What’s included in this update:
– St Andrews Tradition: May Dip
– Spontaneous Italy Booking
– Switzerland Road Trip
– Food and Lots of Pictures!

May Dip

On the first day of May, St Andrews students descend upon East Sands for the university’s unique annual tradition. The legend goes that at sunrise, students run into the North Sea to cleanse them of wrongdoings and academic sins (i.e., stepping on the PH,¹ flirting with your TA…) before the exam period. The beach fills with bonfires and post-dip warm layers. We all stayed up the night before and celebrated at the crack of dawn! 

East sands usually has people walking their dogs, playing beach games, and hosting bonfires. I was in awe how many students filled the beach. 

Italy

A few weeks ago, I received a call from my dear friend Gillian. She was about to embark on a trip to Europe and had some scheduling flexibility at the end of her adventures. In the span of five minutes, we decided to book an impromptu trip to Italy! Goals: good food, contemplation, conversation, and exploration.

I flew EDI –> Brussels Charleroi (horrible airport experience – I was sweating in a shirt and shorts. The women’s restroom lines curled around several gates.) Charleroi –> Bologna. Gillian greeting me at our accomodation which had at least 4 different doors and medieval-lookin’ keys.

In the morning, we found an adorable café to enjoy pastries and espresso. The hostess clocked our accents and we found Emory mutuals! A helpful locker storage facility was located in the back of a gym.

We trekked to the countryside for a couples-retreat style hotel. A booking included a nights stay, balsamic vinegar tour, meals, and access to pool and spa. Bus, train, and taxi shepherded us to the beautiful vineyards of Viano, outside of Reggio Emilia. Achieving peak relaxation, we enjoyed the sauna, steam showers, meditation rooms, jacuzzi, and ice bath. Our room had gorgeous wooden floors, old paneled windows, and beautiful ceiling beams

In the AM, we taxi-ed to Il Borgo del Balsamico (shoutout to our South African driver, who I recognized because of his Springbok cap). Our guide greeted us at the doors and took Gillian, myself, and two Londoners up to the aging room. Prior to this experience, my balsamic vinegar knowledge extended to it being a lovely pairing with tomato, basil, and mozzarella. Here, I learned about its centuries-old craftsmanship. Il Borgo del Balsamico is as authentic as it gets.

What started in the 1970s as a passion project and hobby for their father, Cristina and Silvia Crotti transformed the Antichissima Acetaia (i.e., ancient vinegar cellar) into a business.² In the original property acquisition, the Crotti family procured barrels and grapes from the 18th and 19th centuries, passed down from noble families who lived in the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Modena. In 2004, the Crotti sisters founded Il Borgo del Balsamico, expanding the production and estate into the producer it is today.

As for the process, grapes are pressed, then their juice is combined with fermentation and acidic bacteria. This method turns the sweet grapes into complex flavors. Like whiskey and scotch, the casks matter and infuse flavor. Each barrel is a different type of wood and produces distinct flavors. They use oak, chestnut, cherry, juniper, acacia, and mulberry casks.

Every summer, each cask naturally loses around 10% of its contents due to evaporation, which is what concentrates the liquid and builds that signature thick, syrupy density. In the autumn, casks are topped up in a special order: Cask three fills cask two, cask two fills cask one, cascading down the line through the family of barrels in order.

The finest vinegars spend 25 maturing, here. When the time comes, a consortium of independent experts at a separate location assess a mixed sample, and only with their approval can the vinegar be bottled. Testers use a special glass bowl whose shape lets you observe the thickness of the vinegar. Testers are able to identify how long a vinegar has been aged by sight and taste alone. At that same testing site, bottles are wax sealed, making the bottle untouchable and untamperable.

Photo Credit: Gillian Feinglass

The certification system is rigorous and where the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) comes in. PDO is the maximum certification available, guaranteeing that what is on the market is authentic and top tier. Each of Il Borgo del Balsamico’s bottles bears two labels: one indicating the age and quality level (lobster for 12 years and above, silver for 15-25 years, gold for 25+), and a separate batch label for traceability. The DOP stamp and Italian flag on the bottle aren’t for decoration and marketing, they signify that the product followed a strict set of rules required by the producers.

