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Europe 2023

April - June 2023
A trip with friends and solo. Plans for Amsterdam, Geneva, wandering thru Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and Slovakia. Read more
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  • TravelerEurope 2023
    Day 12

    Geneva Day 12

    May 6, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    A minimal tourism day. I leave Geneva on Wednesday and do not yet have any plans for what I am doing or where I am staying for a week before I pick up Carol in Milan. Spent some of the morning giving that some research and thought. Will work on it more tonight.

    Off to the other side of town to take in the home of the International Red Cross. Actually it is right across the street from the United Nations where I was yesterday. You can see the impressive building from the street. (Cover pic). Had a fascinating several hours exploring the very well-organized and interesting museum. As some of you may know, the International Red Cross (IRC) is a product of the Geneva Convention following WWI. The official name is the International Committee of the Red Cross. This is the International oversight for world wars, famines, major weather responses, etc. our American Red Cross is the National Red Cross and first responders to US disasters. Other countries are called Red Cross agencies and some are called Red Crescent Societies. I do not think there is a tie into the National and International organizations. Still trying to figure that out.

    The museum is divided into 3 sections which are the mission of the IRC: Defending Human Dignity, Restoring Family Links, and Reducing Natural Risks. I really learned a lot about the work of the organization. I tended to think of them as responses to an emergencies and natural disasters. They do that work but MUCH more. Prevention work for disasters, reuniting families during and after wars, enabling communications for unite relatives during a disaster of any sort. The picts below are only a few representative samples of communications, (see the photos) pictures of children separated from parent in the Rwanda war. The file one is the files that still exist on missing people during WWI and are still used for research today! All hand written cards. An enjoyable couple hours.

    Wandered back into town, a busy Saturday with lots of people out shopping. The downtown area has any store you want from H & M to Prada. For the “girls” reading this, fashion has been interesting. Lots of dresses - more mid length to maxi (still some mini but nor as many as I used to see) and lot’s of wide leg pants, especially the Asian girls - who are all skinny and they look great on them.

    Late lunch was an aubergine panini from a street vendor cart - very good. A stop for a bottle of wine and a poke bowl for dinner. Home to watch the post coronation broadcast (Found CNN in English on the TV 😂👍) , figure out the washing machine and planning next week.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2023
    Day 13

    Geneva Day 13

    May 7, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    A gray, rain in the air, morning, Rain expected this afternoon. Off to see how close I can get to see the finish of the marathon in downtown Geneva. The half marathon went off at 8A and the full marathon at 9A. Nice for the runners to have the overcast skies and not too warm. The runners were finishing up the half marathon (13.1 miles/21 km).when I got there. Got a spot by the rail about 100 yds from the finish line. Lots of fun to watch the later finishers with the determination on their faces to finish. My favorite was a gal who finished wearing 3” pink high heels! In the pics below here is a video of the men’s winner on 2:09:40 - Emmanuel Gisamoda a Tanzanian. Also a pic of the women’s winner, Meseret Dinke from Ethiopia. Hard work for little remuneration.

    On to the museum for the day Musee Ariana: a museum to glass and ceramics. A lovely showcase of old ceramics mostly from Europe. A feature temporary exhibit was a Japanese fellow - spectacular pieces of modern fused glass. The setting was also exceptional; a previous home of the founder. The beautiful starry vaulted ceiling, pale pink columns around the upper level and spacious rooms were perfect for galleries. Quite the setting.

    I walked from downtown to the museum,again going past the UN. On the plaza people were setting up a small stage with audio. I asked a gal at the information booth what was going on. She told me that they were getting ready for a March for Life (a protest against antisemitism) later in the afternoon. After the museum, I walked back that way and a increasingly large group was forming with flags and waiting for the speakers to start. I listened for awhile, all in French, so not long. And it was raining. They were going to march downtown after the speeches. Appropriate place to address a world wide issue.

    Home finish up the planning for the next week of travel. Plan is to tram/train to Annecy, France (only 25 miles away), and pick up car for the remainder of the trip. Spend 2 nights in Annecy and then to an area NE of Lausanne. Found an Airbnb in Val de Charmey - near Gruyeres. All of this thanks to the gal who owns the condo I am staying in. She is a traveler and has given me all kinds of information about this area - and I have never been there, so happy for some new territory to explore.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2023
    Day 14

    Geneva Day 14

    May 8, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 68 °F

    A beautiful, sunny day after yesterday’s gray. Decided to walk some new areas today. Have restaurant recommendations from the gal who owns the condo where I am staying. Walked the “other” side of the lake today, so glad I did as it is a beautiful promenade the goes for a long ways. On my way to have lunch at one of her recommendations - a restaurant at Bains de Paquis. (Baths at Paquis, on the “beach”). Turns out that I was not the only one looking to eat there today! 😂. I was able to enjoy the walk out to the baths and see all the people enjoying the beautiful weather - even some swimming in the lake. However, the lines were very long and I passed on lunch there due to the crowds.

