The next stage in this trip would be a few days in Switzerland, or as Sammy would say, Swiss-er-lond.
Alisa spent time near Zurich when she worked for GE and knew how beautiful and perfect this country was. She was very excited for us to experience it.
We had a casual breakfast in Milan before packing the car up yet again.
We had a casual breakfast in Milan before packing the car up yet again.
After breakfast, Lanna styled another high fashion outfit in honor of this high fashion city.
The morning was spitting rain and blustery, and once we were on the road, we enjoyed the sensation of feeling safe (even driving in Italy!), warm, and dry.
As we progressed northward, the rolling Italian countryside became more rugged. When we hit the beautiful Lake Como area, the Alps were making their presence known.
Before we knew it, we had left Italy and came to a very efficient Swiss border crossing. We were required to purchase a sticker to drive on the Swiss highways (as a plus, no more stopping for tolls!) and then were quickly on our way.
We did have time to see the Ferrari racing team's cars out for inspection before we drove off. Joey was particularly excited about that.
The drizzling rain continued. As we drove past Lake Lugano, we had even more breathtaking vistas. The Alps weren't visible due to the rain but we could clearly see the snow line.
As we drove higher, the swirling snow surrounded our car and the narrow mountain highway was wreathed in white.
And just as soon after that, the traffic came to a standstill.
For nearly twenty minutes we waited there. Fortunately Alisa did some reconnoitering, took a few pictures, and brushed off her German to get some more information.
Here's the view from where we sat, down into the valley below (very pretty) and at the traffic (much less pretty).
As it turns out, another vehicle flipped over. Apparently our arrival to most European areas is heralded by cars and trucks randomly overturning. On the plus side, our car has always kept four wheels firmly on the ground, albeit those wheels don't move.
Swiss efficiency cleared the narrow area and had traffic moving within an hour. Given our prior experiences, we counted ourselves lucky we were safe and only delayed a brief time. The kids did great while we sat in the snowy Alps.
Fortunately the path to our Swiss destination did not go through higher mountain passes and the snow did not become a worrisome factor for the rest of the drive.
We were headed to Ebnat-Kappel, a quiet farming town.
https://www.google.fr/maps/place/Ebnat-Kappel,+Switzerland/@47.2346637,9.0624902,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x479ad08766b7e6b5:0xc7fabba83c9e9df6
Alisa had found a farmhouse for us to stay in for our two nights in Switzerland. All of us were excited to enjoy some quiet time after the busy adventures in Rome and Milan.
As night fell, we followed the GPS directions to leave the highway and ascend tiny twisting roads higher and higher.
We'd become dependent on our GPS and her calming British accent. I could not imagine referencing printed maps to find our way to this farmhouse, or for many of our other destinations throughout this journey.
After several more minutes, our GPS announced "Destination reached" and we stopped and got out at a neat home amidst the twinkling stars and the slow jangling of cowbells with our breath misting in the dark twilight.
Franco, the farm owner, met us. He was incredibly pleasant and offered to show us around. We met many of his cows and goats before he showed us to the house we would be staying.
The wood burning stove was pumping out a glorious heat as we walked inside from the chill mountain air.
Alisa focused on dinner as I unloaded the car. The rest of the night was calm and relaxing. I really enjoyed this picture from the outside looking in, capturing a beautiful scene of family and warmth.
The morning was spitting rain and blustery, and once we were on the road, we enjoyed the sensation of feeling safe (even driving in Italy!), warm, and dry.
As we progressed northward, the rolling Italian countryside became more rugged. When we hit the beautiful Lake Como area, the Alps were making their presence known.
Before we knew it, we had left Italy and came to a very efficient Swiss border crossing. We were required to purchase a sticker to drive on the Swiss highways (as a plus, no more stopping for tolls!) and then were quickly on our way.
We did have time to see the Ferrari racing team's cars out for inspection before we drove off. Joey was particularly excited about that.
The drizzling rain continued. As we drove past Lake Lugano, we had even more breathtaking vistas. The Alps weren't visible due to the rain but we could clearly see the snow line.
As we drove higher, the swirling snow surrounded our car and the narrow mountain highway was wreathed in white.
And just as soon after that, the traffic came to a standstill.
For nearly twenty minutes we waited there. Fortunately Alisa did some reconnoitering, took a few pictures, and brushed off her German to get some more information.
Here's the view from where we sat, down into the valley below (very pretty) and at the traffic (much less pretty).
As it turns out, another vehicle flipped over. Apparently our arrival to most European areas is heralded by cars and trucks randomly overturning. On the plus side, our car has always kept four wheels firmly on the ground, albeit those wheels don't move.
Swiss efficiency cleared the narrow area and had traffic moving within an hour. Given our prior experiences, we counted ourselves lucky we were safe and only delayed a brief time. The kids did great while we sat in the snowy Alps.
Fortunately the path to our Swiss destination did not go through higher mountain passes and the snow did not become a worrisome factor for the rest of the drive.
We were headed to Ebnat-Kappel, a quiet farming town.
https://www.google.fr/maps/place/Ebnat-Kappel,+Switzerland/@47.2346637,9.0624902,12z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x479ad08766b7e6b5:0xc7fabba83c9e9df6
Alisa had found a farmhouse for us to stay in for our two nights in Switzerland. All of us were excited to enjoy some quiet time after the busy adventures in Rome and Milan.
As night fell, we followed the GPS directions to leave the highway and ascend tiny twisting roads higher and higher.
We'd become dependent on our GPS and her calming British accent. I could not imagine referencing printed maps to find our way to this farmhouse, or for many of our other destinations throughout this journey.
After several more minutes, our GPS announced "Destination reached" and we stopped and got out at a neat home amidst the twinkling stars and the slow jangling of cowbells with our breath misting in the dark twilight.
Franco, the farm owner, met us. He was incredibly pleasant and offered to show us around. We met many of his cows and goats before he showed us to the house we would be staying.
The wood burning stove was pumping out a glorious heat as we walked inside from the chill mountain air.
Alisa focused on dinner as I unloaded the car. The rest of the night was calm and relaxing. I really enjoyed this picture from the outside looking in, capturing a beautiful scene of family and warmth.
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