Contract Extended until August

Novartis has requested that I stay until the end of August....  Ron is planning on visiting for 2 weeks in June and is finally taking me to Paris!  We might also hit Barcelona or a region in Southern France for some R&R.  Please let me know if you are still interested in visting so I can plan accordingly.  I'm so excited to have an extra month in Basel and continue my adventure..  Also, I might take a trip to Africa in the beginning of September before I come home so anyone who wants to join me please let me know:) 

xoxoxoxo,
Jessica

Long weekend exploring the Alps......

Switzerland had another long weekend due to a bank holiday so I had a chance to travel this weekend.  We traveled to Gruyere, Geneva, Lugano, and Lucerne. Basically one city per day by train logging a total of 13 hours over four days and approximately 1000km.  During the trip I was able to experience Swiss culture in France, Italy, and Germany.  In Geneva and Gruyere they speak mostly French and are a stones through away from the French border.  In Lugano, I was able to expereince the "little italy" of Switzerland and finally relax in the sunshine and eat delicious italian lemoncello, gelato, pizza, risotto with fresh seafood, and of course great wine.  The last leg of the trip was spend in Lucerne on Mount Pilatus (elevation 7000 ft.) which can be reached with the Pilatus Railway, the world’s steepest cogwheel railway from Alpnachstad and the whole year with the aerial panorama gondolas and aerial cableways from Kriens. Pilatus has the longest summer toboggan track in Switzerland (0.88 miles or 1,350 m) and the biggest suspension rope park in Central Switzerland.  At the top of the mountain it was snowing and views are stunning....

View in Lugano:

View in Lucerne: