franziskalaskaris

Seattle/Vancouver Island (PNW) 2025 [one long post]

Where to begin…typically as most of you know I blog every night while traveling during the summer. This trip began with a professional conference and so I simply did not fall into my regular routine. Half-way through this trip, I decided I would write one blog post summarizing the adventures of The Franimal:) Here goes…

On July 19th, my dear husband Obi and I ventured to Seattle, WA so that I could attend the ALDS Leadership Retreat. ALDS is the Association of LD (learning disabilities) Schools. I attended with our head of school and director of admissions. The three of us had a great time – many days of meeting new people, listening to speakers, talking with colleagues of other LD schools across the nation and even presenting! Yes, my colleague and I presented at the conference (on the last day during the last session so we had to bring extra energy) in collaboration with another attendee about intentional school culture building. We discussed the importance of how intentional school culture building helps all constituents of a school (faculty, families) and the students thrive. We shared with attendees two models of success. My colleague and I talked about the School Culture Team we co-clerk (for the past three years:) while our other co-presenter spoke about a successful Student Ambassador program she runs. Even though it was the end of a long few days we had a robust audience and received a lot of positive feedback afterwards. One head of school from Atlanta jokingly asked if we would be willing to move to Atlanta and join his school! The retreat was a solid mix of workshops, discussion groups and fun. While attending we took part in a boat cruise one night and enjoyed good laughs and a stunning sunset and the night prior an outside BBQ with mini-golf, ending with a visit to the Seattle Space Needle.

Such great times indeed. All in all, I learned a lot (like how important marketing is for a school and marketing tips, reflected on AI and its future in schools and talked with other leaders about how they structure school programs and the day to day running of their divisions) – in addition to being really proud to have had the opportunity to present amongst such wonderful like minded educators and leaders.

While I was a busy bee at the retreat, Obi was working at one of Google’s Seattle offices enjoying the perks of working remotely – he also met up with some friends of his who live in Seattle. By Wednesday night the retreat ended and Obi and I began our official vacation – vacation mode was activated:) We began by eating pizza at one of Seattle’s best restaurants according to the NYT called My Friend Derek’s – admittedly I am still dreaming of that square shaped pillowy dough, cheese and sauce trifecta – mmm, so delicious. Our trip was planned out – and included two days at Olympic National park while staying in Port Angeles, a ferry to Victoria BC on Vancouver Island, and spending six nights driving up along the North Eastern part of Vancouver Island – we ended up staying two nights in Campbell River, one in Telegraph Cove, two in Port Hardy and one in Victoria BC before taking the ferry back to Seattle. Our last night was in Seattle before boarding an early morning flight home to the good ol’ BK.

Here are some highlights along the way…

Port Angeles, Washington

Our bed and breakfast was called Five SeaSuns – run by Caroline who Obi affectionately nicknamed Sweet Caroline because upon arrival and on the second day she provided fresh baked home goods. We got brownie bites fresh from the oven and then oatmeal chocolate chip cookies. What a nice touch of hospitality. Interestingly one of the workshops I attended at the ALDS retreat was about the importance of hospitality in schools and I thought – what an impression we would make if we gave every prospective student and employee fresh baked home goods upon arrival. Surely our admissions would improve! Don’t worry I didn’t just eat baked goods…we also ventured out into Olympic National Park. Our visit to Hurricane Ridge was a spectacular hike to a stunning look-out in the cool sunny air. Though my favorite spot was visiting Rialto beach on the second day. While a beach hike isn’t as tough as the Franimal would prefer – this rugged beach covered in giant pieces of drift wood ignited in me a strong sense of wonder, and imagination. Bleached drift wood and fallen trees large enough to fashion a tiny house decorated the rocky beach. Our destination was a hole in the wall – that’s actually what it’s called. A rock with a hole, hahaha…about 2 miles down the beach. Tides change quickly and so by the time we reached it the water was too high we had to climb up and over a pass to view the hole. Pulling on a rope we ventured onward to the other side, skipped over some small tide pools with sea anemones, small fish and endless tiny snails and mussels to our destination, the hole in a wall. Thankfully we met a group of travelers whose picture I offered to take, and they repaid the favor and one of them is a professional photographer and snapped this picture.

Campbell River, Vancouver Island Canada

Some of you may remember when Obi and I took our honeymoon to Antarctica, one of the special activities we took part in was kayaking. I can still hear the sound of our paddles cracking the grease ice with every stroke and the sun taking revenge on the ice in our faces. Despite all of the glory I got too competitive with myself and because we were not paddling fast enough got slightly annoyed with Obi’s lack of skills. Gulp – we joke about this all the time – but I might not have been the most pleasant partner in that small yet sturdy blow-up kayak. So…I needed to redeem myself and well what better a location than in Campbell River! I booked us a kayaking trip from Quadra Island. We were lucky indeed – as the weather was perfect – sun, calm ocean water and mountains as far as the eye could see. I think it’s safe to say I did redeem myself:) I was kind, patient, supportive and honestly totally impressed with Obi’s kayaking skills. Being a non-swimmer this is a stretch for him – but he/we did great. I did need to adjust to learning how to use a sea kayak with foot pedals and a rudder but after some incorrect left and right turns we figured it out and even got in a strong stroke rhythm at times. On the sail we saw purple starfish, bald eagles and many, many crabs along the ocean floor at the low tide points.

Our original plan was to kayak off Quadra island, then return to Campbell river for a hike I’d scouted out. However upon purchasing the ticket to drive our car onto the ferry we were handed a map of the island and learned about many other hiking options. In the spirit of spontaneity we decided (though Obi says I decided…:) to hike on the island instead. After talking with our kayak guide for some recommendations we (I) settled on hiking to the highest point on the island:) The map indicated it would take 4 hrs round trip…can you guess how fat we finished the hike? Half the time! Instead of a two hour summit, we finished in 1 hour and 5 minutes. I might have picked up a good rhythm and Obi stuck right behind me. The hike was well marked and meandered pretty steadily uphill with some rock cairns at the top above the tree line to mark our route. We were the only folks at the summit which felt special. Once again I was so proud of Obi…from kayaking to hiking (two of his least favorite things) and crushing it along the way. I think I am slowly tuning him into a real hiker:) Shh, don’t tell. Before hitting the trail we stopped at the island’s grocery store for some basic provisions and enjoyed our baby carrots, hummus and crackers at the top before heading back down. Near the bottom we met a couple vacationing there from Canada and hiked the last 20 minutes chatting about life in Canada and Brooklyn and yes, politics. Here we are at the summit of Mt. Seymour.

Before leaving Campbell river we visited Elk Falls Provisional Park and saw a powerful waterfall that is near a hydro-electric plant.

Telegraph Cove, Vancouver Island Canada

Telegraph Cove is a special place – it’s located on the North Island (as the locals call it). The North Island is home to many lumber yards which make sense given the abundance of trees – so many dense forests of trees. Driving from Campbell River to Telegraph Cove is almost like stepping back in time. It feels wild, remote and rugged. The roads are long and windy through forested trees with looming snow capped mountains far in the distance. Depending on where you are in Vancouver Island you can see Canada’s mainland with its mountain ranges that dwarf your ego. Telegraph Cove is a tiny tiny town that was once a thriving saw mill. It had been so successful that during WWII it was taken over by soldiers for the war efforts and all the wood was used mostly for ships and weaponry. After the war ended, soldiers cleared out fast and civilians slowly returned. What exists today are many of the original historic houses built in the early 1900 with information plaques sharing information about the original owners. You can walk the span of the town in 5 minutes – it really is small and with little to no foreshore the homes were built on stilts therefore you walk through town on the original pillons of wood which make up the “boardwalk” style passage. We learned that last new year’s eve a mouse bit through an electrical wire which started a fire. The town lost their restaurant, a whale museum (among other small shops) so the two main attractions were gone. Aside from learning about this interesting little place in the big wide world we took part in a whale watching tour – AND, the next day a Grizzly Bear tour. Oh – yes, Obi was thrilled about the bear trip – hehe. My absolute highlight was seeing a humpback whale breach four times. Seeing a whale breech is rare – this was my third time seeing such a magnificent act of nature. Obi had yet to experience this gift and so when he saw the whale lunge its massive blubbery body out of the water Obi’s face and expression were as bright as the sun. Everyone on the boat started to cheer – and much to our surprise the whale was in a playful mood and breached three more times. Whales conserve their energy, it’s not that common for them to breach. The locals call this whale Inukshuk – our guides described him as a silly whale who often hangs around the boats seemingly looking for attention. We also watched a herd of Orcas that were enjoying the sun, splashing around, showing us their true colors and with a hydrophone in the water we could hear their conversation. It was a dream come true.

Our Grizzly Bear tour departed at 6:30 AM – and lasted until 4 PM. We were out on the water the whole time – and I loved every single minute. I will say that when back on land in the early evening my eyes were still moving up and down as if I was still on the water. It took me about two hours for this feeling to pass. Out on the boat, the crisp wind left my cheeks a bit wind burned – especially with the sun reflecting off the icy waters. Even with sun-screen on, a wool hat, neck buff, silk shirt, wool t-shirt, wool socks, wool longsleeve, wool jacket and a rain coat (acting as a windbreaker) I was chilly at some points. I didn’t care though because grizzlies were calling my name. Our boat was tiny, a total of two crew (captain and naturalist/first mate) and nine guests. We had to wear life jackets when outside the small cabin – as the water was shoppy at certain points and there were sudden stops should we see wildlife. I stayed outside in the back nearly the whole day – popping inside to use the bathroom (smallest toilet ever) and drink a sip of water. Obi and I communicated with our eyes and hand signals through the glass! I didn’t want to miss a moment out on the open water, scanning the rocky coast line for brown lumps of fur. We felt lucky because we saw grizzlies which is not always the case. First, we saw a lone male – along on the beach turning over rocks and licking up the small crabs and snails. Next, in a different location a mom and her cub – also hunting for food. The male had many scars on his body – signs of past fights. He had a thick head with rich brown fur on his face. We were at a distance but could hear his heavy breath at times and the rumble of large rocks he flipped over like leaves blowing in the wind. As with whale watching when the engine of the boat stops and everyone is quiet you can hear the animals breathing, the strong breath of the marine mammals surfacing. Hearing both the whales and bears grunt, breathe and growl feels intimate and personal. Animas sounds I feel very lucky to have heard and hold close to my heart. Watching the mom and her cub was just as wonderful – the mother’s brown fur thick and molting in some places gave way to her breasts and giant claws. The cub playfully copied her behavior, also turning rocks and almost plunging its face into the sandy wet earth. The cub stayed close but ventured ahead a few times or hung back – then sprinted towards her. A youthful energy near his seasoned mom who is a resident bear and has given birth many times before. Unfortunately time passes and we couldn’t spend the rest of our life observing these beautiful beasts, oy. We eventually had to sail away. When I am taken out of my regular life, my professional day to day – I am immediately reminded of what it feels like to be a child. With endless wonder and curiosity I get to simply be and explore.

