We woke up this morning, checked the live weather cam on the Jungfrau Joch and, seeing it was clear, we were on a mission, leaving Bern at O'Dark Thirty to head off to Interlaken. It was on this part of the trip that the conductor noticed that our Swiss Rail Pass had not been validated and he was threatening to charge us another CHF 80 apiece! I explained to him that my boneheaded nephew ("Sitting right THERE!") told us that the conductor was capable of validating the pass on the train and that we didn't need to have it done beforehand. After one look at Brian, the conductor relented, leading us through the Interlaken station to the ticket counter to have the station attendant validate it. He left us with a "Good Luck!" (leaving unspoken: Stupid American!) and disappeared. We boarded the train to Lauterbrunnen with our Wonderfully Validated Pass and from there, we got on a cog railway to head up toward our ultimate destination of the Jungfrau Joch.
The Bernese Oberland is a mountainous region in central Switzerland dominated by the 3 mountains, the Jungfrau, the Monch, and the Eiger. They got their names from some fairy tale about a young maiden (JungFrau) being protected by a monk (Monch) from an ogre (Eiger). The entire region is criss-crossed by hiking trails, quaint hamlets, and glacier-fed streams. We were on the alert to spot Heidi jumping out from behind any chalet to bid us welcome. On the ridge between the Jungfrau and the Monch, the Swiss constructed an ice station for research and tourism (over 100 years ago!) called the Jungfrau Joch. This was our destination.
The whole transportation process is not an easy task, as it turns out. Getting on the cog railway at Lauterbrunnen, we had to change to another cog train at Kleine Scheidegg, a remote outpost above the tree line. While waiting for the final train up, we were treated to a herd of Swiss cows ambling by with their cow bells tinkling in the thin mountain air, making the most of their now limited time in the high pastures before wintertime brings them down the mountain. See "more cow bell!" video. I swear the last cow passing was holding out a pan for tips, but she got no takers from our group. When the train arrived, we started up the mountains again with a 4 mile stretch INSIDE the Eiger (see "Eiger" video) to emerge on the other side and cross below the crest of the Monch to reach the Joch. Unbelievable!
Four hours after our journey's start in Bern, we stepped off the train on the Top of Europe! We stepped outside to do the mandatory picture-taking routine of Europe's longest glacier. (Iceland claims "Europe's Biggest Glacier." The difference? Dunno!) As we walked around the ice station, we kept discovering new views, locations, and activities. We were right under the Jungfrau and as we walked around, the Monch emerged. See "Top of Europe!" video or "Top of Europe II! video. And then we saw the observation tower another 300 feet above us. See video from Sphinx observation tower. Went to that and saw the play area below us and went to that. This is where Brian and Bree did their Zip-Line routine - Bree screaming like a girl until landing ass-first in the snow, Brian not realizing he did it until it was over. Nice videos, though! See Brian's Zip-Line video. See Bree's Zip-Line video.
Not content with all this activity, we entered the Ice Palace, a cave with a winding tunnel the Swiss carved out of the ice near the ice station which holds some nice ice sculptures, touristy photo-ops, and opportunities for those with limited mental abilities to stick their tongues to the walls. See "It's cold!" video.
The last train down the mountain was at 3 so we took off and started our descent, using a different route near the bottom to get back to Interlaken. See video of descent. We found a lovely outdoor restaurant where we had raclette, fondue, and rosti while people watching the downtown Interlaken routine. Looking at the parasailers crossing the Thunersee from their mountainous jumping point to land in a park just down the street from our restaurant, we decided that we were tired and it was time to head back to Bern. Another successful day!! See slide show.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Baby Eaters
Bree: The Swiss love their fountains and will put one anywhere they can. The fountains in Bern have statues on top that represent various fairy tales. This picture is my favorite so far. I have no idea what fairy tale he is supposed to represent, but I'm sure it's good. (Hint: Look at what he's eating and what's under his arm to eat later!)
Fribourg: Returning Home
Terry again, here, doing Brian's blogging job . . .AGAIN! We woke up this morning to an overcast sky and the realization that we've become quite captivated with Bern after yesterday's exposure. Sherry was simply amazed at the beautiful color of the river - a "seafoam aquamarine" suitable for the Caribbean - and Bree liked the Bear and the shopping street. So we decided that we would begin the day's adventures in Bern. So off we went to the Einstein Museum - his old apartment where he came up with the Special Theory of Relativity. I was hoping intelligence would somehow imbue into me from some type of posthumous osmosis, and it did!
