After a nice weekend in Amsterdam and Bruges with the Diane's we started off our next travel chapter in Geneva, Switzerland. A quick flight, we hopped on the first train out and made our way to Interlaken. The city, or village, is so sweet, quiet and breathtaking. I love being surrounded by snow-capped mountains and tons of huge trees, beautiful lakes and flowers! Interlaken is the oldest tourist resort in Switzerland and has a population of 5,400. This small city offers a ton of physical activities - skydiving, paragliding, canyoning, hang gliding and skiing. We opted more for walking, people watching and taking pictures!
Our first day was a bit of a lazy-catch up day. We lounged around our hotel (Hotel Interlaken) and then walked around the city and had a lovely dinner at Des Alpes. My mom ordered an amazing arrangement of bacon, ham, cheese, onion and egg (Rosti). She loved every bite!!!
The next day we took a 25 minute train to Lauterbrunnen - known as the largest u-shaped valley in Europe and also as the valley of 72 waterfalls. Lauterbrunnen offers amazing mountain railways and some of Europe's most stunning scenery. Like Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen has many opportunities for hiking, biking, climbing, skiing and snowshoeing. The population is around 2,500.
We made our way up to the Jungfraujoch - the Top of Europe (highest train station in Europe). The ride up took about 2 hours and we reached an altitude of 13,642 feet. UNESCO World Heritage of the Swiss Alps protects the history and beauty of Jungfraujoch's Sphinx Observation Hall, the Ice Palace and the plateau walks. I unfortunately couldn't make it to the Ice Palace as the altitude caught up with me. Diane E. went ahead and had an amazing time! Dinner was at our hotel - Silberhorn - and I treated myself to a Rosti - what I believe to be a staple of Switzerland.
The next morning we did a small hike to Staubbach Fall - landmark of Lauterbrunnen and Europe's highest free-falling waterfall. The town is breathtaking and adorable. The surrounding mountains are so massive and gorgeous. We saw more cows with bells and waterfalls than we did locals. For lunch we snacked on fresh minced meat pies and quiches. As it started to rain the Diane's shopped around the little stores (which finally opened after a long 2 hour lunch). Later we had dinner at the hotel - really yummy brocolli soup and Pinot Noir - a nice dinner with mom!!!
Next to our hotel was a funicular to Murren (a neighboring town). From Murren we were able to take another funicular to Schilthorn mountain, about 9,744 feet up. The station has panorama views which were absolutely spectacular. The views span over to Titlis, Jungfrau, Eiger, and over the Alps to the Jura mountains and Mont Blanc. This is also the film location for the James Bond movie, 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service.'
Next stop, the Trummelbach Falls (Trummelbachfalle). This is the only mountain in Europe to have 10 glacier waterfalls inside the mountain. The falls drain the glaciers of Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau (draining up to 20,000 liters per second). The various waterfalls were so powerful. We noticed that the waterfalls, rivers and lakes seemed to be a grayish-blue and later learned that was due to the mountains being made of limestone and quartz.
Early start for our train trip to Italy - we started in Lauterbrunnen to Interlaken, then Luzern, to Arth Goldau, to Milan, and finally Varenna! All day traveling on a train, but well worth it when you end up in Lake Como, Italy! And on a sweet note - we celebrated Diane E's birthday today. Lake Como is the third largest lake in Italy and one of the deepest in Europe (more than 656 ft.). This is a very popular tourist attraction - even George Clooney has a home in the Como area! The lake is shaped like a "Y" and has easy public ferry systems taking you to the three main towns, Bellagio, Menaggio, and Varenna. There are many beautiful villas, shops, restaurants and activities in all of these tiny towns.
We checked into our beautiful hotel - Hotel Du Luc (a romantic flower-covered villa on the lakefront in Varenna) and took a stroll along the water and celebrated Diane's birthday at Il Molo over spaghetti, gnocchi, bruschetta and wine! Happy Birthday Diane!
The next morning we headed to the ferry to scope out neighboring towns in Lake Como. The ferry took us to Bellagio (the Pearl of Lake Como) for our first stop. The town is absolutely breathtaking and covered in lush green vegetation. This area is known for its narrow streets, steep steps, and its beauty and hospitality. So many boutiques, cafes and various shops, our eyes darted from one place to the next. I would have to say my highlight was the pistacchio gelato! Best way to walk around the cobblestone alleys - with a gelato in one hand or in both! We bought a few souvenirs, admired the scarves, sunflowers & villas, and enjoyed a glass of wine at Apertivo before hopping on the ferry to the next town - Menaggio. Menaggio lacked the stores and tourists, but still had beautiful neighborhoods, nice people and good food!
Final trip back to Varenna, by far my favorite place on Lake Como! Varenna stimulates all of your senses. There is so much texture to admire, beautiful landscapes and views of the enormous lake. The smell of jasmine floated thru the air, sounds of the wind and waves over the lake, the warm wind on our faces, the hot sun shining, big green trees, unique architecture, nice people to chat with, and tasty and delicious eats. I love Italy!
Diane and I hiked up to Castello Di Vezio. The origins of this castle are still unclear - historians believe the name is most likely Roman. The castle sits on top of the hill in the town of Vezio. The view is spectacular, which looks onto Varenna below and you see the lake with its peninsula where Bellagio is situated and divides the lake into two parts. There are ghosts in the castle grounds which are made from white chalk. The grounds were covered in all sorts of vegetation - olive trees, walnuts, figs, jasmine, and pear trees. There is also a section where the "birds of prey" are kept during the day. The falconry has a care and training center for birds of prey which allows the public to know, appreciate and support the ancient art. After our big hike we made our way back to the town, got some much needed gelato and sat out on the beach.
