Pain, fromage, and vin.

I feel like someone hit the fast-forward button on my life. It's going by too quickly. What have I been up to lately? A lot. Below is my best effort to recount most of what I have done and seen since Amsterdam. Everything has been surreal and can't help but think that the best is yet to come! But in case you don't feel like reading the whole thing, as this post is quite lengthy, the abridged version is that every day, I feel like a little kid in a Disney World made of candy - Willy Wonka style. I've been walking around all day and night, eating delicious cheese and fresh bread, drinking French wine, taking a ton of pictures, and then walking and eating and drinking more wine. C'est la vie. The bug is happy.

Thursday, May 6. High speed train to Paris. Tried to squat in First Class.  Ate a free chocolate croissant. Got kicked back to Second Class. Managed to write my first on-the-road blog post despite losing a ton of brain cells in Amsterdam from those Northern Lights. Metro to Saint Michel station. Got lost in Jardin de Luxembourg with all my luggage. Didn't mind at all...the beauty of the place - vibrant green grass, stunning flowers - kept me calm. Made friends with some Irish ladies who gave me their map. Stumbled upon our hotel. Found my sister in the lobby with an ear-to-ear smile. Walked to an outdoor cafe around the corner.  Met up with my cousin, Rita and her boyfriend, Michael. Shared some wine over lunch.  Wandered the Marais district. Browsed the shops. Had dinner at Derriere, an unmarked restaurant decorated like a Parisian's apartment. Decided to sit at a table instead of the upstairs king size bed bed or ping pong table. Yes, those were options. Ate goat cheese and vegetables. Wandered back to hotel and passed out. 

Friday, May 7. Overcast and a bit chilly. Had a fruit, granola, and croissant breakfast in the hotel basement. Accidentally spoke Spanish to the waitress. Walked about 5 miles to the Eiffel Tower. Took an embarrassing amount of pictures of each other from pretty much every angle. Negotiated with a street vendor and got 5 Eiffel Tower key chains for 1 euro. Took more pictures. Stared in awe. Got pushed around and bumped into by the many tourists all around. Stopped at a cafe to use the toilette. Bought a cappuccino for 8 euros. Climbed 164 feet to top of Arc de Triomphe. Got winded. Rested at top. Took more pictures. Marveled at view of the entire city of Paris. Made our way down. Paid our respects at the tomb of unknown soldier from Wold War I. Strolled the plus belle avenue de monde, AKA, Avenue des Champs-Elysees, apparently one of the most expensive strips of real estate in the world. Saw about 5 Starbucks over just a few blocks. Resisted the temptation to go in for a skinny latte (which is twice as expensive in Europe than CT, in case you were wondering). Walked to Rue de Fauborg - the 5th Avenue of Paris. Tried on scarves in Hermes. Rested on a 12,000 euro chair. Walked to Musee de Louvre. Said what up to Mona Lisa. Dinner at a random cafe. Back to Louvre to see the lights at night. Spectacular. Mercedes taxi back to hotel. Passed out.

Saturday, May 8. Sun poking through the clouds but on the chilly side again. Apricots, granola, and croissant for breakfast. Lots of hot coffee - again without splenda or skim milk. Sad face. And no, I'm not used to it yet. Walked to the dazzling Lover's Bridge over the shimmering Seine River. Was memorized by the thousands and thousands of padlocks symbolizing the eternal love of the couples who put them there. Sigh. So romantic! Got a kick out of taking pictures of my sister's golden curly locks against the golden padlocks. Took a ton more pictures. Walked to Musee de L'Orangerie. Marveled at Monet's works. Had my sister distract the guard while I sneaked in a few photos of the water lilies, spread across 8 walls in two oval shaped rooms. Admired Picasso's and Renoir's work. Walked to Musee de Orsay. Bought cheese sandwiches and chocolate and ate on the museum's steps. Left when a creepy guy started staring at my sister. Went inside. Got really upset when I saw a Van Gogh portrait there and thought the Rijksmuseum's one i had seen in Amsterdam was a fake. Realized he painted a few portraits and that he distinctly wore a hat in the Amsterdam one. I calmed down and felt slightly stupid. Walked to Notre Dame Cathedral. Regal. Got in when evening mass started. Amazing experience. Angelic singing, candles everywhere...pretty intense. Went to top of Pompidou museum (skipped the museum and went straight to the roof top bar) for Prosecco aperitifs. Again marveled at the view.  Ate crepes for dinner. Returned to Eiffel Tower for nighttime light show. Stood in line with Rita for an hour in the freezing cold as Michael and Lindsay ran up the stairs of the Tower. Got to top. Consoled Rita during her mini panic attack, a result of the height we were at plus the ridiculous amounts of people at the top (I shared the anxiety too!). Took lots of pictures.  Saw the Tower sparkle. Quite cold but very worth it. Shared a Mercedes cab back to hotel. 

Sunday, May 9.  Black coffee and fruit for breakfast. Walked the Marais alone with Lindsay for some girly shopping. Realized majority of stores are closed on Sundays. Fail. Went to Mariage Freres Tea Room. Walked through an open market selling birds, bunnies, mice, flowers, and more birds. Odd. Had lunch at random cafe. Shared a pitcher of wine.  Got a banana and nutella crepe for dessert. Bought mini bottles of wine and paper cups. Train to Geneva. Drank the wine.  Played iPad scrabble with Lindsay, Rita, and Michael. Won. By a lot. Boom. Arrived in Geneva. Had 11pm Falafel at fast food Lebanese joint. Delicious. Walked through Red Light District. Saw women in lingerie suggestively posing in the windows. Wondered what their mother's would think. Strolled back to their apartment and slept like a rock on the pull out couch. 

