Lugano

My friends Alyssa, Laura, Elle, and I traveled to Lugano for our last weekend to get away! We soaked up the sun, tried to study, but mostly just had a great time being with each other.

Our activities included, but were not limited to, paddle boating on Lake Lugano, listening to street performers, making dinner in Laura's cousin's apartment, and dancing to playlists we made on our iPods.

What a great way to wrap up the year. These girls are awesome, and I really enjoyed getting to know them, and wait with eager anticipation for our reunion in Malibu in August.

Basel

On my French literature class’s field trip to Basel, although with a lot of transit time for one day, we toured the old city, cathedral, and Jean Tinguely Museum. It was a wonderfully sunny and warm day, and we all had fun trying to explain to each other how we felt and what we were thinking in French, because we were required to speak en français toute la journée. In our exploration and observation of Basel, we chuckled about our ineptitude and how despite the fact that our teacher sometimes had a hard time understanding what we were talking about; we could easily communicate among ourselves with our “Franglais.”
The museum, which I can confidently say is one of my favorites from this time in Europe because Tinguely’s pieces were so unique and clever, was made up of two exhibits. Tinguely was a machine artist and quite creative with old pieces of metal and other things. Hannah Höch’s Dada compositions filled the top floor of the museum. She put together collages with interesting characters, and was known for being an effective surrealist and Dada artist (which includes those who created pieces of art post-WWI, and rejected the conventional forms of art, choosing to emphasize the bizarre and absurd).
Tinguely’s level also had several art-making machines on display. There was a room filled with destroyed plates, chairs, cups, and various household items and two destroying machines. Museum visitors could choose an item to destroy under a mallet or a claw, and then leave it to add to the interactive yet provoking room deemed “art.” Another was a simple lever screwed to the wall with paintbrushes on the end, and every 15 minutes, the brushes dipped down into a bowl of paint, and slapped up on the wall, painting an interesting and modern splotch there.
All in all, a fun trip, another good group of kids, and an opportunity to see another Swiss city!

Easter Holiday

I am back from another lovely weekend in Rüti, where I spent the Easter break with families Honegger and Jakob. It was fun to see them again, and I was pampered, again.
On Good Friday, Kathy, Ruedi, and Susanne took me to a performance of Bach’s Passion from the gospel of John. Although in German, I enjoyed the voices, especially the resounding notes from the deep voice of the base, who played the part of Pontius Pilate. The concert was really long, but well-done.
The next night, after Kathy and Ruedi skied with me at a nearby mountain, Alzmannig, we drove to a cloister in Rapperswil. Each night at nine, the monks put on a worship/meditation service open to the public. I didn’t understand what the reflection was about until afterwards, but we participated in a circular dance and spent some time listening to chanted music and soothing sounds. Yet another experience that I would have not been able to do unless with locals and a family who is in tune with what is interesting. Thanks Kathy and Ruedi for exposing me to yet another facet of Swiss culture! In my time there, I participated in a few Easter traditions different from my own. The most memorable were centered on hard-boiled eggs. Instead of dying eggs various colors from a kit you pick up at the grocery store, we wrapped eggs in nylon, and pressed leaves and flowers against the shells. Then, the eggs were boiled in an onion skin and water pot for 7.46 minutes (Ruedi’s instructions). After cooling, we cut the nylon off and found the prints of the plants on the shells! On Easter afternoon after a church service and entertaining brunch with the grandparents of Susanne and Simon, we commenced in the annual egg-throwing activity. In a snowy field nearby, we took a dozen hard-boiled eggs and threw them out into the field as far as we could. Object of the game: break the shell. Surprising fact: eggs flung a long distance multiple times don’t necessarily break as quickly as you might think. Once broken, however, you were free to sprinkle salt on it and enjoy.
Monday came too quickly, and I spent the day with family Jakob, all of whom showed up for lunch and an afternoon together. Being a part of their rendezvous made me feel again at home, and it was fun to see that Manuel and Cedric have been growing up in my absence. It will be fun to see them when they are grown. Thank you Vreni and Werner for your hospitality; again, what a wonderful time I was able to cherish at Tannenberg.
egg throwing!

