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Another Path to Lunch

16 Sep

16 September 2024.

Sundays are days for long walks and special lunches, at least while we are traveling. A few years ago, I wrote about a particular favorite, which we have now done three times (See https://girovaga.com/2021/10/03/a-path-to-lunch/) with plans to repeat as often as possible.

Yesterday we discovered another walk that led us to perhaps the finest mountain “hut” around, Rauchhütte on the Alpe di Siusi. I have read various raves about it: “Best hut! You have to go! Nowhere like it!” My cynical self said that all mountain huts are the same atmosphere, beverages, and mountain cuisine, in this case Südtirol specialties, beer, limited wine, grappa, and good coffee.  Rauchhütte is un altro mondo: a world apart.

Perhaps I should explain the concept of today’s mountain “huts.” In Italian we call one a rifugio or baita or malga, in German it is hütte. You would probably call one heavenly. We are talking real plates, glassware, and cutlery; Espresso machines and full kitchens; Clean bathrooms. They serve simple mountain food: hearty pastas, local specialities like canederli (a kind of dumpling), cheese and meat platters, polenta, game dishes featuring boar or venison, spareribs, lots of potatoes, beer, limited wines, some hard liquor. Always strudel, homemade cakes, coffee, and so on. Hearty fare. Occasionally a salad slips into the menu.

Approaching the baita Rauchhütte.

Imagine this terrace on a sunny, temperate day!

Rauchhütte defies the traditional baita. It is a gourmet experience, a wine-driven restaurant perched in one of the most beautiful mountain settings you will find. A fabulous deck, a warm and cozy dining room, stellar service, an impressive wine list, and elevated cuisine.

It was almost full when we arrived at noon. We were lucky to get the last unreserved table. Sunday lunch is a big deal and people target Rauchhütte for this special time.

Interior with views to the Sassolungo and Sasspiatto.

You cannot drive to Rauchhütte. You can cycle, hike, walk, or take a bus. We walked an hour to get there from AlpenHotel Panorama as well as an hour after lunch to — get this — ride a chair lift back to our home base! Who needs a bus?

Adding to the pleasure of the day, we are having a wintery September on the Alpe di Siusi. About 6 inches of snow fell Thursday into Friday, and Saturday was cursed with a bitterly cold wind. Sunday, the winds were still, and silence descended as it does with snow on the ground. Even most of the (few) people out were not talking much. Just enjoying the unusual scene. So did we. SIGH.

Lunch was divine. Fine wines by bottle or glass, a limited but excellent menu with many specials for the day featuring seasonal favorites like porcini or deer. Yes, the local specialities were present as well, but in an elevated manner, with the service you would expect in a fine-dining restaurant; except all the patrons were dressed for outdoor sports and had backpacks at their feet.

Ric’s lunch of canederli and goulash.

My choice: Housemade pappardelle with oxtail ragu.

Terrace wall decorated with (empty) wine bottles. They claim to have 300 labels in the wine cellar, mostly local.

A total of five miles and two hours of walking might have put a dent in the house made pappardelle with oxtail rags that I snarfed down. We will be back next year. I might even include one this in the next edition of Walking in Italy’s Val Gardena.

For those who are curious about the route and know the area or are visiting, we walked Trail #6 from Panorama downhill toward Ritsch, turning right on Trail #30 until it joins the main road at the Wiedner Egg bus stop. From there, follow the road to the “hut.” The easy-hiker way back is to walk the road back to the bus stop, then follow Trail #30, the Hans and Paula Steger Trail (also in our book) all the way to Compatsch, returning up to AlpenHotel Panorama via the chairlift.

Or take the bus if you had too much wine. That might happen next year because the wine list is simply awesome.

One of the views on our path to lunch, the magnificent Sassolungo and Sassopiatto.

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Blog fodder.

13 Oct

13 October 2023.

I am ready to burn all the clothes I brought along. Two months of a capsul wardrobe makes me realize why I do not have the discipline for such minimalism at home. Still, we dutifully packed our clothes today for the last transfer before flying home and will deal with the decision of keep, toss, or donate next week.