From there we went to the Cathedral which was amazingly similar to the Fribourg St. Nicholas cathedral, only barer since it suffered from the destruction of the Reformation. Brian was able to find some early evidence of Swiss graffitti by finding the date "1566" crudely etched into the stone inside one of the nooks of the church. There was a date "1830" also carved into the wood close by! Damned Protestant rabble-rousers! See slide show of Bern. When we came out of the cathedral, the sky had cleared and we were facing a sunny day that immediately put the thought into our heads: Fribourg!!
Ah, Fribourg. The 20-minute train ride for me was filled with a bit of trepidation. For those who don't know, I spent my 20th year in Fribourg attending the University, living in an international student house with students from all over the world whom I could never have met in a non-neutral country. It was here where many of my life principles were formed: People are generally good and usually try to do the right thing even if we make mistakes. We thrive better together than we ever could alone. . .that sort of thing.
So here was my first return to the cradle of my budding personality in 38 years, and Brian insisted on being an irritating little snot by videoing EVERYTHING he could think of. It's amazing the end-of-day clips weren't shot through the outward-facing restricted view of his anal aperture.
In any event, we got off the train and started walking down the what was supposed to be familiar main street. Wow! The street layout was the same, but there has been and there still is a lot of reconstruction in downtown. See video: "Don't have a clue!" The Rue du Romont is now pedestrian-only with delightful cafes spilling their tables into the the street. Being lunch time, we stopped at Cafe du Midi, our favorite stomping ground of yore, so we could have the world famous moitie-moitie fondue. Made with the 2 Fribourgeois cheeses of Gruyeres and Vecherin, everyone agreed that it really (in Bill's words) did not suck.
From there, it was time to return to my old haunts at the University. Walking up the Rue de l'Hopital, I could see that new construction was sitting where the driveway to my old dorm, Foyer St. Justin, used to be. See video: "I never left." Cresting the hill and standing by the railroad tracks, I could see that the old dorm was still there, just behind the new building (Relief!) We walked (I could have been running, I don't know) down into the complex, now called Cite St. Justin, and I proceeded to blather on about what I did 38 years ago, where all this fascinating behavior occurred, who I was with, etc. See video: "Guitar". And in talking to one of the maintenance men, I learned it was still an international dorm complex that had simply grown bigger, not been replaced! (Again, Relief!) Everyone was dutifully respectful to let me drone on. And crossing the street to the University itself, the building looks amazingly similar, with a few new pieces to it. This city, to my mind, exists because of the University so it was a gratifying to see that it was still going strong.
That out of the way, it was time to descend to the basse-ville. Back down past the Gare (train station), to the high overlook. We walked down towards the Cathedral St. Nicholas, looking over the River Sarine winding below us. This church is where I used to sit on Sundays looking at the wonderful blue stained glass windows, listening to the finest church organ in Switzerland with an organist who loved to play Bach as the people filed out of Mass, filling the entire cathedral with the "Voice of God." Springing for the opportunity to be closer to God, we climbed the 368 steps to the top of the cathedral to come upon one of the most spectacular views (to me) in the world. After the appropriate rest and oxygen administration, we came down and continued our journey down to the basse-ville, impressing Brian with my knowledge of the stairway shortcut. Impressing me was the new addition of the funiculair back up to the main town, which was the only way this excursion avoided becoming known as the "Infamous Fribourg Death March."
Getting directions from the funiculair conductor as to the best place in town now to have dinner (we ignored it because I think it belonged to his brother-in-law), we went back to one of the outdoor cafes on Rue du Romont to have pizza and refreshing adult beverages under the late afternoon sun. I don't know what the menu actually said about the dessert entrees, but Bree read something that said "Monstrous Chocolate Thingie Made Specially for Bree Albright" and ordered it. Those were her last words for the day. See "cheers" video. After that, she just purred and slept on the way home. See slide show of Fribourg.
Taking the 20 minute ride back home - note how every place in this country is "home" - reflecting on what has changed and what has stayed the same, it was comforting to realize that Fribourg, after all this time, is thriving here in Switzerland - and here in me.
From there we went to the Cathedral which was amazingly similar to the Fribourg St. Nicholas cathedral, only barer since it suffered from the destruction of the Reformation. Brian was able to find some early evidence of Swiss graffitti by finding the date "1566" crudely etched into the stone inside one of the nooks of the church. There was a date "1830" also carved into the wood close by! Damned Protestant rabble-rousers! See slide show of Bern. When we came out of the cathedral, the sky had cleared and we were facing a sunny day that immediately put the thought into our heads: Fribourg!!
