Weekend in Adelboden

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July 4th, 2011

For Emily’s birthday last year, some of her friends from eBay gave her a voucher to MrAndMrsSmith.com.  Mr & Mrs Smith is a website for boutique, luxury hotels around the world.  We looked into using the voucher several times, but the hotels listed were always so expensive and extravagant that we always ended up finding a cheaper option and saving the voucher for a special occasion.  But the day before the voucher expired, we had to finally use it so we decided to go to one of the few hotels listed in Switzerland, the Cambrian hotel in Adelboden.

Adelboden is a picturesque little village in the Alps that is best known for hosting one of the World Cup downhill ski races every year.  Getting from Zurich to Adelboden took about 2.5 hours and involved 2 trains and a bus.  The Cambrian hotel is a very nice design hotel that strikes a nice balance between modern and comfortable.  The hotel also has a nice spa and a small pool with a great view.

We spend the first day relaxing around the hotel, taking full advantage of the pool and spa area.  We had dinner at the hotel’s restaurant, which a friend had recommended to us, and it was very nice.  The next day we checked out and went for a hike on the Hörnliweg trail.  The trail began right near the hotel and took us on an easy 2-3 hour loop with great views the whole way.

This weekend was a nice chance to explore more of Switzerland and see yet another beautiful part of the country.

Photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_church/sets/72157627162612568/

Our Favorite Restaurants in Zürich (so far)

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June 20th, 2011

Now that Emily and I have been living in Zürich for 2 and half years (on and off), we have found a lot of great restaurants around the city.  Here is a list of our favorites so far.  Let me know if you know of any other great restaurants in Zurich we should try!

Italian

• Don Leone – Probably my favorite restaurant in Zürich, definitely my favorite pizza (pasta is also very good).  Reservations are required.  The location by Stauffacher is smaller and a more festive.
• Santa Lucia – My second favorite pizza in Zürich.  Multiple locations all over town.
• Bodega Berta – A nice, local place near Idaplatz (Emily’s favorite platz)
• Restaurant Rosso -  Great ambiance and good pizza.  Make reservations early.
• Accademia del Gusto – A more upscale Italian restautant with very nice pastas (but small portions).  Crowd is older and quite dressed up.

Swiss

• Blokhus – A small place with a lot of character and great steak tartar (with truffle oil!)
• Raclette Stube – Best fondue in Zurich
• LaSalle – A slightly fancier place with great food.  A good choice for celebrating special occasions.
• Zeughauskeller – Touristy, but good food
• Restaurant Eisenhof – House specialty is steak on a hot stone with pommes frites.  The beef and horse filets are both nice.  Thanks for the tip Christian & Bertrand!

Asian (Indian/Thai/Japanese)

• Kings Kurry – Best Indian in Zurich.  Good lunch buffet for ~26 CHF
• Ah-Hua – Best Thai in Zurich
• Nooch – A casual Asian place with sushi and great stirfry noodle dishes (Beef & Zen is my favorite)
• Samurai – Very good Japanese restaurant.  Good sushi for Emily, Japanese curry for me.
• Angkor – A great Asian restaurant with a huge menu near Emily’s office
• Bimi Japan-Restaurant – Another good sushi place with stuff that I can eat too (teriyaki, etc)

Middle Eastern

• Le Cedre – Great Lebanese mezze (small plates).  Our standard order is hummus, baked cheese, artichoke, and a lamb kebab.
• Maison Blunt – Another good Lebanese mezze place

Brunch

• Bohemia – Best brunch in town.  Great when you want a big, American-style breakfast/brunch.
• Zum Guten Gluck – This cafe is a hidden gem.  Good dutch pancakes.
• Bubbles – One of the only places in Zurich that sells bagels (that we’ve found).  Pretty solid.

Vegetarian

• Hiltl – Delicious, high-quality vegetarian food.  They have a buffet or you can order from the menu.

