8 Feets And Heart Beats

‘An Aussie in Europe’

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For my own purpose and reflection, I feel a strong desire to write about my experience of being ‘an Aussie in Europe’.

It’s a totally different experience from my travel to date, and one that I want to share here, with the hope in years to come, when I read over my musings, I’ll be able to re-live the feeling as much as look through all the beautiful photos I’ve taken along the way. And of course, the real reason for this entire blog, so my kids can re-live it all as I will over the years to come.

So please bear with me with a post that’s more about me and less about than the places we are travelling through at this point in time (and perhaps my thoughts and feelings might re-ignite some wonderful memories and feelings for you too.)

So… sitting in my Swiss buddies cozy little chalet in the middle of the Swiss Alps I started thinking about our next leg of the journey. As luck has it, and due to some changes to our itinerary, we’ve ended up with a week left begging.

As I started the search I quickly realised that there were just SO many options, so many countries within reach, within such a short distance. This realisation, teamed with a few hours of researching different itineraries, really bought home the difference of being in Europe compared to our home country. Only the act of travelling, the physical act of researching and booking (very short) flights, train journeys even sometimes buses that can take you from one country to another, brings to reality actually how big the beautiful ‘island’ that we call home actually is.

Strangely enough, although I knew it logically, and had heard other people speaking about the ease of travelling around Europe, I was totally unprepared for the actual act of doing it. I felt like a ‘Europe virgin’ a little bewildered, a little naïve, completely green yet very excitable – bordering on euphoric! For example – call me ignorant, but I didn’t know until this moment, while discussing these insights with my Swiss buddy, that there is a place here in Switzerland that you can literally stand with an arm and a couple of legs in 3 different countries, now that’s a whole new perception on playing a round of ‘Twister’ right!

When I landed in Basel I was a little confused when I reached the immigration gates. The sign pointing to the left read ‘France/Germany’ and the other pointing to the right read ‘Switzerland’. Luckily I looked up rather than following the crowd and steered my little travel team to the correct gate ending up in the country I was meant to be in. I mean it’s a crazy moment for someone who’s been bought up in a country surrounded in coastlines and expansive oceans, where the nearest border crossing is via plane or a lonngggg boat ride away.

When I speak of travelling to our nearby town, ‘only 3 hours from Perth’ my friends and travel companions look in shock and wonder – “only 3 hours and 270kms!” It comes as a bit of a shock to some when you explain that the distance from one end of our vast state to the other (state … not country!) is comparable to moving through 4, 5 even 6 European countries!

The one thing that I’ve been really looking forward to about this European adventure is the history. It felt like I’d been waiting for my whole life for this, and I just knew how much we were going to be blown away by what Europe is most famous for – its history!

The feeling that I get when immersed in history, art and architecture is quite difficult to explain to my non-Aussie mates. I know that our culture rivals any other in the world, our indigenous people and their legacy in artefacts and weaponry date back between 40,000 – 60,000 years ago, with the aboriginal culture know to be the ‘oldest continuous culture on the planet!’ This certainly stacks up against most European timelines, but the difference is that where in Australia it’s in the nature, it’s in our landscape, the vast open spaces, the brilliant expanse of our night sky, it’s in our stunning coastline, here in Europe it’s a mark left by man. It’s in the architecture, the art, the statues, the cobblestone roads – the CASTLES! The legends of the past live on through these incredible marks of history and at times the feeling is almost tangible, it’s like travelling back in time. It’s so so different to what I have been brought up with. I feel like a little kindergarten kid seeing and learning for the very first time, it entices a curiosity to know more, and that’s an incredibly captivating feeling.

So from my rambling it’s no secret how much being immersed in this history excites and fascinates me. I can’t help but let that out on occasion (like always!) and the most wonderful thing is through sharing this excitement, I’ve seen it become a big part of Jed and Deni’s experience also. It delights me to see their faces as we’ve wandered from site to site. There are times I have felt the need to apologise to them for my outbursts and the endless pauses in front of each stunning display of ageless beauty, then I look at their perfect little faces and realise that they’re getting this too – no need for apologies. There truly can be nothing better for a mumma travelling with her babies!

So, where was I… oh yes, sitting in that cosy mountain chalet in the Swiss Alps planning the next leg of our European adventure. The choices in front of me, especially when this little Aussie was taking into consideration the ‘distance factor’, almost made me dizzy with excitement. I thought about Paris, the city of love, but I wasn’t doing this leg of the adventure with ‘my love’ so that didn’t feel right. Southern Italy came up but I thought a week wasn’t long enough to truly experience it as I’d like to. Denmark and the ‘ultimate Lego adventure’ was also a consideration but didn’t tick all the boxes either. Then there was Prague. It has always been on my travel radar, for reasons I’m still not sure of, and 6 days seemed like a good pocket of time to wander around the city. When discussing it with my friends here in Europe there was no doubt that we needed to go. ‘The most beautiful city in Europe – you just HAVE to go!’ was the common response. If they hadn’t been they wanted to. So what’s a girl to do? I checked the travel options and had us booked on a flight from Basel to Prague an hour later. It was a spur of the moment decision that brought with it a little bit of nervousness, and an overwhelming sense of excitement – seems we were heading to Prague!

