This wrap-up covers two weeks of our journey from August 25 to September 7. We took a day trip from Tallinn to Helsinki on the ferry on August 26 before flying to Geneva on August 27. We spent the next two weeks visiting Megan’s family in Montreux on Lake Geneva.
Favorite thing we ate: When we went out for fondue in Switzerland, we decided to get half classic fondue (made with white wine) and half beer fondue, which we hadn’t tried before. Jonathan loved the lighter, milder taste of the beer fondue; it was actually his favorite thing we ate in Switzerland [above left]! Megan wants to throw it way back to August 25 to recognize a delicious dinner we had at F-Hoone in Tallinn (recommended by my mom!). We both ordered the burger, which was delicious, but upgrading to sweet potato fries was the real highlight of the meal [above middle]. We didn’t eat out a lot while in Switzerland, so we also wanted to acknowledge the delicious bean dip Megan’s mom made for dinner one night at her place in Montreux [above right].
Favorite thing we drank: Megan tried the national drink of Finland: gin long drink, which is basically gin mixed with elderflower lemonade [above left]. Yum! Someone please check a BevMo in the States so I know if I’ll ever be able to enjoy this drink again after we move back…. 😉 While in Switzerland, Jonathan enjoyed drinking his favorite Portuguese beer (Super Bock), which for some reason was everywhere in Montreux! [I don’t have a picture of Super Bock, so I’m sharing Megan’s honorable mention at above right: this sparkling rosé from a Montreux winery.]
Favorite thing we did: Megan’s favorite part of the past two weeks was spending time with her family (of course), but her favorite activity was hiking Rochers de Naye with Jonathan on their 15-year dating anniversary [above left]. I definitely would not recommend doing this hike in sandals (!), but it was gorgeous and well worth the challenge. Jonathan’s favorite thing from Switzerland was also sentimental: We visited the Lavaux Vineyards (a UNESCO World Heritage Site along Lake Geneva), where we got engaged back in 2013. [Above middle: Our engagement in 2013. Above right: Revisiting the spot in 2019.]
Biggest splurge: We spent about $51 USD on three cocktails at a speakeasy in Helsinki. It was an awesome atmosphere and our waiter was very friendly. Photos were not allowed because the bar wants to “stay secret,” though we learned about this place on our free walking tour, so…. 😉
Best deal: We stayed with Megan’s mom for almost all of the past two weeks, so free lodging (and lots of free food) is about as good a deal as it gets! 😉
What we’re reading: Jonathan is reading The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith and listening to Save Me From Dangerous Men by S.A. Lelchuk. Megan read Trust Exercise by Susan Choi and Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams (sadly, she loved neither) and is currently reading And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini (which is much better thus far!).
Total walking distance: 41.74 miles (week 21–we walked 15.6 miles the day we visited Helsinki!) and 42.21 miles (week 22)
Up next: Exploring more of Central Europe.
Featured image: Montreux, Switzerland