Other

• Cafe Conditorei Schober – Best hot chocolate I’ve ever had in my life.  The interior is very cool/interesting also and changes drastically on every floor.
• Les Halles – A funky bar with great moules-frites (that’s mussels with french fries for you non-French speakers)
• Outback Lodge – Australian bar/restaurant.  Mondays are all-you-can-eat wings and wedges for ~30 CHF, aka “Wedge Night”
• Churrascaria Rincao – I’m a sucker for churrascarias and this is the only one in town.  All-you-can-eat meat for 50 CHF.

Ascension Day Hike

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June 2nd, 2011

Thursday was Ascension Day, which is a public holiday here in Switzerland.  We decided to spend the day hiking in the beautiful Swiss countryside.  We decided on this route in Appenzell around the Seealpsee and up the Ebenalp mountain.  Emily and I managed to convince David Jaffe to join us on this “leisurely stroll”. Little did we know what we were getting into…

Instead of starting with the cable car and hiking downhill, we decided to do the reverse route which meant hiking all the way up and then taking the cable car down at the end.  The beginning was mostly flat with a short climb up to the lake.  It was a really beautiful area, an alpine lake in a valley surrounded by meadows full of cows.  Sidenote:  This is the area that is on the label of the Hell Quöllfrisch Appenzeller Bier label (pictured on right).

This was the easy/relaxing part of the hike; then we really started climbing.  From the Seealpsee to Mesmer there is a steep path of switchbacks that crosses a stream twice and climbs over 500 meters in elevation.  There was even still snow at the top.  Once we got to the top, we stopped for lunch at the Berggasthaus Mesmer, where we ate some of the best rösti ever.  It is really amazing to hike to the top of the mountain, in the middle of nowhere, and have a restaurant with delicious, warm, high-quality food waiting for you.  Only in Switzerland!

After lunch, we thought that the hardest part of the hike was over.  The elevation at Mesmer is 1613m and the final elevation at Ebenalp is 1644m so we (falsely) assumed that it was going to be flat the rest of the way.  However, that was not the case.  The trail was never flat as we climbed over and around two more mountain peaks.  We climbed right into a thick layer of fog too, so we couldn’t really enjoy the view.  The second half of the hike was much longer and more difficult than we had anticipated, but we eventually made it to Ebenalp and found the cable car station (which was actually quite challenging with all the fog).  In the end, the hike took a little over 5 hours, and we were all quite ready for an Appenzeller beer on the train home.

Photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_church/sets/72157626879602635/

CABO!!!!!!!!!

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April 12th, 2011

This was our big trip for the year.  We booked our tickets all the way back in January!  Ok, that was just a few months ago, but that is pretty impressive planning for us since we are now accustomed to more spontaneous, last-minute travel.  Anyway, we were super excited and counting down the days to meet my parents for a proper beach vacation in Mexico.

New York City

We managed to get a quick one-night stopover in NYC on the way out to Cabo.  It had been awhile since either of us had been to the Big Apple so it was nice to get to catch up with some old friends, even if we were only there for 18 hours.  Jonny G was nice enough to take the day off work, pick us up at the airport in Newark, and let us crash at his place (Thanks Jonny and Chris!).  We also fit in an amazing dinner at Frank with Jonny, Chris, Nied, and the Chappells.  Try the burrata, trust me.

Cabo

From NYC, we flew to San Jose del Cabo where my parents picked us up at the airport.  My parents have had a timeshare in Cabo for around 10 years now.  I had been there once before with them, and Emily had been to Cabo once before also on a trip with some of her VT friends.  So we both were familiar with the area and looking forward to a week of perfect weather at the beach.

We stayed at the Dreams Resort on the corridor between Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo.  Every day started with fruit and fresh squeezed orange juice on the patio, then the afternoon was spent relaxing on the beach or by the pool, and then we went out to fun and delicious dinners with my parents every night.  It doesn’t get much better than that.  Oh, and we also did some whale watching from the balcony and from the beach (we saw whales almost every day).

