Swiss Cheese

I realize it has been awhile, but give me a break, I am in Europe. What have we been up to....well, we have been running all around Switzerland. Not only the most beautiful country in the world, but also the most expensive and we love it.

Our first stop was the mountain on the lake in Austria on our way. We had an absolute blast. The guys and I rented a boat for 10 Euros for the hour...boated into the center and jumped into the beyond cold glacier melt....what the heck were we thinking...within seconds, our bodies were numb and we were being pulled back into the boat. It sure did taste good though. Second stop was to Lichtenstein for lunch...one of the smallest countries in the world...and it only took 10 minutes to go through, but we were there hahah

Our time as been incredible. We begun in Lucerne which cannot get any more touristy. The beautifulness of the city draws in a lot of people in the summer, but it truly was something else. Gorgeous bridges, crystal clear drinkable rivers, old buildings lining small cobble roads and so much more. Lucerne is really pretty, plus home to an incredible Swiss watch store to drop some dough....how could I resist?

Next stop was Geneva, but no IBI journey is complete without some stops....this time, we stopped in Lauterbrunnen area in alpine valley, and it was well worth it. As some went up into the cable car, we choose to hike to the base of the waterfall. Silly us in dress shoes and flip flops, we had no clue what we were in for. We finally got to the base, soaked by the mist, but loving the view of snow capped swiss alps. This is the good life. This is IBI.

Our finally destination was Geneva, which may be the most expensive city in the world, or at least up there. McDonald is even like $15. The city itself is really neat and there is a ton to see... especially cars. We are only passing through Geneva though for the experience. Even as I write this blog, I stare out my window into the heights of the Alps and the Beauty of this place.

Tomorrow we begin our journey back to the Netherlands....first to Chamonix, France to climb Mont Blanc, then to Keoblenz, Germany for the night, and finally to Oisterwijk, Holland. We are in for yet another adventure, and I am always ready!

Swiss Cheese

I realize it has been awhile, but give me a break, I am in Europe for crying out loud. What have wee been up to....well, we have been running all around Switzerland. Not only the most beautiful country in the world, but also the most expensive....but we love it.

Our first stop was the mountain on the lake in Austria on our way. We had an absolute blast. The guys and I rented a boat for 10 Euros for the hour...boated into the center and jumped into the beyond cold glacier melt....what the heck were we thinking...within seconds, our bodies were numb and we were being pulled back into the boat. It sure did taste good though. Second stop was to Lichtenstein for lunch...one of the smallest countries in the world...and it only took 10 minutes to go through, but we were there hahah

Our time as been incredible. We begun in Lucerne which cannot get any more touristy. The beautifulness of the city draws in a lot of people in the summer, but it truly was something else. Gorgeous bridges, crystal clear drinkable rivers, old buildings lining small cobble roads and so much more. Lucerne is really pretty, plus home to an incredible Swiss watch store to drop some dough....how could I resist?

Next stop was Geneva, but no IBI journey is complete without some stops....this time, we stopped in Lauterbrunnen area in alpine valley, and it was well worth it. As some went up into the cable car, we choose to hike to the base of the waterfall. Silly us in dress shoes and flip flops, we had no clue what we were in for. We finally got to the base, soaked by the mist, but loving the view of snow capped swiss alps. This is the good life. This is IBI.

Our finally destination was Geneva, which may be the most expensive city in the world, or at least up there. McDonald is even like $15. The city itself is really neat and there is a ton to see... especially cars. We are only passing through Geneva though for the experience. Even as I right this blog, I stare out my window into the heights of the Alps and the Beauty of this place.

Tomorrow we begin our journey back to the Netherlands....first to Chamonix, France to climb Mont Blanc, then to Keoblenz, Germany for the night, and finally to Oisterwijk, Holland. We are in for yet another adventure, and I am always ready!

Australia in Austria

Today was just another one of those incredible days...

Michael, Jamie and I woke up at 6:30 to take a run through the Alps. It was absolutely relaxing and the views are amazing. Gazing into the depths of Innsbruck and the vastness of the Alps was breathtaking. Austria is such a beautiful country, and it really makes me want to go skiing.
After class, the boys and I were ready for an adventure, and that is exactly what we got. We were told for about 6 Euros we could take a cable car to the peak of the mountain here, so we were all excited. Needless to say, we got up to Part 1 of the 3 part system, to find out that we had to pay again (15 more Euros) to get up to part 2 for only 20 minutes since they were closing. Half went, the other half decided to go hiking instead…if we couldn’t get to the top by car, we would walk it.

