SWISS HEARTLAND FALL 2009
After reading numerous triplogs about Switzerland on the Untours website, I decided that we should make it our destination for 2009. Since many others have written triplogs on Switzerland, it is difficult to come up with new adventures and places to describe but here is my report.
Day
1 Bürgenstock
2 Meiringen
3 Luzern
4 Cheese festival
5 Grimselpass hydroelectric dam
6 Aareschlucht, Reichenbach Falls
7 Brienzer Rothorn
8 Thun
9 Cheesemaker, hike on The High Trail
10 Grandfather’s Walk, Trümmelbach Falls
11 Woodcarvers Trail
12 Giessbach Falls, The Enchanted Forest Walk, Iseltwald
13 Rosenlauischlucht and hike
14 The Panorama Trail
15 Flight home
Day 1—September 9
Prior to our stay in Switzerland, we visited friends in southern Germany. We could have met Untours staff at the Zurich airport and taken the train to Meiringen but we accepted Hans’ offer to drive us to our apartment. On the way we stopped at Bürgenstock, a resort above Lake Lucerne, where we walked on the shaded Felsenweg, watched the boats below, and stopped for a picnic lunch at a convenient bench. Then we took the Hammetschwand Lift (a glass elevator), Europe’s highest outdoor lift, up to the summit. It was hazy but we enjoyed the view and had beverages and desserts on the sun terrace before returning to our car.
We continued to Meiringen, arriving at the train station shortly before 4:00 p.m., the designated time we were to meet our landlord. After unloading our luggage, we waited but no one came for us. Kathy called our landlord but no one answered; she called again and this time the landlady answered and said that she didn’t know where her husband was. Jessica Powers, the local Untours person, came by on her bike to meet someone arriving by train and said that she would return to help us. In the meantime the landlady arrived on her bike, we put our suitcases back in the car, and Hans drove us and the landlady to our apartment. Kathy and Hans headed back. After unpacking, we made supper with groceries that Untours staff had left for us.
Day 2—September 10
After breakfast in our apartment we explored downtown Meiringen and had tea in the cafeteria of Migros, a Swiss grocery store chain. Next we headed to the train station to meet Jessica and other Untourists. As we walked to Hotel Adler for orientation, Jessica gave shopping tips, mentioned local specialties such as Gumpesel (a special smoked salami with pork and beef), and pointed out things around town.
At orientation we introduced ourselves. One couple was from South Africa; one woman had surprised her husband with this trip for their 55th wedding anniversary; some couples had been to Switzerland numerous times, including one couple who had been to Switzerland 25 times. It was obvious that the Swiss Untour is popular. We received general information, signed up for special events, and received instructions on how to read schedules for the train, bus, boat, and cable car.
After two hours of orientation, we were hungry. We sat at an outside table at a nearby restaurant and made it just in time to order the lunch special. Next we went grocery shopping at Migros. Grocery shopping in another country is always an experience. I placed fruit on a scale, punched a number representing the specific fruit, and applied the generated price label to the bag. Milk came only in liter containers. Some milk containers were refrigerated while others were not. I didn’t see skim milk but finally found 1%. On the way home we stopped at a meat shop and bought the recommended Gumpesel. It was expensive—a small log cost about $12.00.
We returned to our apartment with the groceries and after resting, hiked up a path on the Hasli mountain where we had a great view of Meiringen. Eventually we came to a sculptural garden which we toured and then returned because it was late in the day.
Day 3—September 11
We had our usual breakfast of cereal, milk, and fruit but Morris missed the hard rolls that we had gotten used to by Kathy and Hans.
Jessica met us and other Untourists at the train station for a trip to Luzern. This was practice for using public transportation since we would take two trains and a boat to get there. The scenery along the route was beautiful but it was too dark and cloudy for taking good photos. We saw animal statues periodically along the railroad tracks but couldn’t determine what they were made of. We took the Golden Panorama train to Giswil where we transferred to a local train. In Alpnachstad we took a boat on Vierwaldstättersee. It was cold and windy waiting for the boat and I wished that I had worn another layer. Because of the weather, we sat at tables inside. Some bought lunch onboard but others, including us, brought a picnic lunch along. Morris and I shared a bottle of Rivella, a Swiss drink made out of whey, a cheese byproduct. There were many homes, hotels, and resorts along the lake, both at the lake level and on hilltops. We saw the glass elevator at Bürgenstock that we had taken with Kathy and Hans two days ago.
After we arrived in Luzern, Jessica took the group on a short walking tour into the center of the old town. Near the boat depot and train station Jessica pointed out the KKL building that housed a conference and music venue, art museum, and restaurant. On opening night there was such a surge of people into the building that some of them fell into water channels that were part of the interior design of the structure! We passed the flower-lined Kapellbrücke, a wooden footbridge that is the symbol of Luzern. A fire in 1993 caused by a cigarette in a boat below caused a fire that destroyed much of this historic bridge.
We walked on the narrow cobblestone streets past the Kornmarkt tower, Weinmarkt, old city hall, city hall brewery, Mills Bridge, and frescoed houses. After that Jessica disappeared and left us to explore the city on our own and find the way back to Meiringen. We headed to the old city wall where we climbed one of nine remaining towers. There were 125 steps, some of which were quite high. From the top of the tower we had a good view over the city. We continued on a walking path along the city wall and passed cows, calves, and llamas. Due to reconstruction of the wall, we had to continue on an alternate route.
At the Lion’s Square we saw the famous Bourbaki Panorama depicting the retreat of the French army into Switzerland during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). The huge circular painting is in a special building and is enhanced with three-dimensional items in the foreground. It was very impressive. This event reinforced Switzerland’s role as a neutral power and provided the first testing ground for the then-fledgling Red Cross. Nearby we saw the Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument). Carved in deep relief into the sandstone cliff above the town, the monument is an allegorical reference to the bravery of the Swiss Guards who died in the Tuileries of Paris in 1792 trying to save the life and honor of Marie Antoinette. The lion was so sad.
Hotels and cafes line the riverwalk. We were hungry so decided to have dinner at the Rathaus Braueri where we sat at an outside table with a view of the Kapellbrücke. Morris had two weiswurst with a pretzel and mustard and I had Alpler Marggronen (macaroni, new potatoes, cheese, cream, and onions; on the side was a small dish of applesauce). The cheese and macaroni dish was very good and Morris wished that he had also ordered it. This is one of the few establishments in Luzern that brews its beer on-site so Morris ordered a beer with his dinner.
At the Kapellplatz a farm expo was set up for tomorrow. St. Peter’s church, the oldest church in Luzern (built in 1178) and the fountain commemorating Carnival revelry in Luzern were in this square. We walked across the Kapellbrücke to the train station. Some paintings inside the bridge were reproductions while others were originals that had been brought out from storage. It was too dark to see the paintings well but we could determine that there were skeletons in the paintings. At the train station I bought some produce at the Coop, another major grocery chain. The WCs at the station were expensive—one franc for men and two francs for women. One could also take showers in this ultramodern restroom.
We found track #12 that Jessica had pointed out earlier and got on a direct train to Meiringen. By this time it was dark and we noticed that it had rained in Lungern. In Meiringen the streetlights were sufficient to find our way home and in the last block two motion sensor lights came on to guide us to our door.
Day 4 —September 12
After breakfast we went to the public library to use the internet (the first 10 minutes were free). However, the internet was too slow so we went to the internet café to check our e-mail. At the small farmers market downtown I bought cheese, bread, shortbread cookies, and small jam-filled cookies and at Migros I picked up a few more groceries.
We dropped off the groceries at our apartment and then headed for the nearby aerial cable car station where we traveled with some 50 others up to Mägisalp for the annual cheese festival. At Reuti we transferred to a gondola that held up to eight people and then traveled to Bidmi and on to Mägisalp. It was foggy, cool, and damp—I could have used my stretch gloves and rain jacket.
The cheese festival is called Chästeilet (“dividing up the cheese”). Cheese made here during the summer and stored in cheese huts was divided and distributed among farmers who sold it at stands decorated with pine boughs and flowers. I tasted cheese samples at several stands and bought a chunk of cheese. While standing in line for lunch we watched men making Chäsbrätel. One man sliced loaves of bread into uniform slices while several other men attended to cheese melting on a special grill. When the cheese was the right consistency they scraped it off onto the slices of bread. At the end of the line we could sprinkle paprika and white pepper onto the open-faced sandwich. It was good and one serving was quite filling.
We joined others at long picnic tables and watched the entertainment: a man and woman playing alphorns, two boys twirling flags, a four-piece band (three accordions and a clarinet), and dancers. One dance involved boys holding a broom and slapping it in front of them and in back of them. There was also a men’s yodel choir consisting of men of various ages who were dressed in dark brown suits, brown striped vests, white shirts with black buttons, and small black ties; some had pocket watches on a chain. A couple recommended a nearby path but it was so foggy that we couldn’t see anything, including nearby cows whose bells we heard, and we headed back to the festival. On the way we met an Untours couple from Louisiana who said that they were familiar with two things in Wisconsin— the Packers and Ephraim Pottery. What a surprise when we told them that we live in Lake Mills where the pottery is made.
Next it was time for dessert—Meringue mit Nidle. A woman put two meringue shells on a plate, covered them with whipped cream, and garnished the concoction with chocolate sprinkles. Morris and I shared this dessert but it was difficult to eat with plastic forks. Hot chocolate, tea, and coffee with schnapps and sugar were also available and we warmed up with a cup of tea served in a large white soup bowl.
