Saturday in Paris was our Thanksgiving celebration. Lisa and I woke up bright and early and went straight to the grocery store to purchase all of our goods. I had had my dad fly in Pumpkin pie mix and semi-sweet chocolate chips for this feast but we still had a lot to get.
Throwing an American dinner party in a foreign country provides challenges one would never imagine. Translating evaporated milk into French was our first challenge. Then finding gravy mix, bread crumbs, and baking powder was interesting. After our first stop at one store, Lisa and I walked everything back to her place. She left me there and went to two more grocery stores to try to find the more exotic items. Meanwhile I cleaned, made the green beans, the salad, and let her friend Susan into the apartment to make her corn bread because her oven didn't work.
We spent the entire day cooking pumpkin pies and various other goodies. Luckily Lisa had a book of conversions for all baking needs, from cups to grams and butter requirements to the labels found here. It was interesting but we did not burn one thing with our programing of the oven from Fahrenheit to Celsius like we had during Lisa's last party where I made cookies.
At five, Lisa had to make one last run to the store called "Thanksgiving" where she had ordered the turkey. I was left behind once again to entertain any guests who arrived early. Lisa's friend, Sarah, was also with me so there was not to much pressure.
Fortunately, Lisa got back before any guests arrived and we began the celebration. We also had a touch of France with our aperitifs of cheese, olives and baguettes to begin the meal. Dinner was fantastic, starting with champagne, good wines, and all the traditional dishes. The apple crisp and the pumpkin pie turned out wonderfully and everyone appeared to enjoy every dish. It was nice to spend Thanksgiving surrounded by other people who were away from home. It was also exciting to give a few people from France and England their first Thanksgiving meal.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Friday in Paris
Arriving in Paris Thursday evening at midnight was the best way that I could have spent my first holiday away from my family. I had to work all day Thursday and I traveled with two other TASIS teachers to Paris that evening. I drank a good amount of wine in the airport, slept on the plane through take off and landing and made my way to 17 Rue Monge, Lisa's apartment. In all reality, it could have been any other three day weekend and that is what needed to happen in order for me to be able to get through it.
Friday morning, I woke up leisurely and putzed around Lisa's apartment until I finally ventured out into the rain to explore Paris. I very little idea as to where I was and where I was going. I knew that I had to find Notre Dame and then I would be heading in the right direction for the majority of the sights I was suppose to see according to one of my students who had made an itinerary for me before I left.
I stopped at the local bakery where the croissant nazi works and successfully ordered / pointed at the raisin aux panne that I wanted. Paid quickly and moved on my way, juggling my umbrella, purse and now breakfast. As I was walking down Rue Monge I saw the Pantheon to my left and I figured I should see it while I was here. It was beautiful.
There was also quite an impressive church behind it that I explored for some time. While I was looking around I was able to help an elderly women whose umbrella had turned inside out and take a picture of a couple of English college kids who were trying to do the outstretched arm thing. At this point I was telling myself that it was going to be a good day, wondering, not having direction and just exploring what Paris had to offer. I figured I would find my way eventually.
Well, eventually was about 2 hours later. I walked through the Latin Quarter, unknowing at the time. There were many cute stores and restaurants along the street that I peaked into. As I continued walking the atmosphere of the street changed a little and I began to question if I was truly heading where I wanted to go. I could no longer see the eiffel tower which was my beacon of sorts, so I turned down another cute street where I came upon a bakery.
I stopped and had another raisin aux panne and asked for directions. In French I was told how to get to Notre Dame. Not so much help. However, three people later and walking by the coolest looking firefighters I found my destination. I was excited, so I took a picture.
The rest of the day was just not that exciting. I wonder through Notre Dame where I met a very chatty teacher from Naples, Italy. Within five minutes she was offering up her couch to me if I ever wanted to visit and gave me her name, phone numbers and e-mail address. I am going to save it because I never know when it will come in handy. From Notre Dame I walked Rue di Rivoli, a major shopping street, with the destination of Galleries Lafayette. No luck on the shopping end so I turned around and went back to the Louvre to meet up with Brody and Joanna to see the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo statue. They were both quite amazing.
Friday morning, I woke up leisurely and putzed around Lisa's apartment until I finally ventured out into the rain to explore Paris. I very little idea as to where I was and where I was going. I knew that I had to find Notre Dame and then I would be heading in the right direction for the majority of the sights I was suppose to see according to one of my students who had made an itinerary for me before I left.
I stopped at the local bakery where the croissant nazi works and successfully ordered / pointed at the raisin aux panne that I wanted. Paid quickly and moved on my way, juggling my umbrella, purse and now breakfast. As I was walking down Rue Monge I saw the Pantheon to my left and I figured I should see it while I was here. It was beautiful.
There was also quite an impressive church behind it that I explored for some time. While I was looking around I was able to help an elderly women whose umbrella had turned inside out and take a picture of a couple of English college kids who were trying to do the outstretched arm thing. At this point I was telling myself that it was going to be a good day, wondering, not having direction and just exploring what Paris had to offer. I figured I would find my way eventually.Well, eventually was about 2 hours later. I walked through the Latin Quarter, unknowing at the time. There were many cute stores and restaurants along the street that I peaked into. As I continued walking the atmosphere of the street changed a little and I began to question if I was truly heading where I wanted to go. I could no longer see the eiffel tower which was my beacon of sorts, so I turned down another cute street where I came upon a bakery.
I stopped and had another raisin aux panne and asked for directions. In French I was told how to get to Notre Dame. Not so much help. However, three people later and walking by the coolest looking firefighters I found my destination. I was excited, so I took a picture.The rest of the day was just not that exciting. I wonder through Notre Dame where I met a very chatty teacher from Naples, Italy. Within five minutes she was offering up her couch to me if I ever wanted to visit and gave me her name, phone numbers and e-mail address. I am going to save it because I never know when it will come in handy. From Notre Dame I walked Rue di Rivoli, a major shopping street, with the destination of Galleries Lafayette. No luck on the shopping end so I turned around and went back to the Louvre to meet up with Brody and Joanna to see the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo statue. They were both quite amazing.
Sharon Creech
The kids I teach are so extremely lucky. This past week we were fortunate enough to have Sharon Creech come in and read a few chapters from her new book Castle Carona and also tell us about her writing process.
Back home, the majority of fifth graders have been introduced to her by their teachers and have read many of her books independently. Actually, when I told my class last year that I was moving to Switzerland I told them that I was going to where Bloomability is set. Sharon wrote that book during her first stay in Lugano as the librarian for the high school. Where she met her husband Lyle Rigg, who eventually became headmaster of TASIS Switzerland and TASIS England for 25 years.
Fortunate for us, Lyle has been asked to come back and be interim headmaster for TASIS. Sharon has joined him and is in the process of promoting her new book. So over the course of the past three weeks I have been prepping my kids for how lucky they are and what wonderful books she has written. They began to be very excited and I even had a few of my boys read all the books I could get my hands onto.
During her presentation we viewed multiple videos of the process of writing, illustrations that were made for her new book, and pictures of her family. It was exciting for the kids because many of the pictures about where she lives and her writing was set in Lugano and some of the elementary children were actually shown. On top of all of this, she told us about her upcoming book that she is writing which is set in Casa Fleming. The home of the original owner who is currently 97. There was a lot of buzz about that when we went back to our classes.
The culmination of the presentation were two reader's theaters performed by 3rd through 6th graders who were able to go to Sharon's home, meet her, have dinner with her and prepare for the presentation. What I tried to get across to all of my students is how lucky they are to have an author in residence that they are able to have such experiences. I enjoy every time I get to sit down and have dinner with Sharon and look forward to the times that she wonders through Hadsall when she needs a break from writing. I just hope I have been able to really share with the kids what they have available to them right now.
Back home, the majority of fifth graders have been introduced to her by their teachers and have read many of her books independently. Actually, when I told my class last year that I was moving to Switzerland I told them that I was going to where Bloomability is set. Sharon wrote that book during her first stay in Lugano as the librarian for the high school. Where she met her husband Lyle Rigg, who eventually became headmaster of TASIS Switzerland and TASIS England for 25 years.
Fortunate for us, Lyle has been asked to come back and be interim headmaster for TASIS. Sharon has joined him and is in the process of promoting her new book. So over the course of the past three weeks I have been prepping my kids for how lucky they are and what wonderful books she has written. They began to be very excited and I even had a few of my boys read all the books I could get my hands onto.
During her presentation we viewed multiple videos of the process of writing, illustrations that were made for her new book, and pictures of her family. It was exciting for the kids because many of the pictures about where she lives and her writing was set in Lugano and some of the elementary children were actually shown. On top of all of this, she told us about her upcoming book that she is writing which is set in Casa Fleming. The home of the original owner who is currently 97. There was a lot of buzz about that when we went back to our classes.
The culmination of the presentation were two reader's theaters performed by 3rd through 6th graders who were able to go to Sharon's home, meet her, have dinner with her and prepare for the presentation. What I tried to get across to all of my students is how lucky they are to have an author in residence that they are able to have such experiences. I enjoy every time I get to sit down and have dinner with Sharon and look forward to the times that she wonders through Hadsall when she needs a break from writing. I just hope I have been able to really share with the kids what they have available to them right now.