 

Ice Skating, 344 Stairs & Fountain Finding in Bern.

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Once again, we’re lucky enough to have our good friends living here in Bern, so as well as priceless tips and information from the locals, we also have a comfy bed and a social gathering each night for dinner, not to mention a couple of ice-skating pals! (Thanks so much Ron, Lornie, Will and Charlie)

The city centre of Bern is just gorgeous.

It’s famous for its covered arcades (6km’s of them!) and cellar shops and bars. It all makes for a rather intimate shopping experience and we spent many an hour wandering around the cobblestoned streets just taking in the relaxed feeling of this pretty city.

Zytglogge

… Is Bern’s most famous Old Town site. A beautiful, and very old (1191!!) ornate clock tower that attracts quite a few onlookers on the hour – every hour! We would often walk by when the crowds were dispersing, naturally we were curious so we made it our mission to be among the viewing crowd and to see what all the fuss was about. On the day of our ‘fountain treasure hunt’ (more on that later…) while we were busy ‘hunting’ I realized that it was 7 mins to the hour. We decided to make a dash for it, weaving in and out of the little side streets, and dodging the window shoppers strolling by. We ran and ran and made it with 1 minute to spare, we were ready, puffing and panting, but there we were, then… bong bong boingggg…. It was a bit of a fizz to say the least, but it did give us plenty of reason for a good giggle!

Apart from the rather timid hourly show we did discover though, that the Zytglogge not only had a cool name but being right in the centre of the city it also served as a great landmark for us wanderers!

Münster

We huffed and puffed and made our way up the 344 spiral staircase of the Münster where we were rewarded with an amazing 360° view of the city. The 100m spire of the Münster can be seen from far and wide and acts as the beacon of Bern’s 15th century Gothic cathedral. It is beautiful.

Historical Museum of Bern

We had the most fantastic day at the Historical Museum. It was on our daily train line so it was on our hit list from day one. Actually it was the big sign out the front advertising the ‘Einstein Exhibition’ that drew us in. Jed and Deni love Einstein, more because of his crazy appearance than his brilliant mind so I thought it’d be the perfect opportunity for them to discover that he was more than just a mad looking scientist!

We made our way through the exhibition loading ourselves with a ton of facts and details of his life. I was so proud of my 2 little darlings, their attention and excitement never wavering for a minute. While sitting at the museums café having lunch I asked them what was the most interesting thing they got from the exhibition, Deni’s response… ‘I liked the way that he married his cousin’ – hmm, a good time to remind myself that we all take different things from these experiences!

As most museums go, there were rooms and rooms of fantastic exhibitions. Ancient Roman scrolls that fascinated all 3 of us. There was even one that you could look through, white gloves and all! It was the perfect display of how calligraphy was used, and to my absolute delight it gave J&D the inspiration to pick up the calligraphy pens and book that I’ve been carrying around for the last year or so! (Homeschooling 101 again!)

There were rooms full of armoured horsemen and look-alike battlefields with freakishly realistic wax figures to boot. Rooms lined with Roman statues and old broken relics of the past. All very fascinating and our recommendation for a great day out!

Our Bern ‘fountain treasure hunt.’

By far one of our favorite days in Bern was that spent on our ‘fountain treasure hunt!’

As we were travelling out of season most of the tours and guided walks were either not running while we were here or not delivered in English. It was a bit of a bummer but It just meant that I had to be a little creative with my itinerary! So, one night, while enjoying a wine with my house buddies, we stumbled across an app called ‘Bern City Walks’ What a find! This little beauty gave us a GPS map to find our way around the city to each fountain and also a description on each one. It really was the perfect little tool, and exactly what I was looking for to bring a bit of excitement and fun into our little history lesson of Bern’s famous 16th century fountains.

We all took turns using the GPS to get us from one point to another, then we would read out the descriptions and meaning of each folk-looking character perched on each fountain. I think the most fun though was actually spotting the fountains before we arrived at the pin on the map, we would all squeal with delight when we spotted one up ahead. Yes, we did get a few strange looks but by golly we had fun!

We walked and walked that day, the length of the city a few times over, and our two little adventures didn’t notice at all. The excitement of using the GPS on my phone and spotting each strange character created a ‘treasure hunt’ kind of feeling, and that experience was enough for them to solider on – from one funky fountain to the next!

 

Discovering Lucerne & Basel

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Over the past few weeks we have spent a whole lot of time wandering and discovering, museum hopping and fountain finding.

It seems that the further we explore the more we realize that there’s a whole lot more to this beautiful country than the Alps (although they make a pretty impressive backdrop!)

In this post I thought it might be a nice idea, not only to share our findings but also to serve as a reminder to us of all the great things we did during our time in Switzerland. We’ve had so much fun!

So, join us as we discover this gorgeous country …

‘Bridge Market Stroll’

Actually our markets visit was an accidental stumble-upon experience in Lucerne. We came across them while we were heading for a coffee shop. (as you do on a Saturday morning) It was a single alley of markets that ran the length of the walkway just past the Chapel Bridge – a very cool bridge that boasts being the oldest covered wooden bridge in Europe!

