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Published: June 29th 2006
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Well let me just start off by saying I am glad we didnt start out going to Switzerland otherwise our entire trip would have failed in comparison, it was so incredible!!! Getting there from Venice.... well lets just say throwing up 10 times on the flight to London was more fun. Ok no it wasnt that bad, but after our day trip to Verona, we took a night train to Venice. It was second class, and 6 beds in a REALLY small compartment, three on each side. We were sharing with 3 other Canadians our age, so that was good. I volunteered to take the top bunk and regretted my decision almost immediately. It was cramped and 20 degrees hotter up there than the bunk below me. The whole night I kept putting my hand down to where Heidi was just so I could feel cool somewhere on my body. The girl below me on the other side was cold and using a blanket, while I was soaked with sweat and fanning myself the whole night... hmm must have been nice :P Needless to say I didnt sleep. We arrived in Brig, Switzerland at 6:15 in the morning, and the second
Our new friends
Playing a drinking game with some people we met we stepped off the train, none of that crappy night mattered anymore. It was beautiful! The mountains were all around us, there were bells going off somewhere in town, but most importantly it was actually cold outside. After being in stiffling heat for over a week in Italy, that was the best feeling! We then made our way to Gimmelwald, Switzerland to go to the Mountain Hostel. It took 3 trains, 1 bus, and a gondola up the side of a cliff to get there (and almost 4 hours, which was hard when we hadnt gotten any sleep the night before), but once we got there we instantly wished we could stay longer than two nights. Gimmewald is a VERY small town, like just over 100 people, its on the edge of a cliff in the most beautiful part of the swiss alps, and the nearest grocery store is a 45 minute climb uphill. The couple running the hostel treat you like family, and it was so easy to meet people. First off we took a much needed nap, then just hung around, read, met some people, and took it easy. Not many people are there during the day because
they are hiking, but around 6 pm everyone is back and showered, and ready to drink and eat (also conveniently happens to be what time the bar in the hostel opens) So we took a soak in the hot tub, had some dinner, and met a really good group of people and just played pool, talked, and drank the whole night. Most of the people in the hostel were either from the US, Australia, or Canada, so there wasnt too much diversity, but it was fun all the same. The next day, Heidi and I went on a 3 hour hike to the mouth of the river in the valley. There were waterfalls everywhere you looked... and cows too with bells around their necks. We had to walk through a big group of cows, personally Im afraid of them, but everyone said they were used to people so it was fine. Then we got back to the hostel and met up with the friends we had made, and made the 45 minute climb uphill to the nearest town, Murren to watch the soccer game Australia vs. Italy. Australia lost which the Australians we were with hated, then we hiked back
Taking in the view
On our hike to the moth of the river down to Gimmelwald. Let me just say all this was 2 days ago and my legs STILL hurt from all the walking we did that day. So anyway, then we had some of the hostels pizza, and THIS one was the most amazing pizza... Italy has nothing on Petra´s pizza (The lady who runs the hostel). Then we all went outside and drank under the stars which made an appearance for the first time since we were there. You could see every star, and the milky way, and shooting stars... I love it! Tuesday we had to leave and Heidi and I really took our time doing that. We didnt end up leaving until 2 pm to make our way to Munich. So many people who were staying there had planned on staying a couple nights and before they knew it they were there one or two weeks. There wasnt much to do in Gimmewald, but the scenery, and the people you meet made it all worth staying for. But all good things must come to an end, all I know is that I WILL go back there someday, it was THAT amazing!!!!!
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Laurie
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Where's the photos
So ... where's the photos?????