He's Alive!

My son is alive!

Okay, a little dramatic and over the top, but it's sure good to know he's still kicking it up in Europe. Throughout his travels thus far, I've yet to hear hide nor hair of him. But my philosophy in his regard is no news is good news. Before he left out for Europe, I'd told him not to worry about calling home unless he just wanted to, because I wanted him to know it was okay to just focus on where he was at the time and enjoying the experience, not worrying about back home and all.

So I sent him off with various denominations of pounds, Swiss francs, and euros and with a Visa cash card for extra reassurance so he felt comfortable spending money for food and souveniers without concern of running out of cash. The nice thing about the card is that I can track where he's spending that money and "follow" him throughout his travels.

Only problem is that he hasn't used the dadgum thing! I was beginning to wonder if it wasn't working or if he felt okay spending the money, or what. I'd previously called the bank to let them know the dates he'd be gone and where he'd be so that he wouldn't have any trouble using it when needed.

I'd had a problem like this when I went to Alaska once and the card wouldn't go through because it got flagged by security - I rarely ever used the thing, but a quick call fixed the problem - couldn't be mad or anything, but learned a valuable lesson.

So this morning there was a lovely post reflected in my email - a card transaction. Oh goodie! Of course, it was a souvenier shop in Zermatt, Switzerland, a village near the base of the Matterhorn. I just knew he'd love this portion of the trip. :-) Snow, mountains, and cooler temps are our favorite treats.

So where did we last leave off? Oh yes - they left Paris and arrived in Switzerland on Friday. That was an early morning and a long drive. They were allowed to spend the late afternoon/evening to themselves in the town of Crans-Montana.

Saturday was a morning all to themselves, if they wanted to sleep in a little or get up and around to explore Crans-Montana (I'm wondering what his decision was). At noon they boarded the coaches to tour the Chateau du Chillon (better known as the Castle of Chillon), incorporated into the Lord Byron poem, "The Prisoner of Chillon." A lovely stroll around Lake Geneva to the village of Montreux with a stop at an ice cream delicacy shop along the way completed their afternoon.

After dinner upon their return to Crans-Montana, they prepared for their two-hour sundown Concert in the Alps. Can you imagine the sound of instruments and voices floating in the mountains of Switzerland?

Then Sunday was their incredible day of sight-seeing in Zermatt at the Matterhorn. First it was a thirty-minute cog rail ride from Tasch to Zermatt, then boarding the funiculaire for an IN-mountain ride. Disney's could not possibly match such incredible adventure and breathtaking beauty as the real thing. Deep breath!

While exploring Zermatt, they might have happened upon the famous Climbers Cemetery to view the historic markers or the old log granaries where residents would pilfer "mazot" - thin circular stones, to stop rodents from illicit grain harvesting. Dinner that evening was a special treat, as the Ambassadors were honored guests at the annual Swiss Folklore Celebration, an evening planned with folklore, music, laughter, and general all-around foolishness for their Swiss send-off.

Today it was once again an early morning as they loaded the coaches to spend time in Liechtenstein on their way to Austria.

Just a little more than halfway there - I'm just glad to know he's made it this far.

The Continuing Stooory

Welcome to the blog of Europe, the continuing stooory of a boy who left his mother for the great beyond across the blue.

Okay, enough of the theatrics. Figure it's been awhile, so many of you would probably like an update on what's been taking place on my son's trip to Europe. Every morning when I get up, I look to see what he's been up to that day and every night I look at the next to see what is coming up for the group.

Figure you, my readers, may only want a summation instead of a daily play-by-play. So here goes!

Last we left off, the coaches were preparing for the boarding of the ferry for the channel crossing over to Calais, France then onto Paris. They should have arrived in Paris Tuesday evening (for them). Wouldn't it have been neat to see what it might have felt like for early sailors to leave the shores of England behind and yearn for the shores of France through that rough channel? I can only imagine (dadgumit).

So Wednesday morning they awoke to the beauty that is Paris, the City of Lights, the home of La Vie En Rose, sidewalk cafes, and delicious croissants from your neighborhood patisserie. Their first stop of the day was Montmartre, a village within the City of Paris. The village is so old that the coaches cannot navigate through the narrow streets, so they truly experienced this area up close and personal, including Sacre Coeur and the Artists Quarter, where budding painters continue to gather in the haunts of the Impressionists that lived there near the beginning of the 20th century.

After a light lunch in Montmartre, the group boarded their coaches for sightseeing at Notre Dame Cathedral then a walk to St. Severin Church for their late afternoon concert. The exciting part of the day was just waiting to begin, however, as they left their concert venue to board at Pont d'Alma for their evening dinner cruise down the River Seine. I can hear the accordian now!

Thursday was jam-packed. The morning consisted of two hours at the fabulous Eiffel Tower, where over 200 million visitors have walked through the turnstiles. Did you know there is a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty nearby? If you didn't know that the French were responsible for the wonderful gift we Americans hold dear, you should get out your history books (or search it on the internet). The Luxembourg Gardens were the venue for their lunchtime performance, then onto an afternoon at the Louvre Museum.

My son was especially looking forward to this part.

So today was another early morning as they bopped out of bed to load the coaches for their departure from France. But not all hope was lost, for the venue the next several days is nestled in the beauty of the mountains, cradled near Lac Leman (better known as Lake Geneva). Yes, it is time for the transfer to Switzerland. My son will probably like this venue best - why you ask? - it's because of the mountains, snow, and cooler tempertures.

I can just taste the Swiss chocolate right now. I warned my son to be sure and sample several varieties and explore all that chocolate has to offer here. MMmmmm!

Their visit to Switzerland coincides with the annual Swiss Folklore Celebration, of which they will be honored guests.

But that's for another day.