Switzerland day 8

Heading home today.  Woke up at much the same time as normal.  Packed bags, ate breakfast and checked out of the hotel.  Took the train to Zurich airport where we were able to check in and drop our bags at around 10.00 even though our flight was only scheduled to leave at 17.10.  The Swiss systems really work so efficiently!

We took a train back into Zurich city centre and spent the next few hours wandering around, mostly in the older part of the city, beside the river and down to the lake.  Took a few photos and browsed through a few shops, but our feet were tired and the 27° heat was draining.

We made our way back to the airport at around 14.00.  Through security with no issues, then we found a multi-cultural feeding trough where we had a snack while waiting for our flight.  Uneventful flight back to London and we arrived back home just after 21.00.

Happy to be back, but also happy to have so many wonderful memories.

Switzerland day 7

Day 7 of our Swiss adventure was planned to be another quieter one.  We were on the first train by 09.45 heading due south west.  Our destination for today was the town of Gruyère.

Being so far across towards the French border on the west side of Switzerland, the French influence is very noticeable in so many ways, just like we saw the Italian influence down in the south.  This gave me an opportunity to practice a bit of my rather rusty French language skills.  More often than not my attempts fizzled out and we reverted to English.

The town of Gruyère is famous for making cheese that goes by the same name.  Our first stop was to visit the factory and visitors centre.  The morning production run was coming to an end, but we were still able to watch the final few steps from the visitors viewing platform behind big glass windows.  We were each given one of these hand-held electronic devices with which you can listen to a prerecorded commentary of what you are watching, by keying in a number at each of the stages on the visitors tour route.  I have visited cheese factories for work, so am familiar with the production process, however it was a new experience for Ann.  Nevertheless it was interesting to see it being done on what I consider to be a fairly small scale.  I'm not sure whether the employees would thank me for saying that - they are surely very proud of the 48 round cheeses they produce each day.

After following the tour we stopped for a cup of tea in the on-site restaurant and browsed through the shop.

Next stop was just across the road and a 10 minute walk up the hill to the old medieval village of Gruyère.  It has been lovingly maintained since it first came into being in about the 13th century and now is comprised mainly of a few hotels, shops and restaurants.  At the top of the village (i.e. also on the top of the hill) is the Gruyère castle, now converted into a museum that reflects the history of the village and it's inhabitants.  Although not huge, it was nicely set out and made for a very interesting visit.  Predictably, we took lots of photos as we made our way around the village and castle.

When all had been seen, we headed back down the hill and returned to the factory restaurant where we had a meal of traditional Swiss fondue, in the Swiss factory right where the cheese was made.  It was delicious!  By the end we were so maxed-out with cheese that we felt like we had this Gruyère flavoured vapour cloud that drifted along with us wherever we went.  But still we went back into their shop and bought some of their cheese to take back home.

That was about it for today.  A few trains and buses brought us back to the hotel by around 19.45.  Last one tomorrow before we return home in the evening.

Switzerland day 6

The highlight of our visit so far - a day in the Alps!

We set out at a reasonable hour on the 08.13 train heading due west for a short distance and then due south.  After about 90 minutes we arrived at Interlaken, a lovely town located between two large and very beautiful lakes.  As you may have guessed, that's where the town gets its name.  We boarded train number 3 that took us closer towards the foothills of the Alps, to the town of Lauterbrunnen.  This latter section was one of those cog driven rails, like when we went to see the Matterhorn from Gornergrat.  The next stage was a regional bus that took us to Steckelberg.  This was where the journey became more interesting and a whole lot more spectacular.

At Steckelberg (altitude 867 metres) we squeezed into a cable car along with about a million other sightseeing tourists just like ourselves.  The cable car took us up to Gimmelwald (1363 metres) where we simply changed over to cable car number two that took us to the beautiful mountain village of Mürren (1638 metres).  No time for wandering around just yet - we went straight on to cable car number three that took us up the longest stretch of the ascent to Birg (2677 metres).  Finally cable car number four took us up to the top of mount Schilthorn (2970 metres).  There we spent a couple of hours taking in the wonderful 360° views of some of the most awe inspiring mountain peaks of the Swiss Alps.  It truly was magnificent to behold in all directions and the weather could not have been more perfect.  We were blessed with bright blue skies,  no wind and virtually zero clouds for all the time we were up there.

The viewing point, together with it's extensive visitors centre and rotating restaurant, named Piz Gloria, was featured in the James Bond movie,'In Her Majestey's Secret Service', and they have been milking the bragging rights ever since then.  There is a lot of the 007 theme branded all over the place, which I suppose adds somewhat to its appeal.  At least it has been done tastefully.

We took lots of photos and selfies in all directions.  One of the more popular views takes in the peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau in a row from left to right - see the background of one of our selfies below.

