End of Switzerland and France

This picture is Jeff enjoying the Swiss newspaper. We left Switzerland on Tuesday early a.m., so we joined the commuters on the trains. Interesting to see the contrast from central/eastern-German Switzerland to western-French Switzerland. As soon as we got to Bern and Geneva, everything was in French.
We had such an amazing time in Switzerland, we were having a hard time leaving. We talked about coming back with our kids someday. this trip has opened our eyes to so many different things, especially cultural differences and things we need to appreciate more that we take for granted or are unaware of in the US. More on that later. But after our amazing time there, we were not expecting anything to be as wonderful.
We just had our last night with James' aunt and uncle and kids. We have had such a great time being.with their family, sharing amazing French meals, conversation, seeing the French countryside and soaking up more history than I thought possible. More observations to come maybe tomorrow, since we will be on the train allllll.day on the way up north to Mont St Michel. We have been in Perigeux, which is 2 hrs outside of Bordeaux, so have to travel all the way to the North of France. Whew. But can't wait for the adventures ahead! Can't believe this is all still happening! Life changing experiences every day.
More to come. :)

Crazy travel ... But finally in Switzerland!

Boarded our train out of Munich at 2245. The train was full of people who fully enjoyed Oktoberfest... So glad we had first class tickets with our rail pass so we didn't have to deal with too many of them. Some make it up into 1st class anyway, and the conductor doesn't want to get in fights so they don't enforce the rules that late. Apparently Switzerland doesnt like trains running too often. at night so we didn't have too many options. Jeff snoozed while.I stayed awake to keep an eye on our stuff and listen for our stop. Got to charge our devices though! Sooo tired.
Got to Salzburg to catch a train that would take us to Zurich, obvious we are now in another country. Different dialects, cannabis green tea in a can, different Oktoberfest outfits... :)
Waited for an hour in the freezing cold, and then we were lucky to get beds on the night train into Zurich (although catching this at 2am!) Our bunk mate wasn't super excited to have us join her that late. Slept in our clothes, and arrived via 3 transfers in Interlaken, Switzerland by 930 this a.m. phew.
Our rail passes get us 25% off the Swiss rail system, so had to pay to get our train to Lauterbrunnen. I felt my stress melting away as we drove away from the cities and saw more trees, cows, fields and lakes. Once here, seeing the giant cliffs, huge mountains peeking above the clouds, even in the rain, was SO glad to get here. Showed up at 10 and couldnt check.in to hotel till 2 so stowed bags in lockers, and walked through the town. Started drying and clearing some. We were super sweaty and gross after our bike ride yesterday and being up all might. So we figured why not, let's walk the valley. So walked to the other end of the valley 1 1/2 hrs, through beautiful countryside, next to cows with their tinkling bells, gorgeous river, countless waterfalls, basejumpers, flowers, adorable homes and barns. Magical. Can't think of any other way to describe it. Took bus back, and wandered around some more, getting some snacks from store, and then were able to check into hotel. finally got cleaned up, rested, enjoyed some local cheese (made when cows go up higher into alps in the spring) and wine, then took a nap before a light dinner in the hotel restaurant. Looks like they offer quite a bit of local vegetables and local game, but we could only do soup tonight... Maybe tomorrow! Again...in bed by 845...we feel old!

We have places to sleep!

We have officially booked each night of our trip! Or, in one case, decided not to book something. Yes, we plan to stay up all night, and/or sleep in the airport during our final layover in Reykjavik, Iceland. Wow. This is happening!

Jeff and I have started a list of things we want to do in each city/area ... any suggestions?
We'll be in:
Berlin, Munich, Fussen, Germany
Lauterbrunnen & Gimmewald, Murren, Switzerland
Bordeaux region, Paris, France
Edinburgh, Western Coast, Isle of Islay and Isle of Skye, Scotland

Now, on to the packing... since we're traveling budget airlines, we have to pack lightly!

Sneak Peek

Here's a quick peek at our itinerary...

Flying from Seattle to Reykjavik, Iceland - from Reykjavik to Frankfurt, Germany. From Frankfurt, we take a train to Berlin, Germany.
From Berlin, train to Munich - OKTOBERFEST!
From Munich, we split up - J&A will head to family in SW France, and we will head to Switzerland.
We will meet up in Bordeaux, France - then head up to Paris and the Normandy Coast.
Then we fly from Paris to Edinburgh, travel to the west coast of Scotland, and spend time on the islands.
Fly out of Inverness to London, then London to Reykjavik again - this time, with a layover, and then we'll be headed home.

Whew. I'm tired already! 3 weeks will go by fast!

12 weeks away!

We are finalizing all of our lodging for our whirlwind trip to Europe... and as we nail down multiple details, we figured a central place to jot down the memories and things we do on this trip would be fun to share with you all.

We leave September 28th - that is less than 12 weeks away. Just 3 "month" clicks ahead on the calendar! It's been a long time coming, but now it seems there is so much to do before we leave.

We are traveling with our best buddies James & Amy, and look forward to this crazy adventure!

We will be starting our trip in Germany, heading into Switzerland, then to France, Scotland, and ending in Iceland. We'll literally be traveling by trains, planes and automobiles, staying in hostels, hotels, B&B's, a castle, and a night train!

Stay tuned as we figure out exactly where we'll be, what we're bringing, how we're packing, and how we're not-so-patiently waiting to board the plane!