We waited for the procession of decorated cows until someone told us that it would take place later in the month. Although we were disappointed, we were glad that we had seen such a procession in Austria. We took the gondola up to the Alpen Tower where we should have had a great view. However, it was foggy and we could barely see a few feet in front of us.
We returned to Mägisalp via gondola and hiked on the Muggestutz Trail, a family friendly trail with swings, log playhouse, wooden maze, large wooden mushrooms, picnic tables, fire pits, tree house, and hands-on activities based on books by a local author about Muggestutz, the oldest dwarf. We walked through Alpine meadows, pine forests, and cow pastures. Periodically we opened a gate to enter and/or leave a pasture. Watch out where you step! At one place a farmer got on his motor scooter and drove through the pasture, yelling and yodeling to call his cows home for milking. At Bidmi we took the gondola to Reuti and then transferred to a cable car for our return to Meiringen.
Day 5—September 13
Today we arranged to take a tour of the Oberaar storage dam—a special event that was part of this year’s European Heritage Days with the theme of “water”. When we arrived at the postbus station in Meiringen there was confusion since we had no Untours leader and the bus driver spoke only German. Finally we found out that we and a few others were to take the extra bus for the trip to the Grimsel Pass. Along the way we had great views. There is a tunnel through the mountain at Grimsel Pass but we took the narrow old road. Before blind curves the bus driver honked the melodious horn which caused everyone to laugh.
At the Grimsel Hospiz, an historic Alpine hotel, we got off the bus. Here our Untours guide, Debbie (an Australian married to a Swiss native), met us. While waiting for our tour, we had a cup of tea in the restaurant. Next we took a cable car up to the first station and then transferred to another cable car to reach the Oberaar storage dam. From the cable car we saw hawks, marmots, a goat, an Ibex, Alpine flowers, and blueberry bushes. We donned hard hats before Debbie led us on a 45-minute tour through the dam. She said that it took 700 workers three summers (May-November) to build the dam. Although there were dormitories and other buildings at the time, there is only one building left –now a restaurant and simple hotel. This dam generates power for Meiringen and several other communities in the Hasli valley. The KWO power company plans to increase the volume of the dam but some people object to raising the water level because it will kill trees that are valued for their wood. Switzerland’s power consists of 60% hydropower, 39% wind power, and 1% solar power. At the dam we saw two glaciers—the Oberaargletscher and the Unterarrgletscher.
We returned to the hotel where we had lunch in the restaurant. While we were having lunch, the fog rolled in and we couldn’t see anything. Next we toured the newly renovated Grimsel Hospiz Hotel. The restaurant opened July 17, 2009 and a wedding reception was held there on July 18. I bet the bride was relieved that the restaurant opened timely! Between July and October some 8000 people will have been served in the dining rooms. Although the hotel rooms will not open until 2010, we saw several rooms that were completed. The architect tried to make the renovation as authentic as possible.
We were supposed to return on the postbus but after we had waited quite awhile, Debbie came with a KMO van and drove us back. In Meiringen we visited new streets, one of which was possessed of a bakery which we unhesitatingly entered. We came out with two nut pastries to be sacrificed at our afternoon tea.
Day 6—September 14
Today we passed up the opportunity to tour the Frey Chocolate Factory near Aarau. Leaving by train at 6:45 a.m. was too early for Morris. I saw the mailman arrive on a motorcycle and deliver mail to a group of boxes near our front door and a newspaper to the house next door. It was raining so we decided to visit the Transportation Museum in Luzern. The landlady knocked on the door and said that there had been a storm during the night with thunder and lightning; there would be no power this afternoon while they made repairs. I hadn’t heard or seen anything during the night since I was tired and had closed the shutters tightly.
It was misting as we headed out the door wearing our rain jackets. After we checked our e-mail at the internet café we saw blue skies so decided to stay in Meiringen. We picked up groceries and supplies at Migros, shortbread cookies at the bakery, and post cards at the book store. After dropping off the groceries at our apartment, we headed out again.
Our walk to the Aareschlucht took us through a residential neighborhood along the Aare River. Flowerboxes were everywhere, most filled with red geraniums. The gorge was very impressive and reminded us of the Lichtenstein Klamm in Austria. The gorge is full of recesses, grottoes, precipices, and arches—all fashioned by the Aare’s waters over centuries. The towering rock walls of the gorge were very close together in some places and far apart in others. There was even a tunnel from World War II. Over 800 years ago local residents had built a path through the gorge. After we walked through the gorge we had lunch on the snack bar’s patio. Morris had bratwurst and I had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.
We walked back on the Lammi footpath through the woods and continued to the Reichenbach Falls where we took the funicular. At the upper station we saw the falls as well as the spot where Sherlock Holmes met his fate. The falls were not impressive today because there hadn’t been much rain. However, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was so impressed with the falls that he used them as the setting for the scene in The Final Problem, in which the villain, Professor Moriarty, struggles with Sherlock Holmes. Doyle wrote that both men fell into the plunging water and presumably both perished (but never fear—Doyle brought him back for new adventures). We walked up the steep path where we had great views across the valley to Meiringen. Back at the funicular station we looked at photos and old post cards in the gallery. There was a narrative about the Sherlock Holmes Club visiting Meiringen and the falls in 2005 and dressing in period attire. One poor fellow had to be Moriarty. At least he got to throttle Holmes—even if only for the duration of a camera click. A committee of avid fans came up with the most likely location of the famous altercation and today’s visitors only have to look for the white star of struggle.
We took the funicular down, walked into town, explored Meiringen, and purchased a Muggestutz book in English at the Tourist Information Office. At the bakery we stopped for tea and dessert. Morris had carrot cake and I had Schwarzwald Kuchen, both different from what we expected. Then we walked to the Coop and bought a bottle of Swiss wine. On the way back to our apartment we met Untourists, Mark and Harry, who told us about their travels today.
Day 7—September 15
We decided to visit Brienz, only 12 minutes away by train. While we were sitting on a bench at the Brienz train station and discussing what to do, the nearby boat and steam train departed and we learned firsthand that other transportation is coordinated with train arrivals. We decided to take the next train up to the Rothorn, a 7,713 foot-high peak, and bought one-way tickets with plans to hike back down. We were disappointed that we had to take a diesel-powered train, but we did not want to wait a half hour for the historic steam train.
The train chugged through the woods up to Planalp, the half-way point where it stopped until the steam and maintenance trains came down the single track. We continued along mountainsides with little vegetation other than ground cover and alpine flowers but with a good view of Lake Brienz below. After one hour of slowly winding our way, we reached the top.
What a spectacular view we had while eating lunch at a window table in the restaurant! We both had Alpler Marggronen and shared a green Rivella. Afterwards we walked to a lookout point where we had a fantastic view above the clouds and watched for a long time. A map in a glass case showed names of various peaks such as the Wetterhorn, Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau that came in and out of view due to moving clouds. We walked up steep steps to the top where there were a few people and signage for hiking trails back down. We stopped at the cable car station but didn’t know how we would proceed once we reached the end so we decided to return by train. It was too late in the day to hike back down.
While waiting for the train, we had a cup of tea. We would have had dessert but there were only two pieces left in the case, leaving us no choice. The conductor didn’t sell tickets so he told us to pay when we got off. Several older people in our car napped but we enjoyed the view during the slow, steep descent. I’m glad that the train had good brakes! After we got off, we paid the difference at the ticket counter between the roundtrip and the one-way fare.
We walked on the main street through Brienz, woodcarving capital of the world. Carved statues were everywhere, including a bear carrying a suitcase. In shops we saw carvings ranging from $25 to $8000; in one showroom a man was carving a small bear. We walked to the end of the street and returned on a walking path along the lake, enjoying the view and admiring backyards with colorful flowers. The temptation was too great so we stopped at a restaurant we had passed earlier for the dessert posted on their blackboard—Apfelstrudel with Vanilla Sauce. At our outside table we overheard a couple speaking English who were wearing large straw hats. We chatted with them briefly when we left and found out that they were from Colorado. A man who had been at the restaurant returned with his camera and took a photo of them. I talked to him in German and he said that he was on vacation here from Hamburg and loved the lake setting. When we walked back to the train station, the German honked as he drove by.
Day 8—September 16
In order to get to our destination of Thun we first took the train to Interlaken (east). Morris misread the timetable and thought that the train continued to the west station. When it was five minutes past the scheduled departure time, we knew that something was wrong since Swiss trains leave punctually. We discovered that we were on a train headed in the opposite direction so we immediately got off. Instead of waiting for a train for the two-minute ride to Interlaken-West, we walked through town to the station.
On the main street, Höheweg, we walked past large hotels, gardens, and cafes. It was a very touristy town and a sign in front of the casino was in ten languages. Along the way was a very large park which we later found out was property once owned by Augustinian monks but acquired in the mid-19th century by Interlaken hotel keepers who turned it into a park. After a mile until we came to the boat dock.
Next we boarded the boat headed to Thun on Lake Thun. It was foggy so we couldn’t see much but identified the large, uniform Mount Niessen. For lunch we had a bowl of Hungarian Goulash. It was very good (a thick beef vegetable soup) and different from the goulash that we had eaten in Budapest. We got off in Faulensee and walked on a lovely path along the lake towards Spiez. We passed backyards filled with flowers, a fish hatchery, a children’s playground with a cute sign saying that dogs were not allowed, another sign saying that dogs were allowed, and artwork installations. At a place where the lake path continued and another path went uphill and through the woods, we chose the wooded path.
