Sarah’s cousin, Kellsie, had never visited Europe, so when she expressed an interest in hopping the pond, we set about planning what we hoped would be an unforgettable adventure.
Basel Weekend
On day one, we were all exhausted – Kellsie for the obvious reason of having taken a red-eye flight, while we were both wiped because we chose to wake up at 2-am to watch the Capitals win the Stanley Cup (GO CAPS!). We spent the day on the usual tour of Basel and ended the night at our favorite jazz club. Given the dark, cozy atmosphere, a few of us struggled to keep our eyes open; however, the drummer was maybe one of the most impressive drummers we have seen live, and we enjoyed chatting with him after the show.
We had planned to do a day trip in Switzerland on Saturday, but Kellsie was tempted by the possibility to check another country off the list. As such, we headed to Colmar, France that morning for an impromptu bike tour of the vineyards (something we’ve been wanting to check-out for a while now). E-bikes have gained a lot of popularity here in Europe, and now we truly understand all the rage. They offer all the fun of riding a bike but eliminate all the unpleasant parts (starting and stopping, climbing hills, etc.). We ended up having to cut the full tour a little short due to impending thunderstorms, but we still managed to clock around 14 miles before heading back into town. After a quick walk through the historic old-town, we boarded a train back to Basel right as the skies opened up.
Florence, Italy
Parting ways with Chris (contrary to what our blog/social media may leave you to believe, he does, in fact, have a full-time job), Kellsie and Sarah headed south to Italy on Sunday. It was a long day of train travel, but we arrived in Florence just in time for dinner and a sunset stroll.
Our decision to explore Florence was three-fold. One: Chris and Sarah have both been before, so Chris didn’t feel too left out by having to stay at home and work. Two: Sarah had only briefly visited Florence before and had since forgotten much of the city. Three: there is a lot to see/do, from learning about the history to appreciating art, to taking day trips to the countryside (all of which we did). Highlights from our time in Florence include:
- Walking tour of the city – free walking tours are always a bit of a gamble, but our tour through La Bussola was splendid. As a native of Florence, our guide offered many recommendations on food, wine, gelato, etc., and as an art history Ph.D. candidate, she provided a wealth of information regarding the city’s art.
- Tuscany day trip: this was easily our favorite day. Our guide was a trained sommelier who not only taught us about the wine but also provided a foundation for the history and culture of the Italian wine industry. Fun fact: not too long ago, Chianti was looked down upon in the wine industry. It wasn’t until “Super Tuscan Wines” came along after WWII that Italy saw a resurgence in Chianti consumption (and consequent production). In addition to tasting many different varieties of Chianti wines, we also had the chance to sample different kinds of olive oil from the region.
- Galleria dell’Accademia: Here we saw the statue of David in all of its 5.7-meter glory as well as many other Michelangelo pieces. We also visited Uffizi Gallery on the same day. While the latter was an interesting museum providing insight into the evolution of Italian art, we were both a bit brain-dead from doing two art museums back to back. Lesson learned – fewer museums and more gelato.
- Views: Florence is a spectacular city, and we took in the views from two vantage points: The Duomo of the Santa Maria Cathedral and the Piazza Michelangelo. Getting up to the Duomo required a lot more effort than other cathedrals we’ve climbed. Even with our advanced-booking tickets (a must when if visiting), we had to wait in line to enter and were unfortunately stuck behind a few slow climbers. That said, the views from the top were well worth the test of patience. The Piazza Michelangelo had equally beautiful views and honestly would have made for a perfect place to enjoy a bottle of wine.
- Food: What’s not to love about Italian food? It’s full of all the things we love – carbs, meat, and cheese. Obviously, we indulged in many bowls of pasta, savored a handful of nice wines, and chased it all down with a few cups of gelato. In reality, though, Italian cuisine is so much more than just pasta – it’s about the products from different regions, it’s about the traditions (and legends) behind different dishes, and it’s about the love and care with which each dish is prepared. Among many other lesser known dishes, we tried (and loved) stewed rabbit, grilled octopus salad, chicken pate, and the famous Florence sandwich known as Schiacciate (the cheapest and most delicious lunch around).
Bologna, Italy
We basically treated Bologna (where Sarah did her cooking school back in January) as a quick stop on our way back to Basel; however, a late train, a summer rainstorm, a few directional missteps, and a tight turnaround time all made for a less than perfect arrival. Though damp and winded (and a bit grumpy) from running through the rain, we were excited to join our walking food tour of the city. The tour took us around old town to a few spots featuring local cuisine – where we broke all the rules our mothers taught us as children. We ate chocolate at 10-am, had our first class of wine before lunch, and filled our bellies with dessert before lunch. While the tour didn’t provide the history lesson we were both hoping for, we enjoyed mingling with the other tour guests and indulging in our last taste of Italian food.
Belalp, Switzerland
No trip to Switzerland is complete without an opportunity to experience the majestic Alps. As such, we headed to Belalp, Switzerland on Friday after quickly touching base back at the apartment. Quick it was indeed – we had less than 10 minutes to repack for the weekend and were running at a full sprint to catch the train. Friday evening was pretty low key and was spent catching up with our friends from Zurich.
Saturday was the exact opposite of low key. Not having planned the friends weekend ourselves, we were sort of just along for the ride. In all honesty, after a week full of itineraries and a jam-packed schedule, it was nice to follow someone else’s lead; however, the hike was definitely a bit more challenging than the expectations we had set for Kellsie (and ourselves). The hike was quite short, but don’t let the duration fool you – it was a physically demanding three hours. 880 meters down and 880 meters back up a very steep trail led us to some amazing views of the Aletsch glacier (though sadly much of it has melted/recessed up into the mountains), through some picturesque alpine fields (complete with Swiss cows), and ultimately to the Aletschji-Grunsee suspension bridge (124 meters long and certainly not for the faint-hearted). It was an exhausting but extremely rewarding afternoon, and we could not have asked for more perfect weather.
On Sunday, we had planned to head back to Basel, but because of a technical issue with the engine, our train was unfortunately canceled. So instead of relaxing and resting our legs in a park in Basel, we boarded a train to Geneva. That’s the beauty of Switzerland – trains are abundant and literally go everywhere. Once in Geneva, we had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants, Chez Ma, and spent the afternoon meandering around beautiful Lake Geneva.
The ten days we spent with Kellsie were a true treat. We spent a lot of quality time together, shared our European lifestyle, and experienced countless, unforgettable adventures.
USA
For the past 5 days, Chris has been visiting the other love of his life: America. Technically, he went back for work, but in true Chris Milne fashion, he made the most of every single second. On Friday, he and our core group of friends headed to an Arena football game for general tomfoolery. On Saturday, he went for a run with pals around the National Mall and finally got his Mexican food fix. On Sunday, he embraced his favorite American pastime, baseball, surrounded by his favorite pals. Though he technically had to work Monday and Tuesday, he didn’t let those days go to waste either – spending Monday having dinner with his family and Tuesday catching up with the families of River Falls. Though geographically and culturally different from our lives in Europe, this past trip was just as much of an adventure … and a sweet nibble of delicious American pie.
Up next, Paris and Malta. Stay tuned, friends.
SASgoesSwiss 