Okay, readers.  We know that we made big promises for our 4 part series, the last of which was supposed to be about our two trips back stateside for weddings; however, we’ve been lazy, so instead of a full post, here’s one paragraph to give you the gist:

Sarah spent some precious time with her family (especially her niece and nephew), we witnessed two beautiful weddings, we danced and laughed a lot, we caught up with old friends, and we moved all of our belongings from one storage unit to another.  It was all great fun.  Except for that last thing.  That sucked a lot.

Philadelphia Wedding

Cape May Wedding

Cape May Wedding

Now that part IV is covered, let’s move on to our more recent trip to Berlin.

Chris had to attend a conference in Berlin on Monday and Tuesday of last week, and because we hadn’t visited the city since 2010 (when we had all the time but none of the money), we decided to go a few days early to experience the city from a new perspective.

Food and Drink: Any improvement over Swiss quality or price is always a welcome change, and Berlin certainly didn’t disappoint.  We found our first proper bloody mary in Europe (excluding, of course, Chris’s excellent at-home variety), indulged in a (too) big Ruben sandwich, and were spoiled by a tasty (and relatively affordable) 3-course tasting menu.  The weather was quite chilly while we were there, so we were also happy to find reprieve in the extensive network of adorable coffee shops and craft brewery bars.

Proper bloody mary

Craft beer bar w/ activities!

Culture: Being the capital of Germany, it’s easy to assume that the culture of Berlin would go hand in hand with everything you think of as stereotypically German (lederhosen, beers, sausages, finely tuned automobiles, and the like).  But you know what they say about assumptions …

The city certainly has its own vibrant culture, but because it has become such a melting pot of people, languages, and cultures, Berlin’s identity is not as obviously linked to Germany as one might think.  This is not to say that the city is without a rich history.  From Nazi headquarters which planned and executed the many horrors of the Holocaust, to the Berlin Wall which both physically and ideologically divided the city, to the more recent influx of refugees which continues to fuel political debate – the city and its people have seen a lot.  But despite its tumultuous past (or perhaps because of it), Berlin is now a progressive, international city.  We both felt that the city did an appropriate job of recognizing its history and crimes (The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe and the East Gallery were both especially moving), but much of the city can be characterized by a slightly bohemian and distinctly cool vibe.  It’s a city where English is seemingly more widely spoken than German, a city that appears to welcome all people, a city that embraces the arts, and a city that provides ample Hygge opportunities (full explanation of this Danish concept here).  Walking around Berlin for four days honestly felt a lot like walking around DC.  Even with its lack of mountains, we’d say that Berlin has earned a ranking among our favorite European cities.

Berlin Wall

Chilly, Late-night walks

East Gallery

We celebrated Chris’s birthday a little early this year by heading to the Ryder Cup at the end of September.  For all of you non-golf followers out there, the Ryder Cup is a biennial tournament between a team from Europe and a team from The United States.  This year, the tournament was held just outside of Paris, and Chris decided that there was no better way to celebrate his 31st birthday than by cheering on our favorite Stars and Bars golfers.

Lodging: Having been to Paris twice this summer, we opted for a small bed and breakfast outside the city but close to Le Golf National (this is actually the name of the course and not our obnoxious way of pronouncing ‘golf’ like Pepe Le Pew).  The B&B was quintessentially French – cozy but simple interior design, lovely gardens, and hosts which were generous and kind but who also spoke no English.  It was perfect.  The town, on the other hand, was a little less charming, but in the end, we weren’t there for the town but rather for the golf.

The Upsides of the Tournament: Le Golf National is a relatively new course and was built with spectatorship in mind.  Many of the holes are constructed so that viewers could watch from a stadium-like arena without having to be in artificially constructed grandstands.  This, coupled with perfect weather, made for optimal viewing, and we were lucky enough to see many of our favorite golfers up close and personal.  The Ryder Cup is also one of the rowdier tournaments around, and though we were certainly outnumbered by Europeans, we still managed to get in a few good U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A chants.

The (ever-so-slight) Downsides of the Tournament: The Ryder Cup was unfortunately slammed with people, and because there are only four groups of golfers in each round of play, there were a lot fewer holes with live action at any given time than in a traditional tournament.  We had a good tactic of skipping ahead a few holes to maximize our viewing, but this led to a bit of downtime (which was a blessing in disguise considering the bathroom and concession lines).  In the end, the only real downside was that the good guys couldn’t pull off a W and keep the cup back home in The States.

The Cherry on Top: In reality, the golf was good, but the company was better.  Thanks to the power of social media, we learned that Chris’s high school friend, Johnny, and his wife, Caroline, would be flying over from DC to attend the Ryder Cup on the same day.  What are the odds?!  We had an absolute blast catching up, and we were once again reminded that the world is a lot smaller than it seems.

