Skunked by Pepe Le Pew in Paris!

After saying au revoir to Diane, I addressed the overdue need for a haircut.   Unfortunately, I had waited until we were in Paris...just blocks off the Champs-Élysées--the most expensive avenue!  But putting my concern aside, I walked into a salon by our hotel and bravely placed myself in the hands of a French madman, a/k/a Pepe.  He asked "Do you want a trim or something a little French? Having a love for adventure, I chose "something a little French."   How was I to know that he was deranged!  You wouldn't think that someone could rotate two brushes faster than the eye can see, but he could.  He windmilled my hair, removing every bit of curl, until I looked like Tina Turner in the 1980's.  Then he swept everything forward until I looked like Jane Fonda in 1970.  Tom said, "Gee. . .you look so. . .so. . .French !" Tom went to the same stylist later that day but just asked for a trim.   (No sense of adventure!)  Sorry, in order to prevent future possible profiling concerns, we are not posting these pictures!

We decided to return to Baden Baden for a few days of slow time and to recover from our experience with Pepe.  We love this charming resort town just in the fringes of the Black Forest in Germany. The weather was beautiful and we had many peaceful canal walks and outside cafe meals.  The thermal baths are a huge draw for this area, but Tom isn't ready for that European experience yet (that is... he is not ready for communal bathing "no mas pantelones.")

Then it was on to Switzerland, our first stop would be Bern.  This is a pretty city with beautiful architecture, whimsical fountains lining main streets, a south view of the Alps, rolling hills in every direction and the brown bear park which is probably the city's biggest attraction.  As we approached the park, the cages opened and the bears each sprinted to their favorite spot on the hill where they immediately laid down and didn't move for the next hour! 

 

The natural beauty of Switzerland is hard to beat and we really enjoyed our time here.  One of our best memories was our walk through the fall leaves on the path leading high above Bern to the Rose Garden.  

As we headed south, our next stop was Lugano, Switzerland.  This is a stunning area, tucked in a bay on Lake Lugano in the Ticino region of Switzerland.  Because of its proximity to Italy, the main language spoken here is Italian. The Mediterranean flair is everywhere, from the tree-lined promenade walk along the lake to the very upscale shopping in the huge pedestrian area.  The gardens and parks are impeccably maintained and you can see the sense of pride locals have here.  We took a lake cruise, enjoying the incredible views of the mountains on a sunny day. The weather was gorgeous for walking this beautiful city and it was very hard to leave this comfortable location.  Here is a look at this lovely city.

 

 This next picture is of Switzerland's most famous Renaissance fresco.  It covers the whole wall of the nave in the Madonna degli Angioli church which was originally part of a Franciscan monastery.  Quite impressive!

 And we are back on the train to Florence, Italy!

Happy trails,

TNT