Cinque Terre
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I spent time hanging out, really doing nothing except reading up on where we were going and what there was to do. I printed out a ton of things for Tim to read on the train Friday night because his week was busy covering for his colleagues and I really had nothing to do, which was nice. On Friday, kindly enough, Dan Kras drove us to the train station for the 3:55 train to Milan. We played cards, Tim dominated, and I gave up; or lets say, let him win.
As we approached Milan we realized that we were not going to make our connection. Really there was no way that it was possible because the train from Lugano to Milan was only scheduled for an hour and in general it takes a good thirty minutes more then that. It wasn’t to big of an issue because we were unable to get all of our tickets through to Vernazza in Lugano so it gave us enough time to buy the last leg of our trip from Genova to Vernazza. Which I had been getting nervous about and was continually asking Tim his opinion on whether or not ten minutes between trains was going to be enough to purchase the tickets, so it worked out well in the long run. While waiting in line for these tickets, I got a crash course on lines in Italy. There is no such thing as a line and unless you are forceful you will be standing there for a really long time. Which would have happened to me because a couple of men walked alongside of me throughout the entire length of the line.
As we boarded the train to Genova we recognized that we were lacking assigned seats, as was everyone else that missed the connecting train with us. After much searching of one car, we settled comfortably between cars, with Tim half in the Water Closet and half out. At one point I was chest to chest with another women hoping that she continued on her way. It was a rather tight squeeze for a few stops before people departed and we were able to grab some “jump seats” in the aisle ways outside the main cabins.
By 9:40 we had made it to Vernazza, only an hour after schedule. As we descended the steps of the station we came upon a walk way lined with olive trees. We walked down the center of these trees looking at orange and yellow buildings that continue to have an old world charm to them.
The town has not been modernized from its days as a fishing village and it was quite apparent and refreshing. We found the big green door of Marconi 13 and went in. Inside Giacomo was waiting to walk us through the apartment, the procedures, and check out. A nice thing about Cinque Terre is that there are many of these apartments for rent on weekends. It is a pleasant option away from the typical hotel or bed and breakfast you find throughout Europe. This apartment was quaint with the bare necessities, which was all we needed.
Saturday morning our plan was to walk the five towns, starting with Vernazza heading to Riomaggiore, a little less than 9 km. The towns were beautiful, each providing a different view and feel then the previous. Vernazza to me is still the most beautiful and charming. It could be because I had chosen to stay there for the weekend or because it truly was.
First stop was Corneglia, the next town over and the third largest. It is built out on a point. It took us about an hour and a half to make it there, stopping along the way for me to take many pictures of Vernazza, as we left it behind and the sights along the way. From Corneglia we went to Manarola where I saw the ultimate boat dock. I immediately thought of my dad and mom maneuvering our boat into various bodies of water throughout my childhood. I believe that my dad would be able to conquer this one.
From Manarola we walked the via dell’Amore to Riomaggiore the last town at the farthest point. We had bypassed breakfast earlier that morning with the intention of eating along the way. As usual, with us, we kept pushing on, saying at the next village, or just one more and we will find something there. Well, finally at Riomaggiore we really couldn’t say that anymore and we had to eat. We stopped at a restaurant called La Lampara and had a plate of pasta each. Tim was truly on vacation and ordered himself a beer, which I gladly shared with him, even though I had said I only wanted a sip.
From Riomaggiore we jumped the train to Monterossa, recognizing that we did not have enough sunlight to tackle a hike into the hills overlooking Riomaggiore, which originally had been part of the plan. On the train, we quickly found out that we had not validated our ticket. Unfortunately for the first time, this was an issue. In true Italian fashion, we were scolded by the conductor about how on this train it is not all right and there was a fifty euro fine on a 1.50 trip. Tim did a marvelous job with the man convincing him that we did not know. He ripped up our tickets and shaking his head walked away. Lucky for us, we were the next stop.
In Monterosso we had a destination that we had to hit. We didn’t really have definite directions so it was a wondering game. As we were wondering, walking along the beach, Tim stopped to touch the water. He was trying to convince me that it was warm enough to take a swim. Yeah, right! As we entered the old town we took a turn down one of the side alleyways that looked rather active and found ourselves right in front of the Pasticceria.
Kara Fontes, another teacher here that works both at the high school and elementary school level had lead an impro trip to Cinque Terre earlier in the year. At that time she went to Pasticceria Laura for the Monterossina a pie that on a good day tastes just like cookie dough. In this case, it wasn’t as good as she described but Tim says that his last bite, the very tip of the piece was fantastic and the best. We didn’t have the heart to tell Kara when we got back however, that it wasn’t all that she had made it out to be. The latte machiatto on the other hand really hit the spot because as the sun was setting, the warmth of the coffee was welcomed.
After our break for coffee and desert we wondered further into the town of Monterosso. As we were walking down the streets we came to an Enoteca, where wine and liquors are sold. Cinque Terre is known for their dry white wine and desert wines. I was contemplating picking up a bottle or two to bring back home to share with my family. I never did purchase those bottles, however at the store we were able to try cream limoncello and cream melon. It was fantastic. After, Tim had 4 shots and I sipped at two we were ready to hike again. I think he was feeling rather warm and fuzzy with a full belly of pasta, monterossina pie and just a couple after lunch shots.
As the temperature dropped and we were enjoying the sights we began to realize that it was time to start the last leg of our trip back to Vernazza. The estimated travel time was between an hour and a half and two hours. We are rather quick walkers but we only had about an hour of light left. As we climbed the stairs into the mountains we continually looked behind us watching the sun set and change the colors of the sky. It was breathtaking. We found ourselves stopping many times to just enjoy the view because that was one of the things that I had said I really wanted to do this trip. As the sky darkened the lights of Monterosso turned out, illuminating the town along the beach.
We eventually turned the corner, losing the sun behind the mountain and looking out over the Mediterranean Sea. The path became very narrow and we had to really focus on where we were walking and what we were doing. Again, we went around another bend, bringing the lights of Vernazza into sight. It was absolutely beautiful. I tried to capture it on my camera but had no luck. Both Tim and I purchased postcards on Sunday to remind us of what it looked like as we approached it that evening.
Sunday was another wonderful day, warmer then Saturday with clear blue skies and a slight breeze off the water. We had check out at ten so we woke up leisurely and ventured across the piazza to a restaurant for breakfast and a cup of coffee. Then we met Giacomo to pay and say thank you. He kindly reminded us that we must pick up our bags at the end of the afternoon and not sleep there that night because he was heading back to his winter home in Levanto. I also received the typical two kisses and a hug as he was departing. If I were to visit again, I would stay in the cozy room once more.
With our bags packed and under the window we prepared for a hike into the hills behind the towns. Again, it started with stairs. However, on this trip I realized that I don’t mind stairs all that much if they are normal and not the Swiss stairs. Swiss stairs are just a little two wide for one step up, making you always step with the same leg.
This hike into the mountains surrounding Cinque Terre was much different then the ones surrounding us in Switzerland. As we climbed we walked through olive trees with netting rolled up and tied under the trees. Then almost immediately after a turn we would be walking through vineyards that had been harvested earlier in November of their grapes to make the wine of Cinque Terre. Now the vines were covered in yellow and orange leaves with remnants of grapes still hanging from some of the vines, left behind to fall to the ground.
We wandered for almost two hours through these vineyards coming across vicious dogs that scared me half to death and I wouldn’t walk past it until the owner came through the vines and held him back. I swear if he had slipped forward slightly he would have jumped right over the low fence that was a little below him along the walk. We also walked past many sanctuaries, where we stopped and had Clementines and peanut M&M’s, Tim’s treat of choice.
Then finally we came to a split, red path 7 or 7A. 7 continued up the mountain with really no destination but continuing our hike, 7A went towards Cornegila where we would catch the train back to Vernazza to call it a day and head back to Lugano. Tim wanted to continue up so we did and eventually I became nervous and made him turn around because I feared that we were going to miss the last train from Milan to Lugano because we had gotten lost so many times throughout our hike up I did not believe that our hike down was going to be a direct one and would take longer then both of us planned. So we turned and instead of going to Corneglia we walked back to the blue path and Vernazza. However, this path was extremely difficult with a lot of loose rock and steep portions that we had to ease our way down.
As we got to the bottom we came into a path of cactus. I thought they were so cool so we stopped for a photo shoot. I pretended to sit on one and get caught up in the little prickers. Well, it doesn’t pay to fool around because as I was leaving the path my arm did get caught and it wasn’t the most pleasant feeling.
Soon after we found our way back to Vernazza and had plenty of time to spare so we went up to Castle Doria for one last look at the Mediterranean Sea and the 4 other towns of Cinque Terre. It was absolutely gorgeous. The weather was perfect and hiking was fantastic and it was another great weekend.
As we approached Milan we realized that we were not going to make our connection. Really there was no way that it was possible because the train from Lugano to Milan was only scheduled for an hour and in general it takes a good thirty minutes more then that. It wasn’t to big of an issue because we were unable to get all of our tickets through to Vernazza in Lugano so it gave us enough time to buy the last leg of our trip from Genova to Vernazza. Which I had been getting nervous about and was continually asking Tim his opinion on whether or not ten minutes between trains was going to be enough to purchase the tickets, so it worked out well in the long run. While waiting in line for these tickets, I got a crash course on lines in Italy. There is no such thing as a line and unless you are forceful you will be standing there for a really long time. Which would have happened to me because a couple of men walked alongside of me throughout the entire length of the line.
