We have an infant at home, our first child, and it's taken a toll on us both, as all infants tend to do. Derek surprised me at our 10 year anniversary dinner with a unique 'daily specials' menu tucked in my larger menu - a list of places I could choose to go at the end of August, complete with full time childcare (courtesy of himself) and my best friend's commitment to be my companion!
Not saying no to that!
So, Michelle and I got to planning. Our eyes being always bigger than our stomachs, we struggled to narrow down the place to go. We're both fairly easy going in this regard, so decision making came down to a coin toss, which Derek administered, where Scotland won out over Bulgaria.
We determined to focus on three key elements of the country - whiskey, the highlands, and solid time exploring Edinburgh.
May 25, 2019
January 04, 2019
Jungfraujoch, the Eiger, and Bern
Our last day in Switzerland isn't bittersweet - it's just bitter. Do I love my home, my pets, my job? Sure! Would I leave fountains of flowing cheese, smooth, sweet chocolates, towering mountains and crazy town-folk in masks or carrying giant cowbells for it all? Um, not gladly, after less than a week, no.
Today isn't overcast, so we're going to take a swing at seeing the famous Eiger, and its lovely, massive neighbors, Jungfrau and Mönch. Once again stuffing ourselves with a delightful European breakfast overseen by a charming red-headed Kiwi, we worked through our train plan while we still had wifi access and stashed our things at the front desk. It was cold, but we were wide awake and ready to make our way to the so-called 'Top of Europe.'
We caught a bus to connect to the train headed for Lauterbrunnen, and transferred there to the train headed for Kleine Scheidegg, right at the base of the Eiger. The ride up is quite slow, but very beautiful as it climbs through the high hills past skiers and cottages, with beautiful views of the valley and waterfalls coming off of nearby rock faces, which are everywhere. This is where you might realize, like we did, that your train ticket for everywhere in Switzerland doesn't apply here, and you might vomit at the price (see the tip below), but have to pay it anyway.
At Kleine Scheidegg, after taking a few breathtaking photos of the Eiger, you transfer to the cog-wheel Jungfrau train on tracks that run almost entirely through the mountains of Mönch and the Eiger, bound for Europe's highest train station at Jungfraujoch. The train stops twice along the way, with a 5 minute interlude at the Eismeer station, where a glass window opens up your view to the mountains and ragged ice outside.
The tunnel itself is an incredibly impressive feat of human ingenuity and sheer will. Conceived and executed by industrialist Adolf Guyer-Zeller, his hand-written drawings of the plans from 1894 are carved into the station in their Alpine Sensation section. The work concluded in 1912, and all the workers are celebrated for their contribution to this amazing feat of engineering, using their pick axes and wheeled carts. It's really unbelievable to think about.
Travel Tip: The whole trip takes just under 2.5 hours each way from Interlaken, so plan accordingly. You should buy your train ticket in Lauterbrunnen - even with the Swiss Travel Pass, you only get a 25% discount on the ticket, and you do need a separate ticket. No one is more thorough at checking tickets than the Swiss, and rightly so - this pass on the train costs a whopping $180 francs per person before the discount. And if that's too rich for your blood, there's no other way up, so find another activity to do. Once you're on the train, like we were, you're stuck - just hand over your credit card and remember that this is vacation, and you hate your money or you wouldn't be in this expensive country.
And then we stopped, finally at Europe's highest rail station at 11,332 feet up. Jungfraujoch is situated on a glacier between Mönch and Jungfrau, and the visitor's center that is part of the station is substantial. Derek and I did manage to find two doors leading outside, though the winds were very strong and terribly cold, and we couldn't stay out for long. Another section was closed off entirely due to massive falling icicles. Poles have slivers of ice in rows that have formed from any precipitation that has flown by.
Inside, we enjoyed a trip though the Alpine Sensation, where a moving walkway showed photos and exhibits about the railroad and its formation, and was introduced by some very unique, and somewhat odd, Swiss art pieces, including a massive snow globe with animated inner workings. Then we visited the Ice Palace, carved out of the glacier itself, where exhibits were carved showing various animals, like bears, penguins and eagles, and an ice tunnel connecting them managed to make me claustrophobic, if only for a moment. Then we popped into the Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven shop, where they had little props set up like a chocolate kitchen, and creepy full sized mannequins that looked a little too real for comfort directing you around each corner. They gave out free samples - I'll tolerate a lot of creepy things for free chocolate.
We ate at Crystal restaurant (finally! A real restaurant that's not closed off to us at the top of a mountain!) where I finally got to try the last Swiss dish on my list - Rösti! It was originally a breakfast dish eaten by farmers, but this shredded potato pancake held together only by lots of butter and its own starch was covered in cheese, ham, green onion and an over easy egg. I shared, don't worry. My heart couldn't take all that butter on in one sitting so I shared the burden with Derek. We had hot chocolates and pretzel bread rolls and just loved every minute of sitting at that table, looking out on the overly bright landscape and wiping our lips with their bright orange napkins.
And so ended our time at the peak. We caught the train down (there is a line, so make sure you account for that if there are many people up there with you) and Derek rushed off to get pictures of the Eiger during our 10 minute wait (it was delayed even longer, so we had some time), and on the train down, we realized the windows open, so we opened it up to finally get pictures without glare, reflection or dirt in the way of the lens. The heaters are under the seats, so we stripped off most of our warm clothes on the way down. At Lauterbrunnen again, we stopped in the same little shop from the other day to get some chocolates before heading back.
We did a bit of shopping in Interlaken, picking up our country's one souvenir (we decided on a big cow bell, given we had seen them in use with our own eyes, and couldn't afford a watch) and a snowflake ornament carved from wood. We picked up our things and headed to the train station for Bern, where we decided we'd stop for dinner - one last hurrah before giving in to the inevitability of our airport hotel.
In Bern, we struggled to navigate their train station, but eventually found a very helpful SBB agent (her English was excellent - she'd randomly spent a year in Iowa) to help us store our luggage, then grabbed the bus to Barenpark, a literal bear enclosure next to Nydeggbrucke. Bears are the city's symbol and have lived here since 1513. Unfortunately, since it was late, they were all tucked in for the night, so we popped in the restaurant next to the enclosure for ice cream and beer. We caught the bus back to the Zytglogge, a stunning astronomical clock tower that has also served as a guard tower and prison since it was erected in the 15th century. It's beautiful colors and shapes are very eye catching, even in the dark, and below its archway are a few really interesting paintings.
We walked back along the medieval arcades (6 km in all!) to shop, but all of the shops were closed. Of course they are! Who would want to buy anything on a Friday night at 8 pm?! We stumbled on city hall and an ice rink, lit up with multicolored lights. Unfortunately, it was too dark to really explore Old Town or see the river, but the city was very easy to navigate, and we grabbed dinner at the train station before grabbing our things and disembarking for our Interlaken hotel.
Pretty exhausted from our day, when we arrived at the station and worked out our bus route, our bus disappeared without a trace, causing great frustration (it never arrived, or if it did, it was an invisible bus, which, although very cool, did not work out for us) and we grabbed a taxi to our hotel.
Travel tip: There are no such things in Switzerland as reasonably priced taxis. It's the fastest way to light your money on fire. That, and apparently ordering water in Zurich.
Thus concludes our journey through this fabulous country! We loved it, and can't wait to visit in the spring or summer to experience it in a whole new way. Yes, it's worth visiting, so pack your bags and just go for it!