In Spiez we took the train for the short ride to Thun. After picking up a city map, we walked into the historic district and stopped at a bakery café for tea and dessert. We resumed our walk on the main street, Hauptgasse, which was unique with a walkway built above arcaded shops. We came to a steep, covered staircase and took it up to the Castle Thun, now a historical museum, where we saw period toys, ceramics, historical displays, military uniforms, and furniture. We climbed all four turrets for good views of the city. After retracing our steps under the covered staircase, we ended up at the city hall square with colorful buildings. We had also wanted to see the famous Wocher Panorama but there wasn’t time.
Morris did not want to accompany me through the outdoor market so he headed to the train station where he would meet me. Vendors at the market were closing up so I started in Morris’ direction. There were several pedestrian bridges over the river and after looking at my map, I decided that I was walking in the wrong direction. Eventually I found the train station and after a few minutes Morris showed up. What a relief! He had gotten lost, and without a map, had to ask directions to the station. We returned by train to Interlaken east and then got on another train for Meiringen.
At 9:00 p.m. there was a knock on the door. Our landlord was here with a couple from the U.S. who had just arrived and would be staying in the apartment above. Our landlord didn’t speak English and they didn’t speak German so he asked me to translate.
Day 9—September 17
We had to get up earlier than usual to catch the 8:04 cable car for the cheesemaking outing. The cable car operator was from Holland, spoke English well, and had been to Australia, England, and the U.S. (six times). In Reuti we met our guide Marlis and other Untourists and continued via gondola up to Mägisalp where the cheese festival had been held on Saturday.
The group walked to a nearby hut in which the cheesemaker, Lotti, lives during the summer. She had already made four rounds of cheese today, starting at 4:00 a.m., so Marlis explained in English how it had been done. Lottie poured 400 liters of milk (600 liters during peak times) into the cauldron and heated it over a fire, stirring with a rake. She removed the mixture with a cheesecloth and packed it in forms, pressing out the moisture. While we were in the hut, Lottie pulled the curtain shut around the cheese rounds to keep them warm. Next we went to the hut where yesterday’s cheese was soaking in salt water. On the shelves were 494 rounds of cheese that Lottie had made this year. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays she turns and washes each round of cheese and wipes some with salt and pepper. Lottie made cheese from other farmers’ milk also for which they paid her. Lottie told us that she takes portable milking machines in a car to milk her 55 cows.
Lottie provided samples of cheese from last year and two years ago and gave us an opportunity to buy some. I didn’t like the older cheese because it was salty and hard. Lottie uses the cheese for her family and sells it to hotels, restaurants, and others. She will take the cheese and cows down to the valley at the end of the month. We concluded that cheesemaking is hard work.
After the cheesemaking demo we took the gondola with Barbara and David up to Alpentower where we had a good view in one direction—definitely a much better view than on the day of the cheese festival. Clouds moved in and out so that our view changed. Eventually we could see a glacier in one direction. We watched for some time and then went into the restaurant to warm up with tea and hot cocoa. We hiked on The High Trail (Der Höhenwanderweg) to Käserstatt. Along the way we saw wildflowers, hikers with dogs, cows on the road, goats on a hillside, piles of rocks in the pastures, blueberries, heather, ducks in a pond, and a hovering hawk. We frequently heard marmots whistling but never saw them. On a farm there were beverages for sale that were cooled by glacial water in a tank; a metal box was nearby in which to deposit your money. We stopped at a bench and had our picnic lunch. Clouds floated in and out while we were eating. To get back home we took the gondola to Twing, the post bus to Reuti, and the cable car to Meiringen. The Swiss transportation system is wonderful!
Back in Meiringen we had tea and dessert at an outside table of the bakery. Our upstairs neighbors came by and said that they slept in rather than go to the cheesemaking demo.
Day 10—September 18
The forecast was for a beautiful day so we decided to take the Grandfather’s Walk. We trained to Interlaken Ost, transferred to Lauterbrunnen, and took a cable car to Grütschalp. After we exited the cable car, we had a spectacular view of the Big Three—the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. I can understand why the hiking guide recommended this walk during good weather.
The relationship of the Big Three changed as we progressed on our four-mile walk to Mürren. Three Brits ahead of us, and sometimes behind us, had visited the area 11 times and said that this was one of their favorite hikes. One of the three, the “flower lady”, stopped frequently to take a picture of a wildflower. As usual, we walked through pastures so we had to be careful where we stepped. A small train went back and forth between Grütschalp and Mürren with people and luggage since Mürren is a carless village. Along the way we saw goats and cows in the fields and pigs on the fenced-in patio of a pig shed. After enjoying the beautiful scenery, we finally came to a sign for Mürren but we still walked awhile until we actually arrived.
For several minutes we watched paragliders floating down into the valley. Although Mürren is carless, there were several small vehicles and motorbikes around. We passed a popular restaurant but it had no mountain view. A restaurant on a hill across the street probably had a great view but its specialty was wild game, something that didn’t appeal to Morris. Another restaurant announced that it was recommended by Rick Steves but there were no guests sitting outside and we didn’t want to stop anyway. Finally we came to the Hotel Alpenruh restaurant with a mountain view and reasonable prices. We found a table in the shade with a great view of the Eiger and a lesser view of the Mönch and Jungfrau and watched paragliders swirling around on their descent into the valley. We had a good lunch with a glass of Swiss wine. Morris had Hawaii toast and I had an omelet with vegetables. The housemade dessert with a beverage was inexpensive so we opted to top off our meal with pound cake and tea.
We just missed the cable car so I took the opportunity to look at exhibits and browse in the gift shop. We boarded the next cable car to Gimmelwald (Rick Steves' favorite village) where we changed to another cable car to Stechelberg. Here there were buses waiting to take us back to Lauterbrunnen. However, we got off at the second stop to visit the famous Trümmelbach Falls where one can hear the thundering cascades well before seeing ten glacier-fed waterfalls inside the mountain. We took a funicular up to level 6 and then walked up to level 10, seeing different views and falls along the way. It was a veritable gallery of roar and spray!
We returned to Lauterbrunnen by bus and walked around town. Outdoor tables at the Hotel Restaurant Oberland beckoned us so we stopped for tea and dessert. From our table we saw a short train going up a curved track to Wengen, another carless village.
Day 11—September 19
On the way to the train station we passed the weekly farmers’ market. It was much busier than last Saturday when everyone was at the cheese festival. At the train station we ran into Barbara and David who were on their way to do the Grandfather’s Walk.
We trained to Brienz and then took a postbus on a one-lane road up to Axalp. The bus had the right-of-way so cars pulled over or backed up to give the bus room. We expected the bus driver to honk his melodic horn at blind curves but he did not. We got off at the end of the line for the Wood Carvers Trail as did another Untours couple. Woodcarvers from the Brienz woodcarving school started carving life-sized sculptures along this hiking trail after a storm and avalanche in the winter of 1998-99 caused severe damage to the area. The carvers continue to complete new sculptures each summer from damaged trees.
Along the trail we saw some 75 carvings of animals, birds, flowers, and people. You had to look carefully in order not to miss any. Some carvings were fantastic with details such as shoestrings on a hiker’s boot. Our favorite was a Huck Finn character. We stopped at a bench shortly before arriving at Hinterburgseeli, a small Alpine lake, and had a picnic lunch. On the way back we took a side loop and saw three carvings that had been completed recently. It took one hour and 20 minutes to reach the lake and one hour and 5 minutes to return. While waiting for the bus, we had tea and snacks at an outside café table in Axalp.
On the return trip to Brienz we noticed groups of mailboxes by a bus stop or even in the middle of nowhere and assume that the postbus driver delivered mail to these boxes earlier in the day. After walking around Brienz we stopped at the Tea Room Walz where we had dinner at an outside table overlooking the lake. Morris had bratwurst with hash browns (rösti), I had vegetarian lasagna, and we enjoyed a glass of wine with our meal. The waitress brought a water pitcher—unusual for Europe.
Day 12—September 20
The forecast was for rain today but from our kitchen window we saw sun on the Wetterhorn—an indicator for a good day (according to Barbara and David’s landlord). We took the 10:25 a.m. train to Brienz, arrived at 10:35, and caught the 10:40 boat to Interlaken. At Giessbach, the first stop, we got off. After walking up a few steps to view the Giessbach Falls, we returned to the station to discover that the funicular had left without us and the next one wouldn’t leave for an hour. We should have known that the funicular would be coordinated with the boat arrival.
We planned to walk to Iseltwald anyway so we started on our way. This was a lovely walk through woods (The Enchanted Forest Walk per our Untours hiking guide). As it was Sunday, there were a number of locals on the path but not so many that it felt crowded. They always passed us, even if we were not loitering. We rested on a bench with a nice view of the lake and the opposite shore and had a snack. About half-way we came upon a log hut filled with firewood where a couple had started a fire in the grill area. The boat schedule was posted here. During the latter half of the walk we encountered a few muddy places but they didn’t hinder us.
In Iseltwald we came to The Hotel Bellview Restaurant with a wonderful terrace on the lake. After looking at the menu, we decided to stop for lunch and took a table at the water’s edge with a view of a chateau in one direction and a small island in another direction. Below us was a small, heart-shaped table. I ordered fish with boiled potatoes and Morris ordered a fall vegetable plate (seasonal vegetables, dried fruit, and noodles), both of which were excellent. We also had a glass of wine. Two tables were occupied when we arrived but the terrace was filling up with hikers, bikers, and others when we left. We moved to a nearby park bench where we enjoyed the lovely lake view. It was a very romantic setting.
