Folsogno

Castello Montebello, Bellinzona

Leaving Airolo

Luzern

While in Rome...

On an impulse, sparked by a short notice invitation to meet, I ended up meeting A and M in Rome. It's fairly easy to reach from Geneva, with a  4 hour direct train to Milan, and a sleeping train to Rome. There was a bit of surprise when I ended up sleeping in a cabin with 3 other men, when the reservation specified women only cabin. Needless to say I lost my sense of smell and sleep.

Eventually I arrived in Rome around 7am, dropped my luggage at the hotel near the station and walked around to end up at the Vatican. It was 9am but there was already a huge queue to visit the place. So I just sent letter from the Vatican post office and went back to the hotel, admiring the old architecture inspiring multitude of novels on the way back, as well as the pines of Rome.

Then of course once we regouped, we got lost in a bus returning from the Coliseum when they recovered from their jetlag, sleeping heartily. I could not get a  real look at the Trevi fountain but it was enough or me to look around the plaza surrounding it.

The next day was a fun tour at the Coliseum and the area, before leaving them to their Mediterranean cruise. It was a rapid train trip back for me, after an exciting weekend tour.

Coming from Matterhorn glacier paradise

Orchestra rehearsal in Zermatt Kirke

The things I did with my sister after her graduation

Although Raleigh wasn't a tourist destination as such, it used to be called home once. My sister was hosting me again and this time, after New York and Washington DC I got to share some quality time with her.

We had a mani-pedi and I showed her what to buy in the Asian store nearby for korean barbecue. I also cooked for her and Sarah, so that they can learn some new dish deliciously made at home. We also booked a duo massage in a fancy hotel and I happily listened to her soft snoring while she was being massaged with hot stones.

I hoped to come back soon.

A day among friends in Washington DC

Sunday came as a hot sunny day and for a blink I was transported 17 years back in time, where we played with the water hose in a hot summer day in Boston in 1994. Downstairs, Nico returned from buying croissants and bread and was scanning the newspapers. The children were chitchatting away and wanted to play outside.

We played Daruma outside (123 soleil or its equivalent in English) and even played house and restaurant with all the plastic food and cutlery that L. had while K. was tidying up the house. It was pretty challenging to watch them both, and Max even wanted to go down the stairs by himself onto the garden. We also visited the room next to the garage, where Nico was building a wine cellar to host his collection.

The day went by and we finally got some time to do a video message for our common high school friend who was getting married. It was a time of sharing memories and laughter, while L. probably wondered what the whole ruckus was about. In any case we managed to have screen presence and even somehow follow the script we discussed without looking too unnatural in our interactions. I found out I had some hilarious ad libs which provoked some good transitions.

Just before dinner time, it was also time for me to leave DC, and so K and the children and mysef drove to Reagan airport. I also asked Kate to meet us up there since I haven't seen her since her graduation in 2003 or 2004. 

It was really good to meet so many friends, and I was even more glad that those people from different periods of my life got to meet each other.

With a good catching up done and many good hugs, I flew away to Raleigh RDU to be picked up by my little sister, and spent a quiet night out with her at the salad bar.

A hot day out in the capital

After a good night sleep, we both woke up at the sound of the alarm clock. We had a beautiful cloudless day ahead of us, and the heat hadn't settled yet. We were dropped off by Nico on is way to drop L. to a Flemish class, and we emerged sometime later somewhere near the White House museum.

It is a free museum that I found interesting for displaying the different influences and some quirky quotes of the presidents that stayed there. There were also mundane things such as dinner menu, exit speeches, and paintings illustrating the coming of the electric bulb in the households or mere customs of the times. Also it was a perfect spot for toilet break.

 After a nice break in the shades, it was time to go admire the real thing.  Outside, a squirrel was having an unusual breakfast.

It was still around 10:30 but it was also a Saturday so commuters were not in town and were replaced by tourists traveling.

Walking on grass was more enjoyable than walking on the road, so we just followed the patch up to the obelisk (Washington monument), admiring the various sportsmen and women playing ultimate Frisbee or soccer. Further up, an inter university softball tournament was being setup and I looked for the Hokies but only found the UVA team. On our right was toward the Lincoln Memorial, which I saw sometime in 2002. And on our left was the National Mall with its museums and the Capitol. I could not remember walking to the Lincoln Museum although I seemed to remember the statue itself and the reflecting pool leading to the building.

