-
European trip #15: Ta da….Tourbillon
My thoughts as I worked my way up to this castle….I would have to REALLY like you to make this trek to see you on a regular basis! 😝 Definitely glad I took the time to visit, as the views were amazing. Also, I am fascinated by places that have these ancient and historical buildings just sitting among the modern day workings of the city they reside in. Here is what our pal Wikipedia has to say about this castle: “It was built at the end of the 13th century under the direction of Bishop Boniface de Challant. Of a defensive nature and perched on the top of a steep, rocky hill, it served as the residence of the bishops of Sion. The Tourbillon Castle was badly damaged by the conflicts between the bishops and the people of Valais. It was burnt down in 1417 during the Raron affair, a war between the people of Sion and the Raron family. It was rebuilt by Bishop William III of Raron some thirty years later. In 1788 it was completely destroyed by another fire. The stones of the castle were used for some time for construction in the region before the ruins were reinforced in the 19th century to make it a historical monument. The castle is a Swiss heritage site of national significance.
The castle is protected by nature; very steep terrain surrounds the structure. Accessible only from the east or west, it consists of a courtyard protected by surrounding walls. The castle has a keep, its own chapel and a garrison building.” #castleruins #switzerland #history #sionswitzerland
-
European trip #14: Uphill to Tourbillon
Now for the uphill walk to the castle, once you have passed through Rue Des Chateau. Yes, you see cars in the first pic….they were having some kind of small military ceremony, so they had special permission to park there. The path leading up to the castle is an extremely rocky and narrow in some spots, as you can see from the photos. The views were amazing, and it was a gorgeous day. Just when you reached an outer gate-like structure, you realized you still had quite a ways to go. #tourbillon #sion #castleruins #switzerland
-
Wish list: BudhaGirl – Paris Panache Stack
Each week, releases a style stack of the week. At that time, they offer the stack for purchase. Normally, to get the stack you would have to purchase several different sets of bracelets. Whenever I like the stack of the week, I generally take a screen shot of it, to refer to at a later time, when I am able to purchase the pieces. Obviously, the better deal is to purchase at the time they offer the stack of the week, but obviously that is not always possible. This way, I can build the stack as I am able, by purchasing the different sets when they are on sale or when I have extra $$$. #budhagirl #stackoftheweek #bracelets #alwaysaccessorize #wristwishlist
-
European trip #13: Walk to Tourbillon
European trip musings #13: After visiting Zermatt, the following day we left our hotel in Sion, Switzerland, headed to Italy. Prior to leaving Sion, as I mentioned in a previous post, I wanted to check out Tourbillon Castle. Charles opted out of this little jaunt to do some reading, and instead dropped me off and let me explore. This worked out perfectly, as you cannot reach the castle by car. These pictures were taken as I walked along Rue Des Chateau, as I made my way toward the rocky path that would take me uphill to the castle. #castleruin #tourbillon #exploring #cobbledstreets #switzerland
-
OOTD: Set-up day fit
Show set-up days are always a day for cute, but comfy. It is a 12+ hour day, so comfort is key. Here, I am wearing my “Best Day Ever’ tee from Walt Disney World, a Halara tennis skirt, a pair of ASICS, and silicone Bali bracelets from Canvas Style. Even on set-up days, I like to try and accessorize, and silicone Bali bracelets are perfect, as they are stylish and flexible! #ootd #disneytees #always accessorize #casualwear
-
Neutrals & Gold
One of the things that I love about my bracelet collection, is mixing and matching them to coordinate with whatever I am wearing. I love mixing not only styles, but also brands. This beaded bracelet stack features bracelets from Allie + Bess and Bourbon and Boweties. #bracelets #braceletstacking #alwaysaccessorize #armcandy
-
European trip #12: Souvenirs Matter(horn)
European trip musings #12: I am a lover of tchotchkes, or souvenirs. My go-tos are mugs, magnets, tees, or keychains. However, when possible, I love finding a trinket that is only available in the location I’m in. I am happy to report that in our travels together, Charles has also adopted this way of remembering his travels, albeit on a MUCH smaller scale! 🤭 Switzerland is world-renowned for its quality, craftsmanship, and precision, when it comes to watches. In Zermatt, as you can imagine, there were loads of shops selling watches. While window shopping, we found a small shop owned and operated by Robert Raschle. I was drawn into this shop by the “zermatt ring” that was displayed. Turns out, Mr. Raschle not only designed the ring I was admiring, but he also designed watches, one of which featured the Matterhorn. Charles purchased one of these unique time pieces for himself, and also bought each of us one of the Zermatt rings. Mr. Raschle was a lovely man, and we felt fortunate to meet and support this Swiss watchmaker. #swissmade #swisswatch #tchotchke #souvenir #europeanvacation
-
European trip #11: Zermatt
European trip musings #11: Ahhhh….Zermatt. (Spoiler alert: the first pic in this series is a billboard at the Tasch train station…which would be my only way of seeing the Matterhorn on this trip 🤣🙁). This charming town of wooden swiss chalets offers the apres ski vibe, for those who come to hit the slopes. It is also known as a place for stunning views of the famous pyramidal peak in the Alps known as Matterhorn. I was super psyched to see this 14,692 peak. (As I had seen the “replica” last year at Disneyland, when I rode the Matterhorn Bobsleds 🤭). Alas, the Matterhorn was not to be seen by us the day we visited, as it was shrouded in clouds. The young man in the tourist office laughed at us when we said we wanted to see it…..”not today”, were his words. 🤓😬While September is one of the best months for clear views of the peak, the cloud cover is unpredictable, due to Matterhorn’s isolated position and height. We ran into a newlywed couple that were on their honeymoon from California. They were actually staying in Zermatt and doing some hiking, and said that they only saw the peak for about an hour when the clouds cleared on one of the days. The best way to get a glimpse of Matterhorn is to stay a few days in Zermatt, or, take a cogwheel or cable car for a better view. I would love to go back to Switzerland and stay a few days in Zermatt for some hiking, and especially for a chance to see Matterhorn. #swissalps #matterhorn #apresski #skitown
-
European trip #10: Headed to Zermatt
European trip musings #10: Zermatt, Switzerland, is a combustion engine car free zone, in an effort to reduce air pollution that could obscure the view of the Matterhorn from the town. It also helps to preserve the town’s charming atmosphere. The road to Zermatt was closed in 1931, and by the 1980’s, generally only battery driven vehicles were being used. The main transportation to Zermatt is on the railway train out of the nearby town of Täsch. There were not many people traveling to Zermatt at the time we went, but some of them did have suitcases and skis, revealing that they were planning on staying in Zermatt and hitting the slopes. The train ride was less than 15 minutes, and was a lovely way to see some more of the Swiss countryside. #swisscountryside #swissalps #europeanvacation #zermatt #trainride
-
Hotels: Mayflower Hotel, Washington DC
Back in 2017, we stayed at The Mayflower Hotel, a Marriott property, in Washington DC. This is one of Marriott’s Vacation Club properties, and we were there to check out their VC program. It was a stunning property, with a great location. We did not join their VC club, but we had a great time in DC while we contemplated it! #washingtondc #mayflowerhotel #hotelstays #vacationclub #marriott
Home
Golden Sunshine Curly Girl 