The tour concluding with a tasting, where we tried vinegars up to 25 years old! They sold a variety of products from straight balsamic vinegar, to dressings, to honey, to glazes, and even chocolates filled with balsamic vinegar (surprisingly tasty)!

After the tour, we hopped back in the taxi to Reggio Emilia and took a quick train to Parma. We stopped for a panini and pasta where we met the fabulous Nicolette. She runs and operates Cafelatteria. She shared many restaurants and locations for our 24hr frenzy. We checked into the Airbnb, a small studio/kitchenette, on the top floor. We walked around the historic streets – narrow roads, cute shopfronts. We indulged in gelato at Ciacco – my trip favorite was stracciatella. Amidst our parmesan purchasin’ and prosciutto perusin’, we grabbed a bite to eat in front of Parco della Pilotta. They had a special cocktail which somehow blended balsamic into it.

Left: Gillian in her element enjoying prosciutto. Right: Parma Recommendations from Nicolette and gum from Brooklyn which she gifted us after learning we’re from the states.

Gillian had her heart set on Osteria dei Servi, known for their steaks cooked over an open flame. We split a steak, pasta with butter, Parmigiano Reggiano, and prosciutto. Our mascarpone dessert (another new favorite thanks to Borgo Cadonega) topped off the meal perfectly. Dinner comprised of music exchange, long-form storytelling, anecdote exchange galore. Ranging from global affairs, travel aspirations, workplace challenges, and friends and family, Gillian and I left no stone unturned. No conversation segues needed.

INSERT PHOTOS FROM PHOTO STREAM HERE

On our last morning together, we woke up to a minor flooding event. Not sure the origin, but we had enough towels to sop up the liquid. According to glowing reviews, we grabbed cappuccinos and paninis from Pepen. We walked via Reppublica to a small café, in hopes of finding anolini, a traditional stuffed egg pasta specific to Parma. We could only find it frozen at grocery stores, sadly. We checked out of the Airbnb, grabbed a bite to eat, and jumped back on the train to Bologna.

Gillian had a few more days before her flight home, so she stayed in a small accommodation closer to the University of Bologna – gorgeous porch area, too. We did a last tour by Bologna’s main city sights. The ~famous~ little canal was completely underwhelming, dried up and crusty. Thankfully, it was on the way to the Garisenda Towers – one of the tower is definitely leaning.³ We walked back through Quadrilatero – street vendors, fruit stands, butchers with white and black checkered tiles galore. We made it in time to grab a final meal together at Sfogliarina. Their placemats are so cute, informing patrons with pasta shapes, sauce types, and drinks. Hands down best pasta of the trip (see pics below!).

After one last gelato, Gillian kindly escorted me to the train station; I transferred to the airport monorail and went along my way back to Edinburgh. Flight delays caused me to miss the 2am 787, delaying my St Andrews arrival to 5am…

Food in Italy

Night 1: Left: Bacon wheels. Right: Lasagna. Middle: Gelato.

Morning Day 2: Allegra – Pain Suisse, Crema, and lattes.

Afternoon Day 2: Markets in Quadrilatero – Prosciutto & focaccia

Night Day 2: Borgo Cadonega – artichoke pasta, duck tagliatelle, and ribs! Not pictured: our new favorite dessert, mascarpone with chocolate sauce, and classic Italian Lambrusco – a bubbly red wine from the Emilia-Romagna region.

Afternoon Day 3: Caffelateria panini and pasta

Night Day 3:
Left: From ‘My Choice Cocktail’ bar – the drink: “SPLIT 100th: AN EXCLUSIVE DRINK FOR ZACAPA’S 100TH ANNIVERSARY. FRESH, tangy notes of strawberry and blackcurrant explode in your mouth! RUM ADDS MELTDOWN AND STRUCTURE, WHILE GOAT’S MILK GIVES A CREAMY, IRRESISTIBLE FINISH.”⁴ Zacapa 23 / Currant / Strawberry / Banana Peel / Goat’s Milk
Center: Homemade pappardelle with wild boar ragù, flavored with Lambrusco
Right: Tagliolini al Prosciutto di San Daniele
Bottom: Stracchino della Duchessa – Pavesini biscuits soaked in coffee, mascarpone cream, gianduia and decorative chopped almonds

