Buon giorno & welcome to the 1st blog of the Reitter’s Italian Adventure-- thanks for coming along on our amazing journey! I look forward to sharing our day-to-day experiences, blunders, laughs & discoveries.
We arrived in Europe - Paris - 2 weeks ago today. Paris because, well, it’s Paris :) & it was also the spot where we needed to pick up our long-term rental car. We are rolling in a Peugeot Rifter that had 38 km on it 14 days ago; it now has 2,100. Yeah, we’ve made quite the little Euro road trip…
We had great fun in Paris with one of the most special moments being viewing the Eiffel Tower at night. It is quite spectacular to see her shimmy with sparkle at the top of each hour. The pastries & baguettes were a carbolicious delight & our stay wouldn’t have been complete without a sleeve of Pierre Herme macarons, some frites & a couple visits to our local creperies. Note: we stayed in the Montparnasse district this time & while it wasn’t my favorite neighborhood (the 6th arrondissement remains my numero un) this area is well-known for its abundance of creperies.
My last visit to Paris was 5 weeks after my Mom passed away, in August 2016. It was a time when my heart was devastatingly heavy & my head spun between searing grief & the intensity of clearing out all of my parent’s things before selling their home. I was uncertain about taking a trip abroad, but I also knew a change of scenery could do real wonders & it did. Caiden & I retraced a lot of our steps this time & I smiled at the warm memory of finding joy in wandering Parisian streets, hand-in-hand with my son, amidst an admittedly dark chapter of my life.
We eventually journeyed south & stayed a few days in Dijon, enjoying this quaint town & a ride on the Gran Cru enroute to Beaune for a wine/bike tour. This ‘Burgundy region’ is France’s equivalent to our Napa, with delicious wines (they are known for Pinot Noirs & Chardonnays) & equally exquisite food. Next, was Chamonix. This wasn’t necessarily on the way to our ultimate destination of Zurich, but it was a totally worthwhile detour.
We stayed at this hotel called Rocky Pop in Les Houches, just outside of Chamonix. And, I was so impressed by this place that it’s earning a spot in my blog. This is especially notable because I work in the hospitality industry so very rarely am I truly impressed.
Rocky Pop is not a 5-star hotel, as a matter of fact it’s a 3-star. But if you check it out on Trip Advisor (my travel bible) you’ll see it’s incredibly well-ranked, rated & regarded (my golden 3 R’s), & for good reason. What Rocky Pop has done is choose a theme – a unique & fun theme-- & they ran with it. And they didn’t run a simple sprint, than ran like a full marathon with the schema! You walk in the door & you’re immediately greeted by a life-size C3PO & R2D2 & then round the corner to a well-stocked arcade, refrigerator with sodas & table with coffee & teas - all complimentary (talk about an unexpected, warm welcome!). The rooms have this cruise ship-esque bunk situation & as you come off the elevator you find heavy black draping, theater-style, with electric numbers hanging outside every room. There’s free yoga, a generous happy hour & breakfast, ping pong, billiard & foosball tables & more. I was uncertain about Rocky Pop given that we were about 5 km from Chamonix, but what they (very slightly) lack in location they more than make up for in just plain coolness.
We basked in our day at Chamonix, taking the gondola up, hiking around & watching the paragliders soar beside the towering, craggy mountains. We meandered through the village & I felt oddly at home, likely because it reminded me a bit of Tahoe & my beloved Village at Northstar.
The next day was on to Switzerland with a quick stay-over at Aarberg, a charming town outside of Neuchatel. We booked an Airbnb, which I love to do sometimes. The accommodations are usually cozy & homey & we can end up in off-the-beaten-path spots where no one speaks a lick of English, as was the case here. This just adds to the excitement of the adventure. We pulled over to the side of the road in this rural area & enjoyed taking a few snaps with Swiss cows. They seem fuzzier than American ones & I’m enchanted by the deep ring of the heavy bells they wear around their necks. The Swiss have convinced themselves the cows feel “proud” wearing these ‘mild steel’ accessories, but I’m not so sure. Trying to gnaw grass hearing GLANG, GLANG, GLANG!! all day, every day doesn’t strike me as pride-evoking.
The final leg of our trek was to Kollbrunn & Oberterzen where Stephen’s aunts, uncles & cousins live. I always love visiting his Swiss family & am regularly awestruck by how they interact. Every time they see each other they greet with 3 kisses on alternating cheeks. It doesn’t matter if they just saw one another the day prior, nor does it matter if they’re brother/sister, parent/child, neighbor/neighbor. They also love to talk, just sit & talk, oftentimes with a coffee or small glass of wine. Phones & computers are around, but they’re not present except to perhaps show photos (in 11 days & thousands of kilometers I never saw one European driving & texting!). These people are congenial, kind & HAPPY. They enjoy taking walks, being outdoors & making a meal to share. They don’t need much, things are tidy, orderly, pretty & sensible. Most of all, they make us feel unmistakably welcome, as if our visit means a lot & they cherish our time together.
A highlight of the Swiss Family Days was a visit to the Flumserberg Ski Resort & a ride on the Floomzer mountain coaster. Now THAT was awesome—I’m not sure who squealed more, Caiden or I. We also tooled around Lake Wadlenstat on Uncle Hans’ boat which was a relaxing treat & indulged in far too many cheeses & chocolates.
Tuesday we hit the road around 8:30 am to make our way toward Italy & see our sight-unseen villa, just outside of Florence. The 7-hour drive was scenic, pleasantly uneventful & we enjoyed a stop at a roadside Auto Grill. Here, you can grab a panini, saddle up to the bar & throw back an espresso doppio or even sit at an outdoor table ripping off a hunk of your own baguette, sandwiching some deli meat & sliced Gruyere in between. Picnicking is big in Europe we’ve learned & with good reason. It’s a cheap & easy way to have a meal on the go.
I’m pretty sure I’ve eaten more carbs in the past 14 days than I’ve eaten in 14 months. I feel a hair guilty about it, yet blissful too. I’ve felt the instant slow-down of time & the frenzy of my life at home.
My mother-in-law moved to the United States from Switzerland when she was in her 20’s. Recently, I asked her if she missed it & she said “Europe is like an old man, the United States is like a teenager; I prefer the teenager”. Conversely, I am adoring the old man.
My bella Italia—I await our adventures & learnings & sit with utter awe & appreciation of the journey ahead.
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