Hi from Alpnach, Switzerland

Hi everyone, we have been visiting Alpnach, home of Stans parents. This is just below Lucern. Its a small village and Stan has loved visiting with a cousin he didnt know if he was still alive.
Yesterday we went up the mountain Pilatus. Wow and wow. We rode up a cog wheel tram car up to 7000 feet. At times this car was climbing at almost 50% grade. We got higher and it was much colder than below. We finally came out at the summit and the weather was iffy when we left but we lucked out at the top. There were still clouds blowing in and out (and I mean blowing, it was very windy and cold up there) but as the clouds moved through you could see off in the distance the beautiful snow capped mountain peaks of the Swiss Alps. We climbed more stairs up to an observation tower and it literally took your breath away. To the south and east were the mountain ranges and to the north and west were the green (green everywhere) valleys of Lucern. I have taken so many pictures but they will not do it justice. It was one of those moments you wish you could freeze in your memory forever. No smog, no pollution, just crisp, clear air and sharp visions of raw nature. I didnt want to leave up there.
We then took off in a small tram on a cable to start out descent to Lucern. This took almost a half hour and we came down near Lucern. We were high enough to look down on top of the fir trees. Several of them were loads with cones and tall here. It was wild to look down on the tops of such huge trees. We then took a bus to the ferry docks of Lake Lucern and caught a ferry boat to come back to Alpnach by boat. We rode the ferry boat for 90 minutes as it made several stops along the lake shore. It was cold on the lake and windy but we didnt want to miss any of the views. There are several hugh lakes here that are all interconnected. And on many shores there are no shores. Along the water line in many places man made rock walls line the shore. Some places you can see the mountain drop down and disappear into the water. The forests here are thick and you can tell up the mountainsides how hundreds of years ago trees were cut to make room for the farms. There are farms everywhere around here. Dairy dominates and the Swiss brown cows are everywhere. I have fallen in love with the bells around their necks. Supposedly when they go up to upper pastures during the summer the bells stay below. But when they come down for the winter, the bells go around their necks and as you walk around town you can hear the bells jingling all the time. I will always remember the bells here. Plus there are churches everywhere and their bells go off on a regular basis. Charming things like this I wish we had at home.
Today I am not sure where we are going. We might double back to Interlaken so that we can see the Jungfrau mountain. (Its suppose to be a sight not to miss) but the weather has been unpredictable. We had everything from rain, wind, overcast, to clear. Or we might decide to just move on and go to new territory.
We love and miss everyone. Hope all is well with you. Love from all of us to all of you.

