September 5, 2018
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
We flew uneventfully, thank God, from Alameda to Newark yesterday. We arrived in Newark and promptly boarded the wrong shuttle - due to a brain glitch on the part of moi. My amazing husband never complained or blamed - we shuttled back to the airport and got on the right shuttle. About two and a half hours after landing, we arrived at the Robert Treat Hotel - Best Western. This hotel has a history and has been here for over 100 years. Pictures of several presidents and Albert Einstein adorn the walls. After settling in our room, we went in search of food and ended up at "The Halal Guys". I was so starving that it tasted great to me but David thought it was definitely subpar. Afterwards we went and saw the movie - BlacKKKlansman. It was a movie with a message. We enjoyed it-definitely a period piece with a sobering story. Bedtime found me tossing and turning - David went to sleep almost immediately. Finally, at 2 am, I stole an Ativan out of David's bag of tricks and fell asleep. I did manage to finish a book and watch the A's lose on GameDay before that happened though.
Morning was very relaxed. Took our time getting ready and then headed out to Newark Penn Station thinking we would catch a train over to NY for a few hours. We couldn't quite navigate the train mystery and ended up just getting lunch at a local bar and grill. Nice to be together and the food was good. Just chillin' now waiting for the shuttle to take us to the Airport for the next big part of this journey.
Thursday, September 6
Yesterday was the marathon travel day. We flew through the night from Newark to Zurich. I slept a few minutes and David didn't sleep a wink. We got to Zurich about the same time as Trish and Laurie and Joanne and Kathy were a few hours behind us. The four of us got a coffee in the airport and then got on the train and went to downtown Zurich for a short while. It wasn't too amazing. Pretty dirty and noisy but we did see a very interesting park. All of us were exhausted and making the simplest decisions was challenging. We got a snack at the Muesli Bar which also wasn't terribly impressive and headed back to the Airport to meet Joanne and Kathy. Finally, the six of us got on the train for Appenzell. The ride was about an hour and a half and we discovered that you have to move QUICKLY when you get off the train. We didn't get off in Appenzell in time and had to ride up one more stop and catch the train on the way back. Newbies for sure! It was raining and the thunder was so loud that it could frighten and startle you. We finally arrived in Appenzell and made the 10-15 walk to our B&B. We made it almost all the way before the skies opened. We were a bit wet when we arrived but nothing that wasn't manageable. After a short rest, we walked into town and had pizza. What a beautiful and amazing little town. Everything is spotless and gorgeous. An amazing river runs through town. We wandered around after eating and admired the beauty. It is exactly like you dream. Rolling green hills and farms everywhere. Cattle, goats and sheep dot the hillsides. So amazing. Appenzell has about 6000 people but it seems empty. All the shops close at 6 so you better have what you need! We wandered back to our place and I was so exhausted that I passed out almost immediately. Woke up in the middle of the night and took some melatonin to get back to sleep but all in all, a good night! Especially for the first one. This morning, after a shower and a simple Swiss breakfast here, we are ready to go. Excited to explore Appenzell. It is foggy and drizzly this morning but we are going to love it anyway. My shirt says "Today Will Be Amazing" and it's true. I'm fortunate to be healthy and here with people I love. And I know it.
Friday, Sept 7
After a delicious simple breakfast at the B&B, we headed to Wasserauen on the train. We boarded the Ebenalp Cable Car to the top and took the trail to Aesher. This trail was steep from the moment we got off the gondola. It was also very technical with tree trunks and boulders throughout. Added to that, it was slippery from the rain and sometimes, it felt like you were walking through a running creek! The trail took us through caves where prehistoric bones were once discovered. From there, we continued on to an old monastery that was built 400 years ago. Amazing buildings and a restaurant called The Guest House are built into the side of towering cliffs. There was even a little barn with bunnies in it. It was a rainy and foggy day but the clouds would part occasionally and give view to the amazing mountains and green rolling hills. We wanted to hike to Seealpsee Lake and continued the very steep descent from the Guest House. We weren't dressed for hiking on treacherous wet rocks though and about a mile and a half in, I felt this hike was too aggressive for all of us on day one. Since it was so cloudy and rainy with obstructed views, it didn't seem worth the effort. It was a hard thing to do but Kathy, Joanne, David and I turned around and Laurie and Tricia headed on down to the Lake. We all met later at the restaurant in the Guest House. David and I shared our first taste of Rosti which is everywhere here. It is basically fried potatoes with cheese and eggs on top. Delicious but very, very fatty and rich. After our return, we hoofed it back to the B&B to retrieve our luggage and head to Luzern-and I mean hoofed it-we were trying to get back in 30 min for the next train and it was a push. We made it though, luggage in hand, and boarded the train for Luzern. The train ride was almost three hours but it flew by . The weather continued to improve and we are awestruck by the beauty everywhere we looked. Our kind host picked us up at the train station in Meggen and we settled in before walking down to the closest restaurant Sonnegg to have dinner. We all had Swiss fare for our food. It was good but not amazing. The bread, coffee and salads are delicious but the main dishes are a little too fatty and rich.