The two most memorable meals of the trip were when we got away from the tourists and ate with the locals.  The first was authentic carnitas at Los Michoacanos.  The second was dinner at Mariscos “El Jarocho” on a dirt road north of Cabo San Lucas.  My parents had somehow discovered this hidden jem on one of their previous trips to Cabo.  We made a reservation for Mariscos “El Jarocho”, and when we arrived the hostess and chef were waiting to greet us.  We were also the only people there; it was like we had rented out the whole restaurant.  The highlight of the meal, other than the personalized service, was the delicious shrimp.  After dinner, we took pictures with the staff and promised to distribute some business cards for them at our hotel to help them out.

Thanks again Mom and Dad!  We had an amazing time.  Hope we can make an annual tradition of this!

DC

On the way back from Cabo to Zurich, we planned another stopover in Washington DC for Eric Wilfong’s 30th birthday bash.  We stayed there for the weekend with Eric, Emily, and Winnie.  We had a great time and were excited that it worked out to be there to celebrate with Eric.  It was also great to catch up with a lot of other friends in DC while we were there too.

I should also mention that this wasn’t the official spring break for ETH.  But the good news is even though I missed a week of classes, I haven’t really fallen behind at all in my studies.  SPRING BREAK!

Photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_church/sets/72157626874867099/

Weekend in Locarno

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March 21st, 2011

Emily and I just spent an amazing and very relaxing weekend in Locarno.  Even though we knew we were leaving for Cabo soon, we needed to get away for a couple days.  We found a last-minute deal online and stayed at the Esplanade Hotel, a nice wellness hotel and spa in Minusio (walking distance to Lake Maggiore and Locarno).

It was our first time visiting Ticino, the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, and we loved it.  We had heard rumors about this little, hidden piece of paradise where it is always warm and sunny, even when it is cold and rainy in Zurich. We got a bit worried when our train went through a heavy snowstorm at the top of the Alps, but on the other side of the mountains, the sun came out and Ticino lived up to its reputation.  They even have palm trees!  Ticino is a bit of a cross between Italy and Switzerland – authentic Italian food (including risotto and gelato) plus Swiss punctuality!  What’s not to love?

Photos:  http://www.flickr.com/photos/tim_church/sets/72157626996123798/

2010 Travel Summary

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January 2nd, 2011

After starting the year in exile, I was finally able to get a Swiss visa and officially move into Zurich.  Most of my travels this year were between Switzerland and the US of A, with a few vacations within Europe too. Here are the stats:

• Number of Countries Visited: 6
  • USA, Switzerland, France, Italy, Austria, Spain
• Number of US States Visited: 8
  • CA, WA, VA, NY, IN, IL, MA, OR
• Number of Trips: 13
• Number of Flight Segments: 31
• Number of Miles Flown: 60,883
• Number of Airlines Flown: 7
  • Air France, Continental, KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss, United, US Airways
• Number of Trans-Atlantic Flights: 9

Travel summaries from previous years: 2009, 2008, 2007

After Just 1.5 Years, I Have My Visa

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June 18th, 2010

I’m very excited to announce that I finally have my Swiss visa!  It has been a long journey with many bumps in the road but it is finally over.  I will be attending ETH Zürich as a graduate student in Computer Science starting in the fall.

I am looking forward to being able to relax and settle down for a little while and no longer having to leave the Schengen area for 3 out of every 6 months!

Easter in Paris

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April 21st, 2010

Emily and I were lucky enough to spent a long weekend in Paris for Easter this year.  This was my third time in Paris and by far my favorite.  I’m think I’m starting to see what all the hype is about.  Here is a rundown of our trip:

Friday - We arrive in Paris in the evening (via plane).  We are staying at our friend Claire’s apartment, which is near the Jourdain metro stop.  Claire and her fiance are on vacation in the Dominican Republic and generously offered to let us use their apartment while they were away.  It is a great way for us to see a new part of Paris and get more of a local experience.  After we dropped off our bags at the apartment, we had an amazing dinner at Le Coude Fou (Thanks for the tip, Nikolai!).  After dinner we took a stroll around Notre Dame – a great start to the trip.