We walked to the dock and took the boat headed to Brienz but got off at Giessbach. This time we went immediately to the funicular. While waiting to depart, we saw a colorful poster stating that departure was timed with boat arrivals (how well we knew). Several people had suitcases and were apparently staying at the historical Grand Hotel. We got off and headed to a table on the hotel's terrace where we had a great view of the Giessbach Falls. After having tea and blueberry kuchen, we walked up the path to view the falls and found the bus stop. The bus wouldn’t come for one hour and 20 minutes so we decided to walk to Brienz. The road was so narrow that when two cars met, one had to pull over and let the other pass. We heard the melodic horn of a bus coming up the hill. While we paused for a view of the lake below, a car (with signage for the Ford dealer in St. Petersburg Russia) stopped and two men got out and took photos. Eventually we ended up on a walking path along Lake Brienz and arrived at the station five minutes before the bus.
Back in Meiringen we passed Hotel Rebstock where four single men with Untours were staying. One of them trained to the French area today and the other three rode on a special steam train to Giswil and back. Morris wanted a Magnum ice cream bar but there weren’t any at the train station’s kiosk. However, we found one at the concession stand of the movie theater on the way back to our apartment. We met Jessica, our Untours representative, who had visited our upstairs neighbors and she gave us suggestions for hiking in the Rosenlaui Glacier area.
Day 13—September 21
We walked to the bus station where we boarded a postbus with Barbara and David. They got off at Zwirgi from where they would hike to the Reichenbach Falls but we continued up the narrow Alpine road to the last stop—Schwarzwaldalp. The driver played his 3-note melodic horn when approaching blind curves and cars meeting the bus pulled over at carve-outs. I understood a family of Germans who got on the bus but could not understand the Swiss driver who spoke in a dialect. From Schwarzwaldalp one could take another bus up to the Grosse Scheidegg and Grindelwald. We had tea and pre-packaged pastries (Nussrollen) at an outside table of the restaurant by the bus stop as we listened to a choir of cowbells nearby.
From here we walked two miles to the Rosenlauischlucht entrance and purchased an admission ticket. As we walked on a path through the gorge, we saw fantastic sculptures formed by massive waterfalls sourced by the Rosenlaui glacier above. It was very impressive! We liked it better than the Trümmelbach Falls that we had visited previously. The path was wet and slippery so we had to be careful, especially on the steps going uphill at the end. After we exited we had a picnic lunch on a nearby bench by a small cascading river. Then we walked past the Rosenlaui Hotel, a 230-year hotel, to Kaltenbrunnen. We were proud of ourselves for making the last leg in 20 minutes since the sign indicated that it would take 25 minutes. However, it was an easy trail and mostly flat or downhill. We boarded the bus for our return to Meiringen.
Back in Meiringen I stopped at Migros for a bar of soap. After looking at many varieties of liquid shower soap, I found a 10-bar package of soap, and finally a single bar of soap. Although Morris said that he would wait outside for me, he was nowhere to be seen and I found him at the internet café. He said that he had gotten tired of waiting and could not understand why it took so long to buy one bar of soap. We stopped at the bakery for two pieces of torte which we carried back to our apartment in a cute pink box. We had a cup of tea with our dessert and then headed out for the Untours farewell dinner in the village of Sachseln.
We trained to Giswil and then transferred to Sachseln. The Untours party was at the Bahnhof Restaurant just across the street from the train station. First there were introductions of Untours staff and Norwegian guests, relatives of a recently deceased Untours hostess. A special guest was Hal Taussig, 83-year old founder of Untours. The staff said that we were the biggest group of Untourists this year. We enjoyed a traditional Swiss meal consisting of bread, salad, potatoes, gravy, schnitzel, and dessert (ice cream garnished with whipped cream and berries). We listened to yodeling and Swiss music provided on accordions, bass, and Alphorns. Prizes were given to several persons who tried to play the Alphorn, including a fellow who used to play the tuba. At the end we all sang a few songs in German and English. On the train back to Meiringen we sat with Jim, an 85-year old retired Army officer, and a woman born in Hamburg, Germany who worked in Washington D.C. as a tour guide for Germans.
Day 14—September 22
The forecast was for a great day so we decided to hike The Panorama Trail from Reuti to Brünig. We passed our upstairs neighbors as we hustled to catch the 9:05 cable car to Reuti. At Reuti we climbed a very steep trail and were puffing by the time we reached the top and a saw a sign for the trail. I think we missed the path with a more gradual climb. We continued uphill for quite awhile and had great views of the Rosenlaui Glacier and the Wetterhorn Alps, a view that changed as we walked through pastures, rolling countryside, forests, and villages. This was a family-friendly trail as evidenced by a snowman logo on the trail signs; we even saw several strollers.
In Hohfluh we left the trail to find the Hotel Bären Restaurant where we had lunch at an outside table with a mountain view. Morris had schnitzel, French fries, and a beer while I had Cordon bleu (daily special), soup, salad, French fries, and wine. Both meals were excellent. On our way back to the trail we passed the Hohfluh Bakery which was no longer in operation. I had read about the good treats there so I was somewhat glad that we were not tempted by it. We came to a lovely woods with tall straight pines (we called it The Cathedral Woods) and rested on a bench by a large rock with a poem inscribed on it. I heard birds calling to one another from opposite sides of the trail. It was so relaxing and quiet that I took a short nap while resting my head on Morris’ shoulder. The magical spell was broken when a group of 20 locals with walking sticks passed.
We continued to Brünig where we planned to return to Meiringen by train. Since the train wouldn’t arrive for 45 minutes, we took a seat at an outside table of the Restaurant Silvana next to the station. Our reward for the 6-mile hike was housemade Apfelküchlein. It consisted of sliced apples dipped in batter and deep fried--served with vanilla sauce. The dessert was wonderful and much better than normal apple strudel. As usual Morris had tea and I had milk coffee (in order to add calcium to my daily diet).
When we returned to Meiringen it was my last chance to buy souvenirs so I went in several shops while Morris waited patiently on a park bench. In the Handweberei and Heimatwerk Oberhasli, a cooperative where they sell handwoven products and other craft objects from all over Switzerland, I bought a couple of items. We checked our e-mail at the internet café but were unable to check in for our flight tomorrow because we did not have our reservation number. On the way back to our apartment we stopped at a store with Haslital specialties and bought chocolate ice cream on sale in personal size containers and ate it on a bench outside. It was 6:00 p.m. when we arrived at the apartment so I quickly found our reservation number and hurried back to the internet café since it closed at 6:30 p.m. I checked in for our flight home and printed the confirmation. We both felt better about checking in online since we had done it for our flight over, thus streamlining getting boarding passes at the airport.
For supper we cleaned out the refrigerator, including the last of the Swiss wine. The landlady knocked on our door and asked what time we wanted to go to the train station tomorrow morning and we agreed on 7:15 a.m. I packed and set the alarm for the first time on this trip.
Note: Hiking on The Panorama Trail was a great way to end our two-week stay in Switzerland. The path was well marked and there were benches along the way to rest and enjoy the wonderful views. We hiked from east to west, the opposite direction of the hike suggested in our Untours Hiking Guide. However, this turned out to be better because:
1) The sun was on our backs.
2) The best views of the Wetterhorn group were at Reuti in the morning.
3) The timing was right for lunch in Hohfluh and afternoon tea and dessert in Brünig.
4) The last leg of the hike was downhill into Hohfluh.
Note: We talked to an Untourist who had been in Meiringen today when the cows came down from the mountains for the winter. He said that about 100 cows paraded through downtown Meiringen. That must have been a sight!
Day 15—September 23
I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and finally got up at 6:15. I had packed almost everything last night and didn’t want to awaken our upstairs neighbors. I showered, dressed, packed the few remaining items, stripped the bed, and put the towels in a pile. Our landlord parked his car by our door and loaded our suitcases. His wife came by to bid us farewell and presented us with a box of chocolates. At the train station he and I chatted for a few minutes. I talked to him more this morning than during our entire two-week stay and found out a few things about him and his family. He has four kids who live in Meiringen, Bern, Basel, and Interlaken, and he has grandkids as well. In January he will become a great-great grandfather. He said that although he doesn’t speak English, his kids do. He asked how I learned German. Although he is retired, he still works because he wants something to do.
Our landlord left a few minutes before our train arrived and wished us a good trip. We sat in the first car so that we could get out first and transfer quickly to another train for the airport. The train left punctually at 7:45. We enjoyed the scenery along the way: the Wetterhorn group, Lake Lungern, Lake Sarnen, the hills, fog in the valley, and statues along the tracks between Meiringen and Brünig.
Our first stop was Brünig where we had that great apple dessert yesterday. We arrived in Lucerne at 9:04, found the train for the airport, and left at 9:10. The train made several stops, the last of which was the airport. Since we had checked in online last night, we quickly checked our luggage and obtained boarding passes. We had tea and scones at Starbucks while reminiscing about our great time in Switzerland.
Concluding Comments
Switzerland is a great destination. The scenery is spectacular; the transportation system is efficient and visitor friendly; there are flowers everywhere; and the streets and sidewalks are free of litter. Also Switzerland is a hiker’s paradise. The trails are well marked with signs and arrows indicating the time (hours and minutes) to reach a destination and there are benches along the way to rest and enjoy the wonderful Alpine views.
