Switzerland was the Best!

As an overall review of the trip to Europe, I think Switzerland was the most fun as far as scenery goes. The two most fun places including seeing great friends...our great friends Will and Krista and our friend Nic and her hubby Jo (in England).  Krista and Will just moved to Germany, so we met them there and travled with them.  Funny enough, we see them way more when they live in a different state ( or country) than when they live right down the street. :)  They are awesome and one of our favorite couples EVER to hang out with (we match up well....in fact, Brandon will tell you about the time he took Krista to a sushi sports bar and Will  might just tell you about the time he and I went to Applebees and talked business and finance :). In the coming days, I'm going to be posting some of the things America needs to pick up from the Europe and some things that they can keep to themselves. :)

Switzerland just needs to be our home.
Inerlaken in particular is the outdoor sports capital of the **world.  (** world might be a little bit of a stretch...but we think so...)  We each chose an adventure to do.  Brandon and Will chose canyoning.  I don't have any pictures of that, but William does.  (Hint: Will, could you send me some pictures of canyoning?  Krista, since Will doesn't read my blog, you can read this part aloud to him :)  Can I tell you how happy I am that Krista and I didn't choose this?? Basically, you go through a bunch of watery rocks and jump off of them into very narrow pools of water (surrounded by cliffs) or you repel down into water pools (insert sharp jagged edges nearby) or, if you're lucky, you'll get to go down the "guide slide" (named because only the guides usually go down) where the guide lowers you on a rope halfway down and when he whistles you let go and begin flying down the rest of the "slide" made by a groove in the rocks....when you get to the end you drop about 10+ feet to the pool of water below.  Considering my (three) prior knee surgeries....one of them caused by climbing up a waterfall (on a youthgroup trip), slipping and falling down the waterfall while a rock decided to lodge inside my kneecap on the way down...breaking it in half.  This has always been 'loosely blamed' on Brandon because I liked him at the time and he was my best bud (in high school, the summer before college) and didn't wait on me to climb up.  More on this story another day. :)

Anyway...Krista and I chose paragliding.  Basically they drive you to a high point on a mountain and you RUN off the side of the mountain attached to a guide.  It is a lot like skydiving (done that three times before, and almost did it again here..I LOVE IT!) but without the freefall, but with a lot longer and more fun "glide" to the ground.  Unfortunately the first time they took us up, the clouds were in a large, dense mass so we had to wait a little longer to go. Krista and Will had to drive back to Germany, so she wasn't able to go.  Hopefully they'll make it back there!!
Just to leave you with this little glimpse into Switzerland...
If you are awesome and know how to put two pictures next to each other....(is it in photoshop?) so that they will display in a cute way, rather than one at a time...will you please tell me? THANKS!!!
Newby Nancy the Blogger.

The awesome, random rope swing we had to hike a mile to find...Will found it last time he was here....5 years before.

see the clouds behind us (that is not a lake..), there is about a 1000-2000ft drop below the clouds. But it just looks like a big lake!  Behind us are the paragliding pilots,looking for holes in the clouds. 

Krista was all ready to go (with the enormous seat and chute) before we were told we couldn't/wouldn't...

when i finally did go....do you see my shadow below?? with the chute and person below it? Just crazy!

Our first sketchy hostel. Supposedly one of the best in Europe. Probably rated by 18 year olds.  AWESOME if you would like a loud, gross bar outside your window....no bathroom in your room....twin beds...sloped ceilings...and lots of creepo guys. :)  BUt overall, quite the experience. 

i decided to be squinty sally on this trip...I never do that!!

The awesome place we stayed in Switzerland (The Schwizis..)

Top Left was our balcony.  See Will's car in the middle? A small SUV in the states, but a monster Overseas!!