{"id":69,"date":"2011-06-27T00:00:36","date_gmt":"2011-06-27T00:00:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.izaakrubin.com\/travel\/world\/?p=69"},"modified":"2018-12-01T19:11:57","modified_gmt":"2018-12-01T19:11:57","slug":"a-break-and-a-bratwurst","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.izaakrubin.com\/travel\/world\/2011\/06\/27\/a-break-and-a-bratwurst\/","title":{"rendered":"A Break and a Bratwurst"},"content":{"rendered":"

I\u2019m having a real lazy day today, the first one I\u2019ve had since\u2026 Australia? I think. It\u2019s been a while. I slept in late, ate snacks for breakfast, and spent way too much time on Facebook. I realize it\u2019s a gorgeous sunny day outside in Barcelona, but it\u2019ll have to wait until tomorrow \u2013 today is my weekend.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve wanted this break more and more since writing my last blog post. This really came to a head on my birthday, this past Wednesday: I sat down and honestly realized that what I wanted for my birthday was to see some friends and family, not to go see St. Mark\u2019s Square in Venice. Of course, I did go see St. Mark\u2019s Square \u2013 it was our one full day in Venice, and Haruki and I got an early start so we could see the square, the basilica, the campanile, and the Palazzo Ducale. But by about 3pm I couldn\u2019t do it anymore, and I went back to my room and watched two movies on my netbook. It was a real treat for me to just take a couple hours off.<\/p>\n

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Photobomb at Pisa<\/p><\/div>\n

I know this all sounds glum, but let me qualify it by saying that I\u2019m still having a fantastic time on this trip. I\u2019m just starting to feel the strain of this amount and pace of travel \u2013 to put it in perspective, I\u2019ve averaged less than 2 nights in any one place, for the past 11 weeks. At this point, it isn\u2019t so much a lack-of-sleep tiredness as a bones-are-weary tiredness. I love what I\u2019m doing and am incredibly thankful for it \u2013 and I wouldn\u2019t dream of quitting for a moment \u2013 but I\u2019ll also be happy to have some rest and stability once it\u2019s all over.<\/p>\n

Anyway, this \u201cweekend\u201d of mine (which happens to be a Monday) is also a good opportunity to write this next blog post =). So I\u2019ll rewind a bit, and start back on June 19, when Haruki and I packed up and rolled out of Cinque Terre. After a quick lunch, we discovered that our regional train to nearby La Spezia had been canceled. We ended up waiting over an hour for the next train, and missed our connection \u2013 oh well. We still got to Pisa by about 5pm, and did what every good tourist does when they arrive in Pisa: walk over to the leaning tower, take some silly pictures, and leave. After about 20 minutes at the tower, we felt like we\u2019d seen enough. On the way back to the station, however, we got drawn into a restaurant advertising gluten-free pasta and pizza; although we were keen to make like the rest of the tourists and scram (Pisa has sadly little of note besides the tower), it was already 6pm, so we went for it. By 8pm, we were already back on the train headed for Florence.<\/p>\n

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The Duomo<\/p><\/div>\n

We got a later start the next morning, and met up just before lunch at Mercato Centrale, one of Florence\u2019s bigger street markets. Florence is known for its leather products, so I bought myself a new leather wallet as an early birthday present; Haruki shopped for leather jackets, but didn\u2019t ultimately buy one. After shopping we ate lunch at a little mom-and-pop eatery advertising gluten-free pasta =). I\u2019m loving all this pasta! They even had a gluten-free beer, which I enjoyed for the first time since I left home.<\/p>\n

Haruki decided he was too tired to do sightseeing that afternoon, so he went back to his hotel while I wandered around the city. My first stop was the Duomo; designed by Brunelleschi, its dome is completely supported by the walls (no extra supports or beams), making it a major architectural achievement for its time. It\u2019s also yet another building I studied during my history of architecture class, of course. =)<\/p>\n

I could have waited in the long line to go up into the dome or the campanile, but opted to see more of the smaller nearby attractions. I first visited the Duomo\u2019s counter-part museum, which houses its most famous relics and artwork; its main claim-to-fame is Michelangelo\u2019s\u00a0The Deposition<\/em>. Next, I visited a small, dark little church where Dante was married. After that I made a trip to a local supermarket, where for the first time in months I found gluten-free breakfast bars! I got so excited that I bought 12. You can never have too much snack food when you\u2019re traveling.<\/p>\n

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View of Ponte Vecchio from the Uffizi<\/p><\/div>\n

I finally reached the other main tourist center of Florence: the Piazza della Signora and the Palazzo Vecchio. I would have gone to see the Uffizi as well, which is right next door, but our timing in Florence was bad \u2013 our one full day there, a Monday, was the one day of the week that most of the town\u2019s famous museums are closed! Rats. I moved on, and found my way to the Ponte Vecchio, a famous old Florentine bridge (and modern-day shopping center). After a quick walk along the south bank of the river and a few moments to scope out a nearby gluten-free-friendly restaurant, I made my way back towards the hotels and met up with Haruki for dinner. We ended up coming back to the same GF-friendly restaurant I\u2019d just discovered, enjoying some particularly good food and wine, and then calling it a night.<\/p>\n