Later that week, Bobby Jones affiliate, Gilly, took the American bobbies and new St Andrews Bobby, Elena, to the Elie Chain walk! The route, nestled along the Fife Coastal path, south of St Andrews and Crail, features climbing chains, beachfront, rocky cliffs, and WW2 lookouts. We were lucky to have a glorious sunny, Scottish day; at the end of the path, we lounged on the soft grass eating apples. The grand Elie tour finished with beverages at The Ship Inn looking out over the Elie Beach where beach cricket is often played.

We said farewell to David – he secured a hard-to-pass-up law internship in NYC. Saint Sizzle remained notoriously understaffed, but we toughed out the rain and brought our own appetizers.

We thought it would be funny for all attendees to dress up like David. I’m most proud of the thrifted jacket, dark jeans, and hoka combination, but Lucas and Lydia cosmically aligned with David by wearing the same exact rugby polo (unplanned). Catch the signature David mog.

Picture Day at Deans!

🇬🇧London🇬🇧 –> 🇨🇭Switzerland🇨🇭

I took the train down to London to visit Rebecca, who is doing a Maymester study abroad/internship experience! Thanks to the Oyster Card, she picked me up at King Cross free of charge. Her elation over meal deals at Sainsburys brings me joy. Given that I was about to live out of my modest red sports bag for the next two weeks, she dressed me in her London wardrobe for dinner. We forgot the socks for the loafers, which resulted in blisters I only got rid of 3 weeks later. Anyway, worth the pain because we met up with Katherine and Aunt Annie for dinner! They’d just arrived in London the day prior since Katherine also is working a summer internship! Martins go international this year!

Despite lacking sleep, Rebecca rallied me to go out with her dear roommates. Heat flashes on the tube rendered me nonverbal for about thirty minutes, luckily the brisk walk to Waxy ‘O Connors revived my body and spirit. We did not intend to go out past Waxy’s closing time, but you know, you meet someone on the street, get convinced to “just check out the next place” and all of a sudden you’re spilling an **alternative** life story to some stranger from west london who buys you nice tequila shots, and you accidentally end up watching a drag show/music set list in the basement of a club. We took the bus home around 2:30am, majorly concerned about the sheer number of young people we saw passed out on the street.

We took the next morning to catch up on the sleep neither of us had in days. Then, we took the bus towards Battersea for bottomless brunch at Lost Society. We had practically the whole venue to ourselves, which was surprising due to the high quality food and drinks. Rebecca and I brought determination and a science to this bottomless brunch. Brunch was a tactical operation. Optimize drink order, volume, and pacing. We calculated to get our money’s worth, all we had to do was drink 3 cocktails in our 90 minutes. Surprise, we’re overachievers and hit nine 🍸🥂🍹. We drank every single possible cocktail except the one with Malibu (personal preference¯_(ツ)_/¯ ). We stayed and chatted for another good hour and a half because the vibes were high. Our waitress was so attentive, upbeat, responsive, and kind. Cocktails were spectacular, food was delicious – could not recommend Lost Society Bottomless Brunch more.

Left: Caipirinha (Cachaça, Lime, Sugar) – Passion Fruit and Chicken & Waffles. Right: Tropicalia (Olmeca Reposado Tequila, Triple Sec, Passoa, Lime, Passion Fruit, Grapefruit Soda) and Brisket Eggs Benedict. Not pictured: truffle fries.

Left: Paradise Punch (Absolut Vodka, Amaretto, Southern Comfort, Orange & Pineapple Juices,
Grenadine, Lime) – venom concept with the vodka/southern comfort, but tastes like the most insane fruit punch you could ever imagine). Right: Blush Sangria (Giffard Strawberry, White Wine, Lillet Rose, Lemon, Fresh Mint, Berries) – optimal form would be in a pitcher eating tapas. Less ideal for mixed cocktails bottomless brunch. On its own, delicious, but not the best pairing when you’re drinking fruity cocktails. Beautiful garnishes.