Now that we’ve seen black bears, grizzly bears…the next bear we need to see are polar bears:) Future trip!

Port Hardy, Vancouver Island Canada

Port Hardy is a simple and rural town – mostly established as a logging pass-through (refueling & repair station for boats) and harbor. I wanted to ride to the end of the paved road – which we did, though in retrospect I am not sure if making it all the way here was the best decision. Either way we stayed two nights here – though by the time we arrived on the first day it was early evening and so we had one full day. I had scouted out a few hiking options and initially planned to do a few very easy flat hikes linked together – however after talking with our waiter at breakfast she recommended an advanced hike I had read about but had written-off given the descriptions (considering Obi’s preferences and tolerance:). Rough terrain, back country, black bears and cougars, ropes and rock scrambles were some of the attributes of this trial. When the waiter said she managed the first 2.5 km, Obi and I decided to try it. Yes! However, Obi would say “Fran decided to try it.” He agreed though:) and so, off we went. Finding the trail head was easy thanks to Google and AllTrails (love this hiking app). Admittedly once we started, the trail showed its true colors. It was rugged, not for the beginner hiker and there was a lot of over growth, so much so that seeing the ground you were stepping on was limited. This is perfect Franimal terrain, and my legs jumped into gear and off I went. The trail was not a steady incline the way you imagine more hikes, the elevation was like a heart rate monitor, spiking high, spiking low, up and down we went. Quick pace, steady breath. I was not alone though and after an hour of hiking, rope climbing, rock scrambles and getting deeper into the wilderness Obi and I checked in, we decided to turn around. He was not enjoying that excursion as much as I was. We completed half the hike and felt fulfilled – even though I knew Obi felt badly about his discomfort and wanted to push through for me. I, however, understand limits (sometimes) and given the lack of people on the trail and conditions I didn’t want to take any safety risks together. So, even though the Franimal never likes to quit a trial, it was by far the right decision for us as a unit. By the time we made it back to the start – we had hiked for just over two hours. Obi was dripping with sweat – literally his wool shirt was drenched and so we ventured to this incredible beach we didn’t realize existed which was just to the right of the trail head. The sun was shining and there was a soft breeze. We hunkered down for a minute, processed the adventure we just had and allowed the sun and cool breeze to dry us off. It was low tide and so we could walk for a significant distance out to the water along the sandy floor. And, to make this scene even better, the sandy ocean floor was evaporating. There was a misty fog across the beach creating a spooky feeling. It was so thick that seeing people was challenging. The gulls seemed to love the vibe and clustered together at the water’s edge. Leaving their bird feet, foot prints all along the soft sand. Shells dotted the beach partnered with rocks covered in small barnacles. Obi and I learned that a barnacle has a green slimy inside, despite its rock-like exterior (yes we poked a few in discovery). We ended up walking along this beach for over an hour, strolling along, observing the locals, talking, and watching the tide roll back in. I was struck by the difference between the two experiences: a high intensive hike coupled with the sun and mist along a soothing beach. I settled into the experience and took in the day. Our day ended with a comical dinner search – as one vegetarian and one pescatarian finding food out here is not easy. The dinner from the hotel restaurant we had last night was okay but Obi didn’t really want a veggie patty for a fourth night in a row. After getting two recommendations from a woman we met on the beach we drove first to Coal Harbor to the single restaurant in town. I could smell the fried fish and chips before entering, the blanket of greasy goodness wafting in the air. Aside from deep fried mozzarella sticks, cheese pizza and fries every single item included meat (and being deep fried). We graciously declined food there and drove back to Port Hardy to The Sporty, a pub in town also recommended by the woman. With an hour to wait to eat…sigh, we almost gave up. I was ready to eat fig bars from our snack bag for dinner – but Obi found an Indian food restaurant about 10 minutes away by car, so back on the road we just came from – we thankfully found a restaurant that had seating and many vegetarian options. We chuckled at the adventure and enjoyed the warm meal after a busy day.

The final days of our trip were all about the return trip home. We woke up early on Thursday morning and geared up for the six hour drive to Victoria. We stopped along the way, four hours in at another popular tourist destination called Nanaimo
. They are known for their Nanaimo bars – a triple threat pasty. A coconut cookie base with a coconut cream middle and a coconut chocolate fudge top. We bought two different flavors to try later (our verdict: yummy yet way too sweet!). In Nanaimo we did find a gem of a restaurant for lunch and enjoyed a healthy meal topped with homemade carrot cake (a Franimal favorite). We wanted to stretch our legs so took a mini walk to the harbor and observed many seaplanes flying in and out, along with locals crab fishing. They were throwing in basket type nets with various kinds of stinky bait – from chicken breasts, pig’s feet, goose throats and cat food. The smellier the bait the better – we were told. They need to monitor what they catch and can only keep males of a certain size. All females and males that are too small are returned to the brown murky water. We also learned how to tell the difference between a M and F by flipping git over to see a specific marking under their shell:) From Nanaimo we drove about two hours to reach the hotel in Victoria. We spent the afternoon walking around town and stumbled across a free “traveling” play at the Parliament building. It was too bad the students from school weren’t there to see it, it was designed for children and helped viewers understand the role and importance of free speech, believing in oneself and democracy. It was fun to watch – about 35 minutes and we left with some new historical facts about the candy strike in Canada where children stormed the parliament building refusing to pay the increased 3 cents for chocolate (prices were rising from 5 cents to 8 cents). Our ferry from Vitoria left the next morning (we went through customs in Canada) and returned us to Port Angeles – from there we drove just under four hours back to Seattle, dropped off the car and checked into our final hotel. We ventured out for one more walk and dinner at a vegan Thai restaurant we scouted out, and ended the night with some scoops of ice-cream. We had an early wake-up – at 3:00 AM for our 6:00 AM flight. An uneventful flight returned us safely to Newark – not quiet back in NYC, but close enough:) Obi and I love traveling together – and I have to give him major props for taking part in the many wild adventures we had – crazy hikes, whale and grizzly bear watching for hours and of course kayaking! Thank you for reading – with care and love.

Europe, 2024 Zurich Days 21…

Assuming we make it back to NYC tomorrow, Tuesday, this will be my final post of the trip. I am currently sitting in Canada – Toronto to be more precise. Canada?! No, visiting Canada was NOT part of our plan but as traveling goes, one must be prepared for anything it seems. Shortly before we headed out to the airport Saturday morning we learned our flight was cancelled and rebooked for the next day, Sunday leaving mid-day with a transfer in Toronto. With our Airbnb stay over we scrambled to find a hotel and made new plans for the day. I had been longing to go for another hike before leaving and had hoped to hike Friday. However, with thunderstorms in the area I couldn’t go and maybe it was for the better because my friend Maggie needed to spend another un-planned night with us because her flight to the UK was cancelled on Thursday night. So…on Friday, Maggie and I enjoyed a workout at a local track with a 1/4 mile loop, local breakfast and toured the city via foot some more and did a bit of shopping. While we enjoyed the sun and blue skies – I was questioning where those thunderstorms had been and felt bummed out to miss a day of hiking. Well, I guess this all goes to show you, be careful what you wish for. So, when our flight was cancelled and we suddenly found ourselves with 24 more hours in Zurich so I threw on my gear, and repacked my bag for an adventure. Obi and I ventured to the Zurich main station. We split up at this point, me to the mountains and Obi to the hotel for the luggage drop. He ended up spending the day in the Google office working a bit, even though it was a Saturday.

I on the other hand had a magnificent hike – I did not have time to plan so I ventured back to a hike I had wanted to repeat, hiking to the Legler Mountain hut. It’s just about 2 hrs. to reach the trail head which includes a 40 minutes bus ride up a narrow mountain pass. The sky was deep grey and I could taste the rain in the air. Imagining ringing out the air like you would a wet t-shirt – seeing water drip down your palms. Sure enough, reaching the trail head, it was drizzling and the skies were brewing. Unsure of what mother nature had in store for me, I took the shorter way up – and surprisingly shaved an hour off the expected trail time. Reaching the summit in 1 hr. and 20 minutes. I wish there was an Olympic sport for hiking:)

There was one point on the hike in which so much fog billowed up the side of the mountain cliff I could only see a few meters ahead of me. I crave that feeling on the trail, slightly scary, unknown, haunted and eerie. The air so fresh a sensory experience hard to replicate anywhere else. Can you see the fog rolling in behind me?

The last time I reached this summit, I noticed a man heading even further up, along a blue alpine trail. I could see it’s end point and choosing to ignore the ongoing rolling fog and mist – and began this short extra excursion. Given the dampness in the air and ground, I jumped for joy upon meeting my new friend.

The frog was very photogenetic as you can see and struck a beautiful pose among the Alpine Lady’s Mantle (thank you Will for the plant ID). This trail was narrow and steep but with each step I was too tempted to reach the top so, I kept at it. It took me about 25 minutes to find the highest point. I would attach a photo finish but honestly with the thick fog, there was nothing more to see, other than the ground I stood on.

I returned to Zurich city center, met Obi, we checked into the hotel (teeny tiny room) and then headed out for some food. After dinner Obi wanted to walk over a bridge that expands across the train tracks of the main station. The sun was setting and the gentle rumble of the trains comforted me.

Like an airport, approximately every 50 seconds a train would chug along pulling into one of the 10 outdoor platforms or divert underground to the other platforms for local trains. The above ground trains go further distances. On the bridge Obi struck up a conversation with another person who happens to be originally from Michigan and is a Google employee – he also knew a lot about the trains – (and happened to work on a similar related team as Obi!).

Sunday morning included a quick walk to a local bakery I wanted to try and then to the airport. Anxiously we boarded the plan hoping nothing would go wrong and we would make it home. Eight plus hours later we landed in Toronto – and needed to pass four hours until the last part. About an hour into our arrival after clearing customs and passport control, while eating dinner we learned our next flight was cancelled. To make matters worse, rebooked for Tuesday night (it was SUNDAY!). My heart sank, I was honestly very distraught over the whole thing. My sister is home from her community and I was so excited and eager to see her on Sunday. Now I needed to wait a few more days. We are also just so ready to be back in our bed, with out pillows, towels, food, back into our routines which provide regularity. Luckily I had done one more load of laundry before leaving:) Once again after many phone calls and online research we managed to get an earlier flight on Tuesday, leaving at 3pm (approximately) and we needed to book another hotel. We also rented a car to get from one place to the next while here.

