Beautiful Scenery

The only reason I would go back to Switzerland is to hike. The scenery is BEAUTIFUL!!! (and the cows are so cute!) The cows wear these beautiful bells that help their owners (and their dogs) distinguish which cows are theirs by the sound of the bell. It's magical.

We picked a trail based on the weather. We were told it might be too dangerous (fear of snowstorm) above a certain altitude. I felt like we were chasing the clouds away. I took way too many pictures bebecause the view kept getting better. I'm glad Paul and I made it to the end because we reached an area with part of a glacier!

Two things we loved about Switzerland that we discovered at the end of our hike: cheese and gnomes!!! (not together, of course).

Bad weather

Unfortunately, while we were in Switzerland, the weather didn't seem to be on our side. We did our best to stay warm and dry, but the rain was persistent.

We visited Trummelbach falls, which is where waterfalls have been created by powerful streams running through the Swiss Alps. Apparently, this is a popular location for Bollywood films. It was cold and wet, but we made the best of it.

After visiting the falls, the rain wouldn't let up, so we headed into town to check out some shops (moslty specializing in swiss army knives and more cuckoo clocks). We mostly loitered in the stores in effort to stay as dry as possible and kill time before our visit to the chocolate demonstration.

YUMM, swiss chocolate is the best. Pastry chefs that specialize in chocolate spend years learning the basics. We got to do some chocolate fondue tasting, so in the end, we were happy campers!

...And with rain, comes snow.When we came back Murren, the city was covered in a light layer of fluff.

The Alps

We were definitely in for a rude awakening when our bus arrived at our destination. We had to take the gondola to our hotel in Murren! We packed our bags into metal carts and then hopped into another gondola to enjoy the view. The ride was fun, but I'm not going to lie, I was pretty nervous!

After we settled in, we had our first fondue dinner. It turns out my brother loves fondue!! The cheese in Switzerland is top notch. My dad also attempted to play an alphorn. He has the hat on for good luck. He needs to practice, but I'm not sure if we'll find one of those in the US. (Thank god!)

Black Forest (Cake)

On our way to Switzerland, we stopped at an open-air museum in the Black Forest. The Black Forest is most well-known for its cuckoo clocks and fairy tales, but there was no time for shopping!

We toured a few historic houses that had been preserved and relocated to this open area. Our tour guide described a few of the superstitious antics of these German farmers. We found a secret compartment with a horseshoe in the living room. There was also a sacrificed bull-head in the chimney of the house - preserved from all the smoke that had ever left the house.

We also finally got to try Black Forest cake with some apple schnapps. I'm not into sweets and this was a little sweet for me, but it was a very nice surprise from our tour guide, Fabian. Apparently, you're supposed to pour some of the schnapps on your cake before you drink it too!

When in Baden-Baden...

Baden-Baden is a very quaint town that specializes in leisure. I say this because the highlights include a casino and a "spa."

The casino has an old-money luxury feel. The casino games are imported and many require an attendee to distribute cards and chips. Ever seen a roulette table like this?

In order to enter the casino during operating hours, men must wear a sports coat and tie. In fact, if you don't bring one with you, you can rent them from the front desk. I'm glad we took a tour, but we didn't actually come back for the nightly festivities.

I say that when you travel, you should live like the locals. I mentioned earlier that his town is known for luxury and relaxation. Baden-Baden is known for it's hot spring water. We were able to try this hot mineral spring water in the Trinkhalle.

The other popular hot spot is the hot spring spa called Friedrichsbad. It was partially sauna, hot springs, cold pools, massage, shower, etc. This was originally a bath for the Romans. The catch is that it's entirely nude. Here's my confession, I did it! I "indulged." For about $40, I decided to skip the hike with my family and check out the hot springs. It was quite the European experience.  I have some funny stories, but in the end I'm glad I mustered the confidence to go. Would I do it again? Probably not.

Michael can always make room for french fries

You can find a few things at most convenience stores and random to-go food stands.

I had very low expectations for German food and I'm not a huge fan of hot dogs and sausages. However, I was pleasantly surprised by even their cheapest versions. There's a higher standard - or something. All of the sausages I tried had a pucker on the skin, which made them better than our standard at home.

With that, we ordered a "hot dog" and this is what we got! Apparently Germans break the sausage in half and stuff it into the bun so it's more like a sandwich/burger, but we obviously didn't do that. The bread is dry, but that's what the mustard is for.

Another pleasant surprise were the french fries. Maybe it was just the stand we went to, but the french fries were chunky and crispy. I think Germans prefer their fries with mayo, but we got the ketchup/mayo combo. We loved that they were served in a cone and we could eat them on the go!

However, I was not so impressed by the curry wurst. We were sucked into the tourist trap. Curry wurst is more famous in Berlin, but we had to try it! The sausage still has a nice pucker, but the taste was more like the American hot dog. The sauce is ketchup with "curry powder." It tasted like a hot dog with ketchup... that you eat with toothpicks. Better than if I had made it at home, but still not my fave.

Romantic Villages

There's this warm and fuzzy feeling that I get from visiting the small cities along the Rhine and Mosel rivers. It's like a fog that's settled and preserved their fairy tale charm.

I'm sure it's partially due to the castles and abundance of wine, but I'd spend my days relaxing in the romantic villages any day.

We spent a few hours in Beilstein and then toured one of the best-preserved castles in the region, Burg Eltz. When you visit Burg Eltz, be careful to do some research in advance.

Our tour was in English and our guide was hilarious. Not in a good way. He spoke very slowly in a super nasally and mundane voice. He reminded me of Tweedle-dumb from Alice and Wonderland. There was even a slight resemblance... Good thing it was only a 30 minute tour! (no pictures/videos allowed inside)