Marph goes to Scotland

Hi! 

For those who haven't met me yet, my name is Marph and I am Justin and Bronwen's mellow yellow travel fellow! We have been having great travel adventures together since July 2011. 

This Summer we went exploring in Scotland! 

We stayed at Glasgow, Oban, the Isle of Skye, Fort Augustus at Loch Ness and Falkirk, inbetween Glasgow and Edinburgh. 

We visited many great Scottish Castles...

such as Eilean Donan Castle,

Dunvegan Castle on the Isle of Skye, 

Edinburgh Castle,

(inside Edinburgh Castle)

and Stirling Castle.

We visited important historical places such as Iona Abbey on the island of Iona,

the National William Wallace Monument at Stirling, 

Glencoe, and St Andrews Cathedral. 

We walked on the Old Course at St. Andrews, the home of golf,

and walked over this famous little bridge, the Swilcan Bridge, said to be more than 700 years old!

We saw many beautiful and breath taking sights:

and I got to meet Hamish the Highland Cow!! 

It wasn't always sunny....

but we made the best of it anyway! 

And of course there was food! We ate Indian in Glasgow and Edinburgh,

indulged in chocolate treats in Oban,

had lots of yummy home made ice cream,

and enjoyed all the English food we miss such as scones and Sunday Roast!

And of course there was whisky tasting!

All in all it was a wonderful holiday and much needed break! 

Justin and Bronwen's take on Scotland to follow soon, but first, Bronwen's two week break in London! 

Have a good week! 

x 

A New Adventure

'Bron, what do you think of going to live in Brazil for 8 to 10 months?' Justin asked. 'Uhm, ok. When?' she asked. 'I don't think it will happen but if it does, then soon.' 'Ok, put your name down for the project, let's see what happens. Probably we won't go, like all the times your name was down for other projects in cool places recently.'

This conversation was how it started. But we didn't think about it too much since Justin had indeed been offered to move to India for a year twice in the last two years and to London for a few months and other projects which never happened. But how do you say no, don't put my name down for a 10 month project in Brazil? Who doesn't want to go live in predictable and  constant warmth and sunshine for 10 months while skipping the European winter at the same time? 

Then we got the phone call to say that Royal Haskoning DHV has won the tender on the project and can Justin be ready to leave next week? 

A lot of mixed emotions followed. Excitement for a new adventure and amazing travels that lay ahead. Happiness that Justin can be involved in this project, a wonderful career opportunity for him. Sadness that we have to leave the Netherlands just when we felt we were settling down and making friends. Pleasure at the thought of going into a 26 C Brazilian winter with Summer soon to follow and missing the worst of a European winter. But ready to leave next week? Are they crazy?? 

Bron gave notice as soon as the project was confirmed, a week after the initial announcement. Then we went to Switzerland for a week's holiday, which was wonderful and just what we needed at the time. The monday we got back Justin flew to Brazil, three short weeks after the project getting the green light. 

Let the adventure begin! 

First things first. Bron has to give 3 months notice at work, an apartment to pack up, vaccinations to get, and many other things to arrange. Justin has a project to start, a furnished apartment to find, a project management course exam to study for, another course to stay on top of (the two year ADP program), and other things to arrange such as a work visa. 

In the end Bron worked 5 weeks after the Swiss holiday and took her remaining 30 days leave for the year for the remaining 6.5 weeks of the 3 month notice period. (Yes, that's a ridonculous amount of leave for 9 months of the year!) In that time she worked really hard to finish a lot of things on the projects she was working on and handed over all the projects to the new and amazing Theo who very fortunately started on my first day back from the Swiss holiday. 

On the home front she sorted though an entire apartment of stuff in 3 short weeks while working full time. Relief when the movers came to pack everything up and take it away to storage where it will wait for us. Bron also had 8 vaccines in 4 weeks which left her feeling a lot like a human pin cushion but also with a primed immune system! Jabs administered include yellow fever, typhoid, hepatitis A+B, and rabies. Sore arms and feeling not so good usually followed. 

