Passports & Postcards

The Global Adventures of a Midwestern Girl…
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  • Monthly Archives: June 2019

    • Girlie Weekend

      Posted at 19:00 by Megan, on June 30, 2019

      Last weekend was full of time with girlfriends, and it was wonderful! We celebrated a friend expecting her second baby with a beautiful brunch at one of the posh hotels in Lausanne, Beau-Rivage Palace. It was my first time, and it was both beautiful and delicious!

      I caught up over dinner with a girlfriend who was in town for work. We laughed for nearly three hours straight!

      On Sunday, I drove a friend to church. This is the third time we’ve ridden together, and I really enjoy our car time.

      Later in the day, I hosted a little summer BBQ for a few girlfriends from Connect Group. I didn’t take pictures of the people, but I prepared a salad bar for us and successfully grilled salmon for the first time! I snapped a few pictures while I was getting things ready. I told the girls it might be the most colorful meal I’ve prepared!

      You can’t beat summertime or quality time with girlfriends!

      | 4 Comments Tagged baby shower, BBQ, Beau-Rivage Palace, C3, C3 Church Lausanne, Connect Group, Expat, Friends, girl time, Lausanne, Montreux, summer, Switzerland
    • Gourmet Lunch…at the office

      Posted at 19:00 by Megan, on June 29, 2019

      We have a really nice cafeteria at the office here in Switzerland. But, we also have a sit down restaurant with a view for when we want to be fancy. We ate there during our monthly team meeting last week. I almost pinched myself, because I still can’t believe they serve meals this beautiful at the office!

      | 1 Comment Tagged Expat, Switzerland, team time, work lunch
    • The Best Part

      Posted at 19:00 by Megan, on June 28, 2019

      The best part of the third work trip in two weeks is coming home. Especially when it involves an Oreo milkshake at TGIFriday’s in the airport in celebration of the St. Louis Blues winning the Stanley Cup…

      …and a bouquet of flowers waiting for you at home from your visitors.

      (Sadly, I didn’t take any photos with them while they were here!)

      | 0 Comments Tagged Barcelona, Switzerland, TGIFriday’s, Work Travel
    • The Terrace is Ready!

      Posted at 19:00 by Megan, on June 27, 2019

      When you move as much as I do, you’ve probably bought and sold patio furniture over and over again. For me, this move was no exception. I got rid of all my patio furniture in St. Louis unsure of the space I would have in Switzerland. When my dad came to visit at the beginning of spring, we went shopping for patio furniture together.

      Of course, I didn’t measure the coffee table I ordered, which meant I had to order a second one when I realized it was smaller than expected. (For the record, it’s hard to gauge sizes when you pick out furniture in an overflowing showroom.) Each order took approximately four weeks to receive, so I spent most of the spring slowly furnishing the terrace. I recently bought flowers and pots, so now I am officially ready for summertime!

      With one table…

      And now with two tables!

      And flowers!

      And on sunny days, a bright yellow awning, which I absolutely love!

      Ready for lots of sunshine and warm temps this week! Bring on summer!

      | 7 Comments Tagged awning, decorate, Expat, flower pots, flowers, Montreux, outdoor furniture, Patio, summer, summertime, Sunshine, Switzerland, terrace, view
    • The Best Square in Europe

      Posted at 19:00 by Megan, on June 26, 2019

      Several months ago, I booked a long holiday weekend in Krakow, Poland.  (This particular long weekend was in celebration of Whitsun, or Pentecost.)  At the time, I thought this would be my first trip to Poland.  Little did I know that I would have a work trip to Warsaw earlier the same week!  I went from never having been to Poland to going twice in one week!

      My week leading up to this trip was madness.  I spent Ascension weekend with friends in Macedonia, flew directly to Warsaw for work, traveled on to Dusseldorf, Germany for a second work trip, returned to Switzerland for less than 24 hours, and flew after work on Friday to Krakow.  Needless to say, I was TIRED when I made it to my hotel at nearly 1:00am.  So tired that I slept through my alarm and woke up at 8:15 – the time my driver was due to pick me up from the hotel!  What ensued looked like the scene from Home Alone when they overslept and had to rush to get ready for the airport!

      My driver’s name was Czeslaw (or Chester, in English), and he was amazing!  I was trying to do two excursions outside of Krakow in the same day, and I opted for a driver to save time.  He took such good care of me – telling me stories and history while we drove, picking an amazing local place for lunch, and letting me nap when I just couldn’t keep my eyes open another minute.  If you ever need a driver in Krakow (or in the region beyond) or an English speaking guide, consider Czeslaw and his wife, Marta – www.privateguideinkrakow.com.

