Our photographer put together a compilation of his favorite photos from our wedding day here:
Jim Harris- Garfinkel Wedding Photos at the Old Mill
Enjoy!
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Stay Tuned for April 2013...
Indonesia here we come!
Our "real" honeymoon will be in April 2013
when the Indonesian rainy season is over...
We are thrilled to be planning such an exciting adventure
for our first trip abroad as husband and wife!
when the Indonesian rainy season is over...
We are thrilled to be planning such an exciting adventure
for our first trip abroad as husband and wife!
Saturday, November 17, 2012
How could Brian not fall for me after this??
Thanks to my good friend Hadas Kuznits, the night we met is best captured in the following video...
Video of "Allison Shoops"
if you weren't there, hopefully this will help make you feel like you were :)
Video of "Allison Shoops"
if you weren't there, hopefully this will help make you feel like you were :)
Meet the Bridal Party...
the Girls...
 | Jacqueline Allison's big sister and maid of honor | |
 | Julie Ann Allison's little sister and amazing seamstress | |
 | Kate Brian's sister | |
 | Carly Allison's "almost" sister | |
 | Staci Allison's friend and personal yogi | |
 | Brooke Allison's friend and artistic director |
the Boys...
 | Greg Brian's friend and best man | |
 | Joel Brian's brother | |
 | Jesus Brian's brother-in-law | |
 | Joe Allison's brother | |
 | Conlen Brian's friend | |
 | Dave Brian's friend | |
and the Little Ones...
 | Koen Brian's cousin and ring bearer | |
 | Beza Brian's cousin and flower girl | |
 | Jada Brian's cousin and flower girl |
Bridesmaids Dresses...Check!
I was face down and sound asleep in my pillow when I was startled by Adele screaming the lyrics to "Rolling In the Deep"...it was my phone ringing: it was Carly. She wanted to know if I was almost to her house to pick her up. "What??!" I sat bolt upright in bed and squinted in the blur of the morning sun to check the clock..."but it's only 9AM!!" Apparently, I missed the pre-game breakfast memo. I overslept on bridesmaids dress shopping day! :(
To save time, Carly saved the day and (thankfully) agreed to pick me up instead. I threw on some clothes and was ready in approximately 20 minutes...not even long enough for the pillow creases to fade from my complexion. It was a bright and beautiful sunny day...it's amazing how quickly perception changes with sunglasses and a few sips of freshly brewed vacuum coffee. Off we went to Cherry Hill NJ, the shopping mecca where Jackie's tightly packed agenda was to commence!
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Country Way was just a short, scenic block away. We entered the boutique and an older woman asked who we were and how she could help...soon enough we were flipping through dresses and tossing them at our dress consultant who was more than happy to line them all up on the metal rack. The nice older woman even encouraged us to try on a beautiful, runway worthy dress that was well out of our price range despite the disapproving daggers being shot at her from her coworker as she informed us that the dress was "far too expensive". The bitter and overly botoxed woman insisted on throwing a few more insults our way before we left the dress shop empty handed.
They tried on strapless and single strapped and mermaid and A-line and ballgown bridesmaids attire...some were bedazzled and some were plain jane. None were for us...except of course for the ones that were "far too expensive"...so we moved right along.
Jay's Bridal was across the street and we had an hour to kill so we hit that store up as well. The girls snuck iPhone pictures despite signs everywhere saying that photos were "strictly prohibited". Nothing was really note worthy though...
We continued on to Alfred Angelo. Josephine was our sales consultant...who was dressed for the part. Her look was complete with measuring tape dangling around her neck, thick reading glasses, pinned up thick black hair and the air of an Italian grandmother. At 67 years old she admitted she loves what she does far too much to retire. She helped us pick out several different styles and led us over to the best dressing suite the store had to offer...Brooke and I settled in while the other girls piled into the extra large dressing room as Jo helped them squeeze, zip, clip, clasp and jump into the variety of dresses...
Now this is much more like it!
Jackie tried on this beautiful, asymmetrically ruched ball-gown with a subtle sweetheart neckline...but....Carly didn't like it.
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Staci tried on this elegant one-strapped, crimson, fit and flare gown...
.JPG)
But then Carly tried to eat it.
.JPG)
Was today going to be an all out wash?? We tried on one more dress that everyone seemed to love. Even our biggest critic Carly :) But were we ready to commit? We still had one more appointment to get to at Macy's!
Jo was disappointed to see us leave but encouraged us to come back before her shift ended at 4pm. We thought it was unrealistic but promised we would try our best.
Off to Macy's where Julie Ann finally decided to join us :) Just in time for the rest of the girls to give up the runway. Jul tried on every dress we threw at her but none surpassed the navy one we all loved from Alfred Angelo...
