Switzerland Vacation - Aug/Sept 1998
by Bob and Barbara Eslinger, Phoenix, AZ
8/25/98 Tuesday/Wednesday
Left Phoenix at 10:30, arrived LAX at 11:30, departed LAX at 3:00 and arrived in Zurich at 10:30 (8/26). A 10.5 hour flight with a 9 hour time change. We were met by Idyll people and escorted to the train and our village. We departed Zurich at 12:30 and arrived in Sachseln (Sock-seln) at 2:30 where we were met by Vance Roy and then joined by our host Berit. We met Berit’s husband Albert later during our stay when he returned from a trip. Vance showed us around town and then took us to our apartment, Chalet Berit. We were on the second floor with an outside eating area and a beautiful view of the valley, the lake, the church and the mountains. Accommodations were very nice with two bedrooms, living room, kitchen and bathroom. We learned that the church bells toll every quarter hour from 6 in the morning until 9 at night. Weather was beautifulHIGHLIGHT – BEAUTIFUL GREEN VALLEY, BLUE LAKE AND MOUNTAINS
8/27 Thursday
Went to orientation in Reuti (Roy-Tee). It was a beautiful train trip through Giswil (Geeseville), Lungren up the Bruning pass to Bruning where we caught a bus to Reuti. The train track grade was so steep that the train engaged a cog to achieve the needed traction. We got a beautiful view of the big snow covered mountains from the Wetterhorn (Vetterhorn – “w” pronounced as “v”) to the Eiger. We met at the Hotel Victoria which is run by the Methodist Church. Orientation was good and gave us an overview of what was going on while we were in Switzerland as well as an understanding of the train, bus, boat and lift schedule books. Took the lift down to Meiringen, walked around town and took the train home to Sachseln.HIGHLIGHT – VIEW OF MOUNTAINS FROM REUTI
8/28 FRIDAY
Took Post Bus to Flueli-Ranft where Bruder Klaus lived many years ago. Bruder Klaus was a man who is revered highly by the Swiss. He’s credited with being a great mediator when there was dissention among people. He left his family and lived the life of a hermit for years. People would seek him out for counsel. They believed he fasted for YEARS. Flueli-Ranft is so important to Catholics that the Pope has visited. We sometimes saw people making pilgrimages (long walks up the hill from Sachseln) to Flueli-Ranft carrying crosses in procession. From Flueli-Ranft we took 2 hour hike (F2) down to the high bridge and then to Sarnen. We stopped at the Virgin Mary Grotto and ate our peanut butter sandwiches. Walked around Sarnen and had a torte at bakery there. Sarnen is larger town than Sachseln. It is the capital of Obwalden Canton (Switzerland is divided into 26 cantons). Took train back to Sachseln.HIGHLIGHT – HIKE FROM FLUELI-RANFT
8/29 SATURDAY
Decided to go on trip with Idyll to Thun an old medieval city situated on a beautiful blue lake 11 miles long and 1-2 miles wide. Took train to Interlaken and then a boat to Thun. The boat adds about an hour but we saw little villages on the lake as well as the beautiful scenery. We saw a wedding in progress at one of the hotels on the Lake. Berit took us on a short tour of old town. We ate at a restaurant near the Rathaus (town hall). We sat at a table with an old lady who lived in Thun and spoke good English. She helped us with the German menu. We walked around old town and took a train through the Emmental, a fertile farming region with hugh chalets. Some were connected directly to barns. We saw some long poles (higher than homes) with evergreen trees on top of the poles. The trees had brightly colored ribbons tied on them. We were told it is the custom to put up this decoration when a new baby is born in the home. Our train stopped in Langnau (Lang Now) so we stopped for an hour and walked around town stopping at a local carnival festival before boarding the train back to our village. We got home around 6:30. It is always good to get home to your apartment! We determined that it is cheaper to have beer for lunch than water, coffee or ice tea. Also there are no seconds on coffee, tea etc.HIGHLIGHT – TALKING TO SWISS LADY AT LUNCH
8/30 SUNDAY
