Palais des Nations

Guten Morgen! -says castle. What the -says I.

This last week in Mittelhäusern was quite a long one. The boys were still in vacation so every minute I was pretty much with them. For the fourth time we poured mentos into diet coke and made a mini geyser. Benny thought that was pretty cool. I basically studied german allll week long and had another dream in it. What gives!!? I'm still no where near to being fluent! But I'm now able to pick out words in sentences and understand some of the phone calls I listen in to on the train :)

Geneve. Such a shame there was so much construction going on everywhere. 

This weekend I went to Basel Friday night and spent it with my totally awesome Colombian friend, Ana. I stayed the night at her house (well host family's house, she's an Au Pair too) and woke up to a freaking castle out the window! Oh Switzerland. When I met Ana's host mom she was saying something to her children and I felt like the worst person in the world because guess why. I didn't understand ONE word. Nothing! Good thing I found out later that she was speaking an entirely different language. Czechoslovakian.

The next day I went to Genèva and Ana made the kind of decision that you can only make in the moment at 7:30 am and came with me. We arrived in Genève by 12 and then met her best friend's from Columbia brother. He is working on some other degree and does something crazy smart and complicated with physics.

We walked around for a little bit, sight saw and hunted for chocolate filled croissants. The lake was nice and the geyser in the middle was pretty cool. Reminded me of a man made yellowstone. Then we made our way to the Palais des Nations! Or the United Nations. Both Ana and I want to work there (or for me work with something related) so it was really interesting. Ana speaks Spanish, Italian, German, English, and French. Go her! She is aspiring to be a translator for the conferences at the UN.

Wandering around Geneve...

After that we went hunting for some good ol, classic swiss fondue. Still not a fan. But the restaurant had a nice ambiance as if you were in a Swiss chalet in the mountains and the company was great. I came home that night quite satisfied! (And tired.)

Ana and the Fondue

Love all this outdoor seating! 

And this would be Geneve's 'Lake Leman' with Old Faithful erupting in the back ground.

Pretty much how pick pocketing in Switzerland would go.

Human Rights and Alliance of Civilizations Room at the UN. This ceiling was Cra-a-azy. It was done by a Spanish artist Miquel Barcelo. From the UN's website it says, "The new dome consists of many layers of paint of different colours, composed pigments from across the globe and sprayed onto the ceiling to generate stalactites."

Globe donated to the League of Nations by Woodrow Wilson in the 30's. It once was gilded in gold as well as spun around in alliance with the North Star. Mt. Blanc looms in the background!

Original buildings dedicated for the League of Nations (post WWI)

Don't remember exactly what this room was called but it is where peace discussions take place. In the right corner there are some doors. On the exact other side there are the same doors. This is because during the Cold War the USA and Soviet Union leaders refused to enter through the same door. Cold!! 

Made it.

Ana looking all Posh in the rain.

Interesting work of art dedicated to the UN by Czechoslovakia. The US's piece was lame! It was like a boat... ugly.. water.. and that was it.

Easter in Italy

Ok, so prepare yourself. Picture overload coming right up! For Easter I went to the Cinque Terre and Portovenere, Italy (northern along the Italian Riviera.) Italy is beautiful country with beautiful people. Everyone was extremely friendly there. Our first day we arrived around 3 pm and just explored the main town of La Spezia...

Our bed and breakfast in the hills of the medieval village of castè

Dark alley way in La Spezia... Oooh... (this is for my overly scared mom.)

Our second day we decided to walk into Riomaggiorie... which turned out to be more like a pretty intense hike. It took us 3 hours to finally make our way to the coast after not getting lost! But wandering around for a little bit. After Natasha said a couple of prayers we were joined by a little dog that we named Brutus (God sent?) who we decided to for some reason follow. Smart idea because he knew where he was going.

I spy with my little eye!!! (Hint: it's the Roman ruin arch/bridge)

Hiking from medieval village to another.

