The Matterhorn really is impressive

One of the great things of living in Switzerland is that you don’t have to go far to see the Alps.  I can actually see them from my balcony at home. However, you do have to get on a train or rent a car is you want to see the really cool mountains close up.  

This weekend’s conquest was the Matterhorn.

With an elevation of 4,478 meters and a prominence of 1,040 meters, the Matterhorn is one of those mountains that are unmistakable – and they always are covered in snow even in the middle of the summer.  

To get there, you head to Zermatt, and then the fun begins. 

During ski season, naturally, skiing is the thing to do, but in the summer, Zermatt is still pretty busy.  There are numerous hiking trails to pick from.  In fact, there are over 400 km of marked trails around the area. 

I admit some of the trails are a little intense though, as you could be walking straight up a mountain (great glute workout) and down again (not fun for the knees).  Others are more flat and will lead you through the valley, which is amazing in the summer as it’s full of wild flowers. 

What will amaze you though is that even if you are dying while walking up a steep path, some old couple in their 80s will pass you with their little walking sticks and knapsack full of cheese, bread and wine for their picnic at the top.  Swiss genes are truly amazing.

If you are more adventurous, another way to see the area is to hike hut-to-hut.  I haven’t done this yet, but maybe one day.  

All over Switzerland, you’ll see these little huts/houses in the middle of no where.  Some have running water; some don’t.  Basically, you hike all day, spend the night in one of these huts, and then continue hiking in the morning.  I think it’s a pretty civilized way to camp – and you don’t have to lug a tent with you. 

The good news is that it doesn’t matter which trail you pick, you won’t be able to miss the Matterhorn.  Its majestic peak is high above the others.

De-stressing amongst the Lavender Fields in Provence

 One of my favorite books is “A Year in Provence” by Peter Mayle. I read it in my early 20s and at the time, decided I would move to Provence at the age 35 and open up a little bistro from my home that overlooked my imaginary vineyard. As a back up plan, I would paint ceiling murals in homes (apparently, that trend only caught on in my dreams).

My 35th birthday has long come and gone, and I’m still working full time. My dream of a bistro has now evolved to opening a wine bar in my 50s (destination still unknown). In the meantime, I am continuing and quite enjoying my worldwide research on where their amazing wine bar will be.

But I still love Provence -- especially when the lavender is in bloom.

 My favorite part is rolling down the windows of the car and letting the smell waif in as you drive past the fields. It puts me immediately at ease and I forget all the pressures I have. For those few minutes, I am completely in the moment and at the disposal of those purple blooms.

Did someone say road trip?

One of perks of living in Switzerland is that Provence is no longer a once in a lifetime trip. It’s a 5 hour road trip, and sometimes driving 5 hours through the French countryside along really small and winding roads to meet two friends for a girls’ weekend is just what this adventurer’s soul needs.

The destination of this weekend: La Lauren Bed and Breakfast, which is located in the heart of France’s lavender area.

La Lauren is not your average bed and breakfast. It’s a 17th century farm house located right beside a field of lavender. The closest village is Ferrassières and the house is waaaay up a hill so your take in the whole Plateau de Sault. Basically, you get a spectacular view of the country and lavender fields in the distance.

Frankly, it’s magical.

I met my girlfriend and her sister there, and was blown away.

 Immediately, I decided I needed to come back and do weekend of intensive writing or hold a yoga/creative retreat at this house. But a part of me wanted to be selfish and not tell you about it so that I could have it all to myself. Really. This place was better than having champagne and chocolate cake for breakfast. It was decadent.

There’s not much to do in the area, but sometimes that’s the point of a girls’ weekend. We drank French wine, took photos with the lavender (warning….the fields are full of bees and they don’t like you hanging out there), ate amazing food and talked until sunrise.

Because that’s what girls do.

Hiking the Fiery Furnace in Moab

Fiery Furnace in Utah

A natural labyrinth of narrow passages  -- that’s how Arches National Park in Utah describes the Fiery Furnace. Other websites describe the 3-hour hike as an extremely rugged scrambling area.  And then there are the photos of the red sandstone walls and pillars that make up the trail. For a desert lover like me, it’s irresistible.