Ah, Fribourg. The 20-minute train ride for me was filled with a bit of trepidation. For those who don't know, I spent my 20th year in Fribourg attending the University, living in an international student house with students from all over the world whom I could never have met in a non-neutral country. It was here where many of my life principles were formed: People are generally good and usually try to do the right thing even if we make mistakes. We thrive better together than we ever could alone. . .that sort of thing.
So here was my first return to the cradle of my budding personality in 38 years, and Brian insisted on being an irritating little snot by videoing EVERYTHING he could think of. It's amazing the end-of-day clips weren't shot through the outward-facing restricted view of his anal aperture.
In any event, we got off the train and started walking down the what was supposed to be familiar main street. Wow! The street layout was the same, but there has been and there still is a lot of reconstruction in downtown. See video: "Don't have a clue!" The Rue du Romont is now pedestrian-only with delightful cafes spilling their tables into the the street. Being lunch time, we stopped at Cafe du Midi, our favorite stomping ground of yore, so we could have the world famous moitie-moitie fondue. Made with the 2 Fribourgeois cheeses of Gruyeres and Vecherin, everyone agreed that it really (in Bill's words) did not suck.
From there, it was time to return to my old haunts at the University. Walking up the Rue de l'Hopital, I could see that new construction was sitting where the driveway to my old dorm, Foyer St. Justin, used to be. See video: "I never left." Cresting the hill and standing by the railroad tracks, I could see that the old dorm was still there, just behind the new building (Relief!) We walked (I could have been running, I don't know) down into the complex, now called Cite St. Justin, and I proceeded to blather on about what I did 38 years ago, where all this fascinating behavior occurred, who I was with, etc. See video: "Guitar". And in talking to one of the maintenance men, I learned it was still an international dorm complex that had simply grown bigger, not been replaced! (Again, Relief!) Everyone was dutifully respectful to let me drone on. And crossing the street to the University itself, the building looks amazingly similar, with a few new pieces to it. This city, to my mind, exists because of the University so it was a gratifying to see that it was still going strong.
That out of the way, it was time to descend to the basse-ville. Back down past the Gare (train station), to the high overlook. We walked down towards the Cathedral St. Nicholas, looking over the River Sarine winding below us. This church is where I used to sit on Sundays looking at the wonderful blue stained glass windows, listening to the finest church organ in Switzerland with an organist who loved to play Bach as the people filed out of Mass, filling the entire cathedral with the "Voice of God." Springing for the opportunity to be closer to God, we climbed the 368 steps to the top of the cathedral to come upon one of the most spectacular views (to me) in the world. After the appropriate rest and oxygen administration, we came down and continued our journey down to the basse-ville, impressing Brian with my knowledge of the stairway shortcut. Impressing me was the new addition of the funiculair back up to the main town, which was the only way this excursion avoided becoming known as the "Infamous Fribourg Death March."
Getting directions from the funiculair conductor as to the best place in town now to have dinner (we ignored it because I think it belonged to his brother-in-law), we went back to one of the outdoor cafes on Rue du Romont to have pizza and refreshing adult beverages under the late afternoon sun. I don't know what the menu actually said about the dessert entrees, but Bree read something that said "Monstrous Chocolate Thingie Made Specially for Bree Albright" and ordered it. Those were her last words for the day. See "cheers" video. After that, she just purred and slept on the way home. See slide show of Fribourg.
Taking the 20 minute ride back home - note how every place in this country is "home" - reflecting on what has changed and what has stayed the same, it was comforting to realize that Fribourg, after all this time, is thriving here in Switzerland - and here in me.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Terry, Sherry, and Bree Arrive!!
Well, the day is finally here after all this time! Terry here and I'm here with Sherry and Bree. The flight over was pretty uneventful - the usual Faustian Gerber Baby Convention within a 10' radius of my seat, - 8, count them, EIGHT!! - the plane seat suitable only for suppository use, but an arrival time 15 minutes early! Brian came to make sure I didn't wander about Zurich airport like a robotic pool cleaner, and he was quite a help. He found the sign for the train back to Bern, and with Bree's help, found track 3 to get us there!We arrived in Bern around 9:30 in the morning, and Pam greeted us with wonderful pastries, coffee, exfoliating ear cleaners, the works! and we decided that we were awake enough to do a walk around Bern. And so we did! We did a very nice recon that provided a wonderful overview of the city and finished just off the main square with an outside lunch, watching the old men play chess with their blow-up dolls and basking in the wonderful sunshine that decided to appear around 10:30.
After coming back, and taking a 2-3 hour nap, Brian and Pam were throwing wine and cheese at us on there balcony until we got bored and demanded food. With that, they prepared a wonderful steak dinner and we finished the evening walking along the Aare in the sunset/twilight and smoking cigars. Life is simply no better!! See slide show of Bern.
