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An Autumn Adventure Up The Saleve

Happy Saturday!

As promised by many of the locals in Geneva, the rainy, gray days of November have arrived. While the cool, gray weather can get depressing, I find that the best way to stay happy is through exercise and fresh air! Renaud suggested we head up to the Saleve this morning to see the path in Autumn beauty!

After 9 months of raving about the great trail running and hiking adventure I experienced on the Saleve in February, I was excited to share to finally share the beauty with Bo and two other friends. Our group of 5 met this morning at the bus stop outside our flat at 8, ready to head over towards the base of the Saleve. The weather was around 33 degrees though Renaud expected temperatures in the 20s once we reached the top of the Saleve.

By 8:30 we arrived at the small town a mile from the trail entrance, ready for a great morning. I wasn’t sure how today’s experience would compare to the winter hike and run as I knew there would be wet leaves in place of snow. After our mile warm-up run towards the trail Renaud shared his tips with the group, advising that we find a slow, steady pace up the mountain or our “hearts would explode.” He warned us of slippery rocks and loose leaves.

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Over the next hour our path took us up along the mountain with sporadic views out of the fog, overlooking Geneva. Though our lungs and legs were burning, everyone was enjoying the experience. Anytime the trail was flat we would run as quickly as possible but the rest of the time, especially in the steep areas, we hiked at as fast a pace as possible.

The next hour of the adventure we encountered snow, beginning first in small clumps on the trees and then it eventually surrounded us. While I love Fall, I definitely find a peaceful beauty in the Saleve when the trail is dusted with snow. The temperatures also dropped quite quickly, causing each of us to add our extra layers including globes, ear warmers and wind breakers. DSC02891DSC02893841290_10151823792746969_821762980_oAs we summited the Saleve we felt as if we were in a snow globe. The fog limited our view to only a few feet in front of us but the snow and brisk air was exhilarating! 1456886_10151823772291969_764442808_n1458870_10151823773511969_1241608241_n1472176_10151823772696969_1567404319_n1454461_10151823773171969_507424231_nCheck out the amazing snow and icicles covering the tree limbs! By this point our ponytails were covered in snow and ice. Even my eyelashes were covered in small icicles! 1418292_10151823773246969_330317730_nOur journey down required a great deal of caution, more so than last year in the snow. The steep decline down was covered in exposed roots and stones, many of which had frost or icy patches. In addition, without the snow to cover the path our fears were a bit more present. 1461975_10151823772606969_971388416_n1232663_10151823772211969_843044431_n1418263_10151823771361969_479574648_n1422861_10151823771886969_1176895999_nOn our way down we even saw a natural bridge and explored a cave path complete with icicles and a chain link railing to support us. 1454506_10151823771416969_275510455_n1464969_10151823771406969_1049063136_nMore than 3 hours later our group of five found ourselves high fiving and celebrating a successful 8 miles adventure up and down the Saleve! While it was far harder this year due to the wet and slippery leaves, I still enjoyed every moment. The mix of hiking and running left me exhilarated and humbled.  I know I will be sore tomorrow! I can’t wait to return in a few weeks, after the first big snow, to enjoy the snow covered trails again.

Fall or winter running? Which to do you prefer?

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Bruges: A Storybook Flemish Capital

My favorite Disney movie is Beauty and the Beast. There is no contest in my mind and for many years I knew the lyrics to every song. How can you not love a movie about a gorgeous, intelligent girl who loves books and has a huge heart, even for beasts?

When friends and co-workers heard we were going to Belgium everyone said we needed to spend at least one night in Bruges, a storybook village in Belgium just an hour outside Brussels. They insisted it that it was a storybook village, much like the one Belle wandered in Beauty and the Beast. There was no further convincing needed and within a day of booking our flight to Belgium we decided to add 24 hours in Bruges to our itinerary. The Flemish capital, the small narrow streets and buildings dating back to the 1400’s did not disappoint and was perfect for a 24 hour addition to a Belgium itinerary! 

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Transportation: We were able to get to Bruges in just an hour from the main train station in Brussels. The train is only 18 Euros and allowed us to get a few minutes rest while also enjoying the views of the countryside.

