Ballenberg - Swiss Open-Air Museum

Today we ventured into middle Switzerland to visit Ballenberg (also see Ballenberg in Wiki). For Indianapolis Hoosiers it's similar to Conner Prairie. We wandered around villages that were recreated from originals structures that have been moved from 13 specific regions of Switzerland. This museum allows you to see inside the structures, learn more about Swiss domesticated animals (chickens, cows (video), rabbits, and pigs) and understand Swiss crafts and trades (wood carving, cheese making, basket weaving, and chocolate making). There were school houses, chapels, barns, houses, small animal structures and alike - the vast roof structures on them varied from thatched, tiled, slated and shingled. The setting was absolutely stunning in the middle of a valley with gushing waterfalls and beautiful mountain scenery. It was a great way to learn more about Switzerland. See our pictures here!

Paris France

More visitors! Robert’s Dad and Step mom visited us in June. While they were visiting the Normandy area of France, we decided to take in the sights of Paris. After driving there from Basel, we took a quick boat tour to see some of the sites along the river (Musee d’Orsay, Musee du Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Pont Alexander III, Pont Neuf, the Grand Palace, and others). Afterwards, we sat down for dinner at a restaurant just across from the Eiffel Tower. We started the next day with a walking tour that included (Musee du Louvre, Napoleons Tomb, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, other places, and a nice lunch was also included) A young man from Texas was our tour guide and he managed to only lose one couple which is pretty good for Paris! Next up was a visit to the Pantheon. Wow! That’s a great building that has the first ever pendulum and also a crypt where many famous people have been laid to rest. After the Pantheon, we went for a walk in the Luxembourg Gardens. It’s a nice city park with fountains, trees, flowers, and of course lots of people relaxing in the sun. After dinner, we strolled up and down the Champs Elysees (a must see in Paris). The last day included a canal boat tour that took us off the beaten path and though many locks before ending up in Parc de la Villette. After riding the subway back to town, we made one last stop to see the inside of Notre Dame and then finally a drive around the Arc de Triomphe before heading home to Basel. It was a nice weekend, but definitely too short. See our pictures from Paris here.

Potpourri - Switzerland & France

Today we visited two places that are close-by but very different. First, the Goetheanum. This collection of buildings in Dornach is VERY unusual especially when you consider they were designed and built between 1914 and 1928. We wandered around the grounds and were able to walk around inside the main building and even view the main auditorium. To understand exactly why the buildings were erected in the first place you will need to read a little more about Rudolf Steiner and the Anthroposophical Society. Afterwards we ventured out into the French countryside to visit Petite Camargue Alsatian, the largest nature preserve in the Alsace region. They have a lovely canal, marked paths, designated look-out areas and terrific wildlife. We were able to spot a couple of ducks, a lizard and at least 10 different varieties of dragonflies (wildlife does not always appear on queue, unfortunately). Nevertheless, we had a great time looking for the elusive creatures and enjoying the beautiful weather. Pictures of the Goetheanum are here, and pictures from the nature preserve are here.

Warsaw, Poland

Every two years Nancy's department at work gets everyone together from all corners of the globe for a week-long meeting. This year it was held in Warsaw. There were lots of meetings, speakers, dinners and team building, but the last evening out we were treated to a bus tour of Warsaw to learn a little bit about the sites and history of the city. Warsaw's population is 2 million and is considered the largest polish city - interestly, Chicago is the next largest polish city with 1.6 million Poles. It was home to two very famous people: Frederic Chopin and Madam Curie. Warsaw was 85% destroyed during WWII and much of it is now built up in three different styles: social realism, modernism and neo-gothic. You can easily point out which buildings were built under communist rule, which were 'recreated' from former times and which ones are new - 25% of the city is green space and parks. The main square downtown is the only reconstructed area in the world designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Poland also boasts the second oldest constitution signed May 3, 1791 (the U.S. has the oldest constitution). We were able to visit several WWII monuments and the former location of the Warsaw ghetto (which is now a park). They also talked to us about Esperanto - a constructed language. It was a great pleasure to visit such an interesting city - many people suggested that Krakow is even better and worth a visit. I almost forgot the two most traditional things from Poland: pierogi and grass vodka! See the pictures here.

Traditional Swiss

Every year, the town of Frick Switzerland has a three day festival where people gather to compete in Yodeling and Alphorn contests. Since it’s only about twenty minutes to drive there from Basel, we decided to go and see it for ourselves. There were lots of vendors selling their goods in roadside booths, any kind of food you wanted, and of course, plenty of beer for everyone. I’m sure the entire town was attending and thousands of visitors from around the area as well. After walking around for a while, we went to a school house where the Yodeling competition was going on (see video). Next, we went outside to catch the end of the Alphorn competition (see video). All performances were good, and we were glad we made the trip. This is a must do if you’re in Switzerland. See the rest of the pictures here.

Venice Italy

Venice! What can you say? It's a must see in Europe. The first day started with a water taxi ride followed by a visit to Piazza San Marco and a nice lunch just a few blocks away. In the afternoon, we went on an organized walking tour that included the Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, an apartment where Mozart stayed, the Bridge of Sighs, the Accademia Bridge, narrow passage ways, and a look at Ventian architecture and Piazzas. The best part was a Gondola ride that included small quite passage ways through Venice, and also a short ride in the Grand Canal. (watch it here) We ended the day with a nice dinner near the water. The second day included more walking through the city streets, Basilica di Santa Maria della Salute , a Gondola workshop, a Regatta in the Grand Canal, the Rialto Bridge, the Rialto market, shopping, and a wonderful dinner on the Canal. See our pictures of Venice here.

