Adventures in Europe
For as nervous as we were to fly an un-heard of charter flight (Condor), it couldn’t have been better. For instance, our first meal was chicken in a cream sauce over pasta made with potatoes, peas in their pods, shrimp salad, wesleydale cheese wedge, roll, and an apple tart for dessert. They also brought us warm, damp wash clothes before we landed to “freshen up” complete with breath mints. We marveled that we each paid $500+ less per ticket than going with a better-known commercial airline.
Our first stay was in the Alps in Switzerland. (pix 004/008) We took the very modern, clean and smooth Swiss Rail to Interlaken, Lauterbrunnen, then up the mountains via cable car to the car-free village of Murren. From our hotel’s balcony, you literally looked off the edge of the mountain. The sights there were stunning. I felt like Jim Carry in The Truman Show—afraid someone would take down the fake scenery any minute. An afternoon shower brought the biggest double rainbow I’ve ever seen and gushing waterfalls all through the valley. We took a 5 ½ hour hike one day through forests, wildflower covered meadows, grazing cows with large decorated bells, and waterfalls. It was spectacular.
While in Switzerland, we took the train to Bern and attended the Temple there. They have a “hostel” for $15 per night that members can stay at when attending the Temple. Talk about a fun cultural experience! We were with a large group of Italian youth and their leaders who were there all week to do baptisms. The evening was filled with many people outside visiting and laughing, then the Italian youth put on a talent/comedy show. Even though we couldn’t understand the language, comedy is universal. Ali was able to do baptisms with them the next morning.
I went on this trip with my childhood friend, Mary Kaye, her son, Nate (19, and leaving on his mission to Samara Russia in 2 weeks), and Ali. Mary Kaye’s younger brother, Dale, lives near Geneva Switzerland, just over the French border, and works for the U.N. We all ran around and were buddies growing up, so it was a great experience to re-connect with both of them. Dale, no doubt, was instrumental in making this the trip-of-a-lifetime that it was.
The next segment of the trip consisted of our first weekend in Torino, Italy. Dale met us in Geneva at the train station and we drove the 2 hours to Torino through spectacular scenery and the 7 mile long Mt. Blanc tunnel (they don’t slice off the sides of mountains to put a road around it, but opt to drill through the mountain as to preserve nature and the scenery). We got our first close up of a castle. (pix 071)
Our weekends in Torino were treasured because we were able to see everyday Italian life without the throngs of tourists. Dale’s friend, Maurizio, and his family hosted us.
Maurizio makes his living at “Billy Bar” a small neighborhood bar/eatery that has had the same patrons coming in for years. We spent several hours there and got to see life up close, and get plenty of kisses on both cheeks (Ali’s favorite part). Needless to say, Maurizio is a chef. We ate like royalty. We always ate out on his terrace, and always ate in courses. The pace was enviable--relaxed, full of conversation, and the meal lasts for hours. The first Sunday we were there we had the pleasure of having lunch with Norma, a famous Italian Opera singer and good friend of Maurizio's, and her Maestro and his wife. (pix 101) They were delightful and unpretentious. The meal was fabulous: Bruchetta (grilled bread topped with fresh tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, and fresh basil). Next, grilled zucchini with mint. Roasted red peppers came next. Then, a delicious medley of vegetables that had been sautéed in an olive oil/herb sauce. Then, grilled steaks, studded with fresh rosemary that had been “burnt” to infuse the flavor, topped with fresh lemon/olive oil. Also grilled sausage that was to die for. After the first course of any meal, fresh bread sticks (made by a local family bakery, rolled by hand into a long and crunchy stick) are placed directly on the tablecloth to eat (pix 315)). We typically had fresh fruit for dessert each meal, but this time we had picked up Italian gelato (their version of ice cream that is to-die-for) and Norma had brought real-looking fruits that were actually painted marzipan from Sicily. It was an amazing, over-filling meal.
From Torino we headed to the Cinque Terre (five lands). This is series of 5 fishing villages, (only accessible by train) which are built on mountainsides, flowing down to the Mediterranean. (pix 127/133) We had such breathtaking, pinching ourselves moments. So quaint, colorful and inviting. The waters are crystal blue--so clear, you could see everything.
We next ventured on a road trip to France, along the Mediterranean coast. We saw Monaco (Monte Carlo), and a most marvelous village, Eze (ehz) that was built on a mountaintop overlooking the ocean. I ran my battery down quickly. (pix 190/193)
We then passed Nice, France--a beautiful cit--with it’s croissant shape framing the ocean. And hour later, we arrived at the village of my ancestors, Puget-Thenier. These are generally smaller villages in the mountains, and we ran into very few people who spoke English, but it made it all the more fun. We had a wonderful lunch with Dale, who speaks fluent French, before he “left us” on our own. We were able to visit the local cemetery and see a BELLON (my maiden name) crypt. I also walked up to a group of local women and proceeded to try to tell them that my ancestors were from the village, showing them pictures, pointing at genealogy names, etc. They were talking a mile a minute to me in French, wanting so badly to communicate. Dale had taught me how to say, “My great-great-grandfather was from here.” They understood as much and understood that I was from America and they pointed to a name on my genealogy sheet--Colombet (my great-great-great-grandmother), and shook their heads to say yes, as they pointed toward the village housing. I would have loved to have an interpreter, but we laughed and did our best. They fussed when I told them I wanted a picture and I gestured to fluff their hair, to which they all laughed. It was priceless. (pix 235)
8 miles further up the valley, riding on the local steam train, we got to Entrevaux (Aun-tray-vo), the village of my great-great-grandfather (pix 244/251). It is a charming medieval village with a citadel at the top of the mountain. A river surrounds the village with only one entrance in. There were drawbridges, and openings in the walls for arrows to be shot through. We loved it. We also ate the regional specialty dish “Secca” or calf’s head, which was one of the best meals of the trip. The meat is paper thin, and dried and we tried it in a crepe. The next morning we had to catch the train by 10:00, so after a 7:00am hike up the mountain to see the medieval citadel, I was only able to spend a few minutes in the Mayor’s office, but the kind women there, who spoke limited English, got down the original, dusty old books with my GGGrandfather’s handwritten record of his birth in it. Although we have photocopies of these records through genealogy info, it was significant to see the actual books that were over 150 years old. She also pointed to several of our genealogy names that were still in the village. Although we would have liked more time there, it was a significant experience for Ali to physically visit the places our ancestors lived and envision what life was life for them.