    I took the “long way” home, wandering thru parks, the European cities have so many of these nice spots around every turn. They almost always have some interesting sculptures and, of course, flowers. The monument below (2nd pic) is actually a mausoleum, built in honor of Charles II the Duke of Brunswick. He left 24 million francs to the City of Geneva upon his death in the late 1800’s and requested his mausoleum be built in a place of honor in Geneva. They picked a great spot with beautiful views of the Lake and the Jet de Eau.

    Wandered some more and then home for a nap. Out early evening to get some final things that I am running out of and sushi for dinner. Home to CNN and a catch up evening. Leaving here Wednesday.

    .    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2023
    Day 15

    Geneva Day 15

    May 9, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌧 61 °F

    A busy last day in Geneva. The good news is that I successfully completed a 2 day project and mailed some clothes home! I will not bore you with the details, however from getting a box, hours on line trying to complete forms I could not print, dealing with Swiss post, FedEx and UPS (UPS is “opus” in French should you ever need to know) and after a 2 tram and a bus jaunt across town this morning, and a VERY wonderful Swiss UPS fellow who did all the forms for me, I mailed the package!!! (for $93). 😂😂😂. My suitcase is now more manageable and all the colder weather clothes are on their way to Bodega Bay, I hope.

    Feeling very proud of myself, I headed back to town and the last museum that was on my list - The Art and History Museum. Agin the museum was in a beautiful old building however a museum that needs technology updating. They had a lot of wonderful art but the displays were lacking. A lot of old post Renaissance painting, which are way pretty dark, we’re in ill-lit rooms, making them darker. Very little English except for a panel in each room explaining contents. No audio, which to me any more, is essential. However their collection of Impressionists was impressive - Monet, Pissarro, Sisley, Cezanne filled one entire gallery. An array of Swiss artists over the same period and lots os art of the mountains in the area, especially Mount Blanc. They say on the website they are soon renovating, will take awhile, but the building as beautiful.

    Off then to explore another area of the City I had not yet been to the Carouge. An upscale restaurant and shop district. My condo owner had given me several restaurant recommendations there. Found a great outdoor cafe and had the MOST WONDERFUL lunch. Carpaccio with terrific French bread and salad. Best carpaccio I have ever had!

    Off to get my condo owner some Swiss chocolate that she said she loves and home to wind down and pack for leaving tomorrow. And to beat the rain home.

    PS. The last pic below I’d the Jet de Eau on a, not so sunny, day.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2023
    Day 16

    Geneva to Annecy, France Day 16

    May 10, 2023 in France ⋅ ⛅ 52 °F

    A travel day, time to move on. An array of transportation and destination, Annecy,France was only we miles away. Tram/train and lots of 🚶‍♂️. Weather not so great today. Overcast, dark clouds and just waiting to rain. Arrived Annecy around 11A. Car rental place was very close to train station. Had chosen to rent here as much less expensive than Geneva. I am renting for a month so every $100 counts.

    Drove off in my Mini Cooper Clubman, had never heard of the Clubman. Like the car but it is going back tomorrow- last inhabitant was a smoker and the oder not going away. Called them tonight, May not get as nice a car but at least I won’t have a headache. Headed towards the lake, the “draw” for Annecy. And then the rain started. Sat in the car until the worst was over, then out for a walk. Walked thru the old town and found a restaurant for lunch. The town is truly a picturesque scene. 90% all pedestrian, shops, bars, restaurants and the “river runs through it”. Lots of wine,cheese and salami types of meat delis, will not go hungry here.

    Checked into my apartment after several calls and asking directions. 😫. Finally found it in the old town pedestrian section over a shop. Last 2 pics are my front door and “terrace”. Nice place. Just here 2 nights. Got settled (that means got the wifi working}. Then out for a walk and to look for dinner. Wandered the cobblestone streets, lots of people out in the cafes and bars. The French so love the outdoor cafes, it is their social life and fun to see. Walked all through town and saw at the other end that the Lake was not much farther and the sun was coming out.

