Along with all the normal "Navy stuff" that we did as a ship we also visited some really interesting ports including Naples & San Remo, Italy; Athens & Corfu, Greece; the island of Malta & Palma (Majorca) and Turkey. All of them were fun places to see - each in its own unique way. The highlight of all the places that I got to see was Switzerland. Switzerland, you say? Don't you know, Granddaddy, there are no ports for a ship to visit in Switzerland!? You're right, baby boy... in fact, here is a map of Europe showing where Switzerland is and showing clearly that it is "land-locked" (no part of the Swiss border is on the Mediterranean Sea).
How did I have the opportunity to visit Switzerland? My close friend, Charlie Ingram, and I decided we wanted to see the Swiss Alps so we took several days leave (Navy terminology for vacation). We rented a car and drove from San Remo on the Italian Rivera north into France, then back into northern Italy and then into Switzerland. The countryside in Northern Italy was amazing because it was beautiful and there were lots of medieval castles on both sides of the highway.
Switzerland was even more incredibly beautiful than Italy. Our trip was in October so it was autumn - cool, chilly at night and clear. Charlie and I spent the night in a neat little hotel and then drove back to the ship on the Italian coast the next day. Here are some pictures of that beautiful country:
This is one of Switzerland's castles:
For some reason this building reminds me of the place where Charlie and I spent the night:
Look how squeaky clean this Swiss street is:
WOW! Isn't this beautiful!?
In another blog post I'll tell you a funny story about something that happened to Charlie and me on our trip to Switzerland.I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Call me sometime 931-598-9160
PSS. This is my favorite picture of you... looks like you LOVE to swing!:
No comments:
Post a Comment