I absolutely love a good market, they’re different everywhere you go. I’ve been known to get terribly (& intentionally) lost for hours while I take in all the delicious sights and irresistible smells. I love the hustle and bustle that you get at a good market and the insight to local produce, both staples and delicacies.

Even though this market was small in comparison to most, it was bursting with delights of all descriptions … flowers galore – daffodils, tulips, lilies … an array of cheeses that almost gave me eye strain…

… salamis of every shape and size, big glass jars of pickled veggies and occy, delectable breads, pastries … Oh my! It was all very easy to get caught up in, and that we did.

The stallholders were charming of course, some French some Italian, some German – all passionate about their produce and all very good at selling it! Needless to say we walked out a whole lot lighter in the wallet but by golly we had a yummy antipasto platter for dinner! (Didn’t we Tanja?!)

‘Transport Museum’

A ‘must do’ while in Lucerne is the Transport Museum. A whole lot of fun for young and old alike!

The scale and magnitude of the exhibits is extremely impressive with every area of transport covered. Our highlight (even before we entered the building!) was discovering how they made some of the tunnels in Europe – A question that we all had from our tunnel time in Madeira!

It’s a place that you could easily spend a day in, big enough for a couple of days if you so wish, and the chocolate tour is entertaining, just don’t expect to come out too full (sadly)

We loved the model trains, the interactive (& enormous) outdoor play area, and with Jed at the wheel the flight simulators were a hit!

 ‘Tinguely Museum’

We had half a day up our sleeve so after a tip from our local Basler buddies we jumped on the bus and headed for the Tinguely Museum.

It’s said that Jean Tinguely (1925–1991) is one of the most innovative and important Swiss artists of the 20th century. This museum is dedicated to his life’s work.

It’s a fun, interesting and interactive museum, key elements that make it excellent for kids as well as adults! Tinguely is famous for his moving mechanical structures and also known for his use of recycled materials to create his masterpieces. These two elements work together perfectly to create a fantastic exhibition. It also opened up another topic for some great discussions around what makes art and the freedom of creativity. (homeschooling & life lessons 101!)

The main exhibition while we were there was ‘Méta-Harmonies’ or ‘Music Machines’.

I read this on the website and I think it explains it perfectly,

‘It clanks and bangs and creaks and squeaks and sometimes even a tone sequence can be heard above the racket. The four machines that Jean Tinguely called Méta-Harmonies make a chaotic, clamorous din that sounds anything but composed. ‘My contraptions do not make music,’ wrote Tinguely, ‘my contraptions use sounds and I play with those sounds; I sometimes build
sound-mixing machines to mix sounds and then let the sounds go, give them their freedom.’

In short, it’s a collection of BIG, colourful, loud music-making structures that had us enthralled for some time. As well as a myriad of cogs and wheels and old junkyard scrap, we spotted dolls, an old piano, a merry-go-round horse, ladders and even a mini Michelin man! It was a treasure hunt of a different kind.

Now we’re heading for Bern, but I’m going to save that for the next post. Too many cool experiences to fit in one!

… TBC …

* My little tip for future Swiss travelers – buy a Swiss Half Fare Card with a family pass. Basically, after the initial cost of the pass, I paid half price for all train and bus travel within the country, the kids travelled for free. Plus a huge bonus was that most of the museums we visited were also free entry for us all. A big plus especially in Switzerland where everything is double the price of what you would normally pay elsewhere!

The Frenzy of Fasnacht!

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So it’s time to stop racing down the slopes, frolicking in the feather light snow and chasing perfect snowflakes…

… we have a festival to go to!

Long before we arrived in Hasliberg my Swiss buddy had planned for us to join them at the city of Basel’s Fasnacht Festival!

I was told (perhaps warned?} that we were in for a whole lot of ‘local’ fun. Fun that was to include enormous amounts of noise, strange characters wearing bazaar masks and loud costumes, truck-loads of lollies for the kids (sweets or candies for my non-aussie mates) single roses for the ‘pretty girls’in the crowd (more on THAT later!) and kilos & KILOS of confetti.

We arrived by train in a cloud of floaty, misty energy from our very serene and ‘quiet’ little landscape of Hasliberg – straight, smack-bang into the middle of total chaos.

I’m not sure if it was the sheer amount of people or just the stark contrast from our simple village life that had me instantly on my toes, I wasn’t taking any chances here. I promptly went into ‘travelling parent survival mode 101’ and wrote my mobile number on the kids arms with permanent marker (a good little travel tip that could be a life changer in a crisis!) The streets of Basel were bursting at the seams with excited Baslers all scrambling for the perfect position to view the Cortège (the carnival procession). Through the crowd we stumbled and tripped and pushed until we found ourselves on a median strip, between two main roads. I’m still not sure if this was the best option for us little newbies, but there we were – the cortège running full steam in front of us, and full steam behind us – 360° – no escaping it. Nothing quite like jumping into the deep end right?!

