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| Lauterbrunnen |
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| Cable car breaking through clouds at Schilthorn |
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| Interlaken luxury |
Sept. 28, 2015-Schilthorn
Our Kind of Alps
Bad night. I only got four hours sleep. David did much better. I also woke up with a sore throat and cold. David feels like a marked man.
Our usual stroll to the station, and we were on our way to Interlaken accompanied by quite a contingent of military in full mufti and carrying huge guns. Our train passed carloads of military jeeps and tanks. Lots of fire power for a country that hasn't fought a war in a while. It pays to be ready.
The trains were definitely less crowded today, Monday. This was good considering our long legs and tourist destination. Our goal was to go to Schilthorn from where we could see many mountain peaks. We were given a sequence of conveyances that would speed us on our way. Easy peasy. We changed trains at Interlaken for a ride through a deep, dark, dank forest to Lauterbrunnen. From there the rail workers insisted we take a cable car, although we were expecting to take a bus. We're obedient and complied. We then had to transfer to a small train to Murren where we had a ten-minute walk through town to another cable car, then another, and another.
The rides were spectacular. It was sunny and the houses in the valleys stood out like toy gems on green velvet. Oops! Then we couldn't see a thing. We were in dense clouds and people started grumbling about choosing the wrong day for the excursion. All of a sudden, those facing downhill started oohing and aahing. We were above the clouds, the sun was back and the mountain range nestled in those clouds was visible below us. These were proper snow-covered mountains! We both thought they were more impressive than the Matterhorn. As proof, I offer that a 007 movie was filmed around Schilthorn, not the Matterhorn. I'm going to try to forward a photo I took.
Bad night. I only got four hours sleep. David did much better. I also woke up with a sore throat and cold. David feels like a marked man.
Our usual stroll to the station, and we were on our way to Interlaken accompanied by quite a contingent of military in full mufti and carrying huge guns. Our train passed carloads of military jeeps and tanks. Lots of fire power for a country that hasn't fought a war in a while. It pays to be ready.
The trains were definitely less crowded today, Monday. This was good considering our long legs and tourist destination. Our goal was to go to Schilthorn from where we could see many mountain peaks. We were given a sequence of conveyances that would speed us on our way. Easy peasy. We changed trains at Interlaken for a ride through a deep, dark, dank forest to Lauterbrunnen. From there the rail workers insisted we take a cable car, although we were expecting to take a bus. We're obedient and complied. We then had to transfer to a small train to Murren where we had a ten-minute walk through town to another cable car, then another, and another.
The rides were spectacular. It was sunny and the houses in the valleys stood out like toy gems on green velvet. Oops! Then we couldn't see a thing. We were in dense clouds and people started grumbling about choosing the wrong day for the excursion. All of a sudden, those facing downhill started oohing and aahing. We were above the clouds, the sun was back and the mountain range nestled in those clouds was visible below us. These were proper snow-covered mountains! We both thought they were more impressive than the Matterhorn. As proof, I offer that a 007 movie was filmed around Schilthorn, not the Matterhorn. I'm going to try to forward a photo I took.
I
snapped pictures going up to the 9,744-foot high viewing area; I snapped
pictures while I was there; and I snapped away as we descended. I won't be able
to tell one from the other, but the Jungfrau is in the mix. It was only 42
degrees and the altitude didn't agree with me any more than yesterday. David
put on another layer. He still has no regrets about not buying a jacket, and
this is our last mountain day.
There was another way to ride down that sounded like the way we were originally told to ascend. It was a simple ride on four cable cars to a bus that took us on a short ride back to Lauterbrunnen. We had a light lunch there and headed back to Interlaken.
The town of Interlaken has lovely Victorian hotels, tranquil parks and pedestrian walks along the water. We were told it's popular with Asians and Middle Easterners alike. Looked to be so. But it's an expensive resort with high-end stores. Bern is more our speed.
We had an early dinner at a pizza/middle eastern tiny take-out/eat-in place (Berlini or Bellini, I think) around the corner from our hotel. After reading several cues we figured out the owner was Turkish. CNN was on with Turkish subtitles and they had lahmacun, Turkish pizza, on the menu. It's round dough topped with minced beef and vegetables then baked. We had donner (gyros) in pita and felafel. There were lots of homemade treats including gnocchi. We will return.
Early to bed tonight. We'll venture forth to Lucerne and maybe a boat ride tomorrow.
Toby
There was another way to ride down that sounded like the way we were originally told to ascend. It was a simple ride on four cable cars to a bus that took us on a short ride back to Lauterbrunnen. We had a light lunch there and headed back to Interlaken.
The town of Interlaken has lovely Victorian hotels, tranquil parks and pedestrian walks along the water. We were told it's popular with Asians and Middle Easterners alike. Looked to be so. But it's an expensive resort with high-end stores. Bern is more our speed.
We had an early dinner at a pizza/middle eastern tiny take-out/eat-in place (Berlini or Bellini, I think) around the corner from our hotel. After reading several cues we figured out the owner was Turkish. CNN was on with Turkish subtitles and they had lahmacun, Turkish pizza, on the menu. It's round dough topped with minced beef and vegetables then baked. We had donner (gyros) in pita and felafel. There were lots of homemade treats including gnocchi. We will return.
Early to bed tonight. We'll venture forth to Lucerne and maybe a boat ride tomorrow.
Toby
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