Let the Games Begin

Brandon and Lindsay coming to visit was sort of the start of the summer for us. The weather wasn't great while they were in town, but we still managed to enjoy ourselves. Here's a video of Lance's time trial (which went RIGHT in front of our apartment).



We took them on the walk to Gandria. It's the path that goes right next to the lake and ends up in a tiny old town. We sort of count on it being a crowd pleaser, and it did not disappoint. We ended the walk at a little restaurant on the water, sipping some sort of prosecco concoction... not a bad way to end the day.


I had to study, and unfortunately missed out on this hike. The views looked amazing. They were from the top of San Salvatore which is a mountain right across the lake from us.


Our friends moved on to Venice, I finished up exams, and Ryan just kept on working. We met them in Milan for their last night in town, had a three and a half our dinner, then spent the next day shopping. It turns out we just needed a little direction to enjoy Milan... our first trip just centered around the Duomo and seemed a bit over the top. This time, Ryan's friend from work told us about an "uptown" version of Milan which was much more our speed. That same friend had lunch with us on Saturday, and we got caught in a bit of a storm on the way out. This is Giulio and his girlfriend improvising without an umbrella.


We came home and had another meal to look forward to! This time with our new English friends that just moved from Cambridge. We got to their apartment at 7:30... three bottles of wine, three courses and five hours later, we walked home. I think that's a sign that you've had a good time. We actually had a great time... I definitely see more dinners with them in our future. Or lunches, or trips to the beach... we really hit it off, so I'm just a LITTLE excited about having them around for the next year and a half.

Unfortunately, we're saying goodbye to our friends in Zurich. They're moving to Africa in July, so I'm actually heading up there in about an hour to help them pack. They were the main reason we chose Switzerland, the first trip we made when we moved here, and have always been just a phone call or email away when one of our one million questions popped up. Even though we don't see them a lot, knowing they're just 3 hours away has been nice, and I think we'll miss it.

However, can't be sad for long. This summer has a lot in store.. when I get back from Zurich I only have a couple of weeks before my family comes in town. We have a whirlwind tour of Italy and France planned, and thankfully Ryan gets to participate in all of it. Then, my sister stays (yay!), I take a quick trip home, and when I get back another friend of ours will be here. Afterwards, Ryan and I are spending two weeks in Florence, and before I know it school will be starting up again. Busy summer - I can't wait to get started!