While, not the ending we expected for our trip – but here we are. This is my current view (oh, I miss the mountains already):

I left some clues in the photo, can you find them? My waterproof backpack and computer:) This is one of the oldest “luxury” hotels in Toronto and much to our pleasant surprise is directly across the street from the Google office. I went for a walk earlier to find some food. I am not in the right head space to truly enjoy where I am – admittedly seeing the city through unsettled eyes and feeling bitter. I will make my way to the water front soon (first I need to call the airline again to ask how I can get reimbursed for the hotel costs – wish me luck).

Like I said, I don’t plan to write again at this point…I am staying hopeful we will find our way after four days of trying…back to Brooklyn. I am coming Alexandria!

I won’t let these days cloud my memory of these past few weeks – as I really did have a great time hiking alone, untethered and free – and of course hiking with with dear friends Will and Maggie – and my darling husband who supports me regardless even out on the trail. Thank you for reading and joining me on this adventure.

Europe, 2024 Zurich Days 18-20

Maggie and I got very lucky these past few days with dreamy weather – perfect for outdoor adventures. Having completed some truly spectacular hikes the weeks prior to her arrival, I suggested some of my favorites. The first full day together the weather was hot, a perfect day for a swim, so we opted to hike the Pizol 5 Lake hike (my first hike on this trip). A memorial one for sure. This time I knew we would stop and swim, passing by the blue ice melt water with the hot sun on our backs was not an option. We came prepared with suits and all. Reaching the first lake is such a treat, and keeps you motivated to hike further because the second one is calling your name. Here we are overlooking the first lake, the Wildsee behind us. I appreciated seeing this lake again to notice the changes. The ice-bergs melted resulting in a smooth water surface perfect for the sun to color to an envious shade of blue. The minimal vegetation around the lake was greener and contrasted boldly against the still white snow. Also, there were many more hikers on this day – given the weather other folks shared our plans.

Upon arriving at the second lake, we noticed many folks seated along the rocky beach enjoying the view – but none swimming (we wondered why). We eagerly changed into our suits and boldly stepped into the water (now we knew why). I was immedaitly back in Antarctica – this was C.O.L.D. water. Yes, the kind of water where your body starts to go numb instantly. We stood in the water processing the temperature only to notice our ankles had lost sensation. Stepped out, warmed them for a second and dove in – because what better way to enter the water than with an elegant dive:)

I should add we dove in three times – yes and after each dive, spent more and more time in the water. We asked a fellow hiker to snap our photo – thank you! The cold water in contrast with the hot sun felt therapeutic and yes, I truly did feel a strong sense of longing for Antarctica. It was great to share this moment together, we would burst up to the surface of the water from the dive with smiles combined with shock across our sun kissed faces. Laughing and moving our bodies as fast as we could to stay warm. A few other hikers cheered us on and when I encouraged them to join – they speedily scurried away laughing. As we geared up to leave some other brave souls jumped in and I knew we all shared a similar kinship for the icy waters.

On Wednesday, we were once again born into another glorious day and knowing we we wanted a long hike, opted for the Flumserberg 7 Peak Tour. Traveling to the hike is easy, as it’s only an hour from the main train station in Zurich. We got to the start of the trail head by 9:26 am and felt strong and ready. At the second peak, a hiker asked if we were doing the seven peak tour. She was concerned given one of her weather apps indicated a thunderstorm in the area around 1:00 pm. She, like Maggie was also new to this hike, but is a Swiss local who loves hiking. I felt pretty confident we could complete the bulk of the hike by 1:00 pm and so Maggie and I decided to carry on. I asked if she wanted to join us, and she did! Her name is Astrid, we spent the whole hike with her – it was truly lovely. It was nice to hike in a pack – I led the way and off we went. We kept a close eye on the weather and given our altitude we had a great vantage point and could see all around, far and wide – no clouds in sight. We talked about a range of topics – and found ourselves in wonderful company. At one point Maggie suggested we add on an extra peak – given we were passing a small outcrop of rock and top soil. With no real trail in sight, we scrambled up a bit and decided to now call this hike the Flumserberg 8 Peak Tour! Here we are, so proudly having finished our epic journey together.

Like the last time I took the mountain coaster down to the mid-station cable car – and suggested this to the ladies, Maggie and Astrid were both game! The weather was certainly changing as large fluffy clouds were forming and creeping towards us. While trekking through the final small trial to the coaster we heard what sounded like thunder. With no way of knowing what it was and still no rain we scurried along to the coaster, bought tickets after a quick bathroom stop and geared up for the adrenaline rush. Maggie went first, me second and Astrid third. I knew what to expect this time, took off my hat and held on tight. I laughed so much because I could see Maggie ahead zooming along – we cheered loudly and could hear our silly calls. We all had huge smiles from ear to ear as we looked at our glamour shots from the ride – awkward and so entertaining. As we gathered our bags from the ski lift one rain drop fell, gently on our arms – perfect timing indeed. Astrid was riding the same train as us towards Zurich so we ventured to the station, each bought cool drinks and waited for the train. At this point a beautiful summer shower said hello and we imagined a rainbow somewhere close by. We exchanged contact information – as Astrid wanted to send me a good hiking recommendation for my final hike on Friday.

Maggie left today, on Thursday – we did not hike – but instead went to visit the Zurich lake for a morning swim. The weather today is raining off and on – with the morning sun shining we seized the opportunity and hopped on the tram towards the lake. We tried to access the water from beach only to learn one needed to pay, so instead we found a great spot directly next to the beach entrance where other locals were also entering the water. Unlike the mountain lake, this water was waaaarm. Pleasantly surprising, as I was expecting a bit of a cooler vibe. We frolicked around for about 30 minutes watching paddle boarders, other swimmers and a crew team of four women passing by. At one point we felt rain drops…and almost immedaitly it was pouring. We launched from the water, grabbed our things and found shelter under a tree. As we were quickly “drying off” hard to do in the pouring rain, Maggie stepped in fresh wet dog poop. OMG – so disgusting. Eww, it really was a big fresh pile and now wet from the rain – with a perfect imprint of her foot and toe – screaming with horror Maggie sprinted back to the lake and dove in. Washing her foot off as best as she could. Our stomachs churned – how unpleasant. We laughed a while about it after but it was an interesting way to end a great few days together.

I don’t know what hike I will do tomorrow -with the weather still a bit unclear I may have to make a game time decision. I will find my way to the mountains for one more solo journey.

Europe, 2024 Zurich Days 14 – 17

Since I last wrote Obi and I have have returned from Nyon and I have been on a chocolate overload. Friday was a day of travel after a morning at the Airbnb we ventured to begin the 4 hour journey to Nyon. As usual the trains ran smoothly and we, without missing a minute arrived on the nose. I enjoyed being back in Nyon seeing my dear friend – who, as I mentioned I met on an Outward Bound trip 17 year ago. I was 23 yrs old – and we hiked the Colorado Rockies. We always find ways to reminisce about the trip and the highlights we both remember or remind each other happened. I enjoyed so much seeing his two daughters – Obi and I brought a favorite game of ours called Go Sushi!, taught them how to play and had some great laughs at the lowest score we’ve ever seen and then another round beating Obi. On Saturday, Obi, Will and I ventured on a hike with the goal of seeing wild Edelweiss, the rare Swiss National flower. We decided to hike to Col du Pillon, with a final destination at Cabane des Diablerets which is a mountain refuge/hut with delicious food and beds for the night. The refuge is 2,485 meters high – and our starting point was just about 1,360 m. The hike was estimated to take 4 hrs which is the exact time it took. The last time I was in Switzerland visiting Will and his family I had ventured to this same area and took a different route up to the refuge. I went looking for Edelweiss, scouring the mountain top rocks as instructed by Will and sadly found none. I have been longing to see this elusive flower for some time and Will, being a botanist of sorts and flower lover was eager to also see some. We started the hike around 10:20 am, the sun was hot but we were sun screened up, well fueled and ready for action. The hike begins with about an hour on steep carriage road, with the road ending at a ski lift top station. This mountain hosts many winter skiers – though given the terrain one surely needs to have experience, this is not a mountain for beginners. We saw one ski laugh which said, “the point of no return” – gulp. After the carriage road ends, you find yourself on a beautiful trail mostly rocks with shrubs along the sides. We were moving at a steady pace and saw a few other folks on the trail as well. There was a lovely water stop near a waterfall which we utilized and filled our supplies. The hike ultimately merges with a plateau of sorts, a generally flat section which steadily gains in elevation. Shortly after this, is when Will suggested we fan out to search or the flower. Last time, Will was in a similar area and found the flower. I was scanning the ground looking and not totally know what it looked like I thought I found it a few times…until at last I DID! Yes, there it was, two perfect Edelweiss flowers with their fuzzy white and pointy pedals. I was over the moon – as was Will. I think Obi found our excitement more entertaining – but he too, was glad to have seen such a special flower.

My mom and sister always give me a hard time for not “stopping to smell the flowers” – given when I hike or ride, I am on a mission with one goal, reach the end. But you see – I did stop and smell flowers after all!

After we spotted these first two, the higher we climbed we came across a few other sections with robust amounts of the flower. We seemed to have gotten very lucky with the right timing as the flowers were in their prime bloom. Oh, what a magnificent moment. The hike continued though and we needed to steadily trek onward and upward. Slowly but surely we eventually made it to the refuge and wow, what an accomplishment that was. Can you tell how happy we were?

