Showing off Switzerland

The last week of April was an exceptionally special treat-- my life-long friend Kathleen and her sweet boyfriend Zack came to visit!

In addition to spending some much-needed time with my best friend, I also really enjoyed showing off
Switzerland's breathtaking beauty and culture. I think a lot of times, when people think of fantastic European destinations, they tend to skip over Switzerland. Most would-be-travelers daydream about gondola rides on Venetian canals, croissants and coffee in Parisian cafes, and watching the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. In a way, this makes sense to me-- many European cities (London, Paris, Rome, and Berlin, to name a few) have distinct cultures, cuisines, and landmarks that most travelers don't want to miss.

While Switzerland's culture is perhaps a bit more subtle than that of its neighbors, it certainly isn't any less amazing. The longer I stay here the more I've grown to love and appreciate Switzerland's unique mix of cultures, languages, and landscapes. What can I say? I love this place!

Since Kathleen and Zack were only in Switzerland for a week, I gave them a jam-packed itenierary so that they would be able to see as much of the country as possible. Unforuntately, I was unable to accompany them on several of their adventures (my cells and experiments needed me...), but I did spend a lovely weekend showing them around my own bit of Switzerland: Lausanne.

best friends reunited! *

kathleen the photographer.

photoshoot by the gorgeous notre dame cathedral.

ben: act like an octopus!
kathleen and vanessa: okay!
we are silly. *

lausanne's gorgeous gothic cathedral, the notre dame.

stained glass and candlelight. 

teaching kathleen about one of my favorite quirks of switzerland:
potable drinking fountains!

another one of my favorite bits of switzerland: amazing public transit.
(and equally amazing photographs on said public transit. I'm pretty
sure I told them to smile....)

more gorgeous public transit photos. kathleen and zack. love these
guys.

while ben returned his skis, kathleen and I tried a game of mini soccer
in the sports store. we weren't particularly successful.....

vanessa + lots of sunglasses = vanessa bug! *

after a morning spent exploring the cathedral and taking goofy photos,
we headed down to the lake front. kathleen and ben started a game
of giant chess...

...while zack and I took naps (totally the better decisions)*

other fun sights on the lakefront: two puppies leashed together! I was
really hoping they'd get stuck around a tree or a pole, but it never happened.

one of my favorite lakeside pastimes: paddle boating!
side 1: zack and me. *

side 2: kathleen and ben.

changing seats can be quite complicated...

friends! zack, me, kathleen, ben. *

trying to crouch down by the flowers for a photo and falling into a fit of
giggles. love lausanne. love kathleen. wonderful day. 

*Photo taken by Kathleen (or at least, on Kathleen's camera)