We went with friends to Stans where we took a funicular and a gondola up the Stanserhorn Mountain (1900 meters). There was a beautiful view of Luzern, Lake Luzern and the surrounding valleys. We heard cow bells all over. The start of the hike down was very steep with sharp drop-offs. We were amazed at how high the cows can go to eat grass. Cows were all over and we will never forget the sound of all the cowbells. At times our path was a small ridge in the grassy mountain used by cows to trek up the mountain for grass and down the mountain to be milked. It was also amazing how the farmers had barns at high altitude and used special cables to transfer milk and bring up supplies. We were also surprised at how many Swiss people hike. Many older than us were hiking uphill! On the trail we saw women raking freshly mowed grass. Our friends told us the old custom was for the men to ride on the mower and cut while women and children raked with long wooden rakes. We hiked into Kerns and caught the Post Bus to Sarnen and the train home. It was about a five-hour hike including stopping to eat our lunch on an old log. It was a perfect day!!HIGHLIGHT – HEARING ALL OF THE COWBELLS AND HIKING WITH GOOD FRIENDS
8/31 MONDAY
What a perfect day! We went to Stockalp where Berit gave a tour of a small cheese factory. Then we took a gondola to Melchee Frutt where we visited the grocery store and bought cookies and Lindt chocolate. Melchee Frutt is a very active ski resort in the winter. We walked around the lake and took a single chair (one seater) lift to Balmeregghorn (the top of the world). It was a perfect day with a beautiful view. We could see snow-capped mountain and glaciers in the distance. We took the skyline walk: Crème de la Crème (D-3) to Planpatten. The trail was very rocky down hill for the first ½ mile, then pretty good with steep drop offs on one side. It took us about 1.5 hours including stopping for lunch on the trail. The lift at Planpatten was being rebuilt so we hiked down to Magisalp. This was a longer hike than we expected (about 1.5 – 2 hours) and it was not a good trail. Then we took a gondola to Reuti and caught the Post Bus to Bruning where we took the train home. The Magisalp/Planpatten area is also a big ski area in the winter. Bought groceries, picked up some cash (the credit union draft card with Cirrus worked well for picking up cash) and headed home. We were tired after two strenuous days of hiking.HIGHLIGHT – VIEW OF THE MOUNTAINS FROM THE BALMEREGGHORN TO PLANPATTEN TRAIL
SEPTEMBER 1 – TUESDAY
We needed a rest day after two long days of hiking so we decided to participate in one of Idyll’s activities, a talk on the culture of Switzerland. We went to the Giswil Bahnhof where Agnes gave a 2 hour talk with slides. It was very interesting and gave us an idea of things to look for. We ate lunch at the Bahnhof. After lunch we went to Lungren and walked the town and went to the big church. Cemeteries at these Catholic churches are so interesting. Markers are often beautifully carved wooden or granite pieces. A family can use the grave for only 25 years. By that time the body has mostly decayed and the grave can be used over again. The gravestone is removed and given to the family to use as ornament or memorial in their own garden or donated to be reused for the poor. Gravesites are well maintained and planted with beautiful flowers and often there was a picture of the deceased. We saw cows being driven down the highway with their bells clanging. We went to Sarnen and visited the hardware store where Barb bought a cow bell. They had all kinds of cow bells in the basement. Went to the Migros which is a grocery chain. It was very nice and well supplied. Our town is too small for a major chain groceryHIGHLIGHT – COWS BEING DRIVEN DOWN THE ROAD
SEPTEMBER 2 - WEDNESDAY
– Another great day. We went to Grutschalp via funicular (standing room only). Grutschalp is on a plateau above Lauterbrunnen. We hiked to Murren (B-4 The Grandfather’s Walk). Although it was hazy we could see the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau very well. The entire walk provided beautiful views of the range. We stopped along the trail and ate our lunch. We hiked thru Murren (a town without cars) and took a gondola up to the Schilthorn. This really was the top of the world. Again the view was somewhat hazy but we could see well, just not perfect picture taking conditions. The Schilthorn was the site of the filming of the 007 movie “In Her Majesty’s Service”. We took gondola down to the valley floor to Stechelberg and stopped at Trummelbach Falls. These very dynamic glacial falls are inside the cliff and can be viewed from about six stories high to the bottom. The forces and sounds of the corkscrewing waters were impressive. We bought a snack at the bottom at a beautiful little restaurant while we waited on our bus and then started the long trek home. (Bus to Lauterbrunnen, train to Interlaken, train to Sachseln). The ride was beautiful and relaxing and the trains were on time!HIGHLIGHT – GRANDFATHERS WALK AND THE SCHILTHORN