Today isn't overcast, so we're going to take a swing at seeing the famous Eiger, and its lovely, massive neighbors, Jungfrau and Mönch. Once again stuffing ourselves with a delightful European breakfast overseen by a charming red-headed Kiwi, we worked through our train plan while we still had wifi access and stashed our things at the front desk. It was cold, but we were wide awake and ready to make our way to the so-called 'Top of Europe.'
We caught a bus to connect to the train headed for Lauterbrunnen, and transferred there to the train headed for Kleine Scheidegg, right at the base of the Eiger. The ride up is quite slow, but very beautiful as it climbs through the high hills past skiers and cottages, with beautiful views of the valley and waterfalls coming off of nearby rock faces, which are everywhere. This is where you might realize, like we did, that your train ticket for everywhere in Switzerland doesn't apply here, and you might vomit at the price (see the tip below), but have to pay it anyway.
At Kleine Scheidegg, after taking a few breathtaking photos of the Eiger, you transfer to the cog-wheel Jungfrau train on tracks that run almost entirely through the mountains of Mönch and the Eiger, bound for Europe's highest train station at Jungfraujoch. The train stops twice along the way, with a 5 minute interlude at the Eismeer station, where a glass window opens up your view to the mountains and ragged ice outside.
The tunnel itself is an incredibly impressive feat of human ingenuity and sheer will. Conceived and executed by industrialist Adolf Guyer-Zeller, his hand-written drawings of the plans from 1894 are carved into the station in their Alpine Sensation section. The work concluded in 1912, and all the workers are celebrated for their contribution to this amazing feat of engineering, using their pick axes and wheeled carts. It's really unbelievable to think about.
Travel Tip: The whole trip takes just under 2.5 hours each way from Interlaken, so plan accordingly. You should buy your train ticket in Lauterbrunnen - even with the Swiss Travel Pass, you only get a 25% discount on the ticket, and you do need a separate ticket. No one is more thorough at checking tickets than the Swiss, and rightly so - this pass on the train costs a whopping $180 francs per person before the discount. And if that's too rich for your blood, there's no other way up, so find another activity to do. Once you're on the train, like we were, you're stuck - just hand over your credit card and remember that this is vacation, and you hate your money or you wouldn't be in this expensive country.
And then we stopped, finally at Europe's highest rail station at 11,332 feet up. Jungfraujoch is situated on a glacier between Mönch and Jungfrau, and the visitor's center that is part of the station is substantial. Derek and I did manage to find two doors leading outside, though the winds were very strong and terribly cold, and we couldn't stay out for long. Another section was closed off entirely due to massive falling icicles. Poles have slivers of ice in rows that have formed from any precipitation that has flown by.
Inside, we enjoyed a trip though the Alpine Sensation, where a moving walkway showed photos and exhibits about the railroad and its formation, and was introduced by some very unique, and somewhat odd, Swiss art pieces, including a massive snow globe with animated inner workings. Then we visited the Ice Palace, carved out of the glacier itself, where exhibits were carved showing various animals, like bears, penguins and eagles, and an ice tunnel connecting them managed to make me claustrophobic, if only for a moment. Then we popped into the Lindt Swiss Chocolate Heaven shop, where they had little props set up like a chocolate kitchen, and creepy full sized mannequins that looked a little too real for comfort directing you around each corner. They gave out free samples - I'll tolerate a lot of creepy things for free chocolate.
We ate at Crystal restaurant (finally! A real restaurant that's not closed off to us at the top of a mountain!) where I finally got to try the last Swiss dish on my list - Rösti! It was originally a breakfast dish eaten by farmers, but this shredded potato pancake held together only by lots of butter and its own starch was covered in cheese, ham, green onion and an over easy egg. I shared, don't worry. My heart couldn't take all that butter on in one sitting so I shared the burden with Derek. We had hot chocolates and pretzel bread rolls and just loved every minute of sitting at that table, looking out on the overly bright landscape and wiping our lips with their bright orange napkins.
And so ended our time at the peak. We caught the train down (there is a line, so make sure you account for that if there are many people up there with you) and Derek rushed off to get pictures of the Eiger during our 10 minute wait (it was delayed even longer, so we had some time), and on the train down, we realized the windows open, so we opened it up to finally get pictures without glare, reflection or dirt in the way of the lens. The heaters are under the seats, so we stripped off most of our warm clothes on the way down. At Lauterbrunnen again, we stopped in the same little shop from the other day to get some chocolates before heading back.
We did a bit of shopping in Interlaken, picking up our country's one souvenir (we decided on a big cow bell, given we had seen them in use with our own eyes, and couldn't afford a watch) and a snowflake ornament carved from wood. We picked up our things and headed to the train station for Bern, where we decided we'd stop for dinner - one last hurrah before giving in to the inevitability of our airport hotel.
In Bern, we struggled to navigate their train station, but eventually found a very helpful SBB agent (her English was excellent - she'd randomly spent a year in Iowa) to help us store our luggage, then grabbed the bus to Barenpark, a literal bear enclosure next to Nydeggbrucke. Bears are the city's symbol and have lived here since 1513. Unfortunately, since it was late, they were all tucked in for the night, so we popped in the restaurant next to the enclosure for ice cream and beer. We caught the bus back to the Zytglogge, a stunning astronomical clock tower that has also served as a guard tower and prison since it was erected in the 15th century. It's beautiful colors and shapes are very eye catching, even in the dark, and below its archway are a few really interesting paintings.
We walked back along the medieval arcades (6 km in all!) to shop, but all of the shops were closed. Of course they are! Who would want to buy anything on a Friday night at 8 pm?! We stumbled on city hall and an ice rink, lit up with multicolored lights. Unfortunately, it was too dark to really explore Old Town or see the river, but the city was very easy to navigate, and we grabbed dinner at the train station before grabbing our things and disembarking for our Interlaken hotel.
Pretty exhausted from our day, when we arrived at the station and worked out our bus route, our bus disappeared without a trace, causing great frustration (it never arrived, or if it did, it was an invisible bus, which, although very cool, did not work out for us) and we grabbed a taxi to our hotel.
Travel tip: There are no such things in Switzerland as reasonably priced taxis. It's the fastest way to light your money on fire. That, and apparently ordering water in Zurich.
Thus concludes our journey through this fabulous country! We loved it, and can't wait to visit in the spring or summer to experience it in a whole new way. Yes, it's worth visiting, so pack your bags and just go for it!
January 03, 2019
The (Accidental) Train to Montreux and the Matterhorn
This morning is finally clear, our first in days, so we were up early having breakfast at our hotel (well, I did, anyway). Derek had seen the top of the Eiger from our hotel's patio and was outside shooting pics and video until his fingers went numb. Don't worry, the 7 lb bucket of Nutella lured him back inside.
We hopped on a train heading to Zermatt where the Matterhorn is, noting that if we have only one day to view the summit, we'd rather see it than the Eiger, but when we got on the waiting train and it pulled away earlier than it should, we realized we'd gotten on the wrong one. Two stops later, we disembarked, grabbing the correct one right behind it, but when we got off at the end of the line, we were surprised to find that we were nowhere near Zermatt - we were supposed to have transferred much earlier, and I hadn't marked it when we'd had wifi.
