Way too serious!
The drive from the Alps to Bavaria. YIKES!!!
Way too serious!
The drive from the Alps to Bavaria. YIKES!!!
I will return for the view from above some day.
There's a glimpse of the snow-capped Alps through the clouds.
Need more cowbell?!?
Inaccessible by car, you can only visit this Alpine village by taking a cable car and then a funicular (inclined railway), so we walked across Lauterbrunnen for the cable car station. After a day of hiking, the girls were now rather pleased that their mother insisted that each pack in only one carry-on piece of luggage :)
Our hotel overlooked the Lauterbrunnen valley 2000 feet below.
It was a sanctuary for paragliders that floated into oblivion outside our balcony.
It was a sanctuary of color like every other Alpine village.
It was supposed to be the Swiss sanctuary that we had hoped to see ten years ago --- but couldn't because of the clouds.
This (see map) was what we were supposed to see from the top of yet another funicular ride another thousand feet above Murren.
Oh, well. It's still beautiful.
We got a little dizzy walking through the white-out, but eventually the clouds lifted a little and the sun peaked through.
Although the girls prefer to do most of their hiking in the mall, they were good sports --- and probably liked our hikes more than they were willing to admit.
Sarah and her "European hiking bag."
Rae . . . just bein' Rae
At least we had a glimpse of what we came to see.
Just as I had hoped to reach the "Top of Europe" on the Jungfraujoch yesterday, I had hoped to reach the Schilthorn today. Although not quite as high, it still offers an exhillarating view at the Piz Gloria, a panoramic solar-powered revolving restaurant. The James Bond movie "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was set here.
Next time . . .
At lunch, Steve ordered the Mountain Twister, a non-alcoholic beer that seemed to have a hint of champagne. It was as light and refreshing as the Alps.
Waterfalls in Switzerland are as common as flies in Indiana, but Staubbach Falls is extraordinary. It cascades over 800 feet and is one of the highest in Europe that is formed of a single, unbroken fall. It is mysterious to watch as the water appears to fall in slow motion.
The view from our hotel. (Note the "Church of the Day")
Time to head for the hills: looking down on Lauterbrunnen and Wengen from the cable car to Mannlichen.
Although the clouds distort the perspective, this is the view from the top at 7,687 feet. There are still a lot of snow-capped mountains hiding above us in the distance.
I'm pretty sure I discovered the secret of Swiss chocolate:
Happy cows :) make better milk which makes heavenly chocolate!
Rachel agrees!
It was pretty cool and cloudy, but the hike was still beautiful.
Looking forward to a little slower pace for a few days in the Swiss Alps so we can recover from too many late nights :)
Our friend hometown friend Jakim, is living a dream and "working"/skiing for a theme park in Hassloch, Germany. Ironically, our local ski team also did a James Bond spoof for our show last year --- but with a lot less pyro-technics! We were amazed at how much they did on such a small pond --- it is only about 1/3 the size of the lake our team skis on at home.
Jakim had the day off, but was kind enough to perform for us anyway. He was the Pond's nemesis, Scorch . . . . and lived up to his name.
Looks like trouble is brewing
Watch out! Here comes Scorch!
Uh-oh . . . Watch out Scorch. Pond has a gun!
Ohhhhh.............What happened to Scorch?
(Switching roles for a minute)
Barefootin' Oh yeah!!!
"I told you so" (But I don't know what)
Pond gets distracted (as usual)
Pond tries to work a little magic (as usual)
They're after you again, Pond! (I think Jakim is doing the front flip)
Now what's going on?!?
I don't know, but Scorch is back and he does NOT look happy!
Looks like Pond is in trouble again. Will he escape?
Yes --- and off to rescue another girl (as usual)
OOPS!!! In trouble again, Pond.
Good-bye Scorch!
And Pond gets the girls :)
Since the show was in German, I'm not sure that's exactly how the story went, but It's probably pretty close.
I am certain, however, that Jakim will soon earn his place on the "Wall of Fame" at Holiday Park.
After the show, we had to part ways with the rest of our friends, but we hope to see them again soon.
We then enjoyed Heidelberg Castle, a great dinner in Hassloch and a wine festival in a neighboring village.
Whew! Another great day with a great friend! Thanks Jakim.
After we arrived in Rottenburg on Wednesday evening, we relaxed and enjoyed each other's company --- and a glass of wine after driving on the Autobahn. When it was time to say good night, Reinhilde walked us down the street to stay the night with their friends Gudrun and Andres. She reminded me that she would be leaving promptly at 5:55 am to drive down to the "track" for her morning walk and that I was welcome to join her. Well, it only seemed polite to sit and chat some more with our new hosts before we retired for the night, so after another glass (or 2) of wine and and another hour (or 2) of laughter, world politics and more, we finally called it a night. Gudrun, Andres and their son Moritz were absolutely charming, entertaining and fascinating.
Morning came a little earlier than usual and the thought of running around a "track" seemed a bit dull, but I really wanted to join Reinhilde. I already knew her well enough to know that she would be punctual, so I arrived at the house at least 5 minutes early, but her car was already gone. Bummer. I headed out on my own instead and just up the hill from the house was a path that continued along the ridge they live on --- perfect.
