Yana and Sergio: the most amazing hosts on earth

After we replaced our bum GPS, Jeanna drove Jen and I from Salzburg, Austria to Langwiesen, Switzerland. We got to Sergio and Yana's house at about 12:30 am on Saturday, August 30th. It was a long drive on dark roads, and we were so glad when we reached our final destination...

Yana and Jeanna were roommates at BYU a few years ago, and Yana and her husband were so kind to put us up for a few nights. These folks are the salt of the earth, I have to say. They welcomed us with open arms into their lovely home, and we slept, for the first time since before our trip began, like champs. We knew we were safe and sound, and I'll be darned if Jeanna and I didn't sleep until...was it 10:30am? I couldn't believe I'd slept in so late! I was horrified when I learned that Yana held off eating breakfast until we could join them.

After breakfast and showers and such, Sergio and Yana showed us around their fair village (and surrounding areas).

Do you recognize this grainy video?

First they took us to Rheinfall, the largest waterfall in Europe

Panoramic view...

Proof that we were there. (We call these looks our "Swiss hair" because we couldn't do much else

View from near the falls

After Rheinfall, they took us to Schafhausen to look around some shops.
It was in Schafhausen that they introduced us to veal bratwurst. #yummmmm

Then we took a hike up a zillion stairs to Munot fortress (also in Schaffhausen)

I wanted this picture to show exactly how steep all the stairs were.
Goal: not accomplished.

There are vineyards everywhere in Switzerland

Just inside the fortress. Looking up.

On the roof of Munot fortress

The beautiful Rhein River just behind us and our Swiss hair...

The rose garden just outside the fortress

After our hike up and down the fortress, they introduced us to Swiss ice cream, and it didn't hurt my tummy!
#yummmm

After wandering around Schaffhausen, we went back to the house to relax for a bit,
then we followed Yana to the Rhein for her daily swim.

Yana had this goal to swim this 1km section of the Rhein 365 times before the weather turned too cold. (She's a go-getter like that.) Jen doesn't really love to swim, so she relaxed on the grass while Jeanna and I swam. We went with the current for 1km, and we thought we might drown. Yana continued to do another 3 or 4 laps. Because crazy. :)

It was pretty dang easy to fall in love with Switzerland

Yana and Sergio further spoiled us by making us one of the most delicious pastas I've ever eaten.
(Best meal of the trip, hands down)

On Sunday we went to church with Yana, Sergio and Yulian (Yana's son), and let me tell you: I didn't catch a heck of a lot of what was going on because I don't sprechen sie Deutch. Not a lick. So the three hour block may have felt a bit longer than usual. ;)

It was a rainy day, so we ended up taking a nap and relaxing the heck out of our Sunday in Switzerland. Like, we didn't even take a single picture. (But after our crazy first few days, we figured we'd earned a day to stand still.)

We stayed one more night in the comfort and safety of Yana and Sergio's home, then left just before the crack of dawn the next morning. More on that later.

In the meantime, I just want to let you know how ridiculously amazing Yana and Sergio are. Yana and Jeanna have remained good friends since the time they were roommates, but she didn't know Jen and I from Adam, and it was more than generous of Y & Sto open their home to a friend and two complete strangers. And then they immediately befriended us and made us feel at home right there in Europe. And then they doted on us and...and...

And I love Yana and Sergio. Amen and amen.

This is a picture Sergio took of us ladies:
me, Yana, Jeanna, and Jen