The fresh mountain air was pushed right out of my lungs with the beat of that first drum. The silence of the snowflakes was replaced with the desperate cries of the kids pushing their little hands forward, heavy with the promise of lollies!

The here and now a complete contrast to our past 2 weeks in the snow.

To explain the scale of it, there are 12,000 carnival participants with 300 ‘chaise’, or what we know as floats.

Hanging out of these chaise are the ‘Waggis’. Outrageously dressed characters with larger than life masks whose job it is to throw all sorts of goodies into the crowd. Some of the missiles that whizzed past me were carrots, oranges, turnips, lots of potatoes, apples, radishes, bunches of spinach, packets of chips and flowers that resemble our Aussie wattle. And not to leave the kids out, there were showers of lollies, and of course confetti – SO MUCH confetti.

Marching before and after these huge and elaborate floats are an endless stream of musicians, called ‘cliques’.

Drums and flutes make up some of the troupes, and then there are the ‘Gugge ‘ – the shiny brass bands that follow on with their big bold sound. It was colourful, and LOUD, it was creepy and funny and scary and it was a total sensory overload of mammoth proportions.

As with most festivals across the globe there is quite a history, and with that a tradition to uphold. All of the groups that participate in the cortège run to different themes, usually something of significance that has happened over the past year, sometimes religious or cultural events, sometimes local or sporting, but mostly political it seemed. (needless to say there were a few Don’s running about in this year’s festival!) As well as the chaises and the bands, there is one other part of the group that is significant to the procession. This part could be easily overseen in all the flurry of activity, but it was interesting all the same. They usually have on the most interesting costumes and masks, and they walk along handing out printed papers to the onlookers. The papers are printed with poems or lyrics related to the theme that they are playing out, all in the local Basel dialect. Understanding this is difficult even to the Swiss I’m told, so literally impossible for us, but regardless of this, and with Jed not one to say no, I ended up with my pockets jammed with pamphlets as the afternoon wore on.

So – it doesn’t take long to figure out that most things in Switzerland have specific and strict rules. There is perfect order in this country. Think the ‘Swiss watch’.

The Fasnacht is no exception. The 3 day carnival really is an act of organizational brilliance – year after year after year. Through the chaos and madness of it all there is a solid framework of strict rules and timetables that must be adhered to, the Swiss know it, the visitors feel it! The Fasnacht begins at precisely 4am on the Monday after Ash Wednesday and continues for exactly 72 hours. It ends on the 4th chime of the city clock on the following Thursday morning – PERIOD! Following this the teams of street cleaners move in and within a matter of hours the streets are spotless. The only hint that the carnival has moved through and completely consumed this city is if you look down at your feet, you may spot a stray piece of confetti stubbornly lodged between the cobblestones.

A vital tip given in those specific rules is to buy and wear a ‘plakette’ which translates to a carnival badge. They’re sold around the streets of Basel, and in our haste to get to our destination we failed to take heed of this all-important tip, a mistake that I would later regret! The proceeds of the plakette go towards the running of the festival and basically if you’re not wearing one you’re a key target.

During our briefing from Tanja we were told that the masked characters in the wagon cliques would be not only throwing lollies and vegies but also pick out the ‘pretty girls’ in the crowd and offer them a rose, this, of course, was the ultimate compliment. That said, when I was offered the ultimate prize – being the rose, I shied away and giggled like a teenager, pretending – ‘oh, it must be the lady beside me’, he he he. With much laughter and encouragement by my fellow carnival goers I made my way to the float to collect my rose…. now, remembering here that I wasn’t wearing my badge – BIG mistake! Down came the hand offering me the rose, and without a moments hesitation it had a vice-like grip on my wrist, one that only got tighter the more I struggled. I fought and twisted but to no avail. Before I knew what was happening I was pulled along with the float while a 2nd masked figure proceeded to shove handful after handful of confetti down the back of my coat! I was giggling nervously and yelling to let me free, it wasn’t fun. You can imagine my horror when I finally managed to break loose and was shoved violently backwards into the crowd. To add to the sheer horror of it all during this scramble I took out a mother and baby as I went down! Apologizing profusely and red-face with embarrassment I made my way back to our place in the crowd. Regardless of whether it had been the lure of the rose, or the lack of badge on my coat, the experience of being made a spectacle of had left a sour taste in my mouth. The novelty of the carnival had quickly worn off and I was happy to make my way home, tail between my legs.

Thankfully, Tanja made me ‘get back on the horse’ and after a much-needed rest, and a few hours of the kids counting and recounting their mountains of lollies to see who got the most, we all headed back into the city for the evening Gässle.

This was by far my favourite part of the festival.

The streets in the old city of Basel are really lovely, particularly at night Cobblestone streets with narrow, winding alleyways, dimly lit ‘oh-so-lovely’! The atmosphere was magical. During the Gässle there are no vehicles in the streets, just group after group of piccolo players and drummers wandering through the streets, marching softly to their own hypnotic beat. We found ourselves lured by the carnival compositions of some of these troupes and marched along behind, quietly, happily in a sort of reverie. It was a lovely end to a crazy day!

 

2 Weeks in ‘Snow’ Heaven

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What an amazing 2 weeks of fun!

