Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland + Esperance, Australia
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Alison is obsessed with Reface app, it’s so much fun you have to try it! Or at least check out Alison’s video. Lulu is obsessed with travel planning. She does it every week for imaginary days…but we’re also planning a 10K trip in real life, and it has renewed her obsession with rigorous research.
Alison is wishing for an at home COVID test to be available, for those that need to know, and for those just curious. Lulu is really wanting to go somewhere she can wear heels. Loungewear and an occasional flat or sneaker is just not working for her anymore.
Alison is heading to Switzerland to enjoy the fresh take on lakeside living provided by the Delta Privé Collection Villas. Each villa has ample living space, a full kitchen, and three bedrooms each with their own bathroom! Each villa also has an integrated boathouse if you bring your own boat, or if you choose to rent one during your stay.
The villas are located on a private lagoon of Lake Thun in Gwatt, about a 40-minute drive from Lauterbrunnen. They are adjacent to Deltapark, a four-star resort. Guests of the villas enjoy amenities and facilities associated with a stay at the hotel, including regular cleanings, access to the breakfast buffet, and access to the VIP rooftop lounge! Guests also get complete access to the hotel's "vitality area" - love that phrasing! - that includes a brine pool, outdoor whirlpool, saunas and steam baths, a gym, and several relaxation areas. You could just wrap up this getaway here and call it a win, but Alison has even more to enjoy on her day.
A good portion of this area of Switzerland, specifically neighboring Wengen or Mürren, is car-free. So Alison purchases this Bird One electric scooter in "Electric Rose" for right under $1,000. Not sure how comfortable she will be riding that thing 20+ miles from her villa to Lauterbrunnen central, but if anyone could pull it off...we're picturing this movie scene as her transportation inspiration.
Alison's first stop is Staubbach Waterfall, which are stunning to take in as they fall nearly 1,000 feet from a cliff...you can even take a relatively short 2-hour hike hike into the mountain to view the falls from behind them! Alison packs a Back Country Fuel Box for the adventure, which helps her feel real outdoorsy in addition to the walking stick you can borrow for the hike. Outdoorsy enough for a nature-centric Instagram pic, anyways. Next she decides to explore the town, budgeting $1,000 to spend in various cafes and shops. There are some shops selling cowbells, which are prevalent in this area for their practical use of scaring away predators who would prey on the livestock, perhaps that will be her souvenir of choice.
For lunch she heads to Weidstüebli to indulge in some highly-anticipated cheese fondue! Alison then heads back to her villa, where she rents a boat from the hotel...she also hires a local boat captain, so that she's able to sit back and relax! Feeling like a lush-luxe-"i'm on a boat" outing, Alison brings along two bottles of Krug Clos du Mesnil. Cheers to that choice!
Next up is a tandem paragliding experience to take in the views of the Swiss Alps. You can relax and enjoy the scenery as your pilot guides you down, or if you’re feeling a bit wild, the pilot will attempt some tricks!
For dinner Alison goes to Hotel Maya Caprice in neighboring town Wengen to eat at their on-site restaurant featuring Italian cuisine. She has their summer salad with fried shrimp, Italian burrata cheese with assorted toppings, and this mouthfull...Swiss beef fillet Rossini atop saffron risotto with foie gras, truffle, and a glazed beetroot and celery puree. To top it all off she indulges in their "lukewarm chocolate cake".
Lulu is heading to “Australia’s Golden Outback”, where it is currently winter...and 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Esperance is surrounding by not one, but five national parks! Located on the Bay of Isles, Esperance is known for its pristine white sand beaches and their glistening turquoise waters.
Lulu has chosen to stay at the experiential Esperance Chalet Village where she books "The Cottage". Slightly removed from the rest of the village, The Cottage can sleep 4 guests with one queen bed and two singles. There is a full kitchen, a washing machine - one of Lulu's favorite features! - and a private outdoor fire pit. For an additional cost you can have a cheese platter waiting for you upon arrival, and a selection of cheese and sourdough brought to your fire pit. Lulu obviously opts for both.
To get around, Lulu booked a premium SUV through VroomVroomVroom, which aside from being user-friendly, is really fun to say! Her first stop is Esperance Stonehenge, the only full-size replica of the original Stonehenge. Not only is the locally sourced pink granite set to look like the original would have around 1950 BC but it was built to align with the winter and summer solstices!
Lulu heads to Mermaid Leather, a company started by two local fisherman who decided to recycle fish skins from the fish processing food industry. She takes a free tour of this eco-concious waste-reducing wonder. Lulu is going to buy some fish leather paper handmade from fish leather shavings and scrap paper from office supplies. She writes the thank-you letters for our Indiegogo campaign on this paper. An estimated $550 in postage, all sent in recycled envelopes, of course.
Lunch is at Fish Face, which serves only Australian seafood. They have all kinds of unique seafood to try: Gummy shark, skippy, bass cod, queen snapper, nannygai…she wants to try all of them so five orders of fish and chips it is!
Lulu is so excited to take a scenic flight with Goldfields Air Services. See Geoscience Australia-certified whitest beaches, the turquoise waters of Lucky Bay, fly over the Recherche Archipelago to see the world renowned Pink Lake Hillier. The vibrant colour of the lake is permanent, and does not alter even when the water is taken in a container! The pink colour is due to the saltwater reacting to sodium bicarbonate, salt-loving algae, and pink bacteria. Loving the idea of “seeing pink” after observing the lake, Lulu dons some pink lens Rag & Bone Cat Eye sunglasses for the rest of the day. It’s her fashion-forward take on “rose-colored glasses”.
Next she drives into Cape Le Grand National Park, to visit Lucky Bay which she saw during her flight. She is excited to see the kangaroos that sunbathe there, true story! Instead of binoculars for viewing the kangaroos - in case she is afraid to get too close - Lulu spent $1700 on Antique Victorian 14k Solid Gold folding opera glasses.
Since baby kangaroos are called joeys, Lulu decides to build a souvenir for all her friends named Joe. She makes kinetic sand kits for all of her Joe(ys). All it takes is fine white sand, corn starch, dish soap, food coloring, and water.
For drinks and dinner Lulu heads to Loose Goose Bar and Restaurant for a three course meal. A big selling point is that the meal Includes complimentary herb or garlic bread. A few typos had her confused as to what her meal would consist of - “Ssian greens” and “Local groper” - and she bravely orders “Roasted pig nipples” which come to find out is what they call a pork belly dish…because “pork belly” is not descriptive enough? Finally she heads back to Esperance Chalet Village and her cottage for some time by the fire!
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
Esperance Nyungar Aboriginal Corporation
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