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61,000 Steps

6 Sep

6 September 2024.

Not a bad pedometer count for 2-and-a-half days. I struggle to get to 10K on any given day at home.

Richmond, UK, turned out to be a perfect post-Transatlantic flight stopover between Portland and Italy. Instead of taking a second hop to the continent, with the inevitable 3-hour layover at Heathrow, we opted this year to sleep where we landed for a few nights. (Last year the haul from PDX to LRH to ZRH was exhausting.)

We knew we wanted to visit some locations in Richmond and not stay in central London. We did not know how much walking we’d manage to do. Excellent weather helped.

Kew Gardens is magnificent. This was our third tour there and we are still finding corners we had not explored. Kew is 330 acres of forest, groomed gardens, conservatories, a horticulture school, and research facilities. They claim status as “the largest and most diverse botanical and mycological collections in the world” according to Wikipedia. Kew (see map) is four times bigger than Bodnant Gardens, which impressed us so much in Wales last year.

This visit we discovered a few areas previously unknown to us, including a magnificent collection of rock gardens organized by geography, and the (seemingly) boring “Grass Garden” was actually a stunning display of ornamental grasses, not a field of Kentucky Bluegrass. Makes me want acreage to be able to plant in such masses. The biological diversity in these 330 acres is astounding. We have visited in spring, late fall, and now late summer. Each season is spectacular, so if you are in London, take a day away to visit charming Richmond and Kew Gardens. By train, no less.

Day two for us was to be a visit to Hampton Court Palace, one of Henry the VIII’s country homes. Sadly, a few days before we arrived, we received word that they would be closed for seasonal maintenance on the only two days we had to visit. Due to fascination with Henry VIII (thank you, Wolf Hall) we have had HCP on the list for a few years and there it shall remain. Next visit.

Top row: The 1844 Palm House; Autumn color creeping in. Second row: The Grass Garden. Third row: Rock Garden.These photos do not begin to show the extent and the beauty. Fourth row: The Broad Walk, colorful borders.

Instead, we chose to walk a section of the Thames River Path. Imagine if the major river where you live had a walking path along it the entire length of it. With few exceptions, you can walk the 180-mile length of the path from near the source of the Thames to near the mouth. For reference, the main stem of the Willamette River in my state of Oregon is 187 miles long, so you could walk from Eugene to the Columbia River.

First Mate Siren

180 miles and 10 days were not in our plans, but a perfectly lovely stretch of about 6 miles suited us and included a ferry crossing at Twickenham with Siren the first mate and coffee at a garden café, plopping us back into Richmond near Kew, just in time for lunch.

Great signage; Ferryman (Siren’s dad); wide path, at least here, much used by locals; view of Richmond; Richmond Bridge

Richmond is a wonderful place to spend a few nights recovering from overseas travel or just because. Many restaurants and pubs, highly walkable, convenient to central London via public transportation if that is in the plan.

Walkers, take note. Nothing difficult but you will get your steps in!

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Checking things off

8 Sep

8 September 2023.

Lists abound: grocery lists, packing lists, wish lists, Christmas lists. I live by lists. I do not keep a bucket list, however. No grand scheme of things-to-do-before-I-can’t-remember-them. 

Ric and I do, however, make note of places we’d like to return to, things we’d like to do in our favorite places, and places we might want to work into a future itinerary. This trip, we have checked off some places and things that have been on our minds for awhile. Inevitably, we’ve added some as well.

The Gasterntal has been on my list since 2021 when a fellow-traveler pointed it out as we descended from Sunnbüel. (See Another valley to discover.) Seeing the sparkling river flowing through a valley in a deep gorge, I was intrigued because it is only available a few months a year and is challenging to reach. In true Swiss fashion, there is a way to get there by public transport and one does not have to walk all the way in. Calling a few days in advance — once we knew the weather was forecast to be pleasant — I secured seats on the little shuttle bus. 

What a wild ride! Vehicles are allowed to enter the valley, by permit, only for 20 minutes each hour, and allowed to exit for a different 20 minute period each hour. The road, carved into the rock face, is truly one vehicle at-a-time. Our shuttle deposited us at Selden, the proverbial end-of-the-road. From here, the hiking was all downhill, although that is not always as easy as it sounds. This is, after all, a remote valley.

We called this Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. From left, two views of the road carved out of the cliff. There were a couple of tunnels, too. Far right, the end of the road, at least as far as the bus would carry us. The valley goes on and experts can hike on and up and over to other valleys and towns.

