A few weeks ago we drove to Interlaken, Switzerland to meet up my cousin Patrick from Baltimore.
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| Scoots holding a Swiss Tolberone chocolate bar posing with a giant croissant (his favorite Euro breakfast staple) |
Switzerland has luxurious scenic rest stops so we stopped to stretch and snap photos of the countryside.
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| Frau gazing at green grass - she loves grass |
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| View from the Swiss rest stop which sells delicious cappucinos Interlaken is a town on the Aare river which flows between two lakes. Thus, Interlaken means "between the lakes" and is a gorgeous place to visit. |
View of the lake from our campsite
Switzerland is one of the world's most expensive countries to visit so camping was a great lodging option and we got lucky with perfect weather.
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| Campsite reception surrounded by majestic Alpine views |
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| Scoots snapped the photo above of Frau preparing a picnic on the lake |
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| Our tent nestled under trees with views of the beautiful blue alpine lake |
We met my cousin and his buddy James at their hostel and walked into town where we found a pub with tasty Belgium beers.
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| Cheers to Patrick's first European Vacation! |
We discovered a legit Mexican restaurant thanks to a recommendation for margaritas from Patrick and James' new gal friend whom they met in Florence.
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| Refreshing homemade margaritas in Switzerland - Salud! |
We were thrilled to eat authentic Mexican food since it has been impossible to find throughout our expat journeys in Europe.
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| Enchiladas and fajitas with fresh corn tortillas |
The next day, Patrick, James and Scott went canyoning in frigid waters.
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| Canyoning crew wearing wet suits, helmets, and boots for an adventure of a lifetime I went canyoning many years ago when I was brave but this time decided to stay warm & dry so went for a hike while the guys jumped into the canyon. |
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| Pic of canyoning obtsacle where hey had to jump laterally onto a wall and slide down the rock face into whitewater |
Later, Scott and I walked along the river and met the guys for dinner.
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| Pretty Swiss homes in the background |
We ate creative Swiss cuisine outside surrounded by massive mountains.
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| Scott's entree: freshwater lake trout with plums and a droplet full of tarragon oil |
Cuzin Pat taking a photo of his veal
It was really great to see my cousin and hear about his travels all over Italy.
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| I can always count on Pat to visit us and attend destinaton weddings The next day, Patrick and James went skydiving!
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| Lake Brienz in the Swiss Alps |
A few weeks ago, Ellen and Jason Duffy came to visit after going to Ireland for a wedding.
The newlyweds with kraut coneheads!
We strolled up the hill to our neighborhood beer garden to show them the view of Stuttgart.
Ellen, Jason, and Scott enjoying the Keller Pilsner - unfiltered beers
Ellen and I have been pals since Elementary school so its always great to get together and reminisce about the Wyngate Wildcats.
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| Pals since I wore a patch and Ellen collected cabbage patch dolls |
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| Happy Shanks at our neighborhood spot |
After a few beers, we went to dinner at the Goldener Adler so we could feed them authentic Schwabian cuisine.
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| Ellen excited to dig into her pork schnitzel and potato salad |
Jason ordered the traditional zwiebelrostbraten and spaetzel.
Roast beef w/ onions & a side of cheesy noodles
The next day, Scott and I had to work so the Duffalloos explored Stuttgart and checked out the Landesmuseum where the learned about prehistoric times. The next day, they took the train to see Salzburg, Austria.
When they returned, we went to the best bakery and Italian coffee place in town. Jason was impressed by the layering of his cortado.
Notice the Tesla in the background
During our walk back to the apartment, I pointed out the commemorative stones known as "stumbling blocks" that are on some of Stuttgart's sidewalks. Artist Gunter Demnig designed these for individual victims who were deported and killed by the National Socialist regime.
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| To learn more about these go to: http://www.goethe.de/kue/arc/dos/dos/zdk/en78940.htm |
We took a quick local train to Ludwigsburg to check out a pumpkin festival.
Famous Ludwigsburg Palace- one of the largest Baroque palaces in Europe
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| Ludwigsburg cCstle Garden decorated for the pumpkin fest |
It was warm and sunny when we arrived at the Pumpkin Festival.
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| Germans love Elvis so of course there was Elvis made out of squash |
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| Goonies reminds me of Leon Beverley (who will be visiting us this week!) |
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| This pumpkin (top of pic) is called "Lunch Lady" - not very nice |
Later a storm rolled in so we got stuck in a cafe for about 3 hours while we waited for the rain to slow. Fortunately, we had lots to discuss and plenty of beer, coffee, pumpkin seeds and pretzels as we waited for the rain to pass.
Later, we stopped by a bar that is a former garage with an AMAZING name: Die Schankstelle!
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| Wall on the outside of the bar |
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| Bar's foodtruck which was closed |
Later, we walked around Stuttgart and went to the Teehaus beer garden.
Jason enjoying zip line at the beer garden's playground
Jason got excited every time he spotted a Tesla.
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| Jason with Tesla Ellen and I have a lot in common when it comes to style: we straighten our hair with precision and wear mostly bold colors like grey, white and navy. She describes our simple fashion as "plane jane' but I prefer "timeless." |
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| Ellen and I sporting our "fashionable" grey Toms |
A few days later, Aaron and Alexis arrived in Stuttgart. I was super excited to show them around but disappointed Scott was working out of town.
Their first (and perhaps only) request was to try a pretzel so I took them to our local beer garden.
They had just visited Paris so they were happy to spend time hanging out at our place and eating in. So we cooked an authentic Schwabian dinner with maultaschen and kasespatezel.
Alexis still thinks Aaron is so "dreamy" after 5 years of marriage ... Enjoying German meat filled ravioli, cheesy noodles, spinach and German lagers
It was interesting hearing their Peace Corps stories since they just got back from spending 2 years in a dangerous part of Costa Rica.
One day, we took a train to Esslingen which is one of a few German towns that was not demolished during the war so there is still a castle and wood timbered buildings.
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| We found a steep stairwell leading to the castle |
Alexis was not very excited about climbing the stairs but I knew the climb would be worth it for the view.
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| Me and Alexis almost to the top of the steep stairwell to the Castle |
Alexis is photogenic since she consists of a high-quality Nicaraguan and Irish blend of genetics. Aaron and I enjoyed discussing how popular she was in High School. The 3 of us travelled down "memory lane" often sharing tales from as far back as Kindergarten.
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| Alexis in Esslingen with wine vineyards and houses in the background |
Alexis did not enjoy the walk down the stairs and clutched the posts as elderly handicapped Germans grumbled as they passed us.
When we were little, Alexis had a thunderstorm phobia but I did not realize her fear of heights
After our hike, we stopped by a beer garden for nourishment and I advised them to try the schnitzel and flammkuchen.
Lovebirds enjoying their authentic German breaded pork and pilsners
I feel incredibly grateful for the chance to spend time with my cousin and childhood pals in Europe. These memories will be cherished forever.
