Travel Thread

[PaloAltoCougar]

I vividly remember you being short of breath after walking up the stairs. I also remember thinking wow, my dad is officially getting old. What's interesting is that you might be in better shape now and that you were in your 40s at the time (albeit with just months to go).

You're probably right--I could kick that guy's butt in a 10K or a Century. I think we should head back to Chamonix to see the difference.

[Harry Tic]

Hi Harry,

Certainly jealous of your trip, that's a good time to go. Although the swiss train network is excellent, having a car would enable you to see a few more things, as Creekster mentioned above. A few of my recommendations:

1. L'Aiguille du Midi near Chamonix, France. That's the pic that PAC posted, and I believe the inside has the history of how it was constructed, very impressive.
2. Chateau de Chillon - A very famous castle on the Lake with great views and complete with dining halls, dungeons, turrets, etc.
3. Chateau Grandson - Site of the Battle of Grandson. Certainly not a pivotal battle in European history but the first castle I visited in Europe and my first exposure to a sieged castle. You should read the story, apparently the Swiss were promised they wouldn't be harmed if they surrendered. About 400 or so were then hung from trees to scare off the surrounding Swiss. Apparently it just pissed people off and the Swiss retook the area soon after.
4. Lauterbrunnen Valley - Need to train it here (from Interlaken). Potentially the most beautiful setting in the world. Small swiss towns clinging to cliffs that drop 1000+ feet into a lush green valley. A bit far but amazing.
5. Geneva - Not a ton here for a tourist, plus I never ate out as a missionary so can't really help on food.
6. Lausanne - I believe PAC and I did the Olympics museum and found it mildly interesting.
7. I also liked Gruyere. Plus, you can be really obnoxious when eating Gruyere thereafter and point out to people, "Hmmm, this doesn't taste like the cheese I had in Gruyere, but it's okay."

Happy to answer any specifics questions you might have, I vaguely remember where all the freeway speed cameras were.

Filsdepac,

Great info. I probably won't get to half of those sites, but I may get out the map and make a run at one or two.

Any "must try" food beside the Gruyere?

[filsdepac]

Filsdepac,

Great info. I probably won't get to half of those sites, but I may get out the map and make a run at one or two.

Any "must try" food beside the Gruyere?

Favarger chocolate. They sell it in most of the stores like Migros and Coop, it's a little higher end but incredible. Raclette is also good, but more of a winter meal, like Fondue. As a missionary, I really only ate pasta and whatever else I could find at the local grocery store. If you do go to Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen, there's a town along the way called Spiez. Next to the train station, there's a Migros with a food court. The food is fine, but I'd venture to say the view from the food court is potentially the greatest view from a grocery store food court in the entire world.

[HuskyFreeNorthwest]

creekster ate a $90 hamburger at a fancy hotel one time, that seems like it belongs in the travel thread.

[Harry Tic]

Favarger chocolate. They sell it in most of the stores like Migros and Coop, it's a little higher end but incredible. Raclette is also good, but more of a winter meal, like Fondue. As a missionary, I really only ate pasta and whatever else I could find at the local grocery store. If you do go to Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen, there's a town along the way called Spiez. Next to the train station, there's a Migros with a food court. The food is fine, but I'd venture to say the view from the food court is potentially the greatest view from a grocery store food court in the entire world.

Note duly taken. The chocolate I can definitely do. Mrs. Harry and the little Tics thank you in advance.

creekster ate a $90 hamburger at a fancy hotel one time, that seems like it belongs in the travel thread.

Was this the kind that is sprinkled with gold leaf? Actually, $90 is about right for a dry burger and cold fries via room service just about anywhere.

[Donuthole]

creekster ate a $90 hamburger at a fancy hotel one time, that seems like it belongs in the travel thread.

It was $60. Stop exaggerating.

[BigPiney]

Go tour the Maison Callier (Chocolate Factory Tour) - Map in Broc. Not too far from where you are and the end of the tour is a sampling room, where you can eat all the chocolate your heart desires. Only restriction is that you can't leave the room. It was awesome. One of the highlights of my chocolate career. THe chocolate is sublime. You are also only 3 miles away from the Gruyere factory. And there is a great little hike that I did with the wife that was very enjoyable. Even doing the first mile or so would be well worth your time: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=423326

[Tim]

We got round-trip direct tickets from Newark to San Francisco today for $198/person -- traveling in September for a long weekend. Such a great price we couldn't pass it up.

[Pelado]

We got round-trip direct tickets from Newark to San Francisco today for $198/person -- traveling in September for a long weekend. Such a great price we couldn't pass it up.

Do you have to return to Newark?

[clackamascoug]

Do you have to return to Newark?

Flying into Newark reminds me of the twin towers, and how they used to dominate the view. Now..... not so much.