As we boarded the train to Genova we recognized that we were lacking assigned seats, as was everyone else that missed the connecting train with us. After much searching of one car, we settled comfortably between cars, with Tim half in the Water Closet and half out. At one point I was chest to chest with another women hoping that she continued on her way. It was a rather tight squeeze for a few stops before people departed and we were able to grab some “jump seats” in the aisle ways outside the main cabins. 
By 9:40 we had made it to Vernazza, only an hour after schedule. As we descended the steps of the station we came upon a walk way lined with olive trees. We walked down the center of these trees looking at orange and yellow buildings that continue to have an old world charm to them.
The town has not been modernized from its days as a fishing village and it was quite apparent and refreshing. We found the big green door of Marconi 13 and went in. Inside Giacomo was waiting to walk us through the apartment, the procedures, and check out. A nice thing about Cinque Terre is that there are many of these apartments for rent on weekends. It is a pleasant option away from the typical hotel or bed and breakfast you find throughout Europe. This apartment was quaint with the bare necessities, which was all we needed.
Saturday morning our plan was to walk the five towns, starting with Vernazza heading to Riomaggiore, a little less than 9 km. The towns were beautiful, each providing a different view and feel then the previous. Vernazza to me is still the most beautiful and charming. It could be because I had chosen to stay there for the weekend or because it truly was.
First stop was Corneglia, the next town over and the third largest. It is built out on a point. It took us about an hour and a half to make it there, stopping along the way for me to take many pictures of Vernazza, as we left it behind and the sights along the way. From Corneglia we went to Manarola where I saw the ultimate boat dock. I immediately thought of my dad and mom maneuvering our boat into various bodies of water throughout my childhood. I believe that my dad would be able to conquer this one.
From Manarola we walked the via dell’Amore to Riomaggiore the last town at the farthest point. We had bypassed breakfast earlier that morning with the intention of eating along the way. As usual, with us, we kept pushing on, saying at the next village, or just one more and we will find something there. Well, finally at Riomaggiore we really couldn’t say that anymore and we had to eat. We stopped at a restaurant called La Lampara and had a plate of pasta each. Tim was truly on vacation and ordered himself a beer, which I gladly shared with him, even though I had said I only wanted a sip.
From Riomaggiore we jumped the train to Monterossa, recognizing that we did not have enough sunlight to tackle a hike into the hills overlooking Riomaggiore, which originally had been part of the plan. On the train, we quickly found out that we had not validated our ticket. Unfortunately for the first time, this was an issue. In true Italian fashion, we were scolded by the conductor about how on this train it is not all right and there was a fifty euro fine on a 1.50 trip. Tim did a marvelous job with the man convincing him that we did not know. He ripped up our tickets and shaking his head walked away. Lucky for us, we were the next stop.
In Monterosso we had a destination that we had to hit. We didn’t really have definite directions so it was a wondering game. As we were wondering, walking along the beach, Tim stopped to touch the water. He was trying to convince me that it was warm enough to take a swim. Yeah, right! As we entered the old town we took a turn down one of the side alleyways that looked rather active and found ourselves right in front of the Pasticceria. 
Kara Fontes, another teacher here that works both at the high school and elementary school level had lead an impro trip to Cinque Terre earlier in the year. At that time she went to Pasticceria Laura for the Monterossina a pie that on a good day tastes just like cookie dough. In this case, it wasn’t as good as she described but Tim says that his last bite, the very tip of the piece was fantastic and the best. We didn’t have the heart to tell Kara when we got back however, that it wasn’t all that she had made it out to be. The latte machiatto on the other hand really hit the spot because as the sun was setting, the warmth of the coffee was welcomed.After our break for coffee and desert we wondered further into the town of Monterosso. As we were walking down the streets we came to an Enoteca, where wine and liquors are sold. Cinque Terre is known for their dry white wine and desert wines. I was contemplating picking up a bottle or two to bring back home to share with my family. I never did purchase those bottles, however at the store we were able to try cream limoncello and cream melon. It was fantastic. After, Tim had 4 shots and I sipped at two we were ready to hike again. I think he was feeling rather warm and fuzzy with a full belly of pasta, monterossina pie and just a couple after lunch shots.
As the temperature dropped and we were enjoying the sights we began to realize that it was time to start the last leg of our trip back to Vernazza. The estimated travel time was between an hour and a half and two hours. We are rather quick walkers but we only had about an hour of light left. As we climbed the stairs into the mountains we continually looked behind us watching the sun set and change the colors of the sky. It was breathtaking. We found ourselves stopping many times to just enjoy the view because that was one of the things that I had said I really wanted to do this trip. As the sky darkened the lights of Monterosso turned out, illuminating the town along the beach.
We eventually turned the corner, losing the sun behind the mountain and looking out over the Mediterranean Sea. The path became very narrow and we had to really focus on where we were walking and what we were doing. Again, we went around another bend, bringing the lights of Vernazza into sight. It was absolutely beautiful. I tried to capture it on my camera but had no luck. Both Tim and I purchased postcards on Sunday to remind us of what it looked like as we approached it that evening.
Sunday was another wonderful day, warmer then Saturday with clear blue skies and a slight breeze off the water. We had check out at ten so we woke up leisurely and ventured across the piazza to a restaurant for breakfast and a cup of coffee. Then we met Giacomo to pay and say thank you. He kindly reminded us that we must pick up our bags at the end of the afternoon and not sleep there that night because he was heading back to his winter home in Levanto. I also received the typical two kisses and a hug as he was departing. If I were to visit again, I would stay in the cozy room once more.
With our bags packed and under the window we prepared for a hike into the hills behind the towns. Again, it started with stairs. However, on this trip I realized that I don’t mind stairs all that much if they are normal and not the Swiss stairs. Swiss stairs are just a little two wide for one step up, making you always step with the same leg.
This hike into the mountains surrounding Cinque Terre was much different then the ones surrounding us in Switzerland. As we climbed we walked through olive trees with netting rolled up and tied under the trees. Then almost immediately after a turn we would be walking through vineyards that had been harvested earlier in November of their grapes to make the wine of Cinque Terre. Now the vines were covered in yellow and orange leaves with remnants of grapes still hanging from some of the vines, left behind to fall to the ground. 
We wandered for almost two hours through these vineyards coming across vicious dogs that scared me half to death and I wouldn’t walk past it until the owner came through the vines and held him back. I swear if he had slipped forward slightly he would have jumped right over the low fence that was a little below him along the walk. We also walked past many sanctuaries, where we stopped and had Clementines and peanut M&M’s, Tim’s treat of choice.
Then finally we came to a split, red path 7 or 7A. 7 continued up the mountain with really no destination but continuing our hike, 7A went towards Cornegila where we would catch the train back to Vernazza to call it a day and head back to Lugano. Tim wanted to continue up so we did and eventually I became nervous and made him turn around because I feared that we were going to miss the last train from Milan to Lugano because we had gotten lost so many times throughout our hike up I did not believe that our hike down was going to be a direct one and would take longer then both of us planned. So we turned and instead of going to Corneglia we walked back to the blue path and Vernazza. However, this path was extremely difficult with a lot of loose rock and steep portions that we had to ease our way down.
As we got to the bottom we came into a path of cactus. I thought they were so cool so we stopped for a photo shoot. I pretended to sit on one and get caught up in the little prickers. Well, it doesn’t pay to fool around because as I was leaving the path my arm did get caught and it wasn’t the most pleasant feeling. 
Soon after we found our way back to Vernazza and had plenty of time to spare so we went up to Castle Doria for one last look at the Mediterranean Sea and the 4 other towns of Cinque Terre. It was absolutely gorgeous. The weather was perfect and hiking was fantastic and it was another great weekend.
Friday, November 16, 2007
Relaxing Nothing to Exciting
I had the last two days to myself. I had no requirements, meetings, or obligations; aside from basketball but that doesn't count. For the first time since I have been in Lugano I felt normal again. These past two days felt like a typical weekend in New England. I woke up without an alarm, again a first since I have been here. The sun was pouring in my windows and I rolled over grabbed my laptop and watched the season finale of Grey's Anatomy. This is a little different because back home I would maybe be on my couch, enjoying breakfast flipping through the channels. I don't have a TV here so I have purchased the season pass to Grey's Anatomy on iTunes, so I feel a little connected to my past life. After that final episode I had to know what has happened since so...since then I have watched four episodes from this season. It is getting pretty good if I do say so myself.
After my vegging and watching Grey's, catching up with McDreamy and McSteamy, both Thursday and Friday morning I feel completely refreshed. I haven't gotten much accomplished in my classroom like I had vowed to do. I have sat here at the computer, graded a little math from last week but I have not planned. It will get done, I think I just needed a break.
So this afternoon I am off to Cinque Terre. This trip has been something that has always been in the distance for me, so it is exciting that it is finally here. Originally these four days I was suppose to be in London with the elementary teachers. Unfortunately they changed their plans to go to Paris, where I am headed next week. On top of that I wouldn't have been able to go anyway because of basketball tryouts.