Romania

To effectively describe this Eastern European country in a short post is impossible. Especially since I only spent one week there, and was so well taken care of, it is going to be difficult to reproduce an accurate snapshot. Throughout the week, I found myself trying to compare the landscape to places I’d visited, or movies I’d seen, to try and relate this lifestyle to any other I’d discovered in my year in Europe, but it was to no use. I was in an entirely new and fascinating part of the globe, and it was wonderful! There are some things that I do know I can take away from this time, though: we were loved by a family, taken in as members, able to see the gentle and patient nature of the people of Romania, and given the chance to cherish the love shared under God’s banner there.
My dear friend Alyssa and I spent our spring break in Sambatine, a small village of 2000 about 15 minutes outside the Western Romanian city of Arad. We were hosted in the loving and caring household of Jim and Nelly Foster, and were interim sisters of Becky and Rachel, ages 13 and 8, respectively. As a part of this family, we were given a small glimpse of rural life, and what a farming village in post-communist Romania looks and feels like. We drank the neighbor’s milk (and also met and milked the cow one night), ate eggs from the chickens we saw pecking around outside, and attended the school for one day. The home had an in-house running water pump and a septic system of sorts, but Sambatine as a village does not yet have running water. The roads are gravel and the trees trunks are painted white to make the streets more beautiful. The village was surrounded by farming plots (called gardens), where corn and wheat will abound in the late summer. When we were there, the land was freshly tilled, ready for the spring seeding.
Nelly graciously cooked some traditional Romanian meals for us, so that was fun to try some new foods. I think the roasted bell pepper, carrot, squash, and other vegetable spread was my favorite of them all.
Alyssa and I went running one morning from one end to the other, and as we dodged potholes and mud puddles, some of the people looked at us with some odd faces, since that’s not a common pastime there, especially after a day in the fields or with the animals, recreational activity ranks low.
Nelly is the principal of the K-8 school in the village, as well as the biology and chemistry teacher for the older kids. One day, she took us to school with her, where Rachel also attends. We sat in on Rachel’s second grade class, and watched as kids completed their Romanian exercises and math problems between backward glances toward us at the back of the classroom. Much to our dismay, we didn’t know Romanian (and our French knowledge only aided with a handful of words), so when these kids asked us questions during their break time, we were unable to even think about trying to respond. {Rachel and Becky are both bilingual, so our communication back at home was not hindered at all.} Luckily, Rachel translated some things for us, so we had a vague idea of what was going on. But, as with any second grade kid, you never know what to expect; these kids were pretty as rambunctious and curious, and Rachel made sure to point out which kids to ignore (usually the ones that were out of control, or obviously troublemakers). Later in the day, we were asked to teach to them some English songs in their music class. We started with Old MacDonald and all the corresponding animal noises. Things went well until the teacher decided to leave us alone with the kids. At the moment she left, the classroom exploded in excitement, as if the children were left to behave how they wanted (and why wouldn’t they think anything differently?). We were two powerless adults in a room of Romanian-speaking 8-year-olds all vying for attention needing to go outside to run around. Needless to say, we were relieved when Nelly stepped in to tell us it was time to leave. Those kids were quite the handful.
Jim is the pastor for the Lord’s Army group in Sambatine, as well as a Bible Study leader and occasional speaker for events such as baptisms, graduations, weddings and anniversaries. The Lord’s Army was started in the 1920s, and was an underground entity during the Communist period in Romania. Although the country’s governmental and social situation is changed from those times, the Lord’s Army is still in competition with the Orthodox, Pentecostal, and Baptist churches in Romania. As a strongly evangelical group, often, leaders of the other churches disagree with their messages, and make preaching and attempts at spreading the gospel and word difficult. He moved to Romania in 1993 after previously living in the Bay Area where he was a friend of my parents. My dad and he took two trips to Romania in the late 80s, and that is how I was lucky enough to stay with the Foster family. He is such a patient and gentle man, and he is the true mark of a person who has let God guide his footsteps. God is present in his life, and his story is a testament to the fact that God does indeed have our best interests and deepest desires in mind. What a blessing it was to witness such a faithful family so set on seeking God’s will in their lives.
Thank you Fosters for such a wonderful time in Romania! Although there are loads upon loads of stories to tell, this will just have to suffice, what fun would it be if I told every second of every weekend here? The memories created there will seep out as time goes on, and forever will be a part of who I am, continually making themselves known as I experience different things, and meet people in my life. Stories from this time in Europe will now lace my conversations, and hopefully some of the lessons I’ve learned will play a part in the decisions I make in the future. Each weekend is tearing back another layer of God’s character and revealing his deep and great love for us, and I will miss the rich experiences of this year, but will surely remember them with fondness. The most exciting thing in life, though, is not the times of the past, but rather the assurance that God has fascinating elements to add to our character in the future, and all He asks us to do is be confident in the perfect plan He has for each of us. This time abroad has shown to me the importance of living with abated breath, eyes peeled and ears perked to God’s mercies and wonders. How much more would we be in awe of His creation and great love for us if we lived a life in continual acknowledgement of His presence?