Hotel: There aren’t very many moderately priced hotels in Bruges so we were lucky to have American Express recommend Hotel NH Bruges. The hotel earns 4 stars on TripAdvisor with over 673 reviews and rankings which reconfirmed the decision. The location was absolutely wonderful, just a 10 minute walk from the train station and a five minute walk to the heart of historic Bruges.  The hotel is actually built within a 17th century monastery, featuring exposed wood beams, fireplaces and stained glass windows in the lobby and first floor area. The rooms were comfortable but nothing special. We did however sleep in the largest bed ever as our room featured two full size beds which we pushed together for our night stay! IMG_4167

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Drink: There were bars and beer shops around every corner in Bruges! We ended up bringing home multiple bottles of Delirium along with a few bar additions including Belgian beer glasses! We stumbled up on 2be Beer Bar & Wall Saturday evening and while it was a “beer tourist trap” we enjoyed the warm fire pits and amazing beer assortment for 3 solid hours. As soon as the sun set in Bruge the temperature dropped down in the 40s so a warm fire pit and beer flight seemed like the perfect way to spend happy hour before dinner.   The number of beers they have both on tap and available in bottle was overwhelming for sure but we had fun tasting our way through the selections. IMG_4108IMG_4113IMG_4112Eat: Similar to Brussels, we had no reservations or plans in Bruges. Instead, we relied on our hotel for dinner reservations and enjoyed lunch the following day at a small restaurant on the main square. We made sure to enjoy as many mussels as possible while also sampling Flemish beef stew, spice “speculoos” cookies, beer, and mussels during our time in the small town.

Bruges foodSee: We were only in Bruges for less than 24 hours, 8 of which were spent sleeping. This finite amount of time forced us to do research in advance so we would know where to spend our time. Known as the Venice of the North, Bruges gets its name from the multiple canals that surround the city center. There are more than 80 bridges! We started our visit and tour of the city with a 30 minute boat tour through the canals right at dusk. The tour was only 4 euros per person and well worth it based on the views and the history we learned.

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The other historic places we toured while in town were as follows:

  • Church of Our Lady – stunning basilica and unique use of white and black marble
  • Belfry & Market Halls – Go early to avoid the 2-3 hour lines to climb the 366 steps to the top! Well worth the cost as the views are gorgeous and seeing the bell tower mechanics upclose is pretty incredible!
  • Historic Centre of Brugges
  • Bruges Markt

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Belgium was such a surprise weekend joy for us as we went in not expecting much from the country and instead left amazed! We would go back in a heart beat and have recommended this itinerary to all our friends!

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TenPilates London

Living in Europe, I have missed sweating with my blogger friends in New York City! On an almost weekly basis we would enjoy at least one workout together either on our own or due to a sponsored event. These workouts not only gave us an opportunity to catch up but also exposure to a number of fun, new workouts over the years ranging from yoga to intense bootcamps. You name it, I tried it during my three years of blogging in New York City.

Each weekend that I am in London I try to fill this workout class void by scheduling at least one workout with a fellow blogger. Luckily last weekend my girl Charlie planned another wonderful blogger event which coincided with my time in London and happened to include a workout which was new to me – dynamic reformer Pilates!

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TenPilates hosted our group of 7 bloggers for an hour long class Saturday morning during which time our instructor Matt, would lead us through an introduction to the machine and ensure that our muscles were crying for mercy by the end! After quick introductions he asked the group which muscles we wanted to focus on during the workout. After voting to not focus on one area but instead try an array of moves we got to work.  (photo courtesy of Charlie)

If you’re like me, you’ve never heard of dynamic reformer Pilates. Here is a snippet from their website, describing the workout. I’m not really sure, even after the class, how this type of Pilates is different than other reformer Pilates classes, which I tried once last year at Pilates Pro Works.

Dynamic Pilates is an innovative, intense, results-driven workout, centred on and around the Reformer bed, that strengthens core muscle groups, slims figures, burns fat and creates lean, toned muscles.

We used the reformer throughout the class to make simple movements far more difficult due to the use of springs and pulleys, which provided resistance. Performing exercises on the rerformer also required balance and focus! In addition to the reformer we used pilates rings, straps, foam blocks, and hand weights during the workout. Every movement engaged multiple muscles which made the workout feel even more effective! Similar to barre classes, I found that my small muscles, especially in the arm and glute area, burned the most.

After working each muscle group he led us through a short stretch which was complete bliss! Here you can see us using the rings to stretch out our calves!

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Overall I really enjoyed the class and can see the benefit to adding it into a workout schedule at least once per week. The class highlighted just how week many of our glutes are even though we just completed marathons! I hear it often but it is so rare that any of us actually keep up with true strength training during the peak of marathon training. The classes are 27 pounds per session when purchased individually which is equal to $44! That is expensive even for me, who is accustomed to New York boutique fitness class prices! They do however have an introductory offer which is 12.50 pounds for new students and class packages to provide a minimal discount.

Unfortunately this is too expensive and not close enough to our flat to become a regular class on my London weekend schedule. However, based on how much I enjoyed this reformer class I am hoping to try some other less expensive options in London!

Have you tried Pilates before? If so, do you prefer reformer or mat?

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