SEPTEMBER 3 – THURSDAY
- The forecast was poor and it was raining when we got up so we decided to go with Agnes to Basel. (This was another optional Idyll activity). It was about a 2-hour trip via Luzern and Agnes talked the whole way. She also gave us a minitour of the Luzern bahnhof while we waited for our train transfer. When we got to Basel it wasn’t raining so we lucked out. We took a trolley to Market Platz where Agnes gave us a 2-hour tour covering the Rahaus and Munster. Both were very beautiful and ornate. We walked around and stopped at a flea market before returning home.HIGHTLIGHT – THE GOVERNMENT BUILDING TOUR
SEPTEMBER 4 – FRIDAY
- Weather was marginal so we decided to go to Luzern. We went to the tourist office and got walking tour information. Walked over the Chapel bridge (built in the 1300’s). This is a covered bridge over the Reuss River and has many famous painting. Then we walked around the old town. Went into some beautiful churches. Walked the city wall and climbed the towers. One tower had a mechanical clock including a bell ringer that appeared as old as the wall and stilled worked. The gears and wheels were visible behind Plexiglas. Ate lunch at Coop in a cafeteria. That was fun because we could select various items. Went to see the Lion Memorial and also the glacial gardens, which were more impressive than we thought. Barb really enjoyed the glass house. We went to Hergiswil (Her Ges Vil) to the glass factory. We had a very impressive tour and got to watch them blowing glass and forming various items in molds.HIGHLIGHT – HERGISWILL GLASS FACTORY
SEPTEMBER 5 – SATURDAY
– It was raining so we decided to go to Ballenberg (a living museum of chalet farmhouses brought from all over Switzerland) because we thought we could still see all of the Swiss Homes without being impacted by the weather. We took the train to Brienz and then took the bus. We were overwhelmed by the number of homes from all over Switzerland. We spent 4 hours and probably saw about 50%. We ate lunch there and Bob had Rosti and Barb had barley soup (had kind of a cream base). Barb also looked at wood carving shops in BrienzHIGHLIGHT - BALLENBERG
SEPTEMBER 6 – SUNDAY
– Rode with friends to the Rosenlaui Falls. We walked up through the gorge, Rosenlauischluchts. It was impressive but not as spectacular as the Trummelbach Falls. Continued on a Bergweg for at least 2 hours toward the Rosenlaui Glacier. We started at 1300 meters (4265 feet) and went up to 1770 meters (5807 feet) – Up 1542 feet. It was very impressive and we had a great view. Ate lunch on the trail. Came down and stopped at the Rosenlaui Hotel for drinks. Traveling by car was a new experience and gave us a new perspective. Berit and Albert had us and her other guests over for dinner. She had wine and chips on her balcony followed by a Raclette dinner. This consisted of melting Raclette cheese under a special heating unit until it was runny and toasty on top, then scrapping it off with a little wooden paddle over steamed small potatoes topped with pepper, paprika and gerkins. She served wine. We had ice cream and chocolate with walnuts for dessert. She topped everything off with a special Norwegian liqueur made from potatoes. It was a great evening! Berit and Albert are great hosts!HIGHLIGHT – THE GLACIAL HIKE AND THE SWISS DINNER
SEPTEMBER 7 – MONDAY
– We had planned to do the Jockpass trip today but when we got to Engelberg it was cloudy and looked like rain so we walked around town and over to the lift. Stopped at a bakery for apricot coffee cake. It started to rain so we decided to go to Luzern. It was great to be an untourist with flexibility. We took the boat to Lido and then walked to the Transportation Museum. It was OK but didn’t have many new things we were interested in. It had a fabulous train section. We watched the history of space “in German” and the Swissarama (a 360-degree film) which was good. Berit had her Idyll party at the Sachseln Bahnhof Restraurant. There were two accordion players, 1 bass player, and 1 rhythm man who were very good. One man demonstrated the alphorn. Albert played his “box”, we all sang both Swiss and American songs and had a good time. We had veal snitzel and rosti for dinner which was very good. Hal Tussig (president of Idyll) was at the party along with Francy Breon. Berit was the life of the party – so much energy!HIGHLIGHT – THE PARTY
SEPTEMBER 8 – TUESDAY
– It rained some in the night and was very cloudy so we decided to go to the Aareschlucht (F1). Schluchts is canyon in German. Took train to Meiringen, then trolley to Innertkirchen. Walked to the Ost (East) entrance. The walk was mostly down a narrow canyon on a walk that had been attached to the canyon wall. At one point it was very narrow with fast flowing water. We then walked to town and stopped at the parish church. Barb found the original church excavation dating back to the 10th century underneath the church. We ate lunch in town and tasted a meringue cookie which supposedly originated in Meiringen. Bob had Hasli Toast and Barb had Tage Suppe (vegetable soup of the day). We packed our bags and Albert took Bob to the bahnhof to check our bags to Thun.HIGHLIGHT – AARESCHLUCHT
SEPTEMBER 9 – WEDNESDAY
– This was transition day, the move from Sachseln to Thun. We said goodbye to Albert at 7:45 and caught the train. We got off the train in Brienz and took the boat to Interlaken and then the train to Thun. We met Mr. Daniel (one of the Thun apartment hosts) at the Thun bahnhof. Frau Wlithrich picked us up and drove us through Thun to our apartment. We tried to notice landmarks in hopes that we could find it on our own when we walked home from the bahnhof. Frau Looli (the host of our apartment) met us there. She has had a hip replacement recently and couldn’t get around very well. Both of them spoke very little English. Bob’s little knowledge of German came in handy. It is always amazing how much one can communicate without having a common language. The apartment was on the third floor and had a beautiful view from the balcony of the Thun Castle and the mountain range that includes the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. This apartment also had a TV with 4 English channels! We were in contact again with what was going on in the world. Maybe that wasn’t so good after all but it was good to see the weather forecast. Again maybe this wasn’t so good either because it wasn’t a very good forecast the whole week. The walk to the bahnhof was about 20 minutes, which is quite a distance, but this included a walk through old town past the Migros and Coop. Barb enjoyed window shopping on the way to the bahnhof each day. We also had a bus stop within 2 minutes. The day we arrived it was beautiful so we decided to go to Kandersteg a nearby tourist town with many restaurants and miles of hiking. The town reminded us of Aspen BEFORE it got crowded. There were many hikers but no hustle bustle. There were new modern chalets. We took a lift where seats faced sideways. From the top of the lift we hiked to Lake Oschinensee which was a beautiful glacial feed lake in a beautiful valley. We ate dinner in Kanderstag at Bernerhof. Our table had an unbelievable view of mountains undergoing a sunset. The sunset lasted over an hour. There was a beautiful play of light and colors – pinks, blues and lavenders. Barb had vegetable lasagna and Bob had the tage special which was steak with a special sauce, fries, vegetable soup and an apple torte. Very good. As we boarded the train to Thun, the sunset was still changing and getting more brilliant. When we got off the train at Thun it was fun to test our memories and look for familiar landmarks (Coop, hockey rink, crane, etc) to help us find the way back to our apartment. We were quite proud of ourselves when we got back to the apartment around 8:30. It was a big day but we wanted to make the most of the good weather while it lasted.HIGHLIGHT – OSCHINENSEE LAKE
SEPTEMBER 10 – THURSDAY
