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I'm too tired to do much more than quickly post some photos from our great day here in Engelberg. We started the day with a trip up Mt. Titlis (10,000') where we slipped and slided through the snow, dodging tourists, taking photos, and generally being awed by the views that are one of the reasons we came this way. It really was spectacular. After a sunny lunch partway down the mountain, we crossed the valley and took a hike that, to us flat landers, was a tiny bit challenging. Dinner and drinks, including the most expensive shot of rum I've ever paid for, and we're ready for bed.
Tomorrow we're off to Lugano.
Mt. Titlis, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Paragliders were everywhere.
Mt. Titlis, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Mt. Titlis, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Mt. Titlis, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Mt. Titlis, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Mt. Titlis, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Mt. Titlis, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Lunch on Titlis
Mt. Titlis, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Mt. Titlis, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Feeling pretty good
Above Engelberg, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Above Engelberg, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Above Engelberg, Switzerland, 5/26/16
Yesterday was a rainy day in Luzern so we headed off to the Transport Museum. We had heard that it was worth it and we had heard correctly. Lots of old trains (who knew the Swiss were pioneers in developing the technology to convert electricity to mechanical energy? Besides the Swiss, I mean.), old (and new) cars, and old (and new) planes. They even have some space related stuff there. All-in-all it was an interesting way to spend a dreary day.
Later we had our first meeting and meal with our tour group. Since this is the inaugural “Best of Switzerland” tour there will be…wrinkles, which just serves to keep us on our toes. Yesterday there was an issue with the original meeting room they booked for our orientation, so we met on one of the many tour boats for a “Cruise To Nowhere.” We never left the dock. After a short walk to see the Lion (see below), we had a nice dinner in a small restaurant and then called it a day.
Enjoy the photos!
Transport Museum, Luzern, Switzerland, 5/23/16
Remind anyone (ahem…Karen) of The Amazing Race?
Transport Museum, Luzern, Switzerland, 5/23/16
This one's for Brady!
Transport Museum, Luzern, Switzerland, 5/23/16
Some of their inclines are so steep they utilized custom cars. We could have used this the other day going up and down Mt. Rigi.
Transport Luzern, Switzerland, 5/23/16
The famous Lion of Luzern.
Luzern, Switzerland, 5/22/16
The day before we saw lots of folks sailing. Looked like a lot of fun. Nice backdrop, too.
Today was our first full day in Switzerland and, despite all of the forecasts I'd looked at, it turned out to be a beautiful day and perfect for an outing. So we took a boat trip, then a ride up a cog wheel train, and found ourselves at the top of Mt. Rigi (1798m, 5899'). The train was pretty interesting. At times it was so steep that the folks sitting on the uphill side (me) had to brace themselves to keep from sliding out of their (my) seat.
The peak was a different world from the warm lake cruise we had enjoyed. Strong winds and chilly temps (at least to us Floridians) made it … invigorating. But the views, oh, the views. Wow.
We walked about the top and then hiked a few miles down the mountain, stopping for lunch and a beer on the way. When you consider that a flight of stairs is normally a significant altitude change for us, this walk was a warm up for things to come. It was wonderful.
The path was crowded with young and old. Extremely well maintained, there were many benches to enjoy the views, fireplaces pre-stocked with wood to cook your lunch, and vistas around every corner. It was great and our legs are feeling every foot of it. Totally worth it. We earned our beer/wine tonight!
The photos below are just a meager sample of what I shot today. Damn, we're having fun.
Mt. Rigi, Switzerland, 5/22/16
Mt. Rigi, Switzerland, 5/22/16
Mt. Rigi, Switzerland, 5/22/16
Lunch was tasty, and what a view!
Mt. Rigi, Switzerland, 5/22/16
Mt. Rigi, Switzerland, 5/22/16
Some people are more interested in taking selfies than where they are. I can't tell you how many times we saw this kind of behavior. To each their own, I suppose.
All ages were up there and on the trails, from younger than this fellow to significantly older than us. The really tiny hiking boots we saw are awfully cute.
Mt. Rigi, Switzerland, 5/22/16
These benches were common and a nice place to catch some alpine rays.
