Sledding down the side of a mountain... Who could have predicted I wouldn't be good at this?!?!

Hello again everyone! Maybe I am finally warming up to this whole blogging 'thing,' because you are all being treated to another post from yours truly. I know, you're just so very excited. So I won't keep you in suspense. The latest adventure involved SLEDGING. Yes, I proofread. The Swiss do not sled like the rest of us... they sledge.

This is something CJ had really been wanting to do for a while. Me? Not so much. When I read about sledging, the words that stood out in my mind were "huge mountain," "icy slopes," and of course, "helmet." Not really words that inspire confidence. Also, if you know me, you know I am definitely not experienced on the slopes, that I am afraid of heights, and that I generally do not like winter or it's activities. However, not to disparage an activity without ever having tried it, I decided I could make excuses no longer. It didn't help that we had friends that also wanted to go. Three against one.

I grew up sledding down this hill (notice the use of the term "hill"):

*Mill Creek Park*

Saturday we went sledding down this mountain:

*View from the top of Mt. Rigi*

And yes, you sled from the top!

A few very scientific facts to help you get a better picture of the activity...

1. Rigi is super high (5,895 feet to be exact).
2. The only thing separating us sledders from certain death (i.e. sledding off the side of the mountain) is some plastic, orange fencing (as seen in certain pictures).
   
3. My ability to stop or steer could be equated with that of Clark Griswold in Christmas Vacation (aka I couldn't stop OR steer).

There were three sled runs from the top of Rigi Kulm. You take a train to the top, and sled down. Below are some shots from the top before we started sledding:



Taking off down the slope:

The first two runs went smoothly enough...

*Here I am almost running into a snow bank*

*Here is CJ not fairing so well at the same bend*

It was NOT easy to stay on these sleds, and as CJ found out, sometimes it felt like they had a mind of their own!

Here you can see CJ at the top... but, in the next one you can (maybe) see his sled WAYYYYY at the bottom. Off the trail, of course...

~

After a few (death defying) runs, I decided that I was done sledding... But, I was convinced to give it one last try... on the back of CJ's sled. Since he was MUCH better at controlling his sled, I figured I would be safe going down the mountain with him. I was wrong.

Here we are right beforehand:

And now riding off into the figurative sunset:

*Awwww*

However, that scene did not last long at all. But, this one happened again and again:

This was surely my last sled run for the day, as it ended with me getting a sprained ankle! Thankfully, I had CJ to carry me home from the train station (over his shoulder no less... I think people thought I was being abducted)! What a prince. :)

When it is my turn to choose the day trip I am thinking Baden thermal baths sound a little better than sledding... hopefully I can't get hurt doing that!!

Lugano... and I'm ready to move there!

Lugano, Switzerland. It is a picturesque town in the Ticino region, very close to Italy and Lake Como. Sadly, George Clooney was nowhere in sight. I will need to perfect my stalking skills before planning a return visit. But now I am getting off topic...

Lugano was definitely my favorite day trip we have taken. And definitely my favorite city in Switzerland that I have seen so far!! Honestly, pictures like this, don't even do it justice:

It merged the beauty of Italy, with its Mediterranean feel, with the cleanliness and efficiency of Switzerland. Truly a winning combination. Not to mention the weather. Saturday we left Zurich just in time. It started snowing here early... and as we rode the train we received updates about the bad weather and the public transportation delays. It was absolutely the right day to escape south. By the time the train arrived in Lugano, the sun was shining and we were greeted with temperatures in the mid-40s. On a side note, it is sad that I can consider this warm..

Did I mention the palm trees?

Love, love, love.

Once we arrived, we headed almost immediately down toward the lake. There are staples to be found in most Swiss cities, and you can pretty much count on any town having a crystal clear lake and mountains nearby. Here is a picture of us near the lake (hmmmm, are those mountains in the background? Why yes, they are.):

We went on this trip with a couple friends, Mike and Karolyn (you have probably noticed them in some of our other pictures), and after walking for a little while, the consensus was to grab lunch. CJ found a restaurant that guaranteed us to be the only non-locals. We couldn't pass that up! We ordered some great Italian food and some really great Italian wine... and yes, we were the only Americans, and no, our waiter did not speak English. Good thing Merlot is a universal word. :)

Here we all our cheers-ing to Lugano!

So, I'm sure you are wondering, why are the boys drinking out of bowls? Yeah, we were too. Well, my only explanation for you is that that is how the waiter poured the wine. Also, I have never seen this before... anywhere... in all of Europe. When he came to the other side of the table, I directed him to pour into my actual wine glass.

And even though I think we all would have been content to sit there eating and drinking much longer, it was time to climb a mountain. Mt. Bre to be exact. We went to the very top of the mountain in the middle of the picture below:

If you are a frequent reader of the blog, you know of my fondness for climbing mountains. And I was not in luck, because the cogwheel was closed for repairs. We were able to take a bus close to the top, and then hoofed it. Here is a picture I took of CJ on the stairs... mostly using it as an excuse to rest for a second:

(So add about 1,000 more stairs to this, and you're at the top...)

Even I must admit though, it was an extremely pretty view! And I had no complaints about the walk down.

