Switzerland –Early Days
We had a very long travel day to arrive in Thierachern –a taxi ride followed by five trains (one narrowly caught). We were met by our host Ursula at the train station in Thun. This is our home exchange week. Ursula and her family will come to PEI next summer and stay in our home and we are staying in her summer place in return. Ursula drove us to her farm house and showed us around. She even brought us some Swiss chocolate and supplies for breakfast. This was so appreciated! We sat around the kitchen table and talked about the ups and downs of the trip so far. We have all enjoyed the activities and touring of new places. The climate, ease of transportation, comfort of beds, and quality of bathrooms were discussed at great length. At the end of our trip, Isabelle will prepare a spreadsheet comparing each spot. We haven’t been here long but have already decided that the Swiss farmhouse will rate very high- very clean, lovely and bright and so much more spacious than most places we have stayed.
Yesterday (Tuesday, August 10th), it rained all day pretty much. We spent the day doing laundry, reading travel brochures, getting groceries, and figuring out exactly what we hoped to see while in this region. I haven’t any plans whatsoever for the latter part of the trip (aside from accommodations) so the Lee family will have to pitch in to help make the last leg of our journey memorable. We decided yesterday to try to rent a car. We are very close to a bus stop here in the countryside. However, taking a bus and then train to and from the farm house every day all week will make for longer days. We all agreed that travelling by car with a GPS was our favorite mode of transportation (except Isabelle does not like the ‘new car’ smell.) Today Jason headed to Thun alone to rent us a car and we will travel to Interlaken. Plans for today include a Swiss Chocolate making course for Isabelle and Matthew ans a walking tour of Interlaken.
We had a very long travel day to arrive in Thierachern –a taxi ride followed by five trains (one narrowly caught). We were met by our host Ursula at the train station in Thun. This is our home exchange week. Ursula and her family will come to PEI next summer and stay in our home and we are staying in her summer place in return. Ursula drove us to her farm house and showed us around. She even brought us some Swiss chocolate and supplies for breakfast. This was so appreciated! We sat around the kitchen table and talked about the ups and downs of the trip so far. We have all enjoyed the activities and touring of new places. The climate, ease of transportation, comfort of beds, and quality of bathrooms were discussed at great length. At the end of our trip, Isabelle will prepare a spreadsheet comparing each spot. We haven’t been here long but have already decided that the Swiss farmhouse will rate very high- very clean, lovely and bright and so much more spacious than most places we have stayed.
Yesterday (Tuesday, August 10th), it rained all day pretty much. We spent the day doing laundry, reading travel brochures, getting groceries, and figuring out exactly what we hoped to see while in this region. I haven’t any plans whatsoever for the latter part of the trip (aside from accommodations) so the Lee family will have to pitch in to help make the last leg of our journey memorable. We decided yesterday to try to rent a car. We are very close to a bus stop here in the countryside. However, taking a bus and then train to and from the farm house every day all week will make for longer days. We all agreed that travelling by car with a GPS was our favorite mode of transportation (except Isabelle does not like the ‘new car’ smell.) Today Jason headed to Thun alone to rent us a car and we will travel to Interlaken. Plans for today include a Swiss Chocolate making course for Isabelle and Matthew ans a walking tour of Interlaken.
Wednesday, August 10th
Jason got up early and took the bus to town to get us a car. Refueled by a lazy day, the kids got going at the crack of noon! J We headed to Interlaken for the day. Interlaken reminds me a lot of Banff –a touristy little town with a lot of high end shops surrounded by mountains. Seeing as we are travelling ‘on the cheap’, we ordered ice creams at a café and took advantage of the free wifi to send some notes home. There is a park in the center of Interlaken where the paragliders and hang gliders land. We stood in the park for a while and watched dozens of people float to the ground.
The kids took a chocolate making course this afternoon while Jason and I relaxed at a pub nearby. They both loved the class and made 3 large Swiss chocolate bar each. Did you know Switzerland invented milk chocolate? Or that white chocolate uses only cocoa butter and not the actual cocoa and is the least healthy kind of chocolate? Or that there are 42 beans in a cocoa-nut? Matthew came away from the class excited and full of all kinds of knowledge. Isabelle was the family photographer for this event and I’ve included her shots in the blog today.
