Interlaken, Switzerland

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This morning I experienced the Swiss Alps. I rode the gondola to the top of the Schilthorn peak. It takes about half an hour to get there. At the top there is a revolving restaurant, a gift shop, a James Bond display, and sublime views of the mountains (see first two photos). It was not particularly cold despite the elevation of 9,744 ft. (Timberline Lodge is 5,960 ft.) I loved the views of mountains and valleys in every direction. I didn't spend much time in the restaurant, gift shop, or James Bond display. The reason for the latter is that "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was partially filmed here. The rides up and down provided great views, too. I took a picture of the gondola station on the valley floor (see photo). Fairly nearby is a sort of Greenfield Village for Switzerland. Ballenberg is a site where old buildings are brought to be restored and opened for visitors. Unlike Greenfield Village, these buildings have no specific historical interest, but they are mostly very old. The oldest I remember seeing was originally built in 1532. Some had thatch roofs (see photo) and many had to do with farming. There were quite a few live farm animals on display and there were people dressed in period costume, some performing tasks such as hat-making or operating a saw mill. It seems to me that cows are an important part of the Swiss national identity and a scene with cows in a mountain valley sums this up (see photo). Tomorrow I will leave the rural part of the country and visit one of the cities. I am interested to see what that will be like.

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