The Other Cambridge

While in Boston, Beau and Amy took me to Mount Auburn Cemetery, a cemetery-garden-park with incredible views of Harvard and Boston. We walked around, played with the boys in the leaves, and admired the fall--very relaxing. It also seemed as if we were in London and home was right around the corner. It was a beautiful place. 

Mount Auburn Cemetery

Beacon Hill

Back on Harvard campus (undergrad side). We watched The Social Network that night (although it wasn't actually filmed on campus).  While I was there, I saw several students dressed like Marty McFly. I thought it was just a Harvard thing until I realized it was Oct 21 2015 (Back to the Future day). 

Beacon Hill #merica

Over the summer, I had the opportunity to work on a case study with Harvard Business School. Beau introduced me to a professor from their entrepreneurial department. Professor Ghosh and I spoke about the challenges of building new businesses inside large ones--and about how we both succeeded (and failed) at doing so. It quickly grew into an interesting case that eventually brought me to Harvard to guest lecture. It was fun ... and quite entertaining to hear the students debate, share their points of view, and ask their questions. They received the case about a week before class so they came to class prepared and well-read.  I had the last 20-25 minutes and then we followed up with a Q&A session. 

A sample of the first page of the case below. It started at 25+ pages and then was edited down to 15-ish. The process was almost therapeutic- being interviewed for hours, discussing the business I had been working on for the past 3+ years. The good, bad, and the ugly.   

In the first row, of course. 

Thank you my Harvard brother, Beau, for making this happen. It was fun to see him in the class as a student. Plus family & friends, Amy and Kayla. 

Exploring Normandy

When in Normandy, you have to explore the famous WWII towns and sights.  The weather this day was all over the place...one minute it was rainy, the next was windy and cold, the next was hot and sunny, then back to rain and heavy winds.  Not ideal for getting out and walking around, but we really, really tried and saw some great stuff.  We started in the town of Bayeux, the first city to be liberated during the battle of Normandy.  I loved walking around and seeing "We welcome our Liberators!" painted on the shops, as well as Canadian and American flags proudly waving on street corners.  On June 16, 1944 in Bayeux, General Charles de Gaulle made the first of two famous speeches, clearly stating that France sided with the Allies.  The buildings in Bayeux were virtually untouched by the war, which gives the town an incredible appeal and charm.  We all loved wandering the streets, looking in the shops and feeling like we had stepped back in time.  I wish I could have bottled up the charm that this part of France oozed with. 

Next stop was Omaha Beach.  Torrential downpour and high winds meant we pulled up next to the beach and checked it out from the car.  Trying to picture the events that occurred there on June 6, 1944 is humbling.  You really do get a sense of ultimate sacrifice, total unselfishness, and gratitude as an American.  

We kept going to the Normandy American Memorial and Cemetery, which was such an incredible sight.  The rain let up just in time for us to spend a while walking around the graves, reading some names and hometowns, trying to understand the great sacrifice that took place here in June of 1944.  It is a holy, sacred and reverent place.  There are 9,387 brave Americans buried on 172 gorgeous green acres sitting on a bluff overlooking Omaha Beach.  The land here was given to the US in perpetuity by France on June 8, 1944.  You cannot help but feel deep, reverent gratitude when you walk amongst these soldiers who gave all for their country in the fight for freedom and for what was right.

We drove on to La Pointe du Hoc, but the weather turned sour again.  So, we kept going to Utah Beach.  The little French towns in between the beaches were just unbelievable- so picturesque- like what you imagine in princess storybooks.  I would live there in a heartbeat because life just looks so idyllic.  We are so sad we didn't stop to take pictures.  

Because it was the end of the day, we couldn't get in to see the museums at Utah Beach, but I was determined to at least walk the beach.  The pouring rain and heavy winds made it all the more dramatic to see.  I walked through the sand, all the way to the water, so I could put my hands in it.  What a reverent place...you really can feel a degree of the magnitude of what took place. Hallowed ground. I cannot wait to go back and spend more time here.