But she made it to the end in one piece =) Work ended two weeks ago and I have been enjoying a much needed rest in London with Shell, Gaham and little Josh. Life has slowed down from break neck pace to very relaxing. The days are filled with nappies, puréed vegetables and naps! We have also done some very cool day trips and I have met up with some SA friends from Cape Town. It's been a lovely two weeks. More about my awesome London holiday next time! 

Our new home town is Vitoria, 550 km North of Rio on the East Coast. It is winter there at the moment and a very agreeable 26 C. The project is to design a new harbour located between Vitoria and Rio and on paper is expected to take 36 weeks. At the moment the team in Vitoria consists of Justin, a colleague Mike from the Uk, a local secretary and some local engineers from the clients company. From time to time specialists will join the team in Vitoria for a few weeks at a time. 

Justin and Mike hit the ground running in Brazil. For the first 4 weeks they stayed in a hotel while looking for accommodation. Decent furnished apartments are like hen's teeth but two were eventually found. In the mean time 10 hour days, six days a week became the norm with studying on the seventh day. Some report deadlines have already come up and been met. So far no time for fun or sight seeing. Bron is hoping that this will change when she joins Justin!

After 6 long weeks of working hard and studying, Justin arrived back in the Netherlands to take his project management exam this week. Well done for passing and doing so well Pookey! =) The rest of the week has been spent working in the Rotterdam office. 

After 7 weeks apart, the Boibs will finally be back together this evening! It's been really tough being apart for so long and especially with so many things going on for both of us. But the worst is hopefully behind us and now we can look forward to the fun parts of this new adventure =) 

This weekend we depart for our two week Summer holiday in Scotland. This trip was planned and booked in February long before we knew of the possibility of the Brazil project. We still really want to go to Scotland and with Bron having to work until the end of July and Justin having to come back for his PMP exam, it worked out that we could still go on our Scottish holiday. And after 7 weeks apart, a two week holiday together is a good way to start the time going forward =) 

Apologies for the lack of blog posts in the last few weeks, understandably so given the recent craziness. But fear not! The blog will continue! London, Scotland and first tastes of Vitoria to follow as soon as we touch down in the Southern Hemisphere again. 

A big thank you to all at the Bionanoscience Department at the TU Delft for a cool two years. It was really great working with and getting to know you. Extra special thanks to past and present members of office F088 for all the good times, long days and science advice shared. Thanks to the ND lab for good times and good science discussions. Thanks for all the farewells, thoughtful gifts and good wishes! 

A few sneak peak pics of my time in London. Until next time!

x 

St Paul's at night

St Paul's

At the British Library

Thanks Graham and Michelle for hosting me!

Tummy time!

Swim time with Dad

With my Aunty Bron

A Swiss Adventure! (Part 2)

Bells, bells, bells and more bells! All through the night, on the hour, every hour and every 15 minutes throughout the day! The local church right opposite our chalet was very pretty but the church bells at 6:00 were much less charming. But with so much to see and do, we were glad to be up early to start our days full of exploring!

We were extremely blessed with the weather; sunny and hot for most of the week, Thursday and Friday were a bit cooler with a bit of cloud and rain but not enough to stop our exploring! We were also glad we got an 8 day Swiss Rail Pass for our stay. Not only could we travel freely on all the trains, we could also use the ferries and some cable cards for free. The Pass also gave us free entry or discounts to many museums and cable cars and special mountain trains and the flexibility to go anywhere at any time. Definitely a worthwhile investment!

From Lauterbrunnen we first had to take the train into Interlaken and change there for most of the places we wanted to visit. Interlaken is in the middle of two lakes, Lake Brienz and Lake Thun. On Monday we went to explore Brienz and Thun at opposite ends of their respective lakes. First up was Brienz which we reached by train. Brienz is popular for wood carvings but we didn’t realise that not much would be open on a Monday. We enjoyed ambling through the town and walking along the lake front. We took advantage of the flexibility of our train passes and took the ferry from Brienz back to Interlaken Ost, a lovely relaxing hour on the water watching the mountains and waterfalls pass us by.