Nothing hits better than an afternoon snooze and dinner at the foodhall. Rebecca and I deciphered cricket while enjoying pasta and lo mein. Afterwards, we got a mini family facetime reunion – digital hello to Aunt Susie, Mom, and Caroline! For how different Rebecca and I are in almost every way shape and form, I know we’re sisters because we both love youtube documentaries about random, arguably dark topics. We spent the evening winding down to the history of MS-13.

After a degenerate Saturday, we had a hot girl Sunday. Rebecca showed me the converted Battersea power station/outdoor mall. Very modern and manicured. We spent the afternoon shopping, walking, and gymming. Because I do, in fact, still go to school, we spent the afternoon working in a coffeeshop – turned in my final statistics project! I spent the evening with Aunt Annie and Katherine at Dishoom! So nice to get quality time and with quality people.

I said goodbye to London at 3:50am, hopping on a bus and train to Gatwick. The transit clientele at this hour were wide-ranging: passed out party-goers, still-drunk wanderers, construction workers, business travelers, and me.

I arrived in Zurich & took the scenic tram down from the airport to the city center. I attempted to work at the main library, Zentralbibliothek Zürich, but I kid you not, even after three full sweeps, every single seat in the entire four floor library was taken. I can only assume it’s finals season. I wandered into the first café I saw with free tables. Turns out I ended up at Café/Bar Kweer. It’s name piqued my interest, so I logged onto the free wifi and did a history search. Even better, their website linked to a mini archival project sharing the location’s history! Thanks to a dropbox link⁵ and google translate, I learned its rich history.

The original building, constructed in the 13th century, was a monastery hospice where the monks provided poor people with free porridge. During the Reformation in the early 16th century, the monastery closed and food distribution became a state responsibility. In 1860, the building was demolished, rebuilt by the state, and revived as a restaurant/tavern. In 1956 the Zimmermann family took over the lease, renamed it “Barfüsser Bar” and, fortunately, hired a gay waiter, who had previously struggled to find work due to his sexuality. His regular customers, often gay themselves, patroned loyally, and the bar gradually became a meeting place for other homosexuals. Tides changed in 1960 when several murders associated with the male prostitution scene triggered hostility towards homosexuals, and authorities cracked down repressively: dancing between men was prohibited, police kept lists of homosexual individuals, and large-scale raids took place at known gathering places.

In 1968, the Globus Riots began, turning authorities attention from the gay-bar raids to street battles and protests. Barfüsser welcomed more patrons without as much fear, and they began to host celebrations like Carnival and Gay New Years parties. In the 1990s, under the Zimmermann daughter, the leather scene boomed.

The Zimmermann family management ended in the mid 1990s, the bar closed, and new management opened a sushi restaurant. This chapter closed in 2021, when the leaseholders ended their agreement. So, a gay-lesbian group won the city contract. Under the new name, Kweer Café & Bar, the former Barfüsser reopened!

Lucas and I met up in the afternoon, dropped our luggage off in a restaurant storage locker, and roamed the streets of Zurich. We climbed to the beautiful ETH library, best free elevated view of Zurich. We navigated through the main streets: Niederdorf, Augustinergasse, Rennweg, and Schipfe. We walked down Bahnhofstrasse to Ganymede for a view of Lake Zurich where we stumbled upon flags promoting the International Ice Hockey World Championships being hosted in Zurich and Fribourg. We devoured bratwurst from Sternen Grill – they give you complimentary bread and dijon that’ll clear your sinuses quick fast.

After a relatively restful hostel stay, Lucas and I bussed up to the Lindt Museum. Don’t tell anyone that we didn’t actually do the overpriced tour, but we enjoyed a café ice cream (creamy chocolate/vanilla swirl, hazelnut drizzle, chocolate square, liquid chocolate waffle cone filling at the bottom – top tier) and the world’s largest chocolate fountain, standing at 9 meters tall.⁶

Other than a mandatory bagel stop, we pretty much wandered aimlessly, admiring the pristine cityscape.

View of Zurich from ETH Library. St. Peter Church clock.

