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Switzerland

Day trip to Titlis Mountain

While in Zurich we decided to take one day and explore the Titlis mountain. So we took the train to the beautiful and rustic village of Engelberg.

Ray and Shelley on the train heading to Engelberg Switzerland.

Engelberg is known for its skying in winter and hiking, mountaineering and cycling in summer.  One of the other features in Engelberg is that it is also an access point to reach the summit of Titlis mountain.  We arrived in the morning and walked the small distance to the cable car system. We took a cable car and rode up to the first stage of the cable car system. It is known as the middle station.  We then continued to the next level where we switched to the revolving cable car and proceeded to the summit. 

Cable car for the first level of the system to Titlis mountain top.

The next stage of the cable car system is the world’s first revolving cable car.  It transports you from the middle station to the summit station located 3,020 metres above sea-level.

RotAir rotating cable car Titlis mountain

We got into the cable car which allows for standing only.

Shelley in the Cable car to Titlis summit

During the five minutes or so it takes to reach the summit the car slowly rotates giving us beautiful panoramic views of steep rock faces, deep crevasses and distant snow-covered mountain peaks. 

At the summit we were able explore the area. There were several interesting features and attractions. One was the glacier cave which is lit in a turquoise-blue light. We went into the cave and walked the 150-metre-long walkway which descends ten metres below the surface of the glacier. The walls are smooth and solid ice. It was an amazing to think we were inside an ice glacier that is over 5,000 years old.

Glacier cave in Titlis mountain

We went to check out the cliff walk which is a suspension bridge that stretches over 100 meters long.  The walkway is just one meter wide and the views into the abyss below are breathtaking.

View of the cliff walk on Titlis mountain.

The suspension bridge swayed when we were walking on it and hangs 500 meters above the ground. The views from the middle of the bridge are spectacular and worth the walk out.

Ray in the middle of the suspension bridge at Titlis mountain.

View from the suspended bridge at Titlis mountain

We then walked along the glacier itself and slowly made out way to the glacier park. There it was possible to slide on the snow of the glacier. We decided to skip this activity, as Canadians we have done our share of sliding on the snow.

Shelley and Ray on the glacier area of Titlis summit.

The last part of our time at Titlis mountain we went into the restaurant and enjoyed a meal while looking out over the alps and the glacier.  It was a spectacular way to end our time at the summit.

“Die Welt ist ein Buch und wer nicht reist, liest nur eine Seite.”  -St. Augustine

Switzerland

A few days in Zurich

We went to Zurich for a few days before heading on to Tanzania. We wanted to check out this beautiful city and explore the area.   Today we decided to explore downtown and the old centre of the city.

Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland  and is located at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich.  The lake provides a beautiful backdrop to the city and the Alps in the distance.

View of Lake Zurich

We walked through the old town centre exploring the narrow streets. There were plenty of shops, restaurants and unique stores.

We did some window shopping but did not go into this particular store. 

Ray looking at the Rolex watches in Zurich

The old town is quite quaint and we enjoyed exploring the area. There were lots of beautiful views along the way.

Fountain in the old town area of Zurich
Section of the old centre of Zurich where a band was playing traditional music.

There are some nice park areas along the Limmat river which flows through the city. We walk along the river and explored some of that area.  

One of the walkway areas near Limmat River in Zurich
Shelley and Ray in the park near Limmat River Zurich.
View of the building all along the river.
Ray along the edge of the Limmat River

What we found interesting was the large number of cyclist and bike lanes in the city. It reminded us of Amsterdam, in a way. Lots of people on bikes and bike lanes on almost every street. The city is very green focused and the public transit system is awesome. There is a great bus, tram and boat system that connects the city as well as surrounding towns.  You can buy a ticket for 24 hours for a little over 8 Francs and use all the  systems as many times as you want within the 24 hours.  

One of the parking areas designated for cyclist. It is located next to a major Tram section in. Zurich city centre.
One of the trams that run throughout the city of Zurich.

We took the tram to some of the areas of the city. We also enjoyed a boat ride across lake Zurich admiring the views. It was a great way to spend time seeing the city. 

Shelley and Ray waiting for the boat transit system to cross the lake.
One of the boats used in the transit system of Zurich.

 

After exploring the city for several hours we decided to have lunch and take a break. 

Ray and Shelley at Molino Restaurant in old town Zurich.

After dinner we headed back to our hotel to rest up and plan our next day. It was a great first day in Zurich. 

“Bleiben Sie bis zum nächsten Mal sicher und gesund.”

Spain

Oldest restaurant in the world in Madrid

We were in Madrid and exploring the streets when we came across the restaurant called Casa Botin. It is known as the oldest restaurant in the world and was founded in 1725. This is according to the Guinness Book of Records. 

Shelley Kathy and Dan outside of the oldest restaurant in the world Botin in Madrid

It was featured on several documentaries and was listed by Forbes magazine’s as third place of the world’s top 10 classic restaurants. It is renowned for its delicious suckling pig. 

We took a look at the outside of the restaurant and noticed a mockup model of the interior of the restaurant in the window. We stopped and checked out the layout of the nearly 300 year old restaurant. 

The Botin Restaurant model layout

Inside the restaurant was packed with patrons and it was very lively with lots of laughter and chatter..

We decided to ask on the off chance that we could get a table for dinner, even though we did not have a reservation. We were greeted by a friendly waiter who after looking for a few minutes found us a table. We were very fortunate to be able to be accommodated and had a table on the second floor. We walked along the main floor past the kitchen area which as we looked in we could see the wood fired oven and an array of meals being prepared.

