France and Switzerland.
We couldn’t find a single hotel, Airbnb, or guest house anywhere in Switzerland that was anywhere near our budget. Instead, we found an Airbnb in Évian, France, and drove into Switzerland during the day. (Yes, Évian, from whence the water springs!)
Paddleboarding. Mountain hikes. Mountain lake swims. Particle physics at CERN. Warm baguettes. It’s no wonder they charge top dollar (er, Swiss Franc). It’s glorious.
Seeing the Large Hadron Collider at CERN was an incredible highlight. And, entrance is free! Though, lunch in the cafeteria cost us about $80 USD…
At a Café, we knocked a water glass onto the concrete terrace. In the grocery store, a jar of pesto in hand crashed to the floor. We argued over where to park, and where to sit, and end up hollering at each other in the car about being quiet.
In those moments, you feel absolutely certain that every French or Swiss family must be better behaved than us. How could you be upset in such a beautiful place? But, they likely they have their less-than-stellar moments, too.
We finally got an MG rental!
Driving around Lake Geneva
Stopping for pizza
Is *everything* in France sexy??
The town of Evian, France
Evian water tap
"claire's" written just like the cheap accessories shop, but by a display of artisanal terrine/rillette/pâté...?
Lake Geneva profile
Nearby hike
Happy French cows
Maraîche Chapel, dates back to the year 1211
Lake Geneva
Our Airbnb
Sunset over the lake, view from outside our Airbnb
Driving through towns
Visiting CERN - European Council for Nuclear Research (in French Conseil Européen pour la Recherche Nucléaire)
Classroom demonstration
Game on how to make predictions about things you can't see
CERN researcher
"Science progresses best when observations force us to alter our perceptions." - Vera Rubin
About the Large Hadron Collider (click photo to read more)
"Everything we know is made of particles. "These particles have always existed. They appeared at the very beginning of the Universe, just after the big bang, some 13.8 billion years ago. Over time, they combined to make up everything in the Universe, from stars to planets, to their inhabitants. At CERN, we study particles by recreating the conditions that existed just after the big bang."
"A hydrogen bottle of this size contains enough protons to feed the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) for 200,000 years of continuous operation."
Tour of the Atlas Command Station where they collect collider data
French deliciousness
Gorgeous little library overlooking Lake Geneva
Seed share at the library
On our way to hike in Switzerland
Lake Brienz
Hinterburgseeli, a lake within an hour's hike from the little town of Axalp
Incredibly picturesque
Impromptu swim across the lake
Dinner in Interlaken, Switzerland
Mt. Jungfrau, from Interlaken
Swiss fondue
Local ice cream
Seriously gorgeous scenery in Switzerland
Crepes!
Another little lake mountain hike
Rock skipping
Tadpoles
Fried frog
Paddle boarding and pedal boating on Lake Geneva - the MOST fun
Beautiful views of Evian from the lake
The United Nations
Returned the rental, now off to
Wildly enjoyable time with Louise and her boys in Challans
Kouign amann en route through Paris
Our first glimpse of Lake Geneva
Counting the number of particle collisions
A short-ish hike to a stunning scene
Boys wrestling on the grass while waiting for dinner
Dynamite rock skipping
Homework on the train
Little village library overlooking Lake Geneva
An incredible rock skip
Free cable car from Évian to the village car park
Paddleboard antics (taken from the pedal boat - with a slide!)
Mountain cows that sound like church bells
Walking through the cows to the lake
Hiking the path
Mountain tadpoles
Lake Geneva swimming