One of the most amazing attributes is how few people we encountered in our two-hour hike. A handful hiking up (including people who hiked over 11 km from Kandersteg!), a few bikes where the hiking trail merged with the main road, a couple of cars that paid the day-fee for entry. 

The valley is beautiful and peaceful with only the sound of the glacier fed Kander River. The rugged downhill trail has rocks and roots making for tricky footing but eventually gives way to the bottom of the glacial valley and a pleasant walk across pastureland at the end. We were welcomed by grazing cows and lively calves at the Hotel Waldhaus, a welcome site with full meal service and adult refreshments. 

It is hard to show the beauty. Here are a few trail scenes.

Arriving at Hotel Waldhaus. Might be fun to spend a night here. Hearty Swiss fare for post-hike: Brautwurst is not like anything Johnsonville makes. This is served with onion gravy. We didn’t eat much for dinner.

Cross that off the list. Done and dusted! We are unlikely to repeat it, as good as it was, but I highly recommend it. If you follow our Easy-Hiker scale, this is a “4” on our scale of 1-to-3. 

The challenging hike at Pontresina accomplished last week (see On the road again) was also a list item. Returning to Pontresina was a list item as well, our first visit in 2018 being inspiration for a repeat. (See Postcard from Switzerland.)   In fact, this year’s visit to Pontresina has inspired us to put it on the short list for a 2024 return. There’s lots more to explore in the area and being able to speak Italian is a big draw for me.

This trip we also checked off Appenzell (lovely to visit but likely only once), Mount Niesen (no hiking but incredible views), and we are on our way to Annecy, France, which has intrigued me for a few years but has been hard to work into our annual itinerary. Eating French cuisine is a huge draw as well as the alpine environment. 

Atop the Niesen, “Switzerland’s pyramid.” From the left: The Niesen as seen from across Lake Thun near Interlaken last year; Lake Thun as seen from about 7800 feet on the Niesen; The Jungfrau Region mountains as seen from the restaurant terrace.

Still on the mental list: Hiking in Northumbria and the Isle of Wight, taking a night train between London and Edinburgh, and Midnight Trains from Paris to Venice, when it is launched.

Stay tuned!

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On the road again

1 Sep

1 September 2023.

Sorry I haven’t written. We’ve been very busy since arriving in Switzerland on August 23!

On every trip we seem to find ourselves on a hike we would not have taken had we known what was ahead. In 2021, we climbed a mountain. In 2022, we took a route in the Alpe di Siusi that was short enough, not too much elevation change, but included a steep, downhill, dolomite-strewn trail suitable for mountain goats, not necessarily septuagenarians.

This year’s happy error was the panoramic trail from Muottas Muragl to Alp Languard in Switzerland’s Engadine. This route featured in nearly every hiking source I could consult. Some called it “easy” or “moderately strenuous.” We’d call it, at the very least, challenging. The expected 2 hours became 3-and-a-quarter. It was only 4.25 miles long so our pace was slow. That should tell you something about the trail. Incredible vistas, gorgeous weather (sun and high-50s, Fahrenheit), rocky downhills, steep climbs, some narrow paths with frightening drop-offs, streams to cross (waterproof hiking boots held up nicely), and best of all, tilting flagstones over a scree field. 

My sister-in-law would have hated it!

The trail maintenance effort to create this flagstone path across the scree field is laudable. Still, a bit unnerving to cross as the stones canted much more than you can see, first one way, then another, and a few of them rocked in place when weight was placed on them.

Thank goodness we had our trekking sticks and terrific boots! 

Many many young people, as well as those in our age bracket, strode confidently along the trail. Others pussyfooted like us. I did have to stop feeling sorry for myself when we saw a woman older than us (!!) slowly and determinedly making her way. Luckily she had a minder with her. If it took us over 3 hours her pace would have been at least 4 hours. 

This may be the most crowded trail we have taken in all our years of hiking in Switzerland and Italy. Luckily groups arrived in time with a funicular and quickly dispersed. Occasionally we had to stand aside for a couple dozen students to trek past us, all very polite with a pleasant “Greützi!” Here a group lunches with a view of St. Moritz.

But it was beautiful! We are terribly proud of having done it. This route was on our list for 2018, the last time we were in Pontresina. At that time, the weather and trail conditions prohibited the trek. So, done and dusted: we did it. Non mai di piú!

