Flying High!!!

Hi All,

Well, we went from complete boredom to complete adventure!!!! Let me explain! Last Friday we landed in Varenna, Italy! It was so VERY beautiful... but we found out quickly two very important, very sad things! #1 they don't like tourists, well...people in general, but especially Americans and #2 there is ABSOLUTELY nothing to do!!! After touring the city, which took about an hour and eating at this really lovely lake side cafe we looked at each other and said - now what! We couldn't even get on the internet - thus our absence! The good and God thing was, Amy had come down with a bad head cold and this gave her time to sleep for a full day (Sunday) and not feel like she was missing out on anything cuz Amy can't miss out on anything!!!! I had a pleasant day sitting by the lake reading, but by dinner time I was bored and so very lonely!!! The people person that I am was so deprived - we could not get locals or even other tourists to even say hi, let alone converse. It was a bummer. But like I said Amy got to rest and by the next day she was feeling so much better.

The one thing we did find to do - and I mean find - because we couldn't find it at first - was, we climbed (we like to climb if you haven't noticed!) a mountain path up to a very old, crumbling, abandoned Castle. It had a drawbridge that actually worked, up until the point it was chained, but Amy had great fun with it anyway. She also had fun pretending to chop my head off with the sword/spear-like thing that the suit of armor was holding!

Adriene, you will be so excited, I went to a real Italian Catholic Mass. I didn't understand a word, but God was there and that was what was important to me! I could follow along though, because it took the same format of service that we have in the States.

On Monday morning we hopped a train to Gimmelwald, Switzerland. We were so very proud of ourselves, hopping trains without getting lost - but trust me, we are not going to get overconfident! Our hotel, or Pension, as they call it, is at about 4000+ feet above sea level overlooking snow capped mountains, green valleys and over 17 waterfalls. I kid you not - it is heaven come to earth... AND... they like us!!! AND there is soooooo much to do. This morning we hiked down the mountain about an hour and a half to the valley floor called Lauterbrunnen where we booked a wonderful adventure! Hold on to your hat Mom!!! We went Paragliding, which means we ran and jumped off of a mountain side!! (don't worry we had a parachute attached to us!) We were jumping tandem with an instructor and then proceeded to F-L-Y!

For about 20 minutes we swooped and spun and floated and it was incredible and beautiful and fun and exciting. The views were AMAZING. Because of the wind and the thermals we actually soared higher than our take off point! You could see the glacier and the water fall that is formed by the melting ice, and sheep grazing and cliff rock faces - WOW! What an experience!!! We have more adventures planned for the next few days - one every day. We even plan to stay here a day, probably 2, more. We found out that August 1st is their "4th of July" and they have a parade and fireworks. Amy had said when we got here, long before we knew about this that she wanted to see fireworks in the valley between the mountains - and so she shall have her wish! God is good to her (and me)!

SO... that is the Adventures of Sherri and Amy for today... definitely more to come! We are certainly having the time of our lives! Miss you all!