Back to Cinque Terre, Tim and I started talking about this upcoming weekend when we were hiking down one of the mountains around the Schilthorn. We of course didn't plan anything and I scrambled all this week to book a place and figure out trains and I thought grab some fruit to take along with us. That was the only piece that didn't happen because my fearless leader told me I could take the school car but conviently it is at her house with her husband. Interesting how that works.
I have a few more things to get done before I get to jump on a train and dominate at cards, but it should be a relatively good weekend. I am just hoping that the weather holds out.
After my vegging and watching Grey's, catching up with McDreamy and McSteamy, both Thursday and Friday morning I feel completely refreshed. I haven't gotten much accomplished in my classroom like I had vowed to do. I have sat here at the computer, graded a little math from last week but I have not planned. It will get done, I think I just needed a break.
So this afternoon I am off to Cinque Terre. This trip has been something that has always been in the distance for me, so it is exciting that it is finally here. Originally these four days I was suppose to be in London with the elementary teachers. Unfortunately they changed their plans to go to Paris, where I am headed next week. On top of that I wouldn't have been able to go anyway because of basketball tryouts.
Back to Cinque Terre, Tim and I started talking about this upcoming weekend when we were hiking down one of the mountains around the Schilthorn. We of course didn't plan anything and I scrambled all this week to book a place and figure out trains and I thought grab some fruit to take along with us. That was the only piece that didn't happen because my fearless leader told me I could take the school car but conviently it is at her house with her husband. Interesting how that works.
I have a few more things to get done before I get to jump on a train and dominate at cards, but it should be a relatively good weekend. I am just hoping that the weather holds out.
Monday, November 12, 2007
Running Through Turin ~ Nov. 10-11
It started and ended with a run! Girls Weekend in Turin
Picture this; 6:45 am, I wander with my eyes half open up the hill to meet Shannon, Allyson and Emily for our ride down to the train. I had worked my charm on Tim and convinced him it was a good idea to wake up early and drive us down to catch a 7:11 train to Milan and then a connecting train to Turin.
Anyhow, I got to the parking lot, met up with Tim and grabbed the keys to van 8. Emily, Allyson, Tim and I were chatting away commenting on how surprised we were that Shannon wasn’t there yet. Meanwhile, Tim ventured over to pull the van around and to his surprise the van was missing. Now, Brody had driven the van to the IP the previous night, running many TASIS staff back and forth to the bar. We knew that he had dropped the van off because he had left the keys in Tim’s box. We had no idea where it could be. I am guessing that Tom Bendal, who was on duty Friday night drove the van home for the evening, leaving us stranded Saturday morning.
After short-lived panic, Tim and I ran to the faculty room, as it was now 6:55 and Swiss trains do not leave late. Tim jerry rigged some pens together with the hope of “fishing out” van keys to one of the vans in the parking lot. Standing on a chair with his face pressed against the wall trying to see into a very narrow slit was slightly comical. I tried to be nice, however, because he was doing all of this for us. After a couple of tries he became frustrated and was going to try something else. I asked if I could try, jumped up on the chair, took the pens and on the first try successfully hooked van 5 as the Church Bells began to ring in 7 am. Tim and I sprinted from Denobli to the parking lot, where Allyson, Shannon and Emily grabbed their bags and prepared to jump into the van. We only had eleven minutes to make it down the hill and I was not positive we would make it. Tim doesn’t like to speed and the train station is not exactly close.
During the drive, Shannon began to give us our game plan as to how we were going to pull this off. We were going to sprint and use the machines outside of the station. Tim pulled into the circle, where we jumped out and ran. I believe he was laughing at us the entire time watching us go with our backpacks on and purses flying. At the machines we were yelling back and forth to each other making sure we got on the right train when Allyson realized that the one we were purchasing was heading in the complete wrong direction. We promptly turned and ran to the ticket booth where the woman thought we were crazy Americans. She luckily spoke English, told us we didn’t have time to book to Turin and she would put us through to Milan but we had better run, which we did again. As Emily stepped on the train behind the rest of us the doors shut and the train pulled away. We made it; we could catch our breath and have a few laughs.
In Milan we got our tickets for the remaining portion of our trip on a regional train. It was packed and we did not have seats. We had to split up and Allyson ended up sitting on a jump seat by one of the exits until the first stop at which point the man across from me got up and she took his spot. I slept the majority of the way, because as everyone knows I am a good traveler.
We reached Turin at about 11:15 and we found our hotel, The Best Western. Allyson and I were roommates and when we got to our room we were in pleasantly surprised. It had hand painted vaulted ceilings, a loft, and stained glass windows. It was beautiful. Probably one of the best hotels I have stayed at since I have been here. The beds were still tiny and Allyson and I could have held hands through the night but it was fantastic. After unpacking and changing shoes we were off on what turned out to be quite the shopping trip.
We left the hotel and went to Via Roma, a street known for its shopping and porticoes making it a very pleasant experience in all weather.
First stop was Zara, where many things were purchased by all of us at some point during the trip. As the day progressed we walked farther down via Roma making our way from shop to shop. Allyson was happy to find Saphora and finally get her mascara that she had needed. I was happy to finally find a restaurant to eat lunch at, because I was thinking that I might have to eat my arm.
Lunch was great. It was a little restaurant. All the food was laid out on plates in the front window. Actually what first caught my eye was all of the deserts in the window. There were huge chunks of white and milk chocolate with nuts and almonds in them. I was thinking that maybe possibly I would be having desert for lunch instead. That didn’t happen but it was wishful thinking. So we ordered, after holding up the line for some time. It turned out to be more cafeteria style. I had a huge plate of pasta, as did Allyson while Shannon and Emily had paninis. As we were waiting for our food at the table, I got nervous as usual that we were doing something wrong. No one was talking to us or helping us. We hadn’t ordered drinks and we were not sure if we were suppose to sit or wait for our food to be brought to us. This was one of those times where I wished that I had a better grasp on Italian and could actually talk to the people instead of being the tourists trying to figure out the system in silence. After some time and me being antsy our food was brought to us and we all had grande coka’s, which woke us up slightly.
After lunch we thought we would hit up our first sight seeing stop, the Shroud of Turin. (Which until I was there, I had no clue what it was and everyone was completely shocked at my lack of knowledge) On our way there, we came into Piazza Castella, the power base of the Dukes of Savoy.
In this Piazza there is an old home, Palazzo Madama, of a royal family who couldn’t agree. The husband wanted a castle and his wife wanted something a little more modern so they decided to avoid conflict and build something that made them both happy. On one side is a castle facing via Poe and the river, the other a beautiful palace over looking the main piazza and the Palazzo Reale.
After much wandering we reached the home of the Shroud. There was a fun market to the left of the Church close to the Church Bell Tower. Unfortunately the doors were shut, not to open again till 3:30 so we made our way back down via Poe in search for the spire that I wanted to take an elevator to the top of, we never did find it on Saturday however. It was always in the distance peaking over buildings.
On our way we stopped for some hot chocolate at a restaurant that Eleanour had recommended. Shannon, Allyson and Emily agreed it was some of the best. Hot chocolate here is not like any old hot chocolate. It is basically melted chocolate with heavy cream over the top, very rich and supposedly very tasty. I have yet to have a cup of my own because it is too much chocolate for my liking. However, I did dip a spoon in Emily’s cup and it was delightful. After warming up and enjoying some chocolates we continued our walk down Poe to the river. It was a nice walk, however, Turin is a very industrial city.
At the lake we watched the sun set over the River Poe and I was taken back to my time on the Charles watching rowers make their way back to a boathouse as the sun was setting over the bridge. It was absolutely beautiful. We continued walking down the river back to our hotel to take a nap and change for dinner.
Dinner, another adventure; it only took us an hour and a half to find a restaurant but it was well worth the wait. I had very tasty seafood linguine, which I very smoothly ordered. The entire time I was waiting I was questioning whether or not I was going to get Linguine with clams, which I wanted, something else, or pasta and a steak. I wasn’t really sure. When Emily and Shannon’s salads arrived, my pasta came as well. Allyson however, did not get her dinner. This convinced me that I had a steak on the way, mainly because when I ordered I pointed to what I thought I wanted on the menu and then to the lady at the next table who had what I was hoping to order but said, “what she has.” Which Shannon was next to me who had just ordered a steak. Luckily it all worked out and I only had one meal that evening.
Sunday
Stained glass windows are wonderful. The room was so dark I slept till 9:30 when Shannon and Emily called to shag Allyson and I out of bed to head down to breakfast. We quickly threw our things on and ran down, because you never pass up a free meal. After the typical salami, cheese and croissant breakfast, Allyson and I went up stairs to freshen up, pack, and get ready for the day. We were finally going to see some sights because all the stores were closed. First stop, the Shroud of Turin.
As we walked up to the church there was a rather large tour group leaving. This laid our concern of Sunday mass to ease. We walked up the stairs where we were stopped by a nice old Italian man who was telling is very quickly that unless we were there for mass we were not allowed in. We checked the times and realized that mass was over in 30 minutes. During the discussion we noticed many others walking in ignoring the man so we thought we would give a try. Again we were turned away. At least point a homeless man sitting on the stairs started talking to us. With our limited Italian we translated that he was telling us how to sneak into the back of the church. Not such a good idea, so we left with the intention of coming back after we found the spire and took the panoramic lift to the top.