The next day we got up bright and early for yet another train ride to Milan, then off to Venice. Before getting on the train we met a couple - got to talking and found out she grew up in Tacoma, went to my high school and her sister-in-law works with my Dad. I also found out that my friend Danny walked the streets of Varenna at the same time as me, we just missed each other, that would of been an amazing coincidence to see him! Once we made it to the train station we were greeted by Diane E's daughter and son-in-law Katie and Clay. Clay is in the Airforce (Aviano), and he & Katie have lived out in Italy since November in a small city called Budoia (Dardago). We spent some time on the base, doing laundry and shopping in a regular Amercanized grocery store. It was such a trip listening to all the American accents, seeing all the Ford trucks and being able to use US dollars. After a short tour of the base we drove over to the Dolomites. The Dolomites are known for their famous valleys and towns during the winter ski season. The mountains are made of sedimentary rock, similar to limestone, giving it a unique shape and color.
The next day we spent some time at a few vineyards, tasting wine and talking to the Italian owners - who loved sharing their stories about the wine business and their love of good wines! My favorites - a really bubbly and dry Prosecco and deep earthy Merlot - compliments of Gelisi Antonio.
Realizing over drinks and dinner that Slovenia is only a 3 hour drive away, we opted for a quick road trip to the city Bled. Bled is known for its castle, lake and parish church. The population is around 11,000. The glacial Lake Bled is a perfect place for a long walk and bike ride - so many beautiful trees and plants. The water is a pretty sea green, so clear and full of fish and lily pads.
The area is also known for its skiing. This lake sits along snow-capped mountains, making it a perfect winter getaway. We walked around the lake - making stops at pretty picture opps, viewed local art and finally a icecream stop! At the half-way mark, we found the lodge for all the rowing boats - Lake Bled is the home for the World Rowing Competition (next meet in August).
Assumption of Mary Pilgrimage Church sits on a tiny island in the middle of the lake. There are multiple stairs heading up to the church. Tourists ring the bells there for good luck!
We snacked on yummy Kremna Rezina, a delicious vanilla-and-cream pastry - made only in Bled!
On top of a rock overlooking the lake is the Bled Castle. We visited the Castle museum and enjoyed the panoramic views. Diane E. unfortunately bled in Bled - took a tumble down some steps (but is OK). We all made it back in one piece and dined at BeFed - a popular chicken restaurant - no utensils, just spicy chicken and buttery fries!
For the weekend, Katie, Clay, the Diane's and I took the train to Venice and then hopped on the next Vaporetto (bus-boat) to the Accadimia area and stayed at La Canda Montin. The day was spent getting lost along the canals, shopping, eating gelato, drinking apero spritz and prosecco and touring the landmarks - the Doge's Palace (palace of former rulers, court and prison), St. Mark's Square, and Bridge of Sighs (famous enclosed bridge outside Doge's Palace where the prisoners would catch a glimpse of Venice before going into the dungeon therefore making them "sigh"), and Campanile - bell tower on St. Mark's Square - the best view of Venice.
Later that evening we hopped into a gondola (a symbol of the city) and had a lovely dinner along Canal Grande - devouring mussels, clams, pasta and caprese salads! The night ended with some planking, naturally!
The next day we made our way to the St. Mark's Basilica (Basilica di San Marco). The church is also known as a trophy chest, decorated by treasures returned by sea captains. The floor was covered in beautiful mosaics, marble and years of flooding actually pushed the foundation up making the floor bumpy and uneven. You will also find bones from Saints.
Our last stop before lunch, one of the most famous bridges in the world - the Rialto Bridge. The bridge crosses the Grand Canal and as you work your way down to one side you can visit shops (food, clothes and art).
Lunch on the Grand Canal was an amazing way to end our Venice weekend! I absolutely loved all the alleys, bridges, little islands, lack of cars, gondala traffic jams, lovely people and structures. Like my mom says, it is impossible to take a bad picture in Venice. I am so happy I shared Venice with my mom - nice to get a feel of our Italian roots (Spadaccini) and create some beautiful memories!
I would have to say a highlight for me in Venice was sitting around in the hotel room, laughing and swapping stories, drinking red wine in plastic cups while sitting on a cot and snacking on Cheetos. Not a night I would expect to have in Venice! We laughed about my mom's tipping skills, our anxiety on trains, and never quite getting it right - validation, cabin, seats, class - and when I almost burned down our beautiful villa and spent a good hour trying to fix the problem (does travel insurance cover that?). My mom had wild and crazy hair. Diane E wore a garbage bag belt, had a major fall at the castle and a graceful pace. All inside jokes - but if you were there, you would laugh too!
We couldn't have asked for a better trip! A big thanks to the Diane's for such a great time and to the Barnard's for providing a home and a taste of the good old USA.
Kirk spent the majority of his May on the road as well. Unfortunately his trip was for business, not pleasure (well maybe a little pleasure). The commercial shoot for EA Sport's FIFA 12 video game took Kirk to London and Rome for two and a half weeks. It was exhausting, but fun, and the shoot went very well. It's still proprietary information, so can't write too much here, or include some of the best photos, but everyone will be able to see the commercial in October and get a better sense of what Kirk was doing for those weeks away from home.