Italy's idea of a hiking trail map.

Where Brutus left us: view of Manoral (Cinque Terre)

From here we went into Riomaggiore and enjoyed some sun, coast, and people watching. Enjoy :)

Little do they know... that they're being watched too!

Crazies/hard cores. That water was freezing!

The two lovers...

Italians..

Not italians...

I think he's happy to be here.

After our little nap, we decided to do the most famous walk of the Cinque Terre called "Via dell'Amore."  It takes you along the coast from Riommagiore to Manarola.

Via dell'Amore

Via dell'Amore. It really was quite spectacular. 

Day #3. We took a train up to the furthest north village of Monterosso. Saw that, and then saw Vernazza. Vernazza was the most hard hit of the villages last October by a flood. It literally looked like a war zone.

Monterosso

This was for Easter. I believe it's Jesus's path. 

Thank goodness for happy colors amidst the gray gray skies!

Atlas lives.

After 4 only ok pizzas I decided to stray and get this Ligurian Classic. I was tastin that pesto for a whilllle.

Really creepy church. This belonged to the association of the dead? It said "mortis et orationis confraternitas" on the outside and all the decorations had skulls in them.

Classic Ligurian architecture.

Inside of a catholic church.

Somewhere in the Cinque Terre...

Vernazza

Poor Vernazza

Our last day there we woke up to craaazy rain. Little did we know that this would turn out to be the most beautiful day. We decided to leave the Cinque Terre and take a bus from La Spezia to Portovenere. If ever you get the chance to go to Italy, Portovenere is honestly worth seeing.

Portovenere

Happy to be here! (Real laughs came after the fake laugh to try and make them laugh for the photo. I think it was a success!!)

The Daily Grind

The Shire

And so goes life. I've been spending a lot of time in Rüschegg (aka the Shire) with some friends lately. The American family left today back to the US for a month... Hopefully they bring me back some decent gum. None of this chiqulett crap!

Anyway, I now think that I have appropriated a good amount of mistakes to let them be known to the world. While attempting to speak german, I've said that I was 35, asked someone not where they lived (intended question) but who they love, and more mumble jumbles that have insinuated more "ehhhhs?" Than I care to remember. HOWEVER thank gosh that the one time I was checked on the bus for a ticket (I didn't know my after 7 passed worked only on the train) I managed to communicate out "I've just moved here" (only it probably sounded more like "I just movenhalosk here"), "this doesn't work?" and "I don't have my passport with me." Thank gosh he was a nice old man and after 5 minutes of discussion (ish) he said, "ok this works," Pointing to my other pass which had expired 2 hours earlier. Danke schön for letting me off of a 100 CHF ticket!

Poor guy... he must have never gotten the vacination

More mistakes, well more like now I feel really stupids. When I first came everyone was on these weird crutch things that strapped to their arms. Did Switzerland not get the polio vaccine? (My initial thoughts.) Alas no... These are Europe's form of crutches and it was just after ski season... The last mistake involves shower gel and a very bashful me hoping that what I was buying really indeed was, shower gel. (French for shower is Douche.)

With the language I'm doing ok although you know how people say that once you begin dreaming in the language you know you're fluent? Not true. I dreamt in German last night and when I got stumped somewhere around 4 am, my brain woke me up! And just saying, I'm nowhere near to being even amateur with the language. Here are just some random pictures that make up the daily grind!

BEST CHOCOLATE BUNNY EVER. Holy. My host family gave this to me for Easter!  

Random poster that is everywhere. I have no idea what it is actually for.

What a vending machine looks like in Switzerland! 

Cannabis iced tea?? Interesting...

There were so many gnomes decorating this house that my camera couldn't quite catch them all.

Normal house. Not cabin. House..

The mistakes I know won't stop.. seeing as today I was trying to get on a different bus and the doors closed. On me. Let's see what happens in Italy!! Which is where I am off to tomorrow!

Probably the same bus that attacked me.