While it’s no big surprise to anyone who’s spent much time in Europe, it still boggles my mind how the most fabulous of places are nestled so close together.
No offense to Texas, of course, but if you take a five-hour road trip from DFW, you’ll wind up in Amarillo or just outside of Houston. If you want to go to El Paso? Well, tack on another three hours. And if you’re feeling decidedly less ambitious, Austin is a little over three hours away or if you’re willing to invest an extra hour or so, you can hang out in San Antonio. Yes, Texas is so big that it takes forever to actually leave unless a plane is involved.
But in roughly the same amount of time it would take to cross Texas on the morning of Will and I’s 10th wedding anniversary, we embarked on what’s easily the best road trip since our honeymoon (we drove up the coast of California from Los Angeles to San Francisco with stops at Santa Barbara and Carmel in between). The day began with the best pumpkin latte I’ve ever had before boarding a bus and making our way through Switzerland to the Rhones-Alpes region of Southeast France.
As was the case for the entirety of our trip, there was just so much to take in. While I remember my headphones—and whatever music I was into at the moment—being a staple of our road trips growing up, this was a journey that needed no musical accompaniment. Whether it’s the charming little villages filled with stunning churches and cute shops filled with local treasures, the sheer splendor of the Alps themselves or the surprise of bright turquoise water that’s usually reserved for beachier locales, Switzerland was even prettier than I expected. And that’s saying a lot, mind you, because my expectations were definitely high.
Our first stop of the day was Switzerland’s capital city of Bern (or Berne, as I’ve seen it alternatively spelled). After getting an overview of the city on a walking tour with our intrepid leader Lala (and yes, that was her given name—a moniker that really couldn’t be more fitting for a total free spirit like her) and crossing the Aare River, a tributary of the mighty Rhine, we made our way to the city’s Old Town. After a quick introduction to the Gothic Bern Cathedral (stunning!), Will and I had a couple of hours of free time before heading to Geneva.
After a bit of window shopping and people watching, we wound up having lunch at an outdoor café that billed itself as French but featured far more in the way of Italian pasta dishes (I had no problem with this, naturally). After a tasty first course of cream of asparagus soup and mixed green salad (the sharp, vinegar-y dressing definitely fit the French flavor profile—so good!), I ordered the homemade ravioli with Chanterelle mushrooms. Now if you hate mushrooms, these probably won’t win you over either. But if you happen to love mushrooms as much as I do (!!!), you’ll find yourself wondering why you don’t eat this variety more often because they have such an appealing texture and flavor and just happened to be at the peak of freshness. Mmmm.
Since it was our anniversary and all (not that we ever need an excuse to eat dessert), we finished the meal with chocolate mousse and a champagne toast. Even as I type this I can hardly believe it’s been a DECADE already. The time really has whizzed by so fast, and yet when you consider that we’ve lived in three states and embarked on so many adventures, maybe 10 years of marriage should feel just right. Either way, we’re still having so much fun, and I’m incredibly thankful for Will and what’s ahead for the next 10 and beyond.
Next up was our aforementioned cameo in Geneva. It was an absolutely gorgeous day, sunny with just a hint of chill in the air, and we couldn’t resist indulging in a couple of photo ops in front of the United Nations building. Also when you just happen to spot a humongous chair, you have to photograph it right? Turns out, there’s a pretty cool story behind that chair—Google it, it’ll totally be worth your while.
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