Welcome to Italia: Padova and Parma

There is not much to report about my first day in Italy. We spent most of the day on the bus from Vienna to Padova. We did make a rest stop near the border of Austria and Italy that was eventful. I’ve been avoiding paying to use the restroom because that seems so dumb to me, but I didn’t have much choice at this rest stop. So I did it! I paid to use the “WC.” It was also a nice stop because the store looked out over a lake and it was absolutely beautiful! Other than that it was a highly uneventful day.

My first full day in Italy was good though! We attended a local Italian ward. They were so sweet and accommodating. It was probably really annoying to have to translate everything into English for us, but they were all so patient with it.

After church we stopped in the city of Berona for lunch. We got to see the Romeo and Juliet balcony, eat some real Italian pizza, and happily consume our first Italian gelatos. I loved all of it! We then drove the rest of the way to Parma. Our hotel was practically in the middle of nowhere so we spent our evening playing cards and relaxing. On a happy note, I spent three rounds as “king” when we were playing scum.

The next day was our full day with Barilla. It was a really interesting business visit. We started out at their Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plant, then went to their Prosciutto di Parma plant, and finished at their pasta plant. It was really cool to learn about how Parmesan cheese is made and compare it to the Gruyere cheese plant we visited in Switzerland. Cheese making is intense! The Prosciutto plant was pretty disturbing. It was gross to walk through rows and rows of pig legs, but you should all be impressed that I tried a bite of it even after experiencing that disturbing sight and smell. The pasta plant was my favorite part of the tour. It was so cool to see them work at their core competency. I was highly impressed with their quality control and the marketing they showed us. They definitely make the best pasta they can and then sell the experience of eating true Italian pasta.

It was a great, informative day but I was highly anticipating Florence!

Vienna: Revival from Apathy

On our way from Munich to Vienna we stopped in Salzburg. Salzburg was picture-perfect! I loved seeing the Sound of Music sites and then watching the movie on the bus. We even sang “Do a Deer” on the famous steps. The people there thought we were hilarious. I would have laughed too at a group of 30 American, University students singing Sound of Music songs all through Salzburg.

Our second stop on our journey to Vienna was the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. Needless to say, it was a rather sobering experience. We had a phenomenal tour guide though who tried to help us view the situation of the time period and the emotions of all parties involved. It was interesting to think from the perspective of the townspeople, the guards, and the prisoners. There were times during the tour when I was physically ill and it hurt me to know such horrific things could happen in such a beautiful place. It is definitely an experience I will not forget.

For our first day in Vienna we started out at the palace. We walked around the beautiful gardens and had a lot of fun taking pictures and enjoying the sunshine. After some time there we headed to downtown Vienna.

We ended up touring the Vienna Opera House and then deciding to attend the opera that was being performed that night. We quickly purchased tickets, ran back to the hotel and changed into our best attire, ate bratwurst from a street vendor, and went to the opera. It seriously was such a cool experience that I was at an opera in Vienna. I could not get rid of the butterflies! In fact, I didn’t want to get rid of them because it was a revival from the European apathy I had been feeling the last few days. I had just been overwhelmed with seeing so many spectacular things that I had forgotten the feeling I had started the trip with – pure giddiness about being here. Anyway, the opera was wonderful!

We only stayed through the first intermission because we had plans to go to the concert at the palace. It was Ascension Day, a national holiday in Europe, so the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra was playing a concert on the hill behind the palace. It was literally the coolest thing! We sat on the hill behind the Orchestra where we had the most beautiful view of the city, the palace, and the tens of thousands of people who were in attendance. I absolutely loved it! They finished the night off with fireworks and I thought I was in heaven.

Day two in Vienna started out with two business visits. The first visit was to Joseph Brodmann piano. It was incredible to see such beautiful pianos and listen to such precise speakers. I also loved learning about dealing with extremely wealthy customers. Our second visit was to the United Nations. It was interesting to learn more about the processes they use to accomplish their goals. The rest of our day was spent walking around Vienna, eating kebabs at an open air market, visiting the St. Stephan’s Cathedral, and having two gelatos.

I absolutely loved Vienna! It surprised me how much I actually liked it, but I would definitely come back. I’ll have to time it though so I come back on Ascension Day. That was too cool and I’d love to experience it again!

Munich: “Velcome to za Neuschwanstein Castle”

On our way from Wengen to Munich we stopped at the Neuschwanstein Castle. It is the castle that inspired Disney. The view from and of the castle were incredible and I felt happy to be there. On top of all that, we had a tour guide that was incredibly hilarious. He made the visit that much more funny and will definitely go down as the most awkward, quoted times of our trip to Europe. Don’t worry, we have actual video footage of the tour and many clips of us impersonating the tour.