This next weekend will be spent with the Honeggers and Jakobs in Ruti; I feel like I’m headed home for the Easter holiday! I hope that you too enjoy the time spent celebrating the resurrection, and rejoicing that He is risen.

Until next time,
jo

we went to the kindergarden one day to watch their mother's day performance. It was beyond adorable.

They sang songs too...

Germany

After a long silence from this end, here's a post from my trip to Germany finally:

Southern Germany was a charming area, starkly what one thinks when the word ‘European’ is spoken: cobblestoned squares, medieval castles, outdoor dining, foreboding yet beautiful buildings, and a well-oiled train system.
Our first stop was in the town of Baden-Baden: direct translation, Bath-Bath. And that’s exactly what we came for. Robin, Laura, and I made our way through an Irish-Roman bathhouse from hot to cold pool, scrub-room to relaxation station, where they wrapped you in warm towels and let you nap for a while. There were several nice hotels and other spa facilities in the town, and a pedestrian area lined with restaurants and shops for the travelers. We expected a small place with only the spa there to justify a train stop there, but found ourselves pleasantly surprised. It sat on the banks of the Rhine with plenty of green space (because there’s much more room in Germany to spread out), and a nice city center.
The night was spent in Heidelberg, where Pepperdine also has a program. We walked around in the forest the next day, gazed down onto the Necker River, wandered the old town, and grabbed a bretzel and hot cocoa before heading back to Switzerland.
A relaxing trip, it was neat to see Germany, and appreciate the breathing room, and enjoy the company of my traveling mates!
My spring break was also quite relaxing, but the post is not ready yet. Thanks for being so patient with me! I will post pictures as soon as I can, and some of the stories will come later.

Cinque Terre, Italy

Equipped with a full CamelBak (backpack water reservoir system), 5 wonderful and enthusiastic hiking partners, and tightly knotted shoelaces, I embarked on the breathtaking and lovely 9 km hike from Riomaggiore to Monterosso on a trail that curved along the coastline. We trekked over rocks, into ravines, through olive and grape vineyards, and past many a cute and colorful seaside town. This path was ours alone for the day, as well as any of the main streets of the five towns we encountered; it was the peak of off season, and we were free to enjoy the Italian Rivera without any tourist crowds, lines, or congestion. The hike was a perfect activity to make this last weekend one of the most relaxing, memorable, and beautiful that I’ve spent here in Europe.
When we arrived on Friday evening in Riomaggiore, town one on the southern end of the five, Patricia, our landlord, led us to our apartment, tucked away in the typical and narrow Ligurian alleyways called carrugi. It was steps from the harbor, where we watched the sun sink into the sea both nights we were there.
And we did get our pesto! When we had sufficiently scoped out the town, we dropped into the Cinque Terre Coop grocery store and picked up pasta and locally made pesto to cook for ourselves in our kitchen. It’s been said that the Genovese grow their basil plants on their back porch, and pick a few leaves from it to make fresh pesto. I tell myself that the pesto we ate was made like that.
Just a petite summary from a fun weekend; feel free to check out my pictures!

