Adventures in the Alps

I was so excited to arrive in Geneva for several reasons. One to see another beautiful part of Europe...this time the Alps...a landscape different than any other that I had seen thus far. But I was also very excited to see my friend Veronique - and after 11 days of being on my own, to have a close friend to talk with. I arrived a the train station, and after a little drama with my phone and connecting with Veronique (my phone decided to stop working for 24 hours) we found each other and began 6 days of fun in the Alps. I arrived on a Wednesday night - and for the first few days, we just spent time around Geneva, seeing the sights, shopping, and meeting up with Veronique's friends for nights out in this great city. I also did a lot of catch up on writing, errands, and laundry...the necessities of a two month trip. Geneva is really a beautiful city. The whole city surrounds the lake which affords incredible views everywhere you turn. It also makes for some great running and just walking all over. I was able to see Veronique's friend Anna - who was also with us at our villa in Siena, as well as meet a couple of her other friends Jennifer and Rich. They are all great - and it's fun to see my friend thriving in a city that is somewhat new to her as well. Veronique moved from Brussels 2 years ago. It took her awhile to adjust, but somewhere in her second year she really got to know Geneva, started making friends and settled in. Now she loves it. And I can see why. Aside from being beautiful, Geneva is a VERY international city. Yes - they speak mostly French - for instance in the stores and public places...but as you walk down the street and listen to the languages spoke, it's a mixed bag. Lots of English, Spanish, Arabic, you name it. There are also a lot of veiled women in the city...really didn't expect that...but a huge Arabic presence. Very interesting people watching.

On Friday evening, we ventured to the charming little city of Nyon...just 15 minutes by train from Geneva. It's the typical little Swiss town, complete with castle, chalets and swimming in the lake. We started by heading down to the "beach" for a swim...and well...it was a lovely day...but the "beach" was a grass field - and it was swarming with little gnats. For those of you who know me well, you might know that I didn't last too long. But I was happy to crack a bottle of wine at the outdoor restaurant with Veronique and Anna - and thoroughly enjoyed the rest of my night ;-).

The next day Veronique and I decided to go to Chamonix. Chamonix is actually in France...but is only 1 hour from Geneva by car, so its a great destination for skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. We checked into the Mont Blanc hotel, and started our hiking in the afternoon. It was spectacular. First of all the town of Chamonix itself is sooo charming. From the center of town you literally look up in any direction, and the high snow capped mountains are surrounding you. So when you get up on the mountain and look down, it looks like the town is a little miniature playhouse. It was really cold at the top - and snow was everywhere. Wasn't quite prepared for that in my long shorts and warm up jacket - but we made the best of it! The hiking terrain is very rugged...all rock - and somewhat difficult to walk on. Needless to say after an afternoon of hiking and running around in the snow, we were both incredibly wiped out. So what do you do in that case? Get a massage! Followed by a good bottle of wine and some typical Swiss savory pancakes. Nearly a perfect day.

But we didn't have enough that Saturday. On Sunday, we got up and headed up to the highest point possible called the Aiguille de Midi - over 12,5o0 feet. We took the gondola to the top - and if I thought yesterday was cold, well today it was -2 degrees. Brrrrrr. But yet again, we warmed ourselves by vigorous exercise hiking all over the mountain while admiring views of the Mont Blanc above us. It was really incredible. Simply awesome in the true sense of the word. Our hiking was pretty much a day long affair - but around 7 we began our drive back to Geneva where we were meeting up with our dear friend Sherry who had just arrived in town.

Sherry has most recently been in Morocco and Northern Africa - and she was arriving in Geneva to spend about 10 days before heading to India to do some volunteer work. Happily our times in Geneva overlapped for two days so we also had a great chance to catch up. Sherry was waiting for us at Veronique's apartment - and we sat up and talked for hours over a great bottle of Chateauneuf de Pape (straight from the town itself) and Italian food. The next day was a little more of the same - errands with Sherry, meeting up with Veronique midday, seeing some sights in Geneva and a yummy long dinner. It felt so good to be with two of my best friends and to download all our thoughts and impressions with each other. I'm often amazed by how small this world is. I literally have friends all over the world - and no matter how long I go without seeing them, no matter how far away they are, in any moment, we lay our eyes on each other and there's no denying how much we love each other. I guess it goes to show that the people closest to you are always close to you no matter how far away they physically may be. The human heart is an incredible thing.

Tuesday morning I had to say goodbye, as I was off to my next adventure...and one that was a little shift in plans. I had originally planned to spend my last week in Europe in Barcelona and Paris, but after a few phone calls and notes to and from Fausto, I quickly decided that instead, I would spend my last week back in Sorrento. So - I was off...back down to Naples airport and to Sorrento for my last week of traveling bliss....