At the end of September, we joined our buddies Mike, Mary, Jose, and Andrea for one final hiking and climbing adventure in the Dolomites … and it was awesome.  But before we get into the details of the trip, we feel that a little explanation of ‘huts’ may be needed.

Throughout Europe, there is an extensive network of huts used by hikers, climbers, and depending on accessibility, non-extreme individuals alike who are looking for a rustic mountain escape.  The quality and luxury vary from hut to hut, but there are typically a few common factors:

1. Blankets and pillows are provided by the hut, but travelers are responsible for linens.  Given the nature of our trip (lots of hiking and climbing), we were conscious of the weight and size of our bags.  As such, we used sleep sacs (basically sleeping bags but made only of cotton) and shammy towels.  These compact linens allowed us to keep our packs small and light (which allowed for a much-needed bottle of booze).
2. Huts usually come with half-board.  As relative newbies to huts, we can’t say that the following applies to every establishment, but the places we stayed in had fabulous food.  Considering we were thousands of meters in the mountains sometimes with no gondola or car access (definitely never, ever both), the food they turned out was pretty spectacular.
3. Showers are optional.  The first hut we stayed in charged €3.50 for a shower which consisted of 25 liters of hot water.  It was just enough to rinse off a days worth of grime and sweat, and it was money well spent.
4. Most huts prohibit hiking/climbing shoes inside their establishment, but they also realize that these are likely the only shoes that travelers have.  Consequently, they provide house slippers for every guest.  It’s a wonderful little luxury.
5. Sleeping arrangements are typically in a dormitory style, and whether you’re in a small room with friends or sharing a large room with strangers, earplugs are a must.

Huts now explained, here’s a general overview of our 3-day, 2-night amazing adventure through the Dolomites:

Day 1: Up to Rifugio Lagazuoi

Day 1 was a very early morning.  We left Basel before 5-am and were able to catch up with our pals from Zurich on the road.  After a 7-hour car ride and a few stops for errands (country vignettes, maps, car parks, etc.), we finally arrived at the base of the mountain around 2-pm and began our adventure up into the mountains.  The first part of our ascent was a Via Ferrata, and while it was less difficult than other courses we’ve climbed, the Dolomites style presented its own challenges.  This style, apropos to our location, has fewer steel supports than the French/Swiss style.  There is still a steel line to which we were always clipped into, but the hand and foot holds for climbing are mostly natural.  As such, the responsibility is more on the climber and less on the course designer.  This difference took a little while to get used to, but in the end, we both now prefer this au naturel style.

Where’s Waldo – Dolomite Edition

We made it to the top … sort of

Group Pic

After finishing our first climb, we still had a rather demanding hike ahead of us.  We don’t know how many meters we had to climb, but we do know that it was about an hours worth of very steep, uphill hiking.  Generally speaking, we don’t really like hiking (we both tend to get a little bored … and sometimes lost), but this trip was a little different.  For starters, the scenery was absolutely stunning, and to top it all off, we passed a few preserved WWI bunkers along the way.  Very cool stuff.

We finally arrived at the hut just before sundown, and after a much-needed shower, we settled in for a tasty dinner, a couple of dice games, and an overall enjoyable evening with pals.

Day 2: Rifugio Lagazuoi to Rifugio Dibona

Day 2 was another early start.  We dined with the rising sun and were headed down the mountain before our legs and minds really had time to process the days promised physical challenges.  After about 90 minutes of hiking, we found ourselves at the start of our next Via Ferrata.  At first glimpse, the start was a little ominous looking – tiny ladders leading straight up into a dark tunnel.  But we put on our gear and ventured ahead.  The tunnels are actually left over from WWI and were used by the Allies to quickly and safely traverse the mountain without enemy detection.  The tunnels and line are all well maintained, but a headlamp and climbing gear were essential.  We spent about 20 minutes hunched over, relying solely on our headlamps and the steel line to bring us out safely to the other side of the mountain.

Hike to the second Via Ferrata

Exiting the Tunnels

Which way?

The rest of the Via Ferrata was much like the previous day – full of incredible views and awesome climbing opportunities.  We finished our climb in the early afternoon with enough time to summit the peak; however, we were a little worried about the weather, so we decided after a quick photo shoot to head straight down to our hut for the night.  Unlike the first day, our afternoon hike was all downhill, but we would both argue (perhaps Sarah more fervently so) that down is way harder than up.  We arrived at the hut exhausted and ready for a much-deserved adult beverage.

On top of the world

Perspective

Day 3: Down and Back Up to Tre Cime di Lavaredo

Leaving Dibona

Day 3 Morning Views

Our last day was just the most perfect weather, and none of us wanted to waste a day in the car.  As such we hiked down to our cars and decided to drive across a valley and up to Tre Cime di Lavaredo before heading back home.  After two solid days of hiking and climbing, our legs were all pretty sore, but we pushed through for one final hike.  We will let the pictures below speak for themselves.