Greece

Yassas! I have just recently returned from a trip to the lovely country of Greece. I didn’t know what to expect going there, but found mountainous terrain, and gorgeous islands. We stayed for four nights in Athens on this Educational Field Trip, and set out each day with our guide, Marimina Papastamou, to discover another part of history and another facet of this diverse and beautiful place. It’s great to finally set foot where Paul walked thousands of years ago, and where Socrates and Plato once shared their ideas with their followers.
Although the day we spent walking through the Acropolis and the Ancient Agora marveling at the ruins and imagining the Greeks holding the Panathenaic Games on the same stones upon which we were stood was memorable, I particularly enjoyed the three Greek Islands we visited (Poros, Hydra, and Aegina).
The day began early (but, come to think of it, all our days were quite full), and our group of 60 boarded the coach, and set off for Athens’ port, Piraeus. We boarded a boat, and began our one-day cruise; an experience that will be hard to ever match. The weather was temperate, cool enough to be wearing a light jacket, but warm enough to spend most of the time basking outside watching the coastline slip away into the fog. The entertainment on the boat was especially unique, as they knew full well that we were, indeed, a captive audience. (I will include a short clip of our onboard pianist …it really is too bad you couldn’t listen to his rendition of YMCA or Cha-Cha Slide) Nevertheless, once we realized the real enjoyment was in approaching these islands, letting the wind graze your face, and anticipating an island harbor town, we steered clear of the performer and his keyboard. The islands we visited were relatively small, and just as colorful as any postcard. Everything was painted white, ranging from the stairs that wind up the hillside to the walls with overgrown geraniums and cats sitting atop, and each of the homes. The doors are painted blues and greens, and all so seemingly welcoming, as if I could just knock, walk in, and have a cup of Grecian coffee (with grinds at the bottom of the cup that you shouldn’t drink) on the patio that looks over the ocean and catch the sonorous horns of the boats as they approach the docks.
The food we ate was fresh and wonderful; I especially liked the Greek salads of red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, capers, and fresh feta cheese. My friend Alyssa and I found a back alley sweet shop on the island Aegina and savored a piece of baklava drizzled with honey and simply divine.
I also summitted a mountain in the middle of Athens one day. I climbed a few staircases and walked on a trail that weaved through cactuses and prickly bushes to where a flapping Greek flag stood in front of a white marble church. 360 degrees of Athens lay at my disposal, and it was a whole different perspective to see the Acropolis and Olympic Stadium from above, a picture-perfect Athenian landscape. The Aegean Sea was at the horizon while the 60s-style buildings, principally ivory and white colored, filled in all the gaps between the outcroppings of rocks, mountains, and occasional ruin. I was able to stand atop the highest viewpoint in the great metropolis of Athens.
As I looked out on the Plaka, the Acropolis, and the ruins of the Temple of Zeus, I couldn’t help but wonder what life was like in the time of the Ancients. With such commanding edifices on hills of limestone towering above the people, with how much regard, respect, and awe did they place upon their gods? This makes me think about my own life: how do I lift my Lord up, set Him on high, so that all can’t help but see Him as I live from day to day?

A thought from a mountaintop in Greece…
{We visited other places, so you can see the pictures from there if you so desire. Enjoy the photo album; it’s a big one this week.}

I’m hopping on a train to Riomaggiore, Italy tomorrow to enjoy the Liguria region, and hike the trail between the Cinque Terra towns! Rick Steves will be proud of my weekend trip choice. Well, I guess its adio for now!

Unfortunately, I failed to purchase his cd. I may regret that choice years from now, but at this moment, I'm ecstatic that this is the only memory I have of him.