Travel Tip: Switzerland's wifi is not awesome. When they have it, which is actually fairly often, they make you register your phone number nearly every time, and will text you a code to get on. The problem is, if you don't have an international phone plan, you can't GET the text they send you, so you end up SOL. If you're desperate, as I was, just have your company pay for your phone plan and use your roaming to get critical info before you end up literally going to France on accident.
The conductor we'd asked about it mentioned that we'd have to travel all the way back, or thanks to the fact that we had unlimited train use passes, we could get on the special Golden Pass line with the others heading to Montreux, and transfer there. We had already gone nearly 2 hours out of the way, so with little time to decide, we hopped on the Golden Pass. Thank goodness for low expectations and flexible planning! It was a nice day to see the country, and the train stuck to the beautiful countryside and still-green hills, climbing into the mountains. We decended on Montreaux, an incredibly beautiful traditional resort town right on Lake Geneva, complete with its own medieval island castle, Château de Chillon, right offshore.
Unfortunately, we had a short stopover, which we spent in a lovely little cafe at the station, once again indulging in Switzerland's finest cold milk and pastries before boarding the train heading east again. This second leg was less beautiful (it was no Golden Pass line, I'll tell you that), but it went through the agricultural areas where they grow grapes, apples, apricots and grains among other things. We spotted some sheep, but no cows, which was slightly disappointing given how much dairy comes out of this country. I may have shed some tears in my distress that we'd gone 4 full hours out of our way in the end, finally reaching Zermatt right before sunset and risking our opportunity to see it in the light.
But then there we were, finally, boarding a slow train (Europe's highest cogwheel railway) up the mountain from Zermatt to Gornergrat, a peak overlooking the Matterhorn. This was the second place we had to pay for our train tickets, but we received a discount with our rail passes. There are two ways to ascend and see the peak, with the other being Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, but that one is a hike into town and more expensive, so given our time constraints, we went with this one and were not disappointed.
Because it's a cogwheel railway system, our ascent was slow, which would have been lovely if not for our 4 hour delay on the train. Derek was getting antsy as the sun got lower, nearly jumping out of his seat in anticipating of not sitting on a train any longer. We could see the massive peak from the moment we got off in Zermatt, and as we got closer to it, had beautiful views from the train of the peak itself, back lit by the sun, and the skiers who were enjoying their day on the mountain.
When we arrived, it was absolutely frigid - our fingers were going numb as we fiddled with our video camera and phones for pictures, running around and fumbling as we tried to capture the view before things became too dark. Derek ran to the top of the lookout to do a time lapse, and it was so cold that we thought the poor device would just shut itself down. Even as warmly as we were dressed wasn't really adequate, and we gawked at skiers who must only be alive thanks to their constant movement.
Inside, we attempted to grab dinner at the Restaurant vis-à-vis, but were turned away because we weren't hotel guests and it was after 4 pm - this doesn't appear to be advertised in any official capacity, as their website says they have open dining until 8 pm and the train down runs much later than 4, so I don't know what it is with the Swiss and their close-the-door-in-your-face mentality with restaurants. Just take my money! And yes, before ranting I did say that there is a hotel on the top of this peak too, so we're going to have to come back and stay on the TOP of these epic mountains next time.
We grabbed a snack in the self service cafeteria, then realizing it was truly getting dark, decided to grab the train down, only to realize we'd missed it by a literal minute and had to wait another hour to descend. This is the part where I failed myself and got emotional at all the missteps I'd made in planning that day, and the part where my husband is equally awesome, pointing out all of the positive things we got to see and do, and reminding me that even your second choice in Switzerland is pretty freaking fabulous. So what if we had to stare at the Matterhorn in the waning twilight a little longer? Oh darn! Ok, he had a point.
At this point, of course, the self service cafeteria had also closed (and didn't even have full meal options when we came in at 4 anyway), so once we were finally down, we hurried to the Coop grocery store at the base (they're everywhere) to grab "dinner" for the trip home. We ate our bircher museli, banana, bread and milk on the packed train filled with skiers returning from their day. There were a surprising number of kids, all carrying their own gear, and none of whom ever complained that I heard. It's really nice, frankly, to not hear all the chatting in English, because you can completely zone it out, and Derek was soon asleep. Three transfers and a very expensive taxi ride later (buses apparently stopped running by 8 to our part of town...just insane for a high-traffic tourist area), to get our things and transfer to our new hotel, Hotel Post-Hardermannli, because rooms were full at our previous one. Beausite had held our bags all day for us and graciously called Post-Hardermannli to ensure we could still check in after 9, since it was barely past that time and they list a cut off (what you're supposed to do after the cutoff isn't clear at all).
We were rushed through the check in process by a man who was smoking outside when we arrived and in the blink of an eye, we were in bed, trying to keep our eyes open for 5 minutes to minimally plan our last day, which would, weather permitting, allow us to see the Eiger up close and personally.
We hopped on a train heading to Zermatt where the Matterhorn is, noting that if we have only one day to view the summit, we'd rather see it than the Eiger, but when we got on the waiting train and it pulled away earlier than it should, we realized we'd gotten on the wrong one. Two stops later, we disembarked, grabbing the correct one right behind it, but when we got off at the end of the line, we were surprised to find that we were nowhere near Zermatt - we were supposed to have transferred much earlier, and I hadn't marked it when we'd had wifi.
Travel Tip: Switzerland's wifi is not awesome. When they have it, which is actually fairly often, they make you register your phone number nearly every time, and will text you a code to get on. The problem is, if you don't have an international phone plan, you can't GET the text they send you, so you end up SOL. If you're desperate, as I was, just have your company pay for your phone plan and use your roaming to get critical info before you end up literally going to France on accident.
The conductor we'd asked about it mentioned that we'd have to travel all the way back, or thanks to the fact that we had unlimited train use passes, we could get on the special Golden Pass line with the others heading to Montreux, and transfer there. We had already gone nearly 2 hours out of the way, so with little time to decide, we hopped on the Golden Pass. Thank goodness for low expectations and flexible planning! It was a nice day to see the country, and the train stuck to the beautiful countryside and still-green hills, climbing into the mountains. We decended on Montreaux, an incredibly beautiful traditional resort town right on Lake Geneva, complete with its own medieval island castle, Château de Chillon, right offshore.
Unfortunately, we had a short stopover, which we spent in a lovely little cafe at the station, once again indulging in Switzerland's finest cold milk and pastries before boarding the train heading east again. This second leg was less beautiful (it was no Golden Pass line, I'll tell you that), but it went through the agricultural areas where they grow grapes, apples, apricots and grains among other things. We spotted some sheep, but no cows, which was slightly disappointing given how much dairy comes out of this country. I may have shed some tears in my distress that we'd gone 4 full hours out of our way in the end, finally reaching Zermatt right before sunset and risking our opportunity to see it in the light.
But then there we were, finally, boarding a slow train (Europe's highest cogwheel railway) up the mountain from Zermatt to Gornergrat, a peak overlooking the Matterhorn. This was the second place we had to pay for our train tickets, but we received a discount with our rail passes. There are two ways to ascend and see the peak, with the other being Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, but that one is a hike into town and more expensive, so given our time constraints, we went with this one and were not disappointed.
Because it's a cogwheel railway system, our ascent was slow, which would have been lovely if not for our 4 hour delay on the train. Derek was getting antsy as the sun got lower, nearly jumping out of his seat in anticipating of not sitting on a train any longer. We could see the massive peak from the moment we got off in Zermatt, and as we got closer to it, had beautiful views from the train of the peak itself, back lit by the sun, and the skiers who were enjoying their day on the mountain.