Final Goodbyes

Sadly, this was our last adventure with our dear friends, Mike and Mary.  They have since moved back to the states and are settling into their new lives in Atlanta.  We will miss them dearly but are happy to have had one final epic adventure together.

“Hello.  It’s me.  I was wondering if after all these…” months.  Adelle has never been more right.  It’s been months since our last post, and, as you can imagine, a lot has happened since then.

We will attempt to bring you up to speed in a four-part series, titled Catching Up with the Milnes (not to be confused with the lesser known Keeping up with the Kardashians).  For part 1, we actually made a video of a long weekend during which our buddy, Mike Fletcher, visited.  Enjoy.

Euro Adventures Video

Between Rhine River floats, travel, mountaineering, and our jobs, there’s been little time to put pen to paper lately.  Please forgive the delayed nature of this post – it’s long overdue.

A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to host both of our parents for a 16-day European adventure.  As you can imagine, a little over 2-weeks of travel yielded a lot of content, but we will try to keep it short.  Here are our highs (and a few lows) from the trip:

 Paris

• Highs:

  • Family – It’s hard to believe, but we haven’t seen Sarah’s brother, Matt, since moving across the pond nearly two years ago!  As such, we were thrilled to learn that he had to be in Italy for business and would be able to swing a quick weekend trip to Paris to join the family fun.  We were still missing a few important members of our family, but Paris was the first time in a year that we’ve (almost)all been together.  It was honestly the best part of the whole trip.

• • Normandy Day Trip – This was a long and emotionally heavy day, but we were thankful to have seen and learned about the history of the D-Day invasions.  We first stopped at the Caen WWII museum where we got a full history refresher.  It was honestly such a good museum, that when it came time to board the bus, we were all a little reluctant to leave.  The afternoon was spent moving between important D-Day landing zones.  We saw Pointe du Hoc (with its impressive 100-feet cliffs and views of Utah and Omaha beaches), The American Cemetery (a peaceful 170-acres that could easily convince one that they were in America instead of 4,000 miles away in France), and Juno Beach (where ghosts of the floating port which offloaded nearly 10,000 tons of equipment can still be seen).  We never really understood the magnitude of the D-Day invasions until we stood on the sand and tried to imagine 150,000 young men charging the beaches.  In reality, it’s impossible to fully understand, but we were reminded to be thankful for the people who not only fought for our country’s freedom but for the world’s freedom as well.

Juno Beach

Ponte du Hoc

American Cemetery

American Cemetery

• • Walking Tour of the city: We’ve been on this same tour at least 2 other times, but this most recent tour was, hands-down, the best.  Our guide was extremely friendly and provided a plethora of fun facts about the city.  Did you know, Napoleon III completely demolished the city only to rebuild it in a more modern, open plan?  Or that the Eiffel Tower was only meant to be a temporary installation for the world fair of 1889, but because the engineer placed a radio tower on the top, it still standing some 120 years later?
  • Veuve Tasting – In the words of our dear friend, Charles Dickens, “Champagne is one of the elegant extras in life,” and we are certainly not ones to deprive ourselves of such indulgences.  As such, when Sarah learned that the house and cellars of our favorite après-ski champagne, Veuve Cliquot, were a quick train ride from Paris, she quickly set about planning a visit.  Deep in the cellars which house nearly 40 million bottles (yes, you read that correctly), we learned about the history of the champagne house, were inspired by the feminine power of Madame Cliquot, and came to better understand the process behind our favorite bubbly drink.  And because no visit to a famous champagne house would be complete without tasting its products, we finished off the day with a few (too many?) glasses of champagne.  The group all seemed to have different opinions on their favorite variety, but we all agreed on one thing: no matter the time of day or occasion, champagne is always appropriate.

• Lows:

  • Some like it hot: But no one in our group does.  As a rule, Europe does not believe in air conditioning.  Typically, this isn’t a problem as there are usually only one or two weeks were the temperatures reach unbearable levels.  Unfortunately, those two weeks happened to have coincided with our parents’ trip.  Our apartment in Le Marais was absolutely stunning and in a perfect location, but the lack of air-conditioning coupled with a 4^th-floor walk-up made for a few grumpy travelers.
  • Lost wallets: We always joke that are dads are just alike – they are both big guys with big hearts, and they both enjoy a fine glass of whiskey and a good nap (often together).  Twins in life, this trip was no exception – they both lost their wallets.  Thankfully, some monopoly money (euros) and a few long distance phone calls to credit card companies were the extent of the damage.

• Final Thoughts:

Most of our group had been to Paris before, and everyone had mixed reviews and memories.  Man Kim remembered it from his years as a Marine as a place filled with trash and rude Parisians while Mama Milne remembered it from her summer in high school as a far-away, possibly over-romanticised escape from home.  Everyone seemed to remember it as a big, dirty city that smelled of overwhelming urine (Sarah and Chris’s unformed grunge rock band name).  Though that is still half true, we hope that having shown them some of our favorite spots helped to reconceptualize the city in their memories.

