Switzerland
04.01.2011-04.03.2011
Last weekend I had the opportunity to travel to Switzerland. I have always heard great things about the country, how beautiful it was, how nice the people are, but everyone says that about everywhere over here. However, Switzerland has turned out to be by far the most beautiful place I've ever been not only during my study abroad experience, but during my life and it's my favorite country I've visited as well.
The only reason 8 of us hopped on a plane last Friday morning at 8am and flew north over the Alps to Switzerland was because of the more than generous couple, Jimmy and Cheryl Jackson, a family friend of Mary Cate Dukes; one of the girls on the trip with me. Financially, we wouldn't have been able to make the trip if it wasn't for them (not realizing this until after we spent the weekend). Jimmy suggested we spend the afternoon in Geneve when we arrived and then take the train to Lausanne after lunch.
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| Cheryl and Jimmy Jackson |
Switzerland treated us great (for the most part) the second we got off the train. First thing we saw as we pondered how or where to go from the airport, "Free Public Transportation Ticket". Awesome! We legally took the bus for free (something we can all honestly say we rarely do when traveling to a different country) to an area of Geneve called Bel Air (yeah like the Will Smith sitcom). Bel Air stood up to what any American who watched the 90s television show would think, expensive, high end, and gorgeous. The streets were lined with expensive shops, high-end retail stores (Rolex, Prada, and Louis Vuitton to name a few), and was situated at the end of a lake. Switzerland is known for their beautiful mountains and lakes, extreme skiing, and of course every girls favorite...chocolate! Lunch wasn't on the minds of 8 girls who hadn't eaten since 6am, but chocolate was. Out first stop...one of many chocolate stores. I've asked my mom countless times what I can bring back for her after my three months in Italy. Her response, "I just want some Swiss chocolate." Well mom, be proud of me because I bought you a chocolate bunny made of 100% Swiss chocolate and I haven't taken a bite! Impressive, I know.
Everyone enjoyed the cheapest thing we could find for lunch, the Swiss version of Subway, though I packed my lunch before we left that morning so I ate free (just trying to save you money dad). After lunch we headed toward the water and spent the next hour waiting to head to the train station in-front of the Jet d'Eau fountain. Most of us slept, listened to our ipods, or people watched, I painted my nails and Susanna plucked her eyebrows (ha we don't get much personal time so we have to make it elsewhere).
{Fun Fact: It's Geneve's biggest attraction. Not just any old fountain, but the world's highest. The Jet d'Eau which was originally just a water valve for the nearby hydraulic system has become the symbol of the city. It soars to a height of over 400 feet from the middle of the lake, and the spray can soak you if you are standing on the side of the lake.}
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| Swiss Chocolate: Geneve |
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| Swiss Swan: Geneve |
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| the Jet d'Eau fountain: Geneve |
When it was time to get on the train everything went smoothly until we found out we took the wrong train...did I mention we were half way to our destination (never fails). In the end it all turned out okay. Jimmy picked 4 of us up at Lausanne (a smaller town outside of Geneve) and the other 4 continued to Verbier (the ski village we were heading to for the night). All I have to say about the drive up to the mountain house would have been good enough for me to turn around and leave at that point, but it just kept getting better. Once we arrived in the village of Verbier it was exactly how I pictured a ski town to look like, log constructed shops, restaurants, and homes everywhere. Beautiful men and women in their ski gear walking around, clean air, and of course the snow capped mountains in the background with a festival happening in the streets (it was for beer, but what else would it be for?).
5 of us rented our ski's and 3 of us made reservations to paraglide (that would be by dictionary definition: {verb} to pilot a large parafoil aircraft from the harness jumping of a mountain with a parachute type thing on their backs. a.ka jump of a mountain with a parachute on your back and pray you make it to the ground alive...we finished our first night in Switzerland with wine, home made spaghetti, and chocolate.
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| Ski Village of Verbier |
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| View from the Jackson's ski condo...yeah breathtaking. |
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| Verbier Village Sign |
Saturday, Jimmy went out and bought us some of the most delicious bread I have ever had in my life for breakfast. I don't know what it is about food over here, but i apologize if I say everything is the best I've ever had...it really is though. We were out the door in our ski gear by 8:30am to be there when the first gondolas headed up the mountain.
Wow, wow, and wow! Amazing. Spectacular. Gorgeous. Beautiful. Surreal. I could go on about the stunning views from the slopes. I never thought I'd be seeing the Alps in real life. I had travel goals before I came to Italy, one being the Alps, but I never thought I's actually get to see them for myself.
{I'd like to thank my mom and dad for making my study abroad experience possible and helping me fund my weekend trips, Mary Cate Dukes and her parents for knowing the Jackson's, believe it or not Zeta Tau Alpha for bringing Mary Cate and I together as friends, and of course the generous couple, Jimmy and Cheryl Jackson for taking me in under their care and letting me experience the one thing I've always wanted, skiing in the Swiss Alps: my "Grammy Speech".}
Half way through the day we met up with the girls that were going paragliding! It was awesome getting to see them take off. I was so proud of Brittany Sims for doing it! Laura had some issues with taking off (including dropping her camera, which was actually my little camera). And Megan for getting to do something so amazing/crazy, totally fits her personality!
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| the Swiss Alps |
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| Me, Mary Cate, Rae Ann, Elizabeth, Susanna |
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| All of us on the Ski Lift |
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| Laura, Brittany, and Megan Paragliding |
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| Skier Flipping |
As the day came to an end, we packed our belongings up and headed to the Jackson's real home in Lausanne. The train ride from Verbier was the most scenic train ride I've been on in my life. For the greater part of it, we had the Alps and a beautiful lake to the left and vineyards and cute villages to our right. Cheryl picked us up at our destination and took us to meet the others at their 'out of a magazine' home over looking the alps and lake. That night we had a Switzerland traditional dinner: Fondue. Bread and cheese...how can you go wrong?! Cheryl made sure we got our dessert fix with berries and cream and I ended my night with a hot shower and a great sleep in one of the most comfortable beds I've ever slept in.
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| Le Chable Train |
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| View from the Jackson's Lausanne Home |
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| Inside the Jackson's Home. Love these |
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| Laura, Susanna, and I at the Jackson's |
That morning of course we had another delicious breakfast waiting for us and a day planned out without any of us having to think about it. Jimmy and Cheryl took us to the vineyards for a walk along the mountain and to a cute little village at the bottom for lunch. We spent an hour or so in the city of Lausanne along the water. Paddle boats, life size chess, and the Olympic Museum filled up our short time left.
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| The Swiss Countryside |
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Cheers at lunch to a great weekend and to our
wonderful adopted Swiss parents! |
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| Me in the vineyards |
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| Cheryl and the Group |
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