It always helps to consider these things more over a meal so we headed off to Nordstrom's cafe to visit Staci's mom and to grab a healthy bite to eat. The table soon turned into an all out call center while the girls called around to research the dress pricing and color availability in the tri-state area:
.JPG)
Lunch was fabulous. Even Brooke thought so :) We schlepped (yes I am learning Jewish jargon) all the way to the opposite end of the mall where we piled in her car for the trek back to the other side of Cherry Hill...approximately three right turns, but no lefts later. Back at AA, not quite an hour before closing time, we were surprised to see Jo still there well beyond when she was supposed to leave. She really must love this job. She quickly grabbed the dress for us again and Jul tried it on for everyone once more:
.JPG)
We met the other girls (who were already seated and served with drinks) at the Bistro in Haddonfield (at Staci's suggestion)...it was a great little brunch spot with outdoor seating close to our first appointment at Country Way Boutique. I had the homemade maple pecan granola and full fat Greek Yogurt (mental note- diet starts tomorrow). We set a place for Julie Ann (who also overslept) but she never made it to breakfast...guess it runs in the family!
.JPG)
Country Way was just a short, scenic block away. We entered the boutique and an older woman asked who we were and how she could help...soon enough we were flipping through dresses and tossing them at our dress consultant who was more than happy to line them all up on the metal rack. The nice older woman even encouraged us to try on a beautiful, runway worthy dress that was well out of our price range despite the disapproving daggers being shot at her from her coworker as she informed us that the dress was "far too expensive". The bitter and overly botoxed woman insisted on throwing a few more insults our way before we left the dress shop empty handed.
They tried on strapless and single strapped and mermaid and A-line and ballgown bridesmaids attire...some were bedazzled and some were plain jane. None were for us...except of course for the ones that were "far too expensive"...so we moved right along.
Jay's Bridal was across the street and we had an hour to kill so we hit that store up as well. The girls snuck iPhone pictures despite signs everywhere saying that photos were "strictly prohibited". Nothing was really note worthy though...
We continued on to Alfred Angelo. Josephine was our sales consultant...who was dressed for the part. Her look was complete with measuring tape dangling around her neck, thick reading glasses, pinned up thick black hair and the air of an Italian grandmother. At 67 years old she admitted she loves what she does far too much to retire. She helped us pick out several different styles and led us over to the best dressing suite the store had to offer...Brooke and I settled in while the other girls piled into the extra large dressing room as Jo helped them squeeze, zip, clip, clasp and jump into the variety of dresses...
Now this is much more like it!
Jackie tried on this beautiful, asymmetrically ruched ball-gown with a subtle sweetheart neckline...but....Carly didn't like it.
.JPG)
Staci tried on this elegant one-strapped, crimson, fit and flare gown...
.JPG)
But then Carly tried to eat it.
.JPG)
Was today going to be an all out wash?? We tried on one more dress that everyone seemed to love. Even our biggest critic Carly :) But were we ready to commit? We still had one more appointment to get to at Macy's!
Jo was disappointed to see us leave but encouraged us to come back before her shift ended at 4pm. We thought it was unrealistic but promised we would try our best.
Off to Macy's where Julie Ann finally decided to join us :) Just in time for the rest of the girls to give up the runway. Jul tried on every dress we threw at her but none surpassed the navy one we all loved from Alfred Angelo...
It always helps to consider these things more over a meal so we headed off to Nordstrom's cafe to visit Staci's mom and to grab a healthy bite to eat. The table soon turned into an all out call center while the girls called around to research the dress pricing and color availability in the tri-state area:
.JPG)
Lunch was fabulous. Even Brooke thought so :) We schlepped (yes I am learning Jewish jargon) all the way to the opposite end of the mall where we piled in her car for the trek back to the other side of Cherry Hill...approximately three right turns, but no lefts later. Back at AA, not quite an hour before closing time, we were surprised to see Jo still there well beyond when she was supposed to leave. She really must love this job. She quickly grabbed the dress for us again and Jul tried it on for everyone once more:
.JPG)
We all couldn't agree more...this was it...
Well, except maybe in a different color. After much debate and review of far too many fabric swatches, Mahogany was decidedly the chosen color and the only color (it seemed) that they didn't have in the store.
Jo hugged me. I wasn't sure if it was because she would be getting a hefty commission out of this sale or if it was because she was just truly happy that we found what we all considered (Josephine included) to be the perfect dress. It felt pretty genuine so I'm sure it was the latter...
She added a broche (at Brooke's suggestion) and it just completed the look.
.JPG)
Mission Accomplished! Thank you everyone for coming and for helping me find the perfect bridesmaids dress! Kate- we wish you could have been with us to experience the blood, sweat and tears in person...but know that we at least chose the color in your honor :)
Dress shopping!
Originally Posted Monday, April 23, 2012
I thought it might be too early (considering we are mid-move!) to begin the Quest for the Dress but wanted to be able to include Brian's sister Kate before she headed back to California so sped up the process. My mom scheduled an appointment and together with my sister Julie Ann and Brian's mom Judy we headed out for our first excursion...