Switzerland

• Highs:

  • Mountains: When in the Swiss Alps, everything is quite literally a high. We only had two days in Switzerland, and because of the hot weather in Basel, we decided to spend the bulk of our time in the mountains.  On the first day, we headed to Luzern and ventured up to Mount Pilatus.  We’ve been up Mount Pilatus many times before with varied success – lucky the parents caught it on a clear day and had some magnificent views of the Bernese Oberland mountains.  On the second day, we headed to Kandersteg to hang out with Swiss cows around one of the most spectacular mountain lakes imaginable.
  • Swiss National Day Celebrations: Swiss National Day is the Swiss equivalent of Independence Day.  There are a few obvious differences (raclette instead of hotdogs, crosses instead of stars and bars, etc.) but there are a lot of similarities as well.  Much like the Fourth of July, Swiss National Day is a day to be outside, a day to spend time with loved ones, and a day to embrace the inner pyromaniac in us all.  America will always be number one in our hearts, but we have to admit, the Swiss give America a run for her money when it comes to firework displays.

Child-like Joy

Rhine River Float

Mount Pilatus

Swiss National Day

• Lows:

  • Honestly, our time in Switzerland was pretty perfect, but if we had to choose a low it would be the weather.  The heat wave that we experienced in Paris followed us to Basel, and while in Kandersteg we got caught in a pretty violent thunderstorm.  All in all, though, there isn’t too much to complain about.

Kandersteg Village

Getting Chased by Cows

Cheesing Hard

Swiss Cows

Santorini, Greece

• Highs:

  • Boat Day: If we’ve said it once, we’ve said it a thousand times – we’re boat people now, and Greece was no different.  We found ourselves onto a chartered yacht for the day and had a fabulous time touring the caldera side of the island, swimming in the Mediterranean, and eating and drinking like kings.
    

    “I am the captain now”

    

    Lunch on board

    

    We’re boat people

     

  • ATVs: Santorini is an extremely small island (only about 29 square miles), and we decided to stay in one of the main towns, Fira, due to its proximity to restaurants and bars.  While we stand by that decision, one of our favorite parts of the trip was exploring other parts of the island by ATVs (one of the easiest and most popular ways to get around).  We drove to beach clubs, stopped along the caldera for views, ventured over to the picturesque town of Oia, and explored areas of the island which would have been unreachable without ATVs.
    

    ATV fun

    

    Northern most tip of the island – only reachable by ATV
  • Scenery: The caldera views wowed us at every turn in the road and the sunset views were a perfect way to end each day.  We will let the pictures speak for themselves – nature was really showing off for us.
    

    Oia Views

    

    Caldera Views

    

    Sunset Views

• Lows:

  • Beaches: We certainly knew this going in, but Santorini is not known for their beaches.  They are either 1) non-existent due to the cliffs 2) full of rocks 3) comprised of black (and extremely hot) sand or 4) some combination thereof.  We still managed to have a few relaxing days at beach clubs and we definitely enjoyed the beautiful Mediterranean waters, but the walk between beach chair and water was punctuated by a brisk, barefooted run.  First world problems, we suppose.

Athens, Greece

• Highs:

  • Ferry Ride: Blue Star Ferries are the cheapest way to get from Santorini to Athens, and we were initially concerned that the low price would result in an unfavorable travel experience; however, we could not have been more wrong.  Santorini was the first stop of the morning ferry route, so we had plenty of room to spread out.  The boat got progressively busier as the ferry made more stops throughout the day,  but we were able to escape to our business class seats for a little peace a quite.  All in all, the ferry ride was an enjoyable way to travel and allowed us to see a few other islands along the way.
  • Acropolis: We had less than 24-hours in Athens, and so we decided to focus on the must-see sights.  Obviously, the Acropolis was at the top of this list (and the hill).  The hike up to the Parthenon was a bit sweaty (probably a low for a few of our travelers), but seeing a building that is over 2,000 years old was simply incredible.
    

    Crazy guy, crazy hair

    

    boys pic

    

    ladies pic

• Lows:

  • Confusion with luggage: On our last morning, we had a little miscommunication with our Airbnb host.  We had asked for a late checkout, to which he replied “no problem – just make sure you’re packed up so the cleaning lady can come in.”  No problem we thought!  You can imagine how surprised we were when we went back to the apartment for a bathroom break and found that our luggage was not only missing but that 4 people were sleeping in our beds.   It was awkward … and confusing.  Luckily, our host had just moved our luggage for the next guests’ early check-in, so all was well.