Hi from Alpnach, Switzerland

Hi everyone, hope yzou are all well.
We arrived in Interlaken yesterday about 5 p.m. We took back roads from Bern to Interlaken and it was gorgous. We picked up our rent a car in Bern and by the time we walked to the place, got the car, and drove back and picked up the luggage and headed out of town it took us a hour. It went easy but we were very careful as there were a lot of one way streets not marked. We headed north and went and saw the Swiss Temple. It was beautiful but smaller than we expected. From there we headed south toward Interlaken and decided to get off the main highways and enjoy the backroads. It was cool to drive through what I would call villages and twice we stopped to visit castles. The first one was in the town of Thun south of Bern and the castle was built in the 1100s. It was barren and cold and huge. It was fun to walk up and climb up to the turrets for the incredible views. From Thun you can see the beginning of the two lakes that make up the Interlaken area. Then we drove some more and saw the Oberhofen Castle. This one was built in the 1600s and a lot more opulent with expensive furnishings, paintings, wood carved paneled walls and armor with spears everywhere. Plus gardens galore. Even now with the trees turning and its really cold, there are flowers everywhere especially geraniums.
Finally, we got to Interlaken, its a tourist town but we are discovering that one big advantage to being here when the dollar is so miserable to the Euro is that all the tourists are staying home or visiting South America where the dollar is worth more. Therefore, we dont have crowds and the roads are empty of cars. Its great.
We really thought we would find more Swiss food restaurants but all we see are Italian, Chinese, and McDonalds. But they have good food. We did Italian last night and it was good.
We are finding hotels fine in Switzerland and wow is this country clean. All the bathrooms even the public ones are spotless. The streets are clean, you hardly see garbage cans and everything is very pristine and Craig wants me to mention how great the toilets flush. Last night if you were sitting down when you flushed, there is so much water, your backside would get a full bath. He was too chicken to try it, but he thought it was great.
Today we arrived in Alpnach. This is where Stans dad was born. With the help of a couple of pictures we found what we thought was his dads farm house and we met the people there and found it was the house of his aunt and uncle and the 89 year old resident was his first cousin. There was a son and daughter in law there who spoke English and we had a great visit. Up the mountainside from the valley we finally found the house that Stans dad was born in and the view from up there was spectacular.
We got hungry at 5 p.m. and none of the restaurants open until 6 p.m. So we finally found one that opened earlier and it was Mexican food that was really good.
When we were in Bern the driving required a little more concentration but once you got out on the highways and backroads, its very much like home, except the roundabouts. Although we love them as they make navigating changes easier, although when you cant read the road signs all the time we have been known to circle the roundabouts a few times till we make up our minds which way to go.
Its raining here and very cold. You can see snow in the surrounding mountains. But we hope to take a cool tram and boat ride tomorrow up to the peak and surrounding mountains called Pilatus. Hope the weather cooperates.
We miss you and hope all is well. love to all of you from all of us.

Hi from Bern, Switzerland

Hi everyone, the day before we headed out from Paris on train for a 4 hour ride to Geneva, Switzerland. The ride was wonderful and the countryside was rolling and lots of agriculture. We got into Geneva about 5 p.m. and basically were starved and there were not many restaurant choices around so we ended up at McDonalds. Then we walked down to the Lake Leman, the huge lake in Geneva. There it was lined with 5 star hotels and out on the breakwater there was a hugh, and I mean hugh, fountain shooting up by the docked boats and yachts. It was like a hugh fire nozzle shooting a couple of hundred feet in the air. We walked around looking at the boats and hotels and came back for sleep.
We got up early and went down to the lake and went the other way and along the lake they have beautiful promenade walkways. As we didnt have much time, this was all we could do.
We walked to our train (Jay our travel agent, set it up that we could walk to train stations wheeling our luggage behind us. It saves on cab fares). Today was just a 2 hour train ride but we were on top of a 2 decker train and the train went slow because it went through several towns so we had great views of vineyards and dairy farms and small villages. Everything here is green. And we got into Bern about 2 p.m. We are in an older part of town that has a river on three sides of it. On the other sides of the river across bridges I suspect is the more modern part of Bern. But its enjoyable to walk around the expensive shops (window shopping only) and all the buildings here are made of some kind of greenish grey stone. Its pretty with flower boxes in all the windows of all the floors but the buildings are all the same color. The churches are the same too. I wonder what type of stone it is and where they got it. We found an Italian restaurant tonight that had an English menu as we cant read Swiss German at all.
They speak German here (Geneva was still French) but its Swiss German and its different. We are all struggling to figure things out but we usually find someone that speaks English to help us. So we are doing very well.
Tomorrow we are picking up the rent a car and hitting the open road. So I dont know when our next entry may be, depending on what hotel we find and if they have internet service in the smaller villages. Stan wants to head to Interlaken and then north to where his parents came from. I cant pronouce the names let alone spell them but it should be exciting.
Hope everyone is well, and we miss you loads. Lots of love from all of us to all of you.

Last full day in Paris!