Day
1 Bürgenstock
2 Meiringen
3 Luzern
4 Cheese festival
5 Grimselpass hydroelectric dam
6 Aareschlucht, Reichenbach Falls
7 Brienzer Rothorn
8 Thun
9 Cheesemaker, hike on The High Trail
10 Grandfather’s Walk, Trümmelbach Falls
11 Woodcarvers Trail
12 Giessbach Falls, The Enchanted Forest Walk, Iseltwald
13 Rosenlauischlucht and hike
14 The Panorama Trail
15 Flight home
Day 1—September 9
Prior to our stay in Switzerland, we visited friends in southern Germany. We could have met Untours staff at the Zurich airport and taken the train to Meiringen but we accepted Hans’ offer to drive us to our apartment. On the way we stopped at Bürgenstock, a resort above Lake Lucerne, where we walked on the shaded Felsenweg, watched the boats below, and stopped for a picnic lunch at a convenient bench. Then we took the Hammetschwand Lift (a glass elevator), Europe’s highest outdoor lift, up to the summit. It was hazy but we enjoyed the view and had beverages and desserts on the sun terrace before returning to our car.
We continued to Meiringen, arriving at the train station shortly before 4:00 p.m., the designated time we were to meet our landlord. After unloading our luggage, we waited but no one came for us. Kathy called our landlord but no one answered; she called again and this time the landlady answered and said that she didn’t know where her husband was. Jessica Powers, the local Untours person, came by on her bike to meet someone arriving by train and said that she would return to help us. In the meantime the landlady arrived on her bike, we put our suitcases back in the car, and Hans drove us and the landlady to our apartment. Kathy and Hans headed back. After unpacking, we made supper with groceries that Untours staff had left for us.
Day 2—September 10
After breakfast in our apartment we explored downtown Meiringen and had tea in the cafeteria of Migros, a Swiss grocery store chain. Next we headed to the train station to meet Jessica and other Untourists. As we walked to Hotel Adler for orientation, Jessica gave shopping tips, mentioned local specialties such as Gumpesel (a special smoked salami with pork and beef), and pointed out things around town.
At orientation we introduced ourselves. One couple was from South Africa; one woman had surprised her husband with this trip for their 55th wedding anniversary; some couples had been to Switzerland numerous times, including one couple who had been to Switzerland 25 times. It was obvious that the Swiss Untour is popular. We received general information, signed up for special events, and received instructions on how to read schedules for the train, bus, boat, and cable car.
After two hours of orientation, we were hungry. We sat at an outside table at a nearby restaurant and made it just in time to order the lunch special. Next we went grocery shopping at Migros. Grocery shopping in another country is always an experience. I placed fruit on a scale, punched a number representing the specific fruit, and applied the generated price label to the bag. Milk came only in liter containers. Some milk containers were refrigerated while others were not. I didn’t see skim milk but finally found 1%. On the way home we stopped at a meat shop and bought the recommended Gumpesel. It was expensive—a small log cost about $12.00.
We returned to our apartment with the groceries and after resting, hiked up a path on the Hasli mountain where we had a great view of Meiringen. Eventually we came to a sculptural garden which we toured and then returned because it was late in the day.
Day 3—September 11
We had our usual breakfast of cereal, milk, and fruit but Morris missed the hard rolls that we had gotten used to by Kathy and Hans.
Jessica met us and other Untourists at the train station for a trip to Luzern. This was practice for using public transportation since we would take two trains and a boat to get there. The scenery along the route was beautiful but it was too dark and cloudy for taking good photos. We saw animal statues periodically along the railroad tracks but couldn’t determine what they were made of. We took the Golden Panorama train to Giswil where we transferred to a local train. In Alpnachstad we took a boat on Vierwaldstättersee. It was cold and windy waiting for the boat and I wished that I had worn another layer. Because of the weather, we sat at tables inside. Some bought lunch onboard but others, including us, brought a picnic lunch along. Morris and I shared a bottle of Rivella, a Swiss drink made out of whey, a cheese byproduct. There were many homes, hotels, and resorts along the lake, both at the lake level and on hilltops. We saw the glass elevator at Bürgenstock that we had taken with Kathy and Hans two days ago.
After we arrived in Luzern, Jessica took the group on a short walking tour into the center of the old town. Near the boat depot and train station Jessica pointed out the KKL building that housed a conference and music venue, art museum, and restaurant. On opening night there was such a surge of people into the building that some of them fell into water channels that were part of the interior design of the structure! We passed the flower-lined Kapellbrücke, a wooden footbridge that is the symbol of Luzern. A fire in 1993 caused by a cigarette in a boat below caused a fire that destroyed much of this historic bridge.
We walked on the narrow cobblestone streets past the Kornmarkt tower, Weinmarkt, old city hall, city hall brewery, Mills Bridge, and frescoed houses. After that Jessica disappeared and left us to explore the city on our own and find the way back to Meiringen. We headed to the old city wall where we climbed one of nine remaining towers. There were 125 steps, some of which were quite high. From the top of the tower we had a good view over the city. We continued on a walking path along the city wall and passed cows, calves, and llamas. Due to reconstruction of the wall, we had to continue on an alternate route.
At the Lion’s Square we saw the famous Bourbaki Panorama depicting the retreat of the French army into Switzerland during the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). The huge circular painting is in a special building and is enhanced with three-dimensional items in the foreground. It was very impressive. This event reinforced Switzerland’s role as a neutral power and provided the first testing ground for the then-fledgling Red Cross. Nearby we saw the Löwendenkmal (Lion Monument). Carved in deep relief into the sandstone cliff above the town, the monument is an allegorical reference to the bravery of the Swiss Guards who died in the Tuileries of Paris in 1792 trying to save the life and honor of Marie Antoinette. The lion was so sad.
Hotels and cafes line the riverwalk. We were hungry so decided to have dinner at the Rathaus Braueri where we sat at an outside table with a view of the Kapellbrücke. Morris had two weiswurst with a pretzel and mustard and I had Alpler Marggronen (macaroni, new potatoes, cheese, cream, and onions; on the side was a small dish of applesauce). The cheese and macaroni dish was very good and Morris wished that he had also ordered it. This is one of the few establishments in Luzern that brews its beer on-site so Morris ordered a beer with his dinner.
At the Kapellplatz a farm expo was set up for tomorrow. St. Peter’s church, the oldest church in Luzern (built in 1178) and the fountain commemorating Carnival revelry in Luzern were in this square. We walked across the Kapellbrücke to the train station. Some paintings inside the bridge were reproductions while others were originals that had been brought out from storage. It was too dark to see the paintings well but we could determine that there were skeletons in the paintings. At the train station I bought some produce at the Coop, another major grocery chain. The WCs at the station were expensive—one franc for men and two francs for women. One could also take showers in this ultramodern restroom.
We found track #12 that Jessica had pointed out earlier and got on a direct train to Meiringen. By this time it was dark and we noticed that it had rained in Lungern. In Meiringen the streetlights were sufficient to find our way home and in the last block two motion sensor lights came on to guide us to our door.
Day 4 —September 12
After breakfast we went to the public library to use the internet (the first 10 minutes were free). However, the internet was too slow so we went to the internet café to check our e-mail. At the small farmers market downtown I bought cheese, bread, shortbread cookies, and small jam-filled cookies and at Migros I picked up a few more groceries.
We dropped off the groceries at our apartment and then headed for the nearby aerial cable car station where we traveled with some 50 others up to Mägisalp for the annual cheese festival. At Reuti we transferred to a gondola that held up to eight people and then traveled to Bidmi and on to Mägisalp. It was foggy, cool, and damp—I could have used my stretch gloves and rain jacket.
The cheese festival is called Chästeilet (“dividing up the cheese”). Cheese made here during the summer and stored in cheese huts was divided and distributed among farmers who sold it at stands decorated with pine boughs and flowers. I tasted cheese samples at several stands and bought a chunk of cheese. While standing in line for lunch we watched men making Chäsbrätel. One man sliced loaves of bread into uniform slices while several other men attended to cheese melting on a special grill. When the cheese was the right consistency they scraped it off onto the slices of bread. At the end of the line we could sprinkle paprika and white pepper onto the open-faced sandwich. It was good and one serving was quite filling.
We joined others at long picnic tables and watched the entertainment: a man and woman playing alphorns, two boys twirling flags, a four-piece band (three accordions and a clarinet), and dancers. One dance involved boys holding a broom and slapping it in front of them and in back of them. There was also a men’s yodel choir consisting of men of various ages who were dressed in dark brown suits, brown striped vests, white shirts with black buttons, and small black ties; some had pocket watches on a chain. A couple recommended a nearby path but it was so foggy that we couldn’t see anything, including nearby cows whose bells we heard, and we headed back to the festival. On the way we met an Untours couple from Louisiana who said that they were familiar with two things in Wisconsin— the Packers and Ephraim Pottery. What a surprise when we told them that we live in Lake Mills where the pottery is made.
Next it was time for dessert—Meringue mit Nidle. A woman put two meringue shells on a plate, covered them with whipped cream, and garnished the concoction with chocolate sprinkles. Morris and I shared this dessert but it was difficult to eat with plastic forks. Hot chocolate, tea, and coffee with schnapps and sugar were also available and we warmed up with a cup of tea served in a large white soup bowl.
We waited for the procession of decorated cows until someone told us that it would take place later in the month. Although we were disappointed, we were glad that we had seen such a procession in Austria. We took the gondola up to the Alpen Tower where we should have had a great view. However, it was foggy and we could barely see a few feet in front of us.