Back to France

We rotated between the freezing box outside and this heated room to keep warm

Crowning the winning horse and his lucky owners

During our Fall Break in October, we were invited by one of Brian's colleagues to join her family for a few days in France.  We began our trip in Paris, where we got to see Europe's most prestigious horse race, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe (popularly referred to as "the Arc").  Karen, Brian's colleague, is a huge horse enthusiast and had box tickets that she generously included us in.  She helped us learn about the different horses and jockeys as we watched each heat, leading up to the finale.  The winner goes home with a 5,000,000 Euro purse...unbelievable!  Despite the unusually cold temperatures, the races, with its pomp and circumstance, were so different from anything we had seen before, we were completely enamored with every aspect of it.  It was so incredibly interesting to take it all in.

... good to be in the front row =)

We stayed in Paris for two nights and were able to explore the city for a while on Saturday too, when the weather was much more hospitable.  We walked along the Seine River, noticing the French Statue of Liberty for the first time (I didn't even know they also had one!).  Of course we had to see the Eiffel Tower and stayed up to watch the lights again, which went off two hours earlier than our last family trip...thank goodness!  While we waited on the hill by the Trocadero Fountains, the girls ran around and played, we ate ice cream, and I helped Lauren wash off after she stepped ankle deep into a murky mud puddle.  Paris is non-stop things to see and do, so it was nice to just relax in one of the best spots in the city.

After the race, we drove to Falaise in Normandy, where we stayed with Karen's family in her manor.  We drove up in the dark to her home, and seriously could not believe this place.  I don't think you could have wiped the smiles off of our faces because of the complete dreaminess of the property.  Obviously, we couldn't wait to see it in the day.  We stayed in the guest house, part of the 15 bedroom manor (!!!) and it felt so cozy and perfect.  The previous owners used the property as a hotel, so the rooms were so nicely decorated appropriate to the period.  Parts of the home were built in the 9th century and because of this, it was fortified, with thick stone walls, and small holes where you could shoot arrows at approaching enemies (storybook stuff!).  It sat on several acres, complete with a live-in gardener, apple trees, pear trees, vegetable gardens, an old mill, herb gardens, rolling hills and a perfect little stream.  Seriously, I could not make this stuff up.  The stone fireplace in the family room was just the coziest thing I've ever seen.  It was begging for me to curl up and read a book by it.  Karen had a dog and a cat, so between that and exploring outside, the girls were endlessly entertained.  Karen's son, Robert, also spoiled the girls with homemade hot chocolate, bespoke sodas, and games of hide and seek around the house.  

Karen and her mom making a delicious meal

We spent many hours gathered around the fire talking about so much good stuff.  When we weren't doing that, we were all together in the kitchen preparing delicious huge dinners planned by Karen, who could be a professional cook with how amazing everything was.  We had an authentic English Sunday dinner, with beef roast, Yorkshire puddings, cooked carrots, gravy and roasted potatoes.  So, so good.  

We went to the center of Falaise one day to explore the castle of William the Conqueror, the first of the Norman kings of England.  The castle, which overlooks the town from its perch high up on the cliff, is the birthplace of William in the year 1028.  We loved exploring the castle and the city that is its home. 

We are so grateful for the generosity of Karen and her family, opening their doors to 4 crazy kids and their parents for a few days.  We could not have picked a better place to stay and more hospitable people.  They totally made this vacation amazing.

Tower Bridge & The London Temple

A few weeks ago, we spent some time seeing some of the great sights of our city.  Brian hadn't seen Tower Bridge and the Tower of London yet, so we headed south to check it out together (minus Kate, who was at home not feeling well).  The Tower Bridge is so fun to walk across for three reasons- its HUGE, the colors are spectacular, and you can see so much of the city from its perch along the Thames.  This time, we ventured to the very top, where they have a walkway 140 feet above the Thames.  Its a little (or maybe a lot) dizzying to stand over the clear panels and peer down to all of the busy traffic below.  But, the views are fantastic.