• Final Thoughts on Greece:

For everyone in our group, this was the first time to Santorini (and the first time to Greece for a few of us).  We were initially surprised by the arid climate, but we quickly learned that this has shaped the culture and identity of the island.  From the way they build homes to the way they grow grapes, being resourceful and flexible [read: slower] is an important aspect of Santorini life.   We certainly stayed busy but found ourselves being lulled to a slower pace by the easy-going island vibes.  It was an excellent way to end an already fabulous trip.

Athens, we have to admit, surprised us.  We had been told by countless people that the city was nothing more than a big, polluted tourist trap; however, we were really pleasantly surprised.  Athens is certainly a sprawling city, but in our short, over-night stay we found that the streets were cleaner and the food was more sophisticated than other tourist cities we’ve visited.  I doubt we will return, but we are glad we saw it.

In other news, we recently received some exciting information.  We’re expecting … to stay in Switzerland for another year! Huzzah! Last week, we found out that our visas have been approved at the local level.  We are still technically waiting for approval at the federal level (we’ve been told that is a mere formality), but we are both tickled by the prospect of another adventurous year.

Paris

One critique we often hear about Basel is that there are no mountains or lakes (two things the Swiss hold dear), and while this is true, those people fail to acknowledge one of Basel’s best offers: its proximity to other European cities.  Because of this, we were able to make a very quick trip to Paris to meet up with our friends, Pat and Lara, who were on their way to the South of France.  We were there for less than 48 hours, but we were still able to squeeze in quite a lot.  Some of our time was spent doing the typical touristy things (walking tour of the city, overpriced rooftop drinks, etc.), but the best part was simply catching up with friends.  We enjoyed a really lovely dinner overlooking the Eiffel Tower, an impromptu game of Bocce Ball along the Seine River, and an evening in a Parisian cave at a Cabaret show.  Though short, this past European adventure with Pat and Lara was just as much fun and just as memorable as previous trips.

Bocce Ball

Eiffel Tower

Cabaret Show

Malta

On Saturday morning, we were in Paris on a train back to Basel, and by Saturday evening, we were in Malta, a small country located 50 miles from Sicily.  Malta is one of those countries which is so difficult to reach from the states that we knew we wanted to visit before moving back stateside (whenever that may be).  We were also able to convince our friends, Cori and Bennett, to join for part of the trip so that we could commemorate our 1-year friendship anniversary and the 4th of July.

First Impressions: Having heard about the beautiful beaches and “bougie” culture of Malta, we were a bit surprised and concerned when we first arrived at our hotel.  It was basically Atlantic City – a few too many strip clips and casinos, lots of chain restaurants and bars, and a sea of drunk teenagers.  Yes, we know that we sound old and crotchety.  Often, we aim for hotels which are said to be in the “party” neighborhood because we enjoy a vibrant scene complete with good restaurants and bars.  In this case, however, we feel that the reviews of “party side of the island” should be revised to “fraternity basement side of the island.”  It took a little warming up to, but we eventually embraced the college vibes and had a fabulous vacation.  Many of the days were spent lounging at the beach/around the pool, but we also had a few days full of adventure.

2-Days of Scooters:  After the party scene, the first thing we noticed about Malta was how cheap everything was.  For an island built almost entirely on rock and which, despite its small size, is the 8th largest importer in the world, we had expected island (if not Swiss) prices.  We were pleasantly surprised.  For a mere 20 euros per day, we decided to rent scooters for 2 days in order to better explore the island.  We (and by we, we mean Chris) have driven scooters before, but this go-round was a little different in that there was a lot more traffic and a bit more highway than we had anticipated.  Riding scooters is a true testament to one’s relationship.  Perhaps the Catholic Chruch should consider adding scooter riding in a foreign country to their pre-cana requirements.  It really highlights one’s ability to trust their significant other and a couple’s ability to work through a “difficult” situation.  It was a little stressful at times, but in the end, scooters were a great way to see the island.

Quick scooter stop at the Blue Grotto

Ahhh, scoot scoot …

Another stop at Marsaxlokk Bay

One of our favorite stops was at a beach on the other side of the island.  The beach itself was … fine, but what made it fantastic was the inflatable water park.  For a few euro each, we were able to pretend like we were kids again – climbing to the top of the “iceberg,” making silly games on an inflatable see-saw (or should I say sea-saw), and trying to make each other fall off the giant trampoline.  It was an absolute blast … and exhausting.  We may have been able to do that sort of thing all day when we were kids, but at 30+, we were all relieved when our 1-hour time limit expired.

Ski jump practice

Sarah jumping from the “iceberg”

Trampoline silliness

Athlete

FriendSHIP

We’ve said it before, but it’s worth repeating: we’re boat people now.  To celebrate our favorite holiday, the 4th of July, we decided to charter a yacht and skipper for the day, and Cori and Bennett were on board (see what I did there?) with the idea.  Having a boat for the day was the highlight of the trip.  We saw the beautiful beaches/coves that we had heard so much about, we swam and dove to our hearts’ content, and we enjoyed a few adult beverages without worrying (too much) about boating safety.  A big thanks to our skipper, Jacques, for keeping us safe and showing us the beauty of Malta.