We very reluctantly boarded the cable car again for the return journey.  First stop was at Birg where we got out to walk around a bit more.  There is a 'Thrill Walk' that is basically a steel walkway about 200 metres long, built onto the side of the cliff face. You can see through the steel grating as you walk along, plus there is a section where the walking surface is clear glass and another where you can walk along a length of loose cable (with a safety net below!)  Yes, of course we walked all the way along it and back again, taking lots more photos as we went!!

Back in the cable car, heading down again, this time stopping at Mürren.  I doubt you will find a better example of a more quaint, quinticentially perfect Swiss mountain village anywhere.  We strolled through the village, stopping in at one souvenir shop before boarding a little regional train that took us to Grütschalp.  We found ourselves sitting between 2 South African couples also on holiday - we recognised that they were speaking Afrikaans and ended up chatting with them for a while.  Onto another cable car that took us back to Lauterbrunnen, followed by more trains to bring us back to the hotel in Aarau.

In total today we have been on 8 trains (of which 2 were cog driven), 7 cable cars and 1 bus.  We have covered about 320 km on the ground and about 2,605 metres in altitude ... and the same back down again!  No wonder we are feeling drained, but it was definitely worth it.

Today has to feature in one of my top 10 most beautiful places ever visited in the world.

Switzerland day 5

Today we allowed ourselves a slightly later start as we had not planned a busy schedule.  We left Aarau by train at around 09.45 heading due west, destination: the beautiful city of Bern, which is the capital city of Switzerland.

Upon arrival, we made our way to the 'old town', which has been declared a World Heritage Site.  We walked around that part of town for some time, stopping in at several shops and admiring the beautiful architecture.  We timed it well so that we were in front of the famous clock tower on the hour of 11.00 so we could hear the chimes and see the figures move as it chimed.

At the end of the old town we came to the enclosure where the famous bears are kept.  Their enclosure was extended significantly in size some years ago, giving them a much larger space in which to roam.

Soon we were on the train again heading further west towards Neuchâtel, but we didn't stop there.  Instead we continued a little further to the town of La Chaux-de-Fonds, where we visited the Musée International d'Horlogerie (International Clock Museum).  Although not huge, it is very nicely arranged with some 2700 watches and 700 wall clocks on display.  One can follow the history of clock making through the centuries and observe some of the most interesting pieces on display.  Included in the museum's artefacts were also a vast assortment of small tools that have traditionally been used in the craft of clock making over the years, which I found fascinating, looking at them through the eyes of a mechanical engineer.

After a couple of hours we were both 'maxed-out' with looking at clocks, so made our way back to the hotel.  Supper was pasta in a local restaurant - Carbonara for Ann and Bolognese for me.  Another enjoyable day behind us.  5 down, 3 to go.

Switzerland day 4

We set out this morning at about the same time as yesterday.  Our destination today was the town of Locarno in the south, very near the Italian border.

Three trains for this journey, the second of which took us from Zurich down to Bellinzona, which is just a small hop away from Lucarno.  On this second leg we went through the Gotthard Base Tunnel, which boasts some interesting statistics.  It runs for some 35 miles (53km) north-south, cutting below some very high peaks of the Swiss Alps.  It is the world's deepest and longest railway tunnel and although it only rises from a low of 312 metres to a high of around 560 metres above sea level, at its maximum, it lies 2450 metres below ground level.  On our journeys today we were only in the tunnel for 19 minutes each way, which means our average speed was around 110 miles per hour (180 km/h).  This is well below the maximum operating speed of 180 mph (250 km/h).

The pretty town of Locarno lies on the bank of Lake Maggiore.  The Italian influence is very noticeable in this region, in the architecture, language preference and cuisine/ restaurant options.  We took a ride in the funicula a short way up the mountain where we visited a 15th century church called 'Santuarro della Madonna del Sasso'.  From the outside it is reasonably good looking, but inside it is spectacular!  The detailed decorations throughout are breathtaking.  Several photographs later we took the return ride on the funicula back down into the town.  A short stroll beside the lake and an ice cream from an Italian street vendor made it feel more Mediterranean than Swiss.

The return journey to base was fairly uneventful, arriving at around 17.15 - earlier than the last few days.  Supper was a Burger King meal at the station, followed by planning our itinerary for the next two days.  Soon to bed after another enjoyable day.

Switzerland day 3

Another early start saw us leaving on the train at 08.30.  This time heading for Lucerne (Luzern), due south-east of Aarau.  Lucerne is the biggest city we have stopped at so far, but more about that later.  First we boarded a ferry that took us on a leisurely cruise for about two thirds the length of lake Lucerne, stopping at several towns and villages along the way.  It was predictably beautiful, and nice to see the countryside from a different point of view for a change.

Our final stop was at the little town of Brunnen, which was very pretty and quaint in its own way with lots of colourful buildings and flowers.  Why Brunnen? ... Well that's  because it is the home of the Victorinox factory where they make the world famous Swiss Army Pocket Knives.  First we looked around the museum and visitors centre, which was very interesting ... well, it was for someone like me who has an interest in knives.  The highlight for me was the opportunity to assemble my own knife in their well known 'Spartan' style.  The large blade is specially embossed with the words 'Self assembled in Brunnen' and once complete, the outside was also engraved with my choice of text.  I opted for my name and 'Switzerland 2018'.  The standard format is to have the traditional red scales (the covers on the sides) but I asked sweetly and, as a special favour for me, they allowed me to use the camouflage design instead.  I now own a 100% customised Swiss Army Knife, which will surely be a lifelong treasure.