That day we rented a car and Mary Kaye drove the stick shift station wagon literally up and over the French Alps. It was Ali and my first case of car sickness, but worth the beauty. We were surprised to find that Europe is not one big mass of town after town, but rather isolated towns, all with a Church and large steeple at its center. Villages dot the hillsides, and most are built on the gentle slops of those hills. Tile roofs were the standard.
We next flew from Geneva to Prague, Czech Republic. Wow. (pix 267/288) A most beautiful and old city. It was one of the few cities spared from bombing during the war. We loved our 3-day stay—made even more charming by the bed and breakfast we had previously researched and picked. We were caught in a downpour our first afternoon—the likes I hadn’t been in before. Our host smiled at us upon arrival at our hotel and joked that in Prague, they wear different clothes for swimming. He insisted that we bring down our wet clothes for them to put in their personal dryer.
There is a large bridge that spans the river called the Charles Bridge. (pix 265) This is a pedestrian bridge, lined with large statues of various Patron Saints, Christ, Mary, etc. This bridge also serves as a place to buy wonderful Prague-made souvenirs. Prague is known as a musical “center” and we attended one of many concerts while there. Their $ starts with a bill that has a 50 on it. It was a bit of an adjustment to pay our hotel bill and give bills totaling almost $4,000. Ali and I bought some chocolate one day at a grocery store and it was $67 (we were thinking it was around $5.00. So we gave her a $50 bill.) She shook her head “no” and I apologized that we didn’t have a smaller bill. Luckily, the next cashier spoke limited English and told us we needed more $. We then realized we needed to give her a $100 bill. A funny moment. One night was exciting for Ali and I as our room faced the German Embassy. They were having a big gala with a live band. We turned out our lights and watched from our open 2nd story window as people came and went in their gowns and tuxes. The security was interesting to watch, too.
We ended our trip by flying back to Milan, Italy, then staying our last weekend again in Torino. We had a delicious meal at a family restaurant where we tried squid and octopus, then got a feel for the nightlife in Italy. There were blocks and blocks of outdoor restaurants and people turn out to “walk” around (walking is an event, not an exercise there), or come for a meal, or a drink. It was common for the children to be with their parents, too, and it was nearly midnight. So relaxed and social. We had Italian Ice that evening that will stick in our minds for some time. They take the freshest of fruit (we tried raspberry, peach, fig, watermelon), add a little sugar, and whip it up with ice to make this frozen straight-from-the-fruit concoction, topped with whipped cream. Yum. (pix 313)
We had the chance to go to the Italian Opera our last day there. We loved it. The talent was unbelievable, the sets and costumes dazzling. Our favorite moment was when the final curtain fell, the audience stands up and crowds down the isles toward the stage, as if they need to see the performers up close and be near them, all the while shouting, “Bravo” or “Brava”. Such passion!
One of the things I admired about the Italians is their devotion to family. It is customary that the youngest son takes care of the parents. Maurizio has his ailing mother living with him, and does so without complaint. He goes to work at 7:00am, drops her off to an aunt or sister, works till 7:30pm, picks her up, feeds her, changes her, and fusses over her. We learned that there are very few care centers, nor daycare for children. It’s simply done by family. On any given school day, there is usually a minimum of 2 family members picking up each child.
We also learned that alot of Europe takes a 2 hour lunch break. We found we had to work around that several times for check-ins, car rentals, etc. They live life at a slower pace, seldom seen in the States, and find much happiness in the simple things of life. They shop and eat at locally owned shops, and usually know the owners. We happened onto a parade in Torino that was a parade of each region’s history through costume, flag, music, etc. Very interesting and indicative of the pride they feel.
We spent the last night at an airport hotel in Frankfurt, Germany. The next morning, our 11 hour flight took place all in sunshine. A bonus on the flight home was that we flew up over Scotland. We could see Loch Ness, then passed over Greenland. It was a clear day, so we saw icebergs, glaciers, mountains, green water. We dropped down through Canada (we waved out the window to Jeff), and into the States from the North. As wonderful as the trip was, it was a good feeling to touch down safely in the good ole USA.
Truly, the trip exceeded all expectations. It could not have been improved. And to experience it through an American (Dale) that has lived there for 12 years and was continually teaching us about the people, the customs, the countries, etc., cannot be understated. Those behind-the-scene stories and visiting places off the beaten path—life doesn’t get much better than that. We have grateful hearts, and memories imprinted on our souls.