The spire, also known as Mole Antonelliana, was originally built for the Jewish community in Turin. Their goal was to build the highest spire in the area on a 30 m square dome. It took many years to build and faced devastating destruction through the years, which brought about discussion of whether it was worth keeping up the maintenance of such a piece. They did, and it is the only place in Turin where you can get high enough to see the city sprawl from the river Poe to the mountains.
After waiting in line for about 30 minutes we reached the panoramic lift. It was basically a glass box in a chute. At least we thought we would be in a chute until we reached the dome where the glass casing around the elevator disappeared and all that was supporting our box was a single pole and the chords coming out of the top. Shannon got nervous and shut her eyes; I began commenting on how it felt like we were floating. She told me I wasn’t helping the situation. When we got to the top, the wait had been worth it. We could see everything.
Turin looked like a beautiful city from above. We could see the Church Bell Tower, the Palazzo Madame, Piazza Castello, and the River Poe. It was breathtaking. I took a ton of pictures.
When we reached ground level again we decided to try to see the Shroud for the third time. Hoping that we could get in, there was no mass and it was open. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Once again it was closed. So we took some pictures of us trying to get in and laughed about the whole situation.
As we were standing outside of the church once again we got into another conversation about Catholicism, religion, and differing beliefs among families. It was interesting to hear the broad perspective and how each of us would like our future to look. Those conversations are the ones that have really given insight into who some one really is and where they are coming from.
We had some time to kill so we worked our way to Piazza Castello once again for another hot chocolate and cappuccino. The day was beautiful so we sat outside, soaking up the sun. We had plenty of time to kill, or so we thought. That was until the waiter never came back to give us our bill and the minutes slowly ticked by, while Shannon was basically jumping out of her chair trying to get the waiters attention. We paid our bill quickly and once again took off at a sprint, this time through Turin to our hotel and the train station.
With one minute to spare we got on the train, settled comfortably into our seats for the journey home.
Picture this; 6:45 am, I wander with my eyes half open up the hill to meet Shannon, Allyson and Emily for our ride down to the train. I had worked my charm on Tim and convinced him it was a good idea to wake up early and drive us down to catch a 7:11 train to Milan and then a connecting train to Turin.
Anyhow, I got to the parking lot, met up with Tim and grabbed the keys to van 8. Emily, Allyson, Tim and I were chatting away commenting on how surprised we were that Shannon wasn’t there yet. Meanwhile, Tim ventured over to pull the van around and to his surprise the van was missing. Now, Brody had driven the van to the IP the previous night, running many TASIS staff back and forth to the bar. We knew that he had dropped the van off because he had left the keys in Tim’s box. We had no idea where it could be. I am guessing that Tom Bendal, who was on duty Friday night drove the van home for the evening, leaving us stranded Saturday morning.
After short-lived panic, Tim and I ran to the faculty room, as it was now 6:55 and Swiss trains do not leave late. Tim jerry rigged some pens together with the hope of “fishing out” van keys to one of the vans in the parking lot. Standing on a chair with his face pressed against the wall trying to see into a very narrow slit was slightly comical. I tried to be nice, however, because he was doing all of this for us. After a couple of tries he became frustrated and was going to try something else. I asked if I could try, jumped up on the chair, took the pens and on the first try successfully hooked van 5 as the Church Bells began to ring in 7 am. Tim and I sprinted from Denobli to the parking lot, where Allyson, Shannon and Emily grabbed their bags and prepared to jump into the van. We only had eleven minutes to make it down the hill and I was not positive we would make it. Tim doesn’t like to speed and the train station is not exactly close.
During the drive, Shannon began to give us our game plan as to how we were going to pull this off. We were going to sprint and use the machines outside of the station. Tim pulled into the circle, where we jumped out and ran. I believe he was laughing at us the entire time watching us go with our backpacks on and purses flying. At the machines we were yelling back and forth to each other making sure we got on the right train when Allyson realized that the one we were purchasing was heading in the complete wrong direction. We promptly turned and ran to the ticket booth where the woman thought we were crazy Americans. She luckily spoke English, told us we didn’t have time to book to Turin and she would put us through to Milan but we had better run, which we did again. As Emily stepped on the train behind the rest of us the doors shut and the train pulled away. We made it; we could catch our breath and have a few laughs.
In Milan we got our tickets for the remaining portion of our trip on a regional train. It was packed and we did not have seats. We had to split up and Allyson ended up sitting on a jump seat by one of the exits until the first stop at which point the man across from me got up and she took his spot. I slept the majority of the way, because as everyone knows I am a good traveler.
We reached Turin at about 11:15 and we found our hotel, The Best Western. Allyson and I were roommates and when we got to our room we were in pleasantly surprised. It had hand painted vaulted ceilings, a loft, and stained glass windows. It was beautiful. Probably one of the best hotels I have stayed at since I have been here. The beds were still tiny and Allyson and I could have held hands through the night but it was fantastic. After unpacking and changing shoes we were off on what turned out to be quite the shopping trip.
We left the hotel and went to Via Roma, a street known for its shopping and porticoes making it a very pleasant experience in all weather.
First stop was Zara, where many things were purchased by all of us at some point during the trip. As the day progressed we walked farther down via Roma making our way from shop to shop. Allyson was happy to find Saphora and finally get her mascara that she had needed. I was happy to finally find a restaurant to eat lunch at, because I was thinking that I might have to eat my arm.Lunch was great. It was a little restaurant. All the food was laid out on plates in the front window. Actually what first caught my eye was all of the deserts in the window. There were huge chunks of white and milk chocolate with nuts and almonds in them. I was thinking that maybe possibly I would be having desert for lunch instead. That didn’t happen but it was wishful thinking. So we ordered, after holding up the line for some time. It turned out to be more cafeteria style. I had a huge plate of pasta, as did Allyson while Shannon and Emily had paninis. As we were waiting for our food at the table, I got nervous as usual that we were doing something wrong. No one was talking to us or helping us. We hadn’t ordered drinks and we were not sure if we were suppose to sit or wait for our food to be brought to us. This was one of those times where I wished that I had a better grasp on Italian and could actually talk to the people instead of being the tourists trying to figure out the system in silence. After some time and me being antsy our food was brought to us and we all had grande coka’s, which woke us up slightly.
After lunch we thought we would hit up our first sight seeing stop, the Shroud of Turin. (Which until I was there, I had no clue what it was and everyone was completely shocked at my lack of knowledge) On our way there, we came into Piazza Castella, the power base of the Dukes of Savoy.
In this Piazza there is an old home, Palazzo Madama, of a royal family who couldn’t agree. The husband wanted a castle and his wife wanted something a little more modern so they decided to avoid conflict and build something that made them both happy. On one side is a castle facing via Poe and the river, the other a beautiful palace over looking the main piazza and the Palazzo Reale. After much wandering we reached the home of the Shroud. There was a fun market to the left of the Church close to the Church Bell Tower. Unfortunately the doors were shut, not to open again till 3:30 so we made our way back down via Poe in search for the spire that I wanted to take an elevator to the top of, we never did find it on Saturday however. It was always in the distance peaking over buildings.
On our way we stopped for some hot chocolate at a restaurant that Eleanour had recommended. Shannon, Allyson and Emily agreed it was some of the best. Hot chocolate here is not like any old hot chocolate. It is basically melted chocolate with heavy cream over the top, very rich and supposedly very tasty. I have yet to have a cup of my own because it is too much chocolate for my liking. However, I did dip a spoon in Emily’s cup and it was delightful. After warming up and enjoying some chocolates we continued our walk down Poe to the river. It was a nice walk, however, Turin is a very industrial city.
At the lake we watched the sun set over the River Poe and I was taken back to my time on the Charles watching rowers make their way back to a boathouse as the sun was setting over the bridge. It was absolutely beautiful. We continued walking down the river back to our hotel to take a nap and change for dinner.
Dinner, another adventure; it only took us an hour and a half to find a restaurant but it was well worth the wait. I had very tasty seafood linguine, which I very smoothly ordered. The entire time I was waiting I was questioning whether or not I was going to get Linguine with clams, which I wanted, something else, or pasta and a steak. I wasn’t really sure. When Emily and Shannon’s salads arrived, my pasta came as well. Allyson however, did not get her dinner. This convinced me that I had a steak on the way, mainly because when I ordered I pointed to what I thought I wanted on the menu and then to the lady at the next table who had what I was hoping to order but said, “what she has.” Which Shannon was next to me who had just ordered a steak. Luckily it all worked out and I only had one meal that evening.
Sunday
Stained glass windows are wonderful. The room was so dark I slept till 9:30 when Shannon and Emily called to shag Allyson and I out of bed to head down to breakfast. We quickly threw our things on and ran down, because you never pass up a free meal. After the typical salami, cheese and croissant breakfast, Allyson and I went up stairs to freshen up, pack, and get ready for the day. We were finally going to see some sights because all the stores were closed. First stop, the Shroud of Turin.
