Jul 07

Declare Your Own Independence.

I hope that everyone enjoyed their holidays here on the North American continent. Canada celebrated their Canada Day on July 1st and we celebrated our Independence Day on the fourth of July. This past weekend gave me an idea though. Wouldn’t it be fun to travel around the globe just helping people celebrate their independence?

My background is predominately Lithuanian so I would probably start my travels in Lithuania on February 16th, and then move on from there. Of course, current schedules, family obligations, the job, and other things make it difficult to simply travel around the globe for a year, so what about doing it piece-by-piece?

This is my new goal. I’m going to list every country, make a note of their Independence Day, if they have one, and then start checking them off as I visit them, one-by-one. It would actually be fascinating, and sad, to note the countries that can’t boast about their independence. Maybe I could do this for them. Perhaps I could write a book, or start a blog. Well, maybe not.

Anyway, two really easy targets lie just around the corner. France celebrates their Bastille Day on July 14th and Switzerland celebrates their Swiss National day on August 1.

While Bastille Day might be a bit too close for organizing a last-minute trip to Europe, our Eiger Trail coincidentally begins on the Swiss National Day, August 1. (Still plenty of time to grab a flight). I’ve done this tour before during the holiday period and it’s really exciting. Ceremonial mountaintop bonfires light up the night sky and alphorns resound in the distance. If you’ve ever wanted to see traditional Switzerland, with all of the costumes, food, pomp and song, then this the time to go.

The above photo shows a mountain top bonfire in the town of Gstaad, the start of our Eiger Trail. This is an example of one of the many bonfires that Swiss people light on the surrounding mountain tops on the evening of August 1st. (Think Lord of the Rings movie part III). It’s amazing sight to see all of the surrounding ridge tops, and some of the peaks, twinkling in the evening light. It’s even better when Jorg rips it up with a resounding yodel or the long, mournful call of an alphorn.

We still have a few spots available on the Eiger Trail, so please contact us if you’re interested. What else to you have going on this summer? Why not break out and declare your own independence.

 

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