We arrived to the dress shop around 6 pm and waited patiently for Natalie, my dress consultant to squeeze me into a corset and a "bridal slip". (Note: I think "bridal slip" is dress store slang for "thorn bush"). I spent most of my time in the dressing room while Natalie picked out dresses she thought I would like...let's just say she's wasn't as intuitive as Lori's staff ("Say Yes to the Dress" reference). She would then come into the dressing room with me and instruct me to "dive into the dress" after which she would zip, button, tie, squeeze, pinch and clip the back to fit. Phew! Who knew it would be this involved?? I would then walk out (on a 'stage' in the middle of the store...in front of other customers: whose idea was this??) only to see myself lost in the middle of a big puffy cloud of tulle! It was kind of hard to imagine wearing any such thing for upwards of 8 hours. Some were just so intricate and heavy with trains longer than my body! Thankfully Jul and Judy had my best interest at heart and filled my dressing room rack with dresses I might actually like (strategically placing them ahead of Natalie's picks). Never the less I tried on an assortment...Some dresses were white, some were beige...some were frilly some were poofy...some were elegant...(some felt more like Halloween costumes)...and in the end, while entertaining (and simultaneously exhausting) we left the store 2 hours later empty handed...eh, but we still had fun!
.JPG)
The second excursion was out to Paoli. My sister Jackie picked me up early that morning and we stopped for breakfast before meeting up with my mom, Julie Ann and my friend Staci at the salon. My new consultant, Joy, told us to go around the store and turn the hangers on the dresses we liked so she could gather them up for me to try on...we all went to work and pretty soon Joy had collected a massive pile of dresses. The girls took their seats around a mini stage to wait for the show to begin! Fortunately this time there were no thorn bushes or corsets to be squeezed into...Joy helped me step into the dresses and then clipped them to fit. I had a chance to see if I liked it myself before walking out to the cat walk to model...where everyone snapped photos and ooohed and aahed at me...I could really get into this! :) The fabrics here were really nice...shiny silk organza, silk charmeuse, fine lace and carefully beaded bodices...I tried on everyone's picks and surprisingly liked the ones that were chosen for me better than the ones I chose myself!
.JPG)
There was one dress I kept coming back to over and over again...I think Joy let me try it on 3 times! I wasn't sure if I was ready to commit so we headed out for a drink to mull it over. We ended up at a bar called "Alba" and I enjoyed the Alba special which was conveniently my favorite wine (Moscato) blended with a divine liquor (whose name has escaped me) and topped off with a glistening orange slice. We clinked out glasses to almost saying yes to the dress! and Staci and Jackie promptly got to work negotiating prices on either side of me...my mom, Jul and I just laughed at them while we debated whether to go back or not. Jackie and Staci seemed to have called all the dress shops in the tri-state area until they found the best price (fortunately we were Alba's only customers)! Jackie then called Joy back until she agreed to honor the price and encouraged us all to come back over. We climbed back in Jackie's car and Joy let me try it on again (yes a 4th time!). She poured us each a glass of sweet white wine to celebrate saying Yes to the Dress!
.JPG)
(Disclaimer: Though embarrassed to admit this, I think I may have spent more time watching "Say Yes to the Dress!" than I personally spent shopping for one! Not sure if that's a good thing?)
We arrived to the dress shop around 6 pm and waited patiently for Natalie, my dress consultant to squeeze me into a corset and a "bridal slip". (Note: I think "bridal slip" is dress store slang for "thorn bush"). I spent most of my time in the dressing room while Natalie picked out dresses she thought I would like...let's just say she's wasn't as intuitive as Lori's staff ("Say Yes to the Dress" reference). She would then come into the dressing room with me and instruct me to "dive into the dress" after which she would zip, button, tie, squeeze, pinch and clip the back to fit. Phew! Who knew it would be this involved?? I would then walk out (on a 'stage' in the middle of the store...in front of other customers: whose idea was this??) only to see myself lost in the middle of a big puffy cloud of tulle! It was kind of hard to imagine wearing any such thing for upwards of 8 hours. Some were just so intricate and heavy with trains longer than my body! Thankfully Jul and Judy had my best interest at heart and filled my dressing room rack with dresses I might actually like (strategically placing them ahead of Natalie's picks). Never the less I tried on an assortment...Some dresses were white, some were beige...some were frilly some were poofy...some were elegant...(some felt more like Halloween costumes)...and in the end, while entertaining (and simultaneously exhausting) we left the store 2 hours later empty handed...eh, but we still had fun!
