Lucerne

On Friday, June 11, we took a train to the city of Lucerne in central Switzerland. At Lucern we toured the Culture and Congress Hall (a beautiful, modern facility with an incredible concert hall and an art gallery) and then had free time to wander the old city and the paths around Lake Lucerne.

-Dave Clark

The Ascetic Life at St. Bernard's Monastery

On Tuesday, June 8, our group took a train to Martigny and then boarded a bus for the mountains. At a point about 5 kilometers below the St. Bernard pass we got out and walked along the trail used by the Romans to come from Italy into the Rhone Valley and from thence into central Europe. About 2 kilometers below the pass we put on snow shoes and climbed the rest of the way to the St. Bernard Monastery on the glacier.

We stayed at the monastery for two nights where we attended classes taught by Dr. Chris Fawson, attended a mass in the monastery chapel and performed a service project. For the service project we were recruited to assemble the kennels that hold the St. Bernard dogs who inhabit the monastery for the summer. The dogs are kept in the valley for the winter because the weather is too harsh at the pass (the rescue dogs of old who carried casks of brandy to stranded travelers were of tougher stock than the modern, pampered pooches who come to the monastery strictly for the sake of the tourists). The kennel project went well in spite of the fact that we were working in gale force winds, dense fog and misting rain for five hours. By the time we were finished everyone was soaked and chilled to the bone. It was hard work but the students did a fantastic job. The monks invited us to come back next year!

A Day in Sion

Sion is a city in the Rhone Valley established first by the Romans over 2000 years ago. It's a beautiful old city over-looked by a basillica and the ruins of a castle from the early middle ages. From the point of the cliff where the castle stands you have an unobstructed view of the Rhone Valley, which was carved by an ancient glacier. The glacier also created the basin where Lake Geneva is now located and the Rhone River feeds the lake today. Over the centuries countless armies have traveled north-south routes through the Rhone Valley including such military luminaries as Hannibal (with his elephants) and Napoleon. The hillsides of the valley are covered with vineyards on terraces that were started by the Romans and expanded by the Catholic monks who controlled the wine industry for the church. The pictures included with this post are of the Rhone Valley, the vineyards and the castle.

The Olympic Museum and Chillon Castle

In Lusanne we visited the Olympic museum, which had some unique and interesting exhibits including a number of items from our own Salt Lake City 2002 Winter Games. Then we went to Chillon Castle on Lake Geneva. The castle has stood at the entrance to the Rhone Valley since about 1300 and has a great history. This evening we had a magnificent thunder and lightning storm in Leysin and it rained for over an hour.

-Dave Clark

In Leysin, Switzerland!

Planes, trains and automobiles. After arriving via Delta Airlines in Paris I took a series of trains to a town called Aigle on the north end of Lake Geneva. At Aigle I was met by Dominique, the proprietor of the Au Bel Air Hotel, who drove me the rest of the way to Leysin. Leysin is in the mountains (the "Pre-Alps") on the north side of the Rhone River Valley. It's a ski village with spectacular views of the mountains, beautiful Swiss chalets everywhere and cows on every hillside with bells that can be heard ringing with a sound something akin to wind chimes wherever you go. It's a remarkable and lovey place.

I spent the first day here (Saturday) becoming familiar with the village, watching a local youth soccor match and hiking. Dominique invited me to join him, his wife and his hotel staff for lunch, which was served on the terrace and was wonderful. The students then arrived in the late afternoon and we all had dinner together. Tomorrow the study experience begins in earnest!

While the students are staying at the Au Bel Air Hotel (pictured above) I'm staying at a Bed and Breakfast not far from there called the Ermina. The first picture in this post shows a view of the mountains from one of the streets in the village and the last picture is the view from the balcony of my room.

-Dave Clark

Be Proactive...

Hey guys.... my only thought about this week, and actually a comment I almost made in class last Tuesday, is that I think it's important that we remember the Habit #1- Be Proactive! It would be fine and dandy to just sit down and watch the videos and feel all good about ourselves but that would just be self help that goes away the second the videos are over. This program is all about getting out there and job "HUNTING"... until we get the one we want right?! Just remember that. 


-Blake

Getting Ready to Go!

Orientations are over. Presentations are past. Travel begins tomorrow! On Thursday June 3, 2010 the journey to Leysin, Switzerland starts and the Design Thinking experience is officially underway. Here's wishing us all "bon voyage"!


-Dave Clark