As we wrap up two months of travel, I find myself with miscellany to impart. I jot down things I think will make a good blog then occasionally use it as fodder inspiration. 

No one topic stands out so perhaps a brief summary of crap I am thinking about things you might be interested in.

No bedbugs! We have escaped the Scourge of Europe 2023! Perhaps our long stay in Lauterbrunnen has been key. We have two nights near Zurich starting tomorrow but I am prepared to shine for the little rascals. I had what I think were bedbug bites in Florence in 1972. Do not care to repeat.

Weather irregularities. It has been warm and sunny almost the entire four weeks in Lauterbrunnen and actually dry for most of our stay. A blessing for certain versus last year (See More rainy day plans) but existentially frightening as we should be having days cool enough for a jacket even in the afternoon and nights so cold you need gloves in the morning. Instead, I wish I had packed a sundress and sandals for some days. (Many women are wearing them.)

Simply gorgeous weather, although sometimes you have to get above the clouds to find it. Here, at Alpine Tower, Meiringen, CH.

This is my favorite trip picture, hiking from Grütschalp to Mürren with the little mountain train that runs along the cliff and the Eiger and Mönch in the background. Another glorious day!

Long stays are the best. Settling in for four weeks in a favorite location is delightful. We have stayed in Lauterbrunnen and vicinity about 140 nights over the past 10 years. Why do we come back? We have a great time here. It is familiar, we love the apartment we have stayed in for most of those nights, we know what we are going to do while here yet we always find new places to explore and enjoy. Staying here requires little planning. We simply live and enjoy these incredible surroundings and the car-free lifestyle Europe affords. Maybe a little like people who have a lake cabin they spend the entire summer at. In my youth, I had friends whose families did that. It seemed narrow to me, to spend all of your vacation in the same place, yet here I am many decades on and I get it.

The view from our balcony at Ey Hus 6. The church in the background chimes the hour, 24 hours a day. You get used to it.

Paperless Travel. I used to pack along an inch-thick stack of confirmations, tickets, and related travel paperwork. I gave up hard copy books as soon as I got my first tablet (2011, I think) but still, there were all those printed documents. NO MORE. All of our passes and tickets are finally, as of this trip, on our phones. All confirmations saved only in email. I do bring a proper hiking map for the mountainous area we frequent, but that is it. The train conductors scan QR codes from our phones and we never have to visit a ticket machine.

Cooking while traveling. Anathema to some, but I like to cook while we are traveling. I get creative with what we can do with limited ingredients and locally available products. Each trip seems to embrace some consistent theme. This year we ate a lot of arugula salads (various preparations) and various pastas. I discovered a new-to-me balsamic chicken recipe and riffed a red-onion chutney to go with the chicken that will be a staple at home. Also, breakfast burritos. Switzerland finally has available some Mexican foods like guacamole, black beans, and tortillas. A few years ago, we started being able to get Asian products like coconut milk, Basmati rice, edamame, and Thai red curry paste. Years past we’ve had trends in chicken curry, chicken soup and pot pie, and giant salads featuring apples, spinach, blue cheese, and dried cranberries. It’s not all sausage and fondue when you cook at home.

Ethnic foods. Each year we find more and more non-Swiss options even in the villages of this small corner of Switzerland. Italian has been around for a bit but now there are two very good Italian places (not just pizza) we can get to by a short train ride which is a novel way to travel to dinner. We finally found a Thai place in Interlaken a few trips ago and the surge in Indian visitors has led to a number of Indian restaurants. Perhaps our favorite this trip was “discovering” a Lebanese restaurant in Interlaken.

Delicious Pad Thai at “sree manee Isaan Thai” in Interlaken.

Cows, cows, and more cows. We have seen cow parades more this year than any other: Little informal groups passing through town and tying up traffic. Large parades of 100 decked out in flowers. Scheduled parades with multiple stops to drop off cattle at various low altitude pastures when returning en masse from the high alps. Today there was a cow show in the church parking lot. Never have I ever imagined such an event. Of course there was beer, schnapps, and cake. Why not?