Determined to see the Uffizi, Haruki and I woke up early the next morning and got to the entrance before the museum even opened. We\u2019d heard that the lines were long, and it was no exaggeration. Even after arriving so early, we had to wait 45 minutes to get in. But at least we did it! The Uffizi is certainly a world-class museum, and I particularly enjoyed seeing its most famous piece \u2013 and my brother\u2019s favorite work of art \u2013 Botticelli\u2019s\u00a0The Birth of Venus<\/em>. What a treat! Once we\u2019d taken our time wandering through the whole museum, we had just a couple hours left to eat, grab our bags, and head for Venice. By dinner time, we\u2019d already had a stroll through Venice and found our way to yet another GF-friendly eatery along the canals.<\/p>\n

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Dairy danger on my birthday =)<\/p><\/div>\n

The next day was my birthday, and I felt obligated to make it a fun day. But with my bones feeling wearier than ever, I ultimately treated myself to a couple hours off in the middle of the afternoon. That night Haruki and I met up for dinner, and I opted to break my dairy-free diet with a panna cotta for dessert. It was exceptionally delicious\u2026 even Haruki, who\u2019s had the dish many times before, said it was the best he\u2019d ever had. Given that I was already being \u201cbad\u201d, I figured I\u2019d keep going and order some with-dairy gelato \u2013 a big bowl with four scoops =). I\u2019d previously been ordering the without-dairy flavors, like strawberry and dark chocolate; this time I went for caramel, mint chip, milk chocolate\u2026 sinfully delicious. I paid the price for it that night and the next day, but no regrets. I loved every bite.<\/p>\n

As I packed up the next morning, I made a horrible realization. At dinner on our first night in Venice, I\u2019d tried to use my GPS to add another marker to the\u00a0Where are we now<\/a>\u00a0map. I\u2019d set it down on the ground next to the table, so it could finish transmitting, and forgot to pick it up. That morning, before heading back to the train station, I ran back to the restaurant and left a note with my email and phone number underneath their closed door. I haven\u2019t heard back from them, so I\u2019m assuming it\u2019s gone for good.<\/p>\n

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Next stop: Switzerland!<\/p><\/div>\n

Bummed, Haruki and I boarded the train for Milan and set off once again. I started to realize that, although it sucked that I\u2019d lost the GPS, it didn\u2019t have to mean the end of the map; I can manually add markers to it if I know the time and location (and I\u2019ve already done this a handful of times before, when the GPS failed to transmit). So now, instead of pulling out the GPS device, I\u2019ll pull out my iPod and write down the exact time and some notes about where I happen to be. Later, once I\u2019ve got an internet connection, I find the latitude\/longitude of the place on a map, and add a marker with the right time and location. So far it\u2019s been working pretty well \u2013 you can\u2019t tell the difference.<\/p>\n

It was time to leave Italy and the GPS behind; after a quick lunch at the Milan train station, we boarded a sleek Swiss train and headed north.<\/p>\n

The differences between Italy and Switzerland are\u2026 many. And very apparent. From the get-go, our train out of Milan \u2013 the one Swiss train in the station \u2013 looked noticeably newer and cleaner than its Italian counterparts. And of course it ran exactly on-time\u2026 it\u2019s the Swiss, after all. But more drastic than the difference in trains was the difference in landscape. Once we got out of Milan, we started going through northern Italy, which was much more hilly but still very lush and Italian-looking: just a little scuffed, but with character. Then, after our last stop in Italy, the train ducked into a tunnel in the side of a mountain and zipped away. Swiss border control agents came through with dogs to sniff everyone\u2019s stuff (no passport control, though \u2013 even though Switzerland is not part of the\u00a0EU<\/a>, they are part of the\u00a0Schengen Area<\/a>). Fifteen minutes later, we suddenly emerged in Brig: steep snow-covered mountains, alpine trees, clean, smoothly-paved roads, and lots of Volvo station wagons. Not quite as much light or warmth either. After a couple more hours and trains, we rolled up to our new home in Lauterbrunnen, at the base of the Swiss Alps just south of Interlaken.<\/p>\n

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Lauterbrunnen in all its glory<\/p><\/div>\n

Lauterbrunnen, and the entire surrounding Jungfrau region, is about as cute as they come. Very, very stereotypically Swiss. I won\u2019t even bother trying to describe it; just do an\u00a0image search for Lauterbrunnen<\/a>\u00a0and you\u2019ll know what I mean. Everything from the landscape to the buildings to the Swiss watch shops\u2026 it\u2019s like it came out of a story-book. Lauterbrunnen, and that whole part of Switzerland, is also very German \u2013 yet another big contrast from Italy. Forget gluten-free pasta and wine, for the next three days it was a combination of rosti (a potato dish that lies somewhere between a latke and hash browns) and bratwurst. And beer, of course\u2026 but no beer for me. Welcome to the land of hearty Germanic mountain food.<\/p>\n