We ended up sitting inside the refuge simply because the sun was pounding – though a bit cooler inside it was calming. I ordered a soup, and Will and Obi ordered a Swiss classic – a toasted piece of divine bread with butter, then smeared with hearty mustard, topped with cornichon and pickled onions and smothered in cheese fondue – finally baked to absolute perfection. I wish I was a foodie who took pictures of their meals – because this was photo worthy. This is like grilled cheese to the max – it’s called a Croûte au fromage. Will ordered his with a piece of thin ham, Obi without. I took a bite of Obi’s and POW – my taste buds were on hyper drive, I immedaitly regretted my healthy soup option (which was very lovely). Will was feeling a bit overdone from the hike – and despite him and Obi drooling over their food he couldn’t finish his and so I at first reluctantly but then without a moment of hesitation ate the rest of his right up. We spent about 45 minutes in the car not debriefing the hike, but the Croûte au fromage – every aspect of that most spectacular meal trying to plan out how to re-create it. We know it won’t ever taste the same, but I am certainly going to try. We ended the meal with a homemade slice of apricot tarte with a nut based crust – which was amazing, but sadly we all wanted the forte of our meal to be the Croûte au fromage. Sorry – too much food talk? What can I say, this meal blew our minds away. We rode the very steep cable car back to the parking lot and we prepared to walk an hour downhill to our car location. As we were waiting a woman approached me asking if I was waiting for the bus – in German. I responded, in German and we struck up a conversation – she had three seats in her car and I asked if she would be willing to drive us (as she was headed in the same direction). It’s a 5 min drive – but a long walk. She was very kind and happens to have a hitchhikers sticker on her car. Thank you Regina!

It’s always hard to say goodbye to friends – especially those who live so far away. I was so grateful to have the time with Will and his family and look forward to our next visit. Obi and I left Nyon on Sunday – and ended our day with a self guided audio tour of the Lindt chocolate factory. Chocolate for dinner? That was Obi’s plan at least. The tour was okay – I think we were both hoping for some human to human interaction – but with so many people and the sheer size of the place we understood why it was structured in this way. We did both appreciate that the tour began with a deep dive into the farming and process of the cocoa bean connecting chocolate consumers with the origins of the bean and the ‘bean to bar’ pipeline. We were then brought back into time and learned a bit more about the Olmec one of the earliest civilizations in Latin America (to drink and use cocoa for medicinal uses) and then the Mayans who called the bean and chocolate drink as the food/drink of the Gods. The Spaniards who conquered the Aztec Empire then exploited their skills and crop, saw potential in this bean but knew that Europeans would find it too bitter. They introduced the idea of adding sugar and using a tool called a whisk. People started to enjoy this more and given the sweated frothy state it grew in popularity. Though credit it given to Agustín Farfán who first used chocolate for medical uses (in Europe) and introduced it more formally to Europe. From there – many attempts had been made until finally Rodolphe Lindt invented (by accident) the conching machine which grinds the beans, condensed milks, sugar and spices for a long amount of time and the constant grinding and accumulation of heat melts everything together into a silky and smooth consistency which can be molded into chocolate bars. Switzerland was and remains home to many chocolatiers some of which are no longer in existence and many of which remain strong. The tour does include three sample sections. The first are chocolate “waterfalls” for dark, milk and white chocolate from which you pump samples onto a spoon. The melted liquid goes down smooth – Obi perfected his sample, two dark pumps mixed with one milk pump – so good. Then we sampled four different bars to hone our flavor identification skills (dark, milk, dark with orange and dark with caramel). The chocolate drops from a small machine above and is meant to snap off. We might’ve tried each one more than once…:) The final sampling station are the traditional Lindt truffles. At this point we just took our allotted share but couldn’t eat anymore. We rolled out like a truffle and ventured home for a detox meal: salad!

Today my good friend Maggie, who I met and worked with in South Africa is coming to visit from England. She is staying three nights with us. SO instead of hiking I stayed local and met Obi and two friends of his from STL (one who works at Google) for lunch. Then, because I didn’t have enough chocolate yet, I mapped out 12 different chocolatiers in Zurich and took a self guided walking tour. I found these delectable locations from a woman’s blog I have come to really appreciate. I visited each shop (though two were closed) – maybe for the best. I bought items from each shop – to bring home – and only ate one piece of chocolate. At the very last location I was offered a free treat. I bought some truffles for us to share tonight- good thing Maggie and I have two days of hiking planned:)

Europe, 2024 Zurich Days 11, 12 & 13

I am starting to get used to this life, waking up and scurrying off to the train for a day hike:) I know it’s just vacation, but it sure does feel nice to have these beautiful mountains at my finger tips. Below is a synopsis of my last three hikes.

Tuesday I decided to hike the Hirzli Rundweg which is a circular hike promising stunning panoramic views of the valley below and the Walensee. The description of this hike was clear: steep ascent. No other words were necessary because yes, this was a steep ascent. I probably hiked on my toes for an entire km – good thing my calf muscles were warmed up from the week prior. Tip toeing up I went. The hike’s ascent passes along a beautiful sculpture trail with wooden animal carvings and information panels for each animal. I have noticed in my travels so far that at nearly every mountain restaurant or cable car station is a playground. There are often kids on the trail and this hike provides children with a book to “track” all the animals they see on the sculpture walk. So inclusive indeed. One of the sculptures was for a European brown bear – so I admittedly spent the rest of the hike imagining a bear watching me. Though rare to see in this part of Europe, I couldn’t help but let my imagination run. I figured the cows in the alpine pastures were more appetizing though. The weather at the start of the hike was cool and I could see thick fog rolling in above. The fog moves quickly so it’s hard to track what the summit will be until you get there. Seeing all of these animal sculptures did get me thinking that I have hardly seen any wildlife aside from a few marmots, bees, flies, one falcon, crows, and so so so many cows. The hike was also very covered, this was my first hike on this trip during which I had tree covering for most of the trek. Cool air coated my skin, even though I was sweating. Because I don’t use an app which indicates my whereabouts on the trail – I never really know how far it is or what’s to come around the next bend. I like it this way. I use my senses – looking at the tree line or ridge line, knowing my pace and how long it’s taken me to get to where I am – and of course listening. I use the sounds of the cow bells and birds to indicate how far or close I am from something. I also look down at the trail to see if there were footsteps ahead of me, and which direction the shoe print is pointing. I look for hiker pool markings and how wet a rock might be after a stream crossing to determine how far or close I am to other hikers. On this trail I saw only a small handful of folks hiking. The description of this trail clearly stated it was not on the tourist radar and used mostly by locals. After the day I would conquer. I was alone for nearly 3 hrs, without another person in sight or within ear shot. When I reached the summit, thick fog settled in and there was nothing to be seen. No panorama views for me, but it was mysterious which I enjoyed. Instead of hiking the typical blue route I opted for the riskier red trail along the ridge adding on about an hour and half. The cable car operator suggested I bypass this area given the drop off on either side of the trail so I was on alert – and two women I met at the summit also suggested it was a bit riskier…I decided to begin and assess for myself the conditions. I quickly realized it was pretty safe and decided to complete my original plan. Yes, there were sections with extremely step slopes on ether side of the ridge, but the trail was clear and good footing available. Muddy at times with many roots to maneuver over. On this section I also spotted the largest snail I have ever seen, wild alpine Lily’s and a dainty butterfly. I also foraged some wild strawberries – their sweet rich flavor made the additional hike portion so worth it.

Wednesday was a very different kind of day, no longer was I alone on the trail, there was hardly a moment where I wasn’t alone. I traveled farther than usual today, about 2.5 hours outside Zurich to the Oeschinensee, for a hike along the lake. This hike starts again with a cable car ascent (after three trains and a bus ride). Immediately upon arriving at the cable car station I was swarmed with tourists and hikers. This was a magnet location and I could quickly see why. This location offers activities for any person, any ability, any age. There is a wheelchair accessible path from the cable car to the lake, boating, fishing, and of course hiking. There is a large restaurant/cafe lake side and treats at the cable car station. It’s a 35 minute downhill walk from the cable car to the lake (so be prepared for the return trip walking up) – but tightly packed gravel makes it easy to traverse. While the lake was appealing to see, I wanted to gain elevation first before sticking my hot feet in the cool water as a final reward. So I planned to hike up along the lake traversing a trail which runs high above the lake though parallel to the lake. You can imagine panorama views of the lake for most of the hike. Some parts where narrow and but surprisingly traversed under waterfalls from the ridge above. The hike is circular, starting above the lake, and ending down along the water’s edge. Blue water looks stunningly bold against the gray, white and brown rocks dashed with green patches of trees and grass. This hike makes for great eye candy – and the hot sun pulls you closer to the water with every step. At the far end of the hike is a hut where folks stop for refreshments and then the intention is for one to head down. When I reached the hut, I wasn’t ready to descend yet so I opted to hike an hour up. Yes, straight up. Just under three hours from this point is a mountain hut for guests to spend the night. It sits perches way up high and far back into the mountain. As much as I wanted to reach this hut, time would not allow it. With the long commute home, I needed to plan accordingly. So – an hour of delightful uphill trekking. No polls, just my body doing the work. There was no shade or tree cover, but a cool breeze blew down from the glacier up ahead. So, despite the sun, I was refreshingly cool. I reached a great lookout spot at the the glacier, ate my apple, carrot and bar before heading down. Yes, I did stop to take off my shoes and dip my feet into the water. It was entertaining to watch all of the swimmers, loungers, boaters and tiktokers. It’s unsarcastically entertaining to watch people set up their phone stands, and perform tiktok moves, gimmicks and dances with the iconic setting behind. After a cool down, I ventured back up to the cable car, bought myself an Apfelschorle which is apple juice with carbonation – ahh, so refreshing after a day of work.

Thursday was by far the longest hike I did, just under 15 km and ending the day with 27,000 steps! This hike was called the Flumserberg 7 Peak Tour- can you guess how many peaks I hiked, yes, seven! Seven times up and seven times down. This is a popular hiking region (again with varying levels of hiking trails), but I was on a mission to do one of the most challenging hikes available here. As a result, I found myself alone for many long stretches. The hike begins with a small climb, a warm up – and then a royal procession of three more climbs ending with the 4th highest peak called Gulmen at 2317 meters high. With each ascent, there is a steep decent, so your legs have to work hard pushing up, only to then loose all the elevation as you go down and onward towards the next. I honestly loved every second. The hike is predicted to be about 6 hours long. I completed the hike in 3.5 hours:) As I was hiking on the final decent, there were other peaks I wished were added on to make this just a bit more of a challenge. But don’t worry – I felt very satisfied and proud of my crushing it – time. Between the 4th and 5th peak you hike around in the back country of a mountain, thick rumbling rocks line your path and lots of mud and muck (cow poop and pee). The smell reminds me of my childhood, the ground makes me feel alive and the mountings looming around remind me to be ever humble.