Jason got up early and took the bus to town to get us a car. Refueled by a lazy day, the kids got going at the crack of noon! J We headed to Interlaken for the day. Interlaken reminds me a lot of Banff –a touristy little town with a lot of high end shops surrounded by mountains. Seeing as we are travelling ‘on the cheap’, we ordered ice creams at a café and took advantage of the free wifi to send some notes home. There is a park in the center of Interlaken where the paragliders and hang gliders land. We stood in the park for a while and watched dozens of people float to the ground.
The kids took a chocolate making course this afternoon while Jason and I relaxed at a pub nearby. They both loved the class and made 3 large Swiss chocolate bar each. Did you know Switzerland invented milk chocolate? Or that white chocolate uses only cocoa butter and not the actual cocoa and is the least healthy kind of chocolate? Or that there are 42 beans in a cocoa-nut? Matthew came away from the class excited and full of all kinds of knowledge. Isabelle was the family photographer for this event and I’ve included her shots in the blog today.
After the class, we did a free walking tour of Interlaken. We have now done these types of tours in Reykavik, Paris and now Interlaken. This tour was different in that we ventured onto a trail in the woods to see some local animals and to do a little hike up a mountain. On the hike, we had a nice aerial view of Interlaken. We also learned about the local buildings and a bit of the history of this town that was founded in the 13th century. The tour ended with us learning the chorus of a popular Swiss song. I think this would be a terrific business idea for a young person in Charlottetown looking to make some extra cash in the evenings in Charlottetown. On all of the free walking tours, the guides are paid in tips. I think they do pretty well.
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Thursday, August 11th
We were in Heidi country today. Isabelle has read Heidi three times (at least) so it seemed only fitting that we should try a hike in the mountains. The Lauterbrunner Valley is really quite something – a narrow valley book-ended by steep rock faces and glacier waterfalls at every turn. There are towns partway up these mountains that are accessible by cable car or quite long hikes. Jason learned from Ross Wheatley that we should drive to the end of the valley, take a cable car to the town of Murren and then hike to Allemendhudel on the Children’s Adventure Trail. In the mountains, no trail is for the faint of heart. The children’s trail did offer up a mountain playground about 45 minutes into the hike- complete with zip line, slide, tree house, balance beams and see saws. This was a perfect place to take a break from climbing to Allemendhubel. At the end of the hike, we were rewarded with yet another playground, a restaurant and amazing vistas of snow-peaked mountains.
After our picnic lunch (sandwich eating tourists!), we took the cable cars all the way down to the ground and drove to Trummelbachfalle. At this park, there are 10 cascades inside the mountain. They have been made accessible to people via an elevator (and stairs-so MANY stairs) and are illuminated. These falls carry glacier water from three mountains –Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. The falls pound through the interior of the mountain. I was in awe –and had a healthy fear – for the sheer force of this water. (Jason thought we could probably get a load of laundry done in the falls.)
Pasta dinner with more Swiss chocolate for dessert tonight. Tomorrow we take a boating tour of the Aaare River from Thun to Bern.
We were in Heidi country today. Isabelle has read Heidi three times (at least) so it seemed only fitting that we should try a hike in the mountains. The Lauterbrunner Valley is really quite something – a narrow valley book-ended by steep rock faces and glacier waterfalls at every turn. There are towns partway up these mountains that are accessible by cable car or quite long hikes. Jason learned from Ross Wheatley that we should drive to the end of the valley, take a cable car to the town of Murren and then hike to Allemendhudel on the Children’s Adventure Trail. In the mountains, no trail is for the faint of heart. The children’s trail did offer up a mountain playground about 45 minutes into the hike- complete with zip line, slide, tree house, balance beams and see saws. This was a perfect place to take a break from climbing to Allemendhubel. At the end of the hike, we were rewarded with yet another playground, a restaurant and amazing vistas of snow-peaked mountains.
After our picnic lunch (sandwich eating tourists!), we took the cable cars all the way down to the ground and drove to Trummelbachfalle. At this park, there are 10 cascades inside the mountain. They have been made accessible to people via an elevator (and stairs-so MANY stairs) and are illuminated. These falls carry glacier water from three mountains –Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. The falls pound through the interior of the mountain. I was in awe –and had a healthy fear – for the sheer force of this water. (Jason thought we could probably get a load of laundry done in the falls.)
Pasta dinner with more Swiss chocolate for dessert tonight. Tomorrow we take a boating tour of the Aaare River from Thun to Bern.
Friday, August 12th
Today we took a self-guided tour of the Aare River. We rented a river raft in Thun and floated with the current all the way to the capitol city of Bern. The Aare River is fed by run off glacier water from the Jungfrau Region. The water is pure, teal blue and fast! A person was wakeboarding against the current by simply tying his towrope to a tree overhanging the river. The trip down the river took about three hours. There were a few spots where we needed to paddle and steer the boat through little current rapids. Mostly, we just floated with the current. We felt like locals today. We watched people jump in the river and float downstream and saw lots of other rafts, inner tubes and swimmers. Kids go back to school on Monday here; the weather is great and so lots of final days of summer fun. We saw many locals stopped for a picnic along the river so we did the same.
We beached the boat in a city park in Bern and had ourselves another adventure –the trip back to Thun. First, we walked about 15 minutes to the nearest tram station. Next, we took the tram to the main Bern Train Station. At the station, we worked our way against the stream of people heading home from work on a Friday afternoon and found a train and tickets to Thun. After another 15 minute walk, we arrived at our car and took the short drive home. Simple enough but when everything is new and in a different language, even the ordinary becomes a quest.
Side note: Today I (Jason) had to borrow a bike and pedal into downtown Thun by bike looking for a bank machine – I used hand signals and drove with the cars down the streets – like a local J I should have done some yodeling. We are now having drinks at the train station in Thun. The music is pumping and there are lots of people out and about on a Friday night. There is a ferris wheel and a pedestrian street off in the distance that is calling us.
Today we took a self-guided tour of the Aare River. We rented a river raft in Thun and floated with the current all the way to the capitol city of Bern. The Aare River is fed by run off glacier water from the Jungfrau Region. The water is pure, teal blue and fast! A person was wakeboarding against the current by simply tying his towrope to a tree overhanging the river. The trip down the river took about three hours. There were a few spots where we needed to paddle and steer the boat through little current rapids. Mostly, we just floated with the current. We felt like locals today. We watched people jump in the river and float downstream and saw lots of other rafts, inner tubes and swimmers. Kids go back to school on Monday here; the weather is great and so lots of final days of summer fun. We saw many locals stopped for a picnic along the river so we did the same.
We beached the boat in a city park in Bern and had ourselves another adventure –the trip back to Thun. First, we walked about 15 minutes to the nearest tram station. Next, we took the tram to the main Bern Train Station. At the station, we worked our way against the stream of people heading home from work on a Friday afternoon and found a train and tickets to Thun. After another 15 minute walk, we arrived at our car and took the short drive home. Simple enough but when everything is new and in a different language, even the ordinary becomes a quest.
Side note: Today I (Jason) had to borrow a bike and pedal into downtown Thun by bike looking for a bank machine – I used hand signals and drove with the cars down the streets – like a local J I should have done some yodeling. We are now having drinks at the train station in Thun. The music is pumping and there are lots of people out and about on a Friday night. There is a ferris wheel and a pedestrian street off in the distance that is calling us.
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Saturday, August 13th
Today was another adventure-filled day. We took a drive to find the Grimmultz family trail. The trail is about two hours with some steep uphill climbs. Families with babies in backpacks and toddlers in tow were also taking in this family adventure. Along the trail, there were handful of fun stations for kids. The Swiss really know how to get their kids into hiking from an early age!
Next stop- Kransteg. We were on a hunt for the Rodelbahn. We took a gondola car up to Oeschinen. On the way up, we had an amazing view of the valley below. We even saw a cow standing on a slope so steep that she only had to turn her head to the side to get some grass! At the top, we found the rodelbahn. The rodelbahn is a mix between a giant slide, a bobsled, and a roller coaster. You sit on a sled with a handle in the center. To go uphill, you hold on tight and a conveyor belt pulls you up the hill. To go fast, you lower the handle and lean forward. To brake, you sit up and pull back on the lever. Since we arrived only 1 hour before closing, we didn’t have much time. But the line was sparse and we made 5 trips each. We missed the hike to the lake just twenty minutes from the rodelbahn as the gondola was closing soon. Next time!
