Our honeymoon in a (big, fat) nutshell: SWITZERLAND part I

   Last year Zurich was the last stop of our honeymoon, one we badly needed after visiting 6 new cities in only 9 days. When you think of it, it sounds really awesome to be able to see so many new places in such little time, but by the time we got to Zurich I was quite tired of hopping from one city to another, especially since I had to carry my luggage to a new city every 2 days. So I was really looking forward to spending (approximately) 8 days in one place with our family who knew exactly how to present Zurich, Switzerland and their attractions to us.

   Now, if you ever have the chance to visit Zurich, grab it! I can assure you that you won't regret it! Zurich has it all: beautiful architecture, a gorgeous lake on one side, a lot of green places and mountains close by. Oh, and they also have their own Cetățuie as well: it's called Mt Uetliberg and if you climb all the way there you will have a terrific overview of the city. 

   Zurich reminds me a lot of Cluj. Maybe that's why I always feel at home when I go there. So let me tell you what we did in the 8 days we were there :)
 

We had a very warm welcome that immediately made us feel at home :)

   Day 1 was dedicated to Swiss National Day (1st of August) so we celebrated with a delicious dinner on the terrace, catching up and watching the fireworks :)

   On day 2 we visited a beautiful farmers' market and we walked around lake Zurich for a bit. Now you'll have to believe me when I say that lake Zurich shore is heaven for me. When I arrive there and I look in the distance I immediately calm down and reach peace of mind. I just find myself smiling wide and breathe easy knowing that life is wonderful. It's one of those places you HAVE to see! :)

   Then we took a boat across lake Zurich until Rapperswil to meet Oli's cousin and her family. The boat ride took 1h and 45min and it was perfect for watching the city from afar, enjoying the breeze of the lake, taking pictures or... snoozing;) 

   Rapperswil is also called "the town of roses". It earns its name due to the more than 16,000 roses that flower in the rose gardens of the Capuchin monastery and on the "Schanz". The latter is a rose garden for the blind with particularly fragrant roses, the names of which are written in brail on guide panels. 

   The little town has very beautiful architecture and small, quaint alleys that invite you to take a stroll. Overlooking the town, the Rapperswil castle is perched high on a hill. This top spot offers breathtaking views of the lakeside surroundings. I definitely fell in love with Rapperswil!

   On day 3 we took the train to Appenzell, another little town famous for its delicious cheese and beer. I liked it very much especially because it was colourful and lively and it had great home made ice cream! 

   The landscapes in Switzerland are absolutely breathtaking! Here and there they even resemble Tuscany and they're such a vivid green that you have the feeling someone played with the saturation levels :) 

   On day 4 Oli and I visited Rietberg museum in Zurich. They had a very beautiful and impressive exhibition called Gardens of the world! That's where I began setting my roots to my gardening passion. I found the museum very informative, practic, interactive and modern, nothing like I've ever seen before! I really loved learning about the Egyptian, Italian, French and English gardens and I still remember how impressed I was about the special effects on the Korean panels :) A big plus was also the amazing luxurious park surrounding the museum. So yeah, Rietberg museum is definitely a MUST once you're in Zurich!

   Later on that day we took the train to Kandersteg to meet Oli's aunt and uncle. I relived happy memories from a year and a half before when Oli proposed under a beautiful waterfall in the same little village. We all took a walk to a restaurant/hotel without electricity called Waldhaus to have a fondue dinner (how Swiss!:) ). I still remember how amazed I was by the landscapes going up to the restaurant. Kandersteg is without any doubt a wild piece of heaven!

   The first 4 days in Switzerland have made me fall head over heels in love with the country, its landscapes, its customs and its people! 

Our honeymoon in a (big, fat) nutshell: BOLOGNA

   Ah... honeymoon... the long awaited time of celebration of the love story of two people who just became one! When you mention the word "honeymoon" most people think of a remote island with turqoise water and golden sand where you have nothing to do just be. It sounds amazing... if you are a sea person! But Oli and I aren't. So we decided to go visit cities instead! 7 cities in 11 days then stay in Zurich for 8 more days. I won't lie to you, it was CRAZY, but I loved it to bits! We saw mountains, hills and the seaside, we ate the most spectacular pasta, our Airbnb homes were really awesome (and so were our hosts), we walked around magnificent cityscapes that I always wanted to see and all this at our own pace. I definitely couldn't have travelled in an organized group. It would have been too stressful and/or boring for me. So we chose to do it our way. Let me describe the whole journey through the "eyes" of my emotions and my memories! It's going to be a LONG post, but bear with me and let's travel together! If I close my eyes and I try to remember how it all was I can already feel like I'm back there and the movie of the whole trip develops in front of my eyes.

   We started with Bologna. We chose it because we had a direct flight from Cluj, but I honestly didn't know what to expect of it.

   Everybody on the internet was praising it but I knew so little about it that I had to google it beforehand. The best part is that travelling there in person helped me find out things that I didn't read on the internet! Did you know that tortellini and lasagna were actually invented in Bologna? I guess that's partly why it's called the gastronomical capital of Italy!

   The Bolognese people are very proud of these inventions and they put them on all the magnets! :) We had no idea why tortellini was everywhere in Bologna but we found out by asking a waiter. I thought Pasta Bolognese was their thing. No problem, live and learn! :)

   I had the best gnocchi in my life on the small terrace of a cute restaurant in Bologna. We didn't even look it up beforehand, we were just THAT lucky to find Il Portico, and that luck kept perpetuating later on in our trip.

   I still remember my utter happy face while tasting those gnocchi, the joy of discovering cute arches, the famous towers of Bologna and other amazing buildings or squares all around the city... oh, and the big eyes in amazement in front of shops filled with big rolls of cheese and charcuterie that smelled so good!

   Walking on the gorgeous, narrow streets brought back beautiful memories from Venice. Talking of which, they have a small square window in the middle of the city overseeing the only canal in Bologna. Another Venice memory! :)

   I remember being proud about practicing my Italian in a bookshop, browsing through books and just loving the feeling of being surrounded by them. I liked the fact that Italians love their books!

   And then the "dolce far niente" began. Laying down on a bench and on the grass in 2 parks of the city, closing my eyes and just enjoying the sound of the cicadas (something new to me) and the feeling of being there and living my dream.

   Bologna was a dream! Small and utterly cute and delicious! I couldn't see a better beginning to our Italian journey and I definitely want to go back there!