Switzerland 2002 Trip Log Part 2

Tuesday, September 3rd it was a cloudy and it had rained during the night and early morning. We would let the weather decide where we would go today; checked out our emails at Pasc Computing store in Meiringen. We plan to spend much of our day in Meiringen; later going to Lungern for lunch. After we got off the train It was a steep down hill walk to the lake. It was a serene setting with the chalets built on the mountain sides and along the lake. Lungern is small village sitting right on the lake, mountains all around. Many activities for families as Lungern has a nice beach for swimming and boating. The greenish color of the water is beautiful. Today we saw bright blue skies, green lawns and flowers all around the village. We had dinner at a small cafe on the main street in Lungern. Then it was a steep climb up the hill to catch the train to Meiringen. It is nice to take some time off and wander nearby to other villages, such as Sachseln, and Lungern.

Wednesday, September 4th one thing I forgot to mention, it rained, very lightly later in the evening. But it cleared up in the morning so you could make your plans for the day. We always keep our rain jackets in our back packs, you never know when the clouds open up, and it rains. The train master at the station can give you a good idea where the sun is shining, and off you go to explore a different part in Switzerland.

We took the bus to the Rosenlaui Glacier; we did not walk to the glacier as the ground was slippery and wet. On this bus trip we had our favorite bus driver Arthur Wyss again, he was pleased to see the four of us, and glad we had gotten back safely from our last adventure. This time we were on the right bus! We met other other people from Untours they had decided to take the same tour as we did. This is a popular bus tour, and it leaves right from Meiringen! A few minutes later the bus left for Grindelwald. What stunning scenery, mountains, valleys, chalets, cows, dogs, and sheep appeared around every corner. There are 2 or 3 bus trips out of Meiringen, and we would recommend any of them. The bus climbs so high up, and up the mountains; the trains can't travel this high up around the steep mountain roads with all the twists and turns and the scenery is awesome!

At Gotthard, a lovely picturesque town, the village was very colorful with lush flowers spilling out of the window boxes. Flags and banners waved to us as enjoyed our lunch near by in a small park. Now onward to Grindelwald where we browsed through the shops; we stopped for dessert and coffee while we overlooked the north face of the Eiger Mountain. The snow on top of the Eiger does not melt, the snowcapped peaks sparkled in the bright sunlight. We trained from Grindelwald to Interlaken Ost, left the train station, crossed the street to take a boat ride to Brienz. This cruise took about an hour. Lake Brienz has been photographred many times, the lake was enormous and very, very deep. From Brienz we walked to the train station and in a very few minutes we were on our way to Meiringen. Again, the Swiss Rail/Boat Systems were remarkable; every mode of transportation was within an easy walk fro one to another, now this is Swiss efficiency at its best.

Thursday, September 5th today we planned to visit Bern, the captial of Switzerland. In an hours' time we arrived in Bern. When we arrived local men were playing chess, outside in the square. Bern was a very busy city, many people, trams and busses running in all directions from the rail station. We walked to the Bear Pits, then continue on to the Rose Garden, an uphill walk most of the way. Later we found out we could have taken a tram. We did make a wrong turn, and again the people in Bern came to our rescue; they pointed us in the right direction and the number of the tram we should take to the Rail Station.

This evening we trained to Lungern. The four of us, Helen and Al, Jean and Fred enjoyed a leisurely Swiss dinner at the Lungern Bahnhof Restaurant. We toasted each other for a marvelous and exciting trip, and hope to have many more trips with Untours. This rounded out the whole day a wonderful dinner with our close friends. If you order coffee, when it is placed on your table, it includes a small chocolate candy cup to stir into your coffee. Ymmmm Hot coffee and with melted chocolate, What a treat!

Friday, September 6th it was another nice sunny day we headed for the stores in Meiringen, most of the stores close from 12:00 - 1:30/2:00 p.m. It allowed the school children and the swiss people to have lunch at home. The children do stay in school longer as they have a longer lunch period. It was nice to see all the children even the little ones walking home with their back packs. The way of life is much simpler in the small villages and towns in Switzerland.

Now for another dessert, this time the Brunner Cafe and Bakery in Meiringen was our choice. They were noted for their huge Meringue desserts. When the meingues came to our table they had been split open and piled high with scoops of ice cream and whipped cream. This was certainly on our list for the next time we return to Meiringen. Even Al and Fred had a hard time finishing the dessert. It is great to have "our chalet", after a long day of sight seeing; we just train back to "our chalet" and relax, play cards, talk about what we did and saw. Then it is time to make plans for the next day.