When we arrived, it was absolutely frigid - our fingers were going numb as we fiddled with our video camera and phones for pictures, running around and fumbling as we tried to capture the view before things became too dark. Derek ran to the top of the lookout to do a time lapse, and it was so cold that we thought the poor device would just shut itself down. Even as warmly as we were dressed wasn't really adequate, and we gawked at skiers who must only be alive thanks to their constant movement.
Inside, we attempted to grab dinner at the Restaurant vis-à-vis, but were turned away because we weren't hotel guests and it was after 4 pm - this doesn't appear to be advertised in any official capacity, as their website says they have open dining until 8 pm and the train down runs much later than 4, so I don't know what it is with the Swiss and their close-the-door-in-your-face mentality with restaurants. Just take my money! And yes, before ranting I did say that there is a hotel on the top of this peak too, so we're going to have to come back and stay on the TOP of these epic mountains next time.
We grabbed a snack in the self service cafeteria, then realizing it was truly getting dark, decided to grab the train down, only to realize we'd missed it by a literal minute and had to wait another hour to descend. This is the part where I failed myself and got emotional at all the missteps I'd made in planning that day, and the part where my husband is equally awesome, pointing out all of the positive things we got to see and do, and reminding me that even your second choice in Switzerland is pretty freaking fabulous. So what if we had to stare at the Matterhorn in the waning twilight a little longer? Oh darn! Ok, he had a point.
At this point, of course, the self service cafeteria had also closed (and didn't even have full meal options when we came in at 4 anyway), so once we were finally down, we hurried to the Coop grocery store at the base (they're everywhere) to grab "dinner" for the trip home. We ate our bircher museli, banana, bread and milk on the packed train filled with skiers returning from their day. There were a surprising number of kids, all carrying their own gear, and none of whom ever complained that I heard. It's really nice, frankly, to not hear all the chatting in English, because you can completely zone it out, and Derek was soon asleep. Three transfers and a very expensive taxi ride later (buses apparently stopped running by 8 to our part of town...just insane for a high-traffic tourist area), to get our things and transfer to our new hotel, Hotel Post-Hardermannli, because rooms were full at our previous one. Beausite had held our bags all day for us and graciously called Post-Hardermannli to ensure we could still check in after 9, since it was barely past that time and they list a cut off (what you're supposed to do after the cutoff isn't clear at all).
We were rushed through the check in process by a man who was smoking outside when we arrived and in the blink of an eye, we were in bed, trying to keep our eyes open for 5 minutes to minimally plan our last day, which would, weather permitting, allow us to see the Eiger up close and personally.
January 02, 2019
Interlaken and the Harder Potschete festival, Lauterbrunnen and Grindelwald
Lucerne was amazing, but in a country this size, we can't sit still for long, so we're heading for Interlaken today!
We ate breakfast at our fantastic hotel (expensive, but totally worth it!), with the most luscious eggs imaginable - you could taste the butter in every little ounce. I fumbled an entire loaf of bread on the floor - so embarrassing - and we ate our weight in bircher muesli. Invented by a Swiss doctor, these rolled oats are soaked overnight and are added to lemon juice, condensed milk, grated apples and grated nuts. It's amazing.
Before checking out, we ran across the river to visit the cathedral opposite our room, Jesuitenkirche, which was very quiet and very empty. It was very tastefully done with incredible molding and rose colored marble. I've noticed here when you enter certain buildings, there are heavy curtains just inside the door, probably to keep out cold air and noise, but it does initially hit you that maybe you've not gone in the right place, so that caused some hesitation.
Loaded down once again with bags, we made our way to the train station via Altstadt for one last view in the daylight of the beautiful facades on the buildings (some of which have been preserved since the middle ages), and found our way to the Town Hall Clock (Rathaus Stadt Luzern), built in 1606, an incredible clock tower that is an icon in the city.
We hopped on our train to Interlaken, slightly frustrated that we didn't have an extra 30 minutes to explore some more. The views once again were lovely and never-ending, with quaint Swiss chalets dotting the country side with their traditional dark wood and green shutters. We spotted a few sheep, several smaller lakes, and my favorite - churches with giant clock towers. Once in Interlaken Ost (East), we caught a bus to the west side and checked into our new hotel, Hotel Beausite.
We were in a hurry to catch what we came here for - the annual January 2 festival of Harder Potschete! Every year on this day, the town is haunted by the masked figures of the Hardermann, his wife and his band of followers, the Potschen. Adults and children dress in colorful costumes and masks, growling at onlookers and swiping them with pine boughs and strips of cloth and leather (beats the pig bladders they used to blow up and hit people with!). There's live music, groups that hand out hot chicken broth, and plenty of people lining the streets. The characters are separated throughout the parade by groups of men in traditional uniforms ringing giant cowbells in unison. The parade concludes with Glühwein, usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star aniseed, citrus, and sugar, and unsweetened cider (they really love their apples in this country!).
With the festival winding down, we hopped on a train bound for Lauterbrunnen to see Trümmelbach Falls. We missed the bus by 30 seconds out to the falls, so we stopped inside a little cafe for a slice of cake and the best milk ever! From this snack on, we had milk in massive quantities every chance I got. The one downside to being as flexible as we are is that sometimes we don't look ahead, and the falls are closed in January. We weren't the only ones who made that mistake, finding two Americans from Texas also pondering this setback. They traveled back to town with us and caught the train to have dinner with us in nearby Grindelwald.
We wandered through Grindelwald to shop, stopping for drinks at a few little outdoor bars where glühwein flowed, and chocolates at Swiss Chocolate Chalet. We glanced at Cuckoo clocks, cow bells, Swiss army knives and knitted items with Swiss flags. It started snowing, so we ducked inside a restaurant we could all agree on (basically, one that had cheese fondue, because I'm a food snob) called Bebbis.
I upgraded my cheese fondue to include vegetables, so I'd feel slightly better about the fact that my dinner was cheese and bread, the exact same thing I've chosen to eat every other meal I've had. I nearly burned myself when the pot, called a caquelon tipped and I tried to right it with my bare hands.Derek chose to try the Raclette, but it was poorly made - this traditional Swiss dish of jacket potatoes and melted cheese is obviously fabulous, so I blame the restaurant. We had a wonderful time with our new friends, who told us about their trip coming from Gstaad, a super expensive, posh part of the country with Ice Hotels (better in theory than reality, they claim).
We wandered in the snow back to the train station, stopping momentarily to have someone take our picture (it was hysterical - she informed us beforehand that it might not be very good as she'd just finished her fourth beer - good on you, sister!). It turned out beautifully...I should always ask inebriated women to take photos.
We ate breakfast at our fantastic hotel (expensive, but totally worth it!), with the most luscious eggs imaginable - you could taste the butter in every little ounce. I fumbled an entire loaf of bread on the floor - so embarrassing - and we ate our weight in bircher muesli. Invented by a Swiss doctor, these rolled oats are soaked overnight and are added to lemon juice, condensed milk, grated apples and grated nuts. It's amazing.
Before checking out, we ran across the river to visit the cathedral opposite our room, Jesuitenkirche, which was very quiet and very empty. It was very tastefully done with incredible molding and rose colored marble. I've noticed here when you enter certain buildings, there are heavy curtains just inside the door, probably to keep out cold air and noise, but it does initially hit you that maybe you've not gone in the right place, so that caused some hesitation.
