Day 1 – The Alps

Photo Note:  Thanks to Connie* (the designer/architect behind this beautiful Book Barmy Blog) I discovered we’ve been taking photos with our (relatively new) camera in HD = meaning they are huge.  My apologies.  Halfway through our days in the Alps, we figured out how to take photos in a more manageable size.  So the later photos over the next couple of posts will be click-able to make big-able.

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Aug. 3 – We drive our exchange car to Lauterbrunnen about 1 1/2 hour trip.  Once in Lauterbrunnen we park in a garage which we booked for three days. Then we climb aboard a little train which gets us part of the way up and then we transfer to a gondola/cable car to reach Murren.  Murren is the car-free village at the base of the Eiger, Jungfrau and Mönch range of the Alps.  We booked the hotel ages ago and dreamt of this arrival for months.  (The hotel has a live webcam, and many mornings we would log on just to gaze at the views.)

 

First the little train gets us part of the way up.  Then the gondola gets us higher and higher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s our hotel – perched on a cliff with lots of stairs.  Luckily, we packed light – just two backpacks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After check-in, we dump our bags and head for the very top.  Just too beautiful a day not to get out and up … and up … and up.  Our hotel package includes a transit card which gets us on all the little cable cars (gondolas), trains and funiculars that allow one to explore the highest most vantages and then start out for hikes at the summits.  But for today just strolling – first we head up to the Piz Gloria viewing station – also the setting for some really stupid 1968 James Bond film – but we want the views…and views we got.  Just take a look – breathtaking (1).

(1) keeping track of how many times I use the word breathtaking (just for you, Rand).

 

Husband does the obligatory pose with Bond, James Bond – sorry the photo is slightly out of focus, I was giggling at our hokeyness.

 

We had a coffee at the revolving restaurant – more hokey-ness but hey we’re tourists after all, and you can’t beat the view.

Came down from the heights – involves two gondolas and strolled up and down and around the little village of Murren.

Then back to our hotel – just in time for sunset beverages on our hotel terrace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Swiss rose wine is the same shade as the mountains… perfection (big happy sigh).

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*Connie is also a talented needlework/fiber artist – see her work HERE.