Summer Holiday in Geneva

When we moved back to Minnesota two years ago, we made a decision that we would make it a top priority to visit Geneva once a year in order to keep the connection to Europe alive.  Planning the trip is always part of the fun, combining favorite spots filled with nostalgia of when we lived there with the adventure of finding new places to visit.  

On June 20th, we boarded the plane headed to our second home.  Adalyn and Eliza jumped right back into their Geneva life, eyes wide open to a past life that instantly became present again, as if they had never left.  

Once we arrived we quickly reunited with our good friends, Ashley, Lukasz, Jonah, Mason and baby Ella, who graciously hosted us for the two weeks.  

The next morning, we visited Chamonix, France, which is one of our favorite places.  We were able to visit the market, have lunch at one of our favorite restaurants and enjoy the views of  Mont Blanc.  

That evening, we went over to our good friends Bruno and Christina's house, for a fun night with a backyard BBQ and wonderful Greek food!  

On Sunday, we went on a beautiful hike on Lake Montriond in France.  The views were stunning. 

Hiking with friends makes every step a bit more fun.

                           

 Nothing better than a great dinner after a day of  hiking.                  Lake Geneva -Jet d'Eau

The following two days, Chris worked so the girls and I spent time visiting their old school,  shopping at our favorite stores and playing with friends.  

When planning the trip, we knew we wanted to devote a couple days to explore a new mountain village in Switzerland.  On Tuesday night, we drove two hours to a beautiful village, Gstaad, located in the southwest region of the Swiss Alps.  We stayed at a charming chalet, Posthotel Rossli.  While in Gstaad, we hiked, swam and wandered along the cobblestone streets. 

                                                   -Hike from Horneggli to Rinderberg-

       

               Swimming at Gstaad Palace                                      Exploring the town...

                                                           Hike to Lauenensee Lake

After two days of fresh mountain air, we boarded a plane with friends for southern Italy.  We usually visit northern Italy, so this was a new place for us to discover.  When talking with friends, we were discussing if you had one country to visit the rest of your life, which country would it be.  Most of us chose Italy.  It is a country that offers beautiful scenery, delicious cuisine, the most charming towns and exquisite wine.  Within moments of arriving in Brindisi, we knew this was going to be another part of Italy we would quickly fall in love with.  

During our four days in Italy we were able to visit many old towns, enjoy time on both the Adriatic and Ionian Sea and relax by the pool.

A trullo, a traditional Puglia home; dry stone hut with a conical roof.

  The villa we shared with our friends, a perfect place to relax.  Loved all the palm trees- 

Ostuni: Whitewashed old town that has been inhabited since the Stone Age, where you could get lost walking along the narrow streets and alleyways.     

Matera: Known as the "underground city."  By far the most unique place we have visited.  It is the 3rd oldest continually inhabited city in the world, over 7,000 years old.  Unknown to much of Italy, the city hid a society of poverty.  In the 1950's, the government relocated many of the residents due to unhealthy living conditions.  Since then, the caves have been turned into restaurants, boutiques and the narrow walkways filled with tourists, mainly Italians, admiring the amazing architecture. The engineering that went into building this city is unreal.  What was once known as the "shame of Italy" has now just recently been awarded the 2019 European City of Culture.

We were able to visit a "sassi" (cave house) to see how people lived for thousands of years up until 1950.  The entire family, which was usually six people, including their animals, all lived in the small cave.

First time in the Ionian Sea- beautiful beach.  

Night out in Martina Franca with the newest expat family member, Ella Grace

Boat ride in the Adriatic Sea to visit the sea caves of Puglia.  

After four fantastic days in Italy, we headed back to Geneva.  Chris spent the next two days at the office and the girls soaked up the final days with friends.  

 One last night in old town Geneva...

Fourth of July - Picnic lunch on Mount Saleve and Dominos pizza in the park for dinner!  

After two wonderful weeks our vacation was over and we were all sad to say good-bye.  We are grateful to Ashley and Lukasz for their hospitality and evening conversations.  We are thankful for all of our friends in Geneva who made this trip extra special.  Until next time...