billbauer

Today's highlight is a trip to Jungfraujoch, the highest train station in Europe and which bills itself as the "top of  Europe."  The trip involves two trains, the first from Grindelwald to Kleine Sheidegg. The second is a cog railway that passes through a tunnel dug inside of the Eiger mountain.  The station at Jungfraujoch is quite elaborate featuring gorgeous mountain top and Aletsch Glacier views. Much of the complex is built inside the mountain and a portion actually formed inside of the glacier including ice sculptures. At an outdoor play area on the glacier, both Bev and Bill got to go sledding. After having a leisurely lunch in the Crystal Restaurant we depart the top of Europe and return to the hotel. Our evening entertainment was enjoying time in the outdoor salt water hot tub ... in the rain.  Perfect.

The four trains this morning were easy to navigate as we had a minimum six minutes and as much as twelve minutes to switch trains at the three transfer locations.  We're getting used to the Swiss train preciseness.  There is no need to get to the platform early.  As an example, we overheard the following comment from someone who was still shopping in a store that was a good five or six minute walk to the train station, "What's your problem?  The train doesn't leave for 13 minutes." No train pictures today.  Each of the four train rides were pretty short necessitating repacking the equipment before much time had elapsed.  And the leg between Visp and Spiez was almost entirely in a tunnel. Arriving in Grindelwald, a small town in the Jungfrau region of the Bernese Oberland above Interlaken, we are delighted at the view of the mountains from our room.  The contrast between the glaciers and craggy tops, the granite faces and the lush green valley is st...

This morning at the hotel breakfast. Time to mail postcards to the grandchildren.  Let's see if Swiss Post can beat us home. Enjoying the varied (and old) architecture from around the streets and byways of Zermatt. A short break on one of the many conveniently located benches around town. Street musicians panhandling for tips ... just like New York but with a Swiss twist. Many benches around town are adorned with a welcome message, "great to see you".  I'll need to be careful when I sit. Relaxing on a bench in the warm sunshine (it hit 66 today) strategically placed with a Matterhorn view. Posing with an ibex statue in front of the Matterhorn Museum. 2015 celebrates the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the first summit of the Matterhorn.  That ascent ended in disaster when four climbers fell to their deaths on the way down.  The Matterhorn Museum displays the tattered rope that broke allowing the four climbers to fall but ...

It is a warm (50s - 60), sunny day in Zermatt and it is a good day to go up the mountain to see the Matterhorn.  But first there is breakfast in the hotel.  Do you think that I overdid it a bit? This is better. And then some time wandering the streets of Zermatt admiring the Swiss buildings. After taking the  Gornergrat Bahn (cog train) to the Gornergrat viewing platform at 3131 meters, absolutely jaw-dropping views of the Matterhorn are available at every turn. Hiking down from Rotenboden to Riffelsee the reflection of the Matterhorn is available even in the lake water. Black and white friends (blackneck goats), also with bells tinkling in the mountain air, are encountered on the remaining hike down to Riffelberg After a glass of wine on the outside deck at the restaurant, I return to the train for the remainder of the trip back down to Zermatt.  Although it seems obvious, the views of the Matterhorn turn Zermatt from a "cute town" into an a...