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Tag: Cheese and Chocolate (2026)

Snowshoeing in the dark above Lake Geneva | iamapolarbear.com

Snowshoeing in the dark above Lake Geneva

January 12, 2026

As I flew over to Switzerland on Friday, it felt like I was the only person not wearing my skiing outfit and carrying a helmet. I don’t ski. I snowboard a little – badly and nervously and rarely, if ever, getting off my heel edge (and not for nearly thirteen years, so putting it in … More Snowshoeing in the dark above Lake Geneva

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Who am I?
I'm Julie, a travel, adventure and wellness blogger. I love Iceland, I love jumping into hot water and I do love a bit of snow.

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Did you know I used to live in Switzerland? Sometimes I think I talk about it all the time, then I realise even my colleagues of 5+ years don’t know. I’m not a fan of rollercoasters. I’m a big chicken who only went to Parc Asterix to take a stand against everyone else going to the other place but it turns out Parc Asterix has some world class rollercoasters that I’m never ever going to go on. So yes, I mostly went on the rides meant for children but I did find myself on La Trace du Hourra before realising that it was above my scare level. #parcasterix #rollercoaster If you’re in Paris, which is the best theme park to go to? Look at the two of us - me in full (unfortunate) 70s children’s TV presenter mode (that incredible @lucyandyak fleece will not be worn with red trousers or a rainbow hat again!) and Tom in an amazing handmade knitted jumper by @thebearknitcessities - which is himself. He also made both our hats and if you turn them both inside out, it’s the same yarn so we twinned with the hats later too. This year’s Christmas Adventure with @sootybear84 was to Portland Bill, which was windy, devoid of food (that wasn’t obscenely priced) and utterly beautiful. Of course, we had a perfect winter day of blue sky and sunshine, and a freezing east wind, and that helps because when the sea batters the limestone, I imagine it’s both miserable and grim down here. The weather gods generally smile on the Christmas Adventure, though (or at least look the other way). I really don’t need to do an annual reintroduction post but I’ve got some plans for 2026 and this seems like a place to get started. So hi, I’m Julie, I’m a travel blogger, everyday adventurer, author and researcher. Come and join me in 2026 as I try to make this adventure just a bit bigger. Well, everyone else is doing it, so I will too (actually, they did them weeks ago but my last trip wasn’t until the weekend before last). By the time you see this, I should have the first two Astérix books in my hands and I’ll actually know something about everything I saw and did last weekend. But I enjoyed bimbling around a place so full of bright colours and finding rides that didn’t frighten quite all the life out of me, and that was in itself pretty unexpected when I was questioning my life choices on the way to the airport. #parcasterix #themepark #asterix Pégase Express was by far the scariest rollercoaster I’ve ever been on, even more so than La Trace du Hourra (which is classed as “strong sensations” but I did it in the dark with no glasses on) but I really enjoyed the theming. It’s a pegasus-powered train to three classical cities so the queue is through a station, complete with Ancient Greek departure boards, ticket machines, metro maps and vending machines, complete with Ares bars. The ride might have frightened the life out of me but the station was my favourite thing in the whole park! #parcasterix #themepark #rollercoaster

About Julie

I’m a blogger, adventurer, lover of hot water, amateur paddler and polar bear who wilts in hot weather.

Time (by day, I’m a researcher) and funds keep me within Europe and I make regular trips up to the north, especially to Iceland. I like the occasional adventure across Europe by train and I’m starting to make use of my weekends for 48-hour adventures.

This isn’t my only creative outlet – I’ve written two travelogues with a third and fourth being (not to much) written simultaneously right now.

Blog at WordPress.com.
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