Day 2: Adventure-Packed Day on Vatnajokull Glacier



Eagle Air to Hofn



 The itinerary for Day 2 took us to Vatnajokull Glacier - Europe's largest glacier.  To fit this excursion into our trip, we had to hop on a small propeller plane from Reykjavik (on the Western end of Iceland) to fly to Hofn, a small village town all the way on Iceland's Eastern end -- a one hour plane ride, instead of a 4-5 hour car ride.  While I enjoyed my first prop-plane ride, Lucia turned pretty green given the bumpy ride on the way back to Reyk....I'm just relieved she didn't hurl - it was close there for a moment and I had the barf bag on standby......

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon

After landing in Hofn, our tour guide drove us to Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon, where huge aqua-blue icebergs float around.  This is also the site where 21 minutes of the 2003 version James Bond "Die Another Day" movie was filmed (now I gotta go check-out that movie, hehe).  The view of the pristine icebergs was breathtaking and surreal.  Definitely an incredible site!  An added bonus of the tour was being able to board the equivalent to a "Duck Boat" to take you into the waters of the lagoon and get an up-close view of the icebergs.

"Duck Boat" Equivalent

 

Iceberg up-close

While it was hard to peel ourselves away from the lagoon, next stop was to climb aboard four-wheel ATVs to traverse the unique rugged terrain of Iceland's "countryside," consisting of green hills and glacier rivers.  It was my first time riding on ATVs and it was definitely an awesome experience.  Along the way, we stopped by a stream of running glacier water, where our ATV tour guide handed-out cups for us to drink the "freshest tasting water" you can ever find....Shockingly, I didn't hesitate drinking water that wasn't from a Poland's Spring water bottle, but it was pretty cool....

The ATV ride was a lot of fun, and the view of Hoffesjokul Glacier that we were treking towards made the experience even more awesome.  From where we were standing to snap all these pictures, we would have been on the glacier itself 80 years ago -- that's how "quickly" the glaciers have evolved and melted...

Hoffesjokul Glacier



Lucia got stuck!



Of course after a long, action-packed day of adventure and physical activity, we worked-up an appetite and made sure to get in some more good eating...Iceland is known for being seafood-rich, and I've made sure to get in my fix of "Langoustine" (a.k.a. Lobster).  Langoustine is smaller than the lobsters we're used to in Boston, but the meat is very tender.  For dinner, we had to try out "Icelandic Fish & Chips" with an ice cold beer to go along with it.  So delicious....It was the perfect way to end a very successful day of adventure in Iceland!

Grilled "Langoustine" (Lobster Tails)

Icelandic Fish & Chips



Cold & Rainy Conditions in Reykjavik, Iceland

I'm in Reykjavik (capital of Iceland) for the next week, first half for vacation with Lucia who's joined me, and then for business meetings.  After taking the red-eye flight, I'm just wrapping up an exhausting first day in this "village city." While it's not freezing cold here at about 40-50 degrees Farenheit, the wind makes it feel a lot colder than it really is.  Plus, it's been overcast and showery.  If it's like this in May, I don't want to know what it's like in the winter!  It's past 11pm here and it's still bright outside this time of year.  The landscape of Reykjavik is definitely unique, and it doesn't have a metropolis feel to it.  It's more like a village with lots of cute little streets and shops, and an endless number of bars and pubs!  However, the streets haven't been filled with people - it's actually been pretty quiet.  Originally, we were supposed to take a speedboat tour down a river, but I got a call last minute from the tour group saying they had to reschedule because the river flooded and the dock was washed away last night.  Thus, we had to change-up plans and our first day entailed lots of walking, exploring around the city streets, and eating! 

 

Baejarins Bestu

First up on our list of to-do's was to hit up the famous "Baejarins Bestu" hot dog stand for lunch.  It claims to have the best hot dog in the world, with President Clinton as one of its patrons.  While it was pretty good, it still doesn't compare to "Pinks" in L.A.  Though, it was nice not having the same 2 hour + line at Pinks.....I'd still recommend visiting this stand if you're ever in Reykjavik. 

