Jungfraujoch, Switzerland

Jungfraujoch is the highest train station in all of Europe. To get there we had to take SIX different trains (TWELVE roundtrip!) it ended up being a sixteen hour daytrip, with only four hours at the summit. But, we got a crazy good price of train tickets (nearly free!) so I couldn't turn down the opportunity. 

Fun facts: Jungfrau is one of the main summits in the Bernese Alps region. 

The Jungfrau mountain borders Mönch and Eiger, two of the most recognizable mountains known for their challenging ascents. The brand of clothing North Face supposedly derives their name from this as well. 

My hometown, Salt Lake City, is surrounded by mountains, I love hiking them, skiing them, etc. The mountains are kinda my jam. So seeing all that pristine powder and blue sky made me want to hit the slopes like none other! Good thing ski season is right around the corner!  

Oh, also worth mentioning: most of our group (myself included) became terribly altitude sick after we were up there for two hours, turns out that gaining 10,000+ feet (3,000 meters) in less than 8 hours is not advisable.. duly noted! But the Alps were gorgeous and totally worth it! 

'Tis the Season: part one

Christmas Bobbles  //  Spiced Cider  //  Swarovski Crystal Chandelier 

Christmas in Switzerland can be a magical time, nearly every city has a christmas market with homemade goodies, hot drinks, soft pretzels, sweets and more! 

We had a short stop in Luzern, Switzerland on our way home from an Alps adventure on Friday, so we took a few minutes to peruse the charming little stands and soak in some Christmas cheer. 

Of Castles & Waterfalls

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Part One: Castles 

Nestled in between the Swiss mountains 45min north of Lugano is a charming city called BELLINZONA. Home to three different castles {all designated by the United Nations as sites of cultural importance} Bellinzona is an underrated gem! I have yet to see any American or Asian tourists here (which is really saying something because they are everywhere!) I just don't understand it.. I mean check out that view ^^! Plus if the prospect of exploring middle age castles wasn't lure enough, consider that Bellinzona is still in Italian-speaking Switzerland so you can grab some incredible gelato + a pizza after you explore the castles! My kind of place.

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Part Two: Waterfalls 

And from there the weekend only got better! The next day, we took the entire incoming class and headed to VALLE VERZASCA, a favorite region of mine, home to a massive waterfall + glacial rivers + quaint villages. Our large group of english-speaking students seemed so comically out of place in these mountain villages, I couldn't help but smile as one of the DOUBLE DECKER tour buses struggled to navigate a narrow cobble stone road lined with balconies.. #EuroProbs. Comedy aside, I was more than thrilled when the buses finally stopped to let us off for a picnic by the river and then a hike up to the base of the waterfall. When I came here last year I had no idea what to expect, whereas this year I was excitedly urging the incoming students along the path to the magnificent falls. Can you blame me? 

the view from a mile away! ⇡

see that little speck circled in the bottom right? ↗ that is a person. yeah.. this waterfall = gigantic.

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Part Three: The Plunge 

And then to wrap it all up I jumped into a glacial river  (like literally. it is glacier melt.) Interestingly enough, the night before said plunge ^^ I watched The Titanic..  coincidence? I think not. I feel for ya Jack and Rose!! My legs went numb after just two minutes in the water! But the thrill of it all was worth it. 

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And thus concluded my last weekend of 'summer'. Orientation is done. Classes officially started this week, so it is back to the daily grind of homework/work/classes/more work, etc. But I certainly am not complaining, because I have an inkling that this semester is going to be brimming with the best adventures yet.  I am ever grateful for this chance to live in such a breathtaking region of the world, for the escapades I have the opportunity to go on, the people I get to meet, the friends I have been able to make, etc. I can feel it, a tingling kind of sensation in my bones, I think that this is going to be my most exciting year yet! so bring it on world.

PS you can find last years posts about Bellinzona + Valle Verzasca here and here

2 Weeks of Year 2

And then before I knew it the summer was over, I said my goodbyes and I was on another plane to JFK..

But it wasn't all tears + goodbyes. The stars aligned to give me the best American send off yet! I didn't have to pay for baggage that was five pounds too heavy becuase the Delta employee sympathized with my plight as a student + in JFK there was a Shake Shack (best NYC burger!) right next to my gate + I got a rootbeer float (my favorite American treat). Living the dream! 

also by coincidence you can see "AMERICA" in the bottom right...

And then a mere 8 hours later ⇢ sunrise over Milan, Italy 

day one in Lugano = conquering jet lag while lounging at the beach with friends

adventure #1: Monte Tamero, home to the friendliest cows around! 