After spending some more money in the gift shop we walked around the town a bit more to take in some of the sights before boarding a train for a somewhat faster return journey back to Lucerne.

We walked around part of the 'old town', mostly looking at the wonderful architecture and beautifully decorated buildings.  Of particular interest to us was Chapel bridge - the old 'zig-zag' wooden bridge that crosses the river.  It is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe as well as the world's oldest truss bridge, dating back to around 1335.  It is beautifully decorated with paintings and flowers.  Sadly part of it was destroyed by fire in 1993, but has been immaculately rebuilt.  The reason for the zig-zag construction was because in the old days, it was believed that evil spirits could only cross a river in a straight line, so the bends prevented them from using the bridge to cross the river.

We sat at one of the outside terraces beside the river to have some supper before climbing on another train to return to our hotel, arriving at about 19.00.

Another wonderful day, no doubt to be followed by a restful sleep.

Switzerland day 2

After an 07.00 wake up call and a hearty breakfast, we were on the train again by 08.46, heading due south.  Our destination for today - the Matterhorn.  Well, technically, Gornergrat directly to the east of the Matterhorn, but one of the best viewing spots.  The train journey took us through several towns and villages, requiring 3 changes en-route.

The weather was perfect - clear blue skies with only a scattering of cloud for most of the day, no wind and very comfortable temperatures.  The further south we progressed, the more the countryside became some of the most beautiful and spectacular I have ever experienced.  Majestic mountains, pine forests, glacial valleys with streams running through them, all punctuated with occasional waterfalls and an assortment of the most quintessential Swiss chalets and cottages as seen on chocolate box lids.

Obviously the terrain became more mountainous throughout the journey, to the extent that the last 2 trains were driven by pinions which engaged a toothed rack mounted to the track between the two rails.  The angle of incline was incredible!

The Matterhorn is 4478 metres above sea level and Gornergrat is about 3100 metres.  That is the highest altitude I have ever been to on land, by quite some margin.  The views were predictably spectacular in all directions, but the rarefied atmosphere made it tough going walking around the paths and between the viewing platforms.  We took lots of photos and had cold drinks on the terrace outside the restaurant.  And yes, I got sunburnt and yes, I was in a short sleeved shirt even though the temperature was apparently zero degrees C!

On the way back we spent some time walking around the picturesque town of Zermatt, where we also stopped in at a typical, traditional Swiss restaurant for a dinner of authentic Swiss Raclette.  (Google it if you don't know what it is!)  We arrived back at our hotel around 21.15, tired, sunburnt, but extremely satisfied after a truly memorable day.

Switzerland day 1

Ann and I spent last night (Monday 3rd September) in a hotel near to Heathrow airport.  Crawled out of bed at 03.00 and took a taxi to Terminal 2. By 04.25 we were checked in and through security.  Ours was the first flight to depart in the morning - wheels up at 06.10.  An uneventful 90 minutes later we touched down in Zurich.

We decided to leave our luggage at the customer service centre in the airport while we went out and about for the day, because hotel check in time was not till 14.00.  There is a mainline train station that runs through the airport terminal building, from where we boarded a train heading north.  One change and a little over an hour later and we arrived at the viewing site for the Rhine Falls, near Schaffhausen.

The Rhine Falls are the largest in Europe and, while not terribly high, the volume of water flowing over them is very impressive.  We visited all the viewing platforms, taking plenty of photos from all angles and from both sides of the river.  Yes, there were LOTS of steps!  See a few of our photos below.

At the top of the hill beside the falls is an old castle, now converted into a museum and visitors centre.  It was not very impressive compared to many others we have visited, but we walked through to take a look since we had paid for the ticket.  As can be expected, at a popular visitors destination like this, there were plenty of souvenir shops and places to eat.  We bought the obligatory fridge magnet but left other options for later in the week.  After a quick snack at one of the cafes beside the river we boarded another train and headed back to Zurich airport to retrieve our luggage.

Back on a train, this time heading west, and in under an hour we arrived at the town of Aarau, which will serve as our base for this trip.  The hotel (selected by Ann from experience on a previous visit) is literally beside the mainline train station, so really convenient for commuting.  However, because the Swiss trains and rails are so well engineered, they run almost silently.  We could not hear them, even from less than 100 metres away.  No keeping us awake at night, I hope.

After checking in and getting unpacked we took a stroll through part of the "old town" before returning to the hotel for an early supper.  We sat outside on the terrace under big shade umbrellas and enjoyed the warm evening weather as well as the very good food.

It's been a long, tiring day, but satisfying overall.  Early to bed for another adventure tomorrow.