We arrived at the Festival Chant Du Gros on a chilly overcast evening in the Jura mountains, but we came prepared- draped in festive winter ponchos from Rachel’s cousins. Festival Chant Du Gros is an open-air festival that started in 1992 and has grown to attract more than 30,000 visitors per year. Rachel’s cousin’s kindly invited us to attend the festival with them to enjoy their favorite musical artists and spend time with them. Coming to a mostly all-French festival, we didn’t really know what to expect. But after walking in, it was far larger than our imaginations could have every anticipated; complete with large crowds, tents, and a full…

Switzerland is home to many of the world’s most impressive mountain views, the most famous among them being the Jungfrau and the Matterhorn. Less famous, and therefore less touristed, is Fronalpstock, a mountain situated in the Schwyzer Alps. Atop this mountain there is a small village and ski town called Stoos, boasting only around 100 inhabitants. Though this mountain is not the most popular attraction for American tourists, it’s become a must see for us for a couple reasons: compared to the tourist trap that is the Jungfrau and Interlaken, Stoos is unfettered by the same horde of visitors. The view from the top is also very unique, providing a…

The morning after Quentin’s birthday party... we were surprisingly spry! We all set out on a walk, but this was not your typical walk around the neighborhood. The fairytale began when we entered a woodland path that opened up to beautiful pastures with grazing cows. We spotted a newborn calf finding its legs, and we, of course, had to stop and coo. Lining the path were bushes of wild blackberries which also had us stopping and munching. Thinking we were walking without any particular direction, we were delighted to stumble upon a quaint, old, Swiss village with -you guessed it- even more farm animals, all wearing bells which jingled throughout…

We arrived in Switzerland a little ragged. Having not slept the night before our early morning flight, we crashed on the short plane ride from Berlin to Basel. We were met by some of Rachel’s cousins, Patricia and Sonia, with bisous (kisses) and croissants. Carbs and kisses would continue to be a theme throughout our stay with them in Switzerland. After driving through the French and Swiss countryside, we arrived at the home of Gilles and Sonia in Fregiécourt, a small town near the French border of Switzerland. It’s important to note that most of Rachel’s cousins don’t speak much English (and we most certainly do not speak French), but…

Teufelsberg, Berlin... read on! Berlin culture has often been regarded as synonymous with the rise of the techno music scene, but it also has an indisputable tumultuous past. Whether it be the soaring TV tower that once stood as a symbol of communist power commanding the gaze of the city, or the memorial plaques for holocaust victims on every street corner, it’s impossible to walk through the streets and forget this city’s controversial past. Because of Berlin’s history, and the constant change of political power over the past century, Berlin has become an urban explorers dream. Now inundated with sites that have since been forgotten, these abandoned places still reside…