      The first stop of the day was Auschwitz-Birkenau, which is located approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes outside of Krakow.  I’ve been to Dachau concentration camp in Munich, Holocaust museums in Jerusalem and Washington D.C., the Jewish Museum and Holocaust Memorial in Berlin, and the Jewish Quarters in Prague.  All have been sobering and emotional.  However, the magnitude of Auschwitz-Birkenau was so much greater than what I saw in those other places.  And while I’m sure I read it in a history book in school, it’s the first time I really understood that Auschwitz-Birkenau was an execution camp.  Once the gas chambers were operational (approx. 1942), 80-90% of those who arrived at the camp were sent directly to the gas chambers.  All of them completely unaware of what was about to happen.

       

      I won’t give you a full history lesson, because there are plenty of other places you can find that.  I will just share a few things that stuck out to me…

      Auschwitz-Birkenau was actually two separate camps.  Auschwitz was created out of old military barracks, so the infrastructure was already in place (and still is today).  The gas chambers were added later.

       

      Birkenau is 3km away.  (We took a bus between the two camps.)  Initially, it was created to be a concentration camp (or, a work camp).  But, after they built three gas chambers, they separated the concentration camp from the portion of the camp where mass executions were taking place, so those in the concentration camp couldn’t see what was happening or warn the new arrivals of what was coming.

      Destroyer gas chambers

      The original Birkenau concentration camp

       

      Several of the barracks at Auschwitz have been converted into a museum.  Some of the exhibits are a collection of items from prisoners that show how little they knew of where they were going.  40,000 shoes were found when the Allies liberated Auschwitz.  The exhibits also feature HUGE piles of eyeglasses, pots & pans, hair brushes, and prayer shawls.  One of the most disturbing rooms had a pile of two tons of human hair (which took up the majority of the room).  They explained that everyone going into the gas chambers was shaved, and the hair was used to make Nazi military uniforms.

       

      This is also the camp where many horrific medical experiments were conducted on prisoners.  While many doctors were involved, Josef Mengele was the name our guide repeated over and over again.

       

      The guided tour of both camps takes a total of 3.5 hours.  It is so hard to take in that much heartbreaking information at once, but I think it’s so important to be aware.  I challenge myself to visit the hard places when I travel, so that I learn.  Our guide reminded us that a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau is a visit to one of the world’s largest cemeteries, since approximately 1.1 million people died there.

       

      After a really intense morning, Chester drove me to Wieliczka.  He took me to lunch at an adorable place called Pierogarnia Dzien Dobry, where I got to try his favorite – blueberry pierogi with cream and sugar.  There were women making the pierogi by hand behind the counter, so this felt very authentic.  I really liked the blueberry pierogi.  And of course, I had to get ice cream for dessert – especially when I found out they had mint chocolate chip!

       

      The next stop was the Wieliczka Salt Mine, and unfortunately, I had to wait about 45 minutes for the next tour time.  I’m sure I read about it when I was planning, but I definitely didn’t realize it was a two hour tour.  It was already almost 4:00pm, and I was realizing how ambitious it was to do both the concentration camp and the salt mine in one day.  But, I was already there, so I went ahead with the visit.

      The tour of the mine is guided.  You walk down hundreds of steps and then through more than two miles of mine shafts (which is less than 2% of the whole mine).  They started excavating this mine in the 13th century.  In 2007, they ran out of salt.  Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage site.  At points in time in Polish history, this mine accounted for large percentages of the total wealth of the country.

      Wood beams are stacked everywhere in the mine to keep the roof from caving in. Over time, the wood become stronger. The way it was stacked in a lot of places reminded me of Lincoln Logs!

      Throughout, there are many different sculptures – all made of rock salt.  There are also several original mining tools and systems on display.  There is even an enormous cathedral!

       

      All of the crystals in the chandelier are made of rock salt!

      After such a full day, I was excited to enjoy a nice dinner out on the square.  I was staying at Hotel Wentzl, which is located on Market Square.  It was such a great location!  I enjoyed dinner at Szara.  It was warm enough to sit outside on their terrace enjoying the hustle and bustle of Market Square.  I walked all around the square after dinner taking in the live music, all of the people, the beautifully lit up buildings, the horse carriages, etc.  It was so lively and really beautiful.  I think I am in agreement with Rick Steves that it is the best square in Europe!

       

      On Sunday, I planned to spend the day in town.  After all of the driving and touring on Saturday, I was excited to have a day to meander at a more leisurely pace – exploring the city, eating, and shopping.  It was such a great day!

      I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast at Bunkier Cafe sitting on the terrace looking out on the Planty Gardens, which is basically a narrow park that runs around the Old Town. 