After returning to sea level, we decided we needed to make the most of such a stunning day. And that can mean only one thing...

Here we are in a cheesy pose with our wine and cigars!

And again! We sat there a while... because none of us wanted such a fun and relaxing day to end.

To check out all the pictures, just click HERE!

Finally it was dark, and time to head home. We kept pushing back our departure, but our train passes were only good until midnight, so we needed to get home (it takes almost 3 hrs.). The great thing about Switzerland is that we were able to relax the entire way back to Zurich thanks to the great train system! Anyways, another awesome day on the books. Until next time...

Random Ramblings...

Hello again friends! Another week, another week closer to more trips. Seriously though, the weeks seem to be just flying by here. It is finally March! Time for some warm weather. Right? Right?? So far, the weather has mostly been keeping us inside and close to home. I can't complain too much though... we seem to be fairing much better in the weather department than all our friends and family in Ohio.

But still, it's no fun exploring when you might lose a toe to frost bite. However, we haven't quite been shut-ins either. CJ has been taking me out on regular walks. A couple weeks ago we found a great little mountain not too far from our house (about a fifteen minute walk) with a ton of great trails at the top. And surprisingly, CJ has been able to coax me back up the mountain since. Although, this might have had something to do with my enthusiasm...

This was on a very nice and sunny day in Zurich. Here is a picture of CJ to prove that he was there too. I think he ordered wrong though...

By comparison, we have also had a little snow. The nice thing about weekend snow in Switzerland is that we can still hop on a train (beer in hand, of course) and get somewhere... Here we are braving the elements for a trip to the "mall."



It wasn't quite a real mall, but basically as close as I am going to get here. As you might have surmised by the pictures, I was in no way going to walk from shop to shop on Bahnhofstrasse in this weather. Luckily it seems that snow doesn't last very long in Zurich. Whew, because we all know what I think of the snow...

SNOW STINKS... right La?

La thinks so too!!


Annnnnnnyways, CJ and I have been trying to experience all Switzerland has to offer. Along these lines, I have ventured out to do something I have never done before... something out of my comfort zone... something I am not totally comfortable with and am morally opposed to on principle. Have I built this up enough yet? I/we went to a *gasp* club. I will pause while you all recover and catch your collective breaths.

Anyone who knows me, knows I am fundamentally opposed to having to PAY to get in somewhere where I will then have to PAY again for a beverage. I think this is a ludicrous concept, and believe that there can be no one that important inside (well except maybe a handful of people... h. islanders I am talking to you!) that I should have to pay to see. I know this was a rather long rant, but I feel strongly on the issue. Maybe it is just my hometown bias, but in Cleveland I would simply walk next door to a place where I wouldn't have to pay. However... to the club we went. We went with a group of friends; some were Swiss as well as a couple people from New York and L.A. who are used to paying to enter clubs. Consider it a social experiment. Clubs are very popular in Europe. I will however refrain from telling you what we paid... just know, it was too much $$$!

As I am already prejudice against clubs, it will come as no surprise that I haggled with the coat check woman (to no avail) because she would not hang our coats on the same hanger, thereby charging us twice. I also have a long history of haggling/fighting with cab drivers (again, check). CJ took the... what's a couple more francs at this point approach. But, I felt I needed a small victory. Although I don't think I will make clubbing a habit (there are too many other great little bars to try), I did have fun in the end. See for yourself:

In other news, and almost as shocking as me going to a club, I have been cooking. We all know that CJ is the better cook in the family. He is also the cook that enjoys cooking. Nonetheless, I have been giving it a solid attempt. I apologize because I keep meaning to take pictures of our meals (CJ thinks some of you may find this interesting), but I never remember until they're half gone. Some of the things I have been making include:

• Homemade perogies (we made these together for Christmas)
• Spanakopita (although I couldn't find the right philo)
  
• Spinach and cheese cannelloni (stuffed myself, thank you very much)
  
• Mexican (because I miss it sooooo much)
• Lasagna with a homemade white sauce (CJ wanted white sauce - and I can be nice sometimes)
• Pizzas and strombolis with homemade dough of course (nothing new here... but delicious as ever) -- Letting the dough rise for tonight's stromboli as I write.

Finally, an UPDATE on our summer trip home:

Pending final approval, we will be arriving in Cleveland on July 2nd and staying until July 24th! Everyone get excited. Start planning lots of fun things for us to do, because honestly, I am a little worried about how CJ is going to cope with so much free time. Doing nothing is definitely NOT his strong suit.

I have already been planning (in my head) where I cannot wait to go when we get home...

1. Nuevo Acapulco - cadillac marg, I'm coming for you!
2. Sushi (we have it here, but it's insanely expensive)
3. Indian food
4. CHIPOTLE - oh how I miss their salad...

Um, wow, these are all food places. Kinda sad...

And, I know CJ has one place on his mind... DOVER GARDENS. Let's hope they aired it out all winter. Also, truth be told, he secretly can't wait to relive this...

So, everyone has until July 2nd... that's July 2nd... to get ready for our arrival.

Please feel free to stock up on
(this) and...

(this)

Thank you. You are good friends. :)