Help Me Bike For Underprivileged Kids

Dear readers of my blog, (especially my parents’ friends who have money),

As you may recall, around this time last year I helped chaperone a bike trip for high school students around Lake Geneva. I am going to have the same opportunity this year over the weekend of May 10-11, but rather than freeload completely I would like to help participate in their fund-raising project. This year the beneficiary of all funds raised for the 100km (62 mile) ride will go to Voix Libres, a local Geneva organization which works for underprivileged children in Bolivia, many of whom are forced to work in mines and garbage dumps. The unique aspect of this organization is that in order to receive help, the children must then in turn help others. You can read more at their website.

If you would like to sponsor me, you can do so in one of two ways: a pledge per km or a flat pledge for the entire distance. The Swiss Franc is currently at parity with the US dollar, so the easiest way to work this is probably to send checks to my home which my parents will deposit and I can then withdraw here.

If you are able to help me out, please send a check to:

Aaron Maurer
YFC bike trip
11554 Springtree Ct.
Pickerington, OH 43147

Additionally, please e-mail me the following information at yodini [at] yahoo [dot] com:

your name, your address, your phone number, your e-mail address, and your pledge (per km or flat).


If you are interesting in helping, please let me know by Saturday, May 10th. Thank you very much for your support and know that your contributions go to a wonderful cause!

What Would Rick Steves Do?

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of hosting Adam and Julie who came through Switzerland over Julie’s teaching break on their way to Austria. I took a day off work and we spent the long weekend making our way to Interlaken and Lauterbrunnen, two place I’d heard a lot about over the past 20 months but had yet to visit. Interlaken is a destination for outdoor sports enthusiasts and Lauterbrunnen is known for its waterfalls and beautiful scenery.

Lauterbrunnen
We spent Sunday hiking around Lauterbrunnen (though it was more on walking trails than actual hill climbing) and had pretty much perfect weather. The only slight disappointment was that we were ahead of season for Trümmelbach Falls, a collection of ten waterfalls inside of a mountain.

Here are some photos from our journey:






Adam and I are surprised to find Christmas in April (photo by Julie)


Julie and I chill by a creek (photo by Adam)


Authentic glacial spring water. It was fantastic — and none of us got sick!











On our hike out we had passed several small farms including many which sell “Alpine Cheese.” Of course, it being a Sunday in Switzerland, nothing was open. However, on our way back we saw a farmer baling hay and wondered aloud about the possibility of obtaining some cheese. After a couple moments of deliberation, Adam decided to approach the barn and made an inquiry. The man told us to go back a bit and up a short path to a nearby house. This was apparently his parents’ place and they would be the ones to ask. Fortunately, a little old Swiss German man was already outside and Adam made fine use of his high school German. We were invited to sit down while he went and cut us a wedge and some samples.

I always joke that from what I’ve seen of Rick Steves’ travel videos, he would have everyone go to a remote village somewhere, knock on a random door and invite himself in for dinner to get the most ‘authentic’ experience possible. This was our definitive Rick Steves moment. While we certainly didn’t impose, we were able to enjoy a nice little taste of the Swiss Alps.


Adam, awaiting cheese amidst some amazing scenery


Julie, awaiting some cheese with the housecat


we think these bells were awards – our host rang them all for us (photo by Julie)


Adam, the cheese guy and one enormous bell (photo by Julie)


the cheese was pretty great too

Interlaken
We arrived in Interlaken Sunday evening and found a place to grab some good Swiss German food (mainly rösti, which I think I’ve described before as glorified hashbrowns - but in a good way) for dinner. The next morning we awoke to lots a rain and explored the city while hoping for the clouds to part in time for our 3:00 paragliding appointment. Alas, it was not to be. Our guides even took us up the mountain to check on the conditions but determined we couldn’t make the leap. A bit disheartened, we resolved to reschedule for the future (currently set for late June). And the rain may have been a letdown, but it didn’t dampen our spirits too much.


Sunset over Interlaken (the night before the rain began)


Enjoying some local beer







Geneva
The only good thing about paragliding being cancelled was the chance to make it back to Geneva in time for Monday night Pub Quiz at Mr. Pickwick. The next day I was back at work, but Adam and Julie made it around the town to see all the landmarks (and fortunately had great weather). We capped off their visit with Tuesday Night Jazz at local music school AMR. All in all, a great time!


This trombonist reminded us of Adam Norman


…and we figured we should probably get some sort of pic with all three of us

Paris, France Part 3: Montmartre, et. al.

My favorite of the Parisian areas I visited is Montmartre which has the feel of a (relatively) small French village in the midst of the vastness that is Paris. Situated on a hill, it’s also the highest point in the city and is where much of the film Amélie was set. Maggie and I took a walking tour on Saturday night for an overview and then returned on Monday with Bouba and met Dana for lunch.