Cave swimming

Cliff jumps

Swimming with fishies

Cheers, America

4th of July at its finest

Jacques let Sarah drive the boat …

We certainly miss the more typical traditions back home, but we did our best to celebrate America from afar.  We think that we made her proud.

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.

Biking through the vineyards in Colmar, France

Town stroll in Colmar

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).

Tuscany Day

Afternoon Aperol Spritz

Statue of David

Views from Piazza Michelangelo

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.

Famous butcher shops of Bologna

Aperitivo in Bologna

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.

The golden hour

Chalet life

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.

Aletsch Glacier

Alpine Views

First (very steep) part of the hike

Swiss cows make the best chocolate

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.

It’s becoming quite a trend.  For two years running now, we’ve spent Memorial Day Weekend traveling around Italy with friends.  As true Americans, we know that the holiday is about much more than kicking off summer with a long weekend (no Chris does not get vacation for Memorial Day).  That said, many of our friends back stateside see the long weekend as an opportunity to come visit, and we are always delighted to indulge in a chance to catch up and explore with pals.

For this Italian Memorial Day Extravaganza, we met up with our friends, Bill and Sasha. A year ahead of us at Wake, Bill was Chris’s roommate junior year, and Sasha is his better half whom we have come to know and love.  Here are the highlights from our fabulous four days with them.

Positano:  Without a doubt, Positano is a beautiful town.  Situated in a little valley tucked between the cliffs and the sea, it’s hard to find a more picturesque place.  On the flip side, it’s also hard to find a place in Italy with more Americans.  Don’t get us wrong – we love Americans.  We consider ourselves some of the best Americans.  But when traveling around Europe, it’s not exactly the cultural experience we seek.  Perhaps the long American holiday weekend had some influence, or perhaps Positano has simply been over-run with tourists.  Either way, we definitely made the most of our time here (but doubt we will return).

Our favorite parts included a private boat tour of the coastline (complete with a few opportunities to swim), tasty dinners (what’s not to love about pasta and wine), and a couple of incredible sunsets (see prom pictures below).

Prom Photos

FriendSHIP

We’re Boat People Now

Beautiful Positano Sunset

Capri: Capri is a tiny island about an hour ferry ride from Positano.  Let us be clear – there are also a ton of tourists in Capri; however, most people do Capri as a day trip.  Consequently, we found that as long as you avoided the main drag of the town during peak “tour bus” hours, it was a lovely, little island.  On our first day, we took a chair lift to the highest part of the island for some magnificent views.  It was seriously like watching something from Jurassic Park.  We say it often, but it continues to be true: pictures don’t do it justice.

Cue the Music for Jurassic Park

The Top of Capri

Day two was packed with activities.  Per our hotel’s recommendation, we went for a light hike in the morning.  In all reality, our hotel told us that by Italian standards it was “a good hike that should take about 2 hours.”  By Swiss standards, it turned out to be a nice walk which took us less than an hour… silly Italians.  Nonetheless, it was a scenic walk which led us to a beautiful natural arch and some fabulous coastline vistas… Bill and Chris could not resist revisiting their 1510 photo shoot days – “Yes. Yes. More. NO! NO! NO!”

Silly

Sillier

The Silliest

We’re nowhere close to buying a boat, but still, we consider ourselves boat people now.  As such, we rented a boat and skipper to drive us around the island for a few hours that afternoon.  Our first stop was at the famous Blue Grotto.  Though it’s full of tourists, the stop was definitely worth the line and entrance fee.  Our grotto guide told us about the history of the cave (once the private swimming pool for Emporer Tiberius) and explained the natural phenomenon that creates the blue color (sunlight seeps in from under the shelf of rock at water level). It was quite surreal in the grotto, and we could not resist – out of the boat we dove and enjoyed a lovely, but apparently frowned upon swim in the famous Blue Grotto… some palms were greased and all was forgiven. Hooray supporting the Italian tourism industry! Later on our boat ride, we visited the Green Grotto (where we got to swim for free), the White Grotto (where we jumped in just to say we had), and the Red Grotto (honestly an otherwise unimpressive cave except for the excess of red coral).  The perfect weather, perfect scenery, and perfect pals made for one heck of a finale.

Capri Sunsets

Inside the Blue Grotto

Natural Arch

Fun on Boats

Green Grotto Swimming

This post is long overdue, but we suppose it’s better late than never.  A few weeks ago, we spent 10 days in Morocco (our first trip to the continent of Africa) and had a fabulous time.  Below are just the highlights of our trip and a few of our favorite experiences.

Cities: Morocco is a lot bigger than one might think, and it really offers a wide variety of landscapes.  In our 10-day adventure, we certainly didn’t get to cover it all; however, we spent our time wisely and covered most of the must-see destinations.