Loaded down once again with bags, we made our way to the train station via Altstadt for one last view in the daylight of the beautiful facades on the buildings (some of which have been preserved since the middle ages), and found our way to the Town Hall Clock (Rathaus Stadt Luzern), built in 1606, an incredible clock tower that is an icon in the city.
We hopped on our train to Interlaken, slightly frustrated that we didn't have an extra 30 minutes to explore some more. The views once again were lovely and never-ending, with quaint Swiss chalets dotting the country side with their traditional dark wood and green shutters. We spotted a few sheep, several smaller lakes, and my favorite - churches with giant clock towers. Once in Interlaken Ost (East), we caught a bus to the west side and checked into our new hotel, Hotel Beausite.
We were in a hurry to catch what we came here for - the annual January 2 festival of Harder Potschete! Every year on this day, the town is haunted by the masked figures of the Hardermann, his wife and his band of followers, the Potschen. Adults and children dress in colorful costumes and masks, growling at onlookers and swiping them with pine boughs and strips of cloth and leather (beats the pig bladders they used to blow up and hit people with!). There's live music, groups that hand out hot chicken broth, and plenty of people lining the streets. The characters are separated throughout the parade by groups of men in traditional uniforms ringing giant cowbells in unison. The parade concludes with Glühwein, usually prepared from red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon sticks, cloves, star aniseed, citrus, and sugar, and unsweetened cider (they really love their apples in this country!).
With the festival winding down, we hopped on a train bound for Lauterbrunnen to see Trümmelbach Falls. We missed the bus by 30 seconds out to the falls, so we stopped inside a little cafe for a slice of cake and the best milk ever! From this snack on, we had milk in massive quantities every chance I got. The one downside to being as flexible as we are is that sometimes we don't look ahead, and the falls are closed in January. We weren't the only ones who made that mistake, finding two Americans from Texas also pondering this setback. They traveled back to town with us and caught the train to have dinner with us in nearby Grindelwald.
We wandered through Grindelwald to shop, stopping for drinks at a few little outdoor bars where glühwein flowed, and chocolates at Swiss Chocolate Chalet. We glanced at Cuckoo clocks, cow bells, Swiss army knives and knitted items with Swiss flags. It started snowing, so we ducked inside a restaurant we could all agree on (basically, one that had cheese fondue, because I'm a food snob) called Bebbis.
I upgraded my cheese fondue to include vegetables, so I'd feel slightly better about the fact that my dinner was cheese and bread, the exact same thing I've chosen to eat every other meal I've had. I nearly burned myself when the pot, called a caquelon tipped and I tried to right it with my bare hands.Derek chose to try the Raclette, but it was poorly made - this traditional Swiss dish of jacket potatoes and melted cheese is obviously fabulous, so I blame the restaurant. We had a wonderful time with our new friends, who told us about their trip coming from Gstaad, a super expensive, posh part of the country with Ice Hotels (better in theory than reality, they claim).
We wandered in the snow back to the train station, stopping momentarily to have someone take our picture (it was hysterical - she informed us beforehand that it might not be very good as she'd just finished her fourth beer - good on you, sister!). It turned out beautifully...I should always ask inebriated women to take photos.
January 01, 2019
Chapel Bridge, Mount Pilatus and the Lion of Lucerne
We started our morning early (at least I did - my sleep schedule is still a bit wonky) with breakfast at our hotel with our friends. Breakfast is a wonderful (very European) assortment of coffee and tea, fruit and yogurt, meats and cheeses, and bread loaves to slice and coat with cherry or apricot jam (which is everywhere here - they grow these fruits on the French side of the country, I'm told) and Nutella.
After bidding our friends goodbye, we realized we'd be able to catch an earlier train down to Lucerne, so we checked out. The overcast day didn't much motivate me, so a train ride through the incredible mountains was just what was needed. We burned through a lot of time on the ride taking photos and videos through the windows, more amazed with what came around each corner, and equally frustrated at the reflection from the windows and constantly passing poles and trees and sometimes modern apartment buildings that blocked our otherwise stunning view.
Travel Tip: We didn't pack any roller bags - highly recommend backpacks and shoulder bags because cobblestone streets are everywhere and they will not only wreck your wheels, but will disturb everyone around you like a squeaky wheel on a cart at the grocery store. So, just don't.
When we arrived, heavy with our bags, we made our way to our hotel, Hotel Balances, a short walk from the train station via the oldest covered bridge in Europe, Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke). Built in 1333, it still stands over the River Reusse. It has beautiful paintings inside on the roof panels to enjoy as you walk along. The water tower, built roughly 30 years before the bridge, has housed a prison and torture chamber, as well as a municipal archive (it's now closed to the public).
Beautiful medieval architecture stands all along the water, with multiple church steeples and spires and charming riverside restaurants. We had a riverfront view from our room, so we gawked for awhile at our luck - the room was reduced because it's winter, otherwise, there's no way we would probably have ever had the chance to stay here. Thanks for the tip, Invisible Tourist!
It's overcast but brighter than Zurich, so we decide our first move will be to head to the mountains, to check out Mount Pilatus. We took a bus from the station a few minutes out of town, then hiked a short while to the gondola station. We got a 50% discount with our Swiss Travel Pass, but had to pay separately for the tickets. The little red cars pull you up to a breathtaking mountain pass slightly above all of the clouds that had settled in.
Travel Tip: Get the Swiss Travel Pass while you're here, or the discount pass. We picked ours up at the airport's information center outside of the train station. We *rarely* had to think about tickets - get on a bus, get on a train, go anywhere, you're good to go. We didn't waste time at each station getting tickets, and in one case (tomorrow's blog) when you go the wrong way for, like, hours because you screwed up a very basic and easy to use app because you were tired, there's no monetary penalty! Only twice did we have to buy other tickets - going to Mount Pilatus and Jungfraujoch - and otherwise, we were set.
Part way to the summit of Pilatus Kulm, you can stop at Frakmuntegg, which we did. I've rarely in my life seen Derek so excited! I dropped into a seat in the restaurant there (aptly named Restaurant Frakmuntegg) which is set up like a self-serve ski resort restaurant. I bought apple cider and alplermagronen, a traditional Swiss alpine dish made with cheese, macaroni and potatoes, topped with crispy fried onions, and served with a side of stewed apple sauce (which I find is best eaten with it, on each forkful). That's comfort food at its best!
Now on a new cable car, called the Dragon Ride, we rose to the summit. There is a red dragon, Pilu, on each of the cable cars, symbolic of the medieval fable that a dragon with healing powers lived within the mountain. We paused at the top for the landing to be fully aligned, and being hit with Swiss watch advertisements without apology as we hovered.
Then out we went through Hotel Bellevue - instant regret for not knowing that you could stay overnight in such a beautiful place hit us for a moment before we walked out into the blinding light. Above the clouds at nearly 7,000 feet up, we hiked up Esel (carefully, it was crazy icy) to view the other peaks nearby (the clouds below made it feel like we were in Neverland, with no sign of the valley or even Frakmuntegg just below). Everyone is taking selfies and photographs, and I held on to my phone for dear life as the wind whipped through. An unaccompanied minor hurled snowballs over the edge, and wiggled the rather weak looking bars keeping us from tumbling down the mountain. The stairs are not terribly narrow, but become so when foolish people stop in the middle to take photos from them.