Back in Interlaken again, we took the train round the other lake to Thun. It was extremely hot in Thun and not much was open but we enjoyed walking around this charming town. We made our way up to the castle, shared an ice cream and watched teenagers swimming in the icy river. Time to head back for a relaxed evening of card games with the Finnemores!

A happy traveller at Lake Brienz

At the wood carving museum in Brienz

Dave with a grizzly creature walking along the Brienz Lake front

Fun water activities, suitable for all ages! 

Views of Lake Brienz and mountains from the ferry

A cascading waterfall as seen from the ferry

The castle in Thun

On Tuesday we bustled off to catch the two hour train to Lucerne, and what an impressive train journey it is, climbing steeply up the mountains to cross to the other side. Once in Lucerne, Dave headed to the transport museum, Olga went to do some shopping and the two of us explored the city.

The most popular attractions in Lucerne are the Chapel Bridge, the Lion Monument and the excellent transport museum. The Chapel Bridge is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe and also the world’s oldest surviving truss bridge. It spans the Reuss River and the 17^th century paintings in the interior make it unique. The Lion Monument is a wounded lion carved into the mountain and dedicated to the Swiss Guard who were killed protecting King Louis XVI during the French Revolution in 1792. The inscription reads, ‘to the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss’.

Chapel Bridge in Lucerne

The Lion Monument

Near to the Lion Monument is the Glacier Garden. The Glacier Garden is a massive rock with 32 large potholes that were formed at the bottom of the Reuss glacier by the action of the water and stones during the last Ice Age, evidence that Lucerne was covered by a glacier in the last Ice Age. There are also fossilised palm leaves and shells, evidence that Lucerne was once subtropical. At the Glacier Garden is also a Hall of Mirrors that looks easy at first but is actually impossible to navigate through!

Near the Glacier Garden is also the Bourbaki Panorama. This is a large circular style of painting depicting the crossing and disarming of the Eastern French Army under General Bourbaki during the Franco-Prussian War in 1871. The painter was a Red Cross volunteer at the time and witnessed the event. It is a very impressive painting and the commentary brings the event to life.

The rest of our time in Lucerne was spent wondering the streets, walking up to the castle, climbing castle turrets, trying not to melt in the heat, eating ice-cream and having a drink on the lake front waiting for the train to arrive.

Cows near the castle, we think they got lost... They did not look happy in the heat, poor things. 

Views over Lucerne from the top of a castle turret!

Outside the hall of mirrors at the Glacier Garden

We all opted for a quieter, slower day on Wednesday, a decision which was confirmed by the cloud cover in the morning. We headed into Interlaken with Olga to explore the town and do some shopping. The best triptych views of the Monch, Eiger and Jungfrau mountains can be seen at the mid-point of the town. The views that day were extra dramatic because of the rolling clouds. In Interlaken we also saw our first real live Edelweiss flower! Ok, it was in a florists shop, but still! It is quite pretty but different to how I thought it would be.

A saying close to our hearts seen outside a chocolatier in Interlaken

Edelweiss!

In the afternoon, we took the train up to Grindelwald on the other side of the mountain to Lauterbrunnen. We ambled through the town (everything closes at lunch time…) and caught the cable car to Grindelwald First, popular for skiing in the winter and for hiking in the Summer. By this time the clouds from the morning had mostly cleared and we enjoyed the most magnificent views of the mountains and valley below from the cable car, simply breath taking!

From Grindelwald First we did the not-so-flat-but-completely-worth-it hour walk to the Bachalpsee. It was still early Summer with lots of icy snow still on the ground. We were completely unprepared for going up the mountain and doing the walk since we were not planning to do this today but the opportunity presented itself and we are so glad we took it! Next time: wear proper walking shoes, not flip flops and eat lunch first! We only had half a slab of melted chocolate with us; the remedy: jam it in the icy snow for a few minutes! A totally worthwhile adventure, we highly recommend it if you are in the area!

