More to come...

Planning for big trips a year in advance is always fun; it seems like so far away, but it comes at you fast. Using miles for free flight requires 10-11 months of early booking - but Euro-flights are so expensive now - its worth the effort. If anyone is interested in signing up, Lufthansa has a great new deal and benefits for their new MasterCard (like big bonus miles, free-companion tickets, etc) - I find Munich, Frankfurt and Zürich are great direct-flight hubs for almost anyplace in Europe so this sounded good to me! I know many airlines have this - but the big Euro carriers finally seemed to tap into our U.S. market miles-plans and are offering us things they didn't before.

So - Stay tuned for more adventures, this time in Spain and Portugal coming up in April & May 08, as well as a sequel to this past summers Swiss Alps tour: Hiking Chamonix to Zermatt (French & Swiss Alps) next September 08, once again with my good buddies at Alpinehikers.com (...and possibly the Dolomites with them in 2009 - who wants to join me?)

My Summer has been so busy I haven't had time to finish my updates/notes from the last trips, but I will try to post them shortly. I will also try to put some notes up from my recent "reality-check" adventure as an assistant wine-maker at a local winery these past 2 months!

Cheese… Its what’s for dinner! (NFTTv2)

More notes from the trails… and in some cases the edge… literally!

In some cases – its all that’s for dinner! But don’t misinterpret my words… All four major food groups are well represented… cheese, bacon, bread and beer. The rouge alpine lifestyle often demands the 1-2-power punch of protein and carb energy for scaling walls and herding swiss-brown cattle up steep alpine meadow cliffs (…well – they kind of herd themselves most of the time, but the former paints a picture we yanks can better associate with). But the Swiss are rather health conscious, much like the Scandinavians, despite what it may sound like. The whole organic and biodynamic movement (called BEO here) is supported by the masses at every farmers market and a growing number of small and larger grocery stores. While exotic cuisine for them may still consist of “rice-kashimere” and curries, the traditional kitchen is well balanced with garden-fresh salads and veggies. As visitors – we just don’t notice this part much!

Almost every night – whether in a hut at 2800m or a fancy bistro in the valley, every day at every meal you will find cheese and porcine-products. Pot after pot of lactic-love flows from the kitchen in the forms of fondue, racklette, emmentaler-roestti, alpler-maccaroni and (my favorite) the kaseschnittes. The later is a supersized-alpine-version of grilled cheese, with slices of bacon or ham and sometimes a perfectly fried egg (breakfast lunch AND dinner of champions!) Even the veal is accompanied by ham and cheese in a classic CordonBleu.

“Never mind the beef… This here is cheese country, son!” We over hear a farmer telling his son in a rustic highland dialect (uh, well, not really – again just painting a picture)…

Well – we did have some nice organic-free-range local beef filets and Chateaux-Briand at a fancy 3-star hotel in Kandersteg. Its interesting to note that the countries of origin are listed for all meets and fish listed on the menu. This was due to the mad-cow thing. A lot of the beef (if not domestic) came from Brazil, US, or SouthAfrica, and lamb from the Ausies.

La BELL-époque... (Notes from the trails)

“…The Bells! The Bells!....” as Quasimodo, the famous half-back for NotreDame, once exclaimed, yelling to his QB about the 2-min warning (or something like that). But the bells so prevalent around me are not just church bells every ¼ hour, but also COW Bells. Yes, here in the alps, one is awakened daily to the sounds of an alpine cowcerto by Bessy and her bevy of brown bovine buddies, heading up pasture for their graze after an early morning milking. Up at dawn, and waiting for breakfast, I gaze out of my chalet window and greet them. They seem to ask me, “Cow are you this morning? Cow about a nice cup of cowffee?”

As the cow-cophony of sound resonates down the valley, I try, in vain, to avoid making much noise myself this early in the AM. So I wonder, is there an alpine-hut etiquette for early risers’ noise? It was sooo quiet at 6:30 – just the sound of the bells and the water in the stream nearby. Every board squeaks in these places. The harder you try NOT to make a noise – the louder the squeaky noise is. So, after a few days of this, I find Im better off just rambling down the hall and the stairs quickly and get it over with. Ironically – even some of the 3-star hotels had squeaky components… but that all adds to the charm I guess… along with the cow bells! These harmonious sounds would be a ubiquitous part of our daily adventures for the next 10 days... a treat to be sure.

