Girovaga

The trip to the Questura interrupted my tales of hiking in Switzerland.

We had unbelievable weather, sunny though chilly in the morning, no rain until the night before we departed for home. We never had to deploy an umbrella or pull up our hoods.

Having a full week in Lauterbrunnen afforded us an opportunity to explore the region a bit more than we have in two prior trips. Relative to the other meaning of “afford,” we were able to keep the budget somewhat in check by renting an apartment and cooking breakfast and most dinners. With this plan to travel extensively in retirement, we have committed to cooking more when we travel. After all, we have time. Plus, the food in Lauterbrunnen is rather uninspiring. It’s a cheese world after all: Rösti, Raclette, and Fondue are everywhere you turn. Vegetable options are slim, mostly potatoes and small green salads or coleslaw.

The trains and lifts get pretty expensive, but a Swiss half-fare card coupled with a Berner-Oberland Regional Pass meant we were able to save considerably on transportation during our 11 nights in Switzerland.

This is an extraordinary place to visit and hike. We really love the Dolomites, but Switzerland is pretty special too. It is incredibly clean and well-organized although the food and coffee are better in the Dolomites.

Which way? I love this picture Ric took of two hikers standing beneath a way-finding sign looking at their map.

Hiking from First to Grosse Scheidegg, that’s the Eiger in the background. Every time we go here we feel like we need to watch “The Eiger Sanction” again.

We love this hike from Grutschalp to Muerren along the narrow gauge rail line.

Another favorite hike is from Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg. This is a view toward Grindelwald in the valley.

My surveillance photo of Ric getting ready for a hike. At a train station, of course.

Lunch in Muerren, overlooking the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

We did one city day, in Bern. Here, the city center as seen from the site of our lunch above the bear enclosure.

Subterranean shop in Bern. There are many such shops, former storehouses and cellars.

Terra cotta bunny and mouse, Bern, Switzerland.

This is the guy we saw with the gun on the train two days before. He works for the railroad.

Looking out our back door. The morning we departed, the cows were put to graze in the meadow behind our apartment.

View from Harder Klum to Lake Brienz. Lovely day, difficult hike.

Tags: Eiger, Lauterbrunnen, mountains, Muerren, Murren, Switzerland