In the beginning...

It all began when I got my passport.  Last summer.  A bit about that.  Some say that they have to wait weeks for their passports.  Thanks to Theresa Ratti (she told me this secret), I had an unbelievably fast return on my passport--and I didn't even need it to go anywhere at the time.

Here's the secret.  When you get all your documentation and your pictures and your money, it's time to turn in your application.  Do not go to the post office.  Do not go to the Maricopa County records in the south Mesa area.  The place to go is downtown Chandler to City Hall.  Their passport office has its act together.  I didn't pay any kind of expedite fee and mine came to me all completed in the mail in 8-10 days.  Naturally, if you really need it, yours will take longer, Murphey's Law and all. 

So, now I was armed and dangerous with a passport.

Hail, hail, the gang's all here

My two travel companions will show up periodically in various locations--until I get tired of it.  lol  First is Howler, a little grey wolf.  He is from when I took yearbook kids to summer journalism camp.  There is a wolf preserve outside of Colorado Springs and we loved to take the tour there since you get to interact with actual wolves.  NOT domesticated.  Very cool.  I recommend it.  So he's a long to bring my past of travel and teaching with me on my journey.  

My other mate is Mate.  He is a stuffed primate that Holly brought to me when I was in the hospital last summer having all my internal organs taken out. (OK, they left a few in.)  Mate--named by Holly--is along on the trip and he is the family.  My family is with me through him.  Silly, I know.  That's the group.

What's new, pussycat?

My journey began with the airplane ride.  I flew KLM (Dutch airlines which is run by Delta in USA) and I changed planes at JFK in New York City; flew across the Atlantic to Amsterdam and changed planes again; and then flew to Zurich.  (My luggage made it!  Woohoo!!!  Two plane changes made me doubtful.)

I had flown to JFK before several times, so that wasn't new.  I had a sense of unchartered territory taking off from JFK to cross the ocean.  I had never done that.  Such a sense of wonderment. That flight took 6:40 and I'm not a fan of reclining in the seats since I think it is rude--it takes up so much space from the person behind you.  But I wasn't able to sleep and when I finally reclined my seat, out went my light almost instantaneously.  This trip has already taught me something and changed my original thinking!

I also won the two-mile dash in the Amsterdam Airport.  The flight from JFK was delayed taking off for an hour.  My layover to make my connection was 1 hour 35 minutes.  The flight attendants told the other passengers to stay seated while we who had a connection grabbed our belongings and ran out the plane door.

Thank goodness for Curves!  I was jogging through the airport, scared that I'd miss the flight.  I didn't.  Whew!  Btw, Ronald Reagan's son, John, was also on my flight sitting across the aisle and he was making the same dash I was.  He talked with me and watched out to make sure I made it OK. 

What did I do today?

Today was all about getting from Zurich to the Hotel Jungfrau which has a stunning view of Jungfrau (which means young girl), a peak which is known as The Top of Europe--tallest peak in Europe.  

Graciously, the landlord of the apartment I will be staying in Sep. 1 met me at the airport when I landed and was hugely instrumental in getting me to the Alps.  After he showed me the apartment, he gave me instructions for the five changes of trains I'd have to make to get there.  

The Swiss train system has the most on-time performance in the world.  There was a big concern a few months ago when a study revealed that their average time range was 3 minutes.  They pride themselves on working like clockwork and being invariably punctual.  
That is why my landlord was able to tell me where to be and how soon the next connection would be.  I made them within minutes.

Interlocken (the lake)

A pretty village from the train to Bern.

So, I'm dragging my luggage from train to train and I got to see some beautiful sights. The ride from Zurich to Bern took about 1.5 hours.  The really cool thing I got to take was this cable car up from Lauterbrunen to Murren.  It literally went up the side of the mountain.  You can see the village we just left.  Amazing! 

 At the end of the day...

I made it to my hotel after more than 30 hours of traveling and I was the queen of bleary-eyed travelers.  A little girl even pointed at me and laughed.She was a cutie and I was beyond caring so I smiled back.  A two-hour power nap and I was ready to shower-up for my four-course dinner.  That's when you find out the things you didn't bring.  I gave myself the brush-off.  ;)  I did not bring my toothbrush nor my hair brush.  The front desk gave me a toothbrush, but there as not a comb or brush to be had.  Now you get to see the spikey and odd hairdo that I went to dinner with.  Thank goodness for Karen Loomis (my hairdresser) and the recent very short haircut for the trip!

Good night!  Hugs!

 

Did I mention that I'm enjoying the most sumptious bar of chocolate right now?   Yum Yum.