- The weather looked like it was going to cloud up so we decided to go to the Oberland orientation. Sonja and Julie did an excellent job and showed some slides related to the “Dream Book”. We got out around 1:00 and ate lunch at Coop. They had a great buffet where we weighed our food and it was priced per gram. The lunchroom overlooked Spiez, vineyards and beautiful blue Lake Thun. The weather looked good so we decided to hike (A3) from Spiez to Faulensee along Lake Thun. It was beautiful with the green/blue lake, green hills, mountains and the boats. We then took a boat to Hilterfingen and went through the Schloss (castle) Hunegg. It had an excellent self-guided tour that showed furnishings from the period. The bedroom was fantastic with men’s and woman’s dressing rooms adjacent. It also had a swatch exhibit. We missed the next boat to Thun and caught a bus. We walked through old town and ate at the Coop. The food is delicious and reasonable with view of canal. It is cafeteria style and fun to see all the entrees and the locals. There is also wonderful salad bar, fruits, yogurt, desserts, and breads along with many pitchers of beverages. Barb had wine and Bob had “Bier”. It rained while we were eating but quit for our walk home. On the way home we saw a male and female on rollerblades wearing green body paint advertising for the Body Shop. She had no clothes from the waist up – JUST GREEN BODY PAINT. Bob didn’t notice. He must have really been tired. Got home around 6:15. It was a big day but the weather turned out great until it clouded up late in the day.HIGHLIGHT – THE HIKE TO FAULENSEE
SEPTEMBER 11 – FRIDAY
– It was cloudy and rainy and got much cooler so we decided to go to Bern (the capital of Switzerland) which was less than 25 minutes by train. The information office gave us a walking tour map of the old town. We remember the covered walkways and the numerous fountains. We watched the watch tower clock strike 11. The watchtower has a famous clock with puppets that came out every hour. There were many cobblestone streets, busy sidewalks and much shopping and many shoppers. Stopped at the Bear Pits. The bear is associated with Bern because the story is that a hunter said that he would name the town after whatever animal he shot when he went hunting, thus Bern. The bears have been on display for centuries. We saw several old churches with the highlight being the Gothic Munster Church. German’s call their churches Munsters. The steeple is the highest in Switzerland. The main door has sculptures of the Last Judgement from 1430. There are 234 carved figures. The figures on the left side are angelic, healthy looking figures. To the right is Hell, fire and grotesque figures very gaunt and sickly looking with demons and devils. It gives one the feeling of “Don’t get caught on the right side”. We visited the Alpine Museum. The Alpine Museum was very interesting and had many relief maps including one of the Berner Oberland area. It was helpful at pointing out where the peaks and valleys were located in relationship to each other. We ate lunch where Barb had a goulash soup. Bob had a dish of rice, meat and curry. We visited the parliament building and tried to go on a tour but none were available. You can only go into the parliament building with a guide. It is not open like our capital is. The train to Thun was packed, standing room only.HIGHLIGHT – ALPINE MUSEUM
SEPEMBER 12 – SATURDAY
– It was rainy today so we decided to go on the Idyll trip which was changed to Domodossola, Italy. This gave us an overview of Northern Italy and what Southcentral Switzerland was like. As soon as we broke through the tunnel South of Brig, the sun was shining. The weather was good in Southern Switzerland and Italy. The homes were much different including rock roofs and no visible wood exterior surfaces. Of course they spoke Italian. The city was much more in disrepair. There was a flea market which Barb enjoyed. There was everything from food to shoes to pottery. Salesmen were hawkers and showmen. We stopped in bakeries and saw typical Italian baked goods – even cannolis. Streets were cobblestone and the mountains looked very different than the high alps. Lower mountains and more of the “Prescott green” color rather than the wet, rich green color of the Oberland and Heartland. We took the bus back to Brig over the beautiful Simplon Pass. We saw high mountain walls of granite and many places where Italians were removing huge slabs of granite for building. We climbed steadily above the tree line where it was snowing on top. It was a beautiful two-hour ride back to Brig. We took the train back to Thun through the Lotschenberg Tunnel (9 miles Long) to Kandersteg. When we reached Kandersteg it was cold and windy as it had been in the morning. We got to Thun and did some shopping and just barely got our groceries before everything shut down at 4:00 until Monday morning.HIGHLIGHT – BUS TRIP TO BRIG OVER THE SIMPLON PASS
