Nice Fr

We haven't left our hostel yet, but from the train we saw the Mediterranean Sea. I'm very excited about exploring the city and swimming! Cost of living's down from Switzerland, and with using the Euro on top of that, I feel like everythings dirt cheap! The hostel is nice, but lots of singles mingling, so it's interesting in the evenings! I feel horrible not being able to get on here more and update everyone, but will do so more here in the mornings while everyones still in bed and it's easy to use a computer.

 

Yesterday was a full day of travel with one of our trains being cancelled; we took the bus from Geneve to Lyon. Bern was beautiful; cobble streets and overhangs. We spent most of our time enjoying the river though! Very refreshing (and chilly). Built bonfires and sat down there in the evenings.

 

love you all! two weeks til we're home!

Bern, CH

We are once again in a new city! We'll be in Bern until Thursday, then we take the train to Nice, FR for about five days. Bern is a very old, very interesting place with cobblestone streets and large open squares. We hope to go swimming tonight and have a bonfire to roast bratwursts for dinner (did I mention we got hooked on Currywursts in Berlin?) The rest of our time here will be spent wondering the city. Plan to upload pictures at some point hopefully. If not they'll be added when we get home!

Love you all!

Our Father's Day Gifts

We just wanted to give our dad's a sneak peak at the gift we picked up for them... It's got a philips head/flat head screw driver, bottle opener, fire extinguisher, nail clippers, remote car door key, digital clock/thermometer, can opener, file, USP storage drive, and a 2 inch long knife.


Can't wait to give it to you... too bad we won't be able to eat for the rest of the trip. That's ok though, it's a really cool swiss army knife.

Interlaken, Switzerland

Just an update that we arrived in Switzerland about five hours ago. It's been a rainy/cloudy evening, but from what we've caught glimpses of the mountains are beautiful. Snow capped giants surround the little town we're staying in. The hotel we are at is owned by a younger couple who speaks English very well. Decorated in lots of pink and retro things. pretty cool. Free internet 24/7, so we can get and send emails while we're here.

Love you all

Berlin

Like I said before, our hosts here are great. All along the way we have stayed with amazing people, and it's definitely been a God thing, because we haven't had one problem yet (although I can't speak for our hosts- hopefully they feel the same way!) But with Libby and Theo, our Berlin hosts, it has been extra special; they are actually Berlin natives unlike our other hosts who have all been missionaries from America. It has been so exciting to see Berlin through the excitement and pride that they both have when the guide us around.

The city itself has been fun. You see the phases of history in the architecture as you move through the streets. Buildings are modern, with zig-zag architecture and chaotic floor plans like the Jewish museum, grandiose with flourishes and sandstone exteriors like the national history museum and surrounding buildings, streamlined with straight lines and 90° angles, and so many other styles that I can't describe with my limited knowledge of architecture and terms.

The Jewish museum was one of my favorite stops: their collection and the presentation of it was incredible. I really appreciated how factual everything was presented, without being watered down with opinion, pity, or bias. There was an honesty and insight into the Jewish peoples lives and history that really brought the scope of what the Jewish community had experienced into focus.

Yesterday Libby took us on a whirlwind tour of spots we had not yet visited. Along the way she stopped at the Berlin wall, and we were able to walk along and see the art that has been created over the years. I really cannot fully grasp the division that had been in place for so long, but I think I can catch glimpses of the footprint that was left so long ago.

I find it both intriguing and heart wrenching that so many people here still carry the guilt for what happened so long ago, and I wonder if and when they will be able to forgive themselves for the atrocities that happened so long ago... It's not so heavy that you constantly feel it clouding everyones daily lives, but you definately notice it.

We made it to Berlin safely. Our host here is a really nice woman, we lucked out. I'll update more soon hopefully!

ps German keyboards are killer to type on!

Cafe Grether, Badenweiler GR

Another rainy day leads us back to Badenweiler to trek through wet streets and window shopping. We returned to our now favorite Cafe Grether where good kaffee and fresh homemade cakes are the specialty. Today was our third visit, and our third cake to try. We had a chocolate cherry tart. After sampling their candies on our last visit, I knew exactly which were my favorites, and made sure to stock up on candied fruit and champagne truffles.

I'm inspired by this simple, classy cafe, and hope someday to be able to create confections that rival their creations. Luke said the founder of Starbucks was also inspired by the European cafes he visited, but what he found enticing was the atmosphere and tranquility. Cafes here are an oasis from the hurry of daily life. Once you sit down to enjoy your coffee with friends or a good book, you're entitled to stay all day if you wish. That's a sweet welcome if you ask me.