3 hour drive to Miami
10 hour flight to Zurich
75 minute train to Luzern
10 minute walk to the hotel
Total: 27 hours since our heads left a pillow
View from our hotel room: well, just see below:
Luzern, Switzerland, 5/21/16
In the photo below, our hotel is the building with the flag. Stay tuned, we've only been here an hour and we already realize it's going to be awesome!
Luzern, Switzerland, 5/21/16
5/20/16, Florida (for now)
We have a significant trip coming up next spring/summer (stay tuned) that will require us to spend a lot of time carrying all of our gear about for a couple of weeks. I have reached a point where my DSLR gear is just too damn heavy for me to lug about for any extended periods. I had told Patti that the next trip that involved that type of situation would require a new camera/lens that was: a) significantly smaller, b) significantly lighter and c) capable of taking the type of pictures that I want to take with the type of control I’m used to.
I bought a new camera last week.
It’s an Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mk2 with a 12-40 (24-80 35mm equivalent) f2.8 lens. It’s also small, light and full of features that I didn’t even know I wanted. I have about 6 months to get comfortable with it before we head overseas so I have hit the ground running. As I type this we are in an absolutely beautiful VRBO in Harlem celebrating my wife’s birthday with family & friends. This birthday happens to end with a zero so this trip has been planned for quite awhile. Needless to say we’re having a blast and I’m exercising the camera as much as possible. I’ve attached some shots from today for your pleasure. These are all straight out of the camera with zero modifications.
I like my new camera.
Central Park on a beautiful December day, NY, NY, 12/5/15
Fish counter at Zabars, NY, NY 12/5/15
Central Park North, NY, NY, 12/5/15
Harlem Church, NY, NY, 12/5/15
Santa Claus boarding the subway, NY, NY, 12/5/15
I’ll try (almost) anything once.
Playa Grande, Costa Rica, 3/9/15
During our week in Costa Rica we had a front row seat to some excellent surf, at least compared to what we’re used to seeing. I even dragged these bones out with my niece and nephew and took a lesson. I told the instructor that I will go out “until I hurt myself.” I was out for much longer than I expected. I was out for long enough.
The instructor told us that a big swell was heading our way on Thursday and that the spot where those in the know would be was just down the beach from our house, so I headed out there that morning and tried my hand at shooting surfers (in the photographic sense). It was fun. And, man those people had a good time too!
Playa Grande, Costa Rica, 3/12/15
Playa Grande, Costa Rica, 3/12/15
Playa Grande, Costa Rica, 3/12/15
Playa Grande, Costa Rica, 3/12/15
Playa Grande, Costa Rica, 3/12/15
Playa Grande, Costa Rica, 3/12/15
Playa Grande, Costa Rica, 3/12/15
This one's for Bill. If Patti's really lucky, he'll comment.
(I'm off to a surf lesson…more later!)
The blue line is our path on the Moorea day trip on 9/26/14
As I mentioned last time, while we were on Moorea we took a 4X4 tour of the island. After seeing the photos and doing some research, this rapidly rose to the top of my “must do” list, particularly since the majority of tour time would be spent aboard ship. It was a good call. On our first morning we walked directly across the street to Alberts Tours and hopped into the open back of a Land Rover on facing benches where we would spend the next few hours bouncing around the island on sometimes dicey roads seeing the sights. First stop was the Hilton where we picked up 3 other couples for the morning: a retired couple from Michigan, newlyweds from New York and a young couple from Australia. (Interesting note: of the 6 people we picked up, 4 were chemical engineers.) The map above shows the path we took that day. We drove by Cook’s Bay and Opunohu Bay, drove to the top of Magic Mountain and the Belvedere, saw a bunch of agriculture, stopped at a pearl store and learned a whole bunch. Random fact: Captain Cook did not anchor in Cook’s Bay but in Opunoho Bay. So much for logic.
All in all we had a great day that was totally worth the investment in time and money. I took some beautiful pictures and spent an enjoyable morning with some interesting fellow travelers.
Patti says:
Yeah, it was a fun tour and we learned a lot. For instance, if you are prone to motion sickness, take Dramamine beforehand. This was a lesson learned the hard way. I was unable to enjoy the beautiful view from the Belvedere, the architectural site or the presentation on pearls. Fortunately I did not embarrass myself in front of all the tourists (or gross them out either) as the pearl shop had a conveniently located restroom.
