Switzerland

Ryan drove up to Amsterdam tonight for The Killers concert. Tomorrow he and I are headed to Paris to see the French Open. Monday is a holiday and we're doing something, so lest I get behind in my blogging, here's Switzerland! We have found when traveling with our kids on a longer vacation that it is much easier to have a "home base" as opposed to moving around from place to place. It also helps in keeping the cost of our trips down as we can eat breakfast at home and cook dinner at home, if so inclined. We employed this technique on this trip and had our home base in Grindelwald, a small little village about 30 minutes SE of Interlaken. We stayed in a small, 2 bedroom chalet that was cozy and mountainous and perfect. We spent all of our time in the Jungfrau Region, riding trains, catching cable cars, and hiking. We would wake up every morning, eat breakfast, consult our maps, pack a lunch, and head out for the day. Except for one day of rain and fog, the weather was gorgeous. Even though we were early in the season, we were able to do everything we had planned except for 2 hikes and a cable car ride that was closed due to snow. We ended everyday with a good meal, warm showers, and games. Uno Junior anyone? Overall - like I said in my previous post - it was the best family trip ever. There were times as we were hiking between no-car-villages that we literally had to pinch ourselves at the beauty that was surrounding us. I remember saying to Ryan one day, "I've never been so happy," and in that moment, I don't think anything could have been better. Communing with nature surrounded by those I love so fiercely...the thought makes me want to go back right now. :> Since I have posted so many pictures, I will only add captions where I deem appropriate. (pictures posted in no specific order) The view outside our chalet (side door)                                

Sneak Peak...Switzerland

So we're back from our week long soiree and all I can say is that it was INCREDIBLE. As much as I consider myself a "city person", I can't help but re-define myself after this trip. This trip was unanimously the family favorite, and I'm pretty sure we are going to have a hard time branching out to see the rest of Europe after discovering a little piece of heaven that is the Swiss Alps. It's going to take a while to adequately sort through our (800+) photos, but here are a couple of teasers for your viewing pleasure:







Stay tuned...

Portugal

As it is with most of the "big" trips we take, I can't possibly explain all of the details in a concise post that is actually interesting to read. Overall, the trip was awesome. There were things we would do again (Sintra, beaches...) and things we will suggest our friends never do (Lisbon public transportation, Best Western in Faro, Mercado da Ribera…). We spent most of our nights in Lisbon in a great apartment that was well worth it's cheap price tag, but took the opportunity to day-trip out to the other areas around Lisbon. Here’s the run-down:

We waited for our plane...


Picked up our luggage...


Attended church....


Danced...


Played in the middle of the city...






Went to the bathroom appropriately...


Found treasure....


Saw new places...




Soaked in the sun....














Climbed castles...












Visited a palace...






and most of all, we enjoyed each other....









Lastly, if he hasn't already heard it enough, a huge thank you to the man who made our trip possible, the trip coordinator and translator...