Snowball fights … toboggan races … ski-school … a down-hill ski race

AND a polony sandwich & strawberry picnic on top of the world!

One bonus of living abroad is the opportunity of meeting people from all corners of the globe. Even bigger bonus is when those people become your closest friends and invite you to share their little part of the world. Hasliberg is the home of our very dear friends Tanja, Jasmine, Sari and Noah and we have been extremely lucky to have been invited to stay for a bit.

Staying with family or friends also give you the opportunity to experience life like a local, to live each day as they do, see places that you would never discover without them. I love experiencing the little things that make life here so so different from our own, like tobogganing to school – how cool is THAT! … and chocolate covered rice cakes (only in Switzerland right!)…. the entrance to every house just for snow boots – and jackets – and beanies & scarves, the way all of the snow gear gets hung over the heaters to dry before the next trip out. The little rubber ducks covered in snow on the bathroom window ledge … ordinary day-to-day things that make me smile and make our visit even more special.

Day 2 was the day we woke to snow falling, all day, lots of snow. The kids built snowmen and forts and Tanja was delighted that the forecast for the following day was sunshine. Fresh snow & sunshine is apparently the perfect combination and she wanted to show me her favourite walk … oh my, was I in for a surprise! Blue skies and perfect white snow, quite literally a scene from a movie – that postcard again!

Once again, while walking Tanja’s favorite trail, I found myself ohhhhing & ahhhhing to the rhythm of my steps! This was something beyond beautiful, the stillness, the quiet, the crunching of snow beneath my feet, the prettiness so profound it could almost blind you.

Then to top off this incredible walk, our destination …

… the most awesome coffee spot, I mean, does it get any better?

Our time here falls within the school term so during the days the girls, and Noah go off to school, yep on the toboggan. Armed with that info I decided to enrol J&D into the ski school here that runs during school hours. It’s an expensive option but watching the kids over that week learn the new skill of skiing with such ease was worth every penny plus some!

I spent that week being the ‘snow mum’. Getting them to and from the ski area, (that in itself is a mission!) and watching them as they went through each phase of learning. I was the photographer and filmmaker, the cafeteria go-to-girl, the toboggan carrier and the cheer-leader … and I loved every minute of it!

I donned the skis for a bit and took a lesson. Got all confident in the beginners area and decided to hit the blue piste where I certainly gave everyone something to laugh about when I made my way down the slope … on my BUTT! My embarrassment aside, I laughed ’till my sides hurt more than my butt and all-in-all had the time of my life.

The final day of ski school brings a lot of excitement, the graduation ceremony is a down-hill ski race!

You can see the result …

‘2nd is our little visitor all the way from AUSTRALIA!’

(actual commentary – and how sweet it was)

 

 

 

IT’S SNOWING!

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I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite so lovely as snow falling…

… except perhaps the expressions of sheer delight on my kids faces when we woke this morning to the soft, silent rain of snowflakes. Absolutely and undoubtedly an unforgettable moment in my life.

We’re now in Switzerland, in a little village called Hasliberg Wasserwendi. I’m sitting all snug and warm in my besties armchair writing this post while looking out into a true winter wonderland. The beauty of this scene is hard to describe, nut I’ll do my best. The balcony outside has a layer of snow as thick as the wooden balustrade it’s landed upon. The trees beyond are a sight to behold. It looks like a postcard, it really does. The pure white, perfect snow creates a blanket over every branch and twig. I am mesmerised and fascinated by how a layer so thick can remain there for so long. Logic tells me that it should either fall at a certain point, or perhaps even take the branch with it. But no, the layers just get thicker and the blankets wider. I can’t stop looking at this new phenomenon (to me).

The snow sits perfectly on the branches, waiting for someone to come along and give it a little shake. How could I not!

I know this sounds funny but it actually looks like that ‘snow in a can’ that some people spray around at Christmas time… but nothing like it at the same time, this is all so incredibly beautiful and REAL! Everywhere I look I see something else that builds the excitement, footprints in the snow, someone skiing past the kitchen window as I prepare lunch, our kids laughter and chatter as they build snowmen and piles and piles of snowballs … DUCK!

And as I sit here, taking in the beauty of it all, the snow flakes continue to float across this surreal scene – lightly, like …. snowflakes I guess 😉

I remember my sister Sue telling me about the first time she saw a snowflake, and how they actually look like the symbol that we use, how we all draw them (or cut them out of paper doilies). I could never have realised just how right you were sis until this morning when a pure, perfect little snowflake landed on my jeans. It was the most lovely sight, pure white, and light and tiny and simply stunning.

It must have been a funny sight to the locals here, 3 overly excited Aussies, skipping and hopping about, giggling uncontrollably, all while holding out our gloved hands catching the snowflakes.

I’m in awe, I’m totally mesmerised and I’m so very grateful to all, and everything, that has allowed me to be here, to see a snowflake and mostly to allow my kids to experience this wonderful place, and time, and space!

Maybe it’s the mountain air or the absolute beauty everywhere I look. Maybe it’s the peacefulness of those sweet little snowflakes mixed with the excitement of just being here? It’s a little overwhelming and certainly enough to bring tears to my eyes.