After about 45 minutes of hiking the Alps we came across what seemed to be an odd rope fence. Not even thinking, I went to hop over holding down the top rope and BAM….My hair was poker straight, the arm shaking and a scream from my vocal cords….you can guess it…I had just been electrocuted.
The guys and I continued on to find orselves in a cow pasture surrounded by cows and then the unexpected appeared. We had found a restaurant at the top of this mountain. Upon asking if they take credit cards (we were told yes) we sat down for a 12 Euro bbq overlooking Innsbruck and the Alps. By the time the check came, we found out it was cash only, and we had to scramble to find enough money to pay.

Innsbruck is an absolutely beautiful city and I would love to come back and go skiing some day!

Coach Ride of a life time...

As promised, the ride to Innsbruck was incredible. I feel even more enamored and speechless by the breathtaking views and stops we made on the way. For those that have been, you may understand, these are images that you cannot capture on film. Needless to say, my eyes are wide awake and my mind is spinning.

 MUNICH Drive-by

 Before crossing into Austria, we made an historic stop to Dachau, Germany which house a concentration camp in the 30’s. Though used as a work camp not a death camp, thousands had died and even more had disappeared. Before arriving, we were told a little about the camp which was to help us gain a better knowledge of it. I guess the one thing that really stuck was that the camp was built to hold 6,000 people, and upon American liberation, 32,000 prisoners were found. Seeing something like this is absolutely humbling and sobering. It is an experience in which pictures say more than words. See the story through my eyes:

 View of tracks that prisoners came in on.

 View down the cell block...just as many behind me. 

Prison on the property

Fence around the camp.

 Gas chambers disguised as showers...

Our last 2 hours to Innsbruck was rather quiet on the bus as people contemplated what we had just seen. At least the 1^st hour was…it is just one of those things that you just cannot imagine…real horror….real terror….real hell. As usual, I tried to find some trouble and ended up in the front of the coach with our driver Ronny. Chillin in the “Best Seat of the House” as I like to call it is always a blast. Ronny is our driver for the next 40 some days and happens to be the owner of the coach company we used. (16 coaches and 32 drivers.)….best part, is that he has been with IBI for 30 years, so he knows it inside and out. Ronny is always a blast with his great sense of humor and Dutch stories, together, we make an interesting team. As we gazed into the gorgeous sceneries of the passing by Alps, little villages and castles in the hill, there was so much to think about. Unfortunately, the rains came down and the floods came up and the view of the house went splat. Not only did the view, but as we slammed on the coach brakes…I received a nice splat into the windshield….nothing a windshield couldn’t fix. Hahah

Innsbruck is absolutely gorgeous as it lies in the valley of the Alps. The city itself sits shadowed by the immense snow caped (well some snow is still left) mountains. Only 3 adventures have occurred so far that I am sure to remember. Let’s start with the 20 minute gallivant to a laundry mat (Bubble Point) to find out that there is one 3 blocks away…Wow, way to go Lar. Great Job. Bravo. 

Oh and how about the European haircut…worse than China…can I look any goofier with a haircut from someone that only speaks German???? I just do not know…these foreign haircuts are always an adventure….for 20 Euros I guess I should just be happy.

Lastly was my incredible run today. Though I want to go back and take pictures, I found an athletic trail that roamed through the Alps with look outs over the city and into the face of other mountain fronts. I even came across another hill of cross that was filled with ancient tombs and old crosses.  I cannot feel any more blessed than moments like these. The things my eyes have been able to see and witness are incredible and I can only imagine what is to come.

Did I mention we are staying the Olympic park? Yep…home of the Athletes and Winter games for many years. Besides roaming around with the Austrian team, it is almost like a huge playground for IBI. Tracks, soccer fields, stadiums and so much more is all ours….as Dr. LaFrance says…..We are living the life….this…is…IBI.