    A stunning rainbow came out from the Alps on one side, all across the sky and into the lake at the other end. The pics or video do not do it justice, it was breathtakingly beautiful. What a bit of good luck on the timing. Dinner, pasta, at a cafe - good not great and back “home” for the almost final episodes of Better Call Saul’s final season.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2023
    Day 17

    Annecy, France Day 17

    May 11, 2023 in France ⋅ ☁️ 59 °F

    Spent the morning exchanging the car. I am a much happier camper now - a Toyota Yaris with about 2500 miles on it. I even got my GPS to work in English already!

    Decided to spend the afternoon in the countryside. Have been in a city for 2.5 weeks and ready for some green. And the French countryside in this area did not disappoint. Headed for a gorge that I read about, only 6-7 miles from Annecy. A walk thru a very deep,gorge where the Fier river necks down through a very deep gorge. The video below shows the height that the river has reached in this gorge in various years. Interesting. As I neared the gorge driving in, I saw this huge, what I thought was a castle. I did not think much more about until I saw the signs for Chateau des Chemin.

    When I finished with the gorge and a Coke at the cafe, I started searching for the Chateau. Nearby I saw a sign for a trail to the Chateau which I took. Lots of uphill but finally got to the top and saw the Chateau. Walked all around but did not go in. Instead rood a path through the meadow with the cows - a wonderful walking path (cover pic) that are so easy to find all over Europe. Did some walking - so good to be out of the cities and in the beautiful outdoors again. Back to Annecy for a ‘feet up” couple hours and then out for a walk to the Lake before finding a great cafe, very. Near to my apartment, had a wonderful dinner - salmon tartar with fruit! Different combination- the presentation was terrific. Along with a glass of Viognier, my favorite French white wine, a great day. Back to Switzerland tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2023
    1
    Day 18

    Val de Charmey, Switzerland Day 18

    May 12, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 52 °F

    Left Annecy, France this AM via auto on my way to Val de Charmey, Switzerland. Only about 75 miles away, but some stops along the way. First one was unexpected. Crossing the border between France and Switzerland, I was signaled to pull over. Come to find out, you need to pay $45 for the privilege of driving in Switzerland! 😂. I, purposely, rented in France as it was about $1K less than renting in Switzerland, so they just got $45 back!

    On to Val de Charmey, a mountain village at around 3,000ft in the Alps. On the way I stopped at Lavaux, a grape growing and wine making area of Switzerland, near Lausanne on Lake Geneva. Lavaux is a UNESCO World Heritage site for its beauty and surroundings. The vineyards are all on steep terraced hills rising out of the lake. There are tons of walking/hiking trails to wander thru the vineyards which stretch for many miles Truly beautiful. Their vines are a bit behind our, had some leaves it in another month those hillsides will be covered with green. I parked in the small hillside village of St-Saphorin and walked thur the vineyards to the next small village of Rivaz and back to car. Only a couple miles rt, however. A lot of up and down! Lunch at a restaurant by the lake in Cully nearby.

    On to Charmey. Found the new apartment easily, it’s fine but not as nice as I have had to date. However the surroundings make up for it and the view from the terrace is stunning. A stop at the grocery store to stock up for 4 days and them out for a long walk. Hiking and biking in Switzerland are a national sport. Cannot describe how wonderful it is to be back in all this beauty. Back for my wine on the deck and pasta for dinner.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2023
    Day 19

    Val de Charmey Day 19

    May 13, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ 🌧 54 °F

    No sunny idyllic Swiss countryside scenes today. Overcast and rainy. Managed to get in one good tourist visit between rain drops. Off to Gruyères, home of the cheese for Quiche Lorraine and fondue. First stop the obligatory,and highly advertised, cheese making self -guided tour. A busy place and interesting audio on the cheese making process, done from the cows point of view. 😂. And a very good gift shop.

    Then up to Gruyeres, a totally pedestrian village, so you park at the bottom and walk up. On the ascent you are acutely aware of the cows around - all have large bells. See pic below (the real cow one). Crowned at the top of the hill by the Chateau de Gruyeres, the town is lined with souvenir shops and restaurants. Not very big, but cobblestone streets and lots of tourists from all over the world made for a lovely afternoon.