From my blog-journal notes at Schwarzwaldalp chalet @1454m

Just not enough wireless cows

Ok – so im back from my wonderful trip… but I didn’t post anything during. Some of you may have been expecting it - but I did post the caveat below that there may not be a lot of PCs in those remote alpine huts. Heck, even one of the 3-star hotel’s public PC was "nicht-working.” Im almost surprised the Swiss have not yet implemented GPS/Wireless-APs on these alpine meadows for things like livestock-inventory, environmental tele-metrics, and general hiker web-access. Could easily add them to the bells the cows wear. Some of the village bars (yay!) and Tourist Info offices did offer web access for a fee. But in reality I didn’t have a lot of extra free time – and only checked my email real quick 2-3 times to check for updates from my relatives Id meet after the tour ended. As it was, I only sent out a handfull of postcards at the last 2 days! After all - they kept us very busy on these hikes, which were quite a workout!

BUT! Fear not – I did take some time to jot down some notes/thoughts/observations (paper and mentally) and will post up my postulations post-hastily… along with a few picts that everyone demanded last time. (Again, over 2000 to sort through). Stay tuned…

In the mean time... if youre interested in the itenerary we had, check out the http://www.alpinehikers.com/ website - I did the Berner Oberland Tour... amazing! Highly recommended. These guys know what they are doing and did an amazing job. Im trying to line up another for next year - Chamonix-Zermatt and Mont-Blanc tour!

Prep'n for the Swiss Alps

So its almost 24 hours to launch time... I think I've finished packing (over and over- to get it just right). Im trying to do all carry on again - no checking if I can avoid it. My carryon-class "Rick-Steves" bag is under 8kg (17+ lbs) and my "personal item" 30L day pack with camera, ipod, 2 books, 3lbs of adapter-cables etc, Gortex-jacket, sweater, sketch pad etc, is a bit bulky but all that stuff is heavy anyways. Each trip Im still trying to prune stuff out - off the various "travel light" lists. This time Im bringing an extra 40L pack - for the day hiking (since 30L just might be a bit tight for my camera, rain gear and lunch/drinks we will carry daily - but then 40L is also too big for a "personal item" day pack - even 1/2 filled; so I put it empty in the bottom of my RS bag - a little extra weight I didnt have last time.) I use the packing cube-things too - to make it nice and organized for me and for security... rolled socks and undies in one, rolled t-shirts in another, and one more for long-shirts/sweaters. How long it stays that way after I get there, well...

Anyways - its a learning effort - I will just have to make more tripw to Europe and other places more often to get more practice!! :) I will post my own packing list later on my website if anyone cares... It really does pay to travel lighter if you can - since you dont have as much to lug around - it just takes some effort and change of mind-set that you really dont need sooooo much for 2 weeks or more! My last tour had the whole group follow that model and it really made things more efficient (both on your own and in a group). Im hoping the new 24hr Web-Checkin that Swiss Air uses will help make getting to the gate faster and allow me to bypass the counter. I will let you know how that works out for international. Still have to use a kiosk there for the actual boarding pass (vs printing that out at home like domestic).

Well - now I must go check my "forest" of tomatoes once more before taking off - bumper crops every few days. A wine club friend who lives nearby has offered to collect (and enjoy) my collection of heirlooms for me. Oh, and those of you who must also plant zucchini - ONE plant is more than enough. Im always amazed at how people plant 4-5 and wonder why everyone else is trying to get rid of them, or let them grow to Louisville-Slugger sizes! Unless youre doing the fried-stuffed-flower things like in Rome, 1 be enough. Now, having 12 tomato plants, thats a different story... but now I must away to those tomaotes - so that I can come back and have my gin-&-tonic for happy hour!

Land of Contrasts

Traveling around Scandinavia for the last 3 weeks has really been educational. Ive found there is are so many contrasts.

Denmark... Ive become a real local by starting my first beer at 8:30am on the boat. They are very open minded about issues like drinking beer walking down the street, yet will stand on the crosswalk waiting for green - even if no cars are coming.