Also at Monte Tamero ⇡ an alpine coaster (so fast!) + a funicular + ziplines

✥ Lugano & Lago Lugano ✥ 

Cathedral Saint Lorenzo ⇅

Another Lugano favorite of mine: The newspaper tunnel under the train station. Fortunately I get to pass through whenever I am headed downtown for groceries, and every few months a new character is added to these walls, so it keeps things interesting! ⇅

The cutest little floral shop downtown

But really.. I will always stand by my statement that Lugnao is a summer kind of city. Warm weather suits it best. Check out those piazzas, that fountain, the lake. And don't forget to seize the opportunity for paddle boating/ swimming in the cold water on a hot summer afternoon. 

These first two weeks have absolutely flown by! I am so happy to be back in my home away from home. Moreover, I am grateful for the job I have working at orientation for Franklin. It has been a perfect way to transition back from Salt Lake to Lugano. Of course I am also grateful for all my family+friends back home whom made this summer an incredible one (more on that in an upcoming post!) One year ago I arrived uncertain, insecure, and confused. Now I confidently walk the streets of Lugano. I am at ease with my surrounding, and overwhelmingly appreciative of the beauty I get to experience on a daily basis. So that being said, I am committed to maintaining a positive attitude through the ups + downs of living in a foreign country thousands of miles away from home, I am committed to making this year the best one yet! So here it goes, the beginning of a new chapter of adventures.. Thanks for following along with me! 

Bern, Switzerland

Time for another catch-up post! This time I am throwing it all the way back to May when I took my last spontaneous Swiss day trip of the year to BERN. Home of the Bärenplatz + Bärengrabben + Zytglogge and in (you guessed it) the German-speaking region of Switzerland!

Highlights:
▷ The view out my window as I rode on the train through the Swiss Alps to reach Bern
▷ Seeing the famous clock show in the main square as the clock struck 3pm. There was a song + some drums + some bears + an old king.
▷Visiting the flat at 49 Kramgasse (aka Einsteinhaus) where Albert Einstein lived from 1903 - 1905 and invented the Theory of Relativity
▷ Exploring the capitol of Switzerland!!

Snagged these babies during the 15min train switch in Luzern. That train station has the most delicious 

M A C A R O N S . Which you may remember from this post. 

Walking the beautiful Old Town Bern + the river Aare

▵▵ Best view of the city, the Rosengarten of Bern

Main street with all the different canton's flags

Built in 1220 the Zytglogge (aka clock tower) The clock tells the time as well as the month, day, sign of the zodiac and phase of the moon. 

Final Stop: The Federal Palace of Switzerland (aka Bundeshaus) home of the Swiss parliament + representative government. A fitting final day-trip for my time in Switzerland as Swiss government is highly unique (They have a 7 member rotating presidency!) But I'll save that for another post! 

Carnevale 2013

I was sick all last Thursday and Friday so I resolved to spend my Saturday doing homework and catching up on rest. But at the last minute my friends and I hopped on a train to Bellinzona to check out the ongoing Carnevale celebrations. I am so happy we did! Straight off the train we ran into a huge group of costumed performers readying themselves for a parade! We were even lucky enough to find a front row spot where we stood in the frigid cold for over an hour watching the parade. I loved every single second of it.  

This post is full of pure visual delight + some fun facts about Carnevale as a Swiss holiday 

 In the spirit of Carnevale I wore a blue wig and some said that I was living "the teenage dream" 

One of the many"cliques" getting ready to play "Guggenmusik" in the Carnevale music parade on Saturday. 

Carnevale is a five day celebration which takes place right before "ash wednesday" and the beginning of Lent. The word carnevale is of italian origin and means "without meat" which ties it back to the idea of fasting and lent.

 

The performers were predominantly Swiss but cultures from all over the world were honored in the parade. Although not 100% politically correct, I thought all the costumes were beautiful and worn with respectful intentions of honoring the ethnicity they represented.

An onlooker throws confetti

The Bellinzona carnevale traditions of costume parades, confetti throwing, risotto in the street, etc. are all unique to the italian-speaking region of switzerland. But of course some credit must be given to the influences of both the more traditional Venetian Carnevale and that of Fasnacht in german-speaking switzerland/Southern Germany. 

Hands down the most terrifying costume I saw in the parade, the head alone was easily 7ft tall. 

I got a wink from this babe as he passed by me. 

This is what I imagine Lion King the musical to be like. Just look at the detail in the face paint alone on these guys! So beautiful!  

A little taste of what guggenmusik sounds like! note: it appears like I am standing in the parade route because I pretty much am. The laugh attack at the end is because I was nearly knocked out by a drummer intent on beating his drum despite my face being in the path of his drum stick. apologies for the poor videography and small size. I'll work on it :) 

The festive decor included flags strung between buildings, paper ornaments on trees, loads of confetti and even a giant mask on one of the castles. I couldn't stop taking pictures. 

Next year I hope to spend more time in Bellinzona over Carnevale weekend, perhaps taking place in the Masked Procession on Sunday + Risotto in the streets on Tuesday. 

Until 2014,  Carnevale you will be missed.