Driving up North

Traveling up north from Naples, Italy to Germany to compete in our “championships,” we were fortunate enough to pass by all the countries and regions in between. Unfortunately, at the time a bus ride of twenty-two hours did not seem that appeasing; however, the stops we did take we used to explore our surroundings and experience different cultures.

Half the time we did not know where we were at our stops, for our coaches did not want to be bombarded with the infamous “are we there yet?” questions. So it was up to us to discover exactly where we were. I still remember getting up around seven in the morning at one of our mandatory gas station stops.  Still in a daze, I hastily made my way to the rest rooms. I was immediately taken aback. The walls were ceramic, the steps leading down to the bathroom was a scene taken from Cinderella on the palace steps, and the air smelled like morning dew. A little shocked, I continued to walk down into this so called restroom. Automatic doors swung open (after inserting fifty cents into a machine) and I entered a room of bathroom stalls and, attached, was a shower room. I was a bit scared I’ll admit.

After I came out, my friends were just as taken aback. We tried to look around and see where we were, but due to everything being in Euros, I had no idea. I walked up to a menu, and recognized the language as German. Were we in Germany? I walked up to the cashier, and asked (in my broken German) where we were. After scrutinizing me-probably to make sure I hadn’t been drinking to ask such a question- she responded, “Switzerland.”

Flickr

I was so excited. It all made sense. Switzerland is renowned for its cleanliness and beauty. Everywhere I looked there were signs of recycling and advertisements for hybrid cars. I was not about to pass up an opportunity to see as much as I could in the two hour break. Consequently, a group of us set out into a nearby town.

All the way into town, we saw mountains of all sizes with white caps surrounding us. It was a beautiful sight, and the air was so clean it actually made us choke at first (coming from Italy it was a drastic change). We saw a big sign upon the entrance of the town: Berner Oberland.  We came into a small village that had medieval looking remnants, and a big clock on what looked like a castle loomed over the entrance. The smell of pastries and bread filled our nostrils, and instantly we forgot about exploring and ran into the nearest bakery. I have to say the crème filled croissant that I purchased has had my mouth watering ever since.

Unfortunately we were forced to run back to our bus before we were stranded there (which I wouldn’t mind at all). I have every intention of returning and visiting those ski slopes that are famous all over Europe. The western part of Bernese Oberland houses the ski resort town of Gstaad, which goes on to the east for miles and miles; a skier’s dream!