You'll never guess!

You'll never guess where where we went first with my sister's family... the Swiss Alps! Okay, maybe you already guessed it, but come on, they are so beautiful and close, that who wouldn't want to vacation there!?

We took a train ride and Camden absolutely loved it. I lost count of how many times he said "train" and "choo choo" while riding. It was so cute!

Seth and Joy had already visited the Jungfrau region, so we decided to go to St. Moritz. Nate and I also went to St. Moritz when my parents were here. You can take a look and see the difference in the amount of snow! When we arrived in the afternoon, we took a quick lift up and went on a short walk.

On the ride back down, Camden decided to entertain the other passengers by "pole dancing." It was hilarious! Don't know where he picked that up!!

The next morning, we went to a higher place and had an amazing view. Notice Camden in Seth's back pack!

Here we are after hiking up to the very highest point. It was a bit colder at the very top and I don't think Camden liked that! (as you can see in this picture, he is a little upset!)

Our hotel was right next to a beautiful lake, so we just hung out there and fed some ducks! Then went for a walk...

The next morning we took a train ride to Diavolezza.
It is a gorgeous mountain range right next to Italy...

Camden was happy to see all the snow!

This wasn't exactly the safest place for children. Joy is making sure she holds on tight to Camden's hands, so he doesn't slip and fall on the icy snow.
The weather was amazing. Last time Nate and I came here it was a so foggy... you could barely see your hand in front of your face. We were grateful for the clear skies!

Sometimes Seth would run ahead on our hike... you can see him waving back at me and Joy. Is he waving for us to hike up faster?

At the end of our last day, we found an amazing park for Camden to run around and play. It was a little more child-proof. :)
Seth took some good shots of me chasing Camden... and I caught him!

Somebody wants to get on the seesaw...
But when he finally got on, he was a little disinterested or scared... not really sure which one. But Joy and I sure had fun... it went so high! I think it's meant for grown-ups.
After a wonderful and relaxing time together in the Alps, we headed back to Basel to hang out with Nate & Jake (Camden's new buddies)!

Meet the Denney's

Soon after Nate's parents left, my sister and her family also came to visit us!! Meet the Denney's, Seth and Joy. Being apart from my sister is hard, but not being around the cutest nephew in the world is even harder! Meet Camden. He is looking a little mischievous here in this picture. Don't worry, this is a pedestrian-only street! We didn't let him run around on the main streets... too much. :) On their first full day in Basel, we had beautiful weather. Even though they were a little jet-lagged, they wanted to see the Basel sights. Of course, we had to take them to our favorite fountain/photo-op in Basel! Me and Joy overlooking the Rhine. Good thing Seth and Nate didn't live back in the 13th century because they would have bumped their heads a lot! After walking around awhile, we needed a little coffee break. Or, for those of us who don't drink coffee, an ice cream break! Click on the picture to see little man's mustache. Hanging out in Basel's market square, Marktplatz. Camden was entertained by the trams that went through the square. We're not sure where he picked it up, but he said "tram" in a British accent. We never got tired of that and it made us laugh every time. Camden was also entertained just running around the square and playing keep-away. Camden's eye is on his daddy...

And he doesn't see Nate coming to snatch him up! Apparently, Seth thought it was really funny :)

After a long day, it was time to head back home. For some reason, all the adults were tired, but Camden was still going strong...running to keep up with Uncle Nate!

And that was day one with the Denney's!

Time to Say Goodbye

The weather during our time in and around Basel was not as nice as it was in the Alps. Here we are posing in front of our favorite Basel fountain under a cloudy sky.

My parents had already visited Switzerland, Germany, and Austria on this trip, but we also decided to take them France. We visited our favorite French town, Colmar.

The sun finally decided to make an appearance!

Of course, we had to take my parents to our favorite French restaurant. It is picturesquely located on the edge of the canal that runs through town. As we waited for our Tarte Flambe to be served, Maria enjoyed some local wine and the view.

It was worth the wait! I consider Tarte Flambe to be the French version of pizza.

After lunch, we strolled through town. Along the way, we ran into a Jack Russell puppy. The puppy wanted to play, but Jake thought the puppy was trying to attack him. Needless to say, our dog has some issues with new dogs!

Unfortunately, it was time for my parents to return home to Raleigh. It was great to spend some time with them and show them our "home away from home." However, being with them reminded me how much I miss them. I think they had a great time as well, because they're already trying to plan a return trip for next year!

The Dierings Visit Jungfrau

If you are a regular reader of our blog, you know that we enjoy the Swiss Alps. Since my parents had never visited these mountains, I took them to our favorite Alps spot, the Jungfrau region. Unfortunately, Maria was coaching her team in a tennis tournament, so she was unable to come with us.

The best part about visiting the Alps is rarely having to hike uphill. The Swiss have constructed amazing railroads and cable cars, like the one below, that carry you right to the top of the mountains.

Once we arrived at the top, our view was spectacular!

My dad thinks he has found a mountain goat.

That's not a mountain goat, it's Jake! You can tell he's been here before.

But he's never been here with my parents. He was thrilled to be with them.
I was glad to be with my dad.

The next day, we took the Jungfraujoch train to the "top of Europe." The Jungfraujoch train is one of those amazing Swiss trains. It travels to the top of Jungfrau through a four-mile long tunnel inside the mountain. The tunnel is really amazing, especially when you consider that it was completed in 1912. Here we are trying to stay warm in the ice caves, but not really succeeding.

I was glad to be with my mom, especially where it was much warmer.

After warming back up, we hiked across the snow.

As we were hiking, we towered above the Aletsch glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps.

As you can see from all of the pictures, the weather was absolutely perfect during our visit. It was great being able to show my parents the mountains that we have come to love.

Hitler's Lake and Cinderella's Castle

From Salzburg, Maria drove us to Berchtesgaden, Austria. This town is home to a spectacularly colored lake and was once one of Hitler's favorite places to visit. He formulated his vision of the Third Reich while finishing his memoir, Mein Kampf , in the region. Once he had risen to power, he built his Eagle's Nest retreat on top of a nearby mountain.

We didn't have time to visit the retreat, so we hopped on a boat and cruised around the lake enjoying its gorgeous scenery.
After enjoying God's beautiful creation, we headed back across the German border into Bavaria and visited one of the most spectacular man-made buildings in the world. If this building looks familiar, it's because it was the inspiration for Cinderella's Castle in Disney World.
Neuschwanstein Castle was the dream of "Mad" King Ludwig. It looks really old, but was only constructed in the late 19th century. It was actually built using steel girders and a sandstone veneer. Unfortunately for us, they were performing repairs on an entire side of the castle!
The castle, even though the interior was only a third finished, opened for tours within six weeks after Ludwig's death. We joined the masses and took a tour of the interior. The rooms were lavishly decorated and displayed the King's unhealthy, in my opinion, fascination with the famous opera composer, Richard Wagner. The master bedroom, basically a giant hand-carved wooden room, took over 10 years to complete!
The most recognizable picture of the Castle, the one in which you can see all the scaffolding, is taken from Mary's bridge. The bridge spans the gorge and provides an amazing view of the castle. However, the wood floors moved a little too much for my liking, especially given its height!

We returned to Basel for a day of rest before my parents, Jake, and I visited the Swiss Alps.