The Paul Gauguin cruise ship anchored in Opunoho Bay, Moorea, 9/26/14
View of the lagoon from Magic Mountain, Moorea, 9/26/14
View of a lagoon pass, Moorea, 9/26/14
View of the Agricultural Lycee (Agricultural School/Station), Moorea, 9/26/14
Pineapple field, Moorea, 9/26/14
Interior shot of lush land & beautiful mountains, Moorea, 9/26/14
Interior shot of lush land & beautiful mountains, Moorea, 9/26/14
The view from the Belvedere, Moorea, 9/26/14
When we finally determined that the bareboat cruise around the islands of French Polynesia was actually going to happen, we started researching the logistics of the issue. Patti eventually decided to talk to a travel agent (yup, there still is such a thing!) and we hooked up with Uschi at Crossroads Travel. We had several back and forth conversations where we discussed what we were doing (sailing with family & friends) and what the best way to execute would be. At one point Uschi said, “This is a bucket list trip, right? Then you need to spend some time ashore either before or after your sailing.” We gave that the thought process it deserved (about 20 seconds) and responded “OK!” And that is how we found ourselves at the Moorea Pearl Resort for three nights and, holy crap, was it ever the right decision.
Our (very) private pool, The Pearl Resort, Moorea, 9/25/14
One thing needs to be said up front: we are not usually “high end” travelers. It’s not like we scrimp on our comforts, but usually a clean room and decent meals meet our needs. That being the case, we can honestly state that a) the Pearl rocked and b) if we ever find our way to Moorea again we will be staying there again. The staff was exceptional, the facilities beyond comfortable (our room had a private pool!) and the meals delicious. There were enough recreational activities to satisfy the most energetic of guest (which was NOT us) and plenty to do on the island itself. We didn’t begin to touch the extent of the possibilities.
So what did we do with our three days on Moorea? Well, we took a 4×4 tour of the interior (more on this in the next post) during which I took a ton of beautiful shots, had a lovely sunset dinner at the Moorea Beach Cafe (yum!), spent a lazy morning under the big shade tree next to the Pearl’s infinity pool and wandered through the nearby village of Maharepa. A true highlight, not just of our time on Moorea but of the entire trip. was our dinner with Dr. Michael Poole and his lovely wife Mareva.
Before we left Florida we mentioned to some friends that we were going to Moorea. They said, “Oh, we have a friend there.” Turns out that our friend’s college roommate became a marine biologist, moved to Moorea many years before and is now the expert in French Polynesia on humpback whales and spinner dolphins. He offers eco-tours where he takes folks out to actually see the whales and is well known as the premier guy for this type of thing, so much so that Patti had already heard of him before we discovered this “small world” link. Although, due to circumstances out of anybody’s control, we couldn’t take the tour, Michael and Mareva picked us up at the Pearl, took us to the Hilton Resort where he gave a talk, and then we went out for a great meal and excellent conversation. One of my biggest regrets from the trip is that I took zero photos of this wonderful couple. Oh well, yet another reason to return.
After three days we flew to Raiatea and hooked up with our shipmates at the Hawaiki Nui Hotel, where we received an upgrade to an overwater bungalow! It was a beautiful experience to lie in bed and watch the sun rise over the Pacific. We had an interesting dinner with the entire crew, enjoyed a cocktail or two and got ready to board the boat!
Next time: inland on Moorea.
The Pearl Resort poolside, Moorea, 9/25/14
Patti chilling by the pool, The Pearl Resort, Moorea, 9/27/14
An overwater bungalow, The Pearl Resort, Moorea, 9/27/14
Overwater bungalows, The Hawaiki Hotel, Raiatea, 9/28/14
The Admiral & Captain on our bungalow deck, The Hawaiki Nui Hotel, Raiatea, 9/28/14
Poolside at the Hawaiki Hotel, Raiatea, 9/28/14
Sunrise over Huahine (in the distance) from our bungalow, Raiatea, 9/29/14
The World as We See It 