London, England

Cheers, ol’ chaps! I just returned from London, England this last weekend, and enjoyed myself very much. I’d have to say that the basis of my satisfaction with the trip, besides my wonderful traveling buddies, was the presence of the English language! I could understand 100% everything that was going on, I could ask questions immediately after wondering the answer, and I interacted with many a friendly Brit in my zig-zagging around the capital of England. I did get a kick out of some of the phrases used as I made my way through museums, overhearing conversations, and smiling at the idioms I heard. My favorites were “dust your mouths,” “look smart,” “please use the rubbish bin,” and of course, “mind the gap.” As a city, London was organized uniquely; it was as if separate neighborhoods each grew just enough to butt up next to each other, and then decided to be declared a single city with lots of different feels and personalities. Here there were not only world-class museums and lively plays, but spectacular buildings, built more recently than other edifices in Europe, evoking a time of the elegant past, and appropriate for the neat and tidy city I discovered upon my arrival. The streets and areas of town we walked were all kept clean, the neighborhoods were well-manicured, and the parks, vast and strewn with trails, were a wonderful refuge from the black taxicabs and red double-decker buses (that, interestingly enough, are not just tourist transporters; they are the form of public transportation).
Equipped with my Oyster card, I got to know the Underground system pretty well, and visited the British Museum, National Gallery, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, Buckingham Palace, and Platform 9¾ at King’s Cross Railroad Station. One day was also spent exploring the South Kensington neighborhood, Hyde Park, and Notting Hill (where there is a weekly market with produce, antiques, old books, and clothing, just to name a few things being sold there). We were able to get tickets to Wicked, the musical, a story of the witches of Oz, which was a definite highlight. Another highlight was on Sunday morning when we had the opportunity to attend church with my roommate from last year. It had been a long while since I had been a part of an English service, and it was a wonderful morning of worship and rejuvenation.
I can see why the Pepperdine kids who live in London don’t feel the need to scamper off somewhere every weekend: the city has a lot to offer. I’d definitely return to see more shows, then see them again, spend some more time on the Thames, get lost in a painting in any of the museums, and enjoy strolling around the parks there.
Cheerio! I’m prepping for Athens, Greece on Monday.

Winter Weekends

I arrived back in Lausanne on the 8th of January, and my first two weekends were spent in the mountains (a place I’d stay all the time if I could, but I’ve got to see other parts of the continent too, and return to my room that just looks onto the mountains..). I’ve enjoyed taking refuge there, deeply breathing in the fresh air, and then losing my breath when I take in the spectacular landscapes that surround me. I had the opportunity to travel to the Matterhorn (Switzerland’s celebrity mountain), and also the Jungfrau region again.
Zermatt and Iglu-Dorf
Weekend One was spent entirely outside, as some friends and I decided to spend the night in an igloo village. I naively accepted this invitation without a second thought, but found it quite a challenge to warm up the cold sleeping bag (a special expedition sub-zero sack they provided) with a chilled body. Nevertheless, the night was a blast; we arrived at the igloo village after wandering around Zermatt for a while (another car-less town, but a hustle-bustle tourist destination, unlike Murren or Gimmelwald). It was a clear, crisp day, and I spent every other second glancing at the Matterhorn behind us framed perfectly by blue skies and wonderfully gracing us with a beautiful backdrop for all the night’s activities. Two guides who worked for the ice hotel/igloo company were in charge of the schedule of events, which was packed full, and perfect for keeping our minds off the cold and to keep us warm. We enjoyed a fondue dinner in the dining area with wood tables and ice benches covered with sheep’s wool, and then after a dip in the hot tub, we set out on a starlit snowshoeing hike in the area. When we returned, the guide asked (as he’s supposed to) if anyone wanted to go on another hike. I, of course, replied with a quick and ecstatic yes, but found that I was a minority in the group. A friend decided to go once more too, and we headed out again, this time to deeper snow, and a more challenging and enjoyable route. Equipped with my headlamp, I was ready to hike all night, but stargazing was still on my must-do list before I turned in for the night, and the guide was tired, so our snowshoeing, although short-lived, was over, but fun.
The stars were the brightest I’d ever seen in my life. Not only were we away from every city light, but we were in a mountain basin, a natural planetarium, sitting in the middle of a perfect demi-sphere chalked full of stars. This description falls far short of the view, and a camera would never be able to capture it either, but, I’d say that after 6 shooting stars, two planet identifications, and several constellation discoveries, I was pretty satisfied. The only sad thing was that it was just too cold to sit still and marvel at the sky all night, and I knew that I needed to get to bed, lest I be ill-prepared for the coming first week of school.
The next day arrived with snow clouds in the distance, and we realized how fortunate we were to have stayed in the igloo on a clear night. The night we chose was perfect because there was no wind, and the Matterhorn and stars were strikingly visible. After being handed little plastic shovels and instructed that breakfast was at the base of a blue squared run, we laughed our way down the hill, getting sprayed in the face as we attempted to control these squirrely little contraptions. This sled ride certainly was a great way to start the day, like an unexpected snow bath. We did survive, although some of my friends did walk away a little beaten up. Following breakfast, we descended the mountain on the Gornergrat-Bahn, and returned to Lausanne, pleased to be back inside, enjoying the radiator and warm duvet covers that night.
(If you would like to stay in an igloo some time if you ever visit Switzerland, the website for Iglu-Dorf is http://www.iglu-dorf.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1; I'd recommend it for a unconventional, "I'd like something out of the ordinary" place to stay)
Interlaken
The activity last weekend was night sledding with a group of 16 people from our Lausanne program. We hopped on the train Friday afternoon all eager to return to the Alps, and see what this night sledding event was all about. People had been talking about it forever, and when we finally reached the top of a mountain called Neiderhorn opposite the Jungfrau range, looking down on Brienzersee and Thunersee, outfitted with sleds (and of course with my headlamp again), we knew that the night was going to be a memorable one. The run itself was well-kept, not as well-lit as one might imagine, and certainly not well-monitored (we were sledding on a ski run with the people in charge only around to take care of the gondola taking us up the hill). After about 5 minutes downhill, I got the hang of steering and braking, a technique only perfected with strong heels and quick reflexes, and then was able to practice my newly honed skills the rest of the way down (total run time: 15 minutes). We had enough time to take one more run, since the gondola only came once every half an hour, but the second time was just as good, if not better, since we knew the trail, and had favorite sections that zipped through thick forests and curved around dim lanterns.