From the trail, incredible view of Piz Bernina, the highest peak in the area, 14,283 feet above sea level.

Pontresina is one of the Italian-speaking valleys in this region, the Engadine, so it has been fun to exercise those Italian linguistic muscles. I have been studying German this summer, though, and I find a mixture spews out from time-to-time. German articles (der, die, das) with Italian nouns, for example. Das burro, anyone?

We also hiked to the Morteratsch Glacier below Piz Bernina the other day. Fresh snow the night before made for a stunning scene. This is a lovely 4.5 mile out and back. The trailhead is reached by a little mountain train of the Rhaetianbahn.

Surprisingly, in Appenzell, our stop prior to Pontresina, we encountered some Swiss who did not speak English and I managed in German. I was pretty happy since my academic efforts in the language ended in 1972. Duolingo has helped me refresh. 

We’ve had weather from 93F/34C to 37F/3C. Pack for that! (Actually, we did!) We only got drenched once, so far, in the last 20 minutes of a lovely hike in Appenzell. Rivers have raged and retreated, snow has fallen at higher elevations. No doubt the weather gods will throw more curves in the coming weeks, but we are prepared with layers of all types, Gortex, and great shoes.

Herewith, a few shots from our days in Zurich and Appenzell.

From the upper left: Morning in Zurich, Already 70 degrees; Cow parade in Appenzell, viewed from our room; The BarFussWeg or Barefoot Way. We did not do it barefooted. Some did. Yuck. It is tick season!

From the lower left: Along the Barefoot Way, many surfaces, some not friendly to bare feet; Cows always enhance the experience; Final picture a cloudy day for the Appenzeller Loop, a lovely walk through the landscape.

As they say in Deutsch, Bis bald! (See you soon!)

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Walking Wengen: Easy Hikes with Fabulous Views

26 May

27 May 2023.

It was with some reluctance that we stayed in Wengen this trip. As our plans were made only a few days in advance, finding a suitable apartment in one of the three villages boiled down to only a few choices that we could gulp and swallow the price on. 

Wengen’s Main Street: a few shops and restaurants along with several hotels, nestled beneath the Jungfrau.

Luckily, the apartment is comfortable and has all we need: dishwasher, washing machine, clothes dryer, and, most importantly, a Nespresso machine. It is also quiet since the village is car-free and each morning we wake to birdsong. We are immune to the hourly tolling of the church bells nearby as we fall into bed very tired from the day’s activities. 

Our reluctance to stay in Wengen stemmed from the need to ride the train down and up from the Lauterbrunnen station every day. While it is less than 20 minutes each way, it does add to travel times when going to Interlaken, Grindelwald, Mürren and beyond. It is, however, a stunningly beautiful ride and, after all, what else do we have to do? 

I took this photo of Lauterbrunnen from the train on our way back to Wengen yesterday.

On the plus side, we have gotten to know Wengen just a bit better. Prior trips had us passing through on the way to-or-from the Männlichen cable car. We had eaten a couple of meals here and years ago Ric once bought a wool hiking hat that still makes every trip. In the past we’ve taken in the view from the church and enjoyed two walks — Mönchblick and Staubbachbänkli — that we wrote about in our book Walking in Switzerland’s Berner Oberland. Our temporary residency has led us to “discover” two more lovely walks as well as the fabulous Restaurant Maya Caprice and we have come to appreciate the silence of this car-free zone. 

Same waterfall, viewed from Hunneflue, above Wengen after a 25 minute walk.

We still love Lauterbrunnen and our happy home at James’ and Michele’s apartment, where we will pass a month again this fall. Wengen will also be on our list for a few outings in the fall.

For those visiting the area, be certain to stop at the Wengen Tourism Office next to the cable car station and pick up the Dorfplan, which is a little map of the village showing several very easy to moderate walks to viewpoints. These require no transportation and are lovely at any time of day with ever-changing lighting on the magnificent views. They will take you to corners of Wengen the casual visitor misses entirely as the majority are focused on the village center and getting up the mountains by train or cable car. Most of the paths are paved and many have lighting so that evening walks are feasible. 

No wonder we come back so often. There is always something new for the easy-hiker to discover.

Along the trail, a little bear cub carved into a tree stump.
One of three carved tree stumps that delighted us on our walk.
A playful project in a mossy area, a hidden treasure when you leave the Main Street.
Another part of the fanciful garden.
Ric is ready to dig in! An Italian pizzaiolo makes authentic Neopolitan pies at Maya Caprice in Wengen.

