Running around in Ireland

1 October 2011

Like anyone NEEDS a reason to go to Ireland, but I signed up for a half marathon in Galway on October 1st to give me a good reason to go! 

We flew into Dublin and spent the night there near the Temple Bar.  The next morning we took the Luas tram into downtown and walked around.

We walked to Trinity College.  The campus is beautiful and it was so fun being back in a college atmosphere. 

The real reason to go there was to see the Book of Kells.  Which is a manuscript of the first four books of the bible that were transcribed by Celtic monks around 800AD.  It is beautifully painted and intricately decorated in Celtic artwork. 

The Long Room of the library holds an incredible collection of books and manuscripts.  Not to mention the room itself is gorgeous. 

From Trinity College, we walked through St. Stephen's Green to St. Patrick's Cathedral. 

St. Patrick's

Christ Church Cathedral

I loved these colored doors and ivy. 

That afternoon we drove to Galway to get settled before the race.  We had a nice evening at a pub and turned in early.  We were awakened by a "hen party" trying to get in our room around 4am.  At least the race didn't start until 11am.  So I braved the cool 55F overcast weather and ran my first half marathon.  I beat my target time by 6 minutes!  Chris was supposed to run with me, but he had a bit of bad luck when his ankle lost a fight with some some stairs so he was out of running commission.  After the race I got cleaned up and we had a good lunch of fish and chips Then we headed for the coast to the Cliffs of Moher.

They are beautiful even in cloudy weather. 

We could see the Aran Islands, but sadly no Puffins. 

On the way back to Galway.

The next morning we took a little detour on our way back to Dublin through Athenry. 

Dominican Cathedral first built in 1241.

Athenry Castle built before 1240. 
Galway and Ireland in general were so beautiful.  I can't wait to go back and spend more time there.

Parking? For cows?

24 September 2011
Chris and I drove to the small town of Schüpfheim to watch the cows come down from the mountains.  Also know as Alpafahrt or Alpabzug.  This was a fasinating day and both of us came away with a new found love for the Swiss.   

The cows spend the summer months high in the Alps feasting freely on grassy green hillsides.  When the weather starts to change the cows are brought down from their free range banquet and are taken to their barns.  This isn't just a celebration of the cows coming home, the farmers' families are also coming down from the mountains. 

The dairy farmers wear traditional clothes and some even go barefoot.  This is a traditional procession and these gentlemen stopped and yodeled in a circle while the two with bells rocked and rang them.

Alphorn players.

The family's parade is usually headed by a boy that has seven white goats.  

Followed by the best producing Brown Swiss hefers (and the dairy farmer's daughters). 

Doesn't that bell look like it would be so annoying?  Every cow has a bell.  The best milk producers are in the front with the huge decorated bells and the flower garlands then the rest follow with moderate-size bells and the calves follow in the rear with smaller bells. 

So loud!

How does she see?

The families were coming down from different alps and going to their respective farms so they came from different directions through and out of the town. 

Love the sunflowers!

Such a beautiful setting for such an intriguing event.

Love the flags

We walked back to our car and followed a cow herd to their farm's turn-off.  What a beautiful and fun day.  The people were so nice and the whole atmosphere of the town was just so festive.  It was truly facinating!

Rigi

13 September 2011
When the Coopers left, they gave me tickets for the Lucerne area transportation (bus/boat/train).  I couldn't find anyone on such short notice to go adventuring with me so I decided to take the dog.  We hopped on a train and headed to Lucerne.  Once we were there we decided to head up the Rigi.  Chopper did really great once we were settled on the train and she loved the boat ride we took from the train station to the base of the Rigi.

View of Lucerne from the boat ride to Vitznau.

Lake Lucerne

Summit at Rigi-Kulm (5,896 feet)

It was beautiful for the first 10 minutes I was up there and then the wind really picked up and blew a whole bunch of clouds in.  This is the Zugersee.  Zug is on the left.

Lake Laurez.

We stopped and had a drink and a snack at the top.  They even brought out a water dish for Chopper.  Only in Switzerland can you be on top of a mountain and they have dog dishes for you to use. 

We didn't take the train all the way back down.  Instead we stopped at Rigi-Kaltbad and did a little exploring and hiking before taing the aerial cable car down to Weggis. 

From Weggis we took a boat back to Lucerne. 

She stayed like this nearly the entire hour boat ride back to the train station.  Then she slept the whole train ride back to Zurich.  What a fun day and adventure!  Thanks Coopers!

Hangin' with Mr. (and Mrs.) Cooper

8-11 September 2011

We love having visitors, and we usually love the people who visit us!  The Coopers (Jed and Kalleen) are no exception.  We were so excited that they had an extended (3 day) layover on their way to Croatia.  We picked them up from the airport Friday morning and took them site seeing in the city. 

Jed loved the fact that all the fountains in the city had clean drinking water.  We walked around and talked about the history of the churches and the city and the politics of Switzerland.  We had lunch at Sprungli and a treat there of course!

Later that evening, we took them to Jucker Farm.  I swear, this is the greatest place to go and hang out.  The food is delish and the atmosphere is just so chill.  What was on the menu?  BBQ brats, pork, chicken and beef, roasted squash, beet salad and fresh apple juice.  (I caught Kalleen with her mouth full.  Sorry!)

Oh to be a kid again...

The next morning we headed to Lauterbrunnen Valley (my favorite place in all of Swissland) to check out some waterfalls. 

Trummelbach Falls:  20,000 liters of water per second. 
20,000 tons of sediment carried out of the mountain per year. 
Only falls inside of a mountain that are reachable by foot. 
10 different "falls" including a cork-screw style one.
= really loud and really wet and cold!

Awww... we are cute! (at least I think so)

That night we dropped the Coopers off in Lucerne and Chris left for Munich.  I picked the Coopers up at the train station on Sunday and we had a wonderful evening catching up.  Jed and Kalleen are welcomed back anytime!