The Remains of the Journey

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How blessed were we to have THREE weeks of glorious weather while in Switzerland? This was a first for us and we enjoyed every day to its fullest. Our days were filled with many hikes, boat trips, cable car rides, friends, chocolate, fondue, and paragliding over Interlaken.

Before Lynne and Don arrived to play with us up in the mountains, we visited some of our favorite trails and explored several new ones. The Marmot Trail was a beautiful hike and one that we'll return to on future visits. Plus, we now know way more than the average person needs to know about Marmots. Did you know that baby Marmots increase their birth weight by 20 times in 4 short months? That would be the equivalent of a 150 pound human baby in 4 months. If you have a need for any such Marmot knowledge, just ask us!

When Lynne and Don arrived the first thing that we planned was our paraglide trip. This is a tandem ride with an experienced pilot. Our launch elevation was 4500 ft. On our descent we drifted over Lake Thun to the west of Interlaken, past the Harder Kulm, the town mountain, and then glided over Interlaken, where we landed in the park. The pilots had digital cameras on long poles which they used to take photos of us while in the air. The photos that my pilot took were excellent and I so wish that I was able to share them with you. Unfortunately, when I started working with them on the computer, when I got home, they were sucked into a cyberspace black hole and gone forever. This was the first time I ever lost photos and couldn't believe that it had to be these. It was a very sad event and all I have to share are the photos I took. Still, the experience was incredible!!! It is not scary at all and very easy to take off and to land. While in the air, it is totally silent except for the wind rushing through the sail. You can smell the evergreen trees as you drift over them. The views of the lakes, the mountains, and the town are beautiful. You really do feel like you are flying. We LOVED it!

Lynne, Don, and Carolina (our landlady and good friend) helped us celebrate our 24th anniversary on our last night in Interlaken. We toasted the good weather, our successful paraglide flight, our good fortune to be able to return to a place that we both love, and to share it with close friends.

Flying out of Zurich on a clear sunny day provided us with some great parting shots of the snow-capped Alps. It was the icing on the cake to another great trip through Europe.

We've been home for about two and a half weeks and it is HOT!!!!!! It's always an adjustment and we're already planning a short escape from the heat and humidity. I'm headed to West Virginia for a week to visit my sister, niece, and great nephews. My sister is building a cabin in the woods on a mountain which I feel I need to inspect. Ron is headed to Indiana to see family and friends and have a garage sale. Now, we just need to plan something to get us out of the FL climate for part of September. Any suggestions?????

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Photos

On Schynige Platte
Interlaken and Lake Thun below

Bellinzona's trio of castles
A day trip to Bellinzona is a castle lover's treat. There are 3 beautifully restored 6th century castles in the heart of the city.

Comments

[Nancy]

You were so lucky to have been away
but getting used to our heat now will be a chore. I can't remember such a hot summer. In the future all my trips will be at this time!!!!

[Jane Laudano]

Jealous
OHhhhhh how jealous I am. It looks like you had a wonderful trip. I bet it was disappointing returning to the Florida heat. Enjoy West Virginia. Hope to see you soon. Jane

[Jeanne]

Wow!
What stunning views and what amazing weather, you were indeed blessed. Hope to see these views in person one day and maybe we'll even join you for a picnic lunch up there. Take care. Keep cool. Jeanne & David

[Dorothy]

Breath taking!!
Great job on the photos Pam, they are fabulous