Then there is the whole limited access thing, which only makes it more tempting.  First of all, they only let 50 people into the area each day.  And getting a permit is difficult as they do sell out – so you can’t just wake up and say “hey, let’s hike the furnace today.” 

Secondly, there is a whole untouched aspect to the Fiery Furnace – mostly because there are no marked trails.  There is nothing like checking the “trail condition” and see the words “nonexistent.” In other words, getting lost is extremely possible - and happens often.

Discovering the Fiery Furnace

I planned to hike the furnace in June - naturally during a heat wave because that's how I roll and a little scorching heat has never stopped me from doing something. And I had a 4 pm flight that day. Both these things meant that getting lost in the Fiery Furnace was not a good option for me.  

Plus, I read on forums that cell phone reception was a little sketchy in the area. 

Thankfully for people like me whose internal compass is not always reliable, there are guides who will take you through the furnace.  

I hired a guy from Moab Hiking (http://www.moabhiking.com) to take me around and he was fantastic.  He had me jumping over crevices, scrambling up rocks and stretching myself over large cracks so that I didn’t fall in. 

We started at 7 am when the park opened and by 10 am it was already 110 degrees so I was happy for early start. The hike is not long in terms of distance, and my guide said he customizes it based on the fitness levels of the person – so less scrambling if you aren’t used to it and more intense if you have been training for a marathon like was.  

However, regardless of your fitness level, the Fiery Furnace is a beautiful hike. 

Getting to the Fiery Furnace

One of the reasons it took me so long to make the trek to the Fiery Furnace is that it is in the middle of nowhere.  From Phoenix it’s an 8-hour drive.  From Las Vegas, it takes 7 hours. And from Salt Lake City it takes a little over 4 hours.  Yeah... it's far no matter how you look at it. 

I decided to do the Grand Junction option. 

There’s a direct flights from Phoenix to Grand Junction.  And from Grand Junction, it’s takes just over 2 hours to get to the Arches National Park and the Fiery Furnace. It's a pretty drive.  I did it at sunrise which made it spectacular.

Because I was arriving at Grand Junction at 9:30 pm and needed to get up at 4:30 am to meet my guide at 7 am, I rented a room through AirBnB.  My host was Pat, a woman in her 70s who is an inspiration to all of us with adventurous heart – and those who want to be.

She’s been a ranch hand and a trail rider.  She’s also an author and a poet.  Anyone who thinks getting old is boring needs to spend a few days with her and you will be cured of that misconception.  Especially when she tells you she just did a horseback riding trip in Australia and had a book published.  

I'm just saying, when I grow up, I’m going to be just like her.

Here’s her airBnB listing: https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/1361015

Stockholm Marathon: Known as that time I didn't train

Waiting for the Stockholm airport bus to take me to the city.

As you know, I run many half marathons and am addicted to Ragnar Relays.  But I've only done one full marathon and that was in January this year while in Dubai (See blog post on Dubai Marathon).

Outside Karolinska Institutet's new lecture hall complex - the Aula Medica where we set up the Tinnitus interview.

That one was surprisingly easy.

Well...maybe not super easy. I'm not going to say that I sailed through it, but I was able to get up the next day and go sailing without feeling any pain.

Stockholm 

So when I went to Stockholm to interview a scientist on the latest tinnitus research on the same weekend as the Stockholm marathon, I thought, "Why not?"

One of the many bridges in Stockholm

Yeah...now that it's over.  I can tell you "Why not." I didn't train.

Apparently, training for a marathon is really helpful.  And you know how they say your muscles will remember? Ha, ha, ha, ha...I think my muscles did remember -- and instead of running, they were thinking "hell, no!".

Beginning of the Stockholm Marathon

So did I complete it? Absolutely!

In Dubai, my time was 4 hours and 29 minutes. So I figured this time, I should run with the 4:20 team.

Remember, I have not trained as it's been a rainy spring in Switzerland and I've been traveling for work a lot.  But, I am obviously a little delusional about how fit I am.