[Tim]

Yeah. It's super-convenient for us. Newark is about as close as JFK. My favorite is LGA, of course, but these tickets were for EWR, so we went with them.

[Harry Tic]

Go tour the Maison Callier (Chocolate Factory Tour) - Map in Broc. Not too far from where you are and the end of the tour is a sampling room, where you can eat all the chocolate your heart desires. Only restriction is that you can't leave the room. It was awesome. One of the highlights of my chocolate career. THe chocolate is sublime. You are also only 3 miles away from the Gruyere factory. And there is a great little hike that I did with the wife that was very enjoyable. Even doing the first mile or so would be well worth your time: http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=423326

Great tip, BP. I'm frantically scribbling all this stuff down (well, cutting and pasting anyway).

[PaloAltoCougar]

I spent the weekend making arrangements for a bucket list trip in October, consisting mainly of a cruise in the Black and Aegean Seas (Istanbul, Crimea/Odessa, Athens/Corinth/Mycenae, Mykonos and Ephesus). We've never visited any of those places so we're excited. But perhaps the most intriguing part of the trip will be at the end when we make a two-day visit to Cappadocia, an area of which I was completely ignorant until very recently. Check out this collection of Google images of the area. Note that the area with the unique rock towers with mushroom-like caps is referred to as Love Valley, for reasons that escape me.

We'll visit Derinkuyu, an underground city (apropos to today's hollow earth discussion) that, along with other underground cities in the area, was home to tens of thousand of people many centuries ago, and archaeologists are still discovering more. Add in one of the most geologically interesting landscapes on the planet, dozens of churches and other buildings carved into mountainsides with frescoes and other medieval art, and top it off with an early morning hot air balloon ride and you have a couple of potentially wondrous days. Even the normally timid Mrs. PAC is looking forward to the rather frightening balloon ride, observing that if it's our time, there may be no cooler way to go out...

Suggestions for things to see in our port cities (esp. Sevastapol, Yalta, Odessa and Burgas--I'm sure many here have vacationed in Bulgaria) will be appreciated.

And I realize talking about great trips is boastful and offputting, but I'll note that until we got well into our 40s, we never traveled at all, and now as my career winds down we're making up for lost time. So, apologies but most here will be doing this sort of thing down the road, and certainly many already have.

[bluegoose]

I spent the weekend making arrangements for a bucket list trip in October, consisting mainly of a cruise in the Black and Aegean Seas (Istanbul, Crimea/Odessa, Athens/Corinth/Mycenae, Mykonos and Ephesus). We've never visited any of those places so we're excited. But perhaps the most intriguing part of the trip will be at the end when we make a two-day visit to Cappadocia, an area of which I was completely ignorant until very recently. Check out this collection of Google images of the area. Note that the area with the unique rock towers with mushroom-like caps is referred to as Love Valley, for reasons that escape me.

We'll visit Derinkuyu, an underground city (apropos to today's hollow earth discussion) that, along with other underground cities in the area, was home to tens of thousand of people many centuries ago, and archaeologists are still discovering more. Add in one of the most geologically interesting landscapes on the planet, dozens of churches and other buildings carved into mountainsides with frescoes and other medieval art, and top it off with an early morning hot air balloon ride and you have a couple of potentially wondrous days. Even the normally timid Mrs. PAC is looking forward to the rather frightening balloon ride, observing that if it's our time, there may be no cooler way to go out...

Suggestions for things to see in our port cities (esp. Sevastapol, Yalta, Odessa and Burgas--I'm sure many here have vacationed in Bulgaria) will be appreciated.

And I realize talking about great trips is boastful and offputting, but I'll note that until we got well into our 40s, we never traveled at all, and now as my career winds down we're making up for lost time. So, apologies but most here will be doing this sort of thing down the road, and certainly many already have.

I wish that I had some input on things to do and see in the area. The region looks stunning. Its a common phallacy that you may have a really hard time finding some good sites to see. But if you keep your head on straight, and stop often for derections, I'm sure something will come up.

[snowcat]

Here's the proximate cause of my suggestion: I'm going to be in Switzerland for a bit in late May/early June (humblebrag? Obviously!). Mostly Geneva and Lausanne along with a little village up in the Alps, Saas-Fee. I'd especially welcome any tips or suggestions about either of the larger cities. Very limited expense account but I'd welcome any recommendations about things to see and reasonably priced () places to eat (I was there last year and, good grief, it's expensive. I mostly ate bread and cheese from supermarkets. Stunningly beautiful country, though).

I spend a week in Geneva every year (I leave next week). Geneva is pricey. I like to just enjoy the fine bread and cheese for most meals. There are some good places to get fondue if you are so inclined. This place is also famous for its Entrecote.

http://www.chezboubier.com/en/

Be forewarned, there is one item on the menu and it is 41.50 Swiss francs.

entrecote0227_2_innerbig.jpg