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Europe 2013
Table of Contents
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Introduction
You can thank our good friends Asmir and Miriam for this trip. Oh, and perhaps her brother Daniel's birthday. I think that played a part.

Miriam immigrated from Germany to Canada in 2011, and had not been back recently to see her family. Given that her brother Daniel was turning thirty in June of 2013, she decided to visit during that celebration. As part of the birthday festivities, Miriam seized upon the idea of organizing a trip to visit something a bit exotic - a visit to the country of Turkey. There were many discount regional carriers operating from Europe to Turkey, she reasoned, and a low-cost weekend package deal from Germany to Turkey was very likely to be had. Would we perhaps like to join them, she asked?

We said yes.
courtesy JInnes
 Asmir and Miriam
In an unexpected but very generous additional offer, Miriam and her family suggested to Jenn and I that if we so wished, we were welcome to spend an additional week in advance at Miriam's family's Swiss flat, located within the mountainous Glarus Alps of southeastern Switzerland. The location would be an ideal base for exploring nearby peaks - something we are wont to do. Needless to say, we jumped at the opportunity.
Gear List
Hmm. Switzerland, eh? That means peaks high enough to have glaciers, relatively big ones even. That meant glacier travel, and for that, we like to travel in at least a group of three. So, we needed at least one other partner in crime for the Swiss week of our vacation. Armed with the lure of free accommodations in a Swiss flat, we fished about - eventually snagging a Mr. Brian Connell, a reliable rope-mate who has been on many outdoor outings with us.
courtesy BConnell
 Rescue setup practice
So, even though much of our trip would be sightseeing and visiting, we now needed to do some work to get ready for a week in high mountains. In the weeks leading up to our trip, therefore, we went through our usual ritual of mountain trip preparations and training. An outing or two in mountains close by, and crevasse rescue training in the backyard.

Soon the day of our departure - Friday, June 14 - was upon us. Brian, Jenn and I convened at the airport in Ottawa to begin our journey. Asmir and Miriam were flying separately from us, planning for a week of family visiting. We would meet up with them later in Germany, once we had finished with our mountain-week in Switzerland.
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[ Return to "European Hopscotch" Home page | Introduction | Switzerland | Oberalpstock I | Oberalpstock II | Alpenbreak | Vorderalp | Rheinwaldhorn I | Rheinwaldhorn II | Return to Germany | Daniel's Birthday | Turkey | Topkapi Palace | Hagia Sophia | Spice Bazaar | Blue Mosque | Grand Bazaar | Süleymaniye Mosque | Galata Tower | Farewell to Turkey | Turkey to Italy | Italy | "Tour" Day | Venice | Ferrata for Sophie | Ferrata for Luke | Epilogue | GPS Data ]


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