Goodbyes to the Czech

There are sometimes in life, when you just have no clue what to say. Our last days in Prague were absolutely incredible and to an extent it was part of those experiences that are just so hard to put into words. Starting with Friday, we all knew we had to do something big for the first game of the World Cup. Mexico vs. South Africa was the starting game, and what better place to watch it from within the HardRock Café of downtown Prague. Between the foreigners, plethora of Americans and the tables of supporting Mexicans, it was a rather interesting game….full of chants, cheers, and boos. Who can been the chandelier to linger over us as we watched the match.

To make the evening even more enjoyable, many of us knew that our adventure to Prague would be incomplete without hitting up the largest nightclub in Central Europe. 5 full floors of pure fun and dancing. Four hours later, sore calves and a splitting headache, I can officially say we did it…or at least survived. Class all day and curiosity in the evening makes from some incredible long days, but hey…this is IBI….an academically rigorous program….one needs to work hard to play hard. Needless to say, we had a blast in the dance club and it was an experience of a life time.

It was Friday that led to one of the most extraordinary nights thus far on IBI. The night we have all been waiting for….USA vs. England in the World Cup. Luckily, in the center of old city, Hyundai had sponsored a huge (10 x 15) game viewing station with food vendors and so much more. Being inside the little town center, surrounded by historical relics and castles was incredible. Luckily, a lot of the guys were wearing USA jerseys so it didn’t take long (30 seconds) for a crowd to come flocking. First, we met 3 US army guys who drove 2 hrs since they knew there would be a concentration of Americans and Brits. Before we knew it, we were surrounded by fellow Americans and eyed by large pockets of Brits. The game was intense as England scored first and the US tied up the game. I have never felt so patriotic in my life. From US chants to the National Anthem, I was even fine with being sprayed with beer as with the entire crowd when the US team scored. It was definitely a night to remember.

All in all, Prague was rather enjoyable and we truly had a blast. The late night 45 minute walks home were calming and peaceful as the cobble stone streets lay empty and shop owners closed up. It was almost like something you would see in the movies. As always…we are up and out….early Sunday morning for a ride to Innsbruck, which I hear is incredible.

Checkers in the Czech!

After such a beautiful ride, we were in the Czech Republic and living a new dream. Being back in a post-soviet nation had a lot of parallels between Lithuania, Latvia and Russia. There is so much similar, and so much that just blows your mind. One thing I love about the CZ is the fact that there is limited modernization. The entire city seems frozen in time…once you look past the exotic cars and various impressive store fronts; all you see is old historical buildings.There are numerous medieval churches and incredible architecture.

Yet again, we were off on a 2.5 hr walking tour through the city to get acclimated and to see what the CZ had to offer. City after city, they begin to blur, but there is so much culture and numerous differences to take in that it becomes overwhelming….hence the exhaustion…needless to say the 6:30 breakfast to fit in our action packed days and classes. But hey…I am getting 12 credits will in a European class room.

Today was by far one of my favorite corporate visits of the trip. We had the opportunity to tour the STANLEY (since they merged 3 months ago) Black and Decker factory here in the Czech Republic.

You may be wondering what they make…well, they produce all of the Dewalt Tooling equipment. Wow. Tedd, you would have really loved to see where these pieces come from…needless to say, drop you drill 2 meters….they are supposed to withstand breakage, plus there is 30% glass mixed into the plastic to increase durability. The tour itself was really neat to see.

The factory produces everything from pouring the plastic to making the motors and packaging. Plus, the fully computerized inventory warehouse with magnetic floor tracking systems to move the forklifts was incredible.

There is just so much happening right now. Yesterday I felt like I hit rock bottom. I was running on E. Funny enough, as I entered breakfast this morning…for the first time, only 6 out of 42 were there….Dr. LaFrance got a little nervous I think, but we all just needed one morning to catch up a little. To think…I got to sleep in until 6 am.  One has to work hard to play hard…and that is exactly what we need to do. What a thought life huh? Studying and exploring 13 countries in 10 weeks….I may give up and sit at home. Just kidding.
I do miss Heidelberg though. As a Shanta Betz truck came bellowing past our coach today it just reminded me of Heidelberg and Germany in of itself, a place with deep family heritage and some fun adventures…Though updated, the same posters Tedd once collected still wallpapered the city streets.

I am looking forward to the rest of our CZ experience, then off to Austria on Sunday to start it all over again on Sunday.