      After breakfast, I walked around the Old Town and saw all of the notable sites…

      Barbican and the City Walls…

       

      Grunwald Monument…

       

      Florian Gate…

       

      St. Mary’s Church (I went in during a service, so I couldn’t take any pictures, but the altarpiece is STUNNING!) – you can see how beautiful it is on their website…

      Cloth Hall…

       

      Town Hall Tower and a sculpture by Igor Mitoraj, which has a twin in the CityGarden and Sculpture Park in St. Louis…

       

      Archbishop’s Palace (Pope John Paul II was from Poland)…

       

      St. Francis Basilica (which featured some Art Nouveau)…

       

      Wawel Cathedral…

       

      and the Wawel Castle Grounds.

       

      I walked to Kazimierz (the Jewish Quarter), stopping first for cake at Ciastkarnia Vanilla…

       

      …and then hummus at Hamsa.  I knew I would love it when it said “Hummus & Happiness” on the outside of the restaurant.  I should have just ordered hummus, but I got over excited and ordered baba ghanoush, too.

       

      There were a lot of independent shops in the neighborhood.  I went into several and found a unique pair of earrings in Blazko.  The man designs and makes all of the jewelry.  He claimed that the earrings I bought were his favorite.

       

      I stood in line for an ice cream at Lody na Starowislnej and tried strawberry and vanilla.  The ice cream was good, but the experience felt a bit like the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld.

       

      With ice cream in hand, I walked to Oskar Schindler’s Enamel Factory Museum.  I pre-booked a ticket time for 6:00pm, and since they had sold out of the rest of the tickets for the day, there was hardly anyone there.  The factory has been converted to a museum about the Nazi occupation in Krakow.  Much like at Auschwitz, I learned a lot about that time in history that I didn’t know.

       

      I took pictures of a few things that were new to me…

      The Jewish ghetto in Krakow was built to look like a cemetery. They replicated the design of the wall in the museum.

      They had so many letters and diary entries written by young children throughout. They were so hard to read – particularly when they were about full of concern and worry about things far beyond their years.

      The type of products that were made at Schindler’s Factory.

      An Uber took me back to my hotel where I changed and went for a nice traditional dinner at restaurant called Pod Nosem, near Wawel Castle. 

      I enjoyed walking around the Market Square again after dinner and sat people watching until I was ready for bed.  St. Mary’s still has a trumpeter, which plays from the bell tower to signal the hour.

      Before leaving for the airport, I had breakfast at an adorable cafe called Charlotte.

      While I experienced some heavy things during the weekend, it was wonderful to be in such a lively, bustling city for the weekend.  I genuinely could have spent the whole weekend in Market Square moving from one restaurant terrace to the next.  Of all of the European cities I’ve visited, Krakow has the best square yet!

      | 7 Comments Tagged Archbishop's Palace, Art Nouveau, Auschwitz-Birkenau, Barbican, Best Square in Europe, Blazko, blueberry pierogi, Bunkier Cafe, Charlotte, Ciastkarnia Vanilla, City Walls, CityGarden and Sculpture Park, Cloth Hall, concentration camp, Florian Gate, Grunwald Monument, Hamsa, Holocaust, Home Alone, Hotel Wentzl, hummus, Igor Mitoraj, Jewish Quarter, Kazimierz, Krakow, Lody na Starowislnej, Market Square, Missouri, Oskar Schindler, Pierogarnia Dzien Dobry, pierogi, Planty Gardens, Pod Nosem, Poland, Pope John Paul II, Private Guide In Krakow, Rick Steves, salt mine, Schindler's Factory Museum, St. Francis Basilica, St. Louis, St. Mary's Church, Szara, Town Hall Tower, UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wawel Castle, Wawel Cathedral, Whitsun Day, Wieliczka, Wieliczka Salt Mine
    • Polish Pierogis

      Posted at 20:00 by Megan, on June 25, 2019

      I finally made it to Poland (which marks country #58 for me)!  A work trip recently took me to Warsaw, where I led a workshop.  While most of the time was spent working, we did squeeze in a walking tour of the Old Town and dinner one of the evenings.

      I was amazed to learn that nearly all of the Old Town was destroyed during WWII, but that the city rebuilt so closely to the original that it became a UNESCO World Heritage site.  I would’ve never guessed it was a re-build unless I was told.

      We happened to be there on June 4, which was the 30th anniversary of the first free elections in Poland!  There was a lot of activity in the city celebrating the occasion.

      Chopin is from Poland, and he is everywhere – in the stories the guides tell, in the musical benches in the city centre, and at the airport, which is named after him.

      Our dinner was at a cozy restaurant called Kamanda Lwowska, and it was delicious.  I was most excited to have pierogis.  (I grew up in a town with a lot of Eastern Europeans, and I learned to love pierogi!)  They were delicious!  I also tried a very traditional soup called Na Zakwasie Zytnim Zur, which is a sour rye soup with hard boiled egg and sausage in it.  I also really liked this.  And since we had to try dessert, I went for a meringue cake with raspberry mousse.