The Botin restaurant wood fired oven
Suckling pigs and preparing area inside the kitchen area.

So upstairs we went for a meal at the oldest restaurant. We ordered several different meals including the suckling pig. We had some wine and enjoyed the amazing atmosphere of the restaurant.

Ray and Shelley at the Botin Restaurant in Madrid
Kathy and Dan at the Botin Restaurant in Madrid

 After enjoying our very tasty meals we mentioned to the waiter that we had seen a documentary on the Botin Restaurant. He was very friendly and we even were given a quick tour of the lower area of the restaurant which was quite interesting.

Dan walking down the stairs into the lowest level of the Botin restaurant in Madrid

Shelley, Kathy and Dan in the basement level of Botin Restaurant in Madrid

Down in the lowest level of the restaurant we could see the old curved brink walls of an ancient wine cellar. You could almost see the history come out of the walls. Earnest Hemingway was a regular at the Botin restaurant along with many other celebrities over the centuries.   It was truly a great experience to see and have a meal at the Botin restaurant.

“Disfruta cada día y la vida”

Italy

Florence Italy

We spent a week in Florence exploring this beautiful city.  There were so many things to see and do.  One of the things we enjoyed was a pasta making class where we made different pastas and then ate our creations along with some nice Tuscany wines.  

Shelley making fresh Pasta

We stayed close to the Porta Romana in Florence which was walking distance to the main parts of Florence.

The Porta Romano, southern most gate in the 13th century Roman wall in Florence.

The Porta Romana, once known as the Porta San Pier Gattolino was the southernmost gate in the 13th-century walls of Florence.  In 1861, Tuscany became part of the Kingdom of Italy, which after 4 years in 1865, Florence became the new capital of Italy, replacing Turin. Florence remained the capital of Italy until Rome became the capital in 1870.

The ponte Vecchio, in Florence Italy.

The Ponte Vecchio, which means “Old Bridge”, is an icon of Florence. It was built in 1345. The bridge spans over the River Arno with 3 arches, an innovative design for the time.

The covered passage on the Ponte Vacchio bridge.

Today the bridge is easily recognizable with all the shops that are built on it. We walked the bridge several times exploring the stores and shops. There were many jewelry stores and expensive shops. The bridge has a covered passage above it, which was a private aerial walkway built for the ruling family, the Medici Family.

Ray and Shelley on the Ponte Vacchio bridge in Florence.

We explored the streets of Florence and came across many gelato shops. The delicious frozen dessert was invented in Florence in the 16th century. It was first invented by Cosimo Ruggieri. We of course had to try several gelatos during our time in Florence.

Plastic Gelato cone outside a gelato store in Florence
Some of the selections of gelatos

As we explored Florence it was obvious that the statue of David was a tremendous pride of the city.  The white marble statue was created in Florence, by a Florentine, and is displayed at the Galleria dell’Accademia. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, known simply as Michelangelo, was born in the Republic of Florence, and created the statue of David in 1504.

There were many copies and variations of the statue of David in stores and for sale throughout Florence. There were several full size copies of the statues of David located in some beautiful locations like the Piazzale Michelangelo. This monument was created in 1869 by Florentine architect Giuseppe Poggi. 

Ray in front of the monument with copy of the statue of David in Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence.

The view from the Piazzale Michelangelo were breathtaking and quite beautiful. 

Shelley admiring the view of Florence from PIazzale Michelangelo.

While exploring the streets of Florence we came to a bronze statue of a wild boar,  located near the main market. 

This bronze  “Little Pig” as  it is referred to by the locals is said to Bring luck when a tourist strokes his nose and puts a coin into his mouth.  So how could we resist this opportunity. 

Ray rubbing the nose of the Little Pig and dropping a coin from it’s mouth for good luck.

Here are just a few pictures and a video of this amazing city.

 

The Baptistery of St. John in Florence
Statue of Benvenuto Cellini, on the Ponte Vecchio bridge in Florence.

Benvenuto Cellini was an Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and author. born in Florence in the 16th century.

One of the many unique fountains in Florence

One of the many interesting statues in Florence

Shelley in front of the Baptistery of St. John In Florence Italy

Florence is an amazing city and we will be coming back to visit again. 

“Vivi ogni giorno al meglio e goditi i momenti”

Spain

Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza

We went and explored the Palicio de la Aljafería located in Zaragoza Spain.

Shelley and Ray outside of the Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza Spain

As we approached the palace it was obvious that this was a fortified palace build several centuries ago. We went through the main gate and into a beautiful inner courtyard. There were orange trees and the smell of orange was prominent in the courtyard. 

Centre courtyard of the Aljaferia Palace in Zaragoza Spain

There was an overwhelming islamic architecture design in the palace. 

From ornate islamic designed frames of doorways to unique ceilings.

Shelley in the Palace of Aljaferia checking out the islamic architecture

We soon discovered that the Palacio de la Aljafería palace was built during the second half of the 11th century in Zaragoza, Spain.  It was designated as a World Heritage Site in 2001 and known for its Spanish Islamic design.

Shelley and Ray in one of the palace rooms with an ornate ceiling design

We wandered through the different rooms and were amazed by the size of the palace even the staircase was massive.

Shelley on the large staircase
One of the staircases in the Aljaferia palace

The palace reflects the amazing details and ornate design during the period attained by the Taifa of Zaragoza. This history was preserved and today the palace is home to regional parliament of Aragon. 

Parliament room in the Aljaferia palace

It was a great place to explore and learn about the rich history of Islamic influence here in Spain. 

“Muchas flores diferentes hacen un ramo”. ~ Proverbio islámico