Blogs from South-West, Switzerland, Europe - page 3

Hiking was one of the goals of this trip and this was our planned day for a bit longer of a hike, up higher in the mountains above Grindelwald. Initially, we planned a hike to an area in the glacial valley called Chilchbaum, which was supposed to be about 4.5 miles round trip. Then maybe a smaller hike later nearby. So, we packed our stuff for the day, including thermals beneath our clothes and Dana made and packed us a lunch of hard boiled eggs, cheese, jerky, and leftover vegetables. Chilchbaum We made our way to the edge of Gimmelwald and along a trail to the valley, south and then west of town. The hike was relatively easy, mostly along a road during the early parts. Then we started to gradually climb uphill, along a swift ... read more

Some of you have wondered WHY this three month trip....well, in part, it is because Bill and I are not getting any younger!! That’s a fact. In particular, I was/am hoping to recapture some of the excitement and clarity-of-thought that we both remember from our year-long 1994 excursion. Until climbing the mountain, I wasn’t sure if we could accomplish that. However, while walking in weather-turning-to-snow, and being afraid because we might have taken the wrong path, I concentrated on putting one foot in front of another, in front of another, in front of another, and focused on NOT falling down the mountainside. I thought about not panicking, and not getting mad because I didn’t know what was coming up... I won’t kid you. There have been some moments in the last month when I have been ... read more

I get up early as I want to have a short walk to watch the sun rise. It is a beautiful morning. I have been watching the forecast for these last few days since I started the trip. It had shown rain consistently for weeks so I was delighted when this changed a couple of days before arriving in St Moritz. Both staying this high up on the Muottas Muragl and doing the Glacier Express trip are bound to be much nicer if the weather is kind, and I have been truly lucky with the weather throughout this trip. This early walk is the only time so far that I have put on my fleece, and that is only because it is so early. I only had rain one evening in Nürnberg and the thunderstorm in ... read more

Findlay's reunite in Interlaken, Sarah from the UK with her boyfriend and Mum, Dad and Dan from NZ. Unfortunately Murray was at World Water week in Stokholm so missed the family trip, but had a very productive time in the pre meetings to the conference. We were blessed with amazing weather and an apartment that was located near the main park in Interlaken. We were able to walk around, enjoying the rivers and para-gliders coming into land in the park near us. Mum shouted us a trip up the Jungfraujoch. An expensive trip but well worth it. It was more touristy than I had realised. Catching the bus up and then 2 train trips to get to the top. Where there are tunnels leading you to different areas. There was the Ice palace which was great ... read more

Not the first time on the Eurostar from St Pancras, but the first embarking on an adventure on the train across Europe to Italy. One that we were both looking forward to - not the same as getting on a cruise ship, where your bag can be totally unpacked and you appear in different ports overnight. This was going to be different. Armed with our ‘Inter-railing’ ticket, we boarded the Eurostar heading for our first brief stop in Paris. Arriving at the Gare du Nord, we caught the RER to Gare de Lyon ready for the next journey. There was around a two hour stop, which gave us time for lunch at Fosca (just outside the station). The food was very good and I would recommend it - we had booked using the trip-advisor links but ... read more