-
Top five favorite places in Switzerland.
My top five favorite places In Switzerland range from the Jungfrau region to Lake Maggiore in the south and they are easy to reach by train. At the Zurich International Airport, I jumped on a train and three hours later I stepped off in the fairy tale town of Grindelwald in the Jungfrau Region, nestled…
-
Discover France’s secret villages
Walking in the Maritime Alps leads to the Mediterranean Coast Rocky, snowcapped Alps tumble down to the dazzling waters of the Mediterranean coast along the French and Italian border. My love of France and its sleepy villages fueled my choice to hike through this Mediterranean wonderland, not far from the region’s hub of Nice. Every…
-
Magic in the heart of the Austrian alps
From ski slopes with stunning vistas to fine food at the top of the world, the Austrian Alps roll out the welcome mat. Not far from the violin harmonies of Mozart in the gilded halls of Salzburg, I discovered a quieter perfection – the sound of a gurgling mountain stream and cowbells while hiking through…
-
Magic in the heart of the Austrian alps
From ski slopes with stunning vistas to fine food at the top of the world, the Austrian Alps roll out the welcome mat. Not far from the violin harmonies of Mozart in the gilded halls of Salzburg, I discovered a quieter perfection – the sound of a gurgling mountain stream and cowbells while hiking through…
-
Cliff jumping in a blizzard in interlaken, Switzerland
My first impression of Switzerland was the clean, invigorating Alpine air and incredible mountain scenery. But I was looking for high-adrenoline adventure. After our 8-hour bus ride from Florence with lots of other students, we checked into a spotless student hostel and bundled up for snow fun. The modern network of cog railways and cable…
-
First hour, first day in europe at the frankfurt airport
The two weeks before my departure were a whirlwind of activity and emotions: stress, excitement, anxiety, parties, sad goodbyes, painful packing and uncomfortable unpacking. Great. I can order a beer at age 20 here. My jet lag remedy. I’ve heard some people drink a cold beer in a hot shower to minimize the agonizing…
-
First hour, first day in europe at the frankfurt airport
The two weeks before my departure were a whirlwind of activity and emotions: stress, excitement, anxiety, parties, sad goodbyes, painful packing and uncomfortable unpacking. Great. I can order a beer at age 20 here. My jet lag remedy. I’ve heard some people drink a cold beer in a hot shower to minimize the agonizing…
-
Adenaline rush and hiker’s heaven in the Swiss Alps
For adventure addicts, Interlaken Switzerland is the perfect place to set up base camp. You’ll see hand gliders land in the town square every afternoon (in good weather). Vendors along the main street have booths offering hang-gliding, scooter bike, mountain biking and climbing excursions. It’s so easy to do get an adrenaline rush in the…
-
The top of europe and the alps
I could see France, Germany and Italy from the observation terrace perched above a 14-mile long sea of ice in the Alps. Did I climb there? No it’s easy with the Swiss Jungfrau Railway. If you love mountains and train travel, there’s no place where it’s more reliable, clean and spectacular than in Switzerland. From…
-
Packing for europe – swiss cities and the alps
I’ll admit that packing for Europe takes effort to select fashionable and functional clothes that are also comfortable. So my packing list for different countries and activities varies. If you’re going to Paris, you’ll select stylish clothing in your closet, if you’re going to Switzerland, as I am in a few weeks, you’ll want stylish…