St. Moritz

Highly recommended! Go in off season, stay in one of the villages 5km away from it and you too can experience what Prince Charles does every winter. I experienced one of the nicest surroundings in Switzerland. The lakes, the mountains were simply mesmerizing. It was truly incredible.

They have maps you can take for free at the tourist information right in the villages. For hiking, they will also provide you with a list of all the trails available in the area, and how long it takes to hike them. I would recommend a trail map, simply because it provides some comfort in knowing where the heck you are going and better detail than what the tourist maps would.

state side for a few days

Went back to the states for three days. It was an interesting experience. I was able to test my idea of moving back to the states. There are certainly plus and minuses. The up side is certainly obvious - I speak the language, know how things work, have friends that make up a fantastic social network, the job opportunities available, the convenience, the amount of entertainment available, the restaurants, and it is the place I want to settle down in the long run. Best of them all is the powerful capitalist machine - the shopping, the amount of merchandise available, choices. Consumer is KING! (Those of you who know me are probably shocked to hear me say that, but wait until you move to Europe)

There are some obvious downsides too: with the commercialism, things are more about money than anything else, there are people everywhere, no easy access to nature or places where you can take a nice long walk. (I noticed that the three days I was there, I walked less than I would in one day in Switzerland)

It certainly put things in perspectives for me.

do you call?

so, here is the situation.
I traveled across the pond to the west coast for an interview. The time on land between flights was three days. I met up with two friends for dinner the first two days. The girl friend of a good buddy lives in that town; she is also a classmate from last year. Even though I might not have the best relationship with her, do I call and maybe hang out the last night there? Or, do I go to an alum event, and make some contacts? Or, after a full day of interviews, sit and relax?

What's your take?

Nice, Cannes, Eze, and Monaco

Eze, the destination YiChun had talked about for the last six months finally made our travel itinerary. The first trip YiChun and I took after her move here was to the French Riviera (as if the Swiss Riviera wasn't good enough).

We stayed in this little hotel at the center of Nice, in the Messena street. It was well located. The seafood in Nice was pretty good. Although I do have to say they definitely charge a fair tourist premium. But hey, what are you going to do, it's the french!

The beaches in Nice and Cannes were really not that impressive. The Nice beach is stone, and while the Cannes beach is a bit nicer and sandy, both of them cater to tourists en mass. Not my thing. The back streets of Nice are quit quaint and filled with little shops and restaurants that are worth an afternoon's exploration.

Eze was WAY cool. It's this little village built on a cliff in the 15th century. The town was full of little alleys and had a spectacular view of the bay. I have to admit that I was not expecting anything that nice and unique. I was really surprised. If you ever make it out to Nice, and have little time, make Eze your destination. The bus from Nice drops you off right in the center of town. Take a walk up to the town, and be sure to make a stop for a drink at Le Château de la Chèvre.

Monaco is cool for its romantic image, F1, the casino, and of course, the playground of the rich and famous. It's an interesting place to visit.