Tomorrow, Fribourg!! The anticipation is palpable!!
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Still Living the Dream
We were sad to see Dad and Gretchen leave today. It was such a great week. They were eager to see Switzerland and we were eager to share it with them. We revisited some familiar places (Vevey, Fribourg, St. Moritz) and even saw some new ones (Luzern and Davos). The weather was absolutely perfect. Most importantly, though, it was nice to see and spend time with family. My Dad did a great job blogging our adventures throughout the week, so I won't rehash the details.
We woke up Saturday morning to another gorgeous day. Dad and Gretchen had a 5:30PM flight from Zurich, so we decided to take a morning train into the city and check their bags early at the airport. That gave us time to walk around Zurich for a little bit before they left. Turns out there was an annual street parade going on. We stepped off the train to the thumping beat of techo music. It was a little odd for me because I have come to know Zurich as a fairly staid center for banking and finance; it was anything but that today! We saw people in outrageous costumes, open DJs pumping sounds, and dancing -- lots of dancing -- in the streets. There were thousands of people. It was blissful pandemonium.
We walked along the Limmat River past the famous Grossmunster Church to the mouth of Lake Zurich. It was more than a little ironic that a clearly intoxicated, half naked man with a purple afro stumbled by us while I was explaining how a strict form of Protestantism was preached from the pulpit of the Grossmunster by Ulrich Zwingli during the Reformation. As Gretchen would say: "Nicht!!!" (double fist, pelvic thrust, leg kick) -- sorry, inside joke. Anyway I could see that my history lesson was going nowhere, so we joined the crowd for a little dancing (see video) before having lunch at a beautiful restaurant along the river. Dad and I ate a delicious dish of veal rosti, while Gretchen enjoyed the local perch, and Pam dined on veal ravioli in a mouth-watering cream sauce. It was exquisite.
After lunch, we swung by Credit Suisse's world headquarters in Paradeplatz for a few photo ops. Sadly, time was starting to run short. We walked back along Bahnhofstrasse to the train station, and then on to the airport. See slide show of Dad and Gretchen's last day.
As we hugged and kissed each other goodbye, I actually started to feel a little sad that we were not going back with them. But reflecting further on all the wonderful experiences we have had -- and the adventures that still lie ahead -- I became keenly aware of one thing...we're still living the dream.
We woke up Saturday morning to another gorgeous day. Dad and Gretchen had a 5:30PM flight from Zurich, so we decided to take a morning train into the city and check their bags early at the airport. That gave us time to walk around Zurich for a little bit before they left. Turns out there was an annual street parade going on. We stepped off the train to the thumping beat of techo music. It was a little odd for me because I have come to know Zurich as a fairly staid center for banking and finance; it was anything but that today! We saw people in outrageous costumes, open DJs pumping sounds, and dancing -- lots of dancing -- in the streets. There were thousands of people. It was blissful pandemonium.
We walked along the Limmat River past the famous Grossmunster Church to the mouth of Lake Zurich. It was more than a little ironic that a clearly intoxicated, half naked man with a purple afro stumbled by us while I was explaining how a strict form of Protestantism was preached from the pulpit of the Grossmunster by Ulrich Zwingli during the Reformation. As Gretchen would say: "Nicht!!!" (double fist, pelvic thrust, leg kick) -- sorry, inside joke. Anyway I could see that my history lesson was going nowhere, so we joined the crowd for a little dancing (see video) before having lunch at a beautiful restaurant along the river. Dad and I ate a delicious dish of veal rosti, while Gretchen enjoyed the local perch, and Pam dined on veal ravioli in a mouth-watering cream sauce. It was exquisite.
After lunch, we swung by Credit Suisse's world headquarters in Paradeplatz for a few photo ops. Sadly, time was starting to run short. We walked back along Bahnhofstrasse to the train station, and then on to the airport. See slide show of Dad and Gretchen's last day.
As we hugged and kissed each other goodbye, I actually started to feel a little sad that we were not going back with them. But reflecting further on all the wonderful experiences we have had -- and the adventures that still lie ahead -- I became keenly aware of one thing...we're still living the dream.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Last Full Day in Switzerland
Today was our last full day in Switzerland (sob, sniff). We decided to rest from the excessive stimuli from the previous few days. Breakfast was served sharply at ten. Brian finally figured out their new coffee maker, just in time for us to leave. I was forced to spend most of the day typing up blog entries for our vacation. Reflecting back, it is amazing how far we have traveled and how much we have been able to accomplish in such a short time.