Marrakech: A City of Liquidation Sales

Though not technically the capital, Marrakech considered the cultural hub of Morocco and is a city unlike any other.  It is most well-known for its vibrant Jemaa el-Fnaa square and for its sprawling souks. Simply put, the square is the epitome of sensory overload.  There are snake charmers with their unmistakably haunting music, men with monkeys on leashes selling photo opportunities, food vendors yelling at people from afar to try their delicacies, and women offering to cover your hands and feet with henna tattoos for the right price.  Clearly, PETA and OSHA have not made it to Morocco yet.  The souks are a sprawling street bazaar and bazaar they are indeed.  In the central souks, you can find typical market goods (leather products, scarfs, rugs, trinkets, spices, baskets, and the like), but the further you venture, the stranger the merchandise becomes (foods we can’t begin to describe, livestock, snakes, full animals hanging from what we can only hope was a butcher’s shop).  One thing that every vendor had in common – they were intent on selling you their goods… for 3 times a reasonable price.

Trendy

Rugs on Rugs on Rugs

Koutoubia Mosque

We also visited the famous Bahia and Badi palaces, toured the outside of the Mosque, and explored the famous Jardin Majorelle. The touristy sites were interesting, but our two favorite activities while in Marrakech were people watching from the amazing rooftop cafes/bars and experiencing a hammam.  Traditionally, hammam referred to the weekly trip to the bathhouse. It was a place one typically visited with friends – not only to catch up on gossip but also for the practical reason of having a friend help wash your back. During our 2-hour appointment, we were treated to mud body masks, a complete body scrub, hair washing and conditioning, relaxing time in the sauna, and a 50-minute full body massage.  It was money well spent, and we cannot recommend the experience enough.

Rooftop Chills

More Rooftops

After this ample pampering, we headed into the desert for a 3-day trek (see Adventure in the Sahara below).

M’Diq: The Lovechild of Africa and the Mediterranean

Having spent 7 busy days traveling around southern Morocco, we were excited to end our trip with a few lazy days in the small beach town of M’Diq (it’s only taken us a year and a half of jammed pack travel itineraries to finally learn to value of relaxing vacation).  M’Diq is located on the northeastern coast of Africa and is a really an interesting mix of cultures – napping and sipping cocktails on the Mediterranean Sea, you could almost forget that you’re in Morocco – that is until you hear the afternoon prayer call which quickly reminds you that you are not, in fact, in Italy.  For us, M’Diq was the perfect way to end a fabulous vacation, as it was a good balance of adventure and relaxation. Each morning, we would drive to a nearby town, and each afternoon, we would nap by the sea.

On one morning, we drove 35 minutes north to Spain.  Yes, you read that correctly – we drove to Spain from Africa.  How you ask? The city of Ceuta, while located on the continent of Africa, is a small municipality of Spain.  The town’s identity is unmistakably Spanish (Spanish language, Catholic churches, and an abundance of wine – a forbidden fruit in the Muslim nation of Morocco), but we found that the most interesting part of the day trip was not the town’s curious existence or stark contrast to neighboring Moroccan towns, but rather our experience crossing the border.  It’s honestly hard to put what we saw into words. Hundreds of cars, hundreds of scooters, maybe thousands of Moroccan men of foot – all chaotically trying to get across the border. The border is actually the cause for a lot of controversies, and as such, is heavily policed by men in uniform.

Confused by the chaos, we did a little research and learned that merchants are able to import goods from Spain to Morocco without taxation if the goods are transported across the border on foot. Basically, thousands of Moroccan locals line up each morning, hoping to be selected as a “Moroccan Mule”.  It was honestly like watching Blood Diamond or any other classic Western movie, where Gringos come in and (sometimes violently) control the locals. This experience was such a small part of our trip, but it will definitely be a lasting image for both of us. Should you be interested in more details, here is an article that we found extremely helpful.

Our second day trip from M’Diq was to the famous blue city, Chefchaouen.  In all honesty, we’re not really sure why so many tourists flock to this city every year.  We found many (if not all) of the markets and restaurants to be extremely touristy; nevertheless, it was certainly cool to see a city washed in blue, and it was a beautiful and fun drive.  Someone had so much fun driving the winding, mountainous roads that he was pulled over for speeding.  A little money exchanged hands, but otherwise, we left unscathed.

More Souks

Blue City

Culture: Morocco is truly a melting pot.  From Berbers to Phoenicians to Arabs to Spaniards to French, the land has exchanged hands so many times, that what is left is an interesting blend of cultures.

• Language: Most Moroccans speak at least 3 languages: Moroccan Arabic, French or Spanish, and English (note: we found that most people had a pretty rough English, but nonetheless, we were thankful because our Spanish, French, and Arabic are all virtually nonexistent).  We also learned that the natives, known as Berbers, have their own, entirely different language.  Many people in Morocco may lack a formal education, but they are certainly well-versed in languages.
• Food: To be honest, we were a bit disappointed by the food.  We were expecting spicy, flavorful food, but the majority of the food we had left something to be desired.  There are really only so many tajines, kebabs, and couscous dishes you can eat. One food item we came to really love was the tea (cheekily called Berber whiskey) that was served at every meal.  It’s basically green tea with a ton of mint and a healthy amount of sugar, and it was a nice little “dessert” we enjoyed morning, noon, and night.
• Religion: The culture of Morocco is fully, completely, and inextricably tied to Islam.  We believe that we are both open-minded people, but we also recognize the fact that we became adults in a post 9-11 world.  As such, there is a lot of emotional baggage we carry regarding the Islamic religion (even after nearly 18 years). This was the first time that either of us had heard the call to prayer live (i.e. not in a movie or on the news). Given the context of previous exposures, this experience initially had us a little uneasy. Actually standing there in the moment, apprehension quickly gave way to curiosity.  Having never experienced the call and speaking absolutely zero Arabic, we had a lot of questions. What exactly are they saying? Is the prayer call a requirement? What happens if your schedule does not allow you to attend prayer? Is it going to be a problem that we are not Muslim? Morocco, which we learned is a relatively progressive Muslim nation, was a perfect foray into an exploration of this previously foreign culture.  Every Moroccan with whom we interacted was incredibly kind. Many were even willing, if not happy, to explain their culture and religion to an outsider. At one of the kasbahs we visited, our tour guide walked us through a prayer, explaining the reasoning and symbolism behind each step. Morocco is unlike any country we’ve visited before, and the multicultural experiences we had there continue to fuel our drive to travel and experience the world.

Adventure in the Sahara: Fun fact, the word ‘Sahara’ literally translates to desert; thus, it is redundant to say “Sahara Desert” as it means “desert desert” … the Los Angeles Angels of Africa.

One of our favorite parts of this trip was our 3-day trek into the Sahara.  We hired a tour company and were extremely pleased with the choice.  Our driver, Youssef, and guide, Mohammad, picked us up from our Riad in Marrakech (a Riad is a traditional family home with interior gardens which is often converted into a small hotel), and we set off into the desert.  As previously stated, Morocco is a surprisingly big country, so our trek came with a lot of driving, but we made many stops along the way to break up the long ride.  On the first day, we visited the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Kasbah Ait-Ben-Haddou (a mostly ruinous kasbah where Gladiator and many other movies were filmed), and another known as Kasbah Amridil, (where we learned about life as a traditional Berber).

On our second day, we traveled through the Dades Valley once known for their booming palmeraie industry, but now, mostly abandoned.   We have tossed around the term “oasis” without attaching much meaning to it (other than a loose association to Chris’s go-to karaoke selection and scenes from In the Army Now … one of Pauly Shore’s great films), but standing on a desert cliff looking over the green palmeraies almost inexplicably filling this patch of desert hits that term home.

Following a quick stop for Berber whiskey, we began the long journey to the famous Erg Chebbi sand dunes – truly one of the most incredible naturally-occurring phenomena we have ever seen.  To give you some insight into their scale, the dunes are approximately 30 miles long, 5 miles wide, and the highest peak is nearly 2,400 feet above sea level!  Monday evening, we mounted our camels and literally rode off into the sunset.  Ninety minutes later, we “parked” our camels and watched the sunset while sitting in a sea of sand.  That evening was spent with a few other couples hanging out with the Berbers, eating Tajine, and learning to play/dance to traditional music.  It was awkward at first, but we had a good group … and a secret bottle of scotch … which was a formula for an all-around fun night.

Erg Cehbbi

Chris and Shameus

Look at those lashes!

Sarah and Beatrice

With a long drive ahead of us, we had the earliest start of those staying in the camp, but this afforded us a private viewing of the sunrise from the backs of our trusty camels. Though on the clock, Beatrice and Seamus (our affectionately named camels) seemed to enjoy the experience as much as we did.

Day 3 was about 8 hours of driving; however, our tour guide, Mohammed, was so spectacular that the time flew by.  Not only was he a wealth of information about anything and everything Moroccan, Berber, or Arabic, but he was also a genuinely nice and incredibly impressive man.  Mohammed told us that he had actually grown up as a nomad Berber.  We learned about his childhood moving into the mountains in the summer and moving back into the desert in the winter (obviously with all of their belongings and livestock).  We also learned that his father was insistent that Mohammed receive a proper education, so at a young age, the family sold all of their possessions and settled down in a small desert village.  Mohammed is now a college graduate, fluent in three languages, and is a successful businessman.  His is an inspiring success story which has left a lasting impression on us… a theme of this African cultural adventure.

Tomorrow we head to Italy for a very different, but equally exciting adventure.  More to come.