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Detour, or why we are in Switzerland and not Ireland

20 May

20 May 2023.

Ireland was the plan: Switzerland is the reality. But first, Wales!

When last I wrote (see Styles of Stiles) we had just arrived in Wales in the charming town of Conwy. Northern Wales is lush and green, much like Western Oregon and Washington, with similar trees, shrubs, flowers, and even waterfowl. The weather was fine and there were neither mud nor cow dung underfoot. But then we were not walking in pastures. 

Where the Pacific Northwest has soaring mountains, Wales has castles. Lots of castles. Storming Conwy Castle, climbing the town walls, a day trip and walk in Betws-y-Coed (which I can now pronounce correctly), and strolling through Bodnant Gardens filled our three days. No rain hats required. 

Bodnant Garden is an exceptional place. Acres and acres of manicured gardens, lush forest, winding paths, a folly here-and-there. Once a private estate, it was handed over to The National Trust in 1949. The house is still occupied by Lord Aberconwy. You can point a camera in any direction and get a beautiful shot. Click on any photo for an enlargement.

Formidable Conwy Castle
Built in 1283-1287
Ric models the smallest house in Wales, 6’ wide x 10’ high.
Cute little Betws-y-Coed
Bodnant Garden: Looking down at the Mill
Bodnant Garden
Manor house at Bodnant, still occupied by the Lord
Bodnant Garden, beauty at every turn
A stream through Bodnant
While peak spring flowering had passed and summer blooms just on the way, it was still lush and lovely.
A hidden pond, Bodnant Garden

Our traveling companions including the experienced left-hand-side-of-the-road driver had to cancel their trip to Ireland due to family circumstances. Where we were going in Ireland was quite rural and was not going to be easy to do by train and bus. Ric and I are not left-hand drivers and not about to start. After a quick assessment of how we might best spend the next two weeks, we made an about face from Conwy and headed to the continent and our favorite refuge, The Lauterbrunnen Valley.

I briefly assessed changing our tickets to fly home sooner. Not only was it depressing to think of calling the trip to a halt, the cost to change was astronomical as airfares have escalated so dramatically since we bought our tickets in September. 

Getting here was a two-day journey. We avoid flying when we can and so we did. Tuesday we rode on two British trains to London, then the EuroStar to Paris, where we spent one night. The next day, a French TGV Lyria took us to Basel and was followed by a series of three Swiss trains to get us to our tiny mountain village. I know some would find this nightmarish (my brother’s idea of Hell, I think) but we travel light and find it far less stressful than flying. Plus a night and a morning in Paris = a fine meal and a lovely morning walk in an elevated garden, La Coulée Verte René-Dumont, which I wrote about four years ago in this Postcard from Paris.

Coulée Verte René-Dumont, aka Promenade Plantée
Hard to believe Paris rush hour is close by it is so serene in the elevated setting.
Sardinian dinner, Paris @ Sardegna a Tavola

The weather forecast for the Lauterbrunnen area was daunting. Weather.com showed rain for the foreseeable future when we checked it before leaving Wales. But the reality is far better and the weather app MeteoSwiss has been our friend. I have not had to wear a rain hat yet and we even saw peeks of sunlight the past few days with continuing improvement ahead.

No book research, no major plans. Just enjoying seeing one of our favorite places in a different season; we have only visited in the fall and once, briefly, in the winter. It is a totally different experience in the spring: fewer tourists, although the transportation can be crowded, and many places are still closed for rest and renovations between ski season and hiking season. Tulips are still blooming and the deciduous trees just leafing out are a stunning contrast to the deep green conifers.

For those of you who know the area, the little cliff side train from Grütschalp to Mürren is out of service as they will bring the new equipment on-line in June. From what we could see, track-work must be just about complete. The corresponding gondola is also out of service until the middle of June although the path between Grütschalp and Mürren is open if you want to walk roundtrip, I guess. (We did not.)

We are riding trains and gondolas, taking easy hikes, and discovering new corners of this marvelous region. Might have to eat some rösti, too.

The Niesen Peak seems to float above a blooming field.
Nature Reserve Weissenau along Lake Thun
Otherworldly view above Mürren
View from the Stechelberg gondola. This springtime view so different from our autumn experience of rusts and golds.

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