Trains, Planes...and Switzerland

Before we left Vernazza on Monday morning we headed up to this restaurant at the top of town called the il Pirate. It doesn't have views of the water, but as the two joksters who run the place told us, "What is more important, the view outside or the view on the plate?" How can you argue with that logic? The man at the counter immediately asked us if we were Americans, and if we wanted the specialty. I remembered that Rick had mentioned a delicious pastry. He pulled it out and asked, dead pan, "Do you like fish and chips? The inside is of fish and chips." We stared blankly and finally realized he was kidding. So Jason took it and I had some sort of apple pastry, which was tasty. But I SHOULD have had what Jason did. It was pastry dough filled with ricotta cheese mixed with sugar and cinnamon --- and it was amazing. I had cappuccino with mine and Jason had a strawberry granita (made from FRESH strawberries topped with the most scrumptious whipped cream either of us has ever had). It was the tastiest breakfast of the trip thus far.

From Vernazza we spent 9 hours and 10 minutes traveling by train to reach our next destination. We passed by some of the prettiest scenery of the trip, especially northern Italy. Fields of sunflowers and sleepy towns set into the hills allowed me to daydream the time away. As we passed into Switzerland, the views began to remind me a little of home, but on a much grander scale. I can see now why the Benedictine sisters at St. Gertrude's (who came from Switzerland) chose to settle where they did. Except the prairie doesn't of course have massive mountains. :)

Finally, at 7:40 PM we arrived in our homebase of Lauterbrunnen. Both of us were immediately disappointed as while we were surrounded by beautiful rock walls, there was not a snow-capped mountain in sight. Everything was covered by clouds, and a light rain. We trekked to our very quaint hotel, dropped our bags off, and found a warm meal at Hotel Oberland. I ordered traditional Swiss Rösti (fried potatoes smothered in cheese with ham, onions and mushrooms) and --- being true to my Idaho roots --- it was the best meal of the trip for me so far. It probably didn't hurt that I was starving either. Jason ordered pizza and he also felt that it was tastier than the ones he had in Italy. Again, hunger may have played a part. :) To cap off the meal, we split an ice cream sundae. While it was more like our ice cream at home, and not delicious gelato, it was still incredibly satisfying.

Today we woke up early and I scurried across the hall to the balcony and squealed as the mountains were now in sight. I went and grabbed Jason and we both gawked for a minute before going back to our room to get ready for the day. After a good breakfast of cereal, bread with homemade blackberry jam and yogurt with granola, we headed off to the train station. From there we took a scenic train to the touristy town of Wengen; from Wengen we took the Männlichen lift to the top of the ridge high above us. As we departed into the wind and cool weather, we both commented that this may in fact turn out to be our favorite spot (and neither of us had thought we'd have a "favorite"). As we soaked in the spectacular Alpine vista, I sang (poorly mind you) "The hills are alive with the sound of music". Jason acted like he didn't know me. :)

The walk we followed took us from the Männlichen lift station to Kleine Scheidegg (where you have the option of taking a train to the top of the Jungfrau and the ability to say you've been to the top of Europe). We walked past meadows filled with wildflowers and small glacial lakes as blue as the sky and little streams that gushed down the mountainside to the valley below. It was magical --- even with the wind. We stopped many times for photos and the views. Always ahead of us were the north faces of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau (the monk is protecting the young maiden from the ogre). Really, it was the most awe-inspiring sight of my life. As we got close to Kleine Scheidegg, the clouds started to come in and the rain. This dampend our plans to have a grand alpine picnic (and to hike back down to Wengen) so we ended up eating lunch in one of the restaurants at the stop and taking the train back down to Lauterbrunnen --- a 4152 foot elevation drop.

After going back to our hotel and dinking around for a bit hoping the rain would stop (it didn't), we decided to go visit Trümmelbach Falls --- actually 10 waterfalls mostly inside the mountain. This is the home of the glacial melt from the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau that scours away at the rock at 20,200 liters per SECOND. It's some powerful water. We took a bus to the falls, walked to the ticket booth and then rode a lift up into the mountain to witness the wonder of nature at work. You actually hike around inside the mountain viewing the various falls as they are lit either from natural light above you or from lights set up inside the mountain. It was pretty darn cool --- not to mention loud and wet. :)

After all that force, we stopped off to do our last load of laundry overseas and then came back to our hotel to eat the picnic we never had. Now I'm sipping menthe (mint) tea and contemplating a hot shower. Tomorrow we are taking a trip up to the top of Schilthorn peak, seeing the restaurant that James Bond exploded, heading back down the mountain and going to Bern to see Martina and her city (also, for geography nerds out there, the capitol of Switzerland).

We have found Switzerland to be wonderful. Both of us wish we were here longer --- but there is always a next time. We have also found the country to be quite expensive and are grateful that we have been keeping under budget up to this point --- because we cannot not sightsee here. We would be denying ourselves one of God's great gifts to mankind --- and the Swiss people a decent chunk of income. :)