Yesterday evening, while relaxing on the couch, Obi asked me if I had ever done a mountain roller coaster. I admittedly judgingly said no – and brushed off this idea. Explaining that I wouldn’t typically opt for an easy way down. Ironically at the hike I did that day, to the Oeschinensee there was a mountain roller coaster with many kids and adults excitedly on the ride. Then…today, I kid you not, as I was sitting in the cable car riding up to the trail head – what do I see, but a very long mountain roller coaster with twists and turns! I thought well this is fate, I need to try it out. So – after completing the seven peaks I took a small diversion on the trail to Chrüz, which is the start of the ride. Getting to the coaster is possible from three different ways. Walking from the bottom of the ride, taking the ski life up or hike to it from where I came from. One of the ticket options is unlimited, allowing you to ride the life up, down on the coaster and around again and again. Before staring I was laughing at myself – for my comments the night before. I also noticed I was slightly scared, this ride was steep and looked fast. The last time I was on a coaster type ride was with Obi at Six Flags. By the end of the day day, my voice was gone from all the screaming. He was a my buoy – grounding me and pumping confidence into me. Funny, I’m not scared in the slightest being thousands of meters above the ground alone for hours – but put me on a human made machine that goes fast, downhill – and forget it, my adrenaline (not the good kind) kicks in. But, here I go! Before getting strapped in, one of the ride operators takes my and another woman’s backpack and places them on the ski lift chair – they get the slow ride down. I sit down, strap in and hold on to the controls on either side – forward = go, back = stop/slow down. Details on the ride, you can go 40km per hour, it’s 2000 m long and you loose 250 m in elevation. You are supposed to stay about 25m behind the rider in front. When my chair launched from the top – I accelerated very quickly, and my hat blew up and off, thankfully getting caught on my bun, I reluctantly released one control while making scared monster like sounds, grabbed my hat before it was lost forever, and slipped it around my wrist – then quickly took hold of the control again. You are jolted around from left to right as the ride zips down sharp turns, through tunnels, waves, and spiraling circles. At one point of the ride, a camera flashes and takes your awkward photo. I saw mine at the bottom a mouth wide open, eyes locked in and arms flexed on the controls. So uncool indeed, hahaha! Anyhow, I felt wind swept at the base, and hobbled my way to the ski lift and waited for my bag. That ride showed me who was in charge. I won’t judge a mountain coaster again, that’s for sure. What a day.

Coaster chairs coming up from their drop off point (ski lifts tow the chairs back up the mountain).

Imagine me sitting in that first seat…ahh!

Tomorrow, Obi and I are visiting a dear friend of mine and his family. We met on outward bound trip when I was 23 years old in the Colorado Rockies. We’ll be heading to Nyon, Switerland. See you on the other side!

Europe, 2024 Zurich Days 7 – 10

I ended my last post with a message about heading off to Greece, sadly the global IT outage caused by Crowdstrike had different plans for us! After packing our bags and boarding the train to Zurich’s airport we overheard a family talking about an IT outage. I could see Obi’s tech brain quickly at work as he searched the world wide web for news of the events. Yes, flights were being cancelled and planes grounded but not all of them and so we were hopeful. When we looked at the departure board at the airport, Athens was still a go and so we pushed onward. Only to very quickly realize something major was happening. The line to check in was extremely long – longer than what you would expect and there were TV crews around filming and interviewing people. While on line we started to hear announcements about all USA bound passengers to please get off the line and were shuttled into a different holding area. We slowly snaked through the line and about an hour later made it to the check in. By this time, we had 45 minutes to check our bags, clear security and reach the gate. The agent took our passports to check us in and couldn’t find our flight. She called a manager and they realized our flight was cancelled! We quickly saw our dreams of Limnos withering away. We were directed to another line for folks with cancelled flights through Swiss Airlines. This line had probably about 200 (or more) people on it…as we waited we contacted our booking site only to learn that all of the alternative flight options to Limnos at this time would have costed a large sum of extra money, and the timing to fly was highly inconvenient (through the night or legs of the trip which were 23 hrs long). So – we cancelled our plans and returned to the Airbnb. Limnos, I am coming…just not yet! After some internet searching we booked a stay at a mountain resort outside Lucerne. Lucerne is a 55 minute or so train ride from Zurich. Given what time of the day it was by now, we decided to leave Saturday morning.

Lucerne is a pleasant town with some impressive historical sights. We wandered through a farmers market which we stumbled upon and picked up some classic pastries and fruit for breakfast. Eating by the river witch sticky hands, watching tourists and locals merge at the market stands. The site I was most moved by was the Lion of Lucerne which is a rock relief sculpture. The monument was completed in 1821 and commemorates fallen Swiss soldiers killed during the French Revolution. The monument is free to tourists and is protected by Switzerland, though is costly to maintain. It is a striking sculpture as it sits set into the massive rock face wall. We also enjoyed a one hour long boat tour with an English audio guide in the Lucerne Lake. We marveled at the lake side villas while listening to the legends of Mount Pilatus looming overhead (a dragon lives there!). We also learned that this mountain’s name was falsely rumored after Pontius Pilate. However, the mountain actually got it’s name from the Latin word for hat or cap, pileus because the clouds sit a top the mountain peak like a hat (or at least the locals say that when the clouds sit on top like a hat it will be a good weather day, but when the clouds drape down along the sides into the valley, rain is coming). We had a day with clouds like a hat – so lucky us!

After touring Lucerne and departing with delicious street side pretzels from the Pretzel König (King) we were on the second part of the journey to the mountain resort at Melchsee-Frutt. We took a train, to a bus and finally a gondola up – way up into the mountain range. Riding these gondolas feels like you enter a whole new world. From down on the street into the clouds you go. We were both quickly impressed with the setting and found ourselves immedaitly humbled by the looming alps and snow capped peaks. The resort sits on the edge of a lake, Melchsee which has a lovely walking path around it and connects to another nearby lake about 4 km away. From this area are also many hiking trails. The resort was home to a lovely spa with a sauna, steam room and pool. On the first day we had a few hours of daylight left and walked together around the lake, finding our bearings and enjoying the luscious sights.

On this first walk we found ourselves at part of the trail with a few large and magnificent cows. They were blocking the trail and mooing along. We were at a gate and it almost seemed like they wanted us to open and let them pass. As we waited another couple came by and confidently gently nudged them aside and so we thought we could do the same – but when we passed through the gate the cows instead turned around and walked ahead of us. They were trail blazing and leading us along the path. It was thrilling to trail behind them and we were unsure if they would let us pass. Finally at a same point, I clapped my hands and mimicked what I hear the German farmers say and voila, the cows decided to head off the trail and started to sprint down the lake. It was such a site to be seen. Never have I ever seen cows run so fast and look so happy. They all have bells – some large round bells which make deep hallow ringing sounds and others with smaller shapely bells that make higher pitched chimes. Together the cows really are the bell choir of the Alps.

On Sunday we had grand plans to do a big hike together but the weather had another idea – rain, rain, rain. We studied the Swiss weather app, stalled our departure and hiked during the window with no rain projections. As many of you know, Obi, is not an avid nature lover like me. He appreciates beautiful sites but hiking for hours in the heat – and especially up is not his cup of tea. I said “I prefer going up instead of going down.” His reply, “I prefer staying level.” Oh he makes me laugh. He did suggest joining me on this hike – so I was beyond happy. I love hiking with him – and so off we went. Prepared for what might come and we thankfully got two ponchos from the hotel reception. Yes, we left all our rain gear in Zurich ignorantly imagining only sunny days ahead. The trail head was sneaky to find – but once we located it’s start, we were off. One step at a time we climbed and met another couple on the same route. I was and am very proud of Obi – and he was happy his running this past year paid off as he managed very well climbing. The trail went along the edge of a valley to the ridge line of a mountain – and then a small trek to the summit. The rain held off the whole time and we managed to make it back to the hotel as the sun broke through the clouds.

We had Nutella style sandwiches courtesy of the breakfast buffet :), Obi showered and settled in to watch his F1 race. I headed to the spa for a second round of delights. Sauna, steam room, cold shower and repeat. Then some time in the pool with it’s water massage jets and a cup of tea on the outside terrace with the view of a lifetime. We ended the day with an hour in the game room. The resort has a room with a two lane bowling alley. The balls are small, hand sized and much lighter than a traditional bowling ball and the pins are attached to strings which are used to pull up and automatically reset the pins. As you know Obi and I are very competitive with each other and have a spreadsheet in which we track points. The last time we bowled Obi kicked my behind and earned a point – so I was not willing to risk another point on the line. I regretted that decision fast because I won every round and with each game we played (a total of three) my score improved! Obi was in shock – hahaha! We then played three games of foosball. I think given Obi’s emotional state (coming off the blowing annihilation)- he was not as focused, and so I capitalized on his weakened mind – and I won the first game! He won the next two and found his stride again – but wow, we couldn’t stop laughing at the turn of events.

Monday morning was another rainy day, so after a workout at the hotel gym, we had breakfast and then I did a final walk around the lake – snapped a few more photos of wild alpine flowers with their rain drops perfectly pillowed on their petals – said good by to the Melchsee and took the gondola ride back down. We are back in Zurich – Obi will head to work tomorrow and I out to the mountains for another hike. Till then.

Europe, 2024 Zurich Days 5,6

Sorry for any confusion – we left for Zurich Friday night – my previous blog post stated we arrived on Friday – oy!