Sweden/Norway/Denmark - all of Scandinavia has a lot of churches (many historic), some of which have been converted to public use exhibit halls. While they go get baptized and confirmed, they chose a civil marriage ceremony at the city hall (if any at all).

Norway: Steep vertical cliffs that meet mirror like fjords (some as deep below water as they are high above). Bright blue skys against dark grey granite mountains half covered with bright white snow. Dark clouds looming over distant peaks, while quaint fjord side fishing villages filled with red and yellow house bask in rays of bright sunlight peaking through skys that open up between brief showers, further accentuated by rainbows; surely a pot of gold is right behind that farmhouse on the hill. Outdoor activity is a national pastime, and is heavily integrated into the lifestyle. Survival training is learned at an early age, which could come in handy in summer or winter; they spend great lengths of time out in national parks all summer when the days are long. Snow sport outings to us would look more like an expedition, as the skiers eagerly hike 3-5 hours up the slopes to pristine snow covered ranges that offer long runs. These kids also learn English as early as first grade, then later on get a choice to continue these classes in American or British vernacular. No wonder they seem to speak better English than we do!

---

Get your own web address.
Have a HUGE year through Yahoo! Small Business.

Blue Ice

Sorry for the delay in updates... I already had some complaints (... we wont mention Mike's name)... the life of a wandering minstrel is a busy one! So much to do here and out late, as its not dark before 11:30pm...

Yesterday I went to the NigardsbreenGlacier for a guided glacier hike. Complete with ice Axe, boot crampons, and a Nepalese guide (world class certified, 4x up Everest). They dont call it the "Blue Ice" tour for nothing... It was quite amazing - think Bombay Sapphire Bottle blue! (for my fellow Gin aficionados). I wish I had brought a wee dram to use a bit of the ice! Our guide tells us he loves to guide this glacier - not too hard or soft, and warmer when compared to other glaciers he guides in New Zealand and Himalayas. Those start at a much higher elevation. There was a professional state mountaineering group of some sort up there as well - it almost looked like a military exercise, but I believe it was more a "club outing". Our group of Danes, Germans, and me were not far behind them. The fun part was jumping over a few crevasses that seemed to have no bottom (probably ended up in China someplace). The blue is apparently caused by the mineral contents... I will research this some more.

Defiantly one of the many highlights of the trip... as this was one of the big items on my list. I wanted to get to a glacier before they all melt! This one apparently is not receding as rapidly as others (200-300m/year in some areas). The warm winter last season didn't build them up as much. They have 10 or 20 year cycles but the belief is the global warming may be adversely affecting this. Weather 20 years ago affects the rates of change today. But more on glacial dynamics later...

Well, Im off on another change in altitude, as I managed to latch on to a British Expedition up one of the beautiful fjord-side mountains with a local guide. Need to swing by the market for more Norwegian power-bars and chocolate for the climb!

---

Looking for earth-friendly autos?
Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center.

Parks, Ports and City-Council skaters

Oslo - quite different than the other cities so far... a lot fewer bicycles but we are told its a hilly town! Amazing landscapes as we cruised in the Oslo Fjord - I found a great spot to the top deck and stared out at the scenery the whole way in while I listened to Grieg's Peer Gynt from my ipod - quite an experience. Its easy to find how this land inspired Grieg's music. The city itself with its parks and people friendly streets and boardwalks and free concerts further emphasis how much the scandinavians value their liesure and public spaces - all filled with scuptures and fountains. Skateboarders hold their own seesion of city-council meetings along whole front of the famous city hall, while others picknicked in the garden. Free concerts hosted by the Princess, and a nature and whildlife photography exhibit offer a backdrop for the upcoiming Oslo Yacht race. All this on a Tuesday!

We're off into the hills now heading north toward the glaciers and troll country... another great opportunity for Grieg's tunes to gives us a musical commentary as we tour.

---

Got a little couch potato?
Check out fun summer activities for kids.

of K9s & Køpenhavn

Dateline: København (Copenhagen)or merchant's habor.