We crossed the bridge and walked to the Tower of London on the north bank of the River Thames.  Having been built in the 11th century, its part in English history cannot be overstated.  This huge stone structure is most famous for its prison where many famous beheadings took place (Anne Boleyn, anyone??).  However, our favorite part was exploring the crown jewels.  

Several of the big, modern buildings in London have the best and most interesting names.  This one is nicknamed "The Walkie Talkie" because of its shape

The colors of the Tower Bridge (especially on a sunny day!) are so perfect

I spy St. Paul's Cathedral

At the Tower of London with a Beefeater

Mastering the tube

Lemurs at the London Zoo

Our pretty street ...

This same weekend, Brian got away with half of our girls to head to the zoo.  An easy 10 minute walk from our house and you're there.  We love this zoo because the exhibits are much more open than the ones we are used to in the States.  You really can get up close and personal with many of the animals, which is so fun for the kids.

London is really starting to feel like home now.  We love our flat, our ward is great, and the kids are having the best experiences at school.  Life is very busy and we aren't able to get out and do as much stuff as we did when we first arrived here.  Its just different now.  But, we look back on those first few weeks as total bliss and feel so grateful for the things we were able to do in such a short amount of time.  When we first got here, pretty much everything was new to us- our home, friends, ward, food, and the energy/sounds all around us.  Its funny, the other day, I was sitting on the bus and I heard a typical city noise (a siren I think) that used to make me get all giddy when we first moved, but I don't really hear the city sounds any more.  It made me a little bit sad because I think London has its own street orchestra, if you will. The sounds and energy are always surrounding us.  It made me want to perk up and make sure I keep soaking all of this up because everything about it, even the crazy sounds, are so special.

The London Temple

Our ward had a temple day one weekend.  We took a taxi, to the train, then a mini-bus to the London temple (which isn't technically in London).  The property it sits on is so beautiful and perfectly maintained to true English standards, with gorgeous flowers, lots of lush green grass, a stream, pond and some great trees to climb on.  Our group of adults split into two, so half of the parents could watch all of the kids for the first session and then you trade for the second session so everyone who wanted a chance to attend got it.  The kids loved running around with their friends for a few hours, and the adults got a much-needed spiritual boost!  Perfect.  We loved being at the temple and the perspective it gives you- there really is no place on earth quite like it. And, I love that our kids could spend so much time in such a special place.  We are so grateful that we live close and its pretty easy to get to. 

Our First Visitors + Cambridge

Brian's dad had some business here in London, so both Barbara and Steven made a trip out to visit.  They were our first official visitors and we were so happy to see them!  Barbara pulled some muscles in the back of her leg as they were leaving Dallas (such a bummer!!) and so she was in a wheelchair for part of the trip- we all felt so bad for her, but she was such a trooper to get out and do most of the sightseeing with us!

On Saturday, after Kate's very first English football game, we packed up and headed to Cambridge via train so we could explore the gorgeous city for a few hours.  We had heard great things about this university and were really looking forward to it.  However, the morning (at Kate's game) was pretty yucky out- drizzly and cold- so we weren't sure it would be worth it.  But, the sun decided to come out after all and it ended up being such a beautiful day. 

Punting along the River Cam

We started at King's College Chapel- which is simply stunning and basically serves as the symbol of the city of Cambridge.  It began construction in 1446 and its vaulted fan ceiling (world's largest!) is unlike anything you've ever seen- so ornate.  The massive stained glass windows flanking either side of the nave are incredible as well.

We walked around the perfect grounds- and by perfect I mean, the grass is splendidly cut and elevated above the stone paths, with not a single blade appearing out of place.  Maybe its because you're absolutely not allowed to walk on it that it remains so impeccable.  King's College buildings and the Chapel surround the courtyard, running almost all the way up to the River Cam.