Today was truly a spectacular Franimal kinda day. Before I share about the hike – an update on yesterday. After a successful first day on the bike, I decided to try a new bike tour and ride to a nearby town called Baden. I had researched other bike rides from Zurich with a clear destination point. Baden was not too far away and seemed to be a path along the river Limmat. It seemed like a nice opportunity, and so off I went Wednesday morning, water and backpacked packed – ready for an adventure. The ride started out okay, I’ve learned the lay of the land here – Obi and I like to joke that we are “locals” and feel proud when we get from one point to the next sans Google assist. So, me and my local self pedaled on from town towards the river only to hit the first of many major construction zones. It seemed the more I biked the deeper I got into cement plants, orange cones, asphalt debris and road closures. The lake to my left was like a mirage I could only dream of seeing. I pressed on to eventually shift gears – literally – changing the chain position on my bike I did a 180 and aborted my mission. I took a closer look at the map and noted many diversions ahead and decided instead to accomplish my goal which was to reach the other end of Lake Zurich. So – after a 45 minute NYC-like detour I was at the start of the bike path with 45 km ahead of me. Putting my legs into high gear I ventured onward. This time I chose to bike the opposite way from the day prior, to see the lake from the other angle. Route 3 to the bridge, which then intersects with route 17 to the tip. Simple in theory – but harrrrd work in reality. Again the wind greeted me at the door and made for a day of riding to feel like three in one. I had drank a lot of water before leaving and given the 45 minute detour I took, I did not work up enough of a sweat and so instead I needed to pee relatively quickly. I found a gas station and one attendant helped me- while the other glared at me. Thankfully the bathroom was available and off I went. This part of the ride was uneventful, windy but straight forward. Passing from one small cluster of homes and shops along empty stretches and repeat. I made it to the bridge. Now, yesterday I came off the bridge from the opposite direction and so I thought it would be easy to navigate backwards onto the bridge. I tried my luck only to suddenly realize I made a wrong turn, asked for help from a lovely woman who told me in broken English “the other side.” Not knowing how to reach “the other side” I tried my best…and again made a wrong turn and was shuttled onto a road that was quickly turning onto a highway – ack, my biker senses were on high alert and I knew I should have been there. Imagine driving down a major highway and on your shoulder is a biker – yes, that was me merging into your lane. In order to avoid disaster I aborted the road and jumped onto the grass. My only option was to launch my bike over a wire fence (thankfully no spikes or electricity) and climb to the other side. From what I could tell it was the back of a factory. The bike was okay- and my tall limbs managed just fine until the seam in the crotch of my shorts caught a small wire tip and I was stuck straddling the fence – only to realize behind the bushes was a table of (presumably) workers on their coffee and cig break watching me. Sigh…I stealthily unhooked my shorts preventing a tear, hoped on the bike and gave them the coolest nod I could muster and rode off. After this little snafu 🙂 I found myself literally back at the same exact starting point as I was 10 minutes prior. This time, I used Google which alerted me to the bike path which crosses the on way ramp to the bridge. So – take two and voila – I was on my merry way. Breezing over the long bridge toward route 17. This road had a clearly marked bike path but once I left the city area – the path was no more and I needed to bike a road with speeding cars and no shoulder. The cars seemed to be aware of bikers, as I saw a few others out there as well. I rode out for about 10-15 km only to notice the road narrowing even more. I decided I reached a good enough stopping point, peeled off to a barn cafe, ordered a tall apple juice, hydrated up, ate my cheese bread from home and started the long return trip. The highlight of the second half was at about 18 km outside of Zurich a female biker passed me. She was on a road bike and cutting through the air with such efficiency. I was jealous of her speed – with my thick tires – she got ahead…but then, I suddenly found myself catching her and going faster than her pace so I passed her. I did not want her to pass me again (yes, Franimal competition is activated) so I kicked into high gear. Having biked nearly 85 km at this point, my legs were tired but that was just an excuse. I powered up and she and I rode tire to tire. First with me in front. Like a sail I blocked her wind for probably about 9 km at which point we hit a red light and she came up next to me and said in German, “let’s switch and take turns” – now she lead and I trailed all the way to the end. It was so nice riding with someone – working together. We eventually reached a traffic light – chatted a bit and went our separate ways. Bye biker friend!

Today was a different kind of adventure – even though I had the bike rental for a week, honestly my heart was yearning for the mountains again. I can do crazy city biking in NYC – I can’t do the Alps. Using a site I found online – I scouted a hike to the Leglerhüttee in the Appenzell range. This hike was everything you could imagine in a Swiss adventure. Trian ride out of the city was on time and passing through beautiful landscape, the two transfers to a second train and then a bus were perfectly aligned, and to sear the commute the bus rode up and into the valley along a supremely narrow twisting and turning rode. For 40 minutes it inched along safely and confidently into the mountains. At certain points along the ride the only sights visible where the steep mountain drops on one side and the wall of grass along the other. A mini thrill indeed. I arrived at the cable car lift, and light as a feather was gifted the chance to float to the starting point, a reservoir. This was a circular loop hike with two options towards the end point, one which was estimated at 2hr and 20 min (with a slower grade and shorter distance) or the other at 3 hr and 15 min (with a steeper grade at a longer total km) – I presume you know which route I took. Oh -yes there I was with the first step on the trail already a climb. I love that about hiking, there is no other way to reach the top than to simply go up. You have to put one foot in front of the other and press up – working your legs to oblivion. The weather was perfect – cool breeze with hot sun. A combination that generated a glow on the vegetation. Throughout the whole hike I was not far from water taking the shape of a dripping stream, morning dew weighting the leaves or grass down and small Alpine ponds. The Apline Rose flowers highlighted every surface. I spoke with one woman on the trail who said today is a special day for these flowers – with nearly every one in bloom. At points I was brushing past flowers on either side of me and could feel their soft wet pedals on my hot legs. I reached a trail marker which indicated two ways towards the summit – once I again I opted for the lengthier path which had me laughing when I looked ahead because this option did not build on the elevation I had just gained, but instead took me straight down the valley through a cow pasture and then – right back up. I could see where the trail emerged and chuckled at what I was about to do. Usually going down is easier (not necessarily easy, but easier) however this downward climb was one of the more challenging because I was not alone on the trail. Cows were everywhere and hikers use the cow trail so there was no option other than to dodge so much cow poop. Cow patties of all consistencies and states of decomposition truly covered the trail. Dried ones, hard like a rock where lucky finds because you could step on or over without issue. Patties about a day old were crusty on the outside and inhabited by hundred of flies which you could hear when you stepped over it because they all buzzed out and you can see their small burrowing wholes. Then there were cow patties splattered on the muddy trail like a Pollock painting, no defined shape, a splash of light brown and green. Impossible to avoid. This of course was all mixed in with their pee and water – which made for slippery goings. I don’t mind falling, but I did not want to fall in this recipe. Cautiously I trekked along only to be blocked by a massive gathering of cows on the other end, I diverted along their pasture edge, thanked them for their milk, cheese and manure and kept on going. While I could see the trail ahead, towards the top I could not identity the actual summit given the shape of the rock outcropping. As I hiked along I couldn’t tell if sweat, snot or saliva were dripping from my face – and presumable a combination of all three were. The sun was relentless above the tree line with no shade cover and then just like a true surprise I turned the bend to see the hut. I made it. Rewarding indeed. I will let the photos tell you the rest of the story.

We’re on our way to Greece, Limnos, the island my family originates. A heat wave on the headlines and an ocean calling my name. I write to you from the other side.

Europe, 2024 Zurich Days 1-5

Am I still in Antarctica? I wondered this as I trekked through some of the still snowy capped mountains of the Swiss Alps. Much to my surprise I was not in fact down south – lol – but in Zurich, Switzerland! I was just starting my Pizol 5 lake hike. A challenging hike up and down through the mountain tops to see five (actually there were only four?!) glacial lakes. This was my inaugural hike on our trip to Zurich this summer. Obi had the idea to visit Zurich so that I could hike and bike while he works at the Google office. He knows me well and suggested this idea so that I could have access to the great outdoors a place I long for and love. We arrived in Zurich on Friday morning, sleep deprived from the red eye flight. We found a luggage storage at the main train station in the city, secured our goods and committed to staying awake until our 3 pm Airbnb check in. We decided to visit the National Swiss Museum across the street to pass some time – and learn a bit more about Swiss history and culture. The museum was full of many small exhibits one which I particularly found interesting was various examples of how waste is being reused. There were on display examples of not just the three Rs (reuse, reduce and recycle) but actually the 10 Rs including refuse, repurpose, or repair as additional examples. The museum also had an exhibit telling the story of finger rings from historical roman, Egyptian and medieval periods to contemporary 20th and 21st century. The variety was mind-blowing – as each ring felt so different and told a different story. The collection is from Alice and Louis Koch on display at the museum. The ring was was spellbound by was a large blue oval representing the ocean and in the middle was a gold figure of which you could only see the head and an arm – the parts of a body one sees above water when swimming. The ring was satisfying to look at and I felt such a sense of freedom in that simple image. We were admittedly very tired and eventually rested in the cafe with some cool drinks. Behind the museum was a small park which we ventured through and then at last, to our rental. Checking in was smooth (after negotiating with two lock boxes found our key) in we went! We were both pleased with the place we rented. Large windows with a lot of natural light, a living, eating and sleeping area laid out simply but effective. Sunday was dedicated to acclimating – so we found a local breakfast spot, enjoyed a hearty meal and then explored by foot some of the city. We tried to get groceries for the apartment only to quickly realize stores are not open on Sunday (even though I know this – I always seem to forget!). We had not been to the FIFA Museum and decided to check it out. We were both highly impressed with the quality of the exhibit and spent just over two hours reading about the history of soccer rules, many facts about the Men’s and Women’s World Cups, the design features of soccer balls over the years, imagery on national jerseys, and facts about key players, team coaches and referees. We even visited the world famous Maracanã stadium in Brazil:)

Following our soccer or football immersive experience it was back to Swiss culture with a visit to the Fraumünster and Grossmünster in the “old city.” Having visited these historic churches before venturing inside felt familiar. Remembering the smell of the concrete walls, wooden pews and crypts below was enjoyable but not as much as looking at the glorious stained glass windows with late afternoon sunlight pressing it’s way through. Our dinner that night was a delightful find – we were walking across a street and I happened to glance over to see some food being carried out to the dinners. It looked colorful, fresh and so so yummy! We decided to abandon our original plan and asked for a table. We made a great choice and dined on Lebanese food- a spot we will most likely eat at again!

Monday morning came which meant Obi needed to head to work and I, after doing some research found a hike to tackle. The Pizol 5 Lake hike was a great way to start this trip – as I mentioned above it was a challenging hike with so many lovely surprises along the way. The hike guides you from one lake to the next and so you need to hike up and down in order to pass through the valley from one body of water to the next. Given the altitude and temperature of the water, two lakes were ice-capped with large pieces of ice floating around. I found it impossible to not think about Antarctica and the massive glaciers and ice floes which remain strongly imprinted in my mind – but these baby ice-floes were delightful in their own way. Despite the hot sun – rushing glacial melt flooded these lakes and aroused excited yelps from hikers who took their own version of the polar plunge. I did not stop to swim as I was eager to reach the end of the trail. My engine was running – I wanted to keep pushing. Sometimes when I stop too long in the middle of a high intensity physical activity, it requires more work to get the muscles firing again, than to keep them moving at a steady clip. A highlight of the trail was a rock cairn collection from which many previous hikers have contributed. Some small and others life sized the fragile pillars stood erect and at attention overlooking the expansive valley below. Admittedly I am not so great at taking pictures when I am alone – and in the zone – but here are a few I quickly captured which should give you a sense of the atmosphere. I enjoyed this hike so much I will probably come back again for a repeat adventure – maybe this time I will stop and take a plunge:)

Wildseeluggen, 2492 M, Can you see the ice?