Well today was a little less hectic. We tried to figure out how to get out to Versailles but we couldn't do it. It wasn't until last night we figured out that we could have taken the metro. Darn but it's just something for the next trip to look forward to. We knew coming into this that we would not be able to see everything.
We found an aquaduct that ran for quite a ways and walked along the top of it yesterday. They have planted beautiful gardens along it and it was wonderful to enjoy and eat our lunch there. Yesterday also was a great nap day. During the afternoon I took a 2 hour nap. It was heaven. Then we had dinner across the street from our hotel. I am loving the salads here. So much flavor. Then we were picked up last night by Nicolas our driver to drive us to the Eiffle tower and take a cruise boat down and back again for an hour. It was beautiful to see the lights around Paris along the Seine River. The Eiffle tower is normally all lit up with off white lights but because we were in town this weekend for the Rugby World Cup they had changed the color of the lower half to green for the Irish that were in town. France won by the way 20-3. The celebrations around here were intense. Rugby is so interesting to watch on TV. Looks like a combo between our football and soccer.
Then Nicolas drove us around the city and explained more about the sights and their history. By this time it's about midnight and no traffic, it was great. The lights are beautiful. There is so much richness here. We also saw the hugh church and building where Napolean is buried. Didn't have time to go in but he is held in great esteem here.
Today we are on the train to Geneva Switzerland. Can't wait. Miss you all loads. Lots of love from all of us to all of you.

Last day from Paris!

Hi guys. this is our last day is Paris. i am still trying to figure out the keyboard and had my message all done and couldn't figure out the right key to enter the entry and wiped out my message so I am starting over. Oh well, we are not on a schedule this morning.
I love Paris. it's beautiful. we can't figure out how people get around with cars. there is no visible parking anywhere. they must know something we don't. and Paris has a lot of tourists.
we got up Friday morning and took off on our tour bus (hop on and hop off) and went to Notre Dame first. wow, and wow. the stain glass inside was so beautiful and the arched ceilings were so high. then we walked around it and the flying buttresses were impressive. it was way bigger than i thought and it's out on a island in the river. we then went next to the Concorde plaza, like a central located plaza where their major streets branch off from. you could see the Arc de Triumph and the Champs Elysee street (forgive my spelling, not sure) there were fountains and beautiful old buildings. we then got on the bus and went to the Arc de Triumph which has about 8 streets branching off it and the roundabout around it is crazy. we had lunch by it at a outside restaurant and people watched. but as we walked around the Arc it was hugh. beautiful carvings and reliefs carved in stone and the French's tomb of the unknown soldier is there. then we went to the Eiffle tower. the bus drives you around so you can take pictures from all angles and then lets you off in the front. we stood in line for about a half an hour just to get tickets and then stood in line for about the same amount of time to get up the lifts to the very top,but the wait was worth it. the views from the top take your breath away. you can see how the city is layed out and where the major tourist stops are. the buildings look different from above and you can get an appreciation for how they layed out the city. their city blocks are mostly in triangle shapes and the whitish stone buildings that are about 6 floors high are everywhere in this part of town. but it also gives you a chance to see how the Louvre and other churches and museusm look from above. it was hard to come down but we decided to walk down the lower steps. 785 of them and we were wobbly at the bottom. then it took awhile to navigate the buses back and we missed the last 6 p.m. bus and had to walk from Notre Dame an mile and a half. that doesn't sound like much but at the end of a very hectic and long day it seemed forever. but we walked along the river and it was great. Yesterday, we were up and on the bus driving around andseeing the sights again. when we got to the Eiffle tower we could see the lines were hugh compared to our day and we were glad we had gone the day before. finally we got to the Louvre and it's gorgous and hugh. we saw Mona Lisa (she is beautiful) and other paintings and greek statues and art. with lunch this alone took almost 3 hours and it was just one wing of it. it would take a long time to see everything. then we navigated the buses to go north of town and see the Moulin Rouge and the Paris Hard Rock Cafe. we got back last night tired but thrilled at all we did in two days.
today is slower day and tonight we are signed upto go out on a boat on the river and drive around to see the lights after dark. can't wait.
tomorrow we are off to Geneva, Switzerland.
hope you are all well and we miss you loads. love from all of us to all of you. take care!