Part of Montmartre Cemetery where a number of famous people are buried




The real Moulin Rogue – as opposed to the fake one we have here in Geneva


Our tourguide, Jay, in front of the café where Amélie works in the movie




Moulin de la Galette, one of the city’s last surviving windmills


statue of the “Man Who Could Walk Through Walls” from a book by a French author


Au Lapin Agile, a restaurant Picasso used to frequent (and pay for with artwork)


pretty little Absinthe poster


the beautiful Sacre Coeur


recreating a scene from Amélie, sans blue arrows and avec many more tourists


Pickerington reunion! (the fact that we’re all wearing America’s colors is pure coincidence)


the city seen from the top of the hill

One afternoon Maggie and I came across a street performer who had a fairly elaborate set-up for an unsatisfying James Bond-inspired bike gag. Seemed about right (and at least he wasn’t a mime).



On Easter evening, Maggie had several friends and classmates over and Bouba treated us all to a delicious Senegalese dinner. It was a lot of fun, even if I didn’t understand half the French being spoken.


Bouba presents our dinner…


…and we all dig in…


…some more literally than others (this is the traditional way you’d eat in Africa, as anyone familiar with Ethiopian would know).


Bouba examining my contribution to the soirée


my hosts on a night out at a local bar


and I was also there

And that pretty much covers my weekend in Paris. It was great (as always) to reconnect with old friends and find inspiration in life and culture. The city definitely does have a unique atmosphere, and in watching Amélie and Paris, je t’aime again afterwards I recognized plenty of truth in their romanticized depictions.

This narration from Alexander Payne’s poignant closing vignette of the latter film says it all:

“Sitting there, alone in a foreign country, far from my job and everyone I know, a feeling came over me. It was like remembering something I'd never known before or had always been waiting for, but I didn't know what. Maybe it was something I'd forgotten or something I've been missing all my life. All I can say is that I felt, at the same time, joy and sadness. But not too much sadness, because I felt alive. Yes, alive. That was the moment I fell in love with Paris. And I felt Paris fall in love with me.”

Paris, France Part 2: Art

I like art, but I don’t always like an artist’s most well-known painting. Paris has a lot of well-known works by a lot of well-known artists, many of which I was forced to study in my collegiate art history courses. They also have a fair amount of other stuff that doesn’t get as much attention, which is what I most gravitated toward at the three art museums I went to (the Louvre, the Musée d’Orsay, and the Centre Pompidou).

First up, the Louvre. Everyone I’ve ever talked to has mentioned how impossible it is to try and see the whole thing. That was fine, because I didn’t really care to spend my Friday night looking at Etruscan antiquities or tapestries from the Middle Ages. Okay, so that’s a bit flippant, but the truth is that I was most interested in the paintings and was seriously underwhelmed by them. For example, I like da Vinci but have never been too interested in the Mona Lisa. Therefore, seeing it in the, er, oil was all the more anticlimactic (the thing is small).

Despite all of this, it was good to have the experience of being there — plus, Friday nights after 6pm are free to young adults under 26 so Maggie and I didn’t have to pay or stand in line to get in. And in Paris they must figure there’s no way they could police so many people, so photos are allowed (without flash).


I.M. Pei’s glass pyramids


the inner courtyard


inside


taking people taking pictures of famous paintings is as much fun as taking pictures of the paintings themselves!


Winged Victory


thoroughly unimpressed (but I was there!)

The next day I spent the afternoon at the Musée d’Orsay which is a little more my speed: lots of impressionism and related movements. I enjoyed the collection a great deal, though the rooms where the really famous stuff is (i.e. Monet and Van Gogh) were a little claustrophobic for my taste.

Here are some highlights:


the museum is housed in an old train station


“Enigma” by Gustave Doré


A room from the Art Nouveau collection


A bed from the Art Nouveau collection – this is what my parents’ guestroom needs


The disciples on the road returning from meeting the resurrected Jesus; appropriate for Easter weekend






Whistler’s Mother and friends


I really like this Cézanne – the texture alone is beautiful


great Seurat

I spent Easter Sunday afternoon taking in my favorite of the three museums, the Centre Pompidou for modern art. In addition to their expansive contemporary art collection, they have an amazing range of art from the modernist era onwards. I don’t know how many hours I spent there, but I do know it was worth the hour wait to buy tickets.




A couple exterior shots


Fibonacci crocodile. ’Nuff said.


I think this guy pairs with the Orsay’s polar bear quite nicely


Picasso’s “Guitarist”






The Juan Gris pieces (above three) were my favorites of their cubism collection


Beautiful Alexander Calder mobiles, beautifully displayed


sweet Magritte




The Bauhaus room


And finally, a lovely piece by Kupka

All in all, I really enjoyed the works and found more than a little inspiration to keep me going for another few months.

To come: Montmartre and Easter dinner