We returned to Mägisalp via gondola and hiked on the Muggestutz Trail, a family friendly trail with swings, log playhouse, wooden maze, large wooden mushrooms, picnic tables, fire pits, tree house, and hands-on activities based on books by a local author about Muggestutz, the oldest dwarf. We walked through Alpine meadows, pine forests, and cow pastures. Periodically we opened a gate to enter and/or leave a pasture. Watch out where you step! At one place a farmer got on his motor scooter and drove through the pasture, yelling and yodeling to call his cows home for milking. At Bidmi we took the gondola to Reuti and then transferred to a cable car for our return to Meiringen.
Day 5—September 13
Today we arranged to take a tour of the Oberaar storage dam—a special event that was part of this year’s European Heritage Days with the theme of “water”. When we arrived at the postbus station in Meiringen there was confusion since we had no Untours leader and the bus driver spoke only German. Finally we found out that we and a few others were to take the extra bus for the trip to the Grimsel Pass. Along the way we had great views. There is a tunnel through the mountain at Grimsel Pass but we took the narrow old road. Before blind curves the bus driver honked the melodious horn which caused everyone to laugh.
At the Grimsel Hospiz, an historic Alpine hotel, we got off the bus. Here our Untours guide, Debbie (an Australian married to a Swiss native), met us. While waiting for our tour, we had a cup of tea in the restaurant. Next we took a cable car up to the first station and then transferred to another cable car to reach the Oberaar storage dam. From the cable car we saw hawks, marmots, a goat, an Ibex, Alpine flowers, and blueberry bushes. We donned hard hats before Debbie led us on a 45-minute tour through the dam. She said that it took 700 workers three summers (May-November) to build the dam. Although there were dormitories and other buildings at the time, there is only one building left –now a restaurant and simple hotel. This dam generates power for Meiringen and several other communities in the Hasli valley. The KWO power company plans to increase the volume of the dam but some people object to raising the water level because it will kill trees that are valued for their wood. Switzerland’s power consists of 60% hydropower, 39% wind power, and 1% solar power. At the dam we saw two glaciers—the Oberaargletscher and the Unterarrgletscher.
We returned to the hotel where we had lunch in the restaurant. While we were having lunch, the fog rolled in and we couldn’t see anything. Next we toured the newly renovated Grimsel Hospiz Hotel. The restaurant opened July 17, 2009 and a wedding reception was held there on July 18. I bet the bride was relieved that the restaurant opened timely! Between July and October some 8000 people will have been served in the dining rooms. Although the hotel rooms will not open until 2010, we saw several rooms that were completed. The architect tried to make the renovation as authentic as possible.
We were supposed to return on the postbus but after we had waited quite awhile, Debbie came with a KMO van and drove us back. In Meiringen we visited new streets, one of which was possessed of a bakery which we unhesitatingly entered. We came out with two nut pastries to be sacrificed at our afternoon tea.
Day 6—September 14
Today we passed up the opportunity to tour the Frey Chocolate Factory near Aarau. Leaving by train at 6:45 a.m. was too early for Morris. I saw the mailman arrive on a motorcycle and deliver mail to a group of boxes near our front door and a newspaper to the house next door. It was raining so we decided to visit the Transportation Museum in Luzern. The landlady knocked on the door and said that there had been a storm during the night with thunder and lightning; there would be no power this afternoon while they made repairs. I hadn’t heard or seen anything during the night since I was tired and had closed the shutters tightly.
It was misting as we headed out the door wearing our rain jackets. After we checked our e-mail at the internet café we saw blue skies so decided to stay in Meiringen. We picked up groceries and supplies at Migros, shortbread cookies at the bakery, and post cards at the book store. After dropping off the groceries at our apartment, we headed out again.
Our walk to the Aareschlucht took us through a residential neighborhood along the Aare River. Flowerboxes were everywhere, most filled with red geraniums. The gorge was very impressive and reminded us of the Lichtenstein Klamm in Austria. The gorge is full of recesses, grottoes, precipices, and arches—all fashioned by the Aare’s waters over centuries. The towering rock walls of the gorge were very close together in some places and far apart in others. There was even a tunnel from World War II. Over 800 years ago local residents had built a path through the gorge. After we walked through the gorge we had lunch on the snack bar’s patio. Morris had bratwurst and I had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich.
We walked back on the Lammi footpath through the woods and continued to the Reichenbach Falls where we took the funicular. At the upper station we saw the falls as well as the spot where Sherlock Holmes met his fate. The falls were not impressive today because there hadn’t been much rain. However, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was so impressed with the falls that he used them as the setting for the scene in The Final Problem, in which the villain, Professor Moriarty, struggles with Sherlock Holmes. Doyle wrote that both men fell into the plunging water and presumably both perished (but never fear—Doyle brought him back for new adventures). We walked up the steep path where we had great views across the valley to Meiringen. Back at the funicular station we looked at photos and old post cards in the gallery. There was a narrative about the Sherlock Holmes Club visiting Meiringen and the falls in 2005 and dressing in period attire. One poor fellow had to be Moriarty. At least he got to throttle Holmes—even if only for the duration of a camera click. A committee of avid fans came up with the most likely location of the famous altercation and today’s visitors only have to look for the white star of struggle.
We took the funicular down, walked into town, explored Meiringen, and purchased a Muggestutz book in English at the Tourist Information Office. At the bakery we stopped for tea and dessert. Morris had carrot cake and I had Schwarzwald Kuchen, both different from what we expected. Then we walked to the Coop and bought a bottle of Swiss wine. On the way back to our apartment we met Untourists, Mark and Harry, who told us about their travels today.
Day 7—September 15
We decided to visit Brienz, only 12 minutes away by train. While we were sitting on a bench at the Brienz train station and discussing what to do, the nearby boat and steam train departed and we learned firsthand that other transportation is coordinated with train arrivals. We decided to take the next train up to the Rothorn, a 7,713 foot-high peak, and bought one-way tickets with plans to hike back down. We were disappointed that we had to take a diesel-powered train, but we did not want to wait a half hour for the historic steam train.
The train chugged through the woods up to Planalp, the half-way point where it stopped until the steam and maintenance trains came down the single track. We continued along mountainsides with little vegetation other than ground cover and alpine flowers but with a good view of Lake Brienz below. After one hour of slowly winding our way, we reached the top.
What a spectacular view we had while eating lunch at a window table in the restaurant! We both had Alpler Marggronen and shared a green Rivella. Afterwards we walked to a lookout point where we had a fantastic view above the clouds and watched for a long time. A map in a glass case showed names of various peaks such as the Wetterhorn, Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau that came in and out of view due to moving clouds. We walked up steep steps to the top where there were a few people and signage for hiking trails back down. We stopped at the cable car station but didn’t know how we would proceed once we reached the end so we decided to return by train. It was too late in the day to hike back down.
While waiting for the train, we had a cup of tea. We would have had dessert but there were only two pieces left in the case, leaving us no choice. The conductor didn’t sell tickets so he told us to pay when we got off. Several older people in our car napped but we enjoyed the view during the slow, steep descent. I’m glad that the train had good brakes! After we got off, we paid the difference at the ticket counter between the roundtrip and the one-way fare.
We walked on the main street through Brienz, woodcarving capital of the world. Carved statues were everywhere, including a bear carrying a suitcase. In shops we saw carvings ranging from $25 to $8000; in one showroom a man was carving a small bear. We walked to the end of the street and returned on a walking path along the lake, enjoying the view and admiring backyards with colorful flowers. The temptation was too great so we stopped at a restaurant we had passed earlier for the dessert posted on their blackboard—Apfelstrudel with Vanilla Sauce. At our outside table we overheard a couple speaking English who were wearing large straw hats. We chatted with them briefly when we left and found out that they were from Colorado. A man who had been at the restaurant returned with his camera and took a photo of them. I talked to him in German and he said that he was on vacation here from Hamburg and loved the lake setting. When we walked back to the train station, the German honked as he drove by.
Day 8—September 16
In order to get to our destination of Thun we first took the train to Interlaken (east). Morris misread the timetable and thought that the train continued to the west station. When it was five minutes past the scheduled departure time, we knew that something was wrong since Swiss trains leave punctually. We discovered that we were on a train headed in the opposite direction so we immediately got off. Instead of waiting for a train for the two-minute ride to Interlaken-West, we walked through town to the station.
On the main street, Höheweg, we walked past large hotels, gardens, and cafes. It was a very touristy town and a sign in front of the casino was in ten languages. Along the way was a very large park which we later found out was property once owned by Augustinian monks but acquired in the mid-19th century by Interlaken hotel keepers who turned it into a park. After a mile until we came to the boat dock.
Next we boarded the boat headed to Thun on Lake Thun. It was foggy so we couldn’t see much but identified the large, uniform Mount Niessen. For lunch we had a bowl of Hungarian Goulash. It was very good (a thick beef vegetable soup) and different from the goulash that we had eaten in Budapest. We got off in Faulensee and walked on a lovely path along the lake towards Spiez. We passed backyards filled with flowers, a fish hatchery, a children’s playground with a cute sign saying that dogs were not allowed, another sign saying that dogs were allowed, and artwork installations. At a place where the lake path continued and another path went uphill and through the woods, we chose the wooded path.
In Spiez we took the train for the short ride to Thun. After picking up a city map, we walked into the historic district and stopped at a bakery café for tea and dessert. We resumed our walk on the main street, Hauptgasse, which was unique with a walkway built above arcaded shops. We came to a steep, covered staircase and took it up to the Castle Thun, now a historical museum, where we saw period toys, ceramics, historical displays, military uniforms, and furniture. We climbed all four turrets for good views of the city. After retracing our steps under the covered staircase, we ended up at the city hall square with colorful buildings. We had also wanted to see the famous Wocher Panorama but there wasn’t time.
