Friday
Our luck with the weather kept holding and despite a forecast of cloudy it was another fine day. We were up early and out the door trundling along our bags to the train station. The Machine was initially recalcitrant in proving us tickets so I went to get in line where I came across my first truly rude french person, a middle aged gentleman who tried to push in front, stared at me as if to challenge me so I was yes" and then lied he outright saying "no madame you were still walking up when I was in line". bollocks to that we walked up at the same time and as I had my bag I was standing slightly to the side. So I simply stated "no I was not" I was kinda grumpy mind you so was probably also scowling at him, Ken was trying to get the machine to work still and wasn't happy about me taking on the rude french man. Had he not been a dick I probably would have let him go first. Anyway his response was so funny! " I am not discussing this with you" and he took off!! ha ha anyway Ken then made the machine work so I dropped out of line - meanwhile Mr rude was attempting to make a time table machine give him a ticket - then tried the assistance office, who must have instructed him to the ticket queue which had grown even more by now! We took our tickets as he was finally back in the original queue - had he not been a dick he would have been served as the lady I was behind had just made it to the counter!
Anyway, We bordered the train without further issues and found the appropriate carriage (it has a big 2 on it if your in second class!!) put our bags in the luggage racks and settled in for the trip to Bern and then in to Interlaken. Ken was reading his book most of the way while I stared our watching the landscape slide by. First past lake Geneva then up into the valleys and plains. the plans are rather amusing they are two story and a little snack cart goes along the top and ever time it is overhead a little light comes on and the train announces they are ready to serve you. Anyway Ken decided to have a coffee so I asked for a hot chocolate. Next time the little light car on Ken went up to get the drinks.. WORST coffee/ hot chocolate EVER! indescribable still if it was what you were used to….
Somewhere along the line the train filled up and we had a couple of older ladies sitting opposite us, but then it emptied out again.
At interlaken we changed for the last time to the train that goes to Latterbrunen past Wilderswil. At Wilderswil we jumped off the train, it was a little bit cloudy and set off dragging suitcases to find our accommodation. Pretty easy to find really left onto the road as you exist the train station, walk till you come to the first left,( semi cobbled street) then first right.. walla you have arrived.
Georg, Least I think its Georg, saw us arrive and babbled a greeting in German, professing to know no English, but that was ok because we knew where the key was and the code to unlock the door. it appears Georg has a workshop at the back/under the chalet where he does wood work.
The Chalet itself is a classic 100 year old Swiss building with shutters and sloped roof. Our accommodation is on the top floor and consists of three rooms, each beautifully set up. but the best thing is the view from the window of the bedroom which faces the monarch, eiger and jungfrau! The only unfortunate thing is no washing machine! so we did some hand washing and noted we would head into interlaken on the first wet day to do some washing!
Toodled about in the afternoon, grocery shopping, settling in etc. Beautiful village.
Saturday
Today was an odd day - Went to go to Schynige Platte ended up instead going to the Jungfrau instead! After breakfast and packed lunch for a walk we headed to the train station to get tickets but on the train the day before I noted we could get a four day pass for the region - but couldn't find out much online. So instead we went into the station and chatted to the guy, who gave us a number of options and patiently waited with the queue forming behind us. One of the options was a six day pass for just 5 franc more that included a trip to the Jungfrau. We hadn't actually planned a trip there this time around but hey.. There was another small problem that had a number of staff rapidly typing on computers. Apparently a lot of the gondolas and cog railways stopped running after the 20th so he was trying to find out if he could sell us the six day pass - this being the 19th. Anyway he could but he took great care to let us know which trains/cars would not be running. The day was too good to not go up the Jungfrau so we brought the six day ticket which would let us move around the region anyway we wanted.
A lot has changed since we went up last time with it being even more touristy, we got a giggle out of a tour leader acting like the guy from fifth element.. "bzzt bzzt keep moving keep moving my tour this way, keep moving bzzt not my tour not follow"… anyway he was a cack and his group trying to keep up was also amusing. We saw him running through the crowds obviously checking that his flock of asian students had kept up and made it back on the train down.
The experience is pretty awesome , the sheer size of the drops makes one almost overcome fear of heights! Almost! The Sphinx observatory with its metal grill over nothing is still somewhat scary, There was this little kid whose parents were trying to take a photo while holding her over the safety rail.. she was screaming and rightly so.. as soon as they put her down she raced to the middle of the platform where the snow had compacted and you couldn't see through - smart kid - annoying cry though and her parents kept trying to take her over places she didn't want to go!
There was a downside to going to the top of Europe on a glorious sunny autumn day… people.. people EVERYWHERE.. ok I am a tourist but I do not yell and scream at my fellow tourists, excitement I get, honest I do, but I express myself quietly not at the top of my voice in a small ice tunnel full of other people all seeming to be wailing to God at the top of their voices.. Suffice to say some tourists are loud and obnoxious even if you don't know what they are saying.. Eventually the altitude, my oncoming cold and the noise got to us so we jumped on the slow train, (they are all slow) down the mountain to Grindlwald where we jumped off to have a coffee, by now it was late in the afternoon - mountain trains are SLOW going.. originally I had hoped we could do Jungfrau and First on the same day but it wasn't to be. Anyway we needed fortification so apple strudel, vanilla custard and coffee seemed just the thing as we watched the sun on the glacier and the autumn colours slowly change in the afternoon light.
Originally we were going to fortify with beer but hey!
Another train trip from Grindlewald took us back to Wilderswil where we made dinner, played cards and spoke with Di on her upcoming adventures! before snuffling into bed
ok enough blogging from me.
I have time jumped you past the lake district - yes I will go back- and had caught you up on all bar one day. Yesterday Sunday was a real treat we did First and Schynige PLatte.. but more on that later the day is somewhat sunny although it is meant to cloud over and rain - we have laundry to do - my hiking pants are starting to smell funky! and more walking to do!