At long last, we picked up Virginia, her boyfriend, Lucas S., and our brand new rental car, Lola – a Mini Cooper S with only 20km on the odometer. We forgot to allow tolls on our navigation, so we drove through many narrow, but scenic, country roads. Quick stop at Migros for dinner makings and snacks. Arrived in Schangnau at the quaintest Airbnb.

What better way to start the day then with eggs, yogurt, granola, and tea. Fueled for our day, we set sail towards Interlaken. Unfortunately, due to the snow conditions, we were not able to tackle the Mürren Via Ferrata climb (probably a good thing because you rely on iron rungs for part of the climb. Instead, we found a hike around the Giessbach Waterfalls and Hotel. The first 45 minutes challenged us with winding switchbacks and a formidable ascent. We passed many-a-struggling group, but we persisted. We did an extended loop, hiking out towards the Iseltwald trailhead before circling back on a parallel, but lower altitude trail. The route took us up through Zentrum der Einheit Schweibenalp – a retreat center – and Alpine Permakultur Schweibenalp – beautiful gardens. As we ascended to the trail’s highest point, we received the best news, Courtney’s visa got approved just in time for the trip! She managed to get the next flight to Switzerland, and we could pick her up in the evening. Then, we meandered through cow pastures and scattered farm homes. Lucas S. minorly electrocuted himself on a fence.

We spent a late lunch out on Lake Brienz. Lucas and I became pretzal-bun enthusiasts and Lucas S & Vivi showed us the glory of melted ovomaltine and strawberries. We went swimming in the lake, and Lucas S taught Lucas how to skip rocks while Virginia and I lay like lizards on the rocks soaking up the sun.

Next stop: Interlaken, proper. Because I have an insatiable thirst for elevated views and I need to train for Kilimanjaro, I hatched a late-afternoon plan to climb Harder Kulm. Virginia and Lucas S would explore the town of Interlaken, Lucas and I would climb the straight uphill trail, and then Virginia and Lucas S would take the cable car up to the top and meet us for a celebratory drink! We got 15 minutes up the trail, when we got a phone call – Courtney got in early and could take a more convenient train! We celebrated, threw that plan out the window, and realized with the long cable car lines that we wouldn’t be able to summit and descend with enough time. This was probably a blessing in disguise because the trail’s average grade was 16.8% and we’d already spent 5 hours hiking in the morning. So, we got to an elevated cow pasture, admired the view of Interlaken – seeing both lakes in all their glory side-by-side, and hustled back down the hillside.

Pictures make up a segmented panoramic view of Interlaken.
Left: Lake Thun. Center: Town Right: Lake Brienz.

We drove an hour to Switzerland’s capital, Bern, and found Courtney outside the train station. Despite cramming five people into a Mini Cooper, this was probably the least stressful part of her journey considering she had literally obtained the visa that morning (after the embassy lost her entire passport for weeks…), bought a flight ticket on the tram, took a train from Geneva to Bern, and, finally, found us.

Good morning and goodbye to Schangnau -we drove to The Moléson, known for its year-round activities like luge, cable cars, and mini golf. In the winter, skiing/toboganners/snowboarding opportunities open up.⁷

Bob-luge track

We popped down to La Maison du Grúyere for a museum tour and mini cheese sampling. Inside, they walk you through the ingredients, goods, environments, and equipment required to make the cheese. Other than sniffing at least a dozen outdoor scents (e.g., vanilla and alpine flora) and eating the 3, 6, and 9 month cheese samples, I liked seeing the cheese equipment in action.

Left: Big vats for milk curdling and curd cutting. Before the salt bath, the metal machines on the left mold and mark the blocks of cheese. Like Italy, they have strict production and ingredient standards for regional goods, such as Gruyére. Milk is sourced from local cows who are fed natural forage with no additives. In the vat, whey cultures are added to the raw milk. For more information on how the cheese is made step-by-step, check out this link.⁸

Quick stop for lunch up in the proper town of Gruyéres. Both Lucas’s got raclette, because when in Rome. The town has one main street with several fountains, shops, and hotels.