.JPG)
The second excursion was out to Paoli. My sister Jackie picked me up early that morning and we stopped for breakfast before meeting up with my mom, Julie Ann and my friend Staci at the salon. My new consultant, Joy, told us to go around the store and turn the hangers on the dresses we liked so she could gather them up for me to try on...we all went to work and pretty soon Joy had collected a massive pile of dresses. The girls took their seats around a mini stage to wait for the show to begin! Fortunately this time there were no thorn bushes or corsets to be squeezed into...Joy helped me step into the dresses and then clipped them to fit. I had a chance to see if I liked it myself before walking out to the cat walk to model...where everyone snapped photos and ooohed and aahed at me...I could really get into this! :) The fabrics here were really nice...shiny silk organza, silk charmeuse, fine lace and carefully beaded bodices...I tried on everyone's picks and surprisingly liked the ones that were chosen for me better than the ones I chose myself!
.JPG)
There was one dress I kept coming back to over and over again...I think Joy let me try it on 3 times! I wasn't sure if I was ready to commit so we headed out for a drink to mull it over. We ended up at a bar called "Alba" and I enjoyed the Alba special which was conveniently my favorite wine (Moscato) blended with a divine liquor (whose name has escaped me) and topped off with a glistening orange slice. We clinked out glasses to almost saying yes to the dress! and Staci and Jackie promptly got to work negotiating prices on either side of me...my mom, Jul and I just laughed at them while we debated whether to go back or not. Jackie and Staci seemed to have called all the dress shops in the tri-state area until they found the best price (fortunately we were Alba's only customers)! Jackie then called Joy back until she agreed to honor the price and encouraged us all to come back over. We climbed back in Jackie's car and Joy let me try it on again (yes a 4th time!). She poured us each a glass of sweet white wine to celebrate saying Yes to the Dress!
.JPG)
(Disclaimer: Though embarrassed to admit this, I think I may have spent more time watching "Say Yes to the Dress!" than I personally spent shopping for one! Not sure if that's a good thing?)
Our Engagement Story
Originally Posted on Friday, April 13, 2012
Brian and I traveled to Switzerland to visit my good friend Yetta and her boyfriend Patrick...and of course for the opportunity to gallivant around another country ;) Little did I know Brian had a big surprise in store for me that came in a small (and carefully hidden) package: a beautiful engagement ring!
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We were staying in the small mountain village of Leukerbad, Switzerland...a town so surreal it felt like we were miniature people living in a holiday winter village display at the mall! Outside of the Ikea showroom we were sleeping in (thanks to Yetta!) was a bordering backdrop of rocky mountains and cottages piled high with thick layers of snow at least four feet deep. After our second full day of skiing and snowboarding, a relaxing evening spent soaking in the hot springs and a hearty Swiss dinner complete with healthy portions of cheese and wine...I found myself relaxing in my pajamas, hair still wet from my post spa shower and settling in writing my blog with a cup of steamy hot chocolate. It was then that Brian asked if I wanted to go for a walk...?? "Do I look like I want to go for a walk?!" was my quick witted response! He went on to say that he wanted to take some night time pictures...after all it was our last night here. I suggested he go by himself and to that he replied "It's ok, I guess there's really not that much to see here" and with that wandered back into the bedroom. I continued blogging for a few more minutes but the guilt set in like a brick. How could I let him miss out on our last opportunity at night time shots in this picturesque village that we had to take approximately 9 modes of transportation to reach?? I sighed, pulled my boots over my sweat pants, tucked my sopping wet hair into a hat and (with a deep sigh) proclaimed I was ready...
It was quite cold outside with a few snowflakes falling. The sky was clear and the stars bright. Brian led the way down a narrow moonlit path and wasn't even taking any pictures!!! I had to prompt him to take every single one...It was so cold I was starting to lose feeling in my fingers! We continued walking and my irritation was building...did he really drag me all the way out here on this frigid night and then have the nerve to not even be taking any pictures?! We approached a stream and a small bridge and I suggested he take a picture there when instead he calmly stopped, turned, held my hands and told me that he didn't really bring me out here to take pictures...
He went on to say how much he loved me, cared about me, how he couldn't remember a time not knowing me, how he wants to spend the rest of his life with me...I felt the tears welling up (how could I have been so difficult tonight??!) as he went on and on and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful, sparkly ring...and then he then said the words..."Will you marry me?" and of course I said Yes! as he attempted to get the ring on my (freezing cold) finger...it would only go on half way when I insisted it would fit and pushed it on only to realize he wasn't down on one knee! (Good God how difficult could I be???) He then knelt down and asked me once again, and again I (of course) said Yes!
I couldn't believe that he still proceeded with his plan even though I was being so cranky! Now that is true love :) I also couldn't believe all the preparations that went into this that I hadn't noticed over the past few weeks! Brian went on to tell me that he'd spoken with HIS family and MY family (which brought on more tears) and then went on to explain all the tiny omitted details of his whereabouts over the past few weeks...instead of lunches with friends and getting his driver's license photo taken...he was really inspecting diamonds and custom designing an engagement ring (that didn't yet exist) and even stealing a ring from my apartment for sizing...to have all the stars line up and culminate on Leap Day when a FedEx package was delivered just in time for our trip!
