Until the next time!

We packed up our belongings and prepared to leave our little valley behind. The place we stayed turned out to be perfect. Here are a few pics of the well appointed kitchen, and the comfortable living room

We boarded the train and made the three and a half hour trip to Geneva Airport where we checked into our hotel and had a little nap. We wanted to explore, but it was over 35 degrees out, so we decided to let it cool down a bit.

It clouded over later in the afternoon and we walked from our hotel to downtown Geneva. We spent some time exploring some of the back roads in the old part of town

We found a street named after some of Jo's relatives

And a tavern named after my mom....it was even spelled the right way

This old clock tower is part of an old temple named after my mom as well....no I'm not trying to say that she's old LOL

Would you drink from here?

Somehow I always knew I would end up here.....

And look.....I found proof that the worlds oldest selfie was indeed taken in Geneva

Once again, the strange mix of old and new

And I'm sad to say that it's time

to say farewell. And so fitting that just as we were making our way back across the Pont de Mont Blanc to head back to our hotel, a rainbow came out just at the right time. It doesn't show up well in the picture, but it was there. A perfect way to end this trip....and now it's off to bed before an early start to fly home.

See you all soon!

The last hurrah

It is with mixed emotions that I write about our last day in the mountains. On one hand we are looking forward to getting home, seeing our friends and family, including our two cats....who will no doubt ignore us for the first 15 minutes or so after we arrive. But it's so sad to leave this place of wonder. Even though we have been here multiple times, we always manage to discover something new and amazing about this place, and it continues to draw us back. There is just something special about this place that one can only experience by being here and feeling it.

Some people had asked us why we only planned a one week trip this time. On one hand it feels like it's gone by so quickly, yet on the other it feels as if we have been here for months. There is something in the air here, and something about the Swiss way of life. It truly feels like the land that time forgot, and it's an incredible feeling. This was exactly what we both had needed right now....we are re-charged and good to go again.

We decided on a hike in an area that we love to end our trip. After breakfast we took the cable car up to Grutschalp again and started our hike from there. We were headed to the Lobhornhutte - it's another small mountain hut where you can get food and drink, or spend the night.

The trail starts in the forest, slowly working its way up

There is always time to goof around

Every once in a while you get an opening in the trees and can see out into the valley below

If I was a toad, or a Cheshire Cat, there were lots of places to sit

After climbing for a while we spotted our destination through an opening in the trees. Look way up...the Lobhornhutte sits on the very edge of the saddle that Jo is pointing to. The only thing is that we have to finish going up the trail we are on, then descend down into another valley, before climbing up to the hut

Onwards and upwards

We heard a funny sound ahead of us on the trail and were very fortunate to spot a small Steinbock (a.k.a. Alpine Ibex). It's not usual to see them down this low as they prefer the alpine region. And it was nice enough to pose for us

We ascended a little further then dropped down into a beautiful meadow that lead us into an amazing valley

We stopped for a moment to admire the river that flows through the valley, ultimately becoming one of the many waterfalls much further below

No time to waste...it's time to climb again. We need to get up to the bottom of that rock wall and then make our way around the end of that big buttress. That would lead us to the valley where the mountain hut is

Just like our hike to a mountain hotel a few days ago, the views got more spectacular the higher we went

As we rounded the end of the buttress, Jo spotted our destination....still a long way to go. Can you see it perched on the edge?

After some more climbing we emerged into the valley which lies just below the mountain hut. It's a very scenic place. There is another lovely mountain stream, and a farm displaying their prize bells from years gone by. You can buy cheese and other goodies at almost any farm you come across in the hills

A bit more climbing and we arrived in what we call the Hobbit's playground. Amazing rock formations as far as the eye can see. It's a great place to explore and spend some time

And then, our final destination appeared. It's not a million dollar view up here.....it's a bajillion dollar view! We were surprised by how many people were up here today, although there is a much easier and shorter route than the one we took

Of course we had to do our part to support to local economy, so we dined on cold beer and a vegetable and barley soup. We were also fortunate enough to have the very best table in the house

Before heading out we needed to visit the facilities.....I dare anyone to find an outhouse with a better view than this!

Before heading down I stood near the edge to take a short video of the view. It's something you have to experience in person to understand how amazing it really is

We checked out the mountain huts outdoor spa before starting down again

Many more spectacular scenes on the descent

We took a different route back to the cable car station and discovered another great trail on our way down. As had been the case throughout the trip we arrived at the cable car station just as it was pulling in and getting ready to load. Arriving back in town we headed back to our place for a well earned rest and a shower. 

