The week prior to leaving for my big European get-away was so busy I didn't even have time to dream about it, much less be nervous or excited about it. It started out the Sunday before with the death of a dear ward member, Darwin Porter. The week proceeded with me finishing up the newspaper, writing a ten page research paper, taking a final, then preparing for another funeral - my last remaining grandmother, Frances Hutchens. I finished up the newspaper Monday, finished the paper Wednesday, studied for the final Thursday, delivered the newspaper Friday and took my final, went to Darwin's funeral on Saturday, got ready for my trip and drove down to Utah on Sunday. Monday I gave the life sketch at Grandma's funeral and flew to Dallas for the first leg of my trip. I spent the night in Dallas (after getting in late and walking through several dark alleys to get to a less-than-reputable Denny's to eat some nasty food), then got up early to fly to New York.
Small glich: American Airlines could not issue my ticket until I could prove when and how I was leaving Switzerland. Because I was flying into Zurich on American and flying home on United from Munich they wanted proof I was leaving Switzerland. I explained my sister would be picking me up, and I had the ticket showing my return trip on the 9th from Munich, but they insisted I have a ticket booked showing my departure from Switzerland. I had to get online (thank you smatphone) and book a ticket on Lufthansa Airlines from Zurich to Munich. Once I had a ticket number they issued my ticket. No wonder they want you there earlier for international flights.
Once in Dallas I tracked down Lufthasa and got a ticket, but when I went through customs in Zurich they just asked where I was going and when I was leaving - I didn't have to show any documentation. In the words of my three year-old niece Chloe, "Whatever." All that was forgotten when I saw my beautiful girl waiting at the exit for me.
Megan and Amy (my sister) met me at the airport and we headed back to Uzwil (just outside of St. Gallen in SE Switzerland). We quickly gathered Amy's family and headed out for my first Eurocamp experience, their fifth, in Innsbruck, Austria. Amy chose most of her European experience based on Eurocamps closest to interesting places and cities.
We spent two nights in our "caravan" which is a small modular home that sleeps eight. Our first real sight , besides the vibrantly green rolling hills spattered with plowed fields, yellow buttercups, blue forget-me-nots, and white edelweiss framed by thick clumps of trees meeting up with dense forests towered over by rugged, snow-topped grey-blue mountains, was the sleeping beauty castle at
Neuschwanstein Castle.
The crazy thing about the castle is it was never finished. Only small parts of the castle were finished and it was never lived in. What a waste! We rode a bus up to the castle, then hiked down afterward.
This is a view from the castle. Pretty sure I wouldn't mind this view FOREVER!
After the castle we went to one of Amy's kid's favorite places to eat in Europe - McDonald's. It was quite the adventure pointing and gesturing to what we wanted. In the end, the poor Austrian teenager got most of the order right - except they were out of the fruit cup Amy had ordered. I was at a loss as to what else to order her (she had already taken the kids to the table), and exasperated the young man said, "Take the Cheeseburger." I hesitated, and more forcefully he said, "Take the cheeseburger." Pretty sure Amy didn't want a cheeseburger (since she had ordered a double cheeseburger to start with) I hesitated again. Teeth gritted, the young man said, "TAKE THE CHEESEBURGER!" I took the cheeseburger.
Our second day we spent the morning at the Innsbruck Alpine Zoo with the kids. It was artistically set against the mountain, with zigzagging paths going up from exhibit to exhibit. (I'm pretty sure everything is uphill around here.) It rained until we got out of the car, and then turned into a beautiful morning and afternoon.
We dropped the kids back at the caravan for Ryan, putting their second favorite meal in the oven - frozen pizza (really pizza of any kind). Amy, Megan and I then headed in to another town nearby - Holl in Tirol. Picturesque, with brightly colored buildings, old churches, and cobblestone streets, we ate a lunch of croissant sandwiches and local pastries at a local cafe. Megan says French croissants are much better.
Salzburg is next!