So we went for the structures on our right, toward the Lincoln Memorial. After the great lawn where students were preparing for their game, we came upon the World War 2 memorial. 

A.was being the stereotypical tourist by even rounding up servicewomen and serviceman for a photoshoot. I was starting to be sweaty and had to use my umbrella as a parasol, taking in the mist from the various fountains to cool down.

We took the path under the shades to the memorial, and could not see the reflecting pool as they were renovating it apparently. We were starting to feel a bit tired under the heat and our water supply was running low. I was already wondering how I would return to the museums, since my new silver sandals were not really made for long walks.

Looking back on our way we could see the dome of the Capitol. Ahead of us, the Lincoln Memorial was bathed in the sun, on top of its stairs that we had to climb.

There were even more people inside the memorial as everyone was getting away from the sun. It was another opportunity to take a toilet break, which was situated at the bottom of the steps, on the side of the building. We refilled out bottles as well and proceeded on our way back. It was a fine day and we decided to follow the path under the trees once again, and trying out the side roads to explore. 

We chanced upon the Korean war memorial where statues of soldiers were eerily marching painfully it seemed, and silently toward and unknown destination.

 I reflected upon the use of water in all those memorials, and found the calm body of water or even the rushing of water soothing, even if they didn't wash away the sadness or horror of these events. I wondered if the architect was also using water not just as a cooling device but as a way to ease the pain or memory.

As we walked past the Washington monument, lunchtime suddenly screamed in our stomach, and we were eager to reach the Smithsonian castle and museum at the beginning of the mall.

 We first headed for the public phones since I no longer had a mobile phone, and needed to notify K. about where we were. She was to meet us with the kids but needed a point of rendez vous. Unfortunately, none of the 2 public phones in the entrance were operational, and I felt helpless for a few minutes, trying to find more phones. The nearest public phone was in another museum and I wasn't even sure it would work. Eventually I had to beg the person at the reception to use the phone for a local call. Eventually I got through and told her we were at the castle.

We were then free to look around, and took the opportunity to grab lunch and take a rest. While A. went exploring the National Museum of African Art, I discovered the back garden of the castle and settled on a bench to watch the birds and the bees.

Once we finished, K. and the children were still not in sight, so I stayed around the castle to wait for them while A. was wandering and exploring on her own. I directed her to the National Air and Space museum towards the Capitol, and we decided to meet there alter once K. would have arrived. 

The National Air and Space museum is my favourite museum in Washington DC, because it documents the dreams and achievements of humankind in the conquest of space. I was happy that A. got to see the early models of planes, and rockets, as well as lunar modules. There were different educational workshops, including one on the solar system, or the principle of dynamics used in flight of an aircraft.

I could stay a whole day in this museum and still come back for more.As K, L. and Max finally arrived, we also came to the the air and space museum and once again, I touched the moon, like many others. I advised L. that some dreams that could seem unlikely eventually come true, and I showed her the moon rock at her reach.

We did many workshops in the first floor, where the concept of drag, pressure and lift could be experienced, among excited children and amazed adults. 

After much play, it was time to head out to the carrousel so that L and Max enjoy some old technology and catch up in a quieter environment.

It was mid afternoon and the clock was unfortunately ticking against A. who needed to catch a flight back to Paris that evening. We regretfully walked into the metro and settled for a ride back to the house. However the train got stuck and the wagon were so congested we were not even sure to be able to get into the next one. So we got outside and tried to hail a cab. I wasn't even sure where we were, and I could not call anyone since there were no public phones. It was a bit stressful for a moment, until we stood at a major intersection and managed to stop a taxi. K.L. and myself hopped on the cab while K and Max took the metro since she parked the car somewhere near the house and needed to drive it back home anyway.

We finally got home and A. had to pack her bags and say goodbyes. We then drove to Dulles airport, and I waited for her to confirm that she got a seat because apparently the flight was very full. She managed to get a steward seat and we said our goodbyes. It was a very full day and I hoped she got some rest in during the flight. 

Back at the house, we had a nice dinner and went straight to bed after a full day out. 

