Gimmelwald - living in a milka ad

I lived through a milka ad over the long weekend in a timeless little village called Gimmelwald in the Swiss Alps. It was the perfect hiking trip with fresh air, snow-capped mountains, alpine meadows, waterfalls and stunning scenery at every turn. I loved it so much I could have stayed there forever and become a cowherd.

I first read about Gimmelwald on the net, the more I read, the higher it jumped on my must-do list. The reality of it did not disappoint. It's a tiny village of about 130 people, without any cars or streets, you could walk through the main street in 5 minutes, slowly. I fell in love as soon as I stepped off the cable car (the only way to access this village, unless you like to walk for long distances).

As soon as I dropped off my backpack at the local b&b, I set off on a hiking trail. I walked along a path that seemed nestled between mountains. Looking right I could see the alpine meadow, on my left a flowing stream. The trail took longer than expected because I kept stopping to pick my jaw off the ground. The scenery was vivid and beautiful.

It was the same throughout this long weekend, I walked the flower trail, the mountain trail, I ventured up to Shiltorn where they shot a Bond movie in the 60's. The summit of Shiltorn is a revolving restaurant, though why revolve when you could walk the perimeter and experience the crisp cold air? I took one of the steep descent trails and was amused by the 2 signs I passed along the way warning people not to hike in heels.

My last hike of the trip was to Sprutz, a large waterfall. It was very cool, especially being able to go through the waterfall. On my way back to Gimmelwald, I sat on a little bench to 'savour the moment'. Out of nowhere a cat appeared and sat herself next to me and kept me company. As I was ready to get up and leave, she put a paw on my foot as though to stop me and then rested her head on my foot and promptly dozed off. Why fight it? I decided to join her and took a nap myself. When I woke up, she led me down the trail back into town. What a perfect send-off.

J'aime Paris!

I love Paris.

City of light and dog poo. Well since the fines came into force, not so much dog poo anymore. Dwayne and I went on a weekend where we experienced all four seasons, but it was glorious all the same. I really do love Paris and a little pidegen French went a long way in making contact with the cheeky french locals.

We walked all weekend and feasted on pate and all things french. We toured the Eiffel from all angles; in the rain, in the sunshine, during sunset. My favourite was when the lights were turned on a night and the entire structure twinkled like a giant xmas tree.

I think what remains with me most about Paris was the incredible architecture, walking along the Seine was like passing a conveyor belt of beautiful buidings, churches and museums. I won't bore you all with all the landmarks as I'm sure you've all been there and done that. Suffice to say, 2 days was definitely not enough and I am itching to go back already! Ah so many destinations, so little time...