Running out of weekends! This weekend will be Lucerne on saturday and Meiringen on sunday. Lucerne is a city that people say you have to go to. Classic picturesque, on the lake surrounded by mountains. I'll be spending the day there and then in the evening visiting one of the pilots Ian (call-sign Nacho) and his wife Gwen. Swiss BBQ followed by watching the USA in the world cup. Will be spending the evening there and on sunday will be heading to Meiringen to go to the Sherlock Holmes Museum (a second one) and Ballengberg. Ballenberg is a swiss outdoor museum similar to colonial Williamsburg - http://ballenberg.ch/en/Welcome
Should be a good weekend with hopefully easy walking. This time there shouldn't be 900+ stairs to attack :)
Friday, June 25, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Interlaken
This past weekend went up to Interlaken, and I had company. Ellen [Funderburg] stopped by Switzerland on her way to eastern Europe. Have to admit it was nice having company where I could make comments and references and they understood them :)
Went up to the Interlaken area where some of the tallest mountains in Switzerland, Europe, and the world are. Was hoping to get to the top of the Schilthorn but unfortunately the weather was drizzly and it was so misty you couldn't even see in front of your face.
We did, however, do a lot of walking in the Interlaken area. Stayed at a hotel in the little town of Brienzersee on the north edge of Lake Brienze. First stop was the town of Giessbach where we saw the Giessbach Falls. Saturday morning started early and drove to Lauterbrunnen where you start walking the 'Valley of 72 Waterfalls'.. However, I don't think there were really 72, or at least not that we could see. It was about a four hour walk through the misty valley with a stop off at Trummelbach Falls. They are actually inside of a mountain so it was a pretty cool thing to see. After that we continued to the little, and I mean LITTLE, town of Stechelberg. Pretty much a food stand, bus stop, restaurant/hotel and a cable car to the top of the mountain. Not by any means a booming metropolis.
Afterwards we drove to Grindelwald where we went to the Grindelwald Gorge that is created from glacier runoff. Definately a cool place to see where there are actually bungee jumps into the gorge. Crazy, that's all I have to say. Then it was off to the Upper Grindelwald Glacier. 890+ fun filled steps up to the glacier on top. All I have to say is OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW, but I made it, and so did sock monkey.
Unfortunately, what they don't tell you is that there is no frickin glacier on top. Oh, there's a glacier allright, but it is way way way way up where you can't go. It was a climb to a rock!! But it was a rock with an amazing view :) Then you could actually continue over a suspension bridge a little further up. Anybody with a fear of heights need not apply. Nice deep drop to a glacier run-off river. After all that it was eat, lay down and rest the feed and legs.
And then the next day... Montreux and Lasaunne. I had been to Lausanne before but not Montreux. Montreux is a beautiful city right on the short of Lake Geneva. Definitely understand why they call it the Swiss Riviera. After several hours of walking, we left Lausanne and headed back to Estavayer for an end to the weekend.
Ellen left this morning at 6:15 to catch a train to eastern europe where she'll be karate chopping her way through lots of old cities and scenic views (she has a travel blog).
As always, new pics on http://picasaweb.google.com/derek.hecht . There's a Lasaunne 2, Montreux, and Interlaken album. Also some updates (I think to Cows and Animals).
I'll also be posting some movies tomorrow to my you-tube account http://www.youtube.com/derekhecht . Movies of the indoor falls and the suspension bridge.
Until later.
Went up to the Interlaken area where some of the tallest mountains in Switzerland, Europe, and the world are. Was hoping to get to the top of the Schilthorn but unfortunately the weather was drizzly and it was so misty you couldn't even see in front of your face.
We did, however, do a lot of walking in the Interlaken area. Stayed at a hotel in the little town of Brienzersee on the north edge of Lake Brienze. First stop was the town of Giessbach where we saw the Giessbach Falls. Saturday morning started early and drove to Lauterbrunnen where you start walking the 'Valley of 72 Waterfalls'.. However, I don't think there were really 72, or at least not that we could see. It was about a four hour walk through the misty valley with a stop off at Trummelbach Falls. They are actually inside of a mountain so it was a pretty cool thing to see. After that we continued to the little, and I mean LITTLE, town of Stechelberg. Pretty much a food stand, bus stop, restaurant/hotel and a cable car to the top of the mountain. Not by any means a booming metropolis.
Afterwards we drove to Grindelwald where we went to the Grindelwald Gorge that is created from glacier runoff. Definately a cool place to see where there are actually bungee jumps into the gorge. Crazy, that's all I have to say. Then it was off to the Upper Grindelwald Glacier. 890+ fun filled steps up to the glacier on top. All I have to say is OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW, but I made it, and so did sock monkey.
Unfortunately, what they don't tell you is that there is no frickin glacier on top. Oh, there's a glacier allright, but it is way way way way up where you can't go. It was a climb to a rock!! But it was a rock with an amazing view :) Then you could actually continue over a suspension bridge a little further up. Anybody with a fear of heights need not apply. Nice deep drop to a glacier run-off river. After all that it was eat, lay down and rest the feed and legs.
And then the next day... Montreux and Lasaunne. I had been to Lausanne before but not Montreux. Montreux is a beautiful city right on the short of Lake Geneva. Definitely understand why they call it the Swiss Riviera. After several hours of walking, we left Lausanne and headed back to Estavayer for an end to the weekend.
Ellen left this morning at 6:15 to catch a train to eastern europe where she'll be karate chopping her way through lots of old cities and scenic views (she has a travel blog).
As always, new pics on http://picasaweb.google.com/derek.hecht . There's a Lasaunne 2, Montreux, and Interlaken album. Also some updates (I think to Cows and Animals).
I'll also be posting some movies tomorrow to my you-tube account http://www.youtube.com/derekhecht . Movies of the indoor falls and the suspension bridge.
Until later.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Rheinfalls!
This past saturday I hopped in my car and made the drive up to the Rheinfall in northeast Switzerland. As the name implies, it's where the Rhine river turns into a waterfall :) As far as the spelling, I've learned that things around here have several variants of names (german, english, french, swiss, etc..), so you can almost pick a spelling and it works!
Spent the day there taking the boat rides that will bring you to the various parts of the falls. Have to say, it's not the biggest of falls, but it is definately a pretty one.
movies on youtube! www.youtube.com/derekhecht
pics picasaweb.google.com/derek.hecht
There are also updates to the 'Cows and Others' and Estavayer-le-lac-2 albums.
This coming weekend, Interlaken. With the Funderburgler!
Spent the day there taking the boat rides that will bring you to the various parts of the falls. Have to say, it's not the biggest of falls, but it is definately a pretty one.
movies on youtube! www.youtube.com/derekhecht
pics picasaweb.google.com/derek.hecht
There are also updates to the 'Cows and Others' and Estavayer-le-lac-2 albums.
This coming weekend, Interlaken. With the Funderburgler!
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