Today was another adventure-filled day. We took a drive to find the Grimmultz family trail. The trail is about two hours with some steep uphill climbs. Families with babies in backpacks and toddlers in tow were also taking in this family adventure. Along the trail, there were handful of fun stations for kids. The Swiss really know how to get their kids into hiking from an early age!
Next stop- Kransteg. We were on a hunt for the Rodelbahn. We took a gondola car up to Oeschinen. On the way up, we had an amazing view of the valley below. We even saw a cow standing on a slope so steep that she only had to turn her head to the side to get some grass! At the top, we found the rodelbahn. The rodelbahn is a mix between a giant slide, a bobsled, and a roller coaster. You sit on a sled with a handle in the center. To go uphill, you hold on tight and a conveyor belt pulls you up the hill. To go fast, you lower the handle and lean forward. To brake, you sit up and pull back on the lever. Since we arrived only 1 hour before closing, we didn’t have much time. But the line was sparse and we made 5 trips each. We missed the hike to the lake just twenty minutes from the rodelbahn as the gondola was closing soon. Next time!
Sunday, August 14th
Tired from yesterday’s big hike, we didn’t get going today until two in the afternoon. Despite our late start, we had a day full of pleasant surprises. We decided to try out swimming in Lake Burgseeli. Burgseeli is a small lake near Interlaken with warm waters. There are admission fees to swim in this lake but it is well equipped with change rooms, a restaurant, a playground and entertainment on the grounds. On the last summer day before school starts in Switzerland, this lake was a happening spot!
The entire lake is deep and there are ladders to climb down into the lake. In the center of the lake, there is a floating raft and a giant inflatable. Lots of kids climbed aboard these to take a break from swimming. A big group of teenagers took turns on the multi-level diving boards. Across the lake, we could see some people swinging from a rope into the lake. Isabelle wanted to give this a go so I swam with her across the lake while Matthew and Jason checked out the inflatable and the playground.
A live band played country music and a group line danced on the wooden stage in front of the lake for about an hour. What great entertainment! We could sing along with songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Achey Breaky Heart.” Did I mention the water temperature was 23 degrees?
Our second surprise was that there was one spot still available for paragliding. Isabelle jumped at the chance to try it. I am hoping Isabelle will write a piece about her experience for the blog. Her jump guide said they have an expression in Bulgaria (the guide’s home) for quiet people: “still waters run deep.” This is perfect fit for our dear Isabelle. The jump takes about an hour and a half. We waited for Isabelle at a restaurant in front of the park. I was drawn to a restaurant by the twinkling lights up on the ceiling (and a desperate need to find a washroom!). Much to my surprise, I realized that I had suggested to Matthew and Jason that we eat at Hooters! Jason had great fun teasing me about this and Matthew was completely oblivious (thank goodness) to the scantily dressed waitresses.
The pictures speak for themselves. Isabelle loves adventure! Matthew was concerned for his sister and worried that she might not return. But only for a second. There was a guy blowing giant bubbles in the park and really good chicken nuggets in the restaurant.
We arrived home last night to find one more surprise! The horses that have been up in the Alps this past week are now home and living in the fields in our yard. The kids fed them apples and pears before bed (and Jason and I doubled up on our allergy meds.) Tomorrow is our last day in Switzerland before another long travel day. We have already seen and done all that we imagined we would in Switzerland.
Tired from yesterday’s big hike, we didn’t get going today until two in the afternoon. Despite our late start, we had a day full of pleasant surprises. We decided to try out swimming in Lake Burgseeli. Burgseeli is a small lake near Interlaken with warm waters. There are admission fees to swim in this lake but it is well equipped with change rooms, a restaurant, a playground and entertainment on the grounds. On the last summer day before school starts in Switzerland, this lake was a happening spot!
