Exotic Switzerland!

Hi everyone! I apologize that it's taken me so long to post photos of my adventures in Switzerland. Here are some trip highlights.

First, here are the Switzerland photos that I submitted for my photography project this week. The first photo is a shot of the Rhine river, taken in Rhinefelden. The second and fourth photos were taken from the train I took to Zermatt. The third photo is the Matterhorn, taken in Zermatt. No one can argue that Switzerland is beautiful, right?

On Thursday, November 12, Ashley and I left our apartment at 5:30 AM for Gare de l'Est, and our train left at 6:24. We arrived in Basel around 10:20, where Rene (a dear family friend) was waiting for us at the station. He took our bags and gave us tram passes so that Ashley and I At 4 PM, we met up with Nicole (his eldest daughter, who is close to my age), and we took a commuter train home with her. We had a delicious raclette dinner with the whole Roux family Thursday night. Potatoes, apples, pineapple, onions, pickles, and bananas... all covered with a sharp melted cheese.

On Friday, we biked into Rhinefelden with Isabelle, the younger daughter, and explored the quaint riverside town. We also biked across the border into Germany, just to get ice cream.

One of the things that I love most about Switzerland are the drinking fountains. They are, well, fountains!

On Saturday, Ashley and I visited Zermatt with Rene and his wife, Priscilla. Our one-way travel time, including changing trains in Visp, was around three hours. We made good use of our morning on the train by sitting in the dining car, and we ate a delicious breakfast of croissants, cheese, jam, tea, and yogurt.

While on the train to Zermatt, I met a man who collects postcards from all around the world. I promised to send him a postcard from Paris and San Francisco. If anyone would like to become this man's pen pal, I'd be happy to share his address (Ruth Workman!).

The train ride to Zermatt was just as cool as being in Zermatt. Outside my window, I had a clear view of the Alps, fall colors and the crisp blue sky. Once we finally arrived in Zermatt, though, there was an added bonus-- we could see the Matterhorn!

We took the Matterhorn Glacier Express gondola to the top of the Alps, where there were several hard-core skiiers braving the cold wind. Since I didn't have skis or a snowboard with me, I engaged in a snowball fight with Rene and Ashley instead. Check out the glacier in the photo below. If you look closely, you'll see that the tiny specks are people skiing on the glacier.

We were able to climb down inside the glacier, which really felt like an underground ice palace. It was spectacular!

When we emerged from the frigid belly of the glacier, we found out that the mountain-top wind was too strong, and the gondola would no longer be running. I thought, "Hey, that's fun... We're stuck in the Alps. In the snow." We waited on the mountain for thirty minutes, hoping that the winds would calm... but no luck. So, the resort pulled everyone off the mountain and packed us all into one gondola. When I saw the red car climbing out of the fog, it was a happy sight.

However, once that gondola started moving... I didn't want to be on it anymore! As we were lowered down from the mountain, the car was rocking back and forth, bouncing up and down on the wire. When large gusts of wind would hit the car, the doors would shake and snow would blast in through cracks in the windows. As you can see, I survived... but I will never forget Priscilla saying, "Just look at something far away, and you won't notice that we're being flung around hundreds of feet in the air."

We also had a great time ice skating with Nicole and Isabelle. Ashley is an ice skating pro, and she gave me a few essential pointers. I am feeling prepared for the Holidays, now!

It was a wonderful trip, and I am so grateful to the Roux family for being such generous and fun hosts. They are such kind friends.

Anyway, that's all for now. Look for my photos from Rome later this week!

Teaser

Dear Mom,

Check out what I ate in Switzerland.


Does that ice cream look familiar? I wish you and Dad had been there!

Hi everyone!

My blog about Switzerland is coming very soon. I have some fantastic photos for you, as well as several seat-gripping stories to share. If you want to see what a glacier looks like from the inside, or if you have wondered what it feels like to be trapped in the Alps, check back later this week!

P.S. I got a new computer. What a relief!

You'd better watch your neck...