Morris did not want to accompany me through the outdoor market so he headed to the train station where he would meet me. Vendors at the market were closing up so I started in Morris’ direction. There were several pedestrian bridges over the river and after looking at my map, I decided that I was walking in the wrong direction. Eventually I found the train station and after a few minutes Morris showed up. What a relief! He had gotten lost, and without a map, had to ask directions to the station. We returned by train to Interlaken east and then got on another train for Meiringen.
At 9:00 p.m. there was a knock on the door. Our landlord was here with a couple from the U.S. who had just arrived and would be staying in the apartment above. Our landlord didn’t speak English and they didn’t speak German so he asked me to translate.
Day 9—September 17
We had to get up earlier than usual to catch the 8:04 cable car for the cheesemaking outing. The cable car operator was from Holland, spoke English well, and had been to Australia, England, and the U.S. (six times). In Reuti we met our guide Marlis and other Untourists and continued via gondola up to Mägisalp where the cheese festival had been held on Saturday.
The group walked to a nearby hut in which the cheesemaker, Lotti, lives during the summer. She had already made four rounds of cheese today, starting at 4:00 a.m., so Marlis explained in English how it had been done. Lottie poured 400 liters of milk (600 liters during peak times) into the cauldron and heated it over a fire, stirring with a rake. She removed the mixture with a cheesecloth and packed it in forms, pressing out the moisture. While we were in the hut, Lottie pulled the curtain shut around the cheese rounds to keep them warm. Next we went to the hut where yesterday’s cheese was soaking in salt water. On the shelves were 494 rounds of cheese that Lottie had made this year. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays she turns and washes each round of cheese and wipes some with salt and pepper. Lottie made cheese from other farmers’ milk also for which they paid her. Lottie told us that she takes portable milking machines in a car to milk her 55 cows.
Lottie provided samples of cheese from last year and two years ago and gave us an opportunity to buy some. I didn’t like the older cheese because it was salty and hard. Lottie uses the cheese for her family and sells it to hotels, restaurants, and others. She will take the cheese and cows down to the valley at the end of the month. We concluded that cheesemaking is hard work.
After the cheesemaking demo we took the gondola with Barbara and David up to Alpentower where we had a good view in one direction—definitely a much better view than on the day of the cheese festival. Clouds moved in and out so that our view changed. Eventually we could see a glacier in one direction. We watched for some time and then went into the restaurant to warm up with tea and hot cocoa. We hiked on The High Trail (Der Höhenwanderweg) to Käserstatt. Along the way we saw wildflowers, hikers with dogs, cows on the road, goats on a hillside, piles of rocks in the pastures, blueberries, heather, ducks in a pond, and a hovering hawk. We frequently heard marmots whistling but never saw them. On a farm there were beverages for sale that were cooled by glacial water in a tank; a metal box was nearby in which to deposit your money. We stopped at a bench and had our picnic lunch. Clouds floated in and out while we were eating. To get back home we took the gondola to Twing, the post bus to Reuti, and the cable car to Meiringen. The Swiss transportation system is wonderful!
Back in Meiringen we had tea and dessert at an outside table of the bakery. Our upstairs neighbors came by and said that they slept in rather than go to the cheesemaking demo.
Day 10—September 18
The forecast was for a beautiful day so we decided to take the Grandfather’s Walk. We trained to Interlaken Ost, transferred to Lauterbrunnen, and took a cable car to Grütschalp. After we exited the cable car, we had a spectacular view of the Big Three—the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau. I can understand why the hiking guide recommended this walk during good weather.
The relationship of the Big Three changed as we progressed on our four-mile walk to Mürren. Three Brits ahead of us, and sometimes behind us, had visited the area 11 times and said that this was one of their favorite hikes. One of the three, the “flower lady”, stopped frequently to take a picture of a wildflower. As usual, we walked through pastures so we had to be careful where we stepped. A small train went back and forth between Grütschalp and Mürren with people and luggage since Mürren is a carless village. Along the way we saw goats and cows in the fields and pigs on the fenced-in patio of a pig shed. After enjoying the beautiful scenery, we finally came to a sign for Mürren but we still walked awhile until we actually arrived.
For several minutes we watched paragliders floating down into the valley. Although Mürren is carless, there were several small vehicles and motorbikes around. We passed a popular restaurant but it had no mountain view. A restaurant on a hill across the street probably had a great view but its specialty was wild game, something that didn’t appeal to Morris. Another restaurant announced that it was recommended by Rick Steves but there were no guests sitting outside and we didn’t want to stop anyway. Finally we came to the Hotel Alpenruh restaurant with a mountain view and reasonable prices. We found a table in the shade with a great view of the Eiger and a lesser view of the Mönch and Jungfrau and watched paragliders swirling around on their descent into the valley. We had a good lunch with a glass of Swiss wine. Morris had Hawaii toast and I had an omelet with vegetables. The housemade dessert with a beverage was inexpensive so we opted to top off our meal with pound cake and tea.
We just missed the cable car so I took the opportunity to look at exhibits and browse in the gift shop. We boarded the next cable car to Gimmelwald (Rick Steves' favorite village) where we changed to another cable car to Stechelberg. Here there were buses waiting to take us back to Lauterbrunnen. However, we got off at the second stop to visit the famous Trümmelbach Falls where one can hear the thundering cascades well before seeing ten glacier-fed waterfalls inside the mountain. We took a funicular up to level 6 and then walked up to level 10, seeing different views and falls along the way. It was a veritable gallery of roar and spray!
We returned to Lauterbrunnen by bus and walked around town. Outdoor tables at the Hotel Restaurant Oberland beckoned us so we stopped for tea and dessert. From our table we saw a short train going up a curved track to Wengen, another carless village.
Day 11—September 19
On the way to the train station we passed the weekly farmers’ market. It was much busier than last Saturday when everyone was at the cheese festival. At the train station we ran into Barbara and David who were on their way to do the Grandfather’s Walk.
We trained to Brienz and then took a postbus on a one-lane road up to Axalp. The bus had the right-of-way so cars pulled over or backed up to give the bus room. We expected the bus driver to honk his melodic horn at blind curves but he did not. We got off at the end of the line for the Wood Carvers Trail as did another Untours couple. Woodcarvers from the Brienz woodcarving school started carving life-sized sculptures along this hiking trail after a storm and avalanche in the winter of 1998-99 caused severe damage to the area. The carvers continue to complete new sculptures each summer from damaged trees.
Along the trail we saw some 75 carvings of animals, birds, flowers, and people. You had to look carefully in order not to miss any. Some carvings were fantastic with details such as shoestrings on a hiker’s boot. Our favorite was a Huck Finn character. We stopped at a bench shortly before arriving at Hinterburgseeli, a small Alpine lake, and had a picnic lunch. On the way back we took a side loop and saw three carvings that had been completed recently. It took one hour and 20 minutes to reach the lake and one hour and 5 minutes to return. While waiting for the bus, we had tea and snacks at an outside café table in Axalp.
On the return trip to Brienz we noticed groups of mailboxes by a bus stop or even in the middle of nowhere and assume that the postbus driver delivered mail to these boxes earlier in the day. After walking around Brienz we stopped at the Tea Room Walz where we had dinner at an outside table overlooking the lake. Morris had bratwurst with hash browns (rösti), I had vegetarian lasagna, and we enjoyed a glass of wine with our meal. The waitress brought a water pitcher—unusual for Europe.
Day 12—September 20
The forecast was for rain today but from our kitchen window we saw sun on the Wetterhorn—an indicator for a good day (according to Barbara and David’s landlord). We took the 10:25 a.m. train to Brienz, arrived at 10:35, and caught the 10:40 boat to Interlaken. At Giessbach, the first stop, we got off. After walking up a few steps to view the Giessbach Falls, we returned to the station to discover that the funicular had left without us and the next one wouldn’t leave for an hour. We should have known that the funicular would be coordinated with the boat arrival.
We planned to walk to Iseltwald anyway so we started on our way. This was a lovely walk through woods (The Enchanted Forest Walk per our Untours hiking guide). As it was Sunday, there were a number of locals on the path but not so many that it felt crowded. They always passed us, even if we were not loitering. We rested on a bench with a nice view of the lake and the opposite shore and had a snack. About half-way we came upon a log hut filled with firewood where a couple had started a fire in the grill area. The boat schedule was posted here. During the latter half of the walk we encountered a few muddy places but they didn’t hinder us.
In Iseltwald we came to The Hotel Bellview Restaurant with a wonderful terrace on the lake. After looking at the menu, we decided to stop for lunch and took a table at the water’s edge with a view of a chateau in one direction and a small island in another direction. Below us was a small, heart-shaped table. I ordered fish with boiled potatoes and Morris ordered a fall vegetable plate (seasonal vegetables, dried fruit, and noodles), both of which were excellent. We also had a glass of wine. Two tables were occupied when we arrived but the terrace was filling up with hikers, bikers, and others when we left. We moved to a nearby park bench where we enjoyed the lovely lake view. It was a very romantic setting.
We walked to the dock and took the boat headed to Brienz but got off at Giessbach. This time we went immediately to the funicular. While waiting to depart, we saw a colorful poster stating that departure was timed with boat arrivals (how well we knew). Several people had suitcases and were apparently staying at the historical Grand Hotel. We got off and headed to a table on the hotel's terrace where we had a great view of the Giessbach Falls. After having tea and blueberry kuchen, we walked up the path to view the falls and found the bus stop. The bus wouldn’t come for one hour and 20 minutes so we decided to walk to Brienz. The road was so narrow that when two cars met, one had to pull over and let the other pass. We heard the melodic horn of a bus coming up the hill. While we paused for a view of the lake below, a car (with signage for the Ford dealer in St. Petersburg Russia) stopped and two men got out and took photos. Eventually we ended up on a walking path along Lake Brienz and arrived at the station five minutes before the bus.
