Back to the real world

8 months already...........what have I done..............

Joel, Mandz, me and Daniela on the way to Lauterbrunnen

Not spent more than 5 nights in one place and routinely gone through 4 countries in one day, most of the time remembering to order coffee in the correct language


Made some of the most amazing friends I could imagine

6 weeks of training trip - some of the best and worst days of my life

Wachau Valley grape grazing

5 North Loops (Paris - Amsterdam - Berlin - Prague - Vienna - Munich) - highlights including Jo making me goulash in berlin, prague pub crawl, vienna grape grazing, taking 21 pax to the amsterdam sex show, the look on someones face the first time they see the Eiffel Tower

6 West Loops and 6 amazing pinxtos crawls (Paris - Lauterbrunnen - Nice - Barcelona - Madrid - San Sebastian)

9 South Loops and too many disgraceful nights at the Red Garter (Munich - Venice - Rome - Florence - Nice - Lauterbrunnen)

Ronda, Spain

1 Iberian Adventure (Madrid - Seville - Lagos - Tarifa - Granada) and the discovery that YES, I can act like a 22 year old again

Italian Autogrills - quite gourmet!

4 serious crushes

A serious amount of 1 litre steins and pork knuckles

1,525,397 Autogrills




2 hours of ridiculousness by the Italian police resutling in me having to scrape together 2000 euros in cash (including borrowing from passengers) or all of us spending the night at the police station...........

normal life is going to seem so boring!!!

B is for Barcelona

View from Gaudi's Parc Guell

Gaudi's Parc Guell

Gaudi's Parc Guell

2 days off in Spain, where it is still sunny and 28 degrees whilst snow has started in northern Europe? Sure!

Gaudi's Parc Guell

1^st day I’m up early for Spain time (where you stay up all night, get up about 10am and then siesta in the afternoon) and head up to Gaudi’s Parc Guell. Not sure what to expect, I am super impressed – an amazing view over the whole city down to the sparkling water, taking in the Sagrada Familia and Mont Juic. The park itself is beautiful, look outs, palm trees, playgrounds, cafes, benches and random quirky buildings and mosaics – many designed by Mr Gaudi himself. People are everywhere socialising, enjoying the sun and exploring. Next time I am taking a picnic and a few more hours!

Then an afternoon at the beach………..so beautiful. There is nothing quite like laying on the sand, feeling the sun on my skin and listening to the waves crash in, it makes me feel so happy and peaceful. Every 10 seconds a different person walks past saying “cerveza, beer, cold beer, cola, fanta” or “mojito, fresh mojito, very good mojito” or “massage, massaje” – even “you smoke weed, hashish”………something for everyone

Flamenco

Meet some passengers for a tapas and flamenco evening. Flamenco is AMAZING. The rhythms, feet stomping, movement, singing and dancing with so much passion…………then we feast on Iberian ham, cheese, olives, patatas bravas (chunks of lightly fried potato with a spicy tomato mayonnaise), grilled capsicums, mushrooms and calamari – all washed down with jugs of sangria - of course

Day 2 and back at the beach for another afternoon of bliss. Best gelati yet on the walk back to the metro – violet, coffee with sugared almonds and crema catalana – other flavours include mojito, rose & raspberry, apple crumble………..delicious

Barcelona Catedral

Barcelona Catedral – an impressive church with a special little garden in the middle – palm trees, a pond, fountain and even geese – a beautiful oasis where I am drawn to the chapel of Santa Anna after a dream I had the night before

View from Mont Juic

A quick trip up to Mont Juic to find that a whole afternoon is needed to explore the beautiful gardens, castle and views over the city – and the Magic Fountain with its apparently spectacular light show stops running at the end of September. So these are on the list for next time……………….

You continue to charm me Barcelona - I think I may be falling in love

Two days in paradise

Two weeks ago it was 9 degrees and promising snow in Lauterbrunnen, Swiss Alps and now it is a brilliantly sunny 23 degrees.  After a much needed 12 hours sleep (I always sleep so well here, must be the pure mountain air) I head down to Stechelberg at the end of the valley with my local friend to take an easy 1 hour walk to a tiny little village, Trachsellauenen. Well she said it was easy……..flat in fact. It’s ALL uphill!!!

Trachsellauenen - cows coming down for the winter

We make it and rewards await – plates of cheese disguised as dishes - raclette and kaseschnitte – delicious. Then a procession of cows coming down the mountain – a once yearly event when they are brought back from the summer fields down to the sheds for winter, they parade past with floral headdresses – cows and owners alike!

I am invited back to my friends parents’ house for dinner and we laugh all night, even though my German and Swiss German are quite different, we manage to understand and they feed me delicious homemade schnapps – the bottle is engraved with the word “gift” – because it is so nice I ask? No – “gift” in Swiss German means poison!!

All kitted up to paraglide

I'm next!

Next day I have booked in to go paragliding. WHY?! I am up early and waiting in the chilly morning air at 8am and we are picked up and taken to Interlaken, then driven up to the dizzying heights of Beatenberg for take-off.  We pick a pilot – mine tells me it is his first week – NOT funny I say!! It is his eleventh year.

Coming in to land..........view over Interlaken

They spread out the chutes and strap us in and then we have to run down a very steep hill and then wooooshhhhhh – we are going up up up and £&(*£&%)*&”£)%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I squeeze my eyes shut tight and then can’t bear to open them……..I take a few photos and open my eyes halfway and OH MY GOD IT’S A LONG WAY DOWN. Shut them again and say ok is it time to go down now……………next thing we are landing – I have done it!!!! Next year I will try again and open my eyes………….

Brienzersee - yes really that blue

The afternoon is spent safely on the water, cruising on the Brienzersee from Interlaken to Brienz and back. It is SO beautiful out on the eerily blue and still water, with the green and sometimes snow capped mountains soaring on either side and sun beaming down. We work on our tans and have lunch in Brienz at a gorgeous little restaurant overlooking the lake and mountains. By the end of the day I can’t stop smiling J