After relaxing for a bit we went out for a little bit of a walk and had our final supper. After a week of spectacular weather, we heard the first claps of thunder, and the rain started to fall just as we walked back to our place. Thunderstorms are amazing in the valley! It's like it wanted to see us off. And we realize how lucky we got with the weather as the forecast is calling for rain for the next week.....and rain in the valley equals snow up in the alpine.

Tomorrow morning we tear ourselves away from this magical place and take the train to Geneva. We will explore in the afternoon and evening and then get on an early flight Monday morning.

So long from the Lauterbrunnen Valley!

Of swans and skeletons

We were still feeling the big hike from two days ago so we decided to ride the rails today. After eating breakfast we walked down to the train station and made our way to Interlaken. We picked up tickets to travel to Luzern (Lucerne). This particular route is referred to as the GoldenPass Line. The trip was just under two hours and we passed through some amazing little towns and fantastic scenery on the way. The only problem we had is that the windows didn't open on the train, because it was air conditioned.....that made it a little tricky to get good pics from the train. However, we did get a few

This is the little town of Lungern. It is set right on a lake in a gorgeous valley. The church is quite large for such a small town

This is at the other end of the lake (Lungernsee). There were a lot of people out fishing on the lake....it must be good here

The scenery was so amazing that we arrived in Luzern before we knew what had happened. The train station there is quite large....we saw at least 14 different tracks - people and trains coming and going. We made our way outside and immediately found ourselves on the waterfront.

There were lake boats and swans as far as the eye could see

We had done a little research ahead of time so we knew what we wanted to see. We crossed the road and headed towards the Kappellbrucke (Chapel Bridge). It is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe and the world's oldest surviving truss bridge. The bridge was originally build in 1333 as part of Lucerne's fortifications. It contains a number of unique paintings dating back to the 17th century. Sadly, a portion of the bridge was destroyed by a fire in 1993. Fortunately it was rebuilt and re-opened in 1994. The bridge serves as a symbol of the city and is one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions

The view inside the bridge

Here is one of the 17th century paintings inside the trusses of the bridge

After crossing the bridge we walked along the waterfront of the old part of Lucerne. Lots of people eating at waterfront cafes and restaurants. We came across this sign at a British Pub.....pure genius

The buildings in this area are beautiful and have some age to them

We criss crossed the river on another bridge and explored some of the back streets

Then we came across a second wooden bridge. This one is called the Spreuerbrucke....it is smaller, and only dates from the 16th century....yawn LOL. In these pics you can also see several of the towers that form part of the old wall which protected the town

We crossed this bridge - taking a picture looking out at the town

This bridge also contains a series of paintings.....but all of these ones have a skeleton theme. We need to do some research to find out what the meaning behind these is

We wandered through more little streets in the old part of town. It's a very strange mix, buildings that are hundreds of years old, and

We stopped to pick up some picnic supplies and then made our way to a park near the old wall and towers. We found a shady spot and ate, then walked around the area exploring. It's amazing to see such old things and think about what life would have been like back then

Houses are now built almost right up to the wall, but there are still old remnants that are now part of people's yards

I explored a little grotto that we stumbled upon just below the clock tower

More exploring back streets.......more amazing scenery, a place where a famous poet stayed in the 1700s, even a wedding

Every little street we turned down held new surprises and new vistas

We were feeling tired from so much walking, and the heat, so we decided to head back to the train station. This nice thing is that the train back to Interlaken runs every hour at 5 minutes after the hour, so it was pretty easy to know we had to be there.

The return trip was just as spectacular. We passed many lakes along the way, and the nice thing is that they all have little areas where people can pull over to picnic and swim. The water looks so inviting that we wanted to jump off the train and dive in

Soon we were back in Interlaken and we switched trains to head back up into our valley. We decided to make our own supper tonight and just relax. The weather has been simply amazing the whole time we have been here. Tomorrow is our last full day in the valley. While it feels like it's gone so quickly, it also feels like we have been gone forever. 

The Lauterbrunnen Valley is like a piece of heaven on earth, and the entire country of Switzerland is simply beautiful. The expression says that home is where the heart is.......but what does it mean when you've found the place that your soul is?

As I finish today's update I can hear the town's folklore band practicing down the street. They will wrap up soon and then the local yodellers will be up next....true story!

Time for some more chocolate and tasty milk, then a good night's sleep to rest up for tomorrow's adventure.

Nighty night!