Next stop… Switzerland!
I know people say it all the time, but it is crazy how life turns out. It is crazy to think that I had the guts to apply AND receive a PhD position thousands of miles away from home. I left a state I knew all my life, and a city that I called home for 6 years. Even while living in Pittsburgh, it was so easy to travel home for a weekend visit or even a day trip. I moved to a city and a country that I’ve called home for over two years now. Living abroad has allowed me to travel to new destinations, experience new cultures and people.
Recently I visited a friend who is living in Bern, Switzerland. It’s funny because this friend happened to go to the same college and she was also a part of a collegiate sport. Although we were two years apart, played different sports, and had different majors, as an athlete, you are constantly surrounded by the other players from other teams. I’m sure we crossed each others paths multiple times a week. Long story short, it wasn’t until March of 2017 that we connected over Facebook because of her health and fitness journey she was posting about. Transitioning from being a collegiate athlete to a “regular” person kind of hit a lot of us in the face. You are no longer on daily workout schedules, able to eat all those carbs you will burn off during hours of practice, and you no longer have your family of teammates there for you on a day to day basis. Seeing D’s journey inspired me to reach out and join one of her challenge groups. Our relationship grew from just being a challenger in one of her groups to becoming great friends. I know social media can consume our days and in a way rot our brains, but I’d say it was a blessing to make a friend with some of the same personal, health and fitness goals.
Delaney moved to Switzerland in October to play professional volleyball. With her 6 month contract, weekend games, and my travel plans, we decided that a visit sooner rather than later would be best! So, mid week travels to Switzerland it was! From Oslo to Brussels, Brussels to Geneva, and Geneva to Bern. I finally made it!
Welcome to the capital of Switzerland!
Federal Palace of Switzerland
Strolling through the Christmas Markets!
We made sure to get our pastries and vin chaud! Vin chaud is the name for the mulled wine in Switzerland. It was just what we needed to stay warm while we wandered around browsing the different market booths.
From Bern to Geneva…
I stayed in Bern for one night with Delaney, and then on Wednesday morning we took the hour and a half journey from Bern to Geneva. We only had a day and a half to explore Geneva as I flew back to Oslo the next day.
Altes Tramdepot. Brauerei & Restaurant
What better way to spend our Wednesday evening, but by drinking beer and eating pretzel sandwiches! Obviously their speciality is their home-brewed beer. The brewery and restaurant is located across the bridge, outside the city, and offers a view of the old town.
https://www.altestramdepot.ch/de/home
Cathedral Saint-Pierre
Today, the church belongs to the Reformed Protestant Church of Geneva. Construction of the church began between 1150 and 1230. The church has both elements of Roman style and Gothic style.
Cave Valaisanne et Chalet Suisse
Cheese Please! When in Switzerland you have to eat fondue! Delaney and I had about 3 different places on our list, but for some reason they were ALL closed when we got to them. We must have had the most confused looks on our faces because a father and his son walked up to ask to see if we needed help. Haha, “Just trying to find the cheese, sir.” Although this place wasn’t on the top of our list, it still hit the spot.
The Reformation Wall
The International Monument to the Reformation. The wall honours many of the individuals, events, and documents of the Protestant Reformation. The wall is located on the grounds of the University of Geneva. The four main proponents are depicted in the center wall: William Farel, John Calvin, Theodore Beza, and John Knox.
Boulevard du Vin
This was definitely my favorite place we wined and dined. It was the cutest little wine bar, and of course the Christmas decorations made it even cozier. The restaurant had no one else in it but us (probably because it was the middle of the week), but lots of locals popped in and out to say hello to the owner. We indulged over a big glass of red wine and munched on some olives and nuts while we waited for our main dish. Can you guess what that was!? CHEESE, bread, and meats! YUMMY EATS!
Cafe du Lys
After a day of exploring the city what better way to get out of the cold, but to grab a beer with friends inside a cozy bar!? This bar was located near the university and according to our airbnb host it is one of the top spots to hang out as a university student.
Fruit Avit
Chocolate at 8:30 a.m.!? Of course! Before I took the train to the airport and Delaney went back to Bern, we treated ourselves to one last sweet treat (: This was a very cozy little cafe right across from our Airbnb. The staff were so sweet, the service was great, and the crepes…well, we finished them within minutes!
Travel sparks our imagination, feeds our curiosity & reminds us how much we all have in common.
Beyond the Fjords 