In the afternoon we visited the Cailler chocolate factory/museum. Through a series of narrated rooms, the tour starts by taking you back in time to the Mayan empire, where chocolate was known as a gift from the gods and used for spiritual ceremonies. Similar beliefs existed in the Aztec empire, including how they believed Quetzalcoatl, the god of wisdom and the wind, stole the cacao tree from the god’s paradise and gifted it to humanity. This lore established chocolate as a sacred drink. The room, itself, was surely pumped with chocolate odor, making the experience 4D!

When Hernan Cortés discovered landed in the Americas, he brought chocolate back to Europe, where the chocolate frenzy quickly exploded. It was a luxury for the wealthy, and people were noted as getting drunk from it! Thus, in the early 19th century emerged François-Louis Cailler and his chocolate making. Large scale production started at the turn of the 20th century. Switzerland became known for their milk chocolate, specifically, because they combined typical chocolate-making ingredients with special sweet condensed milk from the Alpine Gruyére region. This special ingredient gives the chocolate its distinctive sweet, melt-in-your-mouth quality.

The quality of museums exceeded my expectations, but the Olympic museum takes the gold. We drove to Lausanne, which appears to be a beautiful little city along Lac Leman – the beachside reminded me of a scaled up version of Cannes.

The first floor describes the origin of the Olympics, dating back to Ancient Greece. They display old pottery, statues of Gods, armor, sports equipment, and a 3D grounds recreation.

The exhibition continues with the olympic torches from every games starting in 1936. My favorites ones are the middle torch in both pictures below. Left: London, 1948. Right: Beijing, 2022.

Left: Safety Torch – cannister designed to keep the Olympic flame alight during its travels around the world. This model traveled from Greece via Istanbul, Beirut, Tehran, Lahore, New Delhi, Katmandu, Calcutta, Rangoon, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Hong Kong, Taipei, and finally to Japan, where it passed through over 10 different cities.⁹

Right: The arrow shot by Paralympic athlete Antonio Rebollo to light the Barcelona Olympic Cauldron. If you haven’t already seen it, I highly reccomend that you check out the video.¹⁰

The exhibition continues by showcasing Olympic mascots, venues, costumes, performance pieces, and branding. They also had an entire room dedicated to the evolution of sports equipment and kits.

The visiting ‘Ahead of the Curve” exhibit, showing until Nov 1 2026 explores the technological advances that made broadcasting, documenting, and reffing the games possible. From radio broadcasting, to LAN displays, to VAR, and Just Dance, this exhibit was by far the most experiential.

I cannot recommend this museum enough. We stayed for a good three hours, but even so, there is enough content between video testimonies, interactive activities, and placques, that I’d go back for the entire day. A must-visit in Switzerland.

We spent the afternoon lakeside skipping rocks, enjoying grocery store picnic goodies, and basking in the sun (anything above UV 4 is luxurious to us Scotland-dwellers). Despite angry swans and hotspots of gnats, all was thoroughly enjoyable until I felt my legs tingling while I stood hip-deep in the water. I got out of the water to sit on the rocks when my legs began burning. I puzzled at my legs because they didn’t appear sunburnt, and I hadn’t interacted with any wildlife. Suddenly, itchy small bumps started forming and my legs flushed red. Courtney and I took the one kitchen towel that we brought to the beach to the public fountain (they always come in clutch, thank you switzerland!). We doused my legs with what felt like ice water. Sweeeet relief. Thanks to Vivi’s mom, I learned a few days later, this was likely some mild form of swimmers rash caused by a reaction to tiny parasites. Thank you ducks and swans 🤡

Our home base for the next couple days was in Martigny in a beautiful AirBnb near the Italy/France/Switzerland border. We spent most mornings and evenings lounging and chatting on the porch.

Only a 15 minute drive away, we visited Barry’s St Bernard Foundation. We listened to a trainer explain the history of the foundation and current operating model. The dogs ascend to the original hospice in the St Bernard pass during the summer, and stay at Barryland facilities during the rest of the year. The dogs are known for their snow rescues in the mountains. Barryland upholds the highest standards for breeding and training to this day. If you’re interested in learning more about the Swiss national dog, check out their website!¹¹

Left: Virtual Reality (VR) experience guides you through what life at the monastery looked like in the 1700s. They superimpose images and routes onto the 3D mountain model.