    I had made up my mind that today was the day I was going to have fondue, I have seen peoples eating it at every restaurant I have visited in Switzerland. I don’t remember ever having it since it was popular back in the 60’s and 70’s. Found the restaurant I had read had “the best” and had a seat, thankfully, as it had just started raining harder. A real splurge - both on calories and expense but it was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed every morsel I could eat. It is served with small baked potatoes, cocktail onions, cornichons, and bread. While I was waiting for lunch, I was reading on line the etiquette of eating fondue. 😂. A real treat and I topped it off with the chochatiest chocolate ice cream I have ever seen down the street at a chocolate store. (And REALLY good). I am done for the day!
    Back to the car to plan where to go next for a walk when the rains came in earnest. So home it was for the evening. A break came around 6P & I went out for a walk - found a path to follow along a rushing river and added a few more pics for the day. Tomorrow looks better for weather.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2023
    Day 20

    Val de Charmey Day 20

    May 14, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 48 °F

    Off today for Fribourg, a city of ~40K about 45 minutes from Charmey, the capital of this canton of Switzerland and a university city. The old town, medieval city was built along the Shrine river and it now the center of the tourism for the city. The “new” city is just uphill and houses the residential, business and shopping district and some of the museums. It’s all walkable but there is also a funicular that takes you up and down if you don’t feel like walking. Fribourg is known as the “border” between French and German speaking Switzerland. Signs are in both languages. (see pic with wisteria). I am much more comfortable with German than French so, suddenly, I can actually read menus and signs, without Google Translate. (2 yrs of high school German and lots of traveling in German speaking areas).

    First stop on my list was the Berne Bridge, the cover pic today. A quiet, beautiful area with church bells ringing, a park to stroll by the river, and folk fishing. Not many tourists around and, it’s Sunday, so many of the shops are closed. On to find Chapelle de Lorette on a hill, 300 ft up from the old city. Quite the climb, but lovely old stone steps and cobblestone paths lead to the top and the small chapel, that overlooks the city. Great views of the new and old cities all the way up. Built in the 16thC, the exterior is adorned with statues of saints and evangelists, while the interior is very plain.

    The tower of the Saint-Nicholas cathedral dominates the skyline of the new and old cities and is notable for its stained glass windows. This was the next stop on my one day, self-guided, tour of Fribourg. An immense Gothic architecture cathedral, built in the 1300s, and the center of the Catholic Church for Geneva, Lausanne, Bern and all areas in between. The stained glass is very impressive- lots of vivid color telling the stories of the Bible for the people who could not read at the time. A worthwhile visit.

    Great lunch at a funky place in old town, partially in the rain. Last stop was a small museum, Espace Jean Tinguely-Niki de Saint Phalle, husband and wife sculptors and painters of art for children. A thoroughly enjoyable hour watching children enjoy the unique sculptures that all moved with a step on a large red button on the floor. (See video).

    Back to Charmey area and decided to drive to a town in the opposite direction, Juan, about 6-8 miles away. Found hiking paths everywhere and the first waterfall of the trip. Lovely spot but shortened due to rain shower and a ‘“race” uphill to the car. Quiet evening at “home” catching up on news and final episode of Better Call Saul, a very well done series.    Read more

  • TravelerEurope 2023
    Day 21

    Val de Charmey Day 21

    May 15, 2023 in Switzerland ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    First hike in the Alps today.! While I have been doing a lot of walking, today I broke out hiking shoes and poles. I found a fellow yesterday at the mountain cable car in Charmey that spoke very good English! First real conversation I have had in weeks! 😂. I wanted to take the cable car up the mountain and asked him if there was any easy to moderate hiking there. Unfortunately, they are closed today but he recommended a hike out of Charmey to a monastery about 3 miles away. Said it was “mostly” flat.

    Turns out that the Swiss’s understanding of “mostly flat” is very different from mine. 😂. However it was a terrific walk through a valley of farms, streams and rivers. A pretty easy trail and a wonderful first hike (this trip) in the Alps. I left from the village where I am staying, Charmey; destination, La Valsainte. La Valsainte is a “working “ monastery and the only remaining extant Carthusian monastery in Switzerland, founded in 1295. I could only walk around it, apparently there are tours but Google Translate was unclear about the details of how. 😂. The weather was sun, clouds and the constant imminent chance of rain. Had one shower on the way and I found “refuge” in a farmers wood shed along the trail. Threatening again on the way back so I picked up the pace and did not stop for pictures. Total out and back; 5.7 miles.

    Planned on going out for dinner tonight however, it’s Monday, and the 2 main restaurants were closed. Went to the Coop, bought a piece of salmon and a lemon, along with left over pasta - dinner. Washing out clothes tonight, hike was a bit muddy. Last night here, heading toward Italy tomorrow, picking up Carol in Milan on Wednesday.    Read more

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