Can you tell I'm wet & cold?

I think Lucia is handling the rain better than me

After lunch, it was time to burn off the calories from the hot dogs and get in Lucia's fix of window shopping...there are tons of random little shops here offering unique Icelandic clothing and souvenirs.  And, of course, Iceland is known for being by the water and offering lots of seafood.

Hereford Steakhouse Special

 I had heard from others that had previously visited Iceland that the country is known for unique food, such as Puffin and Whale.  I decided to be adventurous on my first night and ordered Puffin for dinner.  I figured Puffin would be a safer bet over Whale.  While the first course was pretty good, "Smoked Puffin Salad," the main course entree of Grilled Puffin Breasts was much too gamey for my taste....I'm still smelling the bad aftertaste...

Smoked Puffin Salad

Grilled Puffin
(and the souvenir I bought earlier in the day)

So, despite the cool and raw weather conditions, it's been a pretty successful first day of exploring Reykjavik.  Tomorrow's going to be a grueling day of physical activity, so stay-tuned for my next update from Iceland!

In Germany: A Seat at the Table - The Board Room Table....

Last week, I marked my one year anniversary working for Merck KGaA.  8 business trips later, I find myself in Germany for the third time since joining the company last April.  I'm wrapping up a week-long trip in Darmstadt, Germany (approximately 30 minutes outside Frankfurt) where Merck KGaA's headquarter site is.  This trip was all business, so I apologize in advance for all the career talk.  But, I do find it fitting, since a lot of my travels this year would not have happened without my job and the experiences & opportunities it has given me in the last year....


Frankfurt skyline



Darmstadt city center

If all the traveling has taught me anything, it has been to expect the unexpected and to think on your feet!  In this trip alone, I've had the following happen to me:  (1)  My flight Sunday night leaving Boston should have departed at 10:20pm, but as we approached the edge of the runway ready to take-off, the flight attendants announced over the PA, "Is there a doctor onboard?  We have a passenger who is ill...."  Turns out the person had a panic attack!  Sheesh....After getting them to sign some waver forms, we continued with our flight, albeit 1 hr later since we missed our take-off window waiting for this person to recover.  (2)  The admins here put me in a hotel (Hofgut Dippelshof in Muhltal-Traisa) that is a bit out of the way and in the woods - so far away, that a cab driver didn't even know how to get to it when driving me home after dinner one night -- the guy didn't know English and didn't know how to use the GPS; he wanted to just dump me on some side street in the middle of nowhere.  Good thing I've learned to keep my cool, and thought fast to call the transfer company to have them either get this crazy driver to drive me back to the city or talk them through how to get to my hotel!

It's been all work and no play this time around....But, as usual, I've been able to at least get some good food and drinking into my trip....



A Super Sized Salad



Of course had to have my fix of Wiener Schnitzel



My Favorate:  A German Pils!



More Pils....





German Sausages



My new found love for Cappuccino



Our site in Darmstadt is pretty massive.  It's a huge compound/campus consisting of both offices and manufacturing plants, along with its own fire station and gas station.  It's my third time here, and it's starting to feel "comfortable" for me.  As I walk to our canteen (cafeteria) and throughout campus, it's nice that I'm starting to see familiar faces and get, "Hello's," from people all over the globe from all walks of life!  I had colleagues from our offices in France drive 2 hours to come meet with me, and German colleagues tell me that my Swiss colleagues report my meetings last month in Switzerland were a success -- it's nice to have some "wins" and see these faces, because it makes the world seem a bit smaller.... 



Merck KGaA Darmstadt Campus



"The Pyramid - Campus Main Entrance

4 job interviews ago with a prior company, a hiring manager had told me, "our business partners definitely give finance a seat at the table..."  Unfortunately, that didn't come to fruition....While I was inundated with meetings all this week and put on information overload, I leave Darmstadt with the feeling that I finally have  that "seat at the [board room] table" that I've always strived for.  I feel like I'm finally hitting my stride 12 months into the job and I get to make an impact on the job and I really hope this ride doesn't come to a screetching halt anytime soon....But, as I've come to learn 4 companies later, change is always around the corner.  Next week is supposed to be a big week at the office, as there should be some leadership succession announcements made, so I'm a little anxious in terms of what that means for my newly found "career bliss..."