High school reunion part 1

I have never seen the train station in Washington, and I cannot possibly locate it relative to the Greyhound station I have been using so often 10 years ago. So it was a great surprise to see this huge hall with high ceiling, reminiscent of Grand Central station in NYC. The smell of food from different restaurant chains welcomed us as we alighted from the train. We made our way straight outside to the taxi booth, despite many temptations. Dusk was tinting the building orange and I was discovering a different side of Washington DC.

We were headed northwest, and soon entered a rather residential area, with rather big houses and neat front lawns. Soon darkness came and we finally stopped in front of our destination. I was so excited to have arrived, I lost my phone in the cab and would notice it only 4h later. In any case, K welcomed us with her family and we were soon talking away, exchanging news and memories.  We haven't seen each other in 2 years at least, and it was the first time we were meeting outside of Europe. Our geographical situation was reversed, as I was no longer living in the US but in Europe.

I heard all about their move a few 5 month before, and how they have adapted to new schools, parent's meeting, and job search. For me it was a time of falling into a time-warp and feeling like a high schooler again, full of giggles, pressure-free, and impervious to time...until bedtime came and we set out our beds in the attic and I was wondering where my phone had gone so that I could set up the alarm clock.

As I played my last interaction with the phone in my head, it struck me that it was gone in the taxi and that I had to survive without it for the rest of my trip, a full week without my contacts, addresses or music. Maybe it was a blessing since I was on vacation after all. I went to sleep a bit unsettled, but still happy to have arrived safely with a dear friend.

Leavin' in the rain

Our adventures in the Big Apple was coming to an end, so when we woke up on Friday, we were a bit sad to leave the cozy apartment. The weather was unsurprisingly rainy, so after dropping the house key at the dry cleaner's downstairs, we hurriedly dragged our luggage for 2 blocks again toward the park and managed to hail a cab to go to Penn Station.

I asked about baggage hold when we bought our Amtrak train tickets 2 days before, so we queued to leave 2 luggage each, to be picked up later, and rushed to B&H to try to get the pico projector. We didn't have too much trouble finding the store, and the item I was looking for was on display on the ground floor. All I needed to do was grab a jewish clerk dressed in the store's green garb (like an elf, LOL) tell him what i want, and he typed an order in the computer, like an inventory order, and asked me to wait for it at the next desk.
I went to the next desk, and while I was waiting, my order arrived on a rolling tray, and stopped right in front of clerk A, to whom I was assigned. He picked it up, scanned it and asked me to go to the next booth to pay, 10m further. I queued again, still without my purchase in hand, paid, and was told to go to another area to collect. There, I showed my receipt and finally received the item.

I was about to exit when I noticed that A. was missing as she didn't follow me, and there is no way to backup the way I came. So I had to exit the store and enter the store from the front entrance again to find her...Eventually, we were reunited and decided to have a goodbye lunch with N. on 2nd avenue and nearby 36th street. We weren't far so we managed to take an eastbound bus and met her in a fusion Japanese restaurant.

We unpacked the projector, ate some delicious cheap food, and allowed N. to return back to work. She walked us to the UN headquarters and we bid farewell.

 

We felt we had some time to visit before our train at 4:30pm so we registered for a tour. But as we waited for the tour at 2:30pm, I realized the tour lasted 1h an that would make us rush like mad to the station, where we had to pick up our luggage still. And so I asked to get reimbursed for the tickets. That lady was so unhelpful and full of herself, not allowing me to ask other tourists waiting in line if they wanted my tickets...She made me wait until past 2:30, almost 15min to get my money back and not even give my tickets to anyone...

Anyway, back tot the station, we picked up our luggage and waited for the track number to be displayed. There was no seat number on our tickets, and I could see the huge lines for the other trains, so it was a good idea to get back earlier. At least we managed to find very comfortable seats with lots of space for our legs an the suitcases in front of us.

And with announcement, the train took us away from New York....onto Washington DC Union station.

A stroll in the park and a bird's eye view

On a beautiful cloudy, not rainy morning, we woke up slowly from our slumber. I had bough some food from the corner-shop the night before so we had yoghourt, juice, and some cereal bars to start the day like healthy citizens of the world.
Then we tried to plan the day as best as we could. We had no appointment or show to go to so we just thought about strolling in Central park, take in the sights of 5th avenue, and then meet up with N. if she was still up. She was busy from the beginning of the week but seemed to be ok. She also gave me a passkey for the Mandarin oriental, to take in the view from the 30th floor and even access the swimming pool.

