Switzerland finale...

Happy New Year Y'all!  Well we have finally settled back into life in St. Louis.  Lots of unpacking, putting away, cleaning and grocery shopping later the house is in order and I feel like I can take a deep breath and relax...that is before I start back to 12 hour work days 6 days a week : )

So what better time that now to finish telling y'all about Switzerland!  After we left Zermatt we got back on the train and headed for Interlaken.  While it wasn't our favorite stop along the way it was still absolutely beautiful and we made some great memories.

While we were walking through town we noticed a big open field.  I jokingly said to Chad, "we should build a snowman".  Being the big kid that he is, he replied with a huge smile "Okay, lets go".  Now honestly, the first thing that came to my mind was hmmm I don't know if I really want to get all cold and wet playing in the snow....but I couldn't disappoint Chad (and it was my suggestion).  This turned out to be one of my favorite moments of our trip!  We built our snowman (whom we named Ralph) and took pictures with our masterpiece.

Below (courtesy of google images) is the same spot in the summer....I would love to go back and see scenery in a different season!

Sooner or later I decided we needed to get a picture of us both with Ralph...easier said than done since there was no one around to take our picture.  After a little practice with the self timer and the camera set up on a jacket in the snow we managed to get a good one. 

BLOOPER!!  "why hasn't the camera gone off"

The next morning we headed up the main peak in Interlaken, Jungfrau.  The weather wasn't quite as good as it had been and visibility wasn't great. 

When we made it to the top of the mountain (13,642 ft) it was sooo cold and windy! We took the elevator to the top of the observatory and Chad ventured outside.  I was lame and stayed behind the doors.

Inside the observatory building there was an incredible Ice Palace.  The walls, floor and everything in between were made of ice.  Just before you entered there was this giant snow globe.  It was taller than me... not that that says much, haha!

The ice palace was AMAZING!!  I can't imagine the time and effort it must have taken to create the sculptures.  Truly a work of art.

Entrance to the Ice Palace

Bears

Penguins

Seals

Eagle

The next day we left for out last destination in Switzerland...Basel.  Basel has the largest and best Christmas market in the country and I was ready to do some shopping!  We headed out our first night there to see the Christmas lights.  I loved all the snowflakes hanging in the trees!

Yummy handmade chocolates!

We stopped at the crepe stand and hand nutella crepes and hot chocolate for dinner....sooooo good!!  I mean who doesn't love chocolate for supper!  The hot chocolate came in souvenir mugs that we brought home with us : )

Making crepes

yummmmmy

Cheers!

 The next morning we ventured out (in daylight) to do a little shopping in the market.  We also stumbled upon a food market near our hotel.  I just can't get over how fresh and beautiful all the outdoor markets in Europe were.  I wish we had these at home because I would love to get all my produce, pasta and bread that way!

Fresh veggies

Baskets of mushrooms

Fresh ravioli and pasta

olives, tomatoes and artichokes

As we got closer to the Christmas market we heard carolers singing Christmas songs and could smell the hot chocolate and scrumptious foods cooking.

Beeswax candles, soap and lotions

Gingerbread

I didn 't take nearly enough pictures of all the great stuff they had in the market...probably because I was too busy buying stuff.  We picked up ornaments for our families and a few other gifts and ate lots of good food.  We took the train back to our hotel and at one stop a big group of guys dressed as Santa got on.  Needless to say they were having a great time and they definitely provided some entertainment for the ride.

 Basel concluded out Swiss tour and we headed back to Dublin ready to pack up and head for home!