Saturday, Sept 8
Today was our big day in Luzern. We had to catch a bus to the Luzern Railway Station to catch the boat that would take us to Mt Pilatus. We covered the gamut with transportation styles. We had breakfast at the World Café in Luzern - coffee and quiche for everyone with a delicious pear tart to share. We caught the boat just in time and spent two hours traveling to Mount Pilatus. The views were breathtaking with a clear and sunny day. Arriving at Mt Pilatus, we bought tickets to ride the cogwheel train to the top. This is the steepest cogwheel train in the world and has been running since 1873. It ran on steam until changing to electricity in the 1930's. What an amazing engineering feat. The views at the top of the mountain at 7000 ft were spectacular. We climbed the steps to three different "top of the mountain" view points with each view difficult to describe. Just awe inspiring. At one point, we were serenaded by Alp Horns. It was the true Swiss experience. We took the gondola from Mt Pilatus back to Luzern - about a 30 minute ride but exquisite. In Luzern, we walked the old wooden bridge named Kapellbrucke that bridges the city. It is adorned with flowers and is decorated with paintings that date back to the 17th century. The bridge is the world's oldest surviving truss bridge. We were all starving at this point and ate lunch/dinner at a restaurant in downtown Luzern called Restaurant Fritz. Once again, Swiss fare that wasn't all that wonderful. I had schnitzel which was basically fried and breaded pork. I wanted to try it but I'm done with it. Ready to move on to another type of food at this point. Ugh. Too fatty and just not my favorite. After dinner, we headed back to Meggen on the bus but went on a LONG walk to the only tiny grocery store we could find that was open. Bought a few things for breakfast and some candy and ice cream. Of course. At this point, I feel like I've eaten enough junk to last a lifetime. Tomorrow, we head to Wengen to start our Bernese Oberland Alps experience. I'm excited.
Sunday, September 9
Yesterday we checked out of our Air BnB in Luzern and boarded the train for Wengen, our stop for the next five days. The train ride was soooo beautiful. We had to change trains three times and much of the train was incredibly slow through the mountains. Arriving in Wengen was the stuff of dreams. Our Air BnB has views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley with the mountain range behind with the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. What a sight. Stuff of my dreams. After we settled into our place, we had an amazing lunch at the Hotel Shoenegg. Although the day was getting late, we didn't want to waste the beautiful day. We hopped onto the tram that took us to Mannlichen and walked about three miles over to Kleine Scheidegg and took the train back to Wengen. Everything is so beautiful that it is almost hard to take it in. The bells on the cows that you can hear through the hills add the Swiss ambience. I am so happy to be here. Today, we are headed out to walk through the Lauterbrunnen Valley and to see beautiful waterfalls. Sleep has been a challenge for a lot of our crew and the laundry here was ridiculous. The dryer basically does not dry and Joanne and Tricia stayed up half the night trying to deal with wet clothes. We hung them all over the apartment and made the best of it.
I did have a mishap at this point that I should note. My trapezius pain which has been a companion for me for the last ten years or so had intensified terribly on the trip. I was trying to find a place to lay down to allow my shoulders to drape down relaxed and ended up on the back of the couch. I was trying to massage my shoulder blades and lost my balance and hit the floor. I hit a chair with my leg as I was falling and have a bruise like nothing I've ever seen. Hard to believe.
Monday, September 10
The dream continues! What a day of my dreams. I feel like I am in heaven. We started our day at the train station - traveled to Lauterbrunnen and caught a tram to Grutschalp. From there, we walked to Murren where we stopped and had an amazing lunch. Views of the Alps are every direction and the beauty is beyond belief. The hillsides are so green with cows, sheep and goats and the never ending sound of bells. My heart is filled with beauty. After lunch, we walked down to Gimmelwald where we caught the tram to Stechelberg. From there, we walked to Trammalbach Falls. These falls have a paid entry but what an amazing sight. The water has drilled through the rocks and the waterfall is inside the mountain. Following the Falls, we stopped and had a Kaffee and dessert and rested our feet for a few moments. After the Falls, we walked through the Lauterbrunnen Valley. The evening was warm and beautiful with waterfalls abundant. The mountains remind me of Yosemite Valley except the Alps which are like nothing I've ever seen. We then went back to the train station where we headed home. In Wengen, we ate dinner and we tried the famous Cheese Fondue. It was delicious and so satisfying. What a day. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my whole life. It is the mountains on steroids. We had a gorgeous sunny day to enjoy and I feel so fortunate and blessed.