We took a break from blogging in the afternoon for Brian and me to take an exhilarating float down the Aare River. It was quite a rush, and we could hear the water hissing over the stones on the bottom when we ducked our heads. What an experience! After we clambered out of the river, we walked downstream to the waterfall just below our float trip. I'm glad I didn't see what would have been in store for us if we hadn't managed to grab onto the stairway and pull ourselves out. Here are some pictures from the day. And here is a video of us jumping in the Aare.
We had a delightful last supper at a local Indian restaurant down the street, followed, of course, by the obligatory cigars. This vacation has been all too short, although we can't think of anything we would have wanted to do or see that we missed. Brian and Pam have been the perfect hosts. They did a fantastic job of planning our trip for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute we were able to spend together. We are reluctant to head back home.
We took a break from blogging in the afternoon for Brian and me to take an exhilarating float down the Aare River. It was quite a rush, and we could hear the water hissing over the stones on the bottom when we ducked our heads. What an experience! After we clambered out of the river, we walked downstream to the waterfall just below our float trip. I'm glad I didn't see what would have been in store for us if we hadn't managed to grab onto the stairway and pull ourselves out. Here are some pictures from the day. And here is a video of us jumping in the Aare.
We had a delightful last supper at a local Indian restaurant down the street, followed, of course, by the obligatory cigars. This vacation has been all too short, although we can't think of anything we would have wanted to do or see that we missed. Brian and Pam have been the perfect hosts. They did a fantastic job of planning our trip for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute we were able to spend together. We are reluctant to head back home.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
St. Moritz and Davos
St. Moritz is a winter playground for the rich and famous. According to our guidebook, "very ordinary" people fill the streets in the summer, so we felt right at home. At this moment, the rich and famous are no doubt lounging in St. Tropez. With them out of the way, we took a relaxed and leisurely stroll around the town.
Thursday morning, after a delightful breakfast at the hotel, we took a ski tram 150 meters up the mountain to Chantarella, overlooking the town and lake of St. Moritz. By this time in our travels, everything has looked so beautiful that we were almost looking for something ugly to stare at. We all decided that Brian's unkempt shirt would suffice. See video overlooking St. Mortiz.
After soaking in the beauty of St. Moritz (yawn), we decided to head back home. See video of tram back down. Gretchen suggested that we take a detour through Davos on our way back. That proved to be a great suggestion. Much of the ride to Davos retraced the spectacular route of the Glacier Express, providing more picture-taking opportunities (just what we needed). See St. Mortiz slide show.
At over 5,000 feet, Davos is the highest "city" in Europe. It is also the home of the annual World Economic Forum in January. Davos, though somewhat unheralded compared to St. Moritz, provided great scenery of its own. We took a tram up to Schatzpalz, where we enjoyed lunch on a patio overlooking the city and the Alpine landscape. See video overlooking Davos. We all dared to take toboggan rides, which only Brian and Gretchen survived unscathed. (Remind me not to try out for the Olympics.) Pam and I nursed our minor wounds and bruised egos as we hobbled our way back to the train home before the rains came. See video of Pam. See video of me. We enjoyed the restaurant car with cheese and wine on the ride to Bern from Zurich. By this time, we were all pretty tired, so we turned in early for the night. See Davos slide show.
Thursday morning, after a delightful breakfast at the hotel, we took a ski tram 150 meters up the mountain to Chantarella, overlooking the town and lake of St. Moritz. By this time in our travels, everything has looked so beautiful that we were almost looking for something ugly to stare at. We all decided that Brian's unkempt shirt would suffice. See video overlooking St. Mortiz.
After soaking in the beauty of St. Moritz (yawn), we decided to head back home. See video of tram back down. Gretchen suggested that we take a detour through Davos on our way back. That proved to be a great suggestion. Much of the ride to Davos retraced the spectacular route of the Glacier Express, providing more picture-taking opportunities (just what we needed). See St. Mortiz slide show.
At over 5,000 feet, Davos is the highest "city" in Europe. It is also the home of the annual World Economic Forum in January. Davos, though somewhat unheralded compared to St. Moritz, provided great scenery of its own. We took a tram up to Schatzpalz, where we enjoyed lunch on a patio overlooking the city and the Alpine landscape. See video overlooking Davos. We all dared to take toboggan rides, which only Brian and Gretchen survived unscathed. (Remind me not to try out for the Olympics.) Pam and I nursed our minor wounds and bruised egos as we hobbled our way back to the train home before the rains came. See video of Pam. See video of me. We enjoyed the restaurant car with cheese and wine on the ride to Bern from Zurich. By this time, we were all pretty tired, so we turned in early for the night. See Davos slide show.
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