But wait! It’s gets better! They also have rabbits, tortoises, goats, sheep, and guinea pigs.

We failed to get up to the monastery because our rental car did not have international insurance and also to cross the border was over 80 francs… so we quickly pivoted. Hiking time! I found a loop route not far off the highway, Orsières – Champex, Pays du St-Bernard. At only 5.3 miles, I figured it’d be an afternoon breeze. Turns out I should have taken the ‘hard’ difficulty rating a bit more seriously. For a good 2 hours we trudged uphill. Legs were burnin’, lungs pumpin. I felt so alive, and I’m really glad I have resilient friends who still were my friends even after I put them thru this. We got rejected by two different hotels at the summit due to their “guest-only” serving policy. Very disappointing, but motivated us to get descend faster. Total journey clocked in at about 4 hours.

Bonus content from All Trails reviews:
– “It’s difficult. I recommend to use the baston to help otherwise is a massacre for your knees.”
– Gerson Paulo
– “Way up is very steap”
– Gwendalina S.

We said goodbye to our sweet Chalet and drove to Château de Chillon, Switzerland’s most visited historical site immortalized by Lord Byron’s “The Prisoner of Chillon.” The grounds include 3 courtyards, dungeons, 14th century murals, cellars, and state rooms. We saw swans building a nest in the castle moat, ducks bobbing for food in the lake bed, and foil surfers braving the waters.

We drove through Vivi’s countryside outpost before arrive in Geneva! We said goodbye to Lola at the airport rental car facility, and made our way to the Old City. For dinner, we had the pleasure of meeting Vivi’s parents and enjoying local seafood. They were the kindest, most generous hosts ❤ Whatever was in my butter was cracked. Apparently, Vivi used to spoon-feed herself this special sauce. Virginia’s father and I bonded when I saw him sneakily pull out his phone to check the Switzerland ice hockey score.

Virginia gave us the local tour of her home city. We climbed the stairs of Cathédrale Saint-Pierre Genéve, and descended into its catacombs which featured ruins dating back to the 8th century. The catacombs featured a brilliant color-coding system to denote the timeframe each of the rock groups came from – museums take note! I enjoyed the recovered mosaics the most.

We made a quick trip to the swiss army knife hallmark location, where you can customize your own knife and luggage. We stocked up on lunch items, took the ‘Seagulls’ (i.e., yellow ferry) across the lake, and headed to the beach. We ended up at this outdoor facility with pools, volleyball courts, and a waterslide. We let our inner children come out by playing volleyball and pool games for hours on end. Pure joy and heavy accidental chlorine ingestion. In pique Swiss form, Lucas S. and Vivi treated us to cheese fondue and ovomaltine mousse!

1. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/saint-salvadors-unlucky-ph ↩︎
2. https://www.ilborgodelbalsamico.it/storia-del-borgo/?srsltid=AfmBOortgiEdI9YpZSxZ0gdJXzd7AQKiJfMg_QgUbmzZVE1IAU5FV_vO&_gl=1*z468jj*_up*MQ..*_ga*MTk0MTUzNTgzLjE3ODA5NTA0MDQ.*_ga_PPLEWGVBFH*czE3ODA5NTA0MDMkbzEkZzAkdDE3ODA5NTA0MDMkajYwJGwwJGgxNTcyNTM3MDcw ↩︎
3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-67599067 ↩︎
4. https://menu.choiceparma.it/ ↩︎
5. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/d96e5cmnhknltmksc9m4q/Barf-sser-Kurzgeschichte.pdf?rlkey=yhha4sq9loynjzkw53zk1dee9&e=1&dl=0 ↩︎
6. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/lindt-worlds-largest-chocolate-fountain-switzerland ↩︎
7. https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-gb/destinations/moleson-sur-gruyeres/ ↩︎
8. https://www.gruyere.com/en/fabrication/the-production-of-gruyere-aop ↩︎
9. https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-games/tokyo-1964/torch-relay ↩︎
10. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmRf41SVHS4 ↩︎
11. https://www.fondation-barry.ch/en/ ↩︎