On Friday, it was a beautiful day, so we knew we had to visit Chamonix. We arrived in Chamonix just in time for lunch and the kids had a great time singing and dancing to the music. After lunch, we took a cable car up opposite of Mont Blanc and enjoyed the breathtaking views.
Brady and Eliza walking the streets of Chamonix-
"Look how high we are going!"
No coat required!
"We are on top of the WORLD!"
Tough afternoon-
Picture Perfect Day
Birthday celebration for Brady and Eliza-
On Saturday, we woke up bright and early and headed for our mountain adventure to Grindelwald, Switzerland. Grindelwald is located in the Jungfrau Region, part of the Berenese Alps. We had been there in the fall, and quickly added it to our list of places to take visitors. Unfortunately, it is about 3 hours away, so it's not a day trip, but it is a nice getaway to experience a unique Swiss mountain village. Our apartment shadowed under the famous Eiger Mountain, home to the steepest North Face of any mountain in the Swiss Alps. The Eiger towers over Grindelwald, forcing travelers to have to look straight up to capture its steep intimidating peak.
Where we stayed-
View from our balcony-
We arrived around noon, and after eating a quick lunch, we quickly boarded a cable car and headed up to the Bort Station, which is located at an altitude of 5,131ft. Up there, the kids enjoyed playing on the playground, while the adults enjoyed some drinks while soaking up the sun and fresh mountain air.
Me and my buddy Brady!
SO MUCH FUN!
Cheers!
"Peek - a - Boo!"
On Sunday morning, we woke up to clear blue skies and sunshine. When you read about Grindelwald, you read a lot about their famous 'sledging' runs. We really wanted to experience them, so we found a family friendly trail and headed up the mountain by train. We started the sledding run at an altitude of 5,303ft. Chris and Chad were the first to test out the trail with the older girls. The run is 3km and you descend about 1,000ft down a winding trail. After hearing their feedback of how awesome it was, we knew we all had to try it out. So, for the next couple hours we hung out on the mountain sledging.
Brady on his first train ride- he was very excited!
Sophia and Chad-
There they go!
Frozen stop along the trail-
Sledging with true toboggans-
we all agreed we are bringing a few of these
back to the states when we move back!
In the afternoon we made the twenty minute journey into the Lauterbrunnen Valley. This 15km stretch of 72 waterfalls rushing down from 3000ft cliffs on both sides has been inspiring travelers for centuries, including JR Tolkien who based his famous Rivendell in Lord of the Rings from his own travels in Lauterbrunnen. The weather cooperated for us again, allowing us to hike through horse and cow pastures situated intimately in the valley of waterfalls.
Afternoon hike through the valley-
On Monday, we decided to break up the drive home and we stopped for lunch in the city of Thun. We walked around the old town area and then headed back to Geneva. It was definitely an unforgettable weekend in the mountains.
Tuesday, we were really looking forward to going to Annecy to experience their European market. We were able to walk around the old town and along the lake. It was a bit chilly and everyone was still recovering from the weekend, so we didn't stay too long.
Annecy
Best Friends
Wednesday, Brady and Chad were feeling a bit under the weather, poor Brady battled a cough for most of the trip, so they stayed at the house and played with Eliza. Sonja and I took the older girls to old town Geneva and the shopping district along the lake. It was a fun afternoon out shopping and exploring!
The girls sitting on the longest bench in Europe-
Built in 1767 - 120 meters long
We walked up the tower in St. Pierre Cathedral- amazing view!
On Thursday, it was another beautiful day so we headed to Yvoire, France in the morning. Yvoire is a medieval city that is made up of stone buildings and cobblestone streets. We went in a few shops and then drove to Lake Geneva.
Yvoire
Lake Geneva
Ice cream treats by the lake-
Friday, the last day of their trip, they experienced the cheese, chocolate, and wine tour! Eliza was battling a cough, so I stayed home with her while the others enjoyed their final adventure. They had a busy day visiting the village of Gruyere and the castle, eating lunch at the cheese factory, enjoying dessert at the chocolate factory, and ending the day at the wine museum learning about the wine produced in the Lavaux wine region of Switzerland.
Sir Brady the Knight
Sonja said they could do a silly picture- this is the result!
Sampling the chocolate-
Visiting the vineyards-
It's definitely tough being away from family, but being able to share so many special places together while living in Switzerland has been a huge blessing for us. We have been able to create so many special memories with all of our visitors.
A few other highlights from the week:
Sophia lost her TWO front teeth while she was here! Adalyn has not lost any teeth yet, so this was an especially exciting time for her to be part of the "Tooth Fairy" experience.
Dying Easter eggs-
Love❤️
