Day 4: Breakfast in Beaune and on the road to Switzerland!
Before we hit the road to our next stop, Switzerland, the group had the morning to explore Beaune. This lovely little town is a gem! Our first stop was Hospice de Beaune, the first hospice. As Nicole is in the medical field, it was a natural for us to see that and the history behind it. From there, using our supplementary material, we chose to stop at Colligiale Notre-Dame to see another church. We love to stop by the churches as the craftsmanship is always top notch and is always interesting to see the different displays and stained glass arrangements. Within this church was the tapisseries that depicted scenes of the bible that were still very well taken care of.
- Keeping with our "do something normal" theme, we stopped by a mall to have lunch on our way to Switzerland. A grocery/general store inside the mall was a fun taste of home mixed with European daily activities. There's just something fun about doing normal things in a place so far from home, oh and the strawberries there were fantastic!
Lauterbrunnen Valley, Switzerland….THE most beautiful place in the world!
A few hours away lied the most beautiful place either of us had ever seen. The Lauterbrunnen Valley is a MUST SEE! The mountains plow straight out of the ground with a never-ending array of running waterfalls and the happiest farm animals you could think of. We think the cows of Switzerland are happier than those in California. The pictures speak for themselves in many ways of just how special this place is, Nicole and I will have to visit again! The bus ride was pleasant from Beaune and full of things to look at. While we were driving, Colleen filled us in on much of the history of the area we were heading to. From local places to eat and see, to the best places to exchange currency over to the Swiss Frank. This was the only point during our time in Europe where we had to stray from the Euro. We were able to just pull money from a close ATM and had no issues! Be sure to spend all of your Franks before leaving though!
As we arrived into the valley a little bit before dinner, we were turned loose to explore a little. We cannot say enough how nice this area is, its completely untouched by commercial tourism and is so peaceful! The pictures below are just before dinner for the night with the group, we're just getting started here and couldn't wait to spend some time here!
As we arrived into the valley a little bit before dinner, we were turned loose to explore a little. We cannot say enough how nice this area is, its completely untouched by commercial tourism and is so peaceful! The pictures below are just before dinner for the night with the group, we're just getting started here and couldn't wait to spend some time here!
Do you Fondue? You do in Switzerland!
The first night dinner in Swtizerland was as a group at our hotel, Hotel Oberland, it kicked off with a lesson in Fondue. Fondue is something neither Nicole or myself had had before, it was great! We had a delicious dinner afterwards and discussed the plans of the next morning with our tour members. Some were going to shoot straight up the mountain to Gimmelwald and some were going to hop on the train to the next town over. There are lots of options for fun outdoor excursions here! Nicole and I chose to kick off the morning at Tremmelbach Falls, a HUGE granite carving waterfall that you are able to see up close and personal. From there we were going to see if the weather would let us get a good view up on the mountain, if not, we were going to meander through the valley back to town!
After dinner, Colleen and Cary were available in a large group room for us to dial in our agenda for the next day. It is so helpful to have local experience right there helping with the maps and first-hand experience of the sights to be seen. The help from the hotel is also fantastic, they are so eager to help you experience their home in every way possible. This area of Switzerland is a slice of paradise!
After dinner, Colleen and Cary were available in a large group room for us to dial in our agenda for the next day. It is so helpful to have local experience right there helping with the maps and first-hand experience of the sights to be seen. The help from the hotel is also fantastic, they are so eager to help you experience their home in every way possible. This area of Switzerland is a slice of paradise!