Switzerland
Basel, Rheinfelden and Wangen an de Are
After a marvellous 10 days in France, we hopped on a train to Basel, Switzerland - where we would meet with David’s aunt and eventually the rest of the Swiss, Italian family. The boys were beyond thrilled to be riding on a fast European train and got many chances to observe the ins and outs of the station.
Basel and Wangen an de Are, Rheinfelden as well as nearby Germany were full of adventures in nature and beautiful views. But the very best part was spending quality time with David’s cousins, second cousins, aunts and most of all, beloved Nonna. We are grateful for the opportunity to see Switzerland through their eyes and enjoy loads of conversation and delicious home-cooked meals.
Zurich and Bern
Zurich has always been a wonderful city for us to visit when in Switzerland. David’s mom was born and raised here and visiting certain spots always remind us of her. This time, we stopped at the Zwingli church and it was meaningful to remember Ulrich Zwingli’s role in the Reformation and talk about it with the boys. It was a welcome time of reflection and quiet amidst all the excitement of this old city. We finished off with the obligatory Bratwurst-with-crusty-bread-and-mustard stop and a walk through the train station. Zurich never disappoints!
Our last stop before heading to Portugal was the capital city of Bern. It was not our plan to go but we were sure glad we did. We loved this historic capital city filled with history, gorgeous streets and bears (enclosed, of course)! We continued with our usual agenda of simply walking around and exploring. Not always easy with kids, but there were many interesting stops and water fountains to keep our morale high. It was also most wonderful to be able to attend an English-speaking church and we were blessed to gather with brothers and sisters on our travels.