I had a somewhat-surprise waiting for me when we checked in at the hostel: a birthday package from my parents! I knew they were sending me something, but I wasn\u2019t sure what. Much to my delight it turned out to be an assortment of gluten-free dairy-free food: cookies, crostini, biscotti, and granola. YUM! Thanks Mom and Dad! I\u2019ve been slowly nibbling away at it all; what\u2019s left is still sitting here with me in Barcelona =).<\/p>\n

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View over M\u00fcrren<\/p><\/div>\n

After a nice big rosti for dinner (topped with a fried egg), we took advantage of the free in-room wifi and went to bed. The next morning, I got to work on a few pieces of business (\u201cits business time\u201d, anyone?): doing my laundry at the local laundromat\/caf\u00e9, and mailing a massive 8.25lb package of souvenirs back to California. Unlike the last time I mailed a package home, way back in Bangkok, this process was quick, easy, and expensive. The Swiss postal system is the best in Europe (no surprise), and even their cheapest shipping guaranteed to deliver my package in 2 weeks. Talk about a difference from Thailand, where the cheapest option will hopefully get your package delivered in the next 4 months\u2026<\/p>\n

Once I\u2019d taken care of business, Haruki and I took a quick stroll through the Lauterbrunnen Valley and ate lunch. That afternoon we took a cable car up to the town of Gr\u00fctschalp (way up on one of the cliffs overlooking Lauterbrunnen) and then a little train to the town of M\u00fcrren. We walked over to a hill just outside of town, where we had a stunning view of the Alps and the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Amazing! As we passed some cows, clanging their cowbells out in the field, I suddenly had an \u201comg\u201d moment and burst out laughing. There we were, in this beautiful alpine setting, with these happy healthy cows eating grass. And I realized that just 5 weeks earlier, I\u2019d been looking at starving cows eating garbage, on the arid plains of India in the sweltering heat. In that moment, I suddenly felt like I\u2019d seen so much of the world. What a trip, literally and figuratively!<\/p>\n

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Out on a glacier<\/p><\/div>\n

After my little existential moment, Haruki and I started our hike down the mountain and back to Lauterbrunnen. Two hours later, we\u2019d finished the 2800ft descent and were ready for dinner. I was quickly getting tired of the all-bratwurst-and-potato diet, so I opted for a sausage salad instead\u2026 at least this way I got some vegetables\u2026<\/p>\n

Once we got ourselves out of bed the next morning, Haruki and I headed for the train station and bought two tickets to the Jungfraujoch: the highest train station in Europe, way up in the Alps. It\u2019s also a notorious tourist trap; my round-trip ticket, even with the Eurail Pass discount, cost a whopping $150US. Yikes!! Switzerland is a very expensive place \u2013 so far, at least, it\u2019s done more wallet damage per day than any other country I\u2019ve visited. After gritting our teeth and swiping our credit cards, we headed for the mountains. I\u2019d seen a weather forecast projecting sun at the top of the mountain, but boy was it wrong \u2013 two hours later when we got to the top, the only view we had was of blazing-white cloud cover. Aagh! We ate lunch and still at least enjoyed the available tourist attractions, including an Ice Palace and a walk out onto a glacier (where the ferocious freezing-cold winds made me think I might literally blow away). After a few hours we\u2019d done what there was to do, and took the train back down the mountain. We made the most of it, though, and got off at various stops along the way down. At Kleine Sheidegg, a tiny outpost at a saddle-point in the mountains, we took a stroll in a field of wildflowers. And at Wengen, an adorable little tourist town on the cliffs overlooking Lauterbrunnen, we bought some chocolate and just enjoyed the view. We took our time and didn\u2019t get back until dinner, at which point we were ready for a warm meal.<\/p>\n

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A field of flowers at Kleine Sheidegg<\/p><\/div>\n

And, just like clockwork, our time in Switzerland had come to a close. It went by too quickly. We got up early the next morning and headed for Interlaken, where we spent an hour doing some last-minute souvenir shopping, and wandering around the town where my parents got engaged (yep \u2013 way back in 1983!). From there we took the train to the Geneva Airport, where Haruki and I parted ways after almost two weeks of traveling together. His next stop: Poland, where he started his first day at Google today. My next stop, of course, was Barcelona. I got here yesterday evening, wandered around the area near my hotel (Poble Sec), and had ribs for dinner. And today, as you know, was my wonderful \u201cweekend\u201d =). Aside from a brief outing to get some paella for lunch, I\u2019ve thoroughly enjoyed my lazy time here in the hotel room, nibbling on my birthday present food and writing up this post.<\/p>\n

A few last notes:<\/p>\n