I’ve been in the snow before, but for the life of me I can’t remember actually seeing it falling? Maybe that’s why I felt the same level of excitement as the kids, or maybe I’m just getting more and more sensitive to the miracles of this wonderful world as we travel through it. It doesn’t really matter why, what matters is that, for whatever reason, I was dancing in the snow this morning with my kids, and for that I am forever grateful.

It’s hard to imagine that we’re sitting here in thermals, beanies and scarfs when our family are at home in the air-conditioning. The contrast is quite bizarre and I guess that’s why this experience is so surreal for these 3 little Aussies. In a season when we’re usually dressed in bathers and sarongs, building sand castles and crashing through the waves, here we are, all rugged up with at least 3 layers of clothing, building snow forts and sliding down snow covered slopes on toboggans.

So, enough gushing from me, as you would have guessed I could go on and on and probably will in future posts but for now it’s over to Jed and Deni…

Q #1: Tell us how you feel being here in Switzerland.

Jed: ‘Well, it makes me feel quiet, and relaxed, like there’s no rush to do anything.’

Deni: ‘Yeah, It makes me feel relaxed and excited at the same time.’

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Q #2: Is it what you expected?

Jed: ‘Yep, it’s exactly what I expected.’

Deni: ‘There’s so much snow! I thought there were going to be just little blobs everywhere!’

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Q #3: It’s day 2, what’s your favourite part/thing up to now?

Jed: ‘Crunching a snowball up in my hands ready to throw at Deni. The snow felt like nothingness, like if you put your hand in it your hand never hits the ground.’

Deni: ‘My favourite thing is making snowmen, except I don’t have a carrot.’

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Q #4: What does a snowflake look like?

Jed: ‘They look kinda like stars that have fallen from the sky. Like tiny explosion of ice. I felt like they were a gift from a God’

Deni: ‘They look like little bright stars when they fell on the car seat when the door was open.’

‘até a próxima vez!’ – Until Next Time Madeira

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SO the sun is setting on our Maderian adventure and it’s time to say ‘até a próxima vez!’ – until next time!

We’ve had a great time with so many fantastic experiences and adventures. So many new experiences for us all. Me – driving on the left, Liam and Jed’s first father/son downhill biking adventure, and Miss Deni’s first horseback trail ride with Alex (our friend – not the horse!)

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed the delicious Maderian cuisine and drunk far too much coffee.

We’ve replaced sandcastles with rock towers.

We’ve trekked through the most amazing terrain on our longest one yet …

And we’ve become familiar with the endless tunnels that span this little island …

* A funny little insight … in my home city of Perth we have one tunnel. I remember driving through it and thinking this is what it must feel like in Europe, I even used to go off route and drive the kids through it when they were little. So you can imagine my delight as we made our way through an actual European tunnel!

We’ve experienced a display of interesting, bright and sometimes funny door & wall art and fallen in love with the rugged coastline that takes your breath away.

We’ve made new friends and reconnected with old friends and we’ve spent precious time with our much-loved Grandad Gav, but our bags are packed and it’s time to say good-bye. Or as we like to say ‘seeya’ and a big BIG thank you.

And from here … ‘hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to the snow we go…….’

Our Date With Poncha

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So I promised to tell you about the other specialty of Madeira … poncha!

Once again we were lead to the experience by Alex and few others in Gav’s local gang. ‘You MUST try poncha’ they told us. “Just a little taste…’ they said. Famous last words!

We were taken firstly to an area that was once an old fisherman’s hangout called Camara de Lobos. Apparently the fishermen would gather here to drink their concoction to warm up on cold days before heading out to sea. The bars in this area are the experts in creating the perfect poncha, which has become quite the trendy drink across Madeira.

The original recipe is based on ‘aguardente de cana’ (local rum but stronger!), a twist of lemon & sugar cane juice, now lemon juice is used rather than a twist, and honey in place of sugar. All of the ingredients they originally put together had the purpose of not only warming the belly but also thought to ward off any colds and flu. It’s still used today for this purpose – now there’s an idea!

Actually, strangely enough, the day before our ‘poncho night’ something tweaked in my lower back which left me crying in pain – literally. So much so that I had surrendered to taking strong painkillers and using anti-inflam cream to get some relief. Now, never the girl to miss out, I decided to go along this night, regardless of the fact that I was hobbling around like a 90 year old, and guess what? The following day I woke to, yes, a bit of a cloudy head but I also woke with little, to no back pain! What the ?… It seems that poncho doesn’t only cure the common cold – it gets rid of nasty back pain as well.

So, the delicious colours in the pic indicate the flavour, (right to left) blood red = english tomato, green = eucalyptus, yellow = tangerine (my favourite!), red = guava, yellow = orange & lemon and the last one is the original which is lemon.

As the night rolled on, and a few bars were visited, we saw that the process of making the poncha is pretty much the same in every bar.