There are 31 colleges at Cambridge so we set out to see as many as we could.  We walked by Queen's, Trinity, St. John's and Magdalene as we made our way to the popular Castle Mound. This is a literal mound, built after the Norman conquest, that overlooks the entire city and once held a castle, whose stonework was recycled for building purposes in the surrounding colleges.  The kids wanted to have a picnic up there and it would have been perfect, if mom and dad had planned ahead!  :)

Castle Mound built in the 11th Century

We wandered back to the River Cam, through the delightfully charming streets so we could go punting!  (A punt is a flat-bottomed boat designed for use in small rivers and propelled by a long pole).  So, the River Cam and punting are pretty much synonymous. Ergo, we obviously HAD to have a go and it was just as perfect as it appears in the pictures, mostly because we had a tour guide/admiral (his words, not mine) who made sure we went through facing the right way and not causing traffic jams.  Word of advice- punting is not for the inexperienced... we saw someone fall in the cold river while captaining his punt as well as people desperately trying to steer while getting knocked on all sides by other boats.  Very grateful for a guide, who not only made our trip smooth, but also told us about the amazing campuses we were passing by.  Every part of the ride was picturesque.

We made our way back home to St. John's Wood late that night.  The next day, we all were able to go to church together at our Hyde Park Chapel.  Brian's Sundays have become very busy, so when we were all together that night, we packed up a picnic of fruit and bread and walked through Queen Mary's Gardens at Regent's Park and ate a delicious dinner on the Crofts' last night in London!

A Quick Trip to Paris

Our bestest friends, the Dardanos, planned Anna's birthday trip to Paris over the long Labor Day weekend and with Paris being just over a 2 hour train ride away, we had to meet them.  We found a great sitter in our ward (thank you Friloux family!!) and caught an afternoon train on Friday to the Paris Gare du Nord station.  We met them at the hotel and it was seriously so fun/exciting/awesome to see them again.  Good friends just do something nice for your soul, but it's even better when you haven't seen them in so long...and then to get together in Paris was a dream!

We made our way to Notre Dame with its impressive facade and the fantastic courtyard full of people, pigeons and the Point Zero.  We went inside and listened to the evening mass and then out and across the street, where we grabbed some much-needed hot cocoa on the chilly day. From there, we wandered over to the Love Lock Bridge and pretty sure we saw nothing on the way because we couldn't stop chatting...its so fun to catch up with Anna- she is seriously so hilarious.

Next, we walked over the Louvre.  We took some hilarious pictures outside in front of the glass pyramid before going inside to see some of the amazing art work, namely the Mona Lisa!  You can't get very close because of the glass, ropes, and hordes of tourists, but now we can say at least say that we have seen the most famous painting of all time!  Lots of selfie sticks in that place.

Wait for it .... 

From there, we went back to the incredibly charming streets of the Ile St. Louis to find some dinner.  After walking for a bit, we settled on a delicious Italian restaurant and ate and laughed to our hearts' content.  We probably could have stayed all night, but we had to see the lights on the Eiffel Tower, right??  Because the lights go off on the hour for five minutes and we pulled up at 11:06 PM, we walked around and then went for dessert at a nearby cafe while we waited for the final midnight showing.  I do not know how Anna and Mauricio were able to stay awake all this time because the jet lag can be so rough, but they managed and it was so worth it.  I love those lights and that place and those people.  

Anna's birthday was the next day so we got up early and had a bike tour of Versailles to go to. But, first things first, FOOD.  We stopped at the yummiest bakery and shared some chocolate and almond croissants as well as some quiche...perfect and so delicious. We caught a train to Versailles, got our bikes and headed straight to the open-air local market to pick up our fresh lunch of baguettes, cheese and fruit.  Crepes and ice cream also made an appearance because, why not?!?