Back in Meiringen we passed Hotel Rebstock where four single men with Untours were staying. One of them trained to the French area today and the other three rode on a special steam train to Giswil and back. Morris wanted a Magnum ice cream bar but there weren’t any at the train station’s kiosk. However, we found one at the concession stand of the movie theater on the way back to our apartment. We met Jessica, our Untours representative, who had visited our upstairs neighbors and she gave us suggestions for hiking in the Rosenlaui Glacier area.
Day 13—September 21
We walked to the bus station where we boarded a postbus with Barbara and David. They got off at Zwirgi from where they would hike to the Reichenbach Falls but we continued up the narrow Alpine road to the last stop—Schwarzwaldalp. The driver played his 3-note melodic horn when approaching blind curves and cars meeting the bus pulled over at carve-outs. I understood a family of Germans who got on the bus but could not understand the Swiss driver who spoke in a dialect. From Schwarzwaldalp one could take another bus up to the Grosse Scheidegg and Grindelwald. We had tea and pre-packaged pastries (Nussrollen) at an outside table of the restaurant by the bus stop as we listened to a choir of cowbells nearby.
From here we walked two miles to the Rosenlauischlucht entrance and purchased an admission ticket. As we walked on a path through the gorge, we saw fantastic sculptures formed by massive waterfalls sourced by the Rosenlaui glacier above. It was very impressive! We liked it better than the Trümmelbach Falls that we had visited previously. The path was wet and slippery so we had to be careful, especially on the steps going uphill at the end. After we exited we had a picnic lunch on a nearby bench by a small cascading river. Then we walked past the Rosenlaui Hotel, a 230-year hotel, to Kaltenbrunnen. We were proud of ourselves for making the last leg in 20 minutes since the sign indicated that it would take 25 minutes. However, it was an easy trail and mostly flat or downhill. We boarded the bus for our return to Meiringen.
Back in Meiringen I stopped at Migros for a bar of soap. After looking at many varieties of liquid shower soap, I found a 10-bar package of soap, and finally a single bar of soap. Although Morris said that he would wait outside for me, he was nowhere to be seen and I found him at the internet café. He said that he had gotten tired of waiting and could not understand why it took so long to buy one bar of soap. We stopped at the bakery for two pieces of torte which we carried back to our apartment in a cute pink box. We had a cup of tea with our dessert and then headed out for the Untours farewell dinner in the village of Sachseln.
We trained to Giswil and then transferred to Sachseln. The Untours party was at the Bahnhof Restaurant just across the street from the train station. First there were introductions of Untours staff and Norwegian guests, relatives of a recently deceased Untours hostess. A special guest was Hal Taussig, 83-year old founder of Untours. The staff said that we were the biggest group of Untourists this year. We enjoyed a traditional Swiss meal consisting of bread, salad, potatoes, gravy, schnitzel, and dessert (ice cream garnished with whipped cream and berries). We listened to yodeling and Swiss music provided on accordions, bass, and Alphorns. Prizes were given to several persons who tried to play the Alphorn, including a fellow who used to play the tuba. At the end we all sang a few songs in German and English. On the train back to Meiringen we sat with Jim, an 85-year old retired Army officer, and a woman born in Hamburg, Germany who worked in Washington D.C. as a tour guide for Germans.
Day 14—September 22
The forecast was for a great day so we decided to hike The Panorama Trail from Reuti to Brünig. We passed our upstairs neighbors as we hustled to catch the 9:05 cable car to Reuti. At Reuti we climbed a very steep trail and were puffing by the time we reached the top and a saw a sign for the trail. I think we missed the path with a more gradual climb. We continued uphill for quite awhile and had great views of the Rosenlaui Glacier and the Wetterhorn Alps, a view that changed as we walked through pastures, rolling countryside, forests, and villages. This was a family-friendly trail as evidenced by a snowman logo on the trail signs; we even saw several strollers.
In Hohfluh we left the trail to find the Hotel Bären Restaurant where we had lunch at an outside table with a mountain view. Morris had schnitzel, French fries, and a beer while I had Cordon bleu (daily special), soup, salad, French fries, and wine. Both meals were excellent. On our way back to the trail we passed the Hohfluh Bakery which was no longer in operation. I had read about the good treats there so I was somewhat glad that we were not tempted by it. We came to a lovely woods with tall straight pines (we called it The Cathedral Woods) and rested on a bench by a large rock with a poem inscribed on it. I heard birds calling to one another from opposite sides of the trail. It was so relaxing and quiet that I took a short nap while resting my head on Morris’ shoulder. The magical spell was broken when a group of 20 locals with walking sticks passed.
We continued to Brünig where we planned to return to Meiringen by train. Since the train wouldn’t arrive for 45 minutes, we took a seat at an outside table of the Restaurant Silvana next to the station. Our reward for the 6-mile hike was housemade Apfelküchlein. It consisted of sliced apples dipped in batter and deep fried--served with vanilla sauce. The dessert was wonderful and much better than normal apple strudel. As usual Morris had tea and I had milk coffee (in order to add calcium to my daily diet).
When we returned to Meiringen it was my last chance to buy souvenirs so I went in several shops while Morris waited patiently on a park bench. In the Handweberei and Heimatwerk Oberhasli, a cooperative where they sell handwoven products and other craft objects from all over Switzerland, I bought a couple of items. We checked our e-mail at the internet café but were unable to check in for our flight tomorrow because we did not have our reservation number. On the way back to our apartment we stopped at a store with Haslital specialties and bought chocolate ice cream on sale in personal size containers and ate it on a bench outside. It was 6:00 p.m. when we arrived at the apartment so I quickly found our reservation number and hurried back to the internet café since it closed at 6:30 p.m. I checked in for our flight home and printed the confirmation. We both felt better about checking in online since we had done it for our flight over, thus streamlining getting boarding passes at the airport.
For supper we cleaned out the refrigerator, including the last of the Swiss wine. The landlady knocked on our door and asked what time we wanted to go to the train station tomorrow morning and we agreed on 7:15 a.m. I packed and set the alarm for the first time on this trip.
Note: Hiking on The Panorama Trail was a great way to end our two-week stay in Switzerland. The path was well marked and there were benches along the way to rest and enjoy the wonderful views. We hiked from east to west, the opposite direction of the hike suggested in our Untours Hiking Guide. However, this turned out to be better because:
1) The sun was on our backs.
2) The best views of the Wetterhorn group were at Reuti in the morning.
3) The timing was right for lunch in Hohfluh and afternoon tea and dessert in Brünig.
4) The last leg of the hike was downhill into Hohfluh.
Note: We talked to an Untourist who had been in Meiringen today when the cows came down from the mountains for the winter. He said that about 100 cows paraded through downtown Meiringen. That must have been a sight!
Day 15—September 23
I woke up at 5:30 a.m. and finally got up at 6:15. I had packed almost everything last night and didn’t want to awaken our upstairs neighbors. I showered, dressed, packed the few remaining items, stripped the bed, and put the towels in a pile. Our landlord parked his car by our door and loaded our suitcases. His wife came by to bid us farewell and presented us with a box of chocolates. At the train station he and I chatted for a few minutes. I talked to him more this morning than during our entire two-week stay and found out a few things about him and his family. He has four kids who live in Meiringen, Bern, Basel, and Interlaken, and he has grandkids as well. In January he will become a great-great grandfather. He said that although he doesn’t speak English, his kids do. He asked how I learned German. Although he is retired, he still works because he wants something to do.
Our landlord left a few minutes before our train arrived and wished us a good trip. We sat in the first car so that we could get out first and transfer quickly to another train for the airport. The train left punctually at 7:45. We enjoyed the scenery along the way: the Wetterhorn group, Lake Lungern, Lake Sarnen, the hills, fog in the valley, and statues along the tracks between Meiringen and Brünig.
Our first stop was Brünig where we had that great apple dessert yesterday. We arrived in Lucerne at 9:04, found the train for the airport, and left at 9:10. The train made several stops, the last of which was the airport. Since we had checked in online last night, we quickly checked our luggage and obtained boarding passes. We had tea and scones at Starbucks while reminiscing about our great time in Switzerland.
Concluding Comments
Switzerland is a great destination. The scenery is spectacular; the transportation system is efficient and visitor friendly; there are flowers everywhere; and the streets and sidewalks are free of litter. Also Switzerland is a hiker’s paradise. The trails are well marked with signs and arrows indicating the time (hours and minutes) to reach a destination and there are benches along the way to rest and enjoy the wonderful Alpine views.
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Tags: Switzerland
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Comment by Sharon S on January 1, 2010 at 5:17pm -
Thanks for a great trip blog! Sounds like you didn't let anything--mixed connections (with people and trains), damp weather, getting lost--spoil a single minute of your visit. We were in Sachseln for 2 weeks in 2007, but we didn't cover nearly as much ground as you and Morris did. You must be very observant. I loved the details in your descriptions of the views and food. Dessert and tea every afternoon??? I like that too!
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Comment by Jean and Fred Agneta on July 2, 2010 at 5:04pm
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Great trip log, it felt like we were on the trip with you and Morris-- we have had 4 trips to Meiringen,
and would go back in a heartbeat. Thanks for sharing your adventures with the Cafe.
Fred and Jean Agneta
Comment
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