As we walked up to the church there was a rather large tour group leaving. This laid our concern of Sunday mass to ease. We walked up the stairs where we were stopped by a nice old Italian man who was telling is very quickly that unless we were there for mass we were not allowed in. We checked the times and realized that mass was over in 30 minutes. During the discussion we noticed many others walking in ignoring the man so we thought we would give a try. Again we were turned away. At least point a homeless man sitting on the stairs started talking to us. With our limited Italian we translated that he was telling us how to sneak into the back of the church. Not such a good idea, so we left with the intention of coming back after we found the spire and took the panoramic lift to the top.
The spire, also known as Mole Antonelliana, was originally built for the Jewish community in Turin. Their goal was to build the highest spire in the area on a 30 m square dome. It took many years to build and faced devastating destruction through the years, which brought about discussion of whether it was worth keeping up the maintenance of such a piece. They did, and it is the only place in Turin where you can get high enough to see the city sprawl from the river Poe to the mountains.After waiting in line for about 30 minutes we reached the panoramic lift. It was basically a glass box in a chute. At least we thought we would be in a chute until we reached the dome where the glass casing around the elevator disappeared and all that was supporting our box was a single pole and the chords coming out of the top. Shannon got nervous and shut her eyes; I began commenting on how it felt like we were floating. She told me I wasn’t helping the situation. When we got to the top, the wait had been worth it. We could see everything.
Turin looked like a beautiful city from above. We could see the Church Bell Tower, the Palazzo Madame, Piazza Castello, and the River Poe. It was breathtaking. I took a ton of pictures.
When we reached ground level again we decided to try to see the Shroud for the third time. Hoping that we could get in, there was no mass and it was open. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Once again it was closed. So we took some pictures of us trying to get in and laughed about the whole situation.
As we were standing outside of the church once again we got into another conversation about Catholicism, religion, and differing beliefs among families. It was interesting to hear the broad perspective and how each of us would like our future to look. Those conversations are the ones that have really given insight into who some one really is and where they are coming from.We had some time to kill so we worked our way to Piazza Castello once again for another hot chocolate and cappuccino. The day was beautiful so we sat outside, soaking up the sun. We had plenty of time to kill, or so we thought. That was until the waiter never came back to give us our bill and the minutes slowly ticked by, while Shannon was basically jumping out of her chair trying to get the waiters attention. We paid our bill quickly and once again took off at a sprint, this time through Turin to our hotel and the train station.
With one minute to spare we got on the train, settled comfortably into our seats for the journey home.
Disclaimer
You may all be asking. Why is she starting this now. Well, I thought it was important to keep track of all the wonderful things that I have been doing since I have been in Switzerland. Unfortunately, it took me ten months to get my act together, missing a lot of what I did when I first got to Lugano and met everyone and explored where I lived. Oh well, I am just going to get over it and start fresh now.
With that being said, there are three entries below this one that are in no apparent order. I had written for another blog and these were my entries, as well as one entry from Tim. I really like them so I cut and pasted them into this one. I hope you enjoy my blabbering and learning about all the wonderful things I do, day to day. Write me comments and let me know your thoughts. It's more fun that way. At least then I know I have an audience to my writing and picture taking instead of just blabbing endlessly.
With that being said, there are three entries below this one that are in no apparent order. I had written for another blog and these were my entries, as well as one entry from Tim. I really like them so I cut and pasted them into this one. I hope you enjoy my blabbering and learning about all the wonderful things I do, day to day. Write me comments and let me know your thoughts. It's more fun that way. At least then I know I have an audience to my writing and picture taking instead of just blabbing endlessly.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
Schilthorn Weekend courtesy of Tim
Blair, Carla, Allison, and I hopped on a 4:55 train from Lugano. We were all very pleased to get away from campus for what we hoped would be a wonderful weekend of hiking in the Swiss Alps. Our Friday night destination?
Saturday morning was mild and bright. After a set of bus and train rides through Lauderbrunnen and up to Stechelberg, Blair and I split with Carla and Ali. In truth, I am not a huge fan of gondolas and preferred to walk up to the town of 
We came across a bridge over a small but rushing stream that dropped down the mountain underneath as we stood on its wooden planks. I pondered how often they had to replace the bridge, perhaps every spring with the runoff from the peaks above knocking down the manmade structure. The mountains surrounding us, although more rugged than any anyone will ever see, are hardly what one would call secluded. I marveled at the meticulous trail work that was done to keep the trails clear. The sun rose out from behind the surrounding mountains in the midmorning as we climbed our way closer to Gimmelwald. We passed a set of cows in a pasture on our left and the bells around their necks clanged loudly which gave me flashbacks to high school football games and those fans that always ring those loud and obnoxious cowbells. The toll of these bells in the midst of our surroundings rang a much more peaceful tone.
Gimmelwald sits at near 1400 meters. The mountain hostel where we were supposed to stay tonight was the first thing we saw as we came to the building. The rest of the town sat to the south cozy and quiet.
But I missed it and we didn’t get a picture so I guess we will have to go back sometime. The house in the picture in my head had a deep wood brown shade; it had red shutters and a Swiss flag hanging outside. I also definitely know that there were flowers outside because Blair thinks that the flowers make these types of houses all the more attractive.
We headed up the valley and tried not to feel too discouraged when a pair of bikers pedaled past us along the trail. The weather was outstanding: 15 degrees Fahrenheit without a cloud in the sky. We stopped many times to get pictures. Across the valley stood the Eiger and the
Up and up we went…
We reached a small lake at about 2400 meters and then finally got to the top of the Shilthorn (2900 meters or so) around 3:30pm. 
I was proud of all four of us. And I couldn’t believe that Blair and I had climbed 2000 meters in six and a half hours. There were a number of tourists at the top that had taken the gondola to reach the revolving restaurant and gift shop. An open cockpit two-seater plane flew within 50 meters of the observation deck, looped around and then passed by us again. It reminded us that a James Bond film was filmed here a number of years ago. We also saw lots of 
Carla and Allie took the gondola back and Blair and I booked it down the mountain 5000 feet back down to Gimmlwald. It was easy going and we walked along the ridge on the way back and snuck peeks into the valley from the top of the ridge. The sun was still bright but was ready to nestle itself behind the mountains. We stopped a few times to listen to the silence of the mountains. Every few seconds the silence was interrupted by the crack of ice from the glaciers across the valley on the huge cliffs that towered above. And even when the ice was not cracking, the silence was not complete as we heard the constant sound of rushing water from down in the valley, seemingly as loud as a highway full of speeding cars. The valley that we had climbed up was all in shadow now. 
Eventually we had to abandon the sunny ridge and climb back down into the cooler valley. We walked down to a brook and followed it through a dark stand of woods and back down into Gimmelwald. It was about 7pm when we reached the hostel. 
Both Blair and I felt pretty good considering the long day. I had been worrying about a calf that had been hurting me earlier in the week and she a quad that had been acting up. But both of us felt great during the long hike. It was quite an accomplishment but I think both Blair and I feel we could do even more. I personally am intrigued by a three week trip across the mountain passes of
That night at the hostel was heaven. If the hot shower didn’t feel good enough, we ate pizza; we drank a little wine, and had some chocolate fondue. We even got a round of hearts in. Meanwhile, I tried to study the map for a hike that we could do the next day; that is, if we were even able to get our exhausted bodies up the next day. The hostel was crowded with people which surprised me seeing how it was mid-October. But they were like-minded young folks out for a great time in the mountains. The feeling of exhaustion was enough to drive us to our separate dorm rooms by a quarter to ten. As my head hit the pillow I was grateful to have spent the day doing what I love and with such great company. Unfortunately sleep did not come easy for me or Blair as I believe the chocolate must have had a significant amount of caffeine in it.
Nevertheless, we were up the next morning, and after a bowl of cereal, we hiked to a waterfall at the end of a valley. It was a bit cold as we waited for the sun to pop up over the mountains. But the sun was blocked by the huge wall of rock in front us that jutted up thousands of feet.
Blair and I spent the late morning and early afternoon on our own hiking back up towards Shilthorn but from a more southerly direction. 
We passed through a little village before making our way to a mountain hut that we had hoped to stay in before we made reservations at the hostel. We went inside and I kind of felt how Goldilocks would have felt when she barged in on the three bears’ house. There was no one around. But two bunks with room enough for eight people were all made up and there were slippers underneath the bottom bunk. It would have been very cozy to stay there the night before but during the off season it is first come first serve and I did not want to take a chance on whether we would get a spot or not.
After a quick bite we laid down on the grass as we gazed at the valley below and the para-gliders taking off from above behind us. The sun felt wonderful on our faces and Blair quickly dozed off to sleep. Time passes very quickly on that hill. And it was almost two hours later that we motivated ourselves for the hike down. 
We passed through the same thickly wooded forest as the day before back to Gimmelwald but this time we came across a waterfall. The trail actually went behind the waterfall and we had a view from behind it down into the gorge.
We showered back at the hostel and then took the gondola down. I haven’t been on a gondola in over 15 years. But with some of my own positive thinking and Blair by my side I thought I could do it. The gondola reached the first pole then took off dropping quickly and steeply down into the valley. The ground was over a 1000 feet below and the gondola was packed to the brim with what seemed like 50 people that had just gotten off the gondola from Murren. There was something exciting about facing a fear with Blair there to witness it among the hoard of mountain goers as we made our way down to the floor of the valley. When we reached the bottom she asked me
“How was that?”