Grindelwald

Views from the cable car to Grindelwald First

Streams from the melting ice and snow

The Bachalpsee

Frozen water at the Bachalpsee

Boibs at Grindelwald First

On Thursday we jumped on a train to Bern for another day of exploring! We mostly walked around the old city centre, some of the old roads were dug up for some kind of renovation or construction which was a pity but there was enough intact to get a feel for the old city. We stumbled upon the Einstein Museum where Albert Einstein lived with his first wife between 1903 and 1905. From there we crossed the river and walked up to the Rose Garden for views over the city. We weren’t particularly looking for them, but we found the bear pits anyway. Our opinion is still undecided on this but they were not as sad as I thought they would be. A late lunch on a terrace to pass the drizzle and then time to head back to Lauterbrunnen! On the way back to the train station we saw people setting up for a mountain bike race through the city, down crazy steps, round corners and back up steep alleys. We thought of you Julian Burke!

In the main streets of Bern

Views over the river

Boibs in Bern

Friday already and our last full day in Lauterbrunnen =( Another cloudy start to the day gave us the chance to visit Wengen. Wengen is the first main stop on the way to Kleine Scheidegg which carries onto the Jungfraujoch and is also the start of the cable car to Mannlichen which we would have been very keen to do if it wasn’t cloudy… Instead of the cable car, we decided to do the hour walk down the mountain back to Lauterbrunnen. It was a lovely walk but extremely steep! My calves were sore for a week! I felt really sorry for the people walking up! It was lunch time by the time we were back in Lauterbrunnen and also the time the clouds started clearing.

An interesting furry plant in Wengen

The cable car from Wengen to Mannlichen shrouded in mist

Views of the valley and Stechelbach waterfall on the walk down from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen

The train going from Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen

On Friday afternoon there was time for one more activity on our must-see list: take the cable car to Grutschalp and walk across to Murren. A really lovely leisurely walk in the Swiss mountains with great views amidst the sound of cow bells. From Murren, we took the cable car down to Stechelberg. More amazing mountain views and steep cutaways in the mountains. Another highly recommended activity from our holiday!

Bron and Dave walking from Grutschalp to Murren

The path was shielded by tall trees most of the way

Views over the valley

Swiss cows! 

Waterfalls along the way!

The absolute last stop for us in this area was the Trummelbach waterfall on the way back to the chalet from Stechelberg. Carved out of the mountain by water, this waterfall is completely set into the rock, nothing can be seen from the outside. Yet this is the only outlet for the melting snow of the Jungfrau, Eiger and Monch mountains and a whopping 20 000 litres of water flow past per second. Incredible! Extremely impressive and extremely loud! This waterfall was totally worth the walk back to the house in the rain!

Part of the Trummelbach waterfalls

A last cheese fondue with the Finnemore’s and time to learn one last card game! Watch out if you ever play cards with Justin, he is so competitive and an undercover hustler! Then time to pack =(

Cheese fondue time!

On Saturday morning we travelled as far as Spietz together where the Finnemores departed for another week in Les Diablerets while we continued onto Geneva. We had some time before we were due at the airport, so we left our bags in lockers at the station and headed into the city. Another toasty sunny day, we were so blessed with the weather on this trip! We only had a couple of hours but managed to walk around the city centre and see the main sights of the Cathedrale St-Pierre, the floral clock and the Jet dÉau (fountain in Lake Geneva), and to have a short walk along the lake front. Bron was in Geneva as part of a lab trip in October 2012 but didn’t enjoy it very much as the part of the city we were in had a very dodgy vibe. This time however, the city had a very pleasant vibrant feel and we are glad we stopped off. There was a music festival of sorts and every square was filled with local choirs, children choirs, bands and every form of music you can think of. The city felt very vibrant and alive, it was a great end to a lovely holiday =)

Statue in Geneva

The Jet d'Eau on Lake Geneva

And on to the airport =( We had such a wonderful week in Switzerland with the Finnemore’s. Thank you for inviting us on your Swiss holiday, we loved spending time with you and thank you for sharing your knowledge of Switzerland with us. We highly recommend the Interlaken/Lauterbrunnen area to anyone travelling to Switzerland! It was a lovely welcome break from the first half of the year and the sudden new adventure we have found ourselves in. More about that next time!

x