Travel Tip: If you visit in the winter, dress like you're going skiing - the winds up here are very strong, it can get very cold, and wear shoes with stellar traction, as people were falling all over the place from the ice that coated most surfaces.
We made our way across the ice rink that was the walkway to Hotel Pilatus-Kulm for some food, only to learn that they were closed. We wandered outside to watch people playing games and eating their picnic lunches on lawn chairs, huddled under blankets. Black birds circled in the air, waiting for someone to drop a snack. On faraway summits, crosses are visible through the fog.
Travel Tip: Everything, and I mean everything, seems to close early here. Want to catch a bus after 9 in Interlaken? Fat chance! You'll have to pay for a taxi, which run at unbelievably high rates. Want to eat at a restaurant on the summit? You can, if it's before 4 pm. Walking the main street in Bern on a Friday night, looking for dinner and to shop? Not if it's after 7, you don't!
We got in an impossibly long line to head down, and with the last cable car leaving at 4:30, we knew it was possible that we wouldn't make it if they held the line (we made it to the front of the line as the 4:30 pulled away, but they had to keep running the cable cars because it's a holiday, and what did they think was going to happen?!). Derek bought me a hot chocolate to drink in line while he took in the view as the sun began to set. We traded spots so that I could see one last time. It was truly breathtaking.
On the way down, we chatted with an American and a German living in Switzerland. The fog was so thick, we couldn't see anything anyway. Back to the bus and back to our room, and just in time for our dinner reservation!
I will follow good food to the literal ends of the earth, so the Old Swiss House in Lucerne was high on my list. This is a pricey place to dine, and you should dress nicely (not too nicely, but for the love of all good things, don't come in anything resembling jean material), but if you have your hotel make a reservation for you and you're ready to fill up on some serious calories, this is the place for you. My brother gifted me $50 francs for my birthday and told me to spend it like he would (read: not practically), so this is where those funds are gonna get blown.
The bread was divine, as it is everywhere. Derek ordered their three course fixed price meal, with cheese croquets, poached fish and chocolate mousse (which we doubled - it was served at the end straight from the container with a hot spoon rinsed between servings and atop a bed of fluffy homemade whipped cream - I think I made Derek uncomfortable with how much I was enjoying it).
I ordered their house special, of which they make 1500 servings a month - their wiener schnitzel, made table side, with so much butter I could FEEL my arteries clogging. Whatever. No one makes dairy products better than the Swiss, and whether or not you'll work it off later is really not important. I ate every crumb. Well, except a few I inadvertently popped onto the table cloth, which our waiter expertly whisked away with his little silver crumb collector. He met us at the door with our coats. I was angry that I was full.
Right down the street from the Old Swiss House is the famous Lion of Lucerne monument (Löwendenkmal), which is accurately described as the saddest stone in the world. Built in 1821 to commemorate the fallen Swiss soldiers who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, while protecting the royal family in Paris.
The dedication written on the monument is Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti ("To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss"). The dying lion has a spear stuck in his side, covering a shield bearing the French monarchy's fleur-de-lis and another next to him with the coat of arms of Switzerland. The inscription below lists the names of the officers and gives the number of soldiers who died (760) and survived (350). The outside shape resembles a pig, purportedly because the sculptor wasn't paid the agreed upon commission.
Viewing it at night is incredibly solemn and almost eerie, but very peaceful. It brings something out in you that you didn't know was there, to see the shadows of the branches falling over the image across the little pond, the reflection showing the massive, critically injured lion. It can't be captured on film or by photograph...not really. The quiet part of town where it's located keeps annoying sounds and bright lights away, and we were there alone or with a few others who were equally quiet, so it was a magnificent time for reflection.
We wandered back through the old town, Altstadt, a shopping district where buildings are covered with colorful facades and paintings of medieval scenes. Beautiful fountains and golden signs hang off of the buildings. We visited the hotel bar for free glasses of Prosecco (they love their Prosecco here! This hotel is my favorite). Back in our room, we threw one last glance from our balcony over the river lit up below, and enjoyed our turn-down service chocolates, oval-shaped and stamped with the hotel's information.
After bidding our friends goodbye, we realized we'd be able to catch an earlier train down to Lucerne, so we checked out. The overcast day didn't much motivate me, so a train ride through the incredible mountains was just what was needed. We burned through a lot of time on the ride taking photos and videos through the windows, more amazed with what came around each corner, and equally frustrated at the reflection from the windows and constantly passing poles and trees and sometimes modern apartment buildings that blocked our otherwise stunning view.
Travel Tip: We didn't pack any roller bags - highly recommend backpacks and shoulder bags because cobblestone streets are everywhere and they will not only wreck your wheels, but will disturb everyone around you like a squeaky wheel on a cart at the grocery store. So, just don't.
When we arrived, heavy with our bags, we made our way to our hotel, Hotel Balances, a short walk from the train station via the oldest covered bridge in Europe, Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke). Built in 1333, it still stands over the River Reusse. It has beautiful paintings inside on the roof panels to enjoy as you walk along. The water tower, built roughly 30 years before the bridge, has housed a prison and torture chamber, as well as a municipal archive (it's now closed to the public).
Beautiful medieval architecture stands all along the water, with multiple church steeples and spires and charming riverside restaurants. We had a riverfront view from our room, so we gawked for awhile at our luck - the room was reduced because it's winter, otherwise, there's no way we would probably have ever had the chance to stay here. Thanks for the tip, Invisible Tourist!
It's overcast but brighter than Zurich, so we decide our first move will be to head to the mountains, to check out Mount Pilatus. We took a bus from the station a few minutes out of town, then hiked a short while to the gondola station. We got a 50% discount with our Swiss Travel Pass, but had to pay separately for the tickets. The little red cars pull you up to a breathtaking mountain pass slightly above all of the clouds that had settled in.
Travel Tip: Get the Swiss Travel Pass while you're here, or the discount pass. We picked ours up at the airport's information center outside of the train station. We *rarely* had to think about tickets - get on a bus, get on a train, go anywhere, you're good to go. We didn't waste time at each station getting tickets, and in one case (tomorrow's blog) when you go the wrong way for, like, hours because you screwed up a very basic and easy to use app because you were tired, there's no monetary penalty! Only twice did we have to buy other tickets - going to Mount Pilatus and Jungfraujoch - and otherwise, we were set.
Part way to the summit of Pilatus Kulm, you can stop at Frakmuntegg, which we did. I've rarely in my life seen Derek so excited! I dropped into a seat in the restaurant there (aptly named Restaurant Frakmuntegg) which is set up like a self-serve ski resort restaurant. I bought apple cider and alplermagronen, a traditional Swiss alpine dish made with cheese, macaroni and potatoes, topped with crispy fried onions, and served with a side of stewed apple sauce (which I find is best eaten with it, on each forkful). That's comfort food at its best!
Now on a new cable car, called the Dragon Ride, we rose to the summit. There is a red dragon, Pilu, on each of the cable cars, symbolic of the medieval fable that a dragon with healing powers lived within the mountain. We paused at the top for the landing to be fully aligned, and being hit with Swiss watch advertisements without apology as we hovered.