Zurich, Switzerland: Favorite European City & Country Visited So Far

Less than 24 hours since landing back home, I thought I had the whole weekend to post this blog, until I saw the calendar say today's 3/31, so I better get the March trip posted and time-stamped while it's still March!  It's been over a month since my last trip...With the hiatus over, the last week of March took me to Switzerland for business travel, but of course being the multi-tasker that I've now become, I made sure to get in some pleasure and fun.....

It was a jammed pack week juggling between meetings and sight-seeing, and I've got a ton of pictures and material to organize without making this entry a little too much to handle, so for my Facebook friends, make sure to check-out the full album on my wall.  I've decided to organize this entry into "buckets" of categories of my key takeaway impressions of Switzerland.

For most of the week, my primary location was where the company's office is located, in this small city an hour north of Zurich, called "Schaffhausen."  To get to Schaffhausen, I had to fly to Zurich airport and then take an hour train ride.  For those of you who know me well, I don't even take public transportation at home, so the prospect of taking a train abroad gave me some anxiety beforehand.  So, my first topic of discussion is the train system in Switzerland.  People were right - I had nothing to worry about, as the railway system in Switzerland is really sophisticated and rider-friendly.  Furthermore, it's a great way to see the country, as a lot of the railroad tracks go through scenic areas.  If trains in the U.S. had similar accommodations as they do in Europe, I'd definitely take public transportation more often.....

Zurich Train Schedule

Comfortable Train Accommodations

Ham & Cheese Rosti

Moving onto the next topic, it'd have to be about the food, since I usually get questions about how the food is wherever I go.  I enjoy Swiss food more than French or German cuisine.  For my taste, Swiss food isn't as "funky" as French cuisine, and not as "boring" as German food.  I noticed the Swiss use potatoes in a lot of their dishes, and they definitely make the best rendition of a "hash-brown."  When colleagues took me out for lunch, I asked what's the most authentic dish on the menu to give me the full Swiss experience, they suggested a "Rosti," which is a giant hashbrown layered with an equally gigantic egg omelette.  They warned me it would be heavy and big, but I figured might as well give it a try.  Here I was, the only girl at lunch, stuffing myself on this giant hashbrown-and-omelette, while the two dudes I was with were picking at their salads!  While I was only able to eat slightly more than half of the Rosti, it was mighty delicious.  You can get one with all sorts of different toppings and stuffing.  By popular request, below are some more images of the dishes I ate during the week....

"Hauptgang"

Swiss version of Chicken Picatta

There was the "Hauptgang," which was some sort of pork dish with a side of potatoes (again).  When colleagues from the Zug office (more about the city of Zug later) took me out to lunch, I had the most delicious version of a Chicken Picatta ever!  The chicken was perfectly breaded and the side of rice and veggies were so delicious, too.  What made it even more perfect was enjoying the 

"Kalbsgeschnetzeltes"

Zug Lake

dish while eating outdoors with a great view overlooking Zug Lake.  Then there's the "Kalbsgeschnetzeltes," (don't ask me how to pronounce), which is sliced veal in a cream sauce, served with a side of Rosti.  With all this food, of course I had to wash it down with something....that something being BEER, of course!  All week, I was
living off the local brew they have on draft called, "Falken," which is actually pretty good and refreshing...

