Interlaken, Switzerland

We had such a great day today!

We had breakfast at the hotel, checked out, loaded up and headed out.  We did not explore the city of Lucerne at all.  It was really just a resting place in our travels and we were anxious to get to the next destination.

On the road we headed south-west to Interlaken.  If you look at a map of Switzerland, Interlaken is almost smack dab in the middle of the country. The drive from Lucerne to Interlaken was really beautiful. We never seem to tire of The Alps, the lakes, the towns and this time there were even waterfalls. So cool.

Lungern, Switzerland
On the way to Interlaken

We arrived in Interlaken around noon, found our hotel and dropped off our bags. We are staying at the Hotel Royal-St. Georges, which is the former Monastery Building. It is listed as a Swiss heritage site of national significance. I'm sure there is a rich history here and the decor is so ornate and beautiful, but I have not had an opportunity to research the property. That will be homework for later.

With cameras in hand, we headed to the train station. Stan had a plan.

Church we passed on the way to the train.

We hopped a train to a village called Grindelwald which is located in the Bernese Alps. The train took us higher and higher until it felt like we were high above the trees.  When we arrived, Stan told me the plan was to take an aerial gondola to the summit of First which is one of the mountains in the area. It is referred to as a "minor" summit but I don't know why . . . it seemed pretty high to me, thank you very much! Grindelwald has always been known as a winter tourist destination because of the skiing, but recently it is also very popular for hikers. We saw a great trail up the summit all the way to the top. If you're a hiker, this is the place for you.

On the train to Grindelwald

Another tidbit of information I thought was interesting: The James Bond film, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" includes a chase through a skating rink and Christmas festival in Grindelwald, and Grindelwald's mountains were used as the basis for the view of Alderaan in "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith."

Anyway, back to the scary part.

So we walk through town and arrive at the ticket office for the gondola ride. We decided to "go for it" and bought a ticket all the way to the top. I wasn't scared. Not one bit.

Aerial Gondola. Yep.

Up we go.

Even higher.

Oh . . . it was so BEAUTIFUL. The town below, the trees, the streams, the mountains, the snow, the fresh air . . . how can I describe it?

Waterfalls.

As we rose higher and higher it got so quiet. You could almost hear a pin drop. Then all of a sudden we heard the sound of bells.  We looked down and saw a small herd of cattle grazing on the mountain side and they were all wearing big cow bells. Listen:

We arrived at the top and here is some of what we saw.

See the town below?

I love that God created such beauty for us to discover!

Stan at First Summit.

H.A. at First Summit.

After our mountain top experience, we boarded the train and headed back to Interlaken. While we were waiting for the train, I saw this cute little boy with a BIG backpack. I just had to take a picture of him.

Such a big backpack for such a little guy.

Here comes our train.

It was a great day! What will tomorrow bring?

Goodbye Austria, Hello Switzerland

This morning (Thursday) before leaving the hotel I decided to go downstairs and have breakfast in the little bistro / bakery adjacent to our hotel.  The place is owned and operated by a lovely couple and the wife is the baker / chef. What struck me is how calm and peaceful the dining experience was. You see, in Europe dining is treated as a leisurely, relaxing, enjoyable experience. The servers do not rush their patrons, they do not interrupt, they do not bring the check until it is requested, and the food is served on real dishes with stainless forks and knives. Morning tea is served in a cup (not a mug) and saucer.  (Those who know me well know much I appreciate this!)  

This is not unique to this establishment. We have experienced this throughout our travels so far.  I will admit it takes a little getting used to.  We are so used to rushing through our meals and receiving the check before the last bite is finished. I actually have to "work" at relaxing and slowing down.  I have vowed to myself that when I get home, I will try to incorporate the practice of relaxing and enjoying mealtimes a little more often. Another benefit: I have found that eating slowly causes me to eat less ~ BONUS!

Moving on . . .

Waving "goodbye" to my beloved Austria, we headed west.  I discovered that we were in route to Switzerland. Yay! 

If you look at a map of Austria, you will see the tiny principality of Liechtenstein sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland.  I don't think a stop in Liechtenstein was originally on the itinerary but we decided since we were so close we should pop in and say hello.

Principality of Liechtenstein

Do you know anything about Liechtenstein? I didn't until today.

Liechtenstein, established in 1719, is known as a principality as it is a constitutional monarchy headed by a prince. Valduz is the capital and it is located along the Rhine river.  It is simply adorable. The whole principality is only 62 square miles and has a population of 35,000. It is the smallest yet richest German-speaking country in the world and the only country to lie entirely within The Alps. 

The reigning prince is Hans-Adam, II.  His castle is perched on a hill overlooking the city.  We drove around until Stan figured out how to get up there so we could do a drive-by since the castle is not open to the public.  I managed to snap a few photos of the back-side of the castle and the city view below.  I also took a few shots from the city looking up toward the castle. 

Back-side of the castle.

View of Valduz from the castle.

View Valduz from the castle.

Castle perched on a hill.

Closer view of the castle from the city street.

According to the Internet, "Prince Hans-Adam, II owns LGT banking group and has a family fortune of $7.6 billion and a personal fortune of approximately $4.0 billion, making him one of the world's richest heads of state and Europe's wealthiest monarch. He owns an extensive art collection which is displayed for the public at the Liechtenstein Museum in Vienna."  Who knew? We could have stopped by to take a look while we were there!

It was a short detour but now we can say we have been to Liechtenstein!

Lucerne, Switzerland

We drove through The Swiss Alps into north-central Switzerland to Lucerne.  When we were checking in to the hotel, I met a family from Montana. It's a small world! 

After getting settled in our rooms we were ready for dinner and a relaxing evening. Tomorrow we will explore more of Switzerland. Can't wait!