Switzerland 23/06/10 - 25/06/10

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22/06/10

From Mt Blanc we drove to Switzerland. First we stopped briefly at Lake Geneva. We wanted to see the Jet d'Eau a 140m tall, 200km/hr1360 horse power fountain. However, of course it was turned off! We then carried on to Lake Lausanne where we camped at Camping Vidy on the lake.


23/06/10

This mornig we went for a short stroll along the lake in the morning and drove through the town and discovered it wasnt that fantastic. We then continued to the Jungfrau Region. Here we stayed in a cosy cabin at Schutzenbach backpackers and camping in Lauterbrunnen. We were planning to sleep in a barn in Gimmelwald but discovere it was only accessible by walking track or cablecar and it was late in the evening. The valley floor was covered in green meadows and lovely little swiss villages and farms, and of course a river running through the middle. The valley walls were sheer rock faces with lots of waterfalls. Above the sheer rock walls were more little villages, such as Gimmelwald only accessible by walkway and cablecar. From our cabin window we could see snow capped mountains and from the door we could see a waterfall. This was the first campsite with a kitchen and we made the most of it! I think we were the only ones though.

24/06/10

We caught the cable car from Lauterbrunnen to Grutschalp and did a lovely walk along the upper valley. We had great views of the snow capped mountains above and the valley and villages below. There were beautiful wild flowers everywhere. We passed through the town of Murren and on to Gimmelwald (we found it!) From here we caught the cablecar back down, we followed the river and walked past the waterfalls back to Lauterbrunnen. All up took us 5 hrs.
We then jumped in the car and drove to Lucerne, where we stayed at Camping Club Luzerne by the lake. Tonight we christened our gas cooker and cooked a yum stirfry.

25/06/10

This morning we went for a wander around Lake Lucern, but all the nice bits with beaches you had to pay to get in too. Took a drive through town and went for a walk across the famous old wooden bridge Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge, 1333). Yes, the lake was blue, the mountains were large, but still not overly impressed (Taupo is much nicer I reakon). We then drove to Innsbruck in Austria via Zurich, and via Leichenstein which I didnt know was a country. Leichenstein is about 150 sq km, still ruled by an iron fisted monarchy who lives in a castle on a hill above the town and is famous for making false teeth and for sending postcards!

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