Flashback: Switzerland

I'm posting this entry from our trip to Switzerland because I can. BTW, our trip to Rome will be the last one of these we post. I promise. Thanks for putting up with this.
That is all.

Saturday, March 10

-Today, we embark for Switzerland. I've been wanting to go to Switzerland for a long time, so we'll see if their rivers really are flowing with milk chocolate and if their homes are made of swiss cheese.

-In order to get to the Swiss land, we must pass through France. It has some nice countryside, too bad everyone wants to blow it up. Oh, and there's a toll road. In other words, we have to pay the French to get out of their country. This is great.

-As we cross the Swiss border, we are directed to go to a station to pay for a pass so we can drive around in their country. What is going on out here? Why are countries making us pay for the "priviledge" to drive there? Doesn't this sound a little desparate to you? Now's the time to take back the streets! We aren't gonna put up with this crap any more! Actually, we end up paying the toll.

-As Kent and I approached the station, we ask the guard behind to counter for one pass. This guy doesn't speak a lick of English, so we're loving life right now. The guard thinks we need to buy two passes, even though we keep waving our index fingers indicating one. We're going back and forth with this guy for at least five minutes before he finally gets a clue. Kent says we should've waved "the other finger" on the way out.

-Wow, Switzerland is beautiful! Around every corner, the view looks like a scene from a postcard. (Also, there are a lot of tunnels at first. I think Will would like this)

-Unlike the Frankfurt temple, this one is visible form the highway, but confusing to get to. We can't get it to pull up on the GPS, but we end up finding our way there eventually. Unfortunately, we end up being a little late to do any sort of temple work (last sessions at this temple are at noon on Saturday). But they let us hang out in the foyer a little past the lobby.

-They sell Mountain Dew in the LDS bookstore out here! Dr. Pepper, too! Yes, brothers and sisters, the church is true in Switzerland! There they sat in their carbonated caffinated goodness on the shelf with other American goods.

-We end up going into old town part of Bern, which is basically a main street full of buildings that are about 500 years old. These buildings are now shops, restaurants and apartments. It's pretty cool, except everything is expensive! The people weren't too friendly, neither. They don't even take euro money here, they still use the franc for their currency. So if you wanna check this place out, get some francs (they are a little weaker than the U.S. dollar).

-Question: would you be interested in paying 19.00 francs (about $17 U.S.) for a burger and fries at McDonalds? The people of Switzerland think you would.

-On our way out of Switzerland, we stop in Straussbourg, France to eat...Italian food! Everyone liked their meal except me. But that's what I get for trying something new.

-Once we finally cross into Germany (thank goodness, too!) I'm driving on the autobahn and everyone else in the car is asleep. You know what that means...ZOOM! ZOOM! Well, we're in a little hatchback and there's four of us in it, so I only top out at 160...kilometers. I don't even think that's 100 mph. I even had the gas peddle to the floor for a solid minute. Oh well. It was fun trying, though.

Dan failing to push 100 mph on the freeway.

A street in Bern with shops. Yep.

(btw, the shops are hidden under all of those archways, I promise).

Ang and Mama Stoddart doing what they do best...being white girls!