The pictures tell most of the rest of the story of what was lost in the translation of "track":
I hope you enjoy my run as much as I did!
(In case you didn't notice, there's the Church of the Day)
I actually found the path that lead down to the "track" and crossed paths with Reinhilde during my run.
This was the only other traffic I encountered.
I won :) but how could anyone lose on this run?!?
The rest of the story is that I was NOT late for Reinhilde. The car was gone because the "kids" (Jakob, Joel and Sarah) had gone out "clubbing" the night before and still were not home --- they had missed both the last train and bus for the night and had to catch the first morning train instead =:-/
To the contrary, we enjoyed the blending of families, cultures, ideas . . . . and laughter. Lots of laughter and late nights --- which is why I got behind in my daily postcards. Just like our friends Peter and Virginia in Vienna, we only spent a short amount of time with Walter and Reinhilde about a year ago, yet quickly developed a friendship that has culminated in an epic tour of Austria, Germany and Switzerland. It is amazing how similar --- and FUN --- both couples are!!!
As in Vienna, we were treated to a bird's eye view of Rottenburg . . . . . (No extra charge for the rainbow which we saw two days in a row)
We enjoyed incredible hospitality and food . . . . . including Walter's favorite German meal, maultaschen.
Jakob's birthday
A romantic village (and a church) in the Black Forrest
A burg called Tubingen:
Laura (Jakob's sister) and Rachel acted like twins that were separated at birth. They were inseparable and spent every night talking until the wee hours of morning. Laura leaves in August for Utah where she will be an exchange student for 6 months. As expected, Rachel and Laura are already scheming on how to get together again in the U.S.
. . . and the Church of the Day too!
This is where we joined paths with our hometown friends, the Widmans and our German friends, the Hahns for the next leg of our journey that was filled with constant laughter and conviviality.
One of the oldest churches in Germany . . . . . .
I have to admit that while I enjoyed it, I don't recall all the details because, just as was I was on a quest for "The Cup of the Day," our host Walter's quest was for at least one "Church of the Day." On our first excursion together, we visited 2.5 churches --- one was closed :)
Another beautiful church overlooking Lake of Constance.
The 90+ degree temps were unseasonably hot for Germany (and the churches were getting a little stuffy for some of the group) so we drove back to the lake for a swim . . . . .
One of many inviting cottages along the way.
The car changing cabana:
Aaaaahhhh.........
Simple pleasures
This lake was in the opening aerial scene in "The Sound of Music" (minus all the houses and latte, of course)
Although Mozart should be the first thing that comes to mind when you mention Salzburg, most Americans at least, know Salzburg for The Sound of Music instead. (Others also know it as the home of Red Bull.)
However you know Salzburg, is to love Salzburg. It is the fourth largest city in Austria, yet Salzburg's "Old Town" (Altstadt) is still alive and still feels comfortably quaint and quiet. It is one of the best-preserved city centres north of the Alps. (Our hotel was built in 1365.)
The Hohensalzburg Fortress still stands proudly over the "Old Town." It can be seen from miles away and is one of the largest fully-preserved castles in central Europe.
The girls were not nearly as excited as I was to make the climb to the top . . . . .
. . . . but it was worth every step for the spectacular view!
Even "Bob's Sound of Music Tour" was enjoyable --- for a group tour --- and included a lot of interesting trivia :)
(I didn't realize that the movie was based on a true story.) Bob is an American running small SOM tours because he understands the American fascination. Many Austrians, however, have never even seen the movie that we have watched every Thanksgiving since we can remember.
This was one of the first stops on the SOM Tour: the von Trapp family villa.
(The Fortress is peaking over the trees on the left.)
The "Sixteen Going on Seventeen" gazebo.
The fountain around which Maria and the children sang "Do-Re-Mi."
(There's the Fortress again in the background.)
The church where the Captain and Maria were married.
Outside of "Old Town," but still picturesque.
Headquarters of Red Bull. (We may need to get some --- Steve and the girls are starting to get a little weary.)
Hallstatt: This charming village sits on a ledge nestled between the Austrian Alps and the lake below. Originally a salt-mining village, it was built before Rome (circa 800 BC) in a time when salt was more precious than gold. It was a holiday retreat for royalty in the 1800s, but is now a shrinking village of approximately 1000 residents who revel in a bygone era.
As you can imagine, this intimate community has limited green space yet maximizes every inch to create a sanctuary of color and tranquility.
The cemetery is no exception . . . . .
. . . but both space and life are finite.
After 12 years of "rest" in the cemetery, the bones were dug up to make room for new graves. The skulls are then lovingly cleaned, named, dated, decorated by hand and placed in the Bone Chapel. The Bone Chapel currently holds more than 600 painted skulls but this practice ended in the 1960s when the Catholic Church began to permit cremation.
Despite the Bone Chapel, we found the people charming and very proud of their village --- and heritage.
Even Bob the cat came out to greet us as we meandered through the village . . .
. . . and proudly perches over Hallstatt as if to protect it from the tainting of time.
(Keep up the good work Bob!)