Life in Italy

(click here for previous edition - When is it open?)

Switzerland

We are quite blessed with a beautiful location to live in.  We are right up against the Alps.  It is nice to see the snow covered peaks and enjoy the calm of a smaller city.  There are beautiful hikes right near by, as well as a spectacular waterfall.

And, we live only a 20 minute drive from the Swiss border.  At times for a little get away on our day off we will drive up to Switzerland.  It is about 20 kilometers to the border.  They do have border guards there, but generally they just wave us through (perhaps because we have local plates on the car). 

Another 20 kilometers through some narrow and impressive valleys, with some serious climbs, and we are at the top of the Simplon pass.  The pass is about 2,000 meters in elevation. 

We usually stop at the top for a picnic.  The view is incredible. 

It stays pretty cool there even in the summer, and for about 6 months of the year, there is a good chance of finding snow. 

When I went up with Karis back on December 8, I found myself wading through drifts up to my waist and higher!

Then we drive down the other side of the pass into Brig.

It is about another 20 kilometers and I need to keep the car in low gear because it is pretty steeply downhill in places.  In Brig we usually do a bit of grocery shopping and buy things we can't get in Italy (certain flavors of soda syrups and Frey brand Swiss chocolate) or things that are cheaper in Switzerland (oats, powdered sugar). 

Sometimes we will stop in town, and perhaps visit the castle while we are in Brig.  Then it is back up and over the pass to home.  On the way back, we always are sure to stop for gas.  There are several stations just on the Swiss side of the border.  Gas is about €.20/liter cheaper in Switzerland.

As a family we have not been able to go up in to Switzerland for the last year and a half.  Since the adoption is not finalized, we can not take our new little one across the border.  We are looking forward to family trips to Switzerland again after April of next year.