On Tuesday, our 5th day here (counting the arrival day) I had planned to hike again – after a little over an hour of scouting last night for a hike to conquer I woke up to heavy rain. While the surrounding city of Zurich was supposed to clear up – the mountains I was heading to predicted thunderstorms for most of the day. I will hike through a lot – but thunder and lightening is a safety concern no hiker should take the risk in. If todays trail would be anything like yesterday – rain would add to the steep drops, slippery rocks and mud slides. I knew it was not wise and so I shifted gears and began looking for a bike to rent. Much to my surprise, renting a road bike (let alone a half way decent bike) is surprisingly not that easy – despite how bike friendly this city is. I tried many possibilities all dead ends and after Obi left for work I gave up on the computer, packed up and head out not knowing where I would find a bike, but going to try. The neighborhood we live in is lovely, calm and seemingly family friendly. A synagogue down the street, some delicious restaurants, two local ice-cream shops and a Park Slope Food Coop type store a few minutes away (yes, I have already done a big shop there:). Also around the corner from our place is a bike shop – so I asked if they knew of a good bike rental shop and well, it was a lucky day after all – they had a bike left and would be happy to rent it! It’s a red, sturdy hybrid bike with disc breaks – fits me perfectly and rides smooth. They needed an hour to tune her up – and then voila – I was off. Once again I was not sure where I would end up and decided to pick a point along the lake which was about 35 km out and then bike back…but as you know, it’s hard to contain the adventurer in me and before I knew it I mapped out a huge loop cutting across the Seedam bridge. In the photo below – the yellow route maps my ride today and the orange section I did not complete yet (the two stars indicate our apartment and the Google office). Not tomorrow, but probably on Thursday I will do the whole lake from tip to tip – yes, I rented the bike for a week so I could enjoy a few more rides this week. I will save more hikes for the last two weeks.

Today I biked just about 46 miles – with the extra tip the loop should be 56 miles. While the ride is not particularly beautiful – I am mostly on the bike lane shoulder of the road (route 3 and route 17) it’s nice to just be able to ride without interruption pumping my legs like pistons. The terrain is relatively flat with some rolling hills but the hardest component is the wind. It pounds on your relentlessly – and reminded me of my Tour de Fran which I completed a few years ago through Spain and France. When I rode through France the wind was aggressive (as it’s known to be in that area). Today I felt like le mistral came back to say hello. I was immersed in the experience and it wasn’t until my stomach sent me a signal to eat something – the hours of riding had caught up to me and so I pulled over at a train station, with the lake as my view and chowed down the cheese sandwich, trial mix and fruit bar I brought along. Powered up I launched head first into the final 20 km – parting the wind with my tires and helmet. There were a few points at which I was convinced the rain would return as the sun disappeared behind large thick grey clouds and a few drizzling drops reached my face – but again, as luck would have it, the rain held off and I arrived safely back home after 3 hours and 45 minutes of high powered biking. Google claims the ride should take 4.5 hours… Yes the Franimal always has to beat Google. I’ll write again before we leave for Greece on Friday:)

Antarctica, Days 12 & 13

Days 12 & 13 – written on day 13 and on the plane from Ushuaia to Buenos Aires

Hi Everyone,

The dream of a Drake “lake” faded as quickly as the winds rushed in at the dawning of the second night of the Drake passage. The waves are 4 – 5 meters high with winds of 50-60 knots. All outdoor decks are closed. I spent many hours awake last night unable to sleep given the enormous plunges the ship took. There is so much power in water. Our ship is being flung up and down along with left to right. At night the bathroom door swung open and closed repeatedly. The curtains slid left to right along the rod. The hangers in the closet clinked back and forth. Our room directly above the bow – absorbed so much force and movement. Can you imagine trying to cradle a baby to sleep standing with one leg on a seesaw that is balancing on a swing with a heavy metal band orchestrating it all? I don’t know how Obi slept through most of the night but he did. The wind and waves have continued into the day and by around 3 pm things should settle down as we will have gotten through the most intense weather areas. As of now we are on track to reach Ushuaia by 6:30 – 7:00 am tomorrow, Tuesday morning. I heard from one person with Wi-Fi that the east coast is getting a huge snow (rain?) storm and I am left wondering if MMFS has a snow day today. It’s strange for me to not be at school. The past two days on the Drake passage have felt odd. After so much activity and now, not getting off the ship is exercising my patience and physical restraint to move. I will say that I have done some form of working out or movement/exercise every day. The most hysterical workouts have been on the Drake passage, for example, attempting pushups with the floor moving up and down. Suddenly it’s easy and then in a flash you are pushing against the force of water and gravity. What a strain. I’ve considered these workouts to be extra special and challenging which – while a bit comical to watch have pushed me. There were four stationary bikes in the gym which means I’ve gotten a few hour long rides and worked up a sweat. The best ride was looking out the window and seeing a humpback whale fluke. Couldn’t ask for a better sight to see.

During the last night Obi and I ate dinner with two friends we met along the way. Each of them is traveling solo. It seems this cruise had more younger people than typical (as shared with us by the guides). As I prepared mentally for this trip – I was so focused on the weather, the temperature and the place. Never did I consider we would be on a boat for 14 days with the same people morning till night. I got to know many people on this journey and people from all over the world. The cruise housed many Australian and Europeans (mostly British). There were people from India, Japan, Alaska, Norway and Canada – the list goes on. A few of us started to gravitate towards each other – as we often found ourselves on the same zodiac or at the bridge whale watching. I observed some people who never knew each other become as close as family. Walking arm and arm along the ship, laughing and crying together when it all ended. It was lovely to observe everyone and pay attention to the dynamics. I hope and wonder how long folks will stay in touch with each other. Two people Obi and I hung out with a lot actually met for the first time years ago on a previous Intrepid trip and continued to take trips together. There was a lot of picture, phone and email sharing on the last day. Some of us took photos of each other and wanted to be sure we could share everything when we had WiFi again:) While I did not come here to make a new set of friends – it was a truly special unexpected bonus like sitting in first class when you had no clue;)

My final hours of watching the water were with some friends I met who were very eager to see some specific Antarctic seabirds – in particular the Snow Bellied Albatross. One avid bird watcher caught a glimpse of one and so others were scanning the water for their own sighting. I learned about birds as I stood nearby listening and helping them watch. Next time I take a trip like this I will bring binoculars – they would have been great to have. I used my camera lens as an unofficial zoom support. And when hanging out in the bridge of the ship – binoculars were available to use. As we pulled into the Beagle Channel the sun was setting – after nearly two weeks without seeing a typical sunset this was a great moment to take in. The glow quickly dimmed as it set behind a mountain top. Simply perfect.

The expedition team put together two days of different lectures for guests as we traveled across the Drake. Obi and I attended a talk about gear and the evolution of gear since the age of polar exploration. The most interesting gear I learned about was the use of reindeer skin. The Inuits wore reindeer clothing for a very specific purpose. One main reason is that when reindeer leather gets cold, it does not harden – it has a natural kind of antifreeze. Many other types of animal skin or leather become hard and crack when under extremely cold temperatures. When the temperatures dropped the clothing could be turned around so the fur was closest or directly on the body. This would help create insulation and warmth. With the fur inside, the leather would be on the outside. When the fur is on the outside and the leather is close to the skin/body, it collects natural oils from the person wearing it so when facing outward if it rained the water would run off the clothing without being absorbed. I loved the versatility of the reindeer skin and fur and more importantly, I loved learning how people figured out these concepts. We also attended a talk on knot tying and learned some basic functional knots – very cool indeed! Another talk we listened to was about the geological features of Antarctica and finally, we attended a talk about IAATO. In 2041 the 50 year mining/drilling ban in Antarctica will be up for review. Given that Antarctica is not owned by any one country or nation – a country or nation with a permanent base in Antarctica has a vote in the decision making for future agreements. Smaller countries without a permanent base can listen to discussions and offer opinions, but don’t have an official vote. Building a permanent base is available to any country as long as they follow the agreed upon guidelines. The agreement used to be that decisions needed to be made unanimously, but with time, now only a 3/4 majority is needed for decisions to pass. Admittedly I grew increasingly worried about the potential for drilling and mining in Antarctica given how much of a financial asset the continent is. We will need to pay close attention to what is to come.

The final evening activity was a slideshow/video developed by the professional photographer onboard. All of the guests will have access to the video in about a week, along with all of the professional pictures taken. This photographer has a rare drone permit to use in Antarctica, so the highlight of the film was seeing the drone footage. Obi looked at me at the end and said, “We were there?!” The drone footage depicts the scale of our landings in a whole new way that our photographs do. It was spectacular to see and will be really fun to show people.

I am really going to miss being in Antarctica.

While out on the bridge for one last look, before bed last night, Obi joined me for a bit. As we stood there he asked a question which I took seriously (though his intentions were more as a joke), “So, how has Antarctica changed you?” I looked out at sea, in silence and reflected. I suppose my answer to this question would be an even deeper appreciation for preserving pristine natural places. There is so much endless beauty and wonder in Antarctica, it’s hard to contain it. Antarctica is detached and remote. Survival is a privilege. Nature makes music here that can bring tears to your eyes. Water can tell stories a thousand years old. Antacrtica pulled me down to earth so that I could taste, smell, see and hear everything it was trying to tell me. I heard loud and clear.

It’s impossible to say goodbye. See you later, Antarctica.

Love, Franziska

ps. By the time some of you read this, I will be back in Brooklyn. We land tomorrow, Wednesday Jan. 9th.

pps. When the pictures are ready to share, I will send out the album.

ppps. Thank you to my loyal friends and family who entertain these emails and travel updates.

Antarctica, Days 9, 10, 11

Post: Days 9, 10 and 11 – written on day 12

Hi everyone,

Currently we are on the Drake passage. It’s officially Day 12 of the trip and I have three days of catching up, as I try to recount the last expedition days. I really wanted to be outside as much as possible – and so finding time in the afternoons or nights to write was difficult. I’ve learned in a whole new way how the body expends a tremendous amount of energy to stay warm. When you are in a colder climate for extended periods of time, you may start to notice that by the end of the day you feel depleted. It’s also light outside for nearly the whole night, never really getting dark so I could be whale watching or just looking out at the horizon for hours and not even realize it’s nearly 11 pm! I have thoroughly enjoyed this trip and while disconnecting from emails and texts felt strange at first – it’s been a very welcomed change. I realized this morning, out on the Drake it may not be possible for me to send this update. I’ll try and if it lands in your inbox within the next few hours on Sunday, you know I will have been successful. If not, I shall send this when I am at the airport with WiFi. Tomorrow is Monday and if I were home, in Brooklyn I would be checking work emails, writing the Monday Morning Memo, talking with Hannah and then doing my mental preparations for the launch of school after winter break. Imagining how the students are feeling and hoping the teachers all come back revitalized and ready for action. So, even though I may not be home for the usual preparations – they are all in my mind right now.

