#29 - A quick drive from Portugal through Spain and France, and a memorable weekend in Switzerland

After 3 fantastic weeks spent in Spain and Portugal, we set off on a bit of a sprint across the Iberian Peninsula and France.  We were excited to see our good Swiss friends Isa and Alain and their two girls, who we met while living in the Netherlands, and to see Switzerland again.  So, we set off for two 9-hour days of driving with some minimal sightseeing along the way.

(Click below right to read more . . . . . )

Highlights:

1. Beautiful Spain countryside and contemplating places to see next time
2. Gorgeous beach of San Sebastian, Spain
3. Surprisingly great last-minute French apartment find on Booking.com in France
4. Getting Anna back with the family and hearing all about her exploits in Paris
5. Days in the car, plowing through family audiobooks
6. Fantastic visit with friends in Lucerne to live like a local
7. Food, glorious food

Highlights:

1. Beautiful Spain countryside and contemplating places to see next time – Our drive through Portugal, Spain, and France was a beautiful experience.  The mountains and hills and fields and meadows were all sights to behold.  Our favorite sights were the hilltop villages, with the church steeple poking out above tiled roofs that cascaded down the mountainside, bordering the green forested lower-hills.  We loved stumbling upon views of old solitary castles perched on the mountaintops.  We passed by Salamanca with its enormous cathedral towering over the rest of the city and determined to make it a destination the next time we drive through.
2. Gorgeous beach of San Sebastian – On the northern coast of Spain, very near the French border, lies the charming town of San Sebastian. We parked the car and spent the late afternoon on the beach - a gorgeous crescent of yellow sand that was bordered by mountains and cliffs on either side like bookends.  The sand stretched for 75 meters from the boardwalk to the water and it felt like half the city had joined us in basking in the views, water and soft sand. We stayed until the tide came in and washed away our carefully carved maze and four-square court, then waved a fond farewell to this bustling tourist destination in search of a place to sleep for the night.
   
3. Surprisingly great last-minute apartment find on Booking.com in France – While we travel, we most often book Airbnb places beforehand.  Usually we book a few weeks in advance, sometimes a few days.  For these 2 days of driving, we left apartment-finding until the last minute.  We tried to find Airbnb places in Geneva, where we would pick up Anna the next morning, but everything was in the $400-500 range, well out of our desirable budget.  When we’re in this situation, we revert back to hostels or inexpensive small hotels.  I went to Booking.com while we were on the road, just about 3 hours before arriving, and found an apartment in France, just 12 miles from Geneva, for only $200.  I immediately booked it and we drove there.  Once we were on the road close to what I thought was the place, I called the contact number.  He told me where the apartment was, and said the key was lying on the shelf next to the door.  We walked in to this stylish 3 floor apartment with a full-sized kitchen with ample dining space and chairs, plenty of beds and 2 ½ bathrooms. The kids were in heaven! Tera loved the views her evening walk afforded of vibrant green rolling hills, idyllic farmlands and a quaint village (with obligatory cathedral steeple jutting out) silhouetted by a beautifully tranquil sunset. It was one of the nicest places we’ve stayed anywhere, all in a last-minute online booking.  Technology makes modern-day travel incredibly easy and inexpensive.
   
4. Days in the car, plowing through family audiobooks – Our long days in the car aren’t nearly as unbearable as one would think, because the kids are great car travelers.  They each have their car books/kindles to read and various projects they like to work on (building maps of fictional countries, inventing new languages, Spanish studying, drawing). We listen to their Spotify playlists - often singing along, read scriptures together, play password, Anna does Spanish tutoring, eat lunch and snacks, and we listen to audiobooks.  We started with Work and the Glory, turned to some light summer romance (which hilariously everyone is enthralled with), and we’re now into the Chris Heimerdinger’s Tennis Shoes series, which everyone is enjoying. As we are traveling around, ensuring we take time to enjoy the sights and charms of a few of these amazing places we are seeing, more often than not we hear, “When can we get back in the car?”
   
5. Getting Anna back to the family and hearing all about her exploits in Paris – Anna had been gone for a few days, visiting her friend in Paris.  She left us from Lisbon and flew back to us through Geneva.  As much as we enjoyed having one less body to share space with in the car for the 2 full days of driving, we liked even more having Anna back with us.  She had a delightful time enjoying Paris cafes, walking tours of the Marais, and general Parisian living with friends.
   
6. Fantastic visit with friends in Lucerne to live like a local – Our good friends Alain Crottaz and Isa Aepli lived in Wassenaar for a few years while we were there.   They moved to Lucerne two years ago, and we were excited to see them and their two daughters again. It was a great break to slow-down for the weekend and live a little “like a local”. No check-off list of things to see. Just catch up with people we care about and experience life through their eyes for a few days. Our kids joined their kids in their track and field practice one evening, enjoying relay games and activities.  We went to a neighbor’s house to watch the Switzerland World Cup Game. We took a public ferry ride from their village of Kussnacht into Lucerne. We took a hike up in the mountains above their village, just for the sheer joy of hiking in the beautiful mountains and enjoying the views and fresh cherries. The kids played ping pong and tetherball and Mario Kart 8 and rode hoverboards in the streets and paddleboards on the lake. But I would have to say that their favorite activity was swinging and flipping and contorting on Isa’s aerial yoga swing/trapeze/sling thingy. It was an overall fun and relaxing time with our friends. 
   
7. Food, glorious food – Isa and Alain are both fantastic cooks and we were the lucky recipients of their gourmet meals for the weekend.  Aside from walking down to the local bakery for delicious fresh-baked breakfast breads & croissants, the other meals were all freshly made by our generous hosts, allowing us to help in only the smallest of ways. Fresh soups, pasta salads, risotto meals.  One night was set aside for a traditional Swiss raclette dinner (fondue is only for winter). They have a big green egg BBQ, so we decided to do smoked ribs another evening. Alain gave Erik a quick tutorial and we smoked the ribs for 5 hours - utterly delicious.  After our travelling meals of cold cereal for breakfast, ham & cheese or peanut butter & honey sandwiches for lunch, and pasta for dinner, the Swiss cooking was a welcome change in gastronomy.