As for pictures, I've got a couple from the igloo, and some from last Friday, but, who goes sledding or snowshoeing with a camera besides my sister? (the bitter cold does a great job convincing you not to take off your gloves to take a picture too...not to mention dead and cold batteries..) Anyway, my photo album still is accessible with the link in the right-hand column on this page.
Well, that’s all for now, I’m on my way to London Thursday, so I’m anticipating a good musical, among other things, but you'll just have to wait for next week's post!

SAFE AND SOUND IN SWITZERLAND

Hello All! I'm happy to report I have returned from my voyages and excursions through France in December, and Switzerland in early January.


Wow. There are many stories, but I have chosen to record just one from each location here on this page. The rest will just have to wait until we meet again, and something reminds me of the time I was in France my sophomore year of college..


St-Remy-de-Provence, France
Two kilometers from a quiet town of 10,000 located 45 minutes south of Avignon four girlfriends met me to live in a small four-room flat for a week. Although it was the off-season, and we had St-Remy to ourselves, the grapevine adorned walls and curving cobblestoned streets still charmed us. My favorite memory from this area was a hike Jillian and I took in the Alpilles. The sky above us was a perfect combination of periwinkle and lavender-tinted clouds and deep blue, a wonderful backdrop to our activity. The mistral wind did, however, pick up, and chilled us a bit on our way back. I enjoyed cooking during this week, and even used some of the rosemary growing on our back porch! Someday I hope to return to Provence on a bike and see the blooming lavender fields as well as soak in the repose that the area just emanates.



Avignon, France
Three girls left and Jillian and I set out on the rest of our tour of France. Our first stop was Avignon, where we both had our first French crepes. Nutella is by far my favorite filling. This city was dolled up for Christmas with lights all over (the best display of any city in our travels), and lots of Christmas shoppers scurrying everywhere. I enjoyed walking to the Palace of the Popes in the snow. It was the first and last snowfall of the entire trip. Living in Southern California sure makes me miss the exciting things about wintertime: the frequent snowfalls, the big fluffy snowflakes, and the sound of newly fallen snow underfoot.

Grenoble, France "Heart of the French Alps"
First of all, I disagree with the nickname of this city, a 500,000-person strong metropolis not exactly nestled in the Alps. If one were to use Grenoble as a starting point to enter the Alps, and find a chalet in the Chamonix valley, or even the little village of La Clusaz (where we visited in the end of December), then maybe it could be called "The Gateway to the French Alps" or something. Jillian and I arrived here, and after finding our hostel in a neighboring suburb (or which we discovered later, a marginal part of town..), we were pleased to find that our roommates were two American girls who had been studying in Sevilla, Spain for the semester and traveling just like we were. How fun it was to meet some new people, and have a variation in conversation and input and what we called "new blood" in our travels. They were a blast, and we all took off in egg-shaped pods up to an old military fortress one morning to look over the city and check out the Alps in the distance.
Colmar, France: A town tucked in Alsace, a German-influenced region
This place was cute with its half-timbered homes, Christmas tree-lined lanes, and flowing shallow canals. As we strolled around town, we smiled at the Christmas music sung in English playing over the loudspeakers, and smelled mulled wine and cooking waffles. It was the coldest here; the thermometer was stuck at -5 degrees Celsius, a bit chilly for meandering.