We stood there on the bridge for a while just talking and hugging and me crying while a few people gave us strange looks as they walked by and as Brian snapped a few more shots of the location we will remember forever...
We couldn't wait to get back and share our news with Yetta and Patrick who had snuggled up on the couch to watch a scary movie just as we headed out...against my better judgement, Yetta insisted on taking this photo to document the momentous occasion:
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We were fresh out of champagne but we made do with a round of shots of Patrick's infamous schnapps to celebrate! Patrick and Yetta couldn't believe Brian had kept this secret from them after 2 full days on the slopes! I also couldn't believe that Brian managed to keep the ring box hidden from me when we were even sharing luggage! It was cozily tucked away in a neoprene camera case...so sneaky! We made a few excited phone calls to family back home and both of us had a hard time falling asleep on all the excitement...I kept asking if this was real life or am I dreaming? Brian just kept pinching me as we talked about officially starting our life together :)
.JPG)
We were staying in the small mountain village of Leukerbad, Switzerland...a town so surreal it felt like we were miniature people living in a holiday winter village display at the mall! Outside of the Ikea showroom we were sleeping in (thanks to Yetta!) was a bordering backdrop of rocky mountains and cottages piled high with thick layers of snow at least four feet deep. After our second full day of skiing and snowboarding, a relaxing evening spent soaking in the hot springs and a hearty Swiss dinner complete with healthy portions of cheese and wine...I found myself relaxing in my pajamas, hair still wet from my post spa shower and settling in writing my blog with a cup of steamy hot chocolate. It was then that Brian asked if I wanted to go for a walk...?? "Do I look like I want to go for a walk?!" was my quick witted response! He went on to say that he wanted to take some night time pictures...after all it was our last night here. I suggested he go by himself and to that he replied "It's ok, I guess there's really not that much to see here" and with that wandered back into the bedroom. I continued blogging for a few more minutes but the guilt set in like a brick. How could I let him miss out on our last opportunity at night time shots in this picturesque village that we had to take approximately 9 modes of transportation to reach?? I sighed, pulled my boots over my sweat pants, tucked my sopping wet hair into a hat and (with a deep sigh) proclaimed I was ready...
It was quite cold outside with a few snowflakes falling. The sky was clear and the stars bright. Brian led the way down a narrow moonlit path and wasn't even taking any pictures!!! I had to prompt him to take every single one...It was so cold I was starting to lose feeling in my fingers! We continued walking and my irritation was building...did he really drag me all the way out here on this frigid night and then have the nerve to not even be taking any pictures?! We approached a stream and a small bridge and I suggested he take a picture there when instead he calmly stopped, turned, held my hands and told me that he didn't really bring me out here to take pictures...
He went on to say how much he loved me, cared about me, how he couldn't remember a time not knowing me, how he wants to spend the rest of his life with me...I felt the tears welling up (how could I have been so difficult tonight??!) as he went on and on and then reached into his pocket and pulled out a beautiful, sparkly ring...and then he then said the words..."Will you marry me?" and of course I said Yes! as he attempted to get the ring on my (freezing cold) finger...it would only go on half way when I insisted it would fit and pushed it on only to realize he wasn't down on one knee! (Good God how difficult could I be???) He then knelt down and asked me once again, and again I (of course) said Yes!
I couldn't believe that he still proceeded with his plan even though I was being so cranky! Now that is true love :) I also couldn't believe all the preparations that went into this that I hadn't noticed over the past few weeks! Brian went on to tell me that he'd spoken with HIS family and MY family (which brought on more tears) and then went on to explain all the tiny omitted details of his whereabouts over the past few weeks...instead of lunches with friends and getting his driver's license photo taken...he was really inspecting diamonds and custom designing an engagement ring (that didn't yet exist) and even stealing a ring from my apartment for sizing...to have all the stars line up and culminate on Leap Day when a FedEx package was delivered just in time for our trip!
We stood there on the bridge for a while just talking and hugging and me crying while a few people gave us strange looks as they walked by and as Brian snapped a few more shots of the location we will remember forever...
We couldn't wait to get back and share our news with Yetta and Patrick who had snuggled up on the couch to watch a scary movie just as we headed out...against my better judgement, Yetta insisted on taking this photo to document the momentous occasion:
.JPG)
We were fresh out of champagne but we made do with a round of shots of Patrick's infamous schnapps to celebrate! Patrick and Yetta couldn't believe Brian had kept this secret from them after 2 full days on the slopes! I also couldn't believe that Brian managed to keep the ring box hidden from me when we were even sharing luggage! It was cozily tucked away in a neoprene camera case...so sneaky! We made a few excited phone calls to family back home and both of us had a hard time falling asleep on all the excitement...I kept asking if this was real life or am I dreaming? Brian just kept pinching me as we talked about officially starting our life together :)
Friday, March 23, 2012
Final Trip Counts #14
Countries visited: 2
Cities visited: 11
Personal tour guides: 2
Flights flown: 2
Babies crying on flights flown: 5
Trains traveled: 24
Buses: 17
Gondolas: 9
Trams: 3
Taxis: 1
Cars: 3 (2 in Philadelphia!)
