After the Glacier Express, it was time to hit the pavement in a biiiig city again. I was fortunate enough to make a connection early in my travels with a guy that lived just outside of Paris, and he was nice enough to put me up for a couple of nights.

I still have very mixed feelings about Paris. It is one of the prettiest cities I’ve been in, and one of the most inhospitable. I saw beauty everywhere, and experienced ugliness more often than not. Here are some of the highlights:

Good morning Paris

After my quiet morning above the city, I decended into the maze of the metro, and found my way to the Louvre. I seriously spent about 7 hours inside, and still feel dissatisfied with how little of it I saw.

After resurfacing at 8pm.

The next day, I got a much later start than I had planned, but I spent what was left of the afternoon wandering, seeing, and just being, in Paris.

The Arc de Triomphe

and then the Eiffel tower. This turned out being my favorite experience in all of the cities I have visited. A beautiful end to a long journey.

I climbed the stairs, of course.

Views from the top, as evening descended.

The End

This is the end of my official trip, but there will be more retrospective pictures to come, so stay tuned.

I took a train ride through the most glorious mountains in Switzerland!

The Glacier Express goes on a winding, seven hour route from Zermatt to St. Moritz. You can find more information about it here, on their site: http://www.glacierexpress.ch/route.php

Although it was extremely beautiful and awe-inspiring, I did have a tough time taking pictures as the sun was shining in my face for most of the ride, and the glare on the windows never went away : / Here’s what I was able to scrounge up for you…

Riding back into Interlaken, the evening before my ride.

The Matterhorn, over  the town of Zermatt

Good morning mountains

Some fellow travelers

Some trees

The extremely talented waiter

Last to leave the train

For Randee, who wanted a picture dedicated to her, and who is as beautiful and strong as these mountains.

Before continuing in Switzerland, I stopped back in Germany to unload my memory cards. Not wanting to waste too many days of my Eurail pass, I went on a day trip to a town in northern Germany, called Heidelberg. I had an unexpected layover in Ulm, which is famous for its enormous church that has the highest steeple in the world. I would have been remiss had I not stopped in for a little bit.

When my connecting train finally did come, I met this little man. He was yodeling and carrying on, having such a good time, but when I went to take his photograph, he gave me one of the sternest looks I’ve ever gotten in all my time as a photographer.

Heidelberg houses some of the oldest buildings in Germany, as they were some of the few to escape bombing in the war. It was very beautiful but very, very, very cold.

The castle and famous bridge of Heidelberg

In the castle courtyard

Inside the castle is housed the biggest wine cask in the world. Maybe you can make out the little people next to it on the stairs to get an idea of its size…

Part of the ruins. Windows to the sky

I have found a new favorite place on this earth, and I knew it would happen. Switzerland is where I belong I think.

I took an early train to Lucern, thinking I would stay there, but then I remembered a friend recommending the town of Interlaken to me, and because I was pretty city-ed out, I decided to just haul over there. Best decision ever.

Upon my arrival in Interlaken that evening, I faced my first real challenge trying to find a hostel. The Funny Farm Hostel on Hauptstrasse is not really on any of the three Hauptstrasse’s that they have in Interlaken…. But once found, it is gold. I had a very comfortable stay in this antiquated Park Hotel, complete with 70′s decor. Sooo cool.

The bathroom was their crowning achievement in class and style

After having a great dinner and beer at their lobby bar, and talking with some extremely cool locals, I decided to summit a mountain the next day, as Interlaken lies at the base of some of the most amazing alps in the world. Little did I know, I would go on to have the best day of my life so far.

I rose early the next morning to catch a train up to the alpine village of Lauterbrunen from which I would take my first gondola rides up to the summit of a peak called Schilthorn.

Riding the gondola with some Swissies

From the top of this gondola line, I chose to hike for a little bit on a snowy trail through the woods, hugging the base of a ski slope.

Fellow hikers

The view back down

The bluest sky I've ever seen

I hopped on another little train for a short ride to an even smaller village called Muerren. I must live here some day. I’ve never seen anything so quaint or homey as this town, full of smiling locals. If you have the money, they have a few exclusive hotels, complete with a run strait from the door to the chair lift.

Tiny train

Ski bums headed up for the first run of the day

Murren

After Murren, it was time for the real ascent. After two gondola rides on one of the first, and longest cable car routes in the world, I was on Schilthorn at 2970 meters/9733 feet. I used to live in the Rockies, and I have never seen anything like this.

The Schilthorn’s claim to fame is the first revolving restaurant ever made, the Piz Gloria, which was featured in the 1969 James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service was filmed. After drooling over the 360 view outside from the terrace, I went in and had the most satisfying lunch ever. I ordered coffee, and their soup of the day and rode my table around the restaurant about 5 times. I could have stayed at that table all day, eating their hearty food and drinking in the view, learning the names of all of the mountains.

The Piz Gloria on Schilthorn

Lunch with a view

After lunch, I ventured out on the Bergweg (mountian path) but as it was snowed over, I didn’t go too far. One can take this trail for miles atop the ridges of the mountains, preferably with the proper gear, or in summer. Sadly, I wasn’t prepared to take it on this trip, but that just means there’s another hike on my list now.

I really can’t impress upon you just how impressive these mountains were if you haven’t ever seen them.

I have seen the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains.

I have seen the view of London by night from the top of the London Eye.

I have stood in the Colosseum in Rome.

But this is the grandest, wildest, most amazing sight I have ever witnessed.

After tearing myself away, I made my way back down the mountain, to Interlaken, and decided to spend the evening in the neighboring town on one of the lakes, called Speiz. Its mini harbor made me think back fondly to Santa Barbara, though it was covered in snow.

The docks

Little Christmas card town

When I finally got back to the hostel, ready to put my feet up and finish my book, my new local friends swooped in and told me to get ready to go to Bern to see Avatar in 3D. A memorable evening ensued, rounded out by a beer in a great little micro-brewery in Bern. Thanks HP and Michael!

Thank you Switzerland!

I promised a few more Florence and Tuscany pictures, so here’s what I’ve been able to scrounge up : ]

{Still working on an epic bridge picture for Robert}

Empty bottle. Someone had a good time in Florence last night...

English poets graveyard in Florence. For Claudia DeRubis

The rental car excursion begins! Our Australian driver, Steve, next to his mighty steed.

After stopping somewhere in the Chiante region for lunch and some wine, we made our way to Siena.

Where we took a short tour through a wine institute inside a kind of wall/battlement just outside the center of town.

So much vino!

Car rental compainions, Ranga, Jen, and Steve. Good crew.

And then it was time to drop off one of our companions in Pisa. It was night by the time we got there, but the leaning tower was slightly illuminated. It was a little eerie, being the only people there, amidst a quiet and dark town…

It doesn't look nearly as crooked from this angle...

After some Japanese food (yeah, don’t ask haha) we somehow made it back to Florence in one piece, thanks to Steve’s excellent navigational skills.

The next morning I took a train to Rome. Hung out in the Colosseum for a few hours, and then was practically flooded out of town. Soaked from head to toe, and with no hostel set up for that night, I left Rome, defeated, for Augsburg, with the promise to return in a warmer season.

Rainy train window