Just the tail end of a small cow parade coming through Lauterbrunnen as they veer off to their valley pasture.

Today’s Cow Show in a most picturesque location between the church and the waterfall. Each cow had a numbered tag on its forehead, secure with a headband of sorts. About 100 cows and a lot of mooing.

Off to Zug tomorrow. Who knows what fodder for the blog our final days will offer?

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Styles of stiles and trip miscellany

13 May

13 May 2023.

England delivered exactly what we expected: occasional sun and plenty of damp, but high spirits surrounding the spectacle of King Charles III’s coronation.

What a privilege it was to be in-country for the event! When we booked our trip, Queen Elizabeth was still very much alive so being there — although not in London, thank the gods — was strictly coincidental.

In Lower Slaughter on the Sunday after the Coronation, the village prepares for The Big Lunch, a community celebration. These parties took place all over the U.K.

First stop was Oxford, convenient on our path to The Cotswolds for some country walking. Oxford was decked out for the upcoming pageant and did not disappoint. We toured parts of Oxford University with a doctoral candidate and enjoyed his inside-take on how the place functions and inevitable comparisons to the U.S. university experience.

Blenheim Palace was a glimpse into the aristocratic lifestyle as the family still resides there. Goslings and ducklings peppered the estate grounds and the gardens were in fine form. I can only imagine how gorgeous the roses must be in season. Our final Oxford tour was of the Bodleian Libraries, dating to the 15th century when 281 manuscripts were donated, the libraries now house over 13 million printed items.

The oldest part of the Bodleian, Duke Humphrey’s’ Library. Volumes cannot be “checked out” but must be read on-site with a chaperone librarian.

Almost over jet lag, we headed to Bourton-on-the-Water, our home for a week. We chose a self-guided center-based itinerary with HF Holidays staying in a hotel that was previously a private residence built in 1662.

This is the view of the grand staircase that greeted us outside our our room.

No matter how often we tour in the UK or the rest of Europe I am constantly dumbfounded by the history and the preservation and adaptation of old buildings. HF Holidays provided a lovely room, cooked breakfast and dinner with a packed lunch daily, and dozens of walking itineraries to choose from. We could select from clear instructions encased in waterproof laminating to guide us. All we had to do was don our gear and head out each day.

Those waterproof instructions were necessary. Our walk conditions have ranged from misty to sun-dappled to downright soggy. It reminded us of Oregon although in Oregon we have never hiked with sheep nor though mud as sticky and pervasive as we have done here.

And there are stiles of many styles. Frankly, I prefer a good gate, but the stiles were definitely a sensible solution to allowing walkers to walk unhindered yet keep sheep and cows in their fields. They are being replaced in many areas to allow barrier-free access to public footpaths.

Squeeze-style stile
Step- style stile
Ric demonstrates
V-shape just accommodates a leg
Step-style with a log base in the mud.
Muddy gate and high style poncho
Ducks and sheep in the meadow
Old flour mill in Lower Slaughter
Bunting in Bourton-on-the-Water
Hanging out in Lower Slaughter

Our final day in Bourton-on-the-Water was weather perfection, a sunny day capped by a thunderstorm at 17:00 when we were safely “home.”

Evening light on the river in Bourton.
We walked through this estate.
Cotswolds view.
Trees not yet in full leaf.
Mill pond.
Lambing season!

We set off for Wales yesterday (Friday). Almost two hours by private transport thanks to a rail strike in England, then a 3 hour train ride. Conwy, the town we are staying in, is charming and today’s weather exactly what you’d hope for on a spring day!

Will write more from Ireland later in the trip!

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More Rainy Day Plans

30 Sep

30 September 2022.

Mother Nature decided Switzerland was due for a good rain, which means snow in the high elevations. For those visiting the area for only 2 or 3 nights, which many do, it is sad because they are not treated to the amazing vistas brought by sunnier days. 

However, after a hot dry summer, we cannot deny the need for a good rain bringing relief to the farmers and hopes of early snow. 