   

Rhein Falls

Speaking of my breathtaking view of Zug Lake during lunch, I was so amazed at how beautiful the landscape of Switzerland is.  Everywhere you go, you see a backdrop of mountains and pristine lakes -- almost like scenes taken right out of an artist's painting!  And, nowhere else could you get more of this picturesque scenery than in the city of Zug, which is about a 30 
minute train ride south of Zurich.  My company has another office in Switzerland in the city of Zug.  So, after spending most of the week in Schaffhausen, I was invited by colleagues in the Zug office to visit them for a day.  At first, I was a bit anxious about having given myself additional "stress" to my already busy agenda and having to take another 90 minute train ride from Schaffhausen to Zug, but when I got to Zug, I was so glad that I made it after all.  While Schaffhausen is nice, it is still a bit on the rural side.  Zug is South of Zurich and a bit closer to Zurich, and therefore more cosmopolitan.  And, as you can see from the picture above of Zug Lake, it's a great balance between being a cosmopolitan city and nature.  But, Schaffhausen also has its own nature's jewel, in Rhein Falls.  While Rhein Falls isn't a very tall water fall, I was told by colleagues that it is the largest water fall in Europe in terms of how much volume of water it pumps out.

Zurich Lake

So far, I've already talked about Schaffhausen and Zug, but the highlight of my week has to be the afternoon spent in Zurich.  After my meetings ended in Zug, my German colleague and I decided to spend the afternoon exploring Zurich, since we had to pass by Zurich via the train station to get back to Schaffhausen.  We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day weather-wise.  It was 60s and sunny all week!  We walked around the city center, which is built around Zurich Lake.  Similar to the Great Lakes in the U.S., all these "lakes" I'm referring to are huge; there's no "end" so it gives the appearance of being ocean-like.  My colleague and I decided to rent one of those self-paddling boats and just took in a relaxing view of Zurich.  At first, I was trying to find some kind of tour boat that's operated by an engine, so I wouldn't have to do any manual labor, but since it was still early in the season, we couldn't find one!  So, self-paddling it was, even though I did warn my colleague she was crazy to get on a small boat with me and risk having it flip and I'm not even a strong swimmer!


Out of all the foreign cities that I've visited so far, Zurich is by far my favorite.  It is a great balance between the old, historic-European feel, but at the same time, you still feel it is quite contemporary and modern.  It's hard to capture the beauty and spirit of Zurich that I'm talking about, so I definitely recommend Zurich as a "must visit" to everyone so you can experience for yourself what I'm talking about!  Unlike any other foreign city that I've visited so far, I left Zurich actually thinking it'd be so amazing if I were ever fortunate to be offered an ex-pat contract to move there for work.  Though, chances are slim, as Zurich was ranked 6th most expensive city to live in during 2011, so for companies to send ex-pats there, it's quite costly!  But, a girl can still dream, right?  Hehe....

    

Good thing I had extra space in my luggage

CHF 8,200 = $9,000+ Watches

Last but not least, what are some of things Switzerland is most famous for?  Swiss chocolates and Swiss-made watches!!!  Chocolate is practically everywhere you go; from the airplane to conference rooms at the office -- there's a dish of chocolate or someone is passing out pieces of chocolate.  I'm usually not big on sweets, but even I couldn't help but get in on Swiss chocolate.  Of course I made sure to buy a stash of Swiss chocolates to bring home!  However, while colleagues were trying to convince me that I couldn't leave Switzerland without investing in a hand-made Swiss watch, I'm not rolling in enough dough to come home with a $9,000+ watch!  While everyone knows Rolex, apparently there's another flagship that's considered "the brand" by the Swiss -- IWC, which is actually founded in Schaffhausen!  Since I couldn't afford the watches, I figures it was picture-worth to snap a photo of the outrageous price-tag.  Though, my German colleague did comment that while I was snapping the picture, passer-by's were looking at this Chinese girl taking a picture of a case of luxury watches probably thinking I'm going to go back to China and try to make copy-cat knock-offs, haha.


It's been another whirlwind week on the road and I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to go to Switzerland.  It's definitely my favorite country that I've visited thus far, and I look forward to going back someday soon again, especially to some of the other major cities like Geneva, which I hear has more French influence, while Zurich is more influenced by Germany.  In summary, Switzerland embodies a great balance between the traditional historic feel of Europe, but while also maintaining a modern contemporary feel.  And, of course, the Swiss people are very hospitable and kind.  Also, just as an FYI, do you know what's the capital city of Switzerland?  Nope, it's neither Zurich or Geneva.  It's the city of Bern!  Another little tidbit that I learned on this trip.....