Our bike tour was a full day event, but Brian and I had to leave right before lunch so we could catch our train back to London.  We tried to soak up as much of the gorgeous gardens as we could.  We started at the Petit Trianon and then walked through Marie Antoinette's famous Hamlet, where she attempted to re-create an Austrian peasant's village and it was stunning.  We were so bummed that we had to leave after this, missing most of the tour, but vowing to return because it all looked in-cred-ible.  We were even more bummed that we had to say goodbye to the Dardanos.  It's never enough time with them.  We are already planning our next European adventure together.

The Swiss Alps, Part II

The point of good vacations is to relax a little, so we stayed in our pajamas until after lunch the next day and it felt so good.  We slowly made our way to the Wengen community pool, which was supposed to be heated, but I'm pretty sure they filled that thing with alpine water because it was f r e e z i n g.  Of course, the kids jumped right in.  Brian and I took a little longer (mostly me...I'm a wimp), but we both ended up getting in and jumping off the high jump with Kate, which was so fun and super high.  We played at the pool and park for a few hours and then on our way home, we grabbed some traditional German desserts from the local bakery for after dinner (hello, apple streusel!)

Brian left the pool a bit earlier to hike the "Royal Walk" to get some pictures he'd been wanting. A few below ... they only begin to describe the beauty of this place. It was his favorite hike. 

Top of the Royal Walk looking South towards the three peaks: Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Thank you for pano mode iPhone!

Brian and I wanted to get up early the next morning and get a long run in, covering some ground that might be hard for the kids.  We rode a train to the Lauterbrunnen Valley and started the rough uphill run to Stechelberg along the Weisse Lutschine river that runs from one end of the valley to the other and then back and down through Wilderswil, by Interlaken West.  It was a hard, but incredible run- its always fun to run with your spouse early in the morning and I'm so glad we did it in this place.  

I spent a few hours relaxing while Brian took the girls on a quick hike to see some friendly kittens we had spotted on a run a few days earlier because he knew our girls would love seeing them (he was right).  They also got a great view of the Lauterbrunnen Valley--a view you could never get used to. 

Later, we took everyone back to Stechelberg in the valley to play in some alpine streams in the gorgeous woods.  Poor little Tessa fell in to the freezing water and we had no change of clothes and were far from home.  

We ended up leaving a little early and riding the cable car up to Gimmelwald, on the ridge right above us. Gimmelwald is a step back in time- an old farming community that seems like its been the same forever (and I'm pretty sure it has).  We loved it and the views, again, were something else. After walking through the small town (end-to-end is probably a 5 minute walk) and getting a self-guided tour from the pages of Rick Steves, we found the recommended Mountain Hostel Restaurant, where we had delicious pizza and basked in the perfectness of this place- waterfalls, mountains, valleys, good food, family- does it get any better??  Brian picked up some Magnum bars at the neighboring Honesty Shop (no employees- just a trust that customers will be honest) before heading home for the night.

Taylor ... always seems to find the cats :)

The locals are meticulous about how they stack wood. 

We woke up early to make the 9 AM church at Interlaken an hour train ride away.  I know I've said this before, but I love going to church in new places.  I love seeing new people and hearing it all in a different language.  Its so cool and no matter the wake-up time, it is always worth it.  And, I'm certain that we were blessed on this day because of it... when we were exiting the train, we somehow left our expensive half fare card onboard (allows us half price tickets and the kids to ride for free, saving hundreds of dollars).  We were walking to church when we realized our mistake and the train had surely left the station at this point and gone who knows where.  So, the girls and I headed to church while Brian backtracked to Wilderswil to hopefully intercept our same train on its way back to Lauterbrunnen (if you've ever traveled on the swiss rail system, you know that trains are pretty much packed at all times and finding the train you might have left something on is near to impossible.  And the trains are never stopped and cleaned or searched for lost and found items).  Tracking our fare card down was feeling pretty bleak.  But, Brian hopped on the train back to Interlaken, asked the train managers if they'd seen anything (no, they hadn't), and then miraculously found the very train we had just been on.  He remembered our exact seats and went to it just as some people now sitting there held up the card and asked if it belonged to him!  Amazing.  He had it in his hands and caught a bus back to church, where he was able to catch the rest of the meeting.  