Clock towers: approximately 54
T bar lift rides with Nestor: 9
Falls off T bar lifts: 1
Hot springs: 2
Thermal rooftop hot springs with views of Zurich: 1
Geysers: 0
Pounds of cheese consumed: unable to quantify
Tattoos: 0
Eggs consumed by all: 32
Beds slept in: 3
Waterbeds slept in: 1
Ikea showrooms lived in: 1
Schnapps shots: 16 (not including Patrick's)
Days on the slopes: 2
Passport stamps acquired: 2
Piercings: 0 (even though all the cool boys have their ears pierced)
Grazing bears: 3
Postcards sent: 13
Postcards unsent: 1 (post was closed on Sunday!)
Chocolates tasted: 17
Croissants eaten: 24
Nespresso cups drank: 44
Steeple steps climbed: 312
Marriage proposals.....................................1 ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Cities visited: 11
Personal tour guides: 2
Flights flown: 2
Babies crying on flights flown: 5
Trains traveled: 24
Buses: 17
Gondolas: 9
Trams: 3
Taxis: 1
Cars: 3 (2 in Philadelphia!)
Clock towers: approximately 54
T bar lift rides with Nestor: 9
Falls off T bar lifts: 1
Hot springs: 2
Thermal rooftop hot springs with views of Zurich: 1
Geysers: 0
Pounds of cheese consumed: unable to quantify
Tattoos: 0
Eggs consumed by all: 32
Beds slept in: 3
Waterbeds slept in: 1
Ikea showrooms lived in: 1
Schnapps shots: 16 (not including Patrick's)
Days on the slopes: 2
Passport stamps acquired: 2
Piercings: 0 (even though all the cool boys have their ears pierced)
Grazing bears: 3
Postcards sent: 13
Postcards unsent: 1 (post was closed on Sunday!)
Chocolates tasted: 17
Croissants eaten: 24
Nespresso cups drank: 44
Steeple steps climbed: 312
Marriage proposals.....................................1 ;)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday in Zürich: last but not least #13
Sunday morning was sunny and clear in Berne and we decided to have brunch at Yetta's so Brian and I could have more time to pack. Let's face it: I was really the one who needed the extra time :) thanks guys! They outdid themselves with eggs, cheese (of course), speck (bacon) and fresh croissants including what Brian and I dubbed pretzel croissants which were a taste of Philly in Switzerland.
Then they were kind enough to see us off to the train station where it was hard to say goodbye...we had such a great time! We all decided Patrick looked good with my pink suitcase and my "I love not camping" luggage tag:
The ride to Zürich was uneventful and thankfully without any stops. I was coming to the end of my rope with the train station and trains in general. I warned Brian that this may be the last day I take a train for a really long time!
We arrived to our hotel about 2 hours later and it was really nice and modern...it even had an iPhone docking station conveniently built into the nightstand:
The hotel was close to the airport (Brian requested a room with airport view, lol) which would be good for tomorrow morning but meant that another train was involved before we could see the city. Ugh. We walked the 7 minutes along a busy stretch of highway in the pedestrian lane as the day turned overcast and threatened rain. We had to cross a foot bridge to wait at the #4 platform for the train to the city...
It was a short ride to Zürich city center and as the usual routine goes here, a million people lit up cigarettes immediately after getting off the train. Just when you think you will get a breath of fresh air, you realize it is just filled of smoke. The train station was bustling with people in a rush to go somewhere. We took the escalators up and emerged to an Old Town with a river and several footbridges that flowed down into Lake Zürich. We were close to the museum and had some time before we needed to meet Brian's distant cousin Katka so thought we would check it out...no sooner did we arrive that we decided to simply walk around the town instead. We saw several clock towers and churches along the way but unfortunately the blank sky was not a great backdrop for taking pictures:
We strolled up and down cobblestone streets and did some window shopping...everything seems to close down in Switzerland on Sundays. We passed Lucy's bar:
We headed back to the train station to meet Katka by 4pm and found her at the gigantic clock. She was thrilled to see us! I was disappointed that I messed up the European 3 kisses thing (even though I made Brian practice with me earlier...how quickly I forget!) but she laughed it off. Katka only had 2 hours to spend with us so we buzzed about Zürich at a brisk pace. I asked Katka about the furs and blankets that are draped over every chair in the outdoor restaurant seating areas...Katka told us that they used to have the metal heat lamps but then Switzerland forbade them because they were a waste of resources. I suppose the outdoor seating sections are necessary for smokers...not quite sure why anyone would choose to sit outside on a day like today...