“Piece of cake.” I said trying to act uncharacteristically arrogant in a situation that would never conjure any right for arrogance by anyone. But for me, it was a start, an accomplishment. When we got on the bus in Stechelberg to Lauderbrunnen I felt great.
Blair and I did not get home till 2 am that night. We got an eight o’clock train from Interlaken which gave us enough time to chow down on kebabs near the station and talk about songs we should sing at the next TASIS faculty sing along. Train rides with Blair always go fast, too fast it seems, and before we knew it, we were walking back to TASIS from the train station ending what had been one very terrific weekend.
The Car As We Say Goodbye
What to say about the car. It has treated Allie and I very well. From day one it has gotten us to where we had to go and we were very fortunate and spoiled to have the perk of not having to ride the bus, figure out how to get to Ikea when everyone else was going, and working on trying to drive the TASIS vans. Granted at the beginning the driving experience for me was slim to none, considering I did not now how to drive a manual car. That was an exciting and nerve racking experience.
It was about one week before school started. Allie and I were chatting about school, the week and the weekends schedule leading up to the start and we realized that there was absolutely no time for her to teach me how to drive except for the ride every morning and afternoon to and from school. Starting the following Monday I was going to have to drop Allie off at work and continue up the hill to Hadsall to my classroom. It was necessary for me to learn. One morning I decided to give it a try. I backed out of the spot successfully, didn't stall, jerked a little but nothing to bad. I was feeling really confident. When I reached the intersection. I pulled out, or tried to and stalled. Try number two, stalled again, a little farther into Collina d'Oro. Third try, stalled again. About a third of the way in the middle of the intersection. I convinced myself the fourth try would be the charm. Not so much. I had successfully stopped traffic up and down Collina d'Oro as now I was perfectly perpendicular to the road at a dead stop. After laughing uncontrollably, Allie and I had a little Chinese Fire drill, where she ran around the car and I jumped over the center counsel and she drove us the rest of the way up the mountain to our Singapore Math Training. A whole other story.
Needless to say, as the week went on, I did get much better at driving and was only stalling a couple of times a day. A huge improvement from my first attempt. I was feeling so confident I decided to drive down to Lugano to purchase a cell phone. Lizzie, Shannon and Pete decided to join me. I believe they really wanted to see if I was going to be able to do it and Pete only heard the word Gelato and was in. Everything was smooth until we tried to come home. I had my ticket to exit the parking lot, pulled up to the machine, inserted my ticket and the gate went up. I pressed the gas and the clutch and stalled, about three times. Meanwhile, Pete in the back seat is yelling at me to go because the gate is about to close on us. Then the machine starts repeating, "Gate about to close, gate about to close". Lizzie is in the back laughing hysterically when I finally peal out of the lot and the men on their motorcycles turn to watch me go. It was quite a sight. Anyhow, enough about my driving skills. I have to say I have become quite good. At least most of the time. But back to the car.
Like I mentioned earlier, it's a good car. Supposedly it takes the corners well. Well, it has also been abused. From me learning how to drive, Allie putting gas in a diesel engine, someone hitting us, and me backing into a wall, we have kept things interesting. The first time we ran out of gas, Allie had the car and she was with a bunch of high school and elementary school teachers heading to a bar. On their way, they stopped to get "gas".
The next day Allie, Shannon and Carla drove to Lucarno for a day of walking and exploring. They didn't make it all that far because after their first stop and lunch, the car didn't start. So they called me. I was in Bellinzona with Brody and Tim and we were eating a leisurely lunch when we received the phone call. All three of us were lost as to what they should do, so they called every person they had programmed in their phones until they finally found Anna to connect them to the Swiss version of AAA. The car was taken care of and diesel was put in the tank. However, since that event it hasn't smelled right. Everyone can blame it on my driving but I'm sticking by my opinion that something bad has happened to that engine.
This could be the reason why we have one seat heater on the passenger side of the car. It is rather comical as new people ride along with one of us. About two minutes into the drive they comment at how warm their seat has gotten. At first we all tried to find the dial to turn it down. Now we realize that, it's not normal and the driver side doesn't have such a perk. As it's getting cold, we're not complaining. We rather enjoy the warmth and coziness of taking a ride. I especially enjoyed it after our hike to Camoghe, it was rather toasty.
Now it gets interesting. Yeah I know, you thought diesel was the worst of it. One evening, Allie mentioned to me that there was a dent in the back end of the car. It looked like someone had hit us. Neither of us had knowledge as to what had happened or when it happened because until now we hadn't noticed.
That same evening, as Allie was getting out of the car, the entire side rail on the passenger seat came out with her, clanging to the ground. We pushed that back into place and laughed about how we needed to document the mishaps and adventures we have had.
Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. I think Allie cursed us or at least me. After a shopping trip to Grancha I agreed to drive Shannon home with her groceries. If you have seen her parking lot you already know why this is a mistake. As I was backing out of the lot in front of her building, I swear first gear didn't catch or something because I was flooring it when I rolled backwards into the wall scrapping the bumper just a little more.
Now it is really obvious that there was some sort of accident. As Shannon says, that's alright, at least it is all in the same place. Who needs a tail light and paint anyway. So, luckily we are turning this thing in on Monday. It has treated us well but it is going to cost us our salary if we keep it any longer. Next thing we know it will start smoking, so before that happens we will have to say goodbye.
It was about one week before school started. Allie and I were chatting about school, the week and the weekends schedule leading up to the start and we realized that there was absolutely no time for her to teach me how to drive except for the ride every morning and afternoon to and from school. Starting the following Monday I was going to have to drop Allie off at work and continue up the hill to Hadsall to my classroom. It was necessary for me to learn. One morning I decided to give it a try. I backed out of the spot successfully, didn't stall, jerked a little but nothing to bad. I was feeling really confident. When I reached the intersection. I pulled out, or tried to and stalled. Try number two, stalled again, a little farther into Collina d'Oro. Third try, stalled again. About a third of the way in the middle of the intersection. I convinced myself the fourth try would be the charm. Not so much. I had successfully stopped traffic up and down Collina d'Oro as now I was perfectly perpendicular to the road at a dead stop. After laughing uncontrollably, Allie and I had a little Chinese Fire drill, where she ran around the car and I jumped over the center counsel and she drove us the rest of the way up the mountain to our Singapore Math Training. A whole other story.
Needless to say, as the week went on, I did get much better at driving and was only stalling a couple of times a day. A huge improvement from my first attempt. I was feeling so confident I decided to drive down to Lugano to purchase a cell phone. Lizzie, Shannon and Pete decided to join me. I believe they really wanted to see if I was going to be able to do it and Pete only heard the word Gelato and was in. Everything was smooth until we tried to come home. I had my ticket to exit the parking lot, pulled up to the machine, inserted my ticket and the gate went up. I pressed the gas and the clutch and stalled, about three times. Meanwhile, Pete in the back seat is yelling at me to go because the gate is about to close on us. Then the machine starts repeating, "Gate about to close, gate about to close". Lizzie is in the back laughing hysterically when I finally peal out of the lot and the men on their motorcycles turn to watch me go. It was quite a sight. Anyhow, enough about my driving skills. I have to say I have become quite good. At least most of the time. But back to the car.
Like I mentioned earlier, it's a good car. Supposedly it takes the corners well. Well, it has also been abused. From me learning how to drive, Allie putting gas in a diesel engine, someone hitting us, and me backing into a wall, we have kept things interesting. The first time we ran out of gas, Allie had the car and she was with a bunch of high school and elementary school teachers heading to a bar. On their way, they stopped to get "gas".
The next day Allie, Shannon and Carla drove to Lucarno for a day of walking and exploring. They didn't make it all that far because after their first stop and lunch, the car didn't start. So they called me. I was in Bellinzona with Brody and Tim and we were eating a leisurely lunch when we received the phone call. All three of us were lost as to what they should do, so they called every person they had programmed in their phones until they finally found Anna to connect them to the Swiss version of AAA. The car was taken care of and diesel was put in the tank. However, since that event it hasn't smelled right. Everyone can blame it on my driving but I'm sticking by my opinion that something bad has happened to that engine. This could be the reason why we have one seat heater on the passenger side of the car. It is rather comical as new people ride along with one of us. About two minutes into the drive they comment at how warm their seat has gotten. At first we all tried to find the dial to turn it down. Now we realize that, it's not normal and the driver side doesn't have such a perk. As it's getting cold, we're not complaining. We rather enjoy the warmth and coziness of taking a ride. I especially enjoyed it after our hike to Camoghe, it was rather toasty.
Now it gets interesting. Yeah I know, you thought diesel was the worst of it. One evening, Allie mentioned to me that there was a dent in the back end of the car. It looked like someone had hit us. Neither of us had knowledge as to what had happened or when it happened because until now we hadn't noticed.
That same evening, as Allie was getting out of the car, the entire side rail on the passenger seat came out with her, clanging to the ground. We pushed that back into place and laughed about how we needed to document the mishaps and adventures we have had. Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. I think Allie cursed us or at least me. After a shopping trip to Grancha I agreed to drive Shannon home with her groceries. If you have seen her parking lot you already know why this is a mistake. As I was backing out of the lot in front of her building, I swear first gear didn't catch or something because I was flooring it when I rolled backwards into the wall scrapping the bumper just a little more.