The past three days have been just as wonderful as the days prior. We have been generally very lucky with the weather and despite some gray skies and cold winds – we’ve successfully completed multiple mainland and island landings with zodiac cruises. The Western Peninsula resembles what I would imagine the Himalayas in the winter to look like. Sharp jagged peaks with rough cut edges like a used steel blade. Glaciers and snow caps as far as the eye can see. The waters are calm inside the bays and then choppy at sea. There have been many whale sightings as this area is informally known as “whale soup.” On day 9 we took a zodiac cruise to Portal Point. Along this cruise we were lucky to experience the largest pod of humpback whales I’ve ever seen bubble feeding. From above the water you can see a lot of dorsal fins and flukes (tail). As the whale dives it rounds its spine, the dorsal fin is exposed above water and then if the whale wants to go deep down the fluke will come out above the water. The dive is next. From deep in the ocean, the whales will release air bubbles which disorient the krill. The krill surface up and then the whale swims up to take a huge mouthful. The whale filters the water through its mouth so the krill remain. Dinner is served! The whales repeat this behavior over and over eating tons of krill at a time. In order to protect the wildlife and stay safe we need to keep our distance but we are close enough to hear the whales breathing. Propelling large bursts of air through their blowhole which rockets into the sky. The sound is fulfilling. At one point given the directionality of the wind we could smell fish – this was essentially the breath of the whale. It was a complete sensory experience inclusive of sight, hearing and smell. I even had the privilege of seeing a whale breach – a younger whale, much smaller in size, jumped from the ocean and landed on its side causing a splash and a unanimous oohing and awing from all the spectators in the surrounding zodiacs. Unfortunately my camera was not ready as the boat was turning and some people (Obi included) missed it all together. The image of the white and pink belly with black spots and markings will forever be part of my memory now.

Day 10 and 11 were similar days in that we remained on the Western side of the peninsula making stops at various islands or mainland. Given the blessed weather nothing was cancelled and each day included two outings. We’ve all gotten really good at the dressing routine, and transition into the mud room for our final gear. Getting on and off the zodiacs come naturally and we understand how the cold will feel knowing exactly what to wear or not to wear. These two days were significant Gentoo penguins observation days. Each day we found our way to large Gentoo penguin rookeries. Where the penguins have laid their eggs and for the next five to six weeks the female and male will take turns incubating the eggs until hatched. Most penguins will lay one or two eggs. The Gentoos, unlike the Adelle, are much more adaptable. They prefer the snow and colder temperatures and can eat a broader range of foods which helps their survival. They can adapt to what is available. One thing all the bird colonies or rookeries have in common in the guano – so much bird poop. The smell is all the same. An odor that fills the air and your nostrils and lungs. The smell is so thick you can almost taste it. After having been in the rookeries for a few hours over these past few days even back in the room, I get subtle whiffs of the guano on my clothes. I even gave Obi a kiss and could smell the guano in his beard! I’ve been considering not washing some of my outdoor gear upon arriving home, so that I can remember for just a bit longer, what penguins smell like. Observing the penguins in their natural habitat is a learning experience. First of all, we all know that penguins are not so graceful on land, waddling in order to swing their webbed legs from side to side in order to move. In order to navigate the deep and fluffy snow they build penguin highways. Actual pathways which take the birds from one point to the next Typically from the shore to their nests. The highways are deep so at times you can only see their heads moving as the whole body is concealed. The highways are reddish/brown from their poop and mud which is tracked on their feed or bodies from laying in the nests or walking on the shore. As I wrote in an earlier post, ideally the penguins mate for life (unless one is killed this is generally the case). So once the birds have gotten to their nest, you can often see a male or female sitting on the egg and their partner standing guard. The one standing guard seems to be doing one of two things. Either this bird is adjusting the nest which is made of small rocks, by adding more stones, or repositioning the stones that exist for quality assurance. The one fixing the next seems to get approval for each rock from the other sitting on the egg. Additionally, the one guarding the nest spends time fending off two different predatory birds. The Skua is a large brown and white bird that will attach chicks after they are born or kill sick, fully grown penguins. Then the Snowy Sheathbill is the other bird that is informally known as the “cleanup crew.” These birds are known to feed off the penguin poop or scavenge for anything else they can find at the colonies. They are opportunistic feeders which means they will eat anything they can find. So, while observing the penguins a few guests ahead of us noticed a penguin rise up from her nest for a few moments and the Snowy Sheathbill birds attacked their eggs immediately. The two eggs were dragged from the nest and devoured. The eggs were new, as the inside contents were still soupy. We learned that Gentoos in particular will lay eggs again especially this early in the season. Later in the afternoon I was in the bridge observing and noticed three Skuas feeding on a dead penguin. The bird was floating in the water bobbing up and down while the three sharp curved beaks pecked away, tearing the feathers and flesh off. Another reminder of the life and death cycle.

On each of the landings these past few days we also had opportunities to walk around. Some included small hikes to various lookout points. I hung back on one walk so that all the other guests would carry on. I was lucky to be literally the last guest (a guide stood nearby). I stood at the top of a hill for about 15 minutes in silence. Taking in the whole picture. Watching the ice-bergs drift by, the penguins porpoising in the water, the zodiacs shuttling people to and from the land and boat, ripples in the water drifting in concentric circles, the sun kissing the snow caps on the mountain peaks, clouds at various heights drifting in and out. My eyes teared up. It was a moment I needed to simply just be. No pictures, no swishing of the goretex pants, no lagher from tourists and no words. Pure inner silence. Antarctica is called the “silent continent,” which I disagree with. When you stop and really listen, there is so much to hear. At this moment I wanted to hear it all.

We also visited another research station called Brown Station. The original station was burned down by a sciencetist many years ago who was told to stay and winter over a second season (after just completing a full season). He was unhappy about this, as he had a lady friend he was longing to return home to, so he burned down the base forcing his return (romantic arson?). SInce then the base has been rebuilt and is regularly supplied by Argentina as this is their permanent base. One of the talks we listened to on the boat earlier this week was a guide who spent a little over a year at McMurdo station. Wintering over is a huge deal and requires training and strong mental capacities. I have found myself dreaming of an opportunity like this. They do take volunteers!

The final outing on land was on Danco Island. The highlight of this landing was hiking to a lookout point but then given the steep gradient we got to slide down. Yes – a real snow slide! We’ve not been allowed to touch anything on our trip – only our feet which we clean before and after every trip. HOwever this particular area on Danco island does not have much wildlife, so it’s a camping site for people. As a result we were granted permission to lay down, hold our backpacks on our stomachs and cruise on down. What a thrill, the slide was fast and curved. It’s best when you let yourself go and allow gravity and ice to work its magic. Eventually you just slide into snow which slows you down. Obi and I completed the slide and then wanted to visit the other spots along the planned route. However, on our way back to the zodiac’s I had an urge to do the slide again. Obi held my backpack and I ran up the steep switchbacks with my 10lbs of gear on. At the bottom one of the guides said I had time to go again…lol up I went a third time. Huffing and puffing. The gear is heavy and utterly cumbersome. The boots hardly bend and are so thick – serving their purpose to keep our feet warm and dry, but totally not designed for running up snow trails. The Franimal powered on and up she went for one more joy ride.

Last night we listened to a talk during the recap from a scientist who shared with us why and how penguins project their poop. It was informative and entertaining. Apparently there were a group of engineers who studied this phenomenon to better understand what is happening and wrote a scientific paper. Given that penguins spend a lot of time sitting on their nests (and as we learned already if they get up and leave their egg unattended even for a moment, it’s vulnerable) so rather than sitting in their own poop they have adapted to projectile shoot it up to 40 cm away! I saw this happen a few times, they lean slightly forward and pow – out it goes. Penguins have two stomachs and only one exit. Unlike humans, penguins allow everything, pee, poop, and all sexual reproduction needs to enter and exit from one place. In their body is specialized muscle which contracts (like our bodies do when we need to push something significant out) and this contraction is so strong that it can fly its guano far away.

As I said at the beginning, we are on day 1 of the Drake passage. Thankfully, Obi is not experiencing major motion sickness right now, and we just feel a bit drowsy from the meds we took to prevent getting sick (I’m not going to take them again as I am clearly not experiencing any motion sickness). The Drake swells are medium sized. The boat shifts up and down and side to side with persistence, never letting up. Every now and then we hit a sequence of swells or waves which cause the boat to crash down making a loud sound of metal. Imagine a dumpster being slammed to the hard ground – a crashing sound filled with a hollow boom!

Tonight will be a special plant base dinner – and tomorrow night our last dinner will be followed by a slideshow with drone footage and pictures from the professional expedition photographer.

I will leave you with one more story. Yesterday after the recap we were all asked to head to the bow of the ship (the very front) which is usually sectioned off to guests, for a group photo. The photographer stood outside the bridge on the balcony harnessed in for safety ready to snap a few pictures. The wind was howling, and it was snowing. Obi and I moved to the center like a NYC train move (you know how people always stay at the doors – but there is space in the middle). It was also much warmer as we were protected by the wind. There was much laughter and cheering as we geared up to smile and waved big. After the picture we were heading inside for dinner and we heard someone yell “Orca’s!” A very large Orca pod (we later learned these were Type B Orcas – there are four different types) was swimming on the port side. We were right there at the edge and sure enough looking out at sea we saw the sharp black dorsal fins peering up through the water. Everyone was cheering and a joyful panic erupted as folks tried to run to their rooms for the cameras. I had mine with me (always ready) and started to take a few pictures. There were so many whales, as we watched more just appeared from the distance, at first they looked like sharks but then you see their black and white bodies glide up and back down. It was amazing. Even though we all needed to zoom in pretty far with our cameras, the Orcas are visible. This felt like such a magical moment – because we were heading out from Antarctica into the Drake and this was the final whale pod we saw. It’s unlikely to see more whales on our journey (maybe some Orca’s) so this was our very special send off.

It was hard for me to set my last foot on land. I naturally longed for this experience to never end. What a journey it has been.

I will send one more update as we close out the Drake passage and hope to sail into Ushuaia with ease and on time to catch our flights.

Love,
Franziska