Swiss Alps
On the way to Switzerland, we broke for lunch at a shopping mall that had a large cafeteria with numerous food options. This being France, nothing was fast food. Over baguettes and roast chicken, we got to know our fellow tour members and stretch our legs from the bus. Also, as Margaret pointed out, it gave us the opportunity to see the un-tourist part of European life. Throughout our time in Paris, Roland and I kept wondering where people shopped for toilet paper and filled up their gas tank. Were the citizens of this haut couture city so highly evolved that they'd outgrown the need for such basic necessities? While I could probably spend a lifetime in Paris and never fully understand its culture, this rest stop was a nice insight into the quotidian realities of Europeans.
Back on the bus, the terrain began to change. As we took in the magnificent peaks and gleaming waters from our expansive bus windows, I knew we were in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. We arrived at Hotel Jungfrau, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened our balcony doors. We could see and hear a huge rushing waterfall a few hundred feet from our lodging, watch the little train going up the mountainside, and hear cowbells dinging in the distance. It was a scene that made me want to braid my hair like Heidi and sing Edelweiss. And it was another moment that made me thankful we'd chosen to do a Rick Steve's tour. If we'd traveled on our own, the Alps wouldn't have been on our top list of destinations, but I fervently believe it is a not-to-be-missed experience.
Back on the bus, the terrain began to change. As we took in the magnificent peaks and gleaming waters from our expansive bus windows, I knew we were in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. We arrived at Hotel Jungfrau, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I opened our balcony doors. We could see and hear a huge rushing waterfall a few hundred feet from our lodging, watch the little train going up the mountainside, and hear cowbells dinging in the distance. It was a scene that made me want to braid my hair like Heidi and sing Edelweiss. And it was another moment that made me thankful we'd chosen to do a Rick Steve's tour. If we'd traveled on our own, the Alps wouldn't have been on our top list of destinations, but I fervently believe it is a not-to-be-missed experience.
After picking our jaws up off the floor, we closed the balcony doors and explored the town of Lauterbrunnen. The town is connected to other, even smaller towns up the mountainside by lifts, a small cog-wheel train, and a series of hiking trails. The buildings have a distinctively gingerbread look to them. A stream flows through the center of the village, fed by winter snow melt. Roland stopped to buy an official Swiss army knife, and we headed back to Hotel Jungfrau, where matron Brigida had prepared a dinner of cheese fondue for our tour group. It was served with glasses of white wine, large baskets of torn bread, olives, tomatoes, and even pineapple. Brigida let us in on her secret fondue recipe: 4 cheeses, baking soda, and kirsch. We topped the day off with a cup of hot chocolate.
The next day, we had an early breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, muesli, and sliced meats and cheeses. We made a short walk to the bus stop and rode to the lift station. Along the way, the bus picked up children here and there, most of them wearing reflective safety belts and talking to the driver who they seemed to know well. Their Swiss German accents were adorable! We watched the elevation climb as we rode the lift all the way up to the top of the Schilthorn, where the Bond movie, Her Majesty's Royal Service was filmed. There, we toured the rotating restaurant and stepped out for breathtaking views of the neighboring snow-capped peaks. On the way back, we stopped in Murren, where we did a walking tour and had the best (and least expensive) lunch of our tour: a loaf of freshly-baked bread with a wedge of Swiss cheese. We then walked down a small paved road lined with fields full of goat herds and alpine flowers to Gimmelwald. The tours in the Rick Steves guidebook made the experience very enjoyable for us. We had a good hike on a path that led to the river, and after a nap, we ate plates of Rosti at the restaurant next to our hotel and retired to our room. Next: Bavaria.