Now it is really obvious that there was some sort of accident. As Shannon says, that's alright, at least it is all in the same place. Who needs a tail light and paint anyway. So, luckily we are turning this thing in on Monday. It has treated us well but it is going to cost us our salary if we keep it any longer. Next thing we know it will start smoking, so before that happens we will have to say goodbye.
Adventures in Val Colla
Sundays are proving to be the day for hikes. However, sometimes we need to rethink that idea. Saturdays are always beautiful and then Sunday rolls around and there are clouds on the mountains and the temperture has dropped. We keep telling ourselves that once we are at the top it makes everything worthwhile.
This past Sunday, we went on an adventure. Tim had heard from another faculty member that there was a beautiful hike starting in Colla. Early Sunday morning we ventured out in the renta car that still has a single heated seat (I swear something is wrong with it) in search of Val Colla. After many turns and circles of Lugano we came across a sign for Pregassona, which was heading in the general direction. Eventually, signs appeared that pointed in the right direction and we were able to sit back and enjoy the scenery. As we left the city behind us, the trees began to change colors and there was a feeling of fall. Our conversations lead to cider mills, apples and donuts and a little reminiscing of home in autumn. About 45 minutes later, we spotted the church that was the landmark for the start of our hike and parked the car.
As I got out of the car, the cool wind hit me, and I had a strong desire for my hat. I went digging in Tim's bag for a few more layers and to my surprise, there was nothing there. Somehow, the layers had been left behind. We chatted for a while about temperature and what we had available and decided that we would start up the mountain and turn back if it was too cold. We did have one hat and an extra coat, almost enough for the temperatures that we eventually faced. We should have known when we started that the reality of turning around before the top was slim to none when it comes to us or at least me.
Colla is 1,011 m in elevation. Our destination was Camoghe a mear 2,218m up, not to bad. It was posted as a four hour hike. We were told though, that wasn't the case and we should be able to make it at a quicker speed. That would have been the truth if we didn't get a little lost. We started off heading up a bunch of stairs that left the right thigh burning. They were just big enough to have to take an extra step in the middle causing every step up to be made with the same leg. I could definitely do without the stairs while hiking. However, the trick of walking in a zig zag has helped me out a little, I don't complain as much.
Anyhow, getting lost. We were strolling along, looking at the trees that had changed, talking away, when we realized that we were no longer on a marked path. We still are not sure how this happened, but oh well. We continued walking through the trees, over a little stream, which I promptly stepped in soaking my foot to my ankle. My boots were not as water proof as I thought. This same little stream flowing down the mountain side was surrounded by icicles that were not going to melt anytime soon. Just to paint a picture of just how cold it was where we were hiking. A little after the stream, the path we thought we were following disappeared completely. We were faced with the side of a mountain, covered in grass up to our ankles and we had to decide which way to go. Up seemed logical.
At this point we started to follow little red lines on the rocks. A very close resemblence to the red and white lines that mark all trails in Switzerland. I kept telling Tim we were on the right path, I really don't think he believed me. Eventually, we came out to an opening where we could see our destination clearly. I was getting a little nervous about how we were going to find our way down because we truely were not following anything and we just came out of trees that looked like the trees to the right and left of us. As we contemplated our next direction, we noticed a hut and some hikers a little to our right, which brought on a feeling of excitement. We had found our way once again and reached a trail marker. A logical place to stop and we were able to enjoy the view of distant Lugano and the surrounding mountains, with a snack of peanut M&M's. Which we ate about every 30 minutes or so. A very healthy lunch and energy booster.
We were about an hour into the hike and the temperature wasn't to bad yet. I had confiscated Tim's hat and he was feeling quilty about wearing his coat, but both of us were to stubborn to admit that we wanted to turn around because we could no longer feel our fingers or faces. The M&M's helped give us warmth. At this point we were on the trail and every red and white marker was exciting and promising. We continued to come across the yellow signs telling us our elevations and updated travel times. At one point, the trail started to head down into a valley, in the shade and the whipping wind. I wasn't a happy camper, but we chugged on into the sunshine ahead.
The last half hour of the hike consisted of loose rock and steep paths. I was moving rather slowly, hoping the wind would stop. Every time we switched back, and the wind went from hitting my face to my back, I looked up and told myself we were almost there. We passed a group of hikers enjoying the sunshine, protected from the wind by the mountain side. Eventually we passed behind a wall of rock, with the hope of being out of the wind, not so much. Climbed down a few boulders and reached our destination; Camoghe 2,218 m.
It was absolutely beautiful and as I mentioned well worth it. To our right there was a clear view of the valley below were we could pick out the surrounding towns and the autostrada running up the middle.
To the left was continuous mountains and just a little snow. Not to cold, maybe.
All in all it was a great hike, with great views. The walk down was much more enjoyable as far as temperatures go. The wind was at our backs, the sun was high over head, and feeling came back into my fingers about half way down. I successfully found two streams to step in and Tim only rolled his ankle once. Overall, it was a great day, full of adventures and many funny stories from beginning to end.
This past Sunday, we went on an adventure. Tim had heard from another faculty member that there was a beautiful hike starting in Colla. Early Sunday morning we ventured out in the renta car that still has a single heated seat (I swear something is wrong with it) in search of Val Colla. After many turns and circles of Lugano we came across a sign for Pregassona, which was heading in the general direction. Eventually, signs appeared that pointed in the right direction and we were able to sit back and enjoy the scenery. As we left the city behind us, the trees began to change colors and there was a feeling of fall. Our conversations lead to cider mills, apples and donuts and a little reminiscing of home in autumn. About 45 minutes later, we spotted the church that was the landmark for the start of our hike and parked the car.
As I got out of the car, the cool wind hit me, and I had a strong desire for my hat. I went digging in Tim's bag for a few more layers and to my surprise, there was nothing there. Somehow, the layers had been left behind. We chatted for a while about temperature and what we had available and decided that we would start up the mountain and turn back if it was too cold. We did have one hat and an extra coat, almost enough for the temperatures that we eventually faced. We should have known when we started that the reality of turning around before the top was slim to none when it comes to us or at least me.
Colla is 1,011 m in elevation. Our destination was Camoghe a mear 2,218m up, not to bad. It was posted as a four hour hike. We were told though, that wasn't the case and we should be able to make it at a quicker speed. That would have been the truth if we didn't get a little lost. We started off heading up a bunch of stairs that left the right thigh burning. They were just big enough to have to take an extra step in the middle causing every step up to be made with the same leg. I could definitely do without the stairs while hiking. However, the trick of walking in a zig zag has helped me out a little, I don't complain as much.
Anyhow, getting lost. We were strolling along, looking at the trees that had changed, talking away, when we realized that we were no longer on a marked path. We still are not sure how this happened, but oh well. We continued walking through the trees, over a little stream, which I promptly stepped in soaking my foot to my ankle. My boots were not as water proof as I thought. This same little stream flowing down the mountain side was surrounded by icicles that were not going to melt anytime soon. Just to paint a picture of just how cold it was where we were hiking. A little after the stream, the path we thought we were following disappeared completely. We were faced with the side of a mountain, covered in grass up to our ankles and we had to decide which way to go. Up seemed logical.
At this point we started to follow little red lines on the rocks. A very close resemblence to the red and white lines that mark all trails in Switzerland. I kept telling Tim we were on the right path, I really don't think he believed me. Eventually, we came out to an opening where we could see our destination clearly. I was getting a little nervous about how we were going to find our way down because we truely were not following anything and we just came out of trees that looked like the trees to the right and left of us. As we contemplated our next direction, we noticed a hut and some hikers a little to our right, which brought on a feeling of excitement. We had found our way once again and reached a trail marker. A logical place to stop and we were able to enjoy the view of distant Lugano and the surrounding mountains, with a snack of peanut M&M's. Which we ate about every 30 minutes or so. A very healthy lunch and energy booster.We were about an hour into the hike and the temperature wasn't to bad yet. I had confiscated Tim's hat and he was feeling quilty about wearing his coat, but both of us were to stubborn to admit that we wanted to turn around because we could no longer feel our fingers or faces. The M&M's helped give us warmth. At this point we were on the trail and every red and white marker was exciting and promising. We continued to come across the yellow signs telling us our elevations and updated travel times. At one point, the trail started to head down into a valley, in the shade and the whipping wind. I wasn't a happy camper, but we chugged on into the sunshine ahead.
The last half hour of the hike consisted of loose rock and steep paths. I was moving rather slowly, hoping the wind would stop. Every time we switched back, and the wind went from hitting my face to my back, I looked up and told myself we were almost there. We passed a group of hikers enjoying the sunshine, protected from the wind by the mountain side. Eventually we passed behind a wall of rock, with the hope of being out of the wind, not so much. Climbed down a few boulders and reached our destination; Camoghe 2,218 m.
It was absolutely beautiful and as I mentioned well worth it. To our right there was a clear view of the valley below were we could pick out the surrounding towns and the autostrada running up the middle.
To the left was continuous mountains and just a little snow. Not to cold, maybe.
All in all it was a great hike, with great views. The walk down was much more enjoyable as far as temperatures go. The wind was at our backs, the sun was high over head, and feeling came back into my fingers about half way down. I successfully found two streams to step in and Tim only rolled his ankle once. Overall, it was a great day, full of adventures and many funny stories from beginning to end.
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