It looked to me like they were using a muddling stick to mash all the ingredients together but alas NO… there’s a secret to this drink it seems, and it’s called the ‘caralhinho’, which the locals love to translate to you as ‘little dick’ – don’t ask me why? The caralhinho is a carved wooden stick that looks a little like a medieval club. It’s generally made from orange trees, which is meant to help flavour the drink. Looks just like this …

Well, whatever their secret, whether that be the local rum or the use of the caralhinho, it’s a winning formula, easy to drink – too easy perhaps!

“Just a little taste” they said!….

 

 

The Trek To Pico Ruivo

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Madeira is all about walking

(and perhaps Ponca – but more about THAT on the next post!)

We love walking, so we were itching to put on our boots and get out amongst it. Thing is, there are so many walks in Madeira that even with all of my usual research and reading it was a really tough choice to know which walk to choose. They range from easy to challenging, from intense climbs to flat wanderings, from 30mins to several days. The diversity makes the choice a little a difficult to say the least. Enter our trusty Madeiran pal, Alex.

With our daypacks packed, plenty of water aboard, hiking boots on, we started on the ‘Ariero to Ruivo’ walk, bound for the highest peak on the island, Pico Ruivo at 1861mts.

Alex assured us that it was a relatively easy walk (not what the guide books say!) A 12 km loop that should take around 5 hours and would take in all the beauty and splendor that Maderia walks are famous for.

After about 1 minute of walking I got it. The sheer scale of the stunning landscape that spanned 360 degrees around us was absolutely breathtaking. It took us around 4/5 hours to complete the walk, and I’ve got to admit, that wonder and amazement didn’t leave me for a minute. At each turn, over each crest and through each tunnel the sight in front of me was nothing short of spectacular.

It reminded me of my experience of walking through Angkor Wat for the first time. I couldn’t stop ohhhhing & ahhhhing & WOWing the whole time, and taking photos became almost an unconscious act. It would have been a little embarrassing if anyone was close enough to hear me. Well, I gotta tell you that here on the island of Madeira I was experiencing that wonder once again. So so lucky!

The walk itself is not for the feint hearted. The climbs and descents were pretty challenging with the catch cry of ‘what goes up must come down’  (or rather ‘what goes down must go up again’) becoming a standard part of our walking chit-chat. We walked up and down the dramatic ravines and we trekked on tracks that didn’t allow for any mistakes. During a lot of the walk we were rubbing one shoulder along cliff faces, and trying very hard not to look at what was, or more to the point, wasn’t beyond the other shoulder. As you’ll be able to make out in the photos there were some guide ropes along the more challenging drops, but to be honest in many parts they just weren’t stable enough to instill much confidence in using them to support your weight, or even part of. Plus, for our little walkers they were well and truly below the height that they were of much use. So … it goes without saying that I was pretty strict on the ‘no –running- on- the- track’ rule with our junior walkers.

The weather was good to us. As we set out the sun was shining, a layer or two of clothing needed to be shed at the first stop, beanies off – sunglasses on, and the views were clear, crisp and just perfect.

As the day progressed, and the weather changed slightly, we noticed the clouds slowly rolling in. Like big puffs of perfect, fluffy meringue, or pure white fairy floss. Yesterday we were walking through the middle of them, today we were walking above them. It’s not everyday that you find a walk that takes you above the clouds. Very cool indeed!

The plan was to walk to a certain point, sit and enjoy our packed lunch & a beer at the rest house that sits 10 minutes from the highest peak. We were all pretty excited about a ‘café stop’ so you can imagine our disappointment we when came to the end of a pretty hard slog up to find that it had been closed down – meh!

After the ‘beer that never happened’, we were then planning to turn around and complete the loop back to the car. All up it’d be around a 12km loop. Well, even the best plans change, especially when travelling with kids

Through out the whole walk in, up all those steep ravines and countless stone steps, our little adventurers soldiered on without complaint. Jed would skip off ahead, then sit patiently and wait for me and Deni to catch up. We’d walk around a corner, or over a crest, or through one of the cool tunnels and there he’d be, always with a big smile on his face, bless his precious heart. I was so proud of them both. Even though there were no complaints, and they were yet to reach their limits, I feared to repeat the walk we had just done, would push them both beyond their physical limitations. In my mind that doesn’t make for a good walking experience, and more than anything I want these two little people to love walking, and to keep walking with us. Taking the easier option from this point was the only decision. We would walk another 3 km’s to the car park along a pretty well worn, and easy track.

But what about the car? Well, that’s when Alex changed into his cape and tapped into his super powers. He walked back the way we came, picked up the car, then drove around to the other end of the track and collect us.

Thank you so much Alex, you really are our very own Superman!

And to Team Smythie … Congratulations … longest walk/tramp/trek yet!

 

Gondolas, Wicker Toboggans & Cloud Dwellers

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It’s been a very full week of thrilling experiences and exciting new adventures here in Madeira!

There’s nothing like visiting a place where you know a local.

While we were studying Tai Chi in China we were fortunate enough to meet Alex. He fast became a big part of our China adventure, as well as a great friend. Well, when Gav decided upon Madeira as a possible place to retire we were delighted for a number of different reasons, one of them being that our dear friend Alex is a very proud Madeiran.