SEPTEMBER 13 – SUNDAY
– We woke up to rain but decided to go out anyway in hopes that it might clear contrary to the weather report. We went to Grindelwald and shopped even though many shops were closed. It was obvious that it had snowed significantly in the high mountains. Grindelwald is a lot like Aspen, very touristy and a big ski center in winter. It is situated in a beautiful valley with the Eiger in the background. Unfortunately, even though we didn’t have much rain the mountains were covered with clouds. We ate in town at Memories adjacent to the Eiger Hotel. Bob had lamb with potato croquettes and cream cabbage. Barb had barley soup with bratwurst (very good). We strolled around and went to where the gondola goes to First. We started home and Barb wanted to go to the Swiss celebration that we had heard about in Krattigen even though we were an hour late. This is a festival to celebrate the farmers bringing the cows down from the high ground when it gets too cold. We were fortunate to miss the first hour. The parade consisted of groups carrying huge bells and marching to a cadence. It was interesting but once we had seen and HEARD one or two groups it became repetitive. It was true Swiss tradition by locals with few tourists. The celebration also included bringing down the cows from the high pastures. The cows were decorated with beautiful flowers and hugh bells. Goats and cows paraded through the street. Women and young children were dressed in festive traditional costume. One group passed out samples of wine, others a rolled cookie, candies and cheese. We got home around 5.HIGHLIGHT – THE TRADITIONAL SWISS PARADE IN KRATTIGEN
SEPTEMBER 14 – MONDAY
– It was still rainy off and on and so we headed to Idyll’s cheese day – we thought. Unfortunately we got on the fast train rather than the local and weren’t able to get off at the correct stop. We would have been able to take a bus but the train was late (very unusual to be late) and we missed our bus connection. Some of the group decided to wait for the next bus in an hour but we decided that since the weather wasn’t all that good anyway we would go back to Thun and explore the Northern coast of Lake Thun. We started out at the Thun Castle better known as the “many steps” castle. It was very impressive and had a good museum. We could see our apartment from three of the four towers. There were great displays of toys, miniatures, furniture, pottery, archeology finds, military memorabilia. The castle tower was built in 1186. Then we walked many blocks along the Aarebasin. It was beautiful waterfront walk passed boats for hire and ship stations at Huniback. Caught the bus for Oberhofen where we went through the Oberhofen Castle. Many more steps! Great restoration. There were many floors of furniture and pictures with fantastic views out the windows. The gardens were beautiful. There was even a huge children’s playhouse two stories high. People say this is the most photographed castle in Switzerland. We caught the bus home and stopped and got a cup of coffee and apricot kucken at Coop, picked up some groceries and got home around 5. It was another full day.HIGHLIGHT – OBERHOFEN SCHLOSS (CASTLE)
SEPTEMBER 15 – TUESDAY