Then out we went through Hotel Bellevue - instant regret for not knowing that you could stay overnight in such a beautiful place hit us for a moment before we walked out into the blinding light. Above the clouds at nearly 7,000 feet up, we hiked up Esel (carefully, it was crazy icy) to view the other peaks nearby (the clouds below made it feel like we were in Neverland, with no sign of the valley or even Frakmuntegg just below). Everyone is taking selfies and photographs, and I held on to my phone for dear life as the wind whipped through. An unaccompanied minor hurled snowballs over the edge, and wiggled the rather weak looking bars keeping us from tumbling down the mountain. The stairs are not terribly narrow, but become so when foolish people stop in the middle to take photos from them.
Travel Tip: If you visit in the winter, dress like you're going skiing - the winds up here are very strong, it can get very cold, and wear shoes with stellar traction, as people were falling all over the place from the ice that coated most surfaces.
We made our way across the ice rink that was the walkway to Hotel Pilatus-Kulm for some food, only to learn that they were closed. We wandered outside to watch people playing games and eating their picnic lunches on lawn chairs, huddled under blankets. Black birds circled in the air, waiting for someone to drop a snack. On faraway summits, crosses are visible through the fog.
Travel Tip: Everything, and I mean everything, seems to close early here. Want to catch a bus after 9 in Interlaken? Fat chance! You'll have to pay for a taxi, which run at unbelievably high rates. Want to eat at a restaurant on the summit? You can, if it's before 4 pm. Walking the main street in Bern on a Friday night, looking for dinner and to shop? Not if it's after 7, you don't!
We got in an impossibly long line to head down, and with the last cable car leaving at 4:30, we knew it was possible that we wouldn't make it if they held the line (we made it to the front of the line as the 4:30 pulled away, but they had to keep running the cable cars because it's a holiday, and what did they think was going to happen?!). Derek bought me a hot chocolate to drink in line while he took in the view as the sun began to set. We traded spots so that I could see one last time. It was truly breathtaking.
On the way down, we chatted with an American and a German living in Switzerland. The fog was so thick, we couldn't see anything anyway. Back to the bus and back to our room, and just in time for our dinner reservation!
I will follow good food to the literal ends of the earth, so the Old Swiss House in Lucerne was high on my list. This is a pricey place to dine, and you should dress nicely (not too nicely, but for the love of all good things, don't come in anything resembling jean material), but if you have your hotel make a reservation for you and you're ready to fill up on some serious calories, this is the place for you. My brother gifted me $50 francs for my birthday and told me to spend it like he would (read: not practically), so this is where those funds are gonna get blown.
The bread was divine, as it is everywhere. Derek ordered their three course fixed price meal, with cheese croquets, poached fish and chocolate mousse (which we doubled - it was served at the end straight from the container with a hot spoon rinsed between servings and atop a bed of fluffy homemade whipped cream - I think I made Derek uncomfortable with how much I was enjoying it).
I ordered their house special, of which they make 1500 servings a month - their wiener schnitzel, made table side, with so much butter I could FEEL my arteries clogging. Whatever. No one makes dairy products better than the Swiss, and whether or not you'll work it off later is really not important. I ate every crumb. Well, except a few I inadvertently popped onto the table cloth, which our waiter expertly whisked away with his little silver crumb collector. He met us at the door with our coats. I was angry that I was full.
Right down the street from the Old Swiss House is the famous Lion of Lucerne monument (Löwendenkmal), which is accurately described as the saddest stone in the world. Built in 1821 to commemorate the fallen Swiss soldiers who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution, while protecting the royal family in Paris.
The dedication written on the monument is Helvetiorum Fidei ac Virtuti ("To the loyalty and bravery of the Swiss"). The dying lion has a spear stuck in his side, covering a shield bearing the French monarchy's fleur-de-lis and another next to him with the coat of arms of Switzerland. The inscription below lists the names of the officers and gives the number of soldiers who died (760) and survived (350). The outside shape resembles a pig, purportedly because the sculptor wasn't paid the agreed upon commission.
Viewing it at night is incredibly solemn and almost eerie, but very peaceful. It brings something out in you that you didn't know was there, to see the shadows of the branches falling over the image across the little pond, the reflection showing the massive, critically injured lion. It can't be captured on film or by photograph...not really. The quiet part of town where it's located keeps annoying sounds and bright lights away, and we were there alone or with a few others who were equally quiet, so it was a magnificent time for reflection.
We wandered back through the old town, Altstadt, a shopping district where buildings are covered with colorful facades and paintings of medieval scenes. Beautiful fountains and golden signs hang off of the buildings. We visited the hotel bar for free glasses of Prosecco (they love their Prosecco here! This hotel is my favorite). Back in our room, we threw one last glance from our balcony over the river lit up below, and enjoyed our turn-down service chocolates, oval-shaped and stamped with the hotel's information.
December 31, 2018
New Year's Eve in Zürich
On the final day of 2018, we were up early for the complimentary breakfast at our hotel (Hotel Marta - really great selection, and all you can eat, which bodes well in expensive countries for Derek). Well caffeinated once again, and high from finally having slept enough the day before, Derek was ready to go right away, but I was feeling overly full and tired, so we went to our room. The gloomy grey-white day is massively demotivating for me, so I slept while he broke out his new charcoal sketch book to work out beautiful sketches of the Eiger and Matterhorn peaks...clearly, his primary interest for this trip are quite obvious! He went for a nice run on the Limmat River and up to Lindenhof park, where he could see for miles from the site of a (now long gone) Roman fort. Pieces of art, including a full size chess board, dot the park's landscape, and he returned thrilled that he had the time to work out in such a lovely place.
We met our friends Dianne and Jared, having just arrived from Austria, and their friend Rich back at the hotel. We wandered the alleyways looking for lunch, and found The Spaghetti Factory (not the version you may know from America - this is the real deal), which was overly crowded, but then, they all were. We walked further, determined waiting was our best option, and circled back just in time to slide in front of a family coming in with their kids and luggage. We enjoyed fresh pasta and great conversation, and were pleased with the meal (well, all but the 9 franc charge per bottle of water, which wasn't served from a new plastic bottle - watch it if you order water in restaurants!). From there, we wandered in the spitting rain through the streets to see the city's beautiful architecture.
We started wandering in the old town district along Augustinergasse, with incredible "reading nooks" jutting from their stunningly painted street-facing facades, which have been captivating shoppers since the 17th century. We found St. Peter Kirche (German for "church") with Europe's largest church clock, which was developed in the 15th century, and enjoyed a lovely fountain just down the street filled with roses right outside of the green-spire topped Christkatholische Kirchgemeinde (Catholic church - it was closed).
We window shopped on to the most expensive street in Europe, Bhanhopfstrasse, looking out for chocolate shops that we might visit and to gawk at the crazy holiday window display at Confiserie Teuscher. Derek led us to a wildly popular, jam packed chocolaterie called Confiserie Sprüngli (Bahnhofstrasse 21) where he bought us each a truffle to enjoy, which we pulled from a "mystery" bag he had assembled.
Fraumünster Church with its iconic narrow, green spire and unique, more modern-styled stained glass and Grossmünster church, a Romanesque cathedral easily recognizable by its twin towers (we were unable to go in as they close at 5 pm and we arrived one minute too late) rounded out our sightseeing.
While wandering we also found Café Schober, a hundred year old cafe serving handmade chocolates and beautiful cakes, with unbelievable ceilings and stunning holiday decor. Thirsty for some great dark beer, we made our way back to our hotel to enjoy the pub right next door, the Bonnie Prince, where we used a few of the last hours of 2018 telling stories and talking politics and commiserating over our travel experiences (and being openly jealous of one another's conquests).