This trip to Madeira was primarily a great opportunity to spend time with Gav, but it also allowed us to fill a promise of visiting Alex, and discovering his much loved island.

On the night of our arrival, as we were taxiing to Gav’s place after a very long transit, Alex and his wife Mercedes were at Gav’s place preparing a banquet of Madeiran delights to welcome us. It was so wonderful to see them there, waiting with big smiles and warm hugs. Nothing quite like a greeting like that after almost 40 hours in transit. Alex was super keen to show us around his island so as soon as the sun showed its warm rays we started our tour, Alex in the lead with the 4 Smythies happily following behind.

Day one we headed into Funchal. I really like this city, and I really, really like the old town called Rua Santa Maria. Its cobblestone streets and tall aging buildings are charming and the display of the local artwork on all the doors is so colorful and interesting you just can’t help but stop at each one. We spent ages just wandering about picking out our favorite doors. I was in photo opportunity heaven!

Apparently about 15 years ago this area was a run down, dodgy red-light district. Cleaning up the area became a local council project. They have retained the old buildings, houses and streets, and commissioned local artists to use the doorways and walls as their canvases. The result is fantastic, it’s like walking back in time, but with bursts of brilliant color, artistic flair and craftsmanship – it’s not all Picasso or Monet but every piece contributes to a pretty amazing open-air art gallery!

So, back to our day … once we had charged our bodies with our daily ‘bica and chenesa’ (our chosen styles of coffee) we then took the gondola up to Monte. It’s a gorgeous ride over the city which takes in the most amazing views spanning over the valleys and ridges towards the sea.

Once at the top we wandered around a bit and enjoyed a small part of the gorgeous botanical gardens. We didn’t really allow ourselves too much time here but vowed that we would return. Madeira is known for its micro-climates, hot and cold/ wet and dry. The benefits of an island with micro-climates, mixed with rich volcanic soil, is that almost anything will grow here. We’ve seen stunning hydrangeas and magnolias alongside hardy eucalyptus and white gum trees. So you can imagine how beautiful these botanical gardens are. I look forward to returning to wander further.

We then headed towards the beginning of the ‘Monte toboggan ride.’ I’d read a bit about this unique ride that had been tagged as one of the ‘top 10 commutes in the world’. It looked like a good mix of history and fun so it made it onto our ‘to do list’ while we were here. My thoughts were that it’d be a bit of a thrill for both the kids and the adults alike – it was certainly that, and a super fun way to get back down the mountain.

As history has it, the ‘Monte Sledge’ was originally the first means of downhill public transportation. The ‘Carro de Cesto’ was originated early in the 19th century and apart from the fact that most of the toboggans now transport tourists rather than locals or goods, nothing looks to have changed that much! The main body of the toboggan is made of a large wicker basket with 2 seats, the runners are made of wood. The toboggans are driven by two carreiros (men dressed in white with straw hats, all looking very serious). Deni was the one that pointed out that they all were wearing the same shoes, black rubber boots, which we later noticed acted as the brakes, and the thicker the better I say. When you’re skidding down the narrow and very steep (bitumen!) slopes at up to 30 km’s an hour you wouldn’t want those brakes to fail you! They somehow also used big lengths of rope to steer the toboggans. To be honest I wasn’t brave enough to look around to see how that actually worked. It was a strange feeling, a thrill yes, but also an unnatural feeling that we were travelling just a little bit fast, and a little bit close to that bitumen. Needless to say I was clinging onto my babies pretty tightly, and when I did manage to open my eyes, every now and then, the views were unbeatable.

(Yes, yes… the boys are looking very relaxed aren’t they? A slight contrast to the pic of the me and the kids at the beginning of this post right! )

Next on tour was a trip to the highest peak of Madeira (by car). Once again we braved the crazy treacherous roads and headed for Ribeiro Frio.

Since arriving here I have been yearning to get out and discover what Madeira is very famous for – its walks! There are walks all around the island, a lot of them running alongside the levadas, which are the irrigation channels that run throughout and around the island. From what I understand some of these channels are still in working order – some are now obsolete, but all take in some of the most beautiful and dramatic scenery I’ve ever seen.

This day we did a walk beginning and ending at Ribeiro Frio with the destination of the Vereda Dos Balcões’ belvedere. It was a short walk of perhaps a few hours that took us along a lavada through some beautiful forest and tunnels. Our destination was the much talked about Balcoes belvedere that would usually delight us with a 360o view of the mountains, today we were completely engulfed in cloud – white, white and more white.

It’s quite an eerie feeling actually, to know that you are standing on a platform with sheer drops on every side of you and you can’t even see a meter in front of your hand. The urge to just step out into that carpet of pure white cotton is a little unnerving to say the least. Top that with 2 kids that are bouncing about with lungs full of the invigorating mountain air and … yep, time to turn around and complete the loop. Of course the kids loved it. The misty, foggy, white cloud that surrounded us became the perfect backdrop for their next adventure. We were now all in a cast of goblins and dragons and Gandalfs and wizards and once again I was reminded of how different, and gorgeous it is travelling with kids. They have a knack of changing a situation from what was a seemingly disappointing outcome to something completely different indeed.

Bless their precious hearts.