So first thing of the morning, a healthy walk to the park. We entered from the 81st street west entrance and decided to just aim for a southbound direction during our roaming. We first stumbled on a mini castle, which was the step exercise.

 

As we waled around the Turtle pond, we actually saw a big ugly faced turtle near the fence, about 5m form the water. It was near the path and everyone started to stop and have a look, dogs would be scared, and I filmed an insane amount of that curiosity. We also had a snack, in short, food and a show..hehehe

 

Walking southbound and trying to walk off the beaten path, we got to a muddy dead end once, but eventually we got to the fountain which for me always reminds me of that scene in the movie "One fine day" , where Michelle Pfeiffer runs with her son in tow, to his soccer match.

 

That was the scene. George Clooney was running as well but somehow, Michelle Pfeiffer's character was more vivid in memory.

 

And so I've learned it is called Bethesda Terrace.

From then on, I could remember we were not too far from the south border of the park. Along the way we met horse-riding police, joggers, musicians. And finally, we also came across the sun. Yes, we got some sun rays as we approached the end of the park, and we could finally wear our sunglasses!

 After smelling horseshit from all the carriages that line up the border of the parks for wealthy or tired tourists, we finally got some fresh air across the road, getting a nice view at the Plaza hotel, another landmark that reminds me of the movie Home Alone. And then we hit 5th avenue like paupers, gaping at display windows.

 

A. wanted to visit the MoMA, so we eventually found it. I wasn't too interested as I visited the museum shop and found nothing inspiring, so went shoe shopping instead. We set to meet 1h later, and I got to buy a pair of silver sandals (not too much like the romans), and to scout some dresses on 6th avenue. The hour flew by, and the sun was surprisingly out. 

When we met up again an hour later, it was already in the afternoon. But the Rockefeller Centre was nearby and given the fog that was clearing out sparingly, it was worth it trying to go to Top of the Rock. We managed to grab tickets at 3pm, and hurried inside to grab lunch in the basement food hall. As food disappeared quickly in our belly, I could not remember well what we had. But we definitely finished with ice cream.

As 3pm approached, we proceeded to the attraction entrance at 2:30pm as recommended. The wait was very long as we had to shuffle from one place to another, watch the history of the building in a small auditorium, to finally get into the elevator that had glowing ceiling lights in the dark. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, daylight blinded us, as well as the view.

From all directions the view was striking. And the fog was cooperative for once. And I also realized Manhattan was not that large as I could see the water on both sides. I could also zoom in to the Statue of Liberty.

Finally dizzy from the height and the rare air, we got down to buy dresses in the shop I found (Loft), and arranged to meet N. again at the Apple store. I haven't seen that store in 2003 so I was curious to see how it was. The shop is underground and a spiraling stairs through glass cube leads you to the store's main hall. We goofed around with the Ipad2, took photo and sent it through someone's email that stayed logged on.

 

As we played around, I got interested by the Optoma pico projector. But the line to pay was huge and N. said to buy it somewhere else, at B&H near Penn Station. So we left instead, playing with the elevator instead, riding it 3 times without exiting... 

As the sun had set, the lights of the city started to sparkle, and our stomachs talked to each other about their next treat.  We managed to get on the phone with T. (for Trump, LOL), and after much debating on where to meet and eat, we settled on one other NYC landmark: street food.

 This time, N recommends this famous kebab stands where she and T. use to eat. And indeed, at one corner of 6th avenue, around 7-8pm, tens of people were lining up, expecting a fine grub.

We got our turn at the Halal Guys after maybe 10-15min in line, and the food came in aluminium plate, complete with rice and spicy sauce. We grabbed one for T. as well who was still commuting, and settled nearby like everyone else, in the little park surrounding those office buildings. It was so good, so filling, and we probably didn't finish all (in our dreams..). The best part came after that, when we had to use the bathroom and N. & T. knew right away where to go:

"well, across the road, at the Hilton!"

And in we went through the revolving doors, asking each other who had the key...To be honest, it is the best way, and best practice. Maybe it was far fetched, but with all the nearby basement malls and office closed, it was the closest choice, bravo. We hung around like guests in the lobby, and tried so had not to attract any attention or suspicion!

 

After good laughs, it was time to head home and sleep...