We strolled along the bahnhof strasse (Train street) which was a shopping district she compared to NY's Fifth Avenue and although she didn't think it was quite as nice, she said that the prices for anything here far exceed that of prices in NY or Tokyo. Lucky for Brian, everything was closed ;) We ended up at Lipp Restaurant...a famous French place in a building with a bar on the top floor with Panoramic views of the city...what a great note to end our trip on! We each had a drink as she explained city landmarks and pointed them out to us through the window...I was very happy to explore Zürich in this fashion and be able to sit and relax a bit on our last day. She shared a story of a friend of hers who lives in a gothic house which was probably built in the 10th century...that still has Gothic style wallpaper on the walls...incredible!
We decided we were all ready for a bite to eat so she took us to Tidbits...a great buffet style restaurant and modern bar with a great vegetarian and Indian selection. You help yourself to the buffet and then they weigh your plate at the end...if Brian's mom lived here, this would definitely be her favorite place! The food was delicious and exactly what we were craving. We had pakoras, yellow vegetable curry with rice, okra in a spicy sauce and chana masala...afterwards, Katka was sorry to have to leave us but we walked together a little bit farther and she pointed us in the direction of the Thermal Baths...and I had the opportunity to redeem myself and correct my 3 kisses when we parted ways :)
We walked up a hill and found the building on the right side...we rented towels, went through the respective Daman and Herren dressing rooms and climbed a story of slick stone stairs to get to the first indoor hall of pools...we wanted to get to the roof so we continued on to a heated elevator and up another stairwell to a steamy pool that simply seemed to spill right off the roof! It was just starting to get dark and the city was just starting to light up. Bubbling seats lined the perimeter of the pool and we found ourselves a prime spot on the edge. Too bad it was so cloudy...I can only imagine how impressive the views would have been on a clear night with the city followed by the lake and then topped with snowcapped mountains. We took a few pictures with the water camera that I am sure will not do it justice...it was a great experience and very cool way to see the city and to end our trip...
It was a bit crowded (I can only guess because it is probably the only place open on a Sunday night!) and we checked out the indoor pools on the lower level...the water wasn't quite hot enough for me and we were just considering leaving when we were whistled and yelled at by an employee to get out of the pools! We couldn't imagine what we had done wrong and we made our way out to be reprimanded for using the camera...apparently cameras are banned at pools all over Switzerland according to this woman! We weren't sure it was true but were not in the mood to argue and were ready to leave anyhow...we took quick showers, then found the #13 bus to take to the train station where we needed to take a different train to the airport because I really wanted to get dropped off directly at the hotel and not have a 7 minute walk in the dark along a highway...it was a little extra time but it was worth it!
We slept well our last night in Switzerland and enjoyed this night light of Zürich splayed out on the ceiling:
and for an extra charge enjoyed a nice hot breakfast of you guessed it...eggs, cheese, speck, croissants. It was nothing compared to Yetta's spread yesterday but was better than expensive airport food. We had 8 minutes to grab our bags and get to the 8:00 shuttle...we arrived in the nick of time at 7:59 and I checked out while Brian took care of the luggage...check out delayed me getting in the shuttle at approximately 8:02 and I climbed aboard to a van of angry men. The Swiss do not like to be late especially on the account of an American! Oh well, at least the driver didn't seem bothered anymore when I gave him a nice tip. Worn and weary, we arrived to gate 56 in plenty of time for out flight but not before we had to take yet another mode of transport...the airport tram. I absolutely cannot wait to get in a car!
Looking forward to getting home and seeing all our family and friends...thanks for following along :)
PS: stay tuned for our Final Trip Counts blog!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Then they were kind enough to see us off to the train station where it was hard to say goodbye...we had such a great time! We all decided Patrick looked good with my pink suitcase and my "I love not camping" luggage tag:
The ride to Zürich was uneventful and thankfully without any stops. I was coming to the end of my rope with the train station and trains in general. I warned Brian that this may be the last day I take a train for a really long time!
We arrived to our hotel about 2 hours later and it was really nice and modern...it even had an iPhone docking station conveniently built into the nightstand:
The hotel was close to the airport (Brian requested a room with airport view, lol) which would be good for tomorrow morning but meant that another train was involved before we could see the city. Ugh. We walked the 7 minutes along a busy stretch of highway in the pedestrian lane as the day turned overcast and threatened rain. We had to cross a foot bridge to wait at the #4 platform for the train to the city...