The entire lake is deep and there are ladders to climb down into the lake. In the center of the lake, there is a floating raft and a giant inflatable. Lots of kids climbed aboard these to take a break from swimming. A big group of teenagers took turns on the multi-level diving boards. Across the lake, we could see some people swinging from a rope into the lake. Isabelle wanted to give this a go so I swam with her across the lake while Matthew and Jason checked out the inflatable and the playground.
A live band played country music and a group line danced on the wooden stage in front of the lake for about an hour. What great entertainment! We could sing along with songs like “Sweet Home Alabama” and “Achey Breaky Heart.” Did I mention the water temperature was 23 degrees?
Our second surprise was that there was one spot still available for paragliding. Isabelle jumped at the chance to try it. I am hoping Isabelle will write a piece about her experience for the blog. Her jump guide said they have an expression in Bulgaria (the guide’s home) for quiet people: “still waters run deep.” This is perfect fit for our dear Isabelle. The jump takes about an hour and a half. We waited for Isabelle at a restaurant in front of the park. I was drawn to a restaurant by the twinkling lights up on the ceiling (and a desperate need to find a washroom!). Much to my surprise, I realized that I had suggested to Matthew and Jason that we eat at Hooters! Jason had great fun teasing me about this and Matthew was completely oblivious (thank goodness) to the scantily dressed waitresses.
The pictures speak for themselves. Isabelle loves adventure! Matthew was concerned for his sister and worried that she might not return. But only for a second. There was a guy blowing giant bubbles in the park and really good chicken nuggets in the restaurant.
We arrived home last night to find one more surprise! The horses that have been up in the Alps this past week are now home and living in the fields in our yard. The kids fed them apples and pears before bed (and Jason and I doubled up on our allergy meds.) Tomorrow is our last day in Switzerland before another long travel day. We have already seen and done all that we imagined we would in Switzerland.
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Monday, August 15th
Today was our final day in Switzerland. We went to Grindewald to see if we could find some final day adventures. We took yet another gondola car from Grindewald to Pfinstegg (1386m elevation). The kids got tickets to the rodelbahn while Jason and I had a coffee in the restaurant. (Note: Anyone with vertigo should not take gondola cars in Switzerland.) When the kids had used all their rodelbahn tickets, we hiked down the mountain. The two hour descent was less challenging than the uphill climb but the vistas were just as rewarding. We walked to another gondola lift in Grindewald where we had hoped to try scooter biking down part of the mountain. Unfortunately, the lift closed at 5 pm and we were too late for this adventure. We returned home to the farmhouse for supper, packing and a short walk down the road to Blumen, a u-pick flower garden. The kids said goodnight and goodbye to their new pets (the horses) and we headed to bed. Jason and I said farewell to our backyard mountain –Stockhorn. Big travel day to Belgium tomorrow.
SIDE NOTE: If you are planning to travel to Switzerland, you should order the Swiss Half Fare Cards and the Swiss Family Cards online from the SBB (Swiss Train System). We did this and paid half fare for all trains and gondola cars on our trip. And the kids were free! Switzerland is a very expensive country so saving funds any way you can is always a good idea!
Today was our final day in Switzerland. We went to Grindewald to see if we could find some final day adventures. We took yet another gondola car from Grindewald to Pfinstegg (1386m elevation). The kids got tickets to the rodelbahn while Jason and I had a coffee in the restaurant. (Note: Anyone with vertigo should not take gondola cars in Switzerland.) When the kids had used all their rodelbahn tickets, we hiked down the mountain. The two hour descent was less challenging than the uphill climb but the vistas were just as rewarding. We walked to another gondola lift in Grindewald where we had hoped to try scooter biking down part of the mountain. Unfortunately, the lift closed at 5 pm and we were too late for this adventure. We returned home to the farmhouse for supper, packing and a short walk down the road to Blumen, a u-pick flower garden. The kids said goodnight and goodbye to their new pets (the horses) and we headed to bed. Jason and I said farewell to our backyard mountain –Stockhorn. Big travel day to Belgium tomorrow.
SIDE NOTE: If you are planning to travel to Switzerland, you should order the Swiss Half Fare Cards and the Swiss Family Cards online from the SBB (Swiss Train System). We did this and paid half fare for all trains and gondola cars on our trip. And the kids were free! Switzerland is a very expensive country so saving funds any way you can is always a good idea!
