Day One: Interlaken, Switzerland

Saturday kicked off our Spring Break. Our train left Paris at 6:15am and since the metros don't start until 5:30, we decided to play it safe and get taxis to ensure that we'd have enough time. All four of us (Brandon, Patrick, Chris, and myself) have Eurail passes, which allow us to hop on/off any train in whichever countries we purchased them for. For the international trains, we had to make reservations and we were pleasantly surprised to find that Saturday morning's reservations got us in first class. We were even happier when they made an announcement that everyone in first class would get a complimentary breakfast! We had big,comfy chairs and enjoyed watching the sun rise over the French countryside while eating our croissants.

After a few train transfers, we arrived in Interlaken, Switzerland, a quaint little Alp town known for its pretty views of the mountains. They speak German in this part of Switzerland, but most everyone also speaks English, so we had no trouble communicating. We couldn't stop talking about how fresh the air is here compared to the recycled city air we've been breathing for two months. Switzerland is supposedly one of the world's cleanest countries, and I absolutely believe it. The air was so crisp and the natural water was crystal clear, allowing you to see straight to the bottom. We walked from the train station to our hostel, which was this adorable Swiss lodge with tons of young people from all around the world. We checked in and then walked into town to get something for lunch.

After lunch, Patrick, Chris, and I decided to hike a decent way up one of the mountains in Interlaken. Brandon sprained his ankle a few weeks ago so he opted to go back to the hostel and sleep. We would've gone to the top of the mountain , but the weather was so cloudy that it was way too foggy and he top wouldve had lousier views. The hiking trail was filled with lookout spots along the way for us to sit and soak up the Swiss Alp scenery. We were really bummed that the weather wasn't nicer, but the views were still spectacular.

We hiked up an appetite, so we went back to the hostel, got Brandon, and went to the store to buy ingredients for dinner. The hostel has a kitchen for anyone to use, so Chris and Patrick made us all a pasta and chicken meal. At the end of the dinner, an employee stood in one of the common rooms, rang a cowbell (Switzerland has TONS of cows) and shouted that it was two-for-one happy hour at the bar downstairs. So, of course, we went and chatted at the bar for an hour and a half or so before heading to bed.

Liebevoll,

Katie