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!