We flew uneventfully, thank God, from Alameda to Newark yesterday. We arrived in Newark and promptly boarded the wrong shuttle - due to a brain glitch on the part of moi. My amazing husband never complained or blamed - we shuttled back to the airport and got on the right shuttle. About two and a half hours after landing, we arrived at the Robert Treat Hotel - Best Western. This hotel has a history and has been here for over 100 years. Pictures of several presidents and Albert Einstein adorn the walls. After settling in our room, we went in search of food and ended up at "The Halal Guys". I was so starving that it tasted great to me but David thought it was definitely subpar. Afterwards we went and saw the movie - BlacKKKlansman. It was a movie with a message. We enjoyed it-definitely a period piece with a sobering story. Bedtime found me tossing and turning - David went to sleep almost immediately. Finally, at 2 am, I stole an Ativan out of David's bag of tricks and fell asleep. I did manage to finish a book and watch the A's lose on GameDay before that happened though.
Morning was very relaxed. Took our time getting ready and then headed out to Newark Penn Station thinking we would catch a train over to NY for a few hours. We couldn't quite navigate the train mystery and ended up just getting lunch at a local bar and grill. Nice to be together and the food was good. Just chillin' now waiting for the shuttle to take us to the Airport for the next big part of this journey.
Thursday, September 6
Yesterday was the marathon travel day. We flew through the night from Newark to Zurich. I slept a few minutes and David didn't sleep a wink. We got to Zurich about the same time as Trish and Laurie and Joanne and Kathy were a few hours behind us. The four of us got a coffee in the airport and then got on the train and went to downtown Zurich for a short while. It wasn't too amazing. Pretty dirty and noisy but we did see a very interesting park. All of us were exhausted and making the simplest decisions was challenging. We got a snack at the Muesli Bar which also wasn't terribly impressive and headed back to the Airport to meet Joanne and Kathy. Finally, the six of us got on the train for Appenzell. The ride was about an hour and a half and we discovered that you have to move QUICKLY when you get off the train. We didn't get off in Appenzell in time and had to ride up one more stop and catch the train on the way back. Newbies for sure! It was raining and the thunder was so loud that it could frighten and startle you. We finally arrived in Appenzell and made the 10-15 walk to our B&B. We made it almost all the way before the skies opened. We were a bit wet when we arrived but nothing that wasn't manageable. After a short rest, we walked into town and had pizza. What a beautiful and amazing little town. Everything is spotless and gorgeous. An amazing river runs through town. We wandered around after eating and admired the beauty. It is exactly like you dream. Rolling green hills and farms everywhere. Cattle, goats and sheep dot the hillsides. So amazing. Appenzell has about 6000 people but it seems empty. All the shops close at 6 so you better have what you need! We wandered back to our place and I was so exhausted that I passed out almost immediately. Woke up in the middle of the night and took some melatonin to get back to sleep but all in all, a good night! Especially for the first one. This morning, after a shower and a simple Swiss breakfast here, we are ready to go. Excited to explore Appenzell. It is foggy and drizzly this morning but we are going to love it anyway. My shirt says "Today Will Be Amazing" and it's true. I'm fortunate to be healthy and here with people I love. And I know it.
Friday, Sept 7
After a delicious simple breakfast at the B&B, we headed to Wasserauen on the train. We boarded the Ebenalp Cable Car to the top and took the trail to Aesher. This trail was steep from the moment we got off the gondola. It was also very technical with tree trunks and boulders throughout. Added to that, it was slippery from the rain and sometimes, it felt like you were walking through a running creek! The trail took us through caves where prehistoric bones were once discovered. From there, we continued on to an old monastery that was built 400 years ago. Amazing buildings and a restaurant called The Guest House are built into the side of towering cliffs. There was even a little barn with bunnies in it. It was a rainy and foggy day but the clouds would part occasionally and give view to the amazing mountains and green rolling hills. We wanted to hike to Seealpsee Lake and continued the very steep descent from the Guest House. We weren't dressed for hiking on treacherous wet rocks though and about a mile and a half in, I felt this hike was too aggressive for all of us on day one. Since it was so cloudy and rainy with obstructed views, it didn't seem worth the effort. It was a hard thing to do but Kathy, Joanne, David and I turned around and Laurie and Tricia headed on down to the Lake. We all met later at the restaurant in the Guest House. David and I shared our first taste of Rosti which is everywhere here. It is basically fried potatoes with cheese and eggs on top. Delicious but very, very fatty and rich. After our return, we hoofed it back to the B&B to retrieve our luggage and head to Luzern-and I mean hoofed it-we were trying to get back in 30 min for the next train and it was a push. We made it though, luggage in hand, and boarded the train for Luzern. The train ride was almost three hours but it flew by . The weather continued to improve and we are awestruck by the beauty everywhere we looked. Our kind host picked us up at the train station in Meggen and we settled in before walking down to the closest restaurant Sonnegg to have dinner. We all had Swiss fare for our food. It was good but not amazing. The bread, coffee and salads are delicious but the main dishes are a little too fatty and rich.