      The local team was so hospitable.  It was a pleasure to have a meeting there!

      | 2 Comments Tagged Chopin, Kamanda Lwowska, Na Zakwasie Zytnim Zur, Old Town, pierogi, Poland, walking tour, Warsaw, Work Travel
    • Miami Reunion in Macedonia

      Posted at 20:00 by Megan, on June 23, 2019

      For Ascension Day weekend, I went to visit Miami friends living in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia.  For those of you who need a little geography refresher, here you go:

      I visited Skopje in November 2011.  At the time only one Miami friend was living there.  Another Miami couple arrived several years ago, and I finally made it back to see all of them!

      While I was in town, a Facebook memory from NINE YEARS AGO popped up reminding me of the last time I saw the Miami couple!  Needless to say, a reunion was long overdue.

      There were so many beautiful meals during the weekend.  I didn’t do a very good job of capturing them, because I was enjoying it so much.  One of these families has five kids and the other has four, so the table was full at each meal.  We went to lunch at a spot with lovely views on Saturday afternoon with some of their friends, and it was amazing – sitting at a long table in an outdoor pavilion, a huge spread of traditional food, kids coming and going from playing in the yard, live music, and no rush to leave.

      After our lunch, the moms and I took the kids on a nature walk with some overlooks of the city centre.  It was such a beautiful day!

      In the evening, we enjoyed a girls night out in the city centre.  We had a delicious dinner at La Terrazza overlooking the main square, and then we had ice cream and walked around until the wind made us too cold!

      I went to church with them on Sunday, and then experienced one of my friends’ traditions.  Every Sunday after church, they make mekici, which is fried dough served with fruit, yogurt, and powdered sugar.  Yum!

      After lunch, we went on a bike ride to the Old Town.  We made it into one of the bazaars (which was open on Sunday!) just in time to avoid a HUGE rainstorm.  We waited it out and then headed back home.  Thankfully, we were spared getting soaked!

      I loved the relaxing weekend with old friends.  What a treat!

      | 2 Comments Tagged bike ride, college, Girls Night, girls night out, La Terrazza, mekici, Miami mergers, Miami reunion, Miami University, North Macedonia, reunion, Skopje
    • Vineyards and Irises

      Posted at 20:00 by Megan, on June 21, 2019

      If it weren’t for all of the religious holidays that happen in the spring, I would have no public holidays in Switzerland.  Easter, Ascension Day, and Whitsun (Pentecost) are the only days we get off.  After lots of rain, I was thrilled to have a beautiful Ascension Day!  I had a visitor for the day, and we spent the whole day outside!

      We tried a new-to-me restaurant in the Lavaux vineyards called Relais de la Poste, which boasted stunning views of the vineyards, lake, and mountains.

      After lunch, we drove to Château de Vullierens, which is located outside of Lausanne.  I learned about this place from a promotional magazine I received in the mail earlier this year, and then I won two tickets to visit in a giveaway from The Lausanne Guide (which, of course, I forgot at home the day we went).  Some friends joined us, and we enjoyed strolling through the sculptures, the irises, and the path through the forest.  It was SUCH a nice day outside, and I was blown away by the Iris garden.  I’ve never seen so many in one place!

      What a wonderfully relaxed Ascension Day holiday before several weeks of crazy commenced!

      | 4 Comments Tagged Chateau de Vullierens, Iris Garden, irises, Lac Leman, Lake Geneva, Lavaux, Relais de la Poste, Switzerland, The Lausanne Guide, vineyards
    • May Snow

      Posted at 20:00 by Megan, on June 19, 2019

      Just above Vevey is a mountain called Les Pléiades where the narcissus (also known as white daffodils) bloom in May (or June) each year.  There are so many of them that they refer to the time in bloom as May Snow, because it looks like snow on the ground.  I’ve never been up there at the right time to see them in bloom, so a friend and I went in search recently.  We were a little early, but we caught sight of some in bloom.

      Regardless, it was a delightful Sunday afternoon with her.  We even stopped for an impromptu dinner at Restaurant le 1209 before taking the train back down the mountain.

      | 2 Comments Tagged Les Pleiades, May Snow, narcissus, Switzerland, white daffodils
    • Afternoon Tea Party

      Posted at 19:00 by Megan, on June 17, 2019

      My friend is having a baby, and we decided to throw an afternoon tea party to celebrate!  My British friend provided the tea set, and everyone brought something yummy to share.  It was my first time hosting a tea, and I thought it was so fun!

      I found a local florist (Rieder Fleurs) to create a centerpiece for the table.  They did such a wonderful job, and I will definitely be using them for anything floral I need in the future!

      Baby Boy gifts and a table full of delicious treats!

      These lovely friends have been in my life since the beginning of my time in Switzerland in the fall of 2013.  I’m so thankful for them!

      | 4 Comments Tagged Afternoon Tea, baby boy, baby shower, Expat, Friends, Switzerland, tea party
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