Category: English

Today we drove on a sunny day to Grindelwald, where we were supposed to go hike on the north wall of the Eiger glacier. However, due to a navigation mistake, our drive took much longer than expected. Also, when we arrived to Grindelwald, it turned out that the trail is closed ahead of time because of the heavy snow of the last few days. So this turned out to be a driving day mostly, but with great scenery on the way and also a lovely time in beautiful Grindelwald.

Tomorrow we will try to do a different hike at lower heights, where trails are still open.

It was snowing when we got up this morning in Saas Fee. J stayed at the hotel to telecommute while I tried my luck going on the trail we wanted to do. As the cable car which was supposed to take me to the trail’s starting point wasn’t operating (ski season is coming), I tried to walk up to the place myself (on a well-marked trail.) The hike up was challenging but also beautiful – going through a snow-covered forest. But as I got closer to the cable car station the wind became stronger and the temperatures dropped. I then decided to head back to the hotel.

For lunch time we went up the cable car that skiers use and got up to 3500 meters, where we got to go into the nearby glacier. It was a very beautiful first experience for me – being 10 meters deep inside ice.

Tomorrow we’re going to Grindelwald to walk on the trail of the Eiger glacier.

(delayed post for October 24)

We started a hike in Zermatt, which is near the famous Matterhorn peak. Visibility wasn’t good in the Matterhorn, so we skipped the cable car ride up. The hike is one of the top 32 hikes in Switzerland, and for a good reason – it combines beautiful mountain scenery, forest trails and lakes, all at over 2km high. You can see it in the pictures and videos.

We are already in our next ski resort, Saas Fee, where I will go on a hike alone tomorrow as J has to telecommute.

Today we went to Chamonix (in France), a ski resort from which we wanted to get on the cable car to go up to Mont Blanc. But not only was there no visibility, the place was already closed when we got there. So we continued driving to our next destination – Zermatt, another ski resort which will be our base for a hike.

Today I only have pictures from the road to Zermatt. The road had some very beautiful scenery.

Today I went walking about the streets of Geneva. It was a beautiful day – cold in Israeli terms, but I was well prepared and properly dressed. The city is very beautiful and the atmosphere is very relaxed. I walked through the old city, then around the lake and the famous Jet d’Eau fountain, of which I took too many pictures that I had to sort through (see below.)

Later we ate an very delicious dinner at a restaurant with J’s brother and his wife. Such social encounters always make me a little anxious but again turned out to be a great experience – I had a really good time with them.

I arrived at Geneva airport around 11pm, met up with J, who picked me up from the airport, and we drove through the UN buildings complex (where she works) to the hotel. The scenic drive along the lake’s shore was very beautiful and I’m looking forward to walking around the streets of Geneva tomorrow while J is working, hoping that today’s nice weather will continue.

That’s it for today. Good night.

(This is a delayed post for October 2)

There isn’t much to say about today. I drove from Dubrovnik to Cavtat, a nice beach town, where I walked around and rested for a few hours. Then to the airport.

I’m now at the airport, waiting to board the plane. I really dislike this part of trips – hearing Hebrew all around me and being reminded of the reality I’m going back to. Oh well.

Until next time.

(There aren’t any pictures or videos from today. I have enough of those beach/marina/sunny days pictures.)

I drove to Dubrovnik first thing in the morning and started an unnerving search for a place to stay that is reasonably priced and has a parking spot. Parking, apparently, is a big issue in Dubrovnik, just like any other major city. I nearly gave up and drove away when I finally found an appropriate place, and I’m glad I did.

Dubrovnik’s old city is a beautiful place to walk around, whether it’s inside (a pedestrian only zone) or on its walls. I did that for a few hours and then went up the cable car for a beautiful view of the area. My friends from 2 days ago were right, though – there’s nothing else to do here and had I come here for another day I would have been bored out of my mind.

Tonight I’m going to try and go to a local club where they play electronic music. I wonder if they’ll let me in – I have no idea what the dress code for a club here is (or in Israel, for that matter :)

Tomorrow night is my return home. I already feel the reality of going back to normal life weighing on me. But I still have a few days vacation left this year and I intend to make good use of them, maybe even sooner than I expected :)

(This is a delayed post for September 30)

I went straight to Krka National Park hoping to find hiking trails. I was disappointed to find out that the only walking trail they had was an hour and a half long. I did it anyway. Krka is the under-privileged, over-commercialized little sibling of Plitvice Lakes National Parks. Everything is smaller and more expensive in Krka. Still, it was nice.

I then told my GPS to avoid toll roads and it took in the direction of Dubrovnik on the coastline road, which is an amazingly beautiful scenic road with many places to stop and look at the gorgeous Croatian coastline. I decided that I can’t just take pictures from above and went into one of the small towns that has a beach. I sat there for lunch and dipped my feet in the cold and clear water of the Adriatic Sea.

Later I drove to Ston, a small oyster-cultivating town which has a big wall going from it to Mali Ston, the neighboring town. I saw the wall and immediately decided I want to walk it. I made a little exercise out of it and tried to go as fast as I could. It wasn’t easy – the wall is located on a mountain side (and I also stopped for pictures :)

Eventually, after I couldn’t find a place to stay on a beach at a close-by location, I found a place in Ston. Tomorrow I’ll go to Dubrovnik for my last two days of this trip.