– It looked like it was going to be another rainy day with no blue sky in sight but we decided to go for it anyway. We headed for Wengen where we found a delightful small village without cars on a ledge above Lauterbrunnen. The closer we got to Wengen the more patches of blue developed. The narrow gauge rail ride between Lauterbrunnen and Wengen was beautiful with views of the valley and its many waterfalls. Lauterbrunnen was even more beautiful than we remembered from the day we went to Murren. We could see much better down the Lauterbrunnen valley from this perspective. We did some shopping and it began to clear so we decided to take the tram to Mannlichen. As we got off the tram, it was like a fairyland with clouds rolling in then rolling out to reveal the Eiger, the Monch and the Jungfrau as well as the valley below. Wengen looked like a village in miniature. As we approached Mannlichen the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau loomed up like giants. The fresh blanket of snow made them look even more majestic. It was mystical, magical place. Someday we have got to do the Grandmother’s walk to Kleine Scheidegg. It was very cold and windy this day and there was about 2 inches of snow on the ground. It was beautiful and ever changing. We ate in the restaurant and we both had the Shrinkenwurst and Rosti. Delicious food, delicious view! Clouds danced and changed constantly, totally obscuring the view then clearing away to reveal the beauty of the mountains. We talked to one of the TV crewmen who was part of a team assembled to televise the climb of the Eiger; however, the weather condition didn’t cooperate and the climb was cancelled. Mannlichen was their headquarters and we could see the platforms and equipment that had been setup. Unfortunately, they were in the tear down stage. We walked out for one last view. We were so glad we had this impression before our last day. When we got home we packed and Frau Wlithrich took Bob to the airport to check the bags through to LAX. Barb sat and watched the beautiful mountain view from the apartment window. One whole wall is glass and looked toward the Thun castle with a backdrop of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau all snow-covered with blue sky. Weather changes so quickly. By the time Bob returned peaks were still visible but no blue sky. Clouds quickly moved in.HIGHLIGHT – VIEW OF THE EIGER FROM MANNLICHEN
SEPTEMBER 16 – WEDNESDAY
– Caught an Intercity Train that went straight through to Zurich Frughofen (airport) with stops only at Bern and Zurich. We sat on the top deck and had a great view of Emmental type country. The weather was cloudy and rainy. Checked into the Airport Hilton which was very nice. Then we caught a train back to Zurich where we did a walking tour. We ate a good lunch at a German Swiss restaurant across from the bahnhof. Barb had a good mixed salad and Bob had macaroni with cheese, applesauce & onions served with apples. Both were very good. We were treated to beautiful organ music at the Fraumuster. The organist was practicing for a concert that evening. The Fraumuster windows by Marc Chagall were very unusual, modern with flowing lines and colors. We walked all the way to Zurichsee and back. On the way back we stopped in Manor Department Store buffet for apple strudel with vanilla sauce. Returned to hotel by 6.HIGHLIGHT – ORGAN MUSIC AT FRAUMUSTER
SEPTEMBER 17 – THURSDAY
– Went to the airport around 8:00AM and picked up coffee and some rolls. The plane was full and left on time at 10:00AM. It was about an 11.5 hour flight with daylight all the way. There were two movies and two meals. We got to Los Angeles about 1:06PM (10:06 PM Swiss time). Our bags were at customs and we rolled them to America West where we took a full 757 to Phoenix. Got to Phoenix at 4:15PM (1:15 AM Swiss time).THIS WAS THE GREATEST VACATION EVER!
Ranking of the days is as follows:
1. Day 5 Stanserhorn hike2. Day 21 Mannlichen
3. Day 6 Balmeregghorn to Planpatten Hike
4. Day 8 Grandfathers Hike and the Schilthorn
5. Day 12 Dossehutte Hike
6. Day 15 Hike to Oschinensee Lake
7. Day 10 Tour of Luzern
8. Day 3 Hike from Fleuti-Ranft
9. Day 16 Hike to Faulansee
10. Day 9 Trip to Basel
11. Day 14 Aareschluclt Canyon
12. Day 2 View of mountain from Reuti
13. Day 7 Agnes talk on Switzerland
14. Day 19Grindelwald
15. Day 20 Thun and Oberhofen Castles
16. Day 18 Domodossola
17. Day 11 Ballenberg
18. Day 13 Luzern Transportation Museum & Hegiswill Glass Factory
19. Day 17 Bern
20. Day 4 Escorted trip to Thun
21. Day 22 Zurich walking tour
22. Day 1 Arrival
OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST
FIRST THING TO DO OVER - Mannlichen with hike to Kleine Scheidegg
MOST ENJOYABLE HIKE – Hike down from Stanserhorn
MOST ENJOYABLE MEAL - Swiss meal at Berit’s
GREATEST VIEWS – Mannlichen, From Thun apartment, Grandfather’s walk