All Good Things Must Come to an End

May 17-30
I can say with out a doubt we ran the gamut of emotions when we left Switzerland. About a week before our flight I met with friends to say our good-byes. It was only fitting that we met at Sprungli for Truffel Brot and heisse Schokolade. These ladies have been so good to me! I will miss them terribly and hope to see them soon and often.

Thank you so much for your kindness and friendship!  Megan Millerberg, Tanya Deans, Iliana Eichholzer, Julie Ramsay, Terrian Inhester, Julie Steenblik, (not pictured: Meike Meyers, Amanda Baker, Amy Charles, Jessi Berg, Nancy Michels, Meg Barnhart, Rahel Graub, Jen Johnson, Maria Plaza, Jussara Brossi, Alicia Kantor, Annie Allen, Heidi Aeschbacher, Jeana Kovac)

 

 

We had planned a little get away between our apartment getting packed, cleaners coming, and our flight.  We decided we'd take one last road trip and headed to Munich for the weekend. 

 

The New Town Hall in Marienplatz

 

 

 

Poor Chris.  He had just gotten back from the U.S. and was suffering jet lag.  We took a bus tour and saw many of the sites of the city: Munich Frauenkirch, Nymphenberg Palace, and the BMW Headquarters.

 

 

 

That evening we ate at a huge beer garden.  The apfelstrudel was divine!

 

 

 

The next morning we drove to Dacau concentration camp.  It was humbling to say the least.  We had a very educational tour of the grounds and of the holocaust in general.  The words on the gate say, "Labor Frees"

 

 

 

Later that night we walked around down town and enjoyed a good dinner and our last European adventure...for now...

 

 

At our return to Zurich, we finalized our move out of the apartment, turned in keys, etc...

The had been scaffolding up in front of the Opera House almost the entire time we lived here.  Glad we got this photo on our last night here!

 

 

 

One last walk along the river.

 

 

 

Chris breaking the rules on our last evening in Bellevue...

 

 

 

Always wanted to do this!

 

 

 

Morning train ride to the airport. 

 

 

 

Cleanest city I've been to!

 

 

 

 

Some of us were more excited to be going home.  Poor Chopper.  She did great and was waiting for us in baggage. 

 

 

Chris wasted no time in finding us new cars...

 The day after we arrived we drove to Concord to pick up these beauties!


We stayed at Chris' parents' house for about two weeks then we received rental furniture.  About 6 weeks after that is when our things arrived from overseas. 

Moving "back in" day! 

 I can't come close to being able to say how much Chris and I have grown, not only individually, but as a couple as well.  We really had to rely and depend on each other much more than we have ever had to.  I'm very grateful for that and for the AMAZING experiences we've had over the two years we spent in "Swissland".  We will never forget the people we met or the adventures we had!

Getting Sentimental

With only a few days left here in Switzerland I am trying to not only organize and get us ready for the move, but also trying to enjoy the little time left and visit some of my favorite places.

Rain or shine, snow or muggy heat, the lake is the place to be!

This is Chris' and my favorite evening walks. 

Wow...

Au Revoir, Paris

16-19 May 2012
Chris had one last conference in Paris before we move back and I was not going to miss an opportunity to go to one of my favorite cities!
I mainly shopped, walked around, and ate any pastry that happened to come my way. 

View from Trocadero

 

 

An evening filled with crepes and walks along the Seine.

View of Opera Garnier and city from the Gallery Lafayette rooftop patio. 

One last city walk before our train the next morning. 

Au revoir, Paris!

Florence and Siena

4-7 May 2012
Chris had one last trip to Brescia so I took the train to Milan.  He picked me up and drove us to Florence, Italy for the weekend. (I am really going to miss saying things like that!)

Standing on Ponte Vecchio with Ponte a Santa Trinita in the background.


Chris arranged a lovely guide to show us around the city.  When you don't know much (or want a new perspective on a well traveled place) a private guide is the only way to go. 


Chris in front of the Palazzo Vecchio which is the city's town hall.

Piazza della Signoria where we found over priced gelati which we felt obligated to eat at 10 am.

Our tour started here Piazza della Republica which marks the middle of the medival town.

We headed to the old market where rubbing the nose on the Fontana del Porcellino means that you will one day come back to Firenza. 

Next we went to the Uffizi Gallery.  We had a fabulous tour and lecture on Florentine painters, the Medici collection and also a history of Florence/Tuscany. 

Picture overlooking Ponte Vecchio and the hallway built above it so the governors of the city could travel from the Pitti Palace to Palazzo Vecchio in private.

The Fountain of Neptune by Baralomeo Ammannati in the Piazza della Signoria.

It was a short and beautiful walk to the Cathedral.  It took nearly 140 years to "complete". 

The part just underneath the red brick dome was never covered with marble.  It was never finished!

What a gorgeous and colorful front. 

One of the doors on the baptistery of St. John. 

We ended our tour at the Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's original David. 

In front of Logia dei Lanzi on the Palazzo Vecchio which is a fantastic sort of open air museum. 

Replica of David in front of Palazzo Vecchio.

Great weather and great food!

We wanted to go to Zermatt, but the weather was just too poor to drive all that way and not be able to see the Matterhorn so on a whim we decided to stay an extra night in Florence and spend the next day in Siena. 

Torre del Mangia and Palazzo Publicco in the Piazza del Campo.

I guess we were up before all the rest of Italy because no one was around when we got there!

Chris in front of the Fonte Gaia

Siena is famous for the horse race (Palio di Siena) around the Piazza del Campo in which horses from ten out of the seventeen wards of the city compete.

Sometimes the best places are off the beaten path!  Favorite experience in new cities is always getting lost!

I think my favorite church/cathedral I have ever been to has got to be in Siena.  The Duomo di Siena  is like nothing else! 

I love the strips!

It is pretty massive!

I usually don't add pictures of the inside, but it was so unique I had to.  The strips continue on all the pillars inside and the floors are all carved marble mosaics. 

After our day in Siena we took the country road back to Florence.  Tuscany is pretty even in cloudy weather!

Back at our great hotel for one more night then back to Zurich through the tunnel one last time.

Friends are Flowers...

30 April -  3 May 2012

Chris was kind enough to pick us up at the train station and listen to our silly stories of our awesome adventures.  It was late (11 pm), but trying to maximize our time in Switzerland we enjoyed a nice walk and some eats before we all headed off to dream land.

The next morning we set off for Interlaken and surrounding area.  We were all hoping for no rain, but alas we had a few drizzly moments, but no downpour.  This is on a road winding our way to Lauterbrunnen. 

Grindewald train station. 

There are some rather large mountains behind us, but because of the clouds we didn't head up any further.

Instead we went to the valley of 1000 waterfalls.  And since it had been and was slightly rainy they were in full force all over the valley!

Trummelbach falls

Nothing like it in the world!

After we got our fill of waterfalls and eating bread and cheese in the car we drove to Lucerne.

In front of Kapellbrucke.


A day in Lucerne isn't complete without a trip to Stadthaus for the Folklore show!

There was Alphorn blowing, yodeling, and lots and lots of dancing.  Such a great night!

The next day we took Shelby to the airport and Emily, Katherine and I hung around the city.  We ended up at the lake and had a nice relaxing evening before I took them to the airport via train the next morning.  And everyone made it home safe and sound!

This man's bag, which we saw in Lucerne, put it so nicely: "Friends are flowers that never fade"  So glad that my friends made such a big sacrifice and effort to come and see me. We had such a fun time!