Corfu Greece

We affectionately called our tour guide ‘Stinky’ and we were thankful it wasn’t a hot day. Our tour started at the Palace of Achilleion built by queen of the Austrian empire, Sissi, and was taken over by Kaiser Wilhelm II in the early 1900s. It served as a hospital to the French and German armies during both world wars. It has two incredible Achillies statutes: one is Achillies as a great warrior and the other is the dying Achillies – both are terrific. A visit to a local monastery showed us an example of a much larger Greek Orthodox Church and had beautiful flowers everywhere along with cute stray kitties. We took a ride to the top of a hill overlooking a lagoon, had lunch, and then drove across the small island to take in its incredible beauty. A sudden rain storm dampened our trip to the main square, but we had a great time anyway. See great pictures of Corfu here.

Olympia Greece

One of our favorite stops was our trip to Olympia. We went directly to the site where the ancient Olympic games were held for over 1000 years. (video) The ruins include another one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Temple of Zeus. The tour provided a lot of great information about the site and it was awe-inspiring to actually be there. The modern games were started again in 1896 and this is where the Olympic flame is lit for the summer and winter games. We visited two very small museums that explained more about the ruins and iconography and had our lunch on top of a mountain with a great view of the area. See our pictures here.

Athens Greece

Athens is a beautiful old city of 4 million people. First we took a bus to Cape Sounion where we saw the Temple of Poseidon, an ancient monument to the God of the Sea which is at the southern most tip of Athens. (video) The drive back to the city along the coast allowed us to see many of the modern venues for the recent Olympics. The Acropolis (meaning high city) looms over the city and contains six structures: the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena (Nike), the Erechtheum, the Theater of Dionysus, and the Theater of Herodes Atticus. We learned a lot about Greek mythology as depicted in the icons on the ruins. You can see the entire city from the top and it is sprawling! After the best lunch of the tour, we went to the oldest shopping area of the city called Plaka, and saw the market were Socrates preached and where the runner from Marathon (which is a city 26 miles from Athens) collapse and die after telling of the Greek victory. A quick bus tour of the city showed us the Greek equivalent of the White House and the changing of the guard ceremony. See the pictures from Athens here.

Mykonos Greece

Mykonos is a charming Greek island famous for it’s nightlife and curious windmills. We strolled thru the super narrow streets, enjoyed the scenery, weather and beer. (video) We also spent some time on the ship since we needed to save up some energy for the days to come. See our pictures of Mykonos here.

Ephesus Turkey

Our only port in Turkey proved to be quite interesting. We first learned that the Virgin Mary and St. John lived (and died) near Ephesus after Christ was crucified. They have determined where they both lived and have reconstructed the house of Mary on the original foundation (3 Popes have actually visited this site!). Ephesus is also home to one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: the temple of Artimus (of which only one column still exists). The ruins of Ephesus are still being excavated, but they have determined that the Romans actually named this city the Eastern (Asian) capital of the Roman Empire and it was home to more than 400,000 people in 100 AD. After visiting the ruins we went to a train museum for a Turkish lunch and were entertained by youth performing a traditional dance (see video). Our last stop was a Persian rug demonstration which was a real treat. They also shared with us the different types of rugs: wool, cotton, and silk. They were all very beautiful and if we could have found a bank to rob prior to departure we would have bought one – they were really amazing. A very quick stroll thru the Turkish bizarre gave us a good idea of how it works: all the shop keepers stand outside their shops and ask you to step inside – everyone sort of runs down the street saying ‘no thank you, no thank you…’ to each and every one of them. Our last stop was an ancient caravan hotel that has recently been converted – it was surrounded by a wall and had a huge courtyard to house the camels. See pictures of Ephesus here, and the port town of Kusadasi here.

Santorini Greece

Santorini is one of over 2000 Greek islands (only 160 of them are populated). It boasts the traditional blue and white buildings that Greece is known for. We started our tour learning about the main exports of the island: pistachios, wine and olive oil. We strolled thru the town of Oia and discovered many terrific views and shops along with cute stray animals (cats and dogs) at every turn. Our tour guide explained the traditional Greek Orthodox Church buildings and icons which were present in all five Greek cities we visited. A visit to a black, pumice sandy beach showed us how fine and nice the sand was (it would have been terrific if it wasn’t raining, oh well). Next we had a terrific lunch with lots of traditional Greek dishes and, of course, baklava. Afterwards we visited a wine museum where they demonstrated how they made wine and we were able to try a nice red wine, white wine and dessert wine (which was our favorite). The weather wasn’t really cooperating with us on one of Greece’s most beautiful islands, but we made the most of it and enjoyed our time there – and our cruise ship stayed afloat! See our pictures from Santorini here.

Pompeii Italy

Our best tour guide of the trip was in Pompeii. We started the day in the port of Naples and they took us to see a tradition of the area: making cameos. These works of art feature the contrast of white on color and is carved out of one piece of shell! Next, up to Mount Vesuvius where the skills of our driver, Pepe, were often applauded on the incredibly narrow roads leading up to the mountain. We were able to walk up to the rim of the volcano and look down into the mouth where you can still see wisps of smoke rising from cracks in the wall. It also allowed a fantastic view of Naples and the port below. A quick pizza lunch and we were off to the ruins of Pompelli – an unbelievably well preserved city that is a must see! See our pictures of Naples, Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii.