In der Schweiz

While Nathan was in Scotland, Miles and I went on a trip to Switzerland with a group of people from our church.  Our closest Temple is in Bern, Switzerland and our district rents a bus once a year and makes the trip.  I debated on and off about going...knowing that I'd be bringing Miles (I think he's too young to be left with someone else for a whole week) and for me to be able to go in the Temple someone else would have to stay out and watch him.  I hate feeling like a burden.  But a few of the women at church told me they'd help with him...and I decided that Nathan shouldn't get to have all the fun away from home.  So I packed up our entire house (because lets face it...traveling with kids requires your whole house...plus I'm still on my Isagenix diet so I had to haul all that stuff too!), downloaded apps and movies on the iPad, got a cat sitter and went!

It was so much fun...except for the heat.  It was a wicked hot summer in Naples and I was watching my weather app for Bern and looking forward to the upper 70's temps.  But a week before we left the forecast changed and it was just as hot as Naples...we must have brought the hot, humid weather with us from Italy!!  

We left Naples at 7pm on Sunday, August 19th.  The bus ride went ok...way better than I expected.  Miles didn't fuss much, and he seemed to enjoy being on the bus.  The first night he stayed awake until 11pm.  The only frustrating thing was the bus would stop every 2-3 hours and they would turn on all the lights and everyone would pile off...and be LOUD.  It was making me CRAZY.  Finally I told them all to "shush! baby is sleeping!" (in Italian...go me) and they were quieter.  

11pm on the bus ride up...still wide awake.  Silly kid.

On the way up we passed Lake Como...I thought about hopping off the bus and trying to find George Clooney's house.  Then I remembered he sold it to Tom Cruise...and I wasn't in the mood to deal with that brand of crazy. 

Lake Como, Italy.

Miles was loved by everyone...as always.  I swear, living in Italy is going to give this kid a huge ego. 

Miles being adored by his new Italian friends

The church runs a hostel just next to the Temple, which is so nice.  It was clean and basic...but that's really all you need anyway! 

The hostel at the Temple

We arrived at the Temple Hostel at around noon on Monday, got checked in, settled and then headed out to find a grocery store.  I didn't NEED anything...but I wanted to check out the chocolate situation.  I was not disappointed.  :)
  

The ROW of chocolate at the grocery store. 

The first night we were there we had a devotional on the steps of the Temple.  It was definitely good practice for my Italian...there were only 6 English speakers in this whole group.

The Bern, Switzerland LDS Temple...pic by yours truly...beauty, eh?

Behind the Temple was a beautiful forest with walking paths.  Since I was only able to go to the Temple once in the mornings (which I was more than happy with...I was happy to be able to go at all!) I had a lot of time to explore.  Miles and I took quite a few walks in that forest.  

Feet in the forest in Bern, Switzerland

Enjoying a strupwafel...the YUMMIEST cookies.  Two soft waffle cookies with butter caramel filling in the middle. mmmmmmm

OK mom...no more pictures

One evening the English speakers and two Italians went in search of some yummy Swiss food...we found it.  I had THE. YUMMIEST. steak.  It was probably super yummy to me because I'd been on my diet for six weeks and this was the first 'cheat' meal I'd eaten.  But man alive, that was one yummy steak!

On the walk back to the hostel from the restaurant I snapped this gem...

A Mormon Christmas Tree  lol

Me and Miles in front of the Swiss Temple

That night we played UNO with some of the Italians from Naples.  Trying to teach a game to people who speak another language is tough...and VERY good practice!  I think my language skills doubled on this trip.

Playing UNO

Miles also had his first sucker in Switzerland (thank you to whichever friend suggested suckers to me...he LOVES them and they keep him occupied!!)

Sticky sucker face.

My last full day in Switzerland (Thursday), Jolene and I decided to head into Bern and do some sight seeing.  Bern is adorable...and so clean!!  It is this quaint, little picturesque town in the Swiss Alps...nestled in the crook of a river.  It's like something out of a storybook.  

While in Bern I took the opportunity to eat some not-Italian food...SUSHI!!!!

yummy sushi lunch

The architecture in Bern is very interesting.  All the sidewalks are covered (like pic below).  Einstein commented that the people of Bern had figured it out...you could walk the whole city in pouring rain and not get wet.  It sure made for cool pics. 
 

Speaking of Einstein...we saw the house where he lived when he lived in Bern.  He lived there while working on his Theory of Relativity.  

The house where Albert Einstein lived. 

Bern is named for the bear.  It was the first animal killed by the city's founder.  Nowadays the bears are conveniently kept in a fenced in park at the edge of the city. 

The Bear Park on the river in Bern.  The poor bears were all sleeping in the shade...it was HOT!

At the Bear Park

I thought he'd like this carousel more than he did...I think he was probably just VERY tired.

This fountain wins the award for CREEPIEST THING EVER.  It is a man eating a baby with a bag full of other babies slung from his shoulder, presumably to be eaten as well. 

Baby Eater Fountain

Being a world traveler really takes it out of you!

Friday I had the opportunity to go to the Temple one last time before the bus left for the long ride back home.   As we were waiting to board the bus, Miles was snacking on some sweet chili Quaker Rice snacks...which he LOVES (he loves all things spicy) and the Italians couldn't believe a baby was feeding himself spicy things.

The Italians got the biggest kick out of Miles eating spicy chips.

Our bus full of crazy Italians, a few crazy Americans, and one crazy Ghanian

It was a WONDERFUL experience and I am SO glad I went.  I can't wait to go again next year...hopefully Nathan can go with me!