting, watching Leno and Conan, and getting caught up on
the Kosovo situation. Sadly, we left at the crack of dawn--just as the clouds were
starting to break. And we were off to Venice.