Amazing weather today... what a difference the sun can make on these historic buildings new and old. The color contast of red tile or standing-seem copper roofs with their green patina, and the yellow, ocre, or stone colored buildings against the blue sky. This combined with the ships along the harbor, the blue of the water and the intense green of the spring foliage. A beer and a hotdog along the Nyhaven canal round sout the scene to one of the most picturesque moments of the trip so far. Stockholm is a beautiful city as well, but the difference to Køpenhavn is like a business city vs a bustling college town & campus. The only place with more bicyles is probably Beijing. At 4pm the huge park by the castle looked like the beach on a weekend... everyone was out of school and off work and hanging out in this well designed formal but people friendly park. A group of us decided to play along and graved a few bottles of wine, beer and cheese and work up an appetite observing the many joggers run by along the canal! Beer is way cheaper from the market than the bar. And you can drink it walking down the street or in the park...( why cant we do that at home?)

Dogs Dogs everywhere... from the city center to the freetown hippie-ville of Christiania, terriers and lots of bull fogs and bull mastives. So many look like the owners - as in anyplce the globe over... The day before enroute I met 4 of the most beautiful black-lab retrivers. Unlike the big black labs im farmiliar with these were long-haired slimmer versions - quite a different breed but these 3 pups - huge 10mo-olds - and mama were THE most well behaved pups id ever met - esp in a pack! The owner mentioned she lives out in the country a bit far and comes to the resort town there to socialize the dogs with tourist! She said they were flat haired black labs... (maybe Joe or Maria can look them up for me and order me one by the time i return?)

Well - off to Roskilde and the island town of Ærø.

Lounge

Executive lounge = rocks. Open buffet, open bar... very open Self service! Library Quiet. Ahh, why yes... more Remy-Martin please. As flights prepare to launch, a lady walks around ringing as small bell and holding a plackard with the flight ínfo on it ... sort of like the ladies at a boxing match holding a ROUND2 sign... librarian-boxing announcers in this case.

T-8-Hours to Lift Off!

Ready to go - all packed and organized. Everything in its place for now, over 5+lbs of camera and gadet gear. I wonder why no one has a universal adapter/power supply to plug all the various electronics into. The plug for the ipod is almost as heavy as the ipod itself. As a "Carry-on" only passenger I put a lot of effort (and fuss) to make sure im not over packing or taking anything im not supposed to. While the TSA website explains everything - its always up to the locals discression. I hope they are happy with my efforts!

Weather wise, it looks like our SoCal temps, but with variable rain days over the next week... Gortex Weather for sure (super pack-light technical alpine stuff!) But in the mean time I resign myself to ponder the brand of champagne they will serve me once on board... the German "sekt", or something more French perhaps? Im trying business this time to find out how the other half travels, so that will be an adventure in its own! But Im ready to "rough it" up in front- Ive got my hiking boots, travel/adventure cargo pants and mountain climbing jacket - so im sure I will fit in with all the others around me just perfectly!!! Maybe now it will be possible to try their executive airport lounge!

Waiting for Pirates 3

Quick mobile test... Im waiting in line for "Pirates 3" - with what seems like all of Newport & CDM highschool! I never liked pep-rallys... (I was just offered a drink by a "Jack Sparrow" - CAP'T Jack Sparrow... "ya' savvy?")... Its interesting to notice all the clicky-groups still exisit... the "cool" group, the "popular" group, surfer group, skater group, sport-o group, uber-sport-o group, the misfits, the nerdy-group, and my favorite, the "somewhat-Cool-but-Smart AP-5.0" group, (with whom I tried to hang out, along with the nerds, until they got bored of me). There also seem to be new "ethnic" and "alternative(?!)" groups that I dont remember from my school days. Good to see that trench coats are still in - and still worn by the "misfits" apparently. Noting like Tradition!

They may have episode-4 showing by the time this line gets to the door.

1 Week to go

After reading and following many other folks on their journey via their blogs - I decided I too should try it! This is my first attempt at a blog - so, depending on Hotel & Internet-Cafe PC availability - I will attempt to keep all of you informed of how the trip is going. I hope ot offer some insights and observations of what the Far-North is like up in Viking Land... now - back to my attempts of "packing light"!