Monday, May 10. Sun shining. Tempurature in upper 60's. Drank coffee sans Splenda. Still not used to it. Sprinted uphill to United Nations. Convinced the guard to allow us on the morning English tour despite being 15 minutes late. Caught my breath. Stared in awe at U.N. conference rooms. Saw African ambassadors in traditional attire discussing (what I was convinced would be) the solution to the situation in Sudan with other important looking men in tidy suits. Asked the French tour guide a lot of questions like a nerdy student.  Bought a book on the U.N. from their book store. I cannot wait to read it. Walked down hill. Went to Coop for groceries. Sat in a garden in front of picturesque Lake Geneva for a picnic surrounded by red and yellow tulips. Ate gruyere cheese, fresh baguettes and dried figs, and drank a bottle of wine on the grass. Was convinced the backdrop was fake. Strolled along the Lake post-lunch. Watched the Jet d'Eau fountain shoot up 132 gallons of water in a single second up 460 feet into the Lake. Snapped a few shots. Walked to Parc de Bastions. Watched old men play life size chess and smoke pungent cigars. Walked to the famous Reformation Wall. Got a refresher onReformation (thanks, Rita). Realized I hardly retained a thing from high school AP Western History (sorry, Mr. Kaufman). Saw Swiss teenagers with their shirts off, drinking beer and skateboarding. Wandered the maze of cobblestone streets in Old Town. Felt like I was in Disney World. Peered in to the many antique boutiques lining the streets. Saw a colorfully clad Japanese tour group. Took pictures of them taking pictures. Found it quite amusing. Had an aperitif at outdoor cafe. Dinner with Rita's Colombian and Mexican friends, Jorge and Cassandra. Practiced my Spanish. Walked back. Avoided a sketchy guy who tried to pick-pocket Jorge. Passed out on pull out couch. 

Tuesday, May 11. Sun shining again. Bright blue skies. Train to Cully - across the Lake. Wandered vibrant green wine vineyards for hours from Riex, Epesses, to Rivaz (adorable little villages with nothing but wine cellars and little classic Swiss homes). Took a million pictures. Pretended I lived there. Felt happy. Met cute French people who I couldn't understand. Learned smiling is a universal language. Took pictures of them. Had grilled aubergines, pizza, and Parmesan salad (and bread, of course) for lunch at an Italian place on the water. Got turned down for wine tasting at a cellar since we hadn't made a reservation. Bought a bottle of wine and had our own tasting in the backyard of a Chateau. Listened to Si tu vois ma mere by Sidney Bechet on Rita's iPhone. Wine went down like water. Train to Ouchy, quaint little town right on the water. Chuckled immaturely at a sign for Creperie D'ouchy. Rented a paddle boat on Lake Geneva. Drifted on glass-like water for a half hour. Stared at the bright white capped Alps in the distance. Returned to shore safely. Watched blindingly white, elegant swans graciously floating on the water and felt jealous that that was their daily routine. Back to Geneva for some grocery shopping. Loaded and edited pictures on my iPad. Loving it. Ate two helpings of Rita's homemade zucchini lasagna. Went to a jazz bar. Met her Zimbabwean friends. Drank red wine. Another solid night sleep on the pull it couch. Dreamed of the Burnese Alps, rolling hills of the vineyards, and of course, bread. 

Wednesday, May 12. Got up at 7am. Train from Geneva to Bern. Missed connecting train. Bought German pretzels from Brezelkonig. Train from Bern to Interlaaken. Train from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen. Walked throughout the village.  Almost got trampled by cows on the road all with loud classic bells around their necks. Ate cheese sandwiches as we hiked. Saw goats. Lots. And more cows.  Hiked up a side of a mountain. Got winded. Stared in awe at the bright green grass, meadows of yellow dandelions, and scattered wooden Swiss cabins set against the towering mountains. Felt like we were in a postcard. Watched as a strong waterfall crashed against the mountainside, pure white stream against the dark gray mountain. Took more pictures. Walked back to town. Took Gondola up to 5,613 feet above sea level. Took a rickety old train to the ghost-mountain town of Murren, population 50. Walked to Hotel Alpina. Met Roger, the Receptionist. Ordered wine. Shared the bottle on the porch. Watched the clouds slowly float over the peaks. Listened to Jack Johnson. Took lots of pictures of each other. Watched the clouds some more. Walked to only open restaurant in town. Ate cheese fondue. Drank beer. Ate rostis, salad, and of course, bread. Drank wine. Chatted with manager of restaurant. Drank schnapps. Played with manager's French bulldog. Walked home. Watched part of Midnight in Paris with my sister. Passed out.

Thursday, May 13. Woke up 5:51am to watch the sunrise. Walked outside, saw a gray sky, went back to bed...Happily. 9am granola and yogurt breakfast in the hotel. Packed up. Hiked the North Face trail. Prespired. A lot. Pretended I wanted to take pictures of the views but really was just out of breath and needed to stop. Finally caught up to the group. Played in the snow. My hands went numb. Hiked back. Got the train. Took gondola down the mountain to Lauterbrunnan. Took the train to Interlaken. Went to a Euro diner and had a salad buffet and an order of soup. I think I insulted or confused a German waitress by asking to share the soup with Lindsay. Felt awkward. Speed-walked to train station after picking up some wine. Shared it with my sister as we watched the miraculous mountains and lakes of the Swiss countryside. Pure bliss. Someone please pinch me.