3 countries, 18 days, a chateau, a van, a family of 8 (+ a still-growing nephew), and a good amount of bread later… My 2022 Europe trip has concluded. Let's start at the beginning as one should always do. This has been a highly anticipated trip. As I have said in past posts, my family (my dad in particular) has an excitement about traveling. In recent years, my family has been making it a mission to achieve one trip to Europe a year. We had succeeded for about 4 years until the unexpected global shutdown hit and ended our streak. So this adventure has been a conversation and had been planned from behind the curtain for about two years. Let’s embark on the journey.
France
It started with the whole family flying out as our separate little families to all meet up in Paris. We then packed 6 of us and our bags into a van driving about 9 hours to Bordeaux where we picked up my oldest brother and my sister-in-law. Then drove another hour to our beautiful central France chateau! It was a full few days. My other brother, Matt, and I had flown from Kauai creating about a 40-hour travel experience, but it was worth it. We pulled up late at night exhausted and a little sleep-deprived, but woke up in a fairytale. I love period dramas and my favorite movie of all time is the 2005 Pride and Prejudice. So when I woke up and opened my little Juliet balcony to see the mist rising over the trees while the light snuck through and the birds sang over the beautiful grounds below, I was a bit overwhelmed. We all went down to the kitchen and enjoyed breakfast while the sun began to warm the morning.
We spent about six days living in that work of art. Walking the grounds, exploring the lake on the property, reading in the evenings, making meals, experiencing the towns around, taste testing nearby bakeries, and witnessing the countryside change from summer to fall. The first two days in France were extremely hot, but by the third day the air began to turn and that fresh crisp feeling began to tap us on our shoulders. Unfortunately due to the long drive we had overcome and the ones that were yet in our future, we never made it back to Bordeaux to fully explore and experience, however, neighboring towns offered an array of different sights to be seen. From castles on hills to hidden homes built into the side of a mountain, there was plenty to experience. We also ventured many times to a local grocery store to indoctrinate and indulge ourselves in fresh produce, pasta, cheeses, snacks, and best of all, chocolate biscuits. Frankly, I feel as if they call them biscuits rather than cookies to encourage people to enjoy them as a snack rather than a dessert, but I’m not mad about that. Now, from the luxurious and relaxing moments of the chateau, we packed all eight of us back into the van and ventured toward Switzerland.
Switzerland
Our first stop on our drive to Switzerland was in Lyon, France where we had an exciting time almost getting our van stuck in a petite parking garage. We walked the city for the rest of the day, enjoyed dinner and breakfast, which propelled us off to the next location, Vevey on Lake Geneva. Gosh, I think this is one of the most beautiful places! It’s so clean and the clarity in every direction feels as if one is standing amidst a postcard. It’s a view that the mind can’t fully comprehend. We arrived at our hotel to then whiteness a perfect view of the water from our rooms. From there we walked the streets, and my sister, brother-in-law, and I couldn’t resist the urge so we jumped into the chilly water of Lake Geneva. Soon after, we found a delicious dinner. The next day, we explored a castle with the most incredible views. From knights to the van, we ventured yet again. On the way out of town, we grabbed these hole-in-the-wall falafel pita sandwiches that I will be dreaming about for nights to come.
Another van ride led us through art work on either side. The beauty that overtook the van was too much to allow for sleeping. But, little did I know what was to come. We pulled into Lauterbrunnen, parked, then boarded a train for Wangen. As soon as our feet hit the station, our brains leaped from our heads. 180-degree views. Fall air clung to our fingers and our phones could not even begin to capture the beauty. Now, this is a small town so the only vehicles to reside up there were toy-like vans and trucks that sped up narrow hills and windy paths. From a chateau to a chalet, the eight of us piled in. This town was a single street of businesses. And not a gym to be seen, for good reason. That town was built like a U and we were staying on the very top on the right side of that U. All of our daily steps were always achieved and our heart rates always spiked on the way back up to our place of residence. On the second day, we ventured out in the morning to watch the sun wake up the mountains. It was a sight to make the subpar coffee, cold grasped nose, and tired eyes seem irrelevant. Later that morning, sandwiches were made, backpacks were packed, and water bottles were filled. We spent the day hiking through the mountains with the Eiger staring down at us watching our every step. The hike led us to lifts that carried us up to the top of the Eiger, planting us amidst snow-capped mountains with views for miles around. A true experience where I had to intentionally stop taking photos because I had 1,000 of the same one in my desperate attempt to capture the beauty. The train down was just as captivating, with the slow descent from a winter wonderland to lush green trees encouraging you to follow their gaze upward.
The eight of us worked on befriending the mountains together for two days, on the third we went our separate ways. My sister, brother-in-law, and brother headed home while the other five of us moved forward. We departed from the mythical mountains that led me to believe I could be a character in the Swiss version of Lord of the Rings. From there we made a pit stop in Luzern to walk the lake and indulge in only the second gelato/sorbet of the trip. But with no delay, we were off again. This time heading to our final location… or so we thought.
Upon arrival in Zurich, we said goodbye to our trusty steed, the van, and paraded around on foot and train. The five of us explored for two days. On the third, we said goodbye to our second party, my eldest brother and my sister-in-law. From there it was me and the parents. It seemed as though fall had struck Zurich when we arrived because the chill and rain had taken their residency. So, on the day the two flew home the remaining three walked about the town, drank coffee and people-watched, stuck to lazy day activities, and enjoyed homemade pasta for dinner. On our final full day, we embarked on an adventure to Germany. Our train led us to a small college down on the border. Konstanz was busy with shops, people, and on-and-off rain. The day was spent wandering, leading us to miss our first train headed home and running to our second. By the time we were back, we had another adventure trying to relocate our hotel. But, by the time we finally found it, we zipped our bags and drifted to sleep. The trusty three woke up and enjoyed our last breakfast making sure to take in as much fresh bread as we could handle. Then… we were off. Nine hours to DC, five to Denver, where I crashed at my parents' mountain abode, then back to the airport for another day of flying. Two and a half hours to San Fran, and lastly five and a half hours to touch down back on the beautiful island of Kauai concluding the 2022 family vacay.
Wrap Up
Through random meals, late nights working, eight opinions, minor attitudes, sore feet, headache, Google translate, and a few missed trains, trips like this last in our memories like aged wine - they get better with time. We are beyond blessed that our family is willing and able to embark on such adventures together. With our OG family of six growing to soon a family of nine (my sister is about to have a baby), we don’t take these opportunities lightly. Although wild and unique in all our individual ways, family is a top priority. And experiences like this are never overlooked.
This was a bit of a long and in-depth story taking you alongside our journey. I hope that you enjoyed this itinerary, and are eager to resume reading posts to come. It has been a minute since I posted last. So I hope you have had a great week/month. Don’t forget to follow along on Instagram if you aren’t already, I'll post more fun photos of the trip! (@theallie.way). I also have the whole trip saved to my highlights if you would like to go back and look. Also, don’t forget to add your email and subscribe to receive the blog straight in your inbox and feel free to let me know what you thought of the trip! Have an amazing weekend Allie-Cats.
Dru Allie
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