When hunger set in, we wandered the streets unsuccessfully trying to find an open table for 5 in a restaurant that wouldn't totally break the bank, and ended up wandering well off the beaten path following colorful lights that dangled over the streets into darker residential areas. Eventually finding our way back to the river, we finally found the french inspired Restaurant Mere Catherine, a nautically-themed spot where a literal fog horn bellowed throughout dinner and the wait staff was dressed like sailors. Little New Years celebratory photo booth items dotted the tables and streamers hung from the wall sconces as we enjoyed our food - the french onion soup was marvelous, and Derek very much enjoyed their beet and goat cheese risotto.
Now down to the water we wandered, among 100,000 other visitors, to await the final countdown into the New Year and to watch a spectacular fireworks show (18 minutes long) over the lake. We positioned ourselves on a doc over the water where we could avoid most of the crowds, and readied our phones and cameras as they counted down the minutes backwards in German. The church bells rang continuously (and there are many church towers on the waterfront) for a solid 15 minutes leading up to the show, as private citizens set off their own fireworks and sparklers.
Welcome, 2019! What a wonderful place to celebrate your arrival!
We met our friends Dianne and Jared, having just arrived from Austria, and their friend Rich back at the hotel. We wandered the alleyways looking for lunch, and found The Spaghetti Factory (not the version you may know from America - this is the real deal), which was overly crowded, but then, they all were. We walked further, determined waiting was our best option, and circled back just in time to slide in front of a family coming in with their kids and luggage. We enjoyed fresh pasta and great conversation, and were pleased with the meal (well, all but the 9 franc charge per bottle of water, which wasn't served from a new plastic bottle - watch it if you order water in restaurants!). From there, we wandered in the spitting rain through the streets to see the city's beautiful architecture.
We started wandering in the old town district along Augustinergasse, with incredible "reading nooks" jutting from their stunningly painted street-facing facades, which have been captivating shoppers since the 17th century. We found St. Peter Kirche (German for "church") with Europe's largest church clock, which was developed in the 15th century, and enjoyed a lovely fountain just down the street filled with roses right outside of the green-spire topped Christkatholische Kirchgemeinde (Catholic church - it was closed).
We window shopped on to the most expensive street in Europe, Bhanhopfstrasse, looking out for chocolate shops that we might visit and to gawk at the crazy holiday window display at Confiserie Teuscher. Derek led us to a wildly popular, jam packed chocolaterie called Confiserie Sprüngli (Bahnhofstrasse 21) where he bought us each a truffle to enjoy, which we pulled from a "mystery" bag he had assembled.
Fraumünster Church with its iconic narrow, green spire and unique, more modern-styled stained glass and Grossmünster church, a Romanesque cathedral easily recognizable by its twin towers (we were unable to go in as they close at 5 pm and we arrived one minute too late) rounded out our sightseeing.
While wandering we also found Café Schober, a hundred year old cafe serving handmade chocolates and beautiful cakes, with unbelievable ceilings and stunning holiday decor. Thirsty for some great dark beer, we made our way back to our hotel to enjoy the pub right next door, the Bonnie Prince, where we used a few of the last hours of 2018 telling stories and talking politics and commiserating over our travel experiences (and being openly jealous of one another's conquests).
When hunger set in, we wandered the streets unsuccessfully trying to find an open table for 5 in a restaurant that wouldn't totally break the bank, and ended up wandering well off the beaten path following colorful lights that dangled over the streets into darker residential areas. Eventually finding our way back to the river, we finally found the french inspired Restaurant Mere Catherine, a nautically-themed spot where a literal fog horn bellowed throughout dinner and the wait staff was dressed like sailors. Little New Years celebratory photo booth items dotted the tables and streamers hung from the wall sconces as we enjoyed our food - the french onion soup was marvelous, and Derek very much enjoyed their beet and goat cheese risotto.
Now down to the water we wandered, among 100,000 other visitors, to await the final countdown into the New Year and to watch a spectacular fireworks show (18 minutes long) over the lake. We positioned ourselves on a doc over the water where we could avoid most of the crowds, and readied our phones and cameras as they counted down the minutes backwards in German. The church bells rang continuously (and there are many church towers on the waterfront) for a solid 15 minutes leading up to the show, as private citizens set off their own fireworks and sparklers.
Welcome, 2019! What a wonderful place to celebrate your arrival!
December 30, 2018
Zürich and the Limmat River
We're here in frozen Switzerland, ready to ring in the New Year! We flew from SLC > DEN > MUC > ZRH and landed today around noon. We had the great fortunate of flying Lufthansa, which I deeply love, and the misfortune of *apparently* choosing a type of ticket from United that forced me to pay $60 for my checked bag (I never check bags, but the amount of gear one has to pack to stay warm consumes a lot of space). Once in Zurich, we exchanged our cash at a UBS bank at the airport, and then popped downstairs to visit the rail office. There is an undeniably great deal from SBB here for riding all rail lines in the country for 8 straight days for a fixed fee, so we sprung for it (there's also a half fare card that works well if you're not spanning two calendar months, but alas, we were). You can download the SBB Mobile app for their schedules and information - it's a piece of cake to use!
We're planning to roughly follow the itinerary of The Invisible Tourist (here) after our New Years celebrations, heading down to Lucerne and Interlaken, Zermatt and possibly Bern, if we have time. We read about a very random, awesome parade in Lucerne on Jan 2 called Harder-Potschete. When I sent Derek the link, he simply responded, "Well obviously that's happening."
We're staying at Hotel Marta, just one street off the Limmat River. When we got in, we took the train to the downtown station, walked a few minutes to our hotel, checked in immediately and fell asleep for 7 hours...not ideal, unless one of you is massively sleep-deprived from being on nights at the hospital. We woke up at 10, just in time to grab dinner at Calypso Grill, an open street restaurant serving bratwurst. We walked down the river and took pictures of the lights and Christmas trees still decorating the cobblestone streets, and headed in to check out the footage on my new dji osmo pocket, so Derek can make fun short videos of our trip.
Tomorrow, we'll meet up with our good friends, Diane and Jared, who live in Germany, to ring in the New Year, and at the moment, we have zero planned, so while we're wide awake in the middle of the night, we'll take advantage of our enthusiasm and get something of a skeleton plan under us for tomorrow.
We're planning to roughly follow the itinerary of The Invisible Tourist (here) after our New Years celebrations, heading down to Lucerne and Interlaken, Zermatt and possibly Bern, if we have time. We read about a very random, awesome parade in Lucerne on Jan 2 called Harder-Potschete. When I sent Derek the link, he simply responded, "Well obviously that's happening."
We're staying at Hotel Marta, just one street off the Limmat River. When we got in, we took the train to the downtown station, walked a few minutes to our hotel, checked in immediately and fell asleep for 7 hours...not ideal, unless one of you is massively sleep-deprived from being on nights at the hospital. We woke up at 10, just in time to grab dinner at Calypso Grill, an open street restaurant serving bratwurst. We walked down the river and took pictures of the lights and Christmas trees still decorating the cobblestone streets, and headed in to check out the footage on my new dji osmo pocket, so Derek can make fun short videos of our trip.
Tomorrow, we'll meet up with our good friends, Diane and Jared, who live in Germany, to ring in the New Year, and at the moment, we have zero planned, so while we're wide awake in the middle of the night, we'll take advantage of our enthusiasm and get something of a skeleton plan under us for tomorrow.
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