- USA
- Ireland
- France
- Belgium
- Back in France
- May 30, 2005Mexican Princesses
- May 31, 2005Versaille
- June 1, 2005Last Day in Paris
- June 2, 2005Coast of Marseille
- May 3, 2005Callanques of Marseille
- June 4, 2005Leaving Marseille
- June 5, 2005Busted Ankle
- June 6, 2005Healing in St. Raphael
- June 7, 2005Bongos on the Beach
- June 8, 2005Goodbye, St. Raphael - Hello Cannes
- June 9, 2005Antibes Daytrip
- June 10, 2005Chilling in Cannes
- June 11, 2005To Nice with the Finns
- Monaco
- Switzerland
- Germany
- Austria
- Hungary
- Poland Fun
- June 29, 2005Zakopane
- June 30, 2005Hiking in the Tatry Mountains
- July 1, 2005Trail of Wooden Architecture
- July 2, 2005Krakow Jazz Festival
- July 3, 2005Kazimierz
- July 4, 2005Goral Burger
- July 5, 2005Ciupagi
- July 6, 2005Czestochowa
- July 7, 2005Trainhopping
- July 8, 2005Happy Birthday Mom!!!
- July 9, 2005Happy Birthday Jack
- July 10, 2005Banana Riding
- July 11, 2005First Russian Embassy Visit
- Poland Family
- July 12, 2005Family, at Last
- July 13, 2005Mom's Schoolfriends
- July 14, 2005Muddy Ponds
- July 15, 2005Partying in Poznan
- July 16, 2005A Relaxing Day
- July 17, 2005Sheeshah Bar
- July 18, 2005Five Souvereign Lands
- July 19, 2005The Good News
- July 20, 2005Another Family Function
- July 21, 2005Just Chilling
- July 22, 2005The Best Bike Ever
- July 23, 2005Looking for a Home by the Baltic Sea
- July 24, 2005Copernicus and the Boyscouts
- July 25, 2005Visas are Set to Go
- July 26, 2005Luxury
- July 27, 2005A Day at Work
- Russia
- July 28, 2005Back in St. P Looking for 1UP
- July 29, 2005Peter's Pimpin' Palace and the Neverending Nights
- July 30, 2005Big Bad Moscow
- July 31, 2005Beating Birches
- August 1, 2005Off to Siberia
- August 2, 2005Drinking with the Guards
- August 3, 2005Big, Rolling Trans-Siberian Party
- August 4, 2005Pack up, Only Six Hours Left
- August 5, 2005Irkutsk
- August 6, 2005Swimming in Lake Baikal
- August 7, 2005Drenched
- August 8, 2005Partying with Uzbeks
- August 9, 2005I Love You Omul, I Heart Baikal
- August 10, 2005Pushed out of Russia
- Mongolia
- China
- August 26, 2005Chasing Buses
- August 27, 2005Looking for the Opera
- August 28, 2005Sleeping on a Wall
- August 29, 2005Trying to Find the Opera Once Again
- August 30, 2005Forbidden City and Searching for the Opera
- August 31, 2005The Opera Sucks
- September 1, 2005Hutongs and Strange Food
- September 2, 2005The Peking Ducks Incident
- September 3, 2005Beijing Shopping
- September 4, 2005The Dirt Market and Tiger Penis Vodka
- September 5, 2005Temples, Temples, and More Temples
- September 6, 2005The Amazing Summer Palace
- September 7, 2005Goodbye Asia
- Back in the USA
World Trip
Building Snowmen in Engelberg
After breakfast Sabrina had to figure out the rest of her trip, as she needed to be in Amsterdam on Sunday, getting ready for her departure back to Toronto. We walked around town a bit, bought food for an eventual dinner, and bought our train tickets. We quickly visited the cheese factory, but it turns out it is one of those places that just looks impressive from the brochure. That is, unless you are a cheese fanatic.
Sabrina decided to not stay another night here and head north for Munich. However, she had plenty of time so we went off for a hike into the mountains. After walking uphill blindly for a bit we came upon a trail and followed it. The going was steep and tough, but we managed to keep moving. We were heading for the Truebsee. Along the way we came to an area called Untertruebsee where there was a restaurant. They also rented out Trottibikes, which are like those Razor-scooters, but with bike wheels. They're great for going downhill and it was my plan to rent one out along the way down. We headed back onto a trail, through some cow pastures full off grazing cows. Each cow has a bell on its neck and together they play this chaotic yet soothing harmony. The bells of the cows from different pastures seem to have different pitches, so there they grace playing a crazy Swiss cow-harmony. This combined with the majestic mountains made for a moment I don't think I will ever forget. We walked on through a little forrest and eventually we came upon a clearing.
Our picnic in the mountains was amazing. We ate cheese and bread and meat and just enjoyed the surrounding areas.
It was now time to say goodbye. Sabrina had a train to catch in two hours and I had not yet built my snowman. The snow was still some way off so we said our goodbyes. It was kind of appropriate to say goodbye high up in the mountains in Switzerland, as we have met randomly on a beach in the south of France.
So we parted, Sabrina heading back to Engelberg and me high into the snow. Along the way I came upon a bathtub. It was fed by a pipe and full of cold alpine water. I was really tempted to take a dip, but the water was bone-chilling cold, the air temperature not too high, and the sun hid behind the mountains. Besides, I don't know what I would do if I were sitting in this tub and a mountain goat made off with my pants. I guess it would make for a great story, sadly one I cannot say took place.
The more I climbed, the closer I seemed to get to the snow, but never quite there. I took a wrong trail as the one on the other side of the stream had snow really close to it. However, I eventually found what I was looking for and built a tiny little snowman that posed with me as I took photos. The day was fulfilled.
Eventually I found the lake they call the Truebsee and took some amazing photos. I was now 1800 meters above the sea level, having covered 800 meters vertically. The next peak was another 1400 meters up, and I decided that my foot was not going to make that hike and went to a restaurant to refill my water for the hike back.
Going downhill was tougher on my foot than uphill. A few times I mis-stepped in the uneven cow pastures and my foot did not take that well. Eventually I got back to the restaurant in Untertruebsee, but I was an hour late. They were no longer renting out the Trottibikes and I had to go on walking. Thankfully, a car was passing and it stopped when I flagged it down. A nice lady from a tiny little kaserei (cheese making place) gave me a ride into town.
Once back at the hostel I relaxed, played Bocci with the girl from the desk, her husband and their little black cat, who I suspect was cheating by moving the pickle-ball closer to their balls. I also called up some Servas hosts near Nurnberg and arranged for four nights of lodging in an area close to where I lived when I was in Germany. I am excited to finally get a chance to stay with Servas, and to visit the area where I have spent a year and a half of my childhood learning German and running through the mountains.
At night I walked to the bars but the only one that was open was empty, so I went back to my now-private room and ad the best night's sleep from the whole trip.
