Megan here again, which means that for the next 5 or six weeks there should be some regular updates. After I leave Maureen will be here, and Mom swears she will keep updating. We will be doing lots of traveling so there will be lots of photos.
My friend Katie and I arrived a few days ago. She got in before I did as we flew on separate airlines. Our trip overlapped with Cat, she left the day after I arrived. Katie landed in Geneva so Mom, Dad and Cat picked her up and then headed to Zurich to pick me up the following morning. We spent the first day in Zurich before heading back to Lausanne. At first I was a bit disappointed and worried as it was rainy and a little cold. I thought maybe I did not pack enough warm clothes. I expected some rain, but I didn't think it would be so chilly. Fortunately, it was sunny in Lausanne and has been warm (almost hot, but remember we are from Arizona so not really) ever since.
We saw some nice art in Zurich and had a nice day, but we were all very tired so it was nice to get back to Lausanne and relax. Not for long however. The next day we got up early and made the drive to Parella, Italy. I have made the trip once before, over a year ago when I was here the first time around. The drive winds through the Alps and over the Grand S. Bernard Pass. Last time it was covered in snow so we drove through a tunnel that is several miles long. This time around the weather was nice so we drove over the tunnel. The road winds back and forth and offers some spectacular views of the Alps. The weather was nice but at that high altitude there was still a lot of snow on the ground. Pictures cannot nearly do it justice. All I can say is that the Alps are amazing.
The tour de France follows this route frequently and names are still painted on the road from last year. Anyone who willingly races up (and down) a path like this has to be a little nuts. You can see how the road winds around. We passed some Swiss hikers and lots of people riding motorcycles.As we came down the mountain it was quite warm and green. The drive itself made the trip worth it.
We discovered Parella through friends of Dad who bought a house there before the Torino Olympics. They generously let their friends stay in the house, which is next door to his cousin Anna, who is generous enough to provide us visitors with home cooked Italian meals and a walk around the town. Every building is hundreds of years old, and it seems like everyone has a garden with grapes and cherry trees, onions, lettuce, and other vegetables. It feels a little like going back in time.
We walked around the town and enjoyed everyone's lovely gardens. Anna cooked us a five course meal for dinner which we enjoyed on their patio until it was after dark. The sun doesn't set until about 10 pm in the summer, a refreshing change from the dark winter months.
The next morning we made the drive to Stresa, Italy on lake Maggiore. Mom and Dad have been quite a few times but I had never gone before. We took a boat on the lake out to an island Isola Bella, home of a huge palace and garden said to be the most beautiful garden in Italy. We enjoyed lunch in a cafe on the island with 360 degree views of the lake and surrounding towns and did a bit of shopping. We enjoyed wine and olive oil at a little wine shop in Stresa and drove back over the Alps to Lausanne. We have a few days to relax and Katie and I will head to Greece on Tuesday. We will spend two days in Athens and two in Santorini. We have been wanting to go since last year, so we are very excited. Mom and Dad will be in Paris and Normandy. I will keep the updates coming.
No comments:
Post a Comment