Blogs from Rapperswil, North-East, Switzerland, Europe

After a more relaxed morning without leaving early, we caught a train to Zurich and Sebenen then bus to Innerthal. The bus journey took us initially up a dammed narrow valley which then opened up into the valley of Vorderthal which was very typically Swiss - rolling green hills dotted with farm houses and barns with the small town set in the lower part of the valley. At this time of the year all the animals were indoors so there was a lack of animal life and bells ringing. A very peaceful scene. The road continued up a narrow, winding gorge with solid rock walls. There had obviously been problems with slips into the river taking out the road. The new road was superb. The steep sides were well shored up with huge rocks and thick ... read more

Hi All Margret took us to Mythen Mountains. Took a cable car to the to the top ski station for a hot chocolate. Spectacular view from both sides of the mountain. On to Einsiendeln to a Benendictine Abbey. He has been burn down and rebuilt several times over many hundreds of years. The interior of the Abbey in my opinion even more impressive than the Sacre Coeur in Paris. It was truely something to be seen. It is home to the Black Madonna where several hundred thousand pilgrims visit each year. We were one of about 50 in the Abbey at the time so it was very spiritual and peaceful. The Abbey is also renowned for its horse breeding - magnificent stables sit on the grounds. In the afternoon we walked around the lake at Rapperswil ... read more

Rapperswil, Switzerland Our excursion today was on a boat down Lake Zurich to Rapperswil. It was pretty foggy when we left but the fog cleared as we moved along and it turned into a beautiful sunny Sunday. Despite the fog it was warm enough to sit out on the deck. The ferry makes many stops along both sides of the lake along the way. There is also a tiny ferry to take cars across (it's quite a long drive around). Rapperswil is a lovely little town with the requisite "very old church." Apparently, it was once strong enough to have attached Zurich! We strolled through the streets past shops and cafes and finally settled on one in the square where we had some quiche, sandwiches, and wonderful desserts. I found this legend of the town online ... read more