Paris!
This was our final destination as a traveling duo, and our first night was memorable, but not in the most "European" way: We arrived at the rented apartment in the 4th Arrondissement, Luxembourg stop on the RER B line, mounted the stairs, and sat down to enjoy a Pizza Hut Supreme pizza, marveled at the lit Eiffel Tower from our window, and listened to Celine Dion serenade us. After traipsing around the country, it was great to be in a spot which I had so anticipated and dreamed about.
A special memory from Paris, aside from the sidewalk reunion with my family on the 21st, was on the walk back from the Notre Dame on Christmas Eve. We all walked with linked arms and belted Christmas songs, just like we would do on any other Christmas Eve night. The only thing that was missing was the lighted candles at the end for Silent Night. It was a time that will remain in my memory for years to come: we realized that it didn't matter where we were for the holiday, but the fact that cherishing each others' company, and all back together celebrating God's infinite love for us in his son Jesus.


Normandy Day Trip
Although a distant drive away, we managed to get a glimpse of the beaches at Normandy during our time in France also. The beaches were gorgeous and the American Memorial Cemetery on the bluff above Omaha Beach was sobering, but important to see to better understand the sacrifice that those soldiers gave to ensure freedom in our lives today. The memorial at the entrance to the cemetery read this: "To these we owe the high resolve that the cause for which they died shall live." I would recommend that Normandy be done in three days or so, in order to see all the beaches, effectively soak in the meaning behind the attack that happened there, and to embrace the beauty of the area also.


La Clusaz, France: Ski Resort and Town a mountain range over from Chamonix
Christmas Day was spent on the train to La Clusaz, a town in the Haute Savoie region, where we were welcomed in a Bed & Breakfast (& Dinner) Chalet called L'Alpage with a five-course meal(complete with a local cheese plate and creme brulee for dessert). The next day was our opportunity to rip up the slopes, and although it was an intermediate mountain and we had difficulty finding challengin runs, my only 2007-2008 season ski day was satisfactory. I found it invigorating to make my way up a button lift to the summit of a jagged peak, from which I could peer down into an adjacent valley, or look over and see Mont Blanc in the distance. I enjoyed skiing all the way into the village past chalets and barns, and also wondering how many kilometers I skied, as the runs were really long and covered lots of ground.

Return to Lausanne
I showed the fam around my temporary hometown and introduced them to some important people in my life here. We had lunch with our faculty family, Mike, Carolyn and their two boys Jack and Michael. I especially liked taking my family to church at the Church of Christ in Lausanne, where my friends and I try to attend as often as possible, and have been able to get to know the pastor and his family with weekly dinners at their home. The city visit included a tour of my favorite spots when I'm in town like the Manora Restaurant, the Place de Milan (affectionately known as the Volcano Park, where I like to run), and a couple of places that we were led to in our first days here like the Cathedral and the waterfront. Brett decided to take a little dip in Lac Leman (Lake Geneva), and determined that it was too cold to swim still. (He slipped in and had to change before his clothes froze..oops!)


Ruti, a visit with the Jakobs and Honeggers
To complete the trip, we spent the last week in Ruti. After an enjoyable and fun-filled New Year's celebration, we visited Lucerne, and also saw an IMAX movie about the Alps, perfectly appropriate. The fourth of January served as my pre-birthday celebration, so we ice-skated, made dinner for 11, and just enjoyed each others' company. The fam left the 5th, I stuck around recovering from a little flu bug until the 8th, and then I took the train back to my place in Lausanne.


What a lineup of trips! I congratulate you if you're still reading at this point, thanks for being interested in my excursions. Be prepared for a new semester with a bigger proportion of traveling than studying, but that's just how it goes...