Ruine Neuenfels, Schweighof

We hiked to the Neuenfels Roman Ruins Tuesday. It was 3 km up the mountain behind where we are staying. We didn't have high hopes for what we would find and I have to admit we were absolutely blown away. The view was phenomenal; 180 degree view of the German-French border. But the view wasn't even the best part!

The ruins were not just pillars and foundations as we'd expected, but a still standing fortress, which you could enter, and even mount the walls. So this phenomenal view was taken in from the top of the fortresses exterior wall, which was approximately 25 feet high and 5 feet deep. This fortress was built to stand the test of time. Luke liked climbing the walls, and I even got in on the action as I climbed into the windows. They were about ten feet high, and although I tried to climb up on my own using the rocks that jutted out, I only ended up falling on my butt in a briar patch. I finally made it with a lot of help from Luke. We had wanted to return to a cabin we'd passed on the trail for a picnic on Thursday, but the weather didn't permit and we grilled our Bratwursts at home, which was still tasty. The quietness here is amazing. During the hike, we were really able to get lost in the serenity of the mountains here (not lost in the mountains.)

Here's the map of our hike. You can even zoom in on the "B" to see the ruins, even though the imagery doesn't do it justice. But play with the map and you can see what we saw in aerial view.


View Larger Map

Schweigof, Germany

We arrived in Schweighof, Germany, Friday afternoon. I haven't had a chance to update b/c A. our host works from home so the computer is usually in use, or B. just plain busy.




Here is a map of the actual home we're at (zoom in!):
View Larger Map

It's very pretty here, and from some of the higher mountain look outs you can even see the alps in the far distance. We really haven't done much sight-seeing since arriving; Sunday we spent the day in Badenweiler visiting the castle (shown to the right), Roman bath ruins, and having lunch. The other time has been spent enjoying the view from the front porch while playing cards or just enjoying each others company. Today we spent the day at an Irish-Roman bath. Very refreshing!

We still plan to go hiking in the surrounding mountains (we'll make sure to bring bread crumbs to find our way home) and visit Scott's very extended family and the winery they own in the Alsace region of France. We're definately enjoying a rest in the mountains after our busy week in Paris. Pictures of the area will hopefully be uploaded before we leave for Berlin Friday.

Rainy days in Paris

A few odds and ends before I collapse into bed...

Today was spent making train reservations and hunting down the scenes of Amelie, one of our favorite french films. We found the cafe where Amelie would have worked, and shared a tasty Creme Brulee. Sacre Coeur was a dreary view of a rainy city, but the carousel below was playing Yann Tiersen and gave the moment a dreamy feel.

I really enjoy all the flowers in the city. Parisians are known for their "green hands" as they say, and it's true! Everyone has beautiful flower gardens, and the florists are so tempting when you pass. It's a very green city. The picture here is of the Luxembourg gardens.

We ate in the Latin Quarter, near San Michel; two pizzas for 5,80E= great deal. We sat on a stoop under an awning to stay out of the rain, and enjoyed our dinner. Afterward, we raced around the city getting night shots of the Louvre, then slowly made our way home.

To catch up- some of the big things we've done recently are Versaille's gardens, attended mass at Notre Dame, enjoyed many shots of espresso, seen the Arc de Triumph, and stumbled upon Celine Dion as she exited the Four Seasons.

Love, me

We made it!

Just wanted to let you know we made it! We're very tired, and ready to crawl into bed... it's 9pm here, but only 4pm in the states! We're not jet lagged though; we definately are ready for bed :) We have access to the internet and will upload pictures later when we get out and about!

 

Love you all,

Luke and Michelle

Saturday

A short update; Luke's all graduated, the apartment is empty, and we're staying at the Clay's. I just finished putting together an itinerary for Nice FR. There's the Marche aux fleurs, an entire market full of flowers, and old Nice, a medieval style neighborhood much like it's always been.

Tonight, I'm looking forward to pebble beaches, seaside picnics, and flower filled markets.

Almost there...

It's getting closer! The apartment's nearly packed, and I'm excited about my parents getting here this afternoon. 

Our backpacks are waiting by the door, ready to go. I'll be updating more when we leave. If you'd like to get an email when I post, either let me know in a comment or email me at michelledclay@gmail.com, and I'll set you up with a "subscription." wink wink.