These were people who were still running after I was done. They look as miserable as I felt.

So off I went.

I'm going to tell you straight off that the Stockholm course is a little harder than the Dubai course.  First of all, it's not at sea level.  Secondly, they have hills and bridges. Thirdly, they have wind. All three of these are excuses for why I sucked, but I'm sticking to them.

Surprisingly (maybe it's because I'm too stubborn to admit defeat), I did keep up with the 4:20 pacer until about Mile 18. Then my legs decided they were done with this and I had to slow down to the 4:30 pacer...and then at Mile 23 to the 4:40 pacer.

By then, I no longer cared about my time. I just wanted it to be over...but wait... what was that coming up? Another stupid bridge with a hill? Man.

There was also a can of beer which I left at the pick up area and a protein shake which I drank hoping it would miraculously take away my pain. Nope. Just loaded with empty calories.

I finished the race, but barely.

Then I had to walk the 2 miles home which were the longest two miles in history. Really. You know those stories about how your grandpa had to walk 2 miles in the snow, dragging 50 pounds of books with him? Well, this was harder. I had to drag my tired butt home AND a bag of free race goodies.

My only condolence was that I got to walk past all the runners who were still running (suckers!!!). They looked as bad as I felt - thankfully.  I really do love company when miserable.

Thankfully, Stockholm is a great place to sit and watch people - when your legs no longer want to move.

The next day, I was still feeling the marathon. I could barely walk and when trying to jaywalk across the street, I told my legs to run, and they refused.  Running was no longer an option. I didn't just hit the proverbial marathon wall; it collapsed on me and pinned me down. I was going to have to move in painful slow motion if I was going to move at all.

On the bright side, my interview with Chris Cederroth and his returned turned out fantastic.  See below.

The Gaudi Weekend in Barcelona

Le Pedrera

I’ve been to Barcelona a few times and each time I go, I try to see a different area – or a different aspect of what the city has to offer. I’ve already exhausted the Rambles and Gothic Quarter. And I’ve done the whole shopping thing. What I hadn’t done yet was see all the amazing Gaudi architecture.

Close up of the ironwork on Le Pedrera.

When my girlfriend said her parents were visiting and asked if I was free for the weekend, I had to say “yes.” I’ve been wanting to meet her parents for a while and hanging out with them during the their first visit to Spain would be a blast. 

This time instead of staying in a hotel, I chose to rent a room through AirBnB that was located in the Paseo de Gracia area (this is the listing link). This is Barcelona’s biggest shopping street and has all the designer shops. There are also a bunch of great cafés and restaurants along the side streets, which make it fantastic location for those who want to be in the heart of the city without being a whole load of tourists.

However, I didn't know any of this. I booked this spot because it was beside the Casa Mila (aka Le Pedrera) - one of my favorite Antoni Gaudi buildings.

This unique wavy building was designed by Gaudi between 1906 to 1912 and is still as surreal today as it most likely was over a 100 years ago.  I had studied this building during my art degrees, but nothing comes close to seeing it in real life.

When I was searching for my AirBnB room, and saw it, it was seeing a celebrity.  You think you know it, but you never really think it would be that amazing in real life.

outside the Sagrada Familia

This was the beginning of my Gaudi Weekend – and a bonus Gaudi addition to the agenda.

 Once I met up with my girlfriend and her family, we started our true adventure into his architecture beginning with la Sagrada Familia - another architecture celebrity wonder.

Inside the church. Does it not look like a futuristic forest?

Construction started on this basilica in 1882 and when Gaudi died in 1926 (he was hit by a truck), it was only a quarter complete. Construction has continued slowly throughout the years, but with Spain not exactly bursting with money, even today it’s still not finished.

So full of light and color - amazing.

The Sagrada Familia really needs to be seen to be appreciated. The outside has Gaudi’s unique style to it, but inside, it will blow you away. It’s highly futuristic and when you consider it was designed in the 1880s, you will be in awe of his creativity and vision.