Saturday, Sept 8
Today was our big day in Luzern. We had to catch a bus to the Luzern Railway Station to catch the boat that would take us to Mt Pilatus. We covered the gamut with transportation styles. We had breakfast at the World Café in Luzern - coffee and quiche for everyone with a delicious pear tart to share. We caught the boat just in time and spent two hours traveling to Mount Pilatus. The views were breathtaking with a clear and sunny day. Arriving at Mt Pilatus, we bought tickets to ride the cogwheel train to the top. This is the steepest cogwheel train in the world and has been running since 1873. It ran on steam until changing to electricity in the 1930's. What an amazing engineering feat. The views at the top of the mountain at 7000 ft were spectacular. We climbed the steps to three different "top of the mountain" view points with each view difficult to describe. Just awe inspiring. At one point, we were serenaded by Alp Horns. It was the true Swiss experience. We took the gondola from Mt Pilatus back to Luzern - about a 30 minute ride but exquisite. In Luzern, we walked the old wooden bridge named Kapellbrucke that bridges the city. It is adorned with flowers and is decorated with paintings that date back to the 17th century. The bridge is the world's oldest surviving truss bridge. We were all starving at this point and ate lunch/dinner at a restaurant in downtown Luzern called Restaurant Fritz. Once again, Swiss fare that wasn't all that wonderful. I had schnitzel which was basically fried and breaded pork. I wanted to try it but I'm done with it. Ready to move on to another type of food at this point. Ugh. Too fatty and just not my favorite. After dinner, we headed back to Meggen on the bus but went on a LONG walk to the only tiny grocery store we could find that was open. Bought a few things for breakfast and some candy and ice cream. Of course. At this point, I feel like I've eaten enough junk to last a lifetime. Tomorrow, we head to Wengen to start our Bernese Oberland Alps experience. I'm excited.
Sunday, September 9
Yesterday we checked out of our Air BnB in Luzern and boarded the train for Wengen, our stop for the next five days. The train ride was soooo beautiful. We had to change trains three times and much of the train was incredibly slow through the mountains. Arriving in Wengen was the stuff of dreams. Our Air BnB has views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley with the mountain range behind with the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. What a sight. Stuff of my dreams. After we settled into our place, we had an amazing lunch at the Hotel Shoenegg. Although the day was getting late, we didn't want to waste the beautiful day. We hopped onto the tram that took us to Mannlichen and walked about three miles over to Kleine Scheidegg and took the train back to Wengen. Everything is so beautiful that it is almost hard to take it in. The bells on the cows that you can hear through the hills add the Swiss ambience. I am so happy to be here. Today, we are headed out to walk through the Lauterbrunnen Valley and to see beautiful waterfalls. Sleep has been a challenge for a lot of our crew and the laundry here was ridiculous. The dryer basically does not dry and Joanne and Tricia stayed up half the night trying to deal with wet clothes. We hung them all over the apartment and made the best of it.
I did have a mishap at this point that I should note. My trapezius pain which has been a companion for me for the last ten years or so had intensified terribly on the trip. I was trying to find a place to lay down to allow my shoulders to drape down relaxed and ended up on the back of the couch. I was trying to massage my shoulder blades and lost my balance and hit the floor. I hit a chair with my leg as I was falling and have a bruise like nothing I've ever seen. Hard to believe.
Monday, September 10
The dream continues! What a day of my dreams. I feel like I am in heaven. We started our day at the train station - traveled to Lauterbrunnen and caught a tram to Grutschalp. From there, we walked to Murren where we stopped and had an amazing lunch. Views of the Alps are every direction and the beauty is beyond belief. The hillsides are so green with cows, sheep and goats and the never ending sound of bells. My heart is filled with beauty. After lunch, we walked down to Gimmelwald where we caught the tram to Stechelberg. From there, we walked to Trammalbach Falls. These falls have a paid entry but what an amazing sight. The water has drilled through the rocks and the waterfall is inside the mountain. Following the Falls, we stopped and had a Kaffee and dessert and rested our feet for a few moments. After the Falls, we walked through the Lauterbrunnen Valley. The evening was warm and beautiful with waterfalls abundant. The mountains remind me of Yosemite Valley except the Alps which are like nothing I've ever seen. We then went back to the train station where we headed home. In Wengen, we ate dinner and we tried the famous Cheese Fondue. It was delicious and so satisfying. What a day. I've never seen anything more beautiful in my whole life. It is the mountains on steroids. We had a gorgeous sunny day to enjoy and I feel so fortunate and blessed.
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