What a week I've had! On Monday morning, I woke up extremely early (okay, it was 8) and went on a walk in the Palais Royal garden. I eventually found my way to the Bibliotheque Nationale, the French National Library, a research library that houses special manuscript, map, and coin collections (among other things). My study abroad walk book (a student's guide to non-tourist Paris, written by BYU professors) suggested that a trip to the library would be fun, and it said, "Look for the door marked Salle de Travail. Step inside, and you will see the famous reading room built during the Second French Empire."

I had to pass through a security checkpoint to enter the library courtyard, and from there I proceeded to the massive main doors. I readily found a doorway that was labeled Salle de Travail, and the door was cracked open an inch. I did wonder if I could just walk in, but my walk book listed no restrictions. I just figured that the library was trying to block out street noise by keeping the reading room door shut. So, I pushed on the door and stepped inside. There were blue computer screens spotting the rows and rows of mahagony desks, and the lit bookstacks created eery silhouettes on the walls. I did not remember reading that the Salle de Travail looked like a submarine control room. Something felt wrong.

In the main lobby, I heard a gravelly female voice ask, "What is that girl doing?" A deeper male voice responded, "Who knows. I sent Pierre to find out." 'Pierre?' I thought. 'Surely, they aren't talking about me...' I slowly turned around and jumped when I saw a greasy little man standing at my shoulder, his face half hidden by shadow. "Madame, are you looking for something in particular?" he asked, flicking his sharp nose with his middle finger. I was too distracted by his dull grey eyes, his chalky skin, and his crooked teeth to respond. Instead of coming up with an excuse for myself, I could do nothing else but gape at his unfortunate resemblance to Grima Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings, and slowly back away.

"Mademoiselle, are you looking for something?" "Uhhh..." As he led me out of the Salle de Travail, I frantically searched for French words in my scattered brain. "I am a student on a study abroad, and I was supposed to come see the library. My professor researched for his dissertation here." Grima Wormtongue (aka Pierre) explained that because the National Library is a research library, users are required to carry high-security identification badges. He then led me over to another reading room, where he allowed me to peek in through the porthole window. He said, "I cannot let you go inside," pointing to the armed security guards inside the door, "but I can give you an informational pamphlet about the library. Would you like to read it in English or French?" After supplying me with a folding map of the library, he ushered me out of the library.

I don't enter a place if it looks forbidden. However, if a learned professor says, "Look for the door marked Salle de Travail. Step inside, and you will see the famous reading room built during the Second French Empire"... Why would I question? Now, though, we ALL know that the Bibliotheque Nationale is off limits. Right? Lesson definitely learned.

That same day, I also had a disheartening experience in Parisian Chinatown (or Chinastreet, a more appropriate name). My immediate family members-- parents, brothers, and I-- are pork bun connoisseurs. We have spent many holidays scouring Oakland for the best baked cha siu bao the Bay Area can offer. I assumed that Paris, being a large and diverse city (as well as the gastronomic capital of Europe), would surely be able to rival Oakland in a pork bun battle. So, obviously, I was eager to give some French pork buns a try. What I ended up eating was a hybrid of baked and steamed, bread and sponge, pork and ground beef, sweet and sour and barbecue sauces... I would not recommend the experience to anyone, connoisseur or not. The photo below was obviously taken pre-bite.

Monday redeemed itself with a visit to the Conciergerie, a royal residence that served as a prison during the revolution. I saw a replication of Marie Antoinette's cell, where she was held before being led to the guillotine. Aside from the dark history of the building, the gothic architecture was quite charming!

Ashley and I had a culinary adventure this week. We were craving spaghetti (how often does that happen?) and found some noodles in our kitchen. We didn't have anything resembling a sauce, though... So, we dumped some sliced tomatoes, zucchini and garlic in a pot, along with some basil, black pepper, olive oil, and a dash of chili powder... and made a delicious tomato sauce. We were pretty proud of ourselves.

Today, when I went to the Louvre for class, I saw two young men wearing BYU football sweatshirts. I took a photo with them in front of a famous painting from French neo-classicism. I'll post that photo soon! It was way too funny.

That's all for now... I am out of internet time. More to come!

I love Paris in the Fall...

Monet's Garden, Giverny