Max cooked for us often and it was wonderful!
Swiss countryside hikes!
Zurich for the day
Zurmatt
October 12-20, 2013
We didn't arrive in Lucerne until midnight, realizing only that we never arranged for a meeting point with Max. Good thing Kelsey knew what he looked like, otherwise we may have been stranded in sub-zero Switzerland weather!
That night Max made us pizza, hot tea and lots of chocolate! Ladies this man is single, TAKE HIM!!!
The next morning we awoke to a view we couldn't really believe (when you arrive at 1am you don't see much). Max's house is at the base of huge green hills with little Swiss houses and cows with REAL cowbells, while out in the distance is a mighty mountain covered in snow! Is this for real??? How do people actually live here??
Max walked us around the city of Lucerne. If you haven't been to Lucerne, GO! There is a breathtaking lake cradled by the Alps, with the city surrounding one side. Max showed us some of Switzerland finest, from the famous hot cheese spilled onto bread with some paprika, to fondue and even a Yodeler or two.We strolled along the lake, and felt like we may be in Heaven! What an amazing place!
Our week really consisted of relaxation and overcoming sickness! We had plans to go to Austria and hike, but if you read our blog, obviously that was a bust! So we headed back to Max's and stayed 8 days!! Max works everyday so we would just sleep in (yet stay up super late, so the sleep factor still wasn't quite up to par), we would go for hikes in the Swiss country side, along the river or around town. And everyday Max would bring us home a new kind of chocolate from work =) always exciting!
We met so many people from all over the world while staying in Switzerland! Max's roommate Gorga is from Serbia, his friend Mihai who we hung out with regularly was from Romania, and then at Max's work party we met guys from Turkey, England, Germany and Switzerland. We got to go climbing with Mihai and a friend from Catalonia one night as well! So much fun! Kelsey killed it being her first time in a long time (climbed a 5.9) and Kirdy climbed her highest ever (5.11a). What a great time! Max cooked for us most nights and, let us tell you, he is a marvelous cook! He even taught us a thing or two... like how to use a knife!
We really loved Switzerland because it was a place we really just hung out and learned the way of life and met people. If we could do another trip we would never spend less then a week in a country! Of course, Max was a large part of our adoration for Switzerland as well.
On Friday we took a day trip to Zurich (capital of Switzerland). Max went to a funeral, so Kelsey and Kirdy walked about discovering the city. It was stunning also with a huge lake surrounded by Alps (just in slightly larger proportions then Lucerne).
The Saturday we spent in Switzerland was one of the most amazing day of our trip thus far! We traveled 3 hours to the tiny town of Zermatt that houses the iconic mountain, The Matterhorn! Kirdy went a couple hours early by herself, only because it was a bucket list check off for her and she needed to spend AS MUCH TIME AS POSSIBLE around this beauty. Kelsey, Max and Mihai came only a couple hours later! We all hiked the Matterhorn trial, looking back every 5 minutes to be blown away by the views of the valley we were in surrounded by huge Alps!
Max and Kelsey had packed us lunch, so we laid out our picnic with a view! Our hike continued until dark! As we got closer and closer to the Matterhorn it just kept changing shape and beauty. Every angle of this mountain is amazing! We sat at dusk, and just took in our surroundings. Here we were in southern Switzerland, in the most amazing place one could ask for, with incredible friends, feeling life as it should be (and, of course, eating more chocolate)!
Our time in Switzerland was serene, tranquil, amusing, gorgeous, eccentric and slightly nutty! We owe Max a never ending supply of thanks and gratitude! We didn't really know what to expect getting off that train, but we are sure glad we came here. We were staying with a guy neither of us really knew (a friend of a friend), and it turned into a life long friendship! WE MISS YOU MAX!!!!!