Luckily, we are settled here for a month and  can take this in stride. Last week was a dream of sunny days and we have ideas for any weather be it hot, cold, misty, snowy, or heavy rain. 

The other day we did the first half of a walk along the Weiss Lütschine River (See Rainy Day Hikes).

Here are some other options we chose this week based on not-so-great weather.

Zweilütschinen to Wilderswil. This is the next portion of the Weisse Lütschine and is detailed in our book. This is a “path to lunch” which many of you know is a common theme. Our objective was a lovely Italian restaurant in Wilderswil, Luca Piccante. Great pizza! The 3 mile walk was a good first course but after eating an entire pizza each (Italian-style, not the hulking monstrous North American type), further walking was in order. There are ruins of a very old castle about 20 minutes from Wilderswil on an enjoyable path offering views over Interlaken. An additional 2.75 mile walk brought us to the train station and the BOB (Berner Oberland Bahn) took us back home. 

From upper left: BOB along the river as seen from the path; View toward WIldersvil; Path to the Castle ruins; Castle ruins from below on the way to Interlaken; Pizza at Luca Piccante

Mountain Joy Riding. Wednesday was supposed to be wet wet wet! The forecast was for 2-3 inches of rain between 0800 and 2100. Ugh. Taking advantage of our Berner Oberland Regional Passes, we did a grand tour of the Jungfrau Region. Here are the stages:

  • Wengernalpbahn (train) from Lauterbrunnen to Wengen and on to Kleine Scheidegg at 2061 meters/6762 feet of altitude
  • Change trains at the top to the Wengernalpbahn down to Grindelwald
  • Change trains to the BOB to Grindelwald Terminal base station for two fabulous lifts, the new Eiger Express and the Männlichen Gondolbahn
  • We took the Gondelbahn to Männlichen an amazingly long cableway
  • Männlichen to Wengen via another cableway
  • Wengernalpbahn back to Lauterbrunnen

I don’t like to advertise, but I have to recommend highly the Berner Oberland Regional Pass. It is expensive but the value is there and once purchased it is a no brainer to hop on any lift or train or bus and go anywhere in the region. This trip would cost CHF 134.00, but with the pass the cost was zero, niente, nada. We used 1/3 of the face value of our 10-day pass in this single day and still have 9 days to do as much riding as we desire. It is available for for 3, 4, 6, 8, and 10 day periods. There is a further discount on the pass if one buys a Swiss Half Fare Card which I also recommend. Have lunch as we did in Grindelwald and walk around a bit for a break. Our loop including a stop for a nice lunch, took about 5 hours.

We had train cars all to ourselves during our joy-riding day.
Tolkien had it right about the Misty Mountains.

View on the right, above, is from the Wengernalpbahn descending into Grindelwald. We are actually above the fancy new Eiger Express Gondola.

Three Village Tour. For a we-don’t-want-to-do-much day, rain or shine, one can explore the three villages and do some shopping. Take the train up to Wengen and walk the village, maybe stop for coffee. Coming back down to Lauterbrunnen, stop at the Tourist Information Office to see what might interest you that you haven’t thought about, then walk the length of the village, perhaps past the Staubbach Falls and as far as Campling Jungfrau. You could have lunch here or in the village along the way. Finally, take the lift from Lauterbrunnen to Grütschalp and the little train to Mürren, walk the village, check the shops, and descend via the Schilthornbahn to Stechelberg where you can catch the bus back to Lauterbrunnen.

We left home at 10:00 and did not return until almost 16:00. It wasn’t hiking but it was a nice pace, about 3 miles of walking, and a leisurely chance to look for Christmas gifts. We had lunch “at home” in our apartment. The rain spit off and on but was never a deluge and there were occasional sun breaks. Another good reason for the BO Regional Pass is not having to weigh the expense of jumping on trains and lifts impetuously for shopping.

One of the benefits of rain is increased waterfall volume. Staubbach Falls near Lauterbrunnen was a bit thin until this week.