We decided to spend the day in Interlaken after church.  Today was our first day of fog and mist, which actually gave the valley a totally magical, misty feeling with low clouds and chilly weather. We ate lunch in front of the pier at Lake Brienz and then boarded a bus to the Ballenberg Open Air Museum.  Its a thoughtfully constructed real village of over 100 different Swiss homes and structures that you can walk through and learn about Swiss culture in the many different regions of the country. The homes had literally been transported from their original locations to this massive outdoor museum and perfectly fixed up to resemble their original purpose and working condition. It was incredible and we could have and would have spent an entire day here if the weather wasn't so wet. The kids loved seeing all of the farm animals and walking through the homes- we saw a hatmaker making hats, smelled bread cooking, and played old-fashioned games in a Swiss hut.  Then, we topped it off with some real homemade chocolate in a chocolaterie with huge delicious-smelling vats of melted chocolate. Yummy!

The Ballenberg Open Air Museum (and more beautifully stacked wood)

We got ourselves back to Lake Brienz, where we had a ferry ride around the lake planned.  Because of the weather, the boat was empty, the clouds were perfectly wrapped around the surrounding mountains, and the water was the most perfect crystal blue.  This was another favorite of ours.  I feel like a broken record, but the views were unbelievable, seriously unbelievable.  The lush rolling hills, huge mountains, lake chalets and old clock towers popping out around every corner- we were all completely enamored by it.  So glad we did this.

On our last day in Switzerland, we decided to head up to Mannlichen one more time.  Another misty day obstructed any view that high up so we were totally wrapped in fog as you watched the huge clouds rolling over the different parts of the mountains.  We really tried to soak up as much of this place as we could, knowing our trip was sadly coming to an end. We finished it off with our favorite lunch in the main square of Wengen and then took our last train down to the valley and all the way back to Basel.

We marked our map everyday as we explored the Swiss Alps by foot, cable car, by train, and by boat. 

We are so grateful for our amazing trip to the Alps and for the opportunity to live so close to so much incredible beauty.  

The Swiss Alps, Part I

Lauterbrunnen Valley

You know those vacations that you go on and when they are coming to an end, your heart hurts a little to leave?  Wengen was one of those.  Its hard to put into words the amazing things we saw, so I'm going to let the pictures do most of the talking.  

We took a train from Bern to Interlaken Ost, then a smaller, local train to our permanent home for the week, in Wengen, just above the Lauterbrunnen Valley.  The views outside of the large train windows on the way up from the valley were unreal- it was hard to look away because every turn was a new vantage point.  I'm pretty sure everyone on the train had their phones/cameras out trying to capture what can't really be captured.  After arriving in the car-less town (yes, such a thing exists!) and exploring a bit, we were able to check in to our chalet (swiss for "home", right?!).  

Wengen sits on a shelf above the valley and in the shadow of the massive Monch, Eiger and Jungfrau peaks of the Swiss Alps.  Our living room windows framed all of these perfectly- it was a stunning view that I could hardly believe each morning as we walked onto the porch.  The morning held a perfect chill, so we would eat breakfast outside as much as possible, in awe, trying to take it all in.  We feel so lucky to be able to go to such an incredible place and be able to witness such inspiring scenery.

After unpacking, we decided to take an 'easy hike' (as described by Dad) down to the Lauterbrunnen Valley.  Turns out it was a 4 mile straight downhill hike- not so easy on the knees! I felt like I was walking diagonal for the entire thing just to stay upright!  About halfway down, we stopped to feed some goats, which the girls loved and probably could have done all day.  We walked/ran diagonally some more to the bottom, and our shaky knees arrived in Lauterbrunnen (saying it with a German accent is twice as fun... you should try it) and searched for some well-earned dinner.  We stopped at the Hotel Oberland for a very traditional Swiss meal.  Well, the girls had pizza, but mom and dad had rosti (like hashbrowns) with sausage and fondue with bread and potatoes.  I'm pretty sure we capped it off with some nice Swiss chocolate, as you do. (Fun Fact: The Swiss on average eat 22 pounds of chocolate each year, higher than any other country.  We probably came close to hitting that while we were there for 10 days...so good)

The weather reports for the week were a little foreboding , so we thought our first full day might be our only day of sun.  We really packed it in.  We started by riding a cable car to Grutschalp, a train to Murren, then another so-popular-you-felt-sardined cable car to the Schilthorn. Panoramic views of the 3 famous peaks are what make this viewpoint famous and well worth the squished ride to get there.  After walking the sightseeing decks, we decided to hike down the trail from the top for a bit. This was not a wanderweg (easy hike) AT ALL.  Brian led the charge (I should have known better by now!), and the girls were totally up for it, but it was tough and down jagged rocks.  Tessa had me carrying her because she was nervous she would fall off the mountain (obviously it wasn't that risky), so I was hesitant to go very far (what goes down, must go back up kept ringing in my ears).  We took it slow and stopped to sit down and admire the view for a bit.  The girls picked up the rocks and pretended like they were phones (they were flat volcanic-like rocks) and were talking to each other on them- ha!.  We headed back up, and Tessa grew some wings because she FLEW up the jagged rocks and refused to let me help her.  It was so cute to see her bravery after overcoming the initial fear.

Cable car down from Schilthorn to Birg

Birg Overlook

On the way down, we stopped at the incredible and nerve-wracking Birg overlook and then at Murren, to take the funicular to the awesome kids playground at Allmundhubel, where we had a picnic of you guessed it, cheese and bread- which I still dream about and wonder why they don't have for sale here in London!   

Allmundhubel Park

After heading back to Wengen, we took another cable car up to Mannlichen so we could go on the famous hike to Kleinne Scheidegg.  At the top of Mannlichen, you're immediately greeted by the sound of dozens of cow bells- it was the background music of our entire trip to the Alps because you could hear it from almost every valley and mountain top.  Free-roaming cows and goats were dotting the region close to their homes and farms on the steep slopes (storybook stuff, I know). Words cannot do the Kleinne Scheidegg hike any sort of justice- it was a feast for the eyes.  

We woke up the next day to completely clear skies again- when you expect the worst, I love it when those weathermen get it wrong.  Because we were rushed at the top of Mannlichen yesterday, we decided to head back up and let the kids play.  They have the coolest playground at the top of the mountain with slides, swings, a hammock, and even a single bowling lane!  Plus, Taylor, our resident animal lover, really wanted to touch one of the alpine cows.  

Afterwards, we took a gondola down to Grindelwald, on the opposite side of Mannlichen.  We made our way to First (pronounced 'Feerst'), via cable car, where we started our out-and-back hike to Lake Bachalpsee. We saw more goats and cows (I can still hear their bells!) that we could reach out and actually pet...so awesome!  This ended up being my favorite hike of all time...the views were 360 degrees in all directions and were completely breathtaking.  The mountains stretched as far as the eye could see and they were huge- the scale was unbelievable!  The green, lush valleys below studded with chalets only provided a more stark and beautiful contrast.  I could hardly take it all in.  We made it to the crystal blue alpine lake, climbed to the top of a hill in the middle and had the most perfect and picturesque picnic we could imagine. 

view from the hill we picnic'd at

We really, really wanted to do this zipline, but a 2-hour wait wouldn't let us :(