Saturday - We started the day with a run in the park by Claire’s apartment.  Then we went into the city to play tourist.  We started with a great lunch at a random brasserie; we had two French classics – les moules (mussels)  & french onion soup.  Delicious!  Then we went up to Sacré Cœur,  walked around Montmarte, and ended up by Moulin Rouge.  We bought some wine, cheese, and a baguette on the way back to the apartment.  After a little nap, we had a nice dinner at local place – L’Escargot.  We woke up at 3am to watch the big NCAA tournament game (online) – Duke vs. West Virginia.  Duke won (yes!) and, luckily, Emily is still speaking to me after the game.

Easter Sunday – We had a non-traditional Easter brunch of delicious pastries from a local boulangerie.  We spent the morning walking around the Left Bank to the Luxembourg Gardens.  Then we took a metro to the “chinatown” area where we got some Vietnamese food – pho, a vietnamese sandwich, and steamed bun (not exactly a standard Easter meal).  We passed the afternoon having a drink at one of the many outdoor cafes and then watched the sunset by the Louvre.  We finished the day by going back to Le Coude Fou for dinner again (try the goat cheese salad!) for yet another amazing meal.

Monday -  Claire returned from her vacation and we had breakfast with her before heading to our hotel.  After walking around so much the past few days and seeing all the tourist sights, we were ready for a day of relaxation.  Emily got some sushi then I tried to go to famous falafel place, L’As du Falafel,  but it unfortunately was closed.  I ended up getting a kebab instead.  We finished the day with a little picnic (a baguette and a beer) by the Pont Notre Dame.

Tuesday - Emily went to work in the Ebay Paris office.  I went for a run through Paris, past the Opera House and along the Seine, and then it was time for me to head back to the airport (Emily flew back the next day).  It was a great weekend, and I have to admit that Paris is definitely starting to grow on me.

See all our Paris pictures on Flickr

2009 Travel Summary

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February 17th, 2010

2009 was a record-breaking year for me travel-wise.  Besides moving to Switzerland, and partially due to my visa troubles there, I traveled more last year than ever before in my life (including the year that Emily and I did our around-the-world trip).  Here are the stats:

• Number of Countries Visited: 15
  • USA, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, Norway, Czech Republic, France, Spain, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Denmark, UK, Qatar, Thailand, Laos
• Number of US States Visited: 9
  • CA, WA, VA, NY, NC, PA, WV, IN, IL
• Number of Trips: 21
• Number of Flight Segments: 46
• Number of Miles Flown: 71,359
  
• Number of Airlines Flown: 14
  
  • Aer Lingus, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Continental, Czech Airlines, Delta, Lufthansa, Qatar Airways, SAS, Spanair, Swiss, United, US Airways
• Number of Trans-Atlantic Flights: 9
  
• Number of Trans-Pacific Flights: 1

Previous Years:  2008, 2007

An Inadvertent Around-the-World Trip

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January 13th, 2010

Without meaning to, I have just completed my second trip around the world.  That’s right, I unintentionally circled the globe in 2009.  Let me explain.

I was in the USA over the summer, then I flew back to Zurich for the fall, with a stopover in Ireland on the way back.  Over Christmas, I went to Thailand for vacation with a stopover in Qatar on the way.  Then, because I had accidentally overstayed my visa in Switzerland, I couldn’t use the return leg of my Zurich->Bangkok flight.  Instead, I bought a new ticket back to the USA.  Since I was in Asia, the shortest way to get to the USA, especially the west coast, was to fly over the Pacific Ocean.  And with that flight, my RTW trip was complete.

Here is the summary:  Seattle -> Chicago -> Dublin -> Zurich -> Doha -> Bangkok -> Tokyo -> Seattle