Wrapping up Swiss-land

Wow. I am very very late on this update so I apologize for the suspense. But, here’s the closing scoop on my Swiss experience.

First, a quick recap of my final week in Europe (post-program):

I spent about 8 days in Croatia where I solo traveled through Dubrovnik, Zadar, the Plitvice Lakes National Park, Krka falls, Split, and Hvar. This week I was doing everything and nothing all at the same time–a perfect combination. I’ve been dreaming of going to Croatia since I researched the country for a Model United Nations (MUN) project during my sophomore year of high school.

Here are a few notes from each day of the mini trip. Skip ahead if you just want the photo-story:

Sat 13: Geneva to Dubrovnik

Walked around old town.
Stumbled across 2 weddings celebrations. One was quiet, classic and traditional. The other shot a cannon off a ship and lit red and white smoke bombs outside the church while waving the Croatia and singing the national anthem for the newly wedded couple.
Walked through a hole in the city walls and found a cool outdoor bar with tables scattered among the rocks and cement steps that drop right off into the ocean. I read Mountains Beyond Mountains here while sipping a Corona.
For 15 minutes I listened to a live band warm-up and jam in a hotel restaurant outdoor square.
Ate a piece of pizza and beer and caught the tail-end of a brass band show.

Sun 14: Dubrovnik

Walked the walls (a choir sang by the big round fountain while I was walking)
Laid out by the beach (left with slight burns), and met a girl from Virginia. I read.
Salvador Dali exhibit!
Beer and bread/cheese/raw green beans for dinner at the coastal bar spot. Read.
Wandered through a random overgrown park with ruins scattered through it, set on the coast cliff.
Sunset on a bench while on the walk back to my hostel.

Mon 15: Dubrovnik to zadar

Morning coffee (“koffee”) and emails
Saw the Sea Organ and Sun Salutations installation at night (These were AWESOME. The Sea Organ looks like concrete steps but it produces loud pitches as the waves roll in and out under the stairs. Sun Salutations is a series of solar panel circles lining the waterfront, sized proportionally to the planets and sun and light up at night)
11pm dinner of stuffed pasta with veal and basil green sauce and delicious Croatian red wine in the old city walls (Both the old towns of Dubrovnik and Zadar are enclosed in huge stone walls)
Met up with people from my hostel and made some new friends. Ended up hanging out on a dock over the sea by the end of the night.

Tues 16: Zadar

Took an afternoon bus to Plitvice
Power walk a quick and steep 1.5 hour hike
Early night

Wed 17: Plitvice and split

Hiked lakes (Met new friends from Dallas, Texas)
Rode with them to Split, stopped to swim in Krka on the way
Dinner (Croatian veal and gnocchi dish, ate it family style)

Thurs 18: Split to Hvar

8:30 am ferry Ferry split to Hvar with new group
Drive Starigrad to Hvar town, gorgeous view of the sea.
Rented a little motorboat for the day and rode around, weaving between the mini islands next to Hvar. Swam in the salty sea (more like floated; the water was so saturated with salt!), lounged on cushions and up in trees-turned-beds at bars on the mini islands. I usually play my descriptions down a bit but, no joke, this was paradise.
Grocery shopped, rushed a shower, and hostel bonding. The hostel, Earthers, had terrible wifi and I kind of loved it, everyone was present and I hardly saw people stuck in their phones.

Fri 19:

Slow morning to a slow but packed day. Lots of wandering
Hiked up to the Hvar castle
Wandered town and the main square. Found a cool terrace spot
Walked miles of the island’s coast
Had a pina colada, tanned, and napped at the Hula Hula Bar beach beds
Hammocked and chilled at the hostel
Back to Hula Hula for the best view of the sunset
The hostel hosted a “jam sesh,” which turned into a bunch of us hanging around while one girl played one song. She rocked it. I would’ve been down to sing too had the jam sesh idea gained some enthusiasm. Next time 🙂

Sat 20: split

Hammocked and chilled in the morning. Walked to a secluded beach and ordered fish for lunch (An entire fish showed up on my plate)
Cliff jumped into the sea (broke form on the landing and bruised up the backs of my legs, but it was pretty awesome. The highest height I’ve jumped, 18 meters)
Made awesome tortellini dinner and caught an evening ferry to Split.

I flew to Geneva the next morning, where my host mom, Nathalie, picked me up from the airport. She took me home one last time and I finished packing up my things. Nathalie gave me the sweetest goodbye gift (extra “sweet” because she included a ton of different types and textures of the best Swiss chocolate, the Callier brand). We spent a couple of hours watching the Parade Navale in the pretty town of Cully with a few of Nathalie’s friends, two of which I’d met before during my weekend at the chalet. The Parade Navale is a festival celebrating the historic boats that tour Lac Léman.

Afterwards, Nathalie walked me and my ridiculously heavy suitcase and backpack to the train. Looking out at Nathalie, divided by the window, we shed a few tears as the train pulled away. I rode my way to Paris, where I flew back to my home-home in Oregon.

Now, I’ll let the photos do the talking:

Dubrovnik:

Zadar: