Deviating the Norm travel

22/09/2026

New blog post! This was truly an experience I'll remember forever. 🦅

Yes, I had the best hang gliding experience possible in Interlaken, Switzerland. It's actually the main reason I even went to Switzerland and Interlaken specifically. This location has the best hang gliding views over the Alps and alpine lakes. I watched a Discovery show when I was a kid about hang

17/06/2026

Last stop: Paris! How it took me my whole life to finally step foot in this beautiful city is beyond me. Alas, I made sure my flight home was from here to force myself to spend 2 nights here. I'm glad I did!

While the weather was a mix of rain and overcast, I managed to walk and metro all over this city, feeling quite familiar with it by the end of my whirlwind tour. I started and ended with a visit to the Eiffel Tower, but not to the typical part - behind it by the Seine is where I found awesome views and no crowds (or smaller at least).

I saw the covered famous shops, beautiful parks, the Louvre (not inside!), Notre Dame, National Library, Sacre Coeur, Moulin Rouge, and so much more.

I stayed with a photographer in the 5th, ate outside at a cafe and people watched, met someone who works for Cirque du Soleil, drank jungle juice with a Dominican Parisian, spotted all the street art including "the mona lisa," listened to live music and watched sunset from Sacre Coeur, and observed the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night.

I felt very fulfilled by my very short time there. I'm not big on travel to big cities. But Paris felt overdue and I'm glad I built it into my plan.

12/06/2026

Colmar was the right choice for my stay in the Alsace W**e region in France. With its cobblestone streets, half-timbered houses, and meandering canals, it was like stepping into an 1800s fairytale at times. The decorative windows, flowers everywhere, elaborate metal shop signs, nighttime lighting effects and so much more had me absolutely charmed and transfixed.

This was a place that I could truly wind down and relax into after days of intense hiking and adventuring in Interlaken and Chamonix. I stayed 4 nights in a local resident's private apartment with a traditional courtyard and big door that opened just steps away from the center of everything. There was a loft with a tub right next to the bed that I absolutely took advantage of! 🫧

I slow-explored every street and park within a 30 minute walking radius and discovered the Statue of Liberty sculpturist is from Colmar with his home, many scultures, and a replica of the famous lady all on view and marked in town. Such a neat connection between Colmar and my home of NY! 🗽

11/06/2026

One of the only ways to reach the snow-topped parts of the French Alps in Chamonix in May is to take the gondola up to Aiguille du Midi (Needle of the South).

I bought an early morning ticket, expecting it to be delayed until the snow melted back at the top. Sure enough, I was able to board before 10am. This ride involves a midway switch to a second gondola. You crawl upwards to above the clouds to over 12,000 feet! Actually, I was IN the clouds at first.

Before boarding, I watched as professional skiiers and snow boarders with insane mountain gear rattled at their waist belts carried huge packs onto the gondolas. At the top, I waited for the clouds to clear by watching them all as they prepared in a hallway at the top and then exited through a little gate to the mountainside below - a gate with a literally warning of death beyond that point. ⚠️ I watched as they traversed in spiked boots into a white out of clouds along the slippery, snow-covered slope, down to their launch point. Later, when the clouds cleared, I could see them all shooting down the mountain - Observing all of this was the most incredible parts of the experience!

Once the sun was shining the visibility increased, I headed up an elevator to the highest point - the Needle. A glass box was installed there for folks to take photos. But the best views were outside on the decks. Birds were flying all around at these heights and everwhere I looked, far into the distance, there were layers and layers of craggy mountain peaks, including Mont Blanc itself.

Stunning!

I could have stayed all morning. But it was also SO hard to move around up there. Even a couple of steps at a time felt like I weighed 1000 lbs. Without time to adjust via a slower ascent, my body was weighted by gravity with head-pounding pressure. I had to breathe through every step up stairs so as not to lose balance and pass out. 12,000+ feet is no joke on the human body. The views though... worth all the discomfort! I'd do it again and again.

I took so many photos and video and yet it still doesn't feel like enough to capture what it felt like to witness this beauty.

09/06/2026

I never expected the Le Lac Blanc hike in Chamonix, FR to be THIS good! Swipe all the way over for the SURPRISE Ibex sighting. 😍

I knew several hikes were closed off, including gondola rides to higher altotudes, for my stay in the French Alps. So I looked for lower altitude hikes I could start out on and then *maybe* I'd be able to climb higher than expected. Not 20 minutes into the hike, others on their way down informed me it was too snow covered and dangerous to go all the way to the lake.

In Chamonix, no matter where you hike, the views are stunning. So I was already easily satisified by this hike. I wanted to push ahead anyway until I couldn't go any farther. After about an hour of ascending, I reach the (pinnacle rock formations) that mark the point where the trail ended for me. Nornally, this would be where I'd take a series of ladders up a cliff side. There was no way across the steep, slippeey, snow-covered slope.

I sat down to have a small lunch - snacks I'd packed including some gay gummies from Germany. 🌈😁 And then I headed back down.

When I reached fork in the trail, I decided "Why not?" And took an alternative way down. This would take me to the next bus stop on my way anyway. I had no idea this choice was about to award me so well...

I went down a wrong path at one point, mesmerized by an enormous, squarely angled boulder. Around the other side of it and the path was about to end, letting me know I'd went the wrong way. But it turned out to be the best mistake - an Ibex suddenly emerged on the path ahead of me and then politely picked its way down the side of the hill to get out of my way. Then another Ibex appeared over the hill on the path. Both wandered to the sides, munching leaves and scratching at their molting winter coats, and allowing me to pass through.

After they moved on, I found the right path forward and finished my journey back down and to the bus stop.

What an awesome hike!! Welcome to Chamonix, home of the world famous Mont-Blanc Loop Hike. I'd just hiked a small section of it!

07/06/2026

On my last day in Interlaken, I took a series of buses, train and gondola to Mürren in Lauterbrunnen.

The gondola ride to get there is considered the steepest in the world, hovering over the waterfall, Mürrenbachfall.

I was immediately charmed by this quaint town with no cars, sitting on the mountainside. I was transfixed by the window/exterior decor like little owls and painted bird houses and the blooming flower gardens everywhere. 😍

An adorable cat joined me as I sat at the lookout point over the valley. What a wonderful place to live for an outdoor kitty.

Despite the cloudy weather, the rain held as I walked downhill to the next village of Grimmelwald to take in the area more completely.

On the way, the cows, the little wooden shacks, more flowers, and those views had me walking along with a huge smile. 😁

I made it back to the lodge just before the rain began. And right after getting the best dark chocolate gelato ever!

06/06/2026

Unbelievable mountain views from First to frozen Lac Bachalpsee above Gindelwald. I made the last minute decision to go here the day after hang-gliding and I'm so happy I did.

Part of me was hoping to hoke all the way to Faulhorn but the track was closed the rest of the way due to snow. I wasn't mad about it though.

The views were already so satisfying the whole time, no matter where I looked. 360 degrees of bright green grasslands and evergreens, blue snow patched craggy peaks, earthy rolling expanses with white fluff and then after about an hour of hiking emerged the aqua blue of the frozen lake. Most people see this lake in summer - so seeing it frozen was a unique treat.

04/06/2026

✅️ Childhood dream of Hang-Gliding over the Alps, check! Since I was very little, I wanted to feel the sensation of flying - or the closest thing to it. Hang-gliding was always what I looked at as that opportunity. I was just waiting to do it in a place with a well established industry for it paired with unbeatable views. Interlaken was always that place for me.

I'd been researching this opportunity for years. But I wasn't sure this would be the best timing for it - Early in the season, with fewer clear, sunny days and less of a chance to catch the warm thermals that take you up high.

When Birdman Bernie, owner and 20+ year expert of , told me he could take me out at the best time of day the next day after I arrived? I jumped at the opportunity. Especially because the weather reports looked promising. That's the benefit of traveling during shoulder season - fewer tourists mean you can make last minute decisions for optimal results. Oh man, did we pick the right day and time.

On the way to the take off location, Bernie shared that he hadn't caught a thermal yet that season, reminding me they are less common before the start of summer. But as we were setting up, he shouted to his mate, "WHOA! You aee that strong thermal right there?!" pointing toward the blowing flags placed along the hill and a rising cloud of pollen.

We had at least 10 minutes of false starts before Bernie picked the perfect moment, the best gust of wind, to run down the hill and take off above the trees. As soon as the wind caught us, I felt it - I'm FLYING! And that's when the thermal lifted us.

Higher and higher we soared. I could see 360 degree views of snow topped Swiss Alps, two glittering lakes below, vibrant greenery all around and bright brlue skies with puffy clouds that we were inching closer and closer to. "I don't even need to hike now! There's no better views than this!"

I expected a 20 minute flight, tops. We were up for 45 minutes - 6200+ feet. Even Bernie said it was one of his best flights this year.

The best of the best. I feel so grateful. What a beautiful experience I will never forget!

03/06/2026

What an awesome first viewpoint to check out right after arriving in Interlaken!

Harder Kulm hangs above the city between lakes Thunersee and Brienzersee at over 1300 meters (4300 feet). The views are dope! This also makes the start of a challenging trail along the ridge.

But I arrived at sunset, fresh off my train and right after checking into my lodge.

It was a good test of all my cold weather gear. I packed right!

The gondola back down after dark was a real treat, too, with the city lights ahead. Closing out the evening with a quiet walk through town was the perfect start to 4 nights in Interlaken!

31/05/2026

What a gift! A Bavarian rainbow send off on my last evening with my relatives before traveling to Switzerland.