It's like it should be in a Doctor Who episode or scifi flick.  It's not like any cathedral you have ever seen. And when you consider that Baroque was the rage in the rest of the world, this church would have been highly risky.

I didn't comprehend why he had these leaves until I was inside and realized he was trying to convey a heavenly forest canopy.

What amazed me was how he wanted the inside to be like a forest leading up to the heavens and when you look at the structure of the columns and the designs within, you do feel like you are in a type of forest.

Park Guell - another dreamland of Gaudi's mind

From there, our weekend of Gaudi continued as we took a taxi to Park Guell.

House in Park Guell

Park Guell's construction began in 1900 and like the basilica it was never completed.  It was designed to be a neighborhood for the affluent in the area, but again money ran out.

The one home that was built is incredible and looks like something from a Dr. Suess book. I think the Who's of Whoville would approve.

Flamenco show in Barcelona

There are more Gaudi buildings, but on our one day tour that's all we could squeeze in.

Could this mean I need to go back to Barcelona? Maybe. Never can say "no" to Sangria and tapas!

The beauty of Prague

Main square in Prague

Prague is everything people say it is and more. When I visited it, I didn’t expect it to be so modern and trendy. In the James Bond film, “Casino Royale,” the shots with their red carpets and old hotels, made the city feel like it was stuck in time in the 1940s. But you'll find its a trendy and sophisticated mix of the classics and modern architecture, food and style. 

Photo crashing a wedding. She was so beautiful in the early morning in her gown.

Prague has somehow managed to take the best of the modern world while still keeping its charming old world appeal, which made it even better than what I expected.

It was also safer, cleaner and friendlier - although the taxi drivers will pretend their credit card machines don't work, but that also happens in Miami and Paris.

John Lennon's wall

Random wanderer or guided tour?

So do you need a tour guide? No…not really. You can wonder the streets, the old Square and most of the sights quite easily.   As mentioned earlier, it's also pretty safe.  However, in the Old Square, you will find a lot of restaurants geared toward tourists and shops full of souvenirs.  Not much else.

One of the many arched streets in Prague

But you will also find amazing architecture.

I recommend going early in the morning (before 9am) if you want to get good photos and have the Charles Bridge to yourself. After 9am, the square and the popular tourist sights are packed – really packed.

Notice the lack of people. I was up at 7am and had the place to myself.  Also note the English on the wall. You know this is going to be tourist haven.

That being said, Prague has a lot of history and that is where a tour guide can come in handy. Unless you read up on your own beforehand, you’ll miss details and the importance of some of the buildings and statues. 

The medieval astronomical clock located in Prague's Old Square. The clock was first installed in 1410, making it the third-oldest astronomical clock in the world and the oldest one still operating.

 

Getting a tour is easy. There are two free walking tours a day (the guides are paid in tips) that start in the Old Square, and then there are numerous other tours – from Segways and bicycles to bus tours.

Food and beer in Prague

Speaking of tours…there are a number of beer tours available. These can range from pub crawls to visiting and beer-tastings in nearby breweries. There is even a monastery that makes its own beer.

Potato pancakes

 

Unfortunately, I’m not a beer drinker so these were wasted on me. I did try local wine and must admit, it was not fantastic (the server did warn me, but still I had to try). 

What I did try and what was fantastic were potato pancakes with sauerkraut. These were soooo incredible. I normally don’t like potato pancakes. My mom used to make them for us when we were kids and I always felt like we were being punished for something when they appeared on my plate. I ate them, but they sucked. I now know that not all potato pancakes are the same. They can be great. (sorry, Mom.)

Prague at night

Prague transforms into a different city in the evening.

The castle, which looks like so many other castles during the day, becomes magical. It in the moonlight it could be home of Dracula…or a Disney Princess. It dominates the square and sets the mood that you are in for an amazing evening.

 

The streets are still full of people at night, but the vibe is different and less crowded. There are a lot of jazz venues and live music places. The bars come alive and the people - local and tourists open up to conversation.

With a castle like this and the moonlight, you know it can only lead to a night to remember.