It was a short ride to Zürich city center and as the usual routine goes here, a million people lit up cigarettes immediately after getting off the train. Just when you think you will get a breath of fresh air, you realize it is just filled of smoke. The train station was bustling with people in a rush to go somewhere. We took the escalators up and emerged to an Old Town with a river and several footbridges that flowed down into Lake Zürich. We were close to the museum and had some time before we needed to meet Brian's distant cousin Katka so thought we would check it out...no sooner did we arrive that we decided to simply walk around the town instead. We saw several clock towers and churches along the way but unfortunately the blank sky was not a great backdrop for taking pictures:
We strolled up and down cobblestone streets and did some window shopping...everything seems to close down in Switzerland on Sundays. We passed Lucy's bar:
We headed back to the train station to meet Katka by 4pm and found her at the gigantic clock. She was thrilled to see us! I was disappointed that I messed up the European 3 kisses thing (even though I made Brian practice with me earlier...how quickly I forget!) but she laughed it off. Katka only had 2 hours to spend with us so we buzzed about Zürich at a brisk pace. I asked Katka about the furs and blankets that are draped over every chair in the outdoor restaurant seating areas...Katka told us that they used to have the metal heat lamps but then Switzerland forbade them because they were a waste of resources. I suppose the outdoor seating sections are necessary for smokers...not quite sure why anyone would choose to sit outside on a day like today...
We strolled along the bahnhof strasse (Train street) which was a shopping district she compared to NY's Fifth Avenue and although she didn't think it was quite as nice, she said that the prices for anything here far exceed that of prices in NY or Tokyo. Lucky for Brian, everything was closed ;) We ended up at Lipp Restaurant...a famous French place in a building with a bar on the top floor with Panoramic views of the city...what a great note to end our trip on! We each had a drink as she explained city landmarks and pointed them out to us through the window...I was very happy to explore Zürich in this fashion and be able to sit and relax a bit on our last day. She shared a story of a friend of hers who lives in a gothic house which was probably built in the 10th century...that still has Gothic style wallpaper on the walls...incredible!
We decided we were all ready for a bite to eat so she took us to Tidbits...a great buffet style restaurant and modern bar with a great vegetarian and Indian selection. You help yourself to the buffet and then they weigh your plate at the end...if Brian's mom lived here, this would definitely be her favorite place! The food was delicious and exactly what we were craving. We had pakoras, yellow vegetable curry with rice, okra in a spicy sauce and chana masala...afterwards, Katka was sorry to have to leave us but we walked together a little bit farther and she pointed us in the direction of the Thermal Baths...and I had the opportunity to redeem myself and correct my 3 kisses when we parted ways :)
We walked up a hill and found the building on the right side...we rented towels, went through the respective Daman and Herren dressing rooms and climbed a story of slick stone stairs to get to the first indoor hall of pools...we wanted to get to the roof so we continued on to a heated elevator and up another stairwell to a steamy pool that simply seemed to spill right off the roof! It was just starting to get dark and the city was just starting to light up. Bubbling seats lined the perimeter of the pool and we found ourselves a prime spot on the edge. Too bad it was so cloudy...I can only imagine how impressive the views would have been on a clear night with the city followed by the lake and then topped with snowcapped mountains. We took a few pictures with the water camera that I am sure will not do it justice...it was a great experience and very cool way to see the city and to end our trip...
It was a bit crowded (I can only guess because it is probably the only place open on a Sunday night!) and we checked out the indoor pools on the lower level...the water wasn't quite hot enough for me and we were just considering leaving when we were whistled and yelled at by an employee to get out of the pools! We couldn't imagine what we had done wrong and we made our way out to be reprimanded for using the camera...apparently cameras are banned at pools all over Switzerland according to this woman! We weren't sure it was true but were not in the mood to argue and were ready to leave anyhow...we took quick showers, then found the #13 bus to take to the train station where we needed to take a different train to the airport because I really wanted to get dropped off directly at the hotel and not have a 7 minute walk in the dark along a highway...it was a little extra time but it was worth it!
We slept well our last night in Switzerland and enjoyed this night light of Zürich splayed out on the ceiling:
and for an extra charge enjoyed a nice hot breakfast of you guessed it...eggs, cheese, speck, croissants. It was nothing compared to Yetta's spread yesterday but was better than expensive airport food. We had 8 minutes to grab our bags and get to the 8:00 shuttle...we arrived in the nick of time at 7:59 and I checked out while Brian took care of the luggage...check out delayed me getting in the shuttle at approximately 8:02 and I climbed aboard to a van of angry men. The Swiss do not like to be late especially on the account of an American! Oh well, at least the driver didn't seem bothered anymore when I gave him a nice tip. Worn and weary, we arrived to gate 56 in plenty of time for out flight but not before we had to take yet another mode of transport...the airport tram. I absolutely cannot wait to get in a car!
Looking forward to getting home and seeing all our family and friends...thanks for following along :)
PS: stay tuned for our Final Trip Counts blog!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Location:Zürich, Switzerland
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