Swiss Miss...

Well, as if I wasn't submerged deep enough in pictures and anecdotes that need to be blogged about (still haven't shared our Switzerland adventures, remember?) we have just returned from a week-long ramble around Ireland and Northern Ireland. So, now I'm officially drowning. In a good way. I guess that means I should cut right to the chase and start catching up. Here goes nothing!

If you'll recall, we last saw Jordan and Brynne when we parted ways in Mykonos. They went back to Athens for a few days, and then we reunited in Geneva late on May 22nd. (Wow, that was almost a month ago! I am far behind!) After picking up our psuedo-minivan and hassling with a dysfunctional GPS, we ended up at the Swiss/French border around midnight. And we didn't want to be there. We were lost. By the grace of God and the kindness of a French woman at the toll booth information desk, we pieced together a few directional words that got us headed back toward our hotel. A gravel road, a locked gate, and too many U-turns later, we arrived and crumpled into bed for an abbreviated night.

The next morning, we returned to the airport, exchanged our crappy GPS for a sweet Tom-Tom that actually behaved itself. Then, we burned some serious rubber. Grindelwald here we come!

My position during all car-related activities - front seat, camera at the ready, navigation system monitored.

Jordan's spot was a little different than mine - back seat, mouth open, eyes closed.

Matthew was concentrating, eyes on the road.

And Brynne's job was to sit there and look good. Mission accomplished.

Two hours later while rounding a bend and listening to Sweet Home Alabama on a French radio station, we caught our first glimpse of the mountains. Marvelous.

Once we spotted some lakes surrounded by hills and encased in clouds, we decided it was time to pull over and get out for a photo session.

Now that is what I call a swimming pool. I think you have to be a member of the Polar Bear Club to be brave/insane enough to jump in this glacial lake.

Even though we could have stayed there all day, we had more driving to do. And believe it or not, even more magnificent views were waiting for us.

For example, this waterfall appeared to be trickling out of the clouds. Reminded me of the movie Avatar. The next day it was sunny, and we realized that this portion of the falls only made up about a quarter of its height.

We skirted around the edge of Interlaken before winding further into the mountain range to our hotel/cabin in Grindelwald. Our jaws came unhinged at the sight of our surroundings.

I'm fairly certain that this region has to be the most idyllic on earth. I don't see how anywhere else could be better.

This was the view straight out of our room. It was so serene and relaxing, the perfect place to sleep. We left the windows open, the breeze was the best natural air conditioning, and we awoke every morning to the sound of cowbells. I don't know if I've ever felt more rejuvenated.

Of course, by this point, we were starving. It was time for lunch. The only downside to Switzerland is that the views come with a hefty pricetag. Everything is astronomically expensive. Our personal pan, take-out pizzas were around $20 a piece! Eventually, we found our way to a supermarket so that we could stock up on snacks and avoid bankruptcy. Refueled, it was time for our initial exploration of the town.

The air was so fresh and clean after the rain. I wish I could've bottled it.

I should probably go back to school and become a lawyer or engineer or something so that Matt and I can afford to retire in a place like this.

We briefly walked through some wooded areas near a stream, and that concluded full day number one. Bright sunshine and warm weather greeted us the next morning as we had breakfast overlooking the peaks behind our hotel. We had heard rumors of a valley full of waterfalls in a nearby village called Lauterbrunnen, so that was where we spent day number two. Warning: These photos may induce shortness of breath accompanied by an intense desire to scale the nearest vertical surface and jump into an intensely cold body of water.

The scale of the mountains and waterfalls is unfathomable when you are standing next to them, and it's impossible to capture them on camera. Even with the best equipment in the world.

Is this real life? There should be another way to say that "the pictures don't do it justice." Because they don't.

Time to get up close and personal with a waterfall. All you have to do is jump a barrier, climb a few stairs, take a short tunnel, and boom!

WATERFALL! Slippery up there.

Back at the base of the valley, we took a moment for a refreshing drink.

These natural spring taps can be found every so often along hiking trails and tourist routes. The water (that I'm assuming comes from the snow-capped mountains) was ultra crisp and refreshing. The sun was surprisingly hot, so we took full advantage of refilling our water bottles often.

Now for a fun sequence of dandelion dispersal. The gigantic puffy round weeds convinced us to return to our childhood ways. Thanks to us, seeds were spread that day. Green deed done.

Somehow, ordinary items that I've seen a million times before became a million times more entertaining in this new atmosphere, ie. the aforementioned dandelions. It seemed like every care in the world melted away as we strolled further into nature.

The cows were infinitely more hilarious than the Oklahoma cows I've grown accustomed to. Maybe it was their loud, clanging neck bells. Or their really hairy ears. Or the way that they stared at you unceasingly and chewed their cud melodramatically. Whatever it was, it made us stop and video tape them for a good ten minutes.

Nestled among the extraordinary ordinary things was an extraordinarily un-ordinary thing. I labeled it "The Hobbit House."

I'm 99% certain that Frodo inhabits this dwelling during his vacation time.

Lauterbrunnen was indescribably sublime. I hated to leave it, but we had some more serious hiking to do just around the corner and through yet another valley that had been expertly carved by glaciers.

Oh, Lauterbrunnen. You have bewitched me body and soul, and I love, I love, I love you. I never wish to be parted from you from this day on. Sorry, I got lost in a Pride & Prejudice quote there. Ignore my digression.

We parked in Stechelberg, ate lunch at a cafe, and then started walking with no particular route in mind.

If places like this exist on earth, what is heaven going to be like? Multiple times I thought I'd seen the prettiest spot, but I was repeatedly proven wrong.

Typical lineup for hiking - Matt way out in front telling us how wimpy we were with Jordan, Brynne, and I pulling up the rear, huffing and puffing.

Not-so-typical sighting of a baby sheep. It was really cute until I cropped this picture and zoomed in on its eye. Kind of creepy how similar it is to a human eye, and it makes him look oddly calculating instead of cuddly.

About 3 hours and maybe 5 miles later, we were wilting. This was Jordan and Brynne's first hike ever, and they were ready to relax. (So was I.) We made it back down to our car before a rain shower moved in, and we happily called it a day.

In my opinion, the Swiss flag is cool. Simple and to the point. Makes me think of Swatch watches and army knives. If flags had a gender, this one would be all male.

Little did we know of the harrowing adventures in store for us. For the time being, we were content to lounge in our cabin-like retreat, eat chocolate, watch Harry Potter on the iPad, and fall asleep to the soundtrack of waterfalls and cowbells.