Lauterbrunnen Valley Walk. We have done this walk (it is detailed in our book) from the south to the north, from the north to the south, in sun, in rain, in mist. We love it. A rushing river, mountain peaks, waterfalls, cows, goats, and base jumpers offer diversion on this 4-mile easy path. We like to start at the last bus stop near Hotel Stechelberg and walk back to Lauterbrunnen, but both directions are beautiful. 

Little Stechelberg at the south end of the valley is little more than a Post Office, a hotel, and a few small farms, gardens, and houses. Very quiet. The clouds cover the majestic Breithorn mountain peak.

Take a cruise. The excitement factor is limited but the relaxation factor is high for a two-hour cruise with lunch on the Thunersee. Rain or shine, the BLS ships sail on both Lake Thun (Thunersee) and Lake Brienz (Brienzersee). The train delivers you to Thun, a lovely city worth exploring, right next to the landing for the ships. After boarding you can choose from a varied menu of choices from soups and salads to multi course meals or a snack. There’s plenty of time for a leisurely lunch while hopping from town to town along the lake with distant peaks and nearby waterfalls in view. There are also cruises that are not meal-centric. Cruises on both the Thunersee and Brienzersee are free with your Berner Oberland Regional Pass.

Waterfall by St. Beatus Caves
One of several castles seen from the ship
First Class dining room
Leaving Thun’s River Aare for the open lake
Misty mountains surround the lake today

Perhaps Tolkien, who visited the Lauterbrunnen Valley in 1911, would not have been so inspired in his creation of Rivendell had he not experienced the misty mountains and abundant waterfalls brought by the gift of rain.

It seems the rainiest of days have passed for us — did not get wet today in 4+ miles of hiking — and starting Sunday we will have brilliant fall weather once more. Can’t say I am sorry to see the rain end, but we enjoyed our days nonetheless. 

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Rainy day hikes

25 Sep

25 September 2022.

Rain on a forecast makes me cringe. Is my travel going to be a washout and won’t see anything I came to see? Will we be confined to quarters or get soaked on our way back from a hike?

This week’s dreary forecast. Thank goodness last week was divine!

No traveler wants to look at the forecast and see five days of rain, especially if you only have a few days in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

Fortunately, for us the weather in Switzerland usually turns out better than the forecast and a high percentage of expected rain is balanced against how many minutes or hours of actual rainfall. A 90% chance of rain in a day is accurate even if it only rains for 15 minutes.

Having a few activities in your virtual back pocket makes it possible to enjoy even a dreary day with hopes that it will actually turn out better than forecast.

In our books, we mention outings that are OK on an overcast or even rainy day. Yesterday we used one of our own ideas and while we got a bit wet, we had a nice hike, didn’t get too cold (layers!), and we were done in time for lunch back in our cozy apartment. While many travelers headed for the lifts to higher elevations hoping for views, we chose a walk along the Lütschine River and incurred a small fee for a train ride back from the end of the trip, not the high price of a mountain gondola on a day without views.

Cows bid us adieu as we head out of Lauterbrunnen.
Crossroads. Hard to get lost with such good signage.
The river is higher thanks to the rain.
We encountered no other hikers in our 75 minute walk.

Yesterday afternoon offered a couple of rain free hours enabling a little stroll with weak sunlight and we were back “home” right before a downpour. Switzerland, like most of Europe, needs rain so we can’t complain.

Today was supposed to be dry in the morning and it was. In fact it has been dry all day! The cloud deck is low so views are not stellar but we invoked our Pacific Northwest mantra, “At least it’s not raining” and headed out on a long walk through the valley and a stroll through Mürren, high on the cliff, with coffee in our favorite cafe. Number of people encountered in the valley in a three mile walk: four. The cows easily outnumbered humans by 50 to 1.

Housemade cake and coffee at Cafe Liv, Mürren.

In fact, the sun is breaking through so I think we’ll take advantage and have our evening passeggiata a little early in case it the weather changes its mind.

Tomorrow will be drier than the forecast above indicates…we hope! Rain hats and waterproof boots will ensure our plans aren’t ruined by some much-needed moisture.

I found this picture from the same day last year. We were eating outdoors in a beer garden. May that weather return in the coming weeks!

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