We got into Munich late, so we only had a little while to walk around the city. We ended up eating at a pub where I experienced my first wiener schnitzel. It was surprisingly good! It reminded me a lot of country fried steak. We also went and saw the world’s largest pub (they couldn’t grasp the fact that we didn’t want beer) and the famous Glockenspiel.

The next day we had two business visits. Our morning visit was to BMW and I absolutely LOVED it! We were able to get in some super sleek cars and hop on some super sexy motorcycles. After feeling rather gluttonous, we sat down to a Q&A with a BMW employee. I absolutely loved it because he worked in brand management for BMW. My favorite thing he said was “You don’t sell the product, you sell the experience.” It definitely made me consider brand management as a career path. The second visit was to KPMG. It was about audit and accounting. Enough said.

I’m sad that we did not have more time in Germany, because I’m sure I would have loved every minute of it. I’ll just have to come back!

Switzerland: The Most Beautiful Place On Earth

Words and pictures can’t even begin to explain or show the beauty of Switzerland. I’ll do my best though to explain the events and feelings I had during the weekend we spent in Switzerland.

I loved the mountains and trees that reminded me so much of home. It was so peaceful to get away from the busy cities and relax in such a beautiful place. The sun rays through the clouds only added to the effect. The only way to explain why I loved it so much is to say that it reminded me of a combined version of so many of my favorite places—Alpine, Midway, Jackson Hole, Glacier National Park, and Park City.

The first night in Switzerland we stayed in Murten. It was a beautiful small town with buildings that looked exactly like classic Swiss architecture. We grabbed a quick dinner then walked along the shore of the lake behind our hotel.

The next day we had two business visits at the La Maison du Gruyere Cheese Factory and the Callier Chocolate Factory. It was cool to see how cheese is traditionally made, but I really loved the chocolate tour. I couldn’t help myself! I’m female. I ended up buying 12 chocolate bars in the store after our tour. I can’t promise they will all make it home, but if you’re lucky I’ll share.

We ate lunch in Bern, which was especially cool for me because that is where my Grandpa Clegg was stationed for the U.S. Army. I ended up buying a whole chicken for lunch and practically ate the whole thing myself. The European diet is very different from the American diet and I had a serious meat craving. I definitely felt much better after that!

From Bern we drove to Interlaken, a city at the base of the Swiss Alps. I spent the whole time there trying to keep my mouth closed, but I was simply in awe and couldn’t help expressing it. From the rock face fell the most beautiful waterfalls. No picture could begin to do them justice. All I know is that everyone should have the opportunity to see something that majestic in their lifetime. It makes you think about how insignificant you are in the world, and yet, that there is a God who knows you personally.

In Interlaken we boarded a cog train that took us up the mountain into the city of Wengen. We spent the whole weekend staying in a resort like hotel with a Jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, and massage area. We definitely took advantage of the facilities, especially the outdoor Jacuzzi with the spectacular view of the Alps. That first night we walked around the little town to familiarize ourselves. My favorite parts of our walk were watching the adorable calves run around with bells on their necks and then getting caught in a rainstorm.

I was so happy to wake up the next day in such a beautiful, serene place. We spent most of our day doing the Manlichen hike – which literally means straight up the mountain behind our hotel. The hike nearly kicked my butt, but it was worth it when I finally made it to the top. There were a few people in the group who were sick with head colds, so part of us split off and did the hike at a pace that was reasonable for them. Our method was simple: someone would climb a few hundred steps ahead then turn back to the group and say, “It’s even more beautiful from up here.” It was a simple motivation that kept us going the whole way. The cool thing is, the person who led off constantly rotated, but the motivating statement remained the same. There are so many gospel applications to this situation, but it made me grateful for the people in my life who set an example for me and then turn back happily to tell me that life is even better when you come a little closer to the Savior. I am also grateful for the times when I get to be that example. Even further, the hike was never easy – and neither is life – but you can most definitely “find joy in the journey.”

These topics and applications were discussed in our informal “sacrament meeting” we held in our hotel the next day. There was not a church nearby that we could attend, so we held our own meeting. It was a very powerful meeting and the Spirit was strong. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and enjoying the sweet experience of being in the Alps.

Our next stop was Munich, which I was incredibly excited for, but it was hard to leave the most beautiful place on earth!