A mini Swiss Adventure! Day two.

[roonlou]

Day 2 – Saturday 26th July

Today was to be our only full day, so had pre-booked an excursion to visit “Junfraujoch – top of Europe”, one of the tallest mountains in Europe, and as accessed by train, the home of the “highest train station in Europe”. You should hear fanfares as you read out these claims!

We'd ordered a taxi the night before to get to the train station in Zurich for 8am, it would have been much much cheaper to get a train from the Airport to the city – but with the hours time difference, the costs were out weighed by the desire to stay in bed for longer.

We'd stolen a load of snacks from the BA lounge to save on stopping for breakfast and stuffed these into our rucksack, along with water and warmer clothing. We headed down to the much quieter reception at 7.40am – to find the cab we had requested at that time was just pulling up outside! That's their efficiency again. The taxi driver only spoke German, so he silently drove us the 15 minutes to the bus terminal at the main train station.

The brief views of the city were very mixed in architecture, a selection of very new and old buildings standing side by side. Lots of cafes and restaurants spilling out onto the pavements, quiet now, but to be much busier later. Lots of high end fashion shops with designer furniture shops dotted in between. No signs of shabby cars on the roads, or shabby people - Zurich seemed like a very affluent city.

We found the little Grey line Tours hut to hand over our reservation forms, and the sour faced Oriental man solemnly handed us our silver tour stickers in return, and silently pointed us to the coach parked next to the hut.

We boarded the bus to find about 20 people already seated, a mixture of Japanese, Indian, American and Australians, young and old, mainly adults, with a couple of kids. We chose seats near the back, not above the wheel as my mum had previously suggested and waited excitedly for the tour to begin. The sour faced Oriental man, who now appeared to be our tour guide, counted numbers, and at precisely 8.30am – the doors closed and we were off on our journey.

As we traveled through the city, the guide in his strange English accent (he really rolled his letters), informed us on names of buildings, dates of construction, areas of interest – what the Swiss do at the weekends etc etc. All types of information that we'd never needed to know, but made the traveling more interesting. We quietly tucked into the breakfast of champions, stem ginger biscuits, chocolate cookies, fruit cake and breakfast bars while enjoying the views.





We carried on for an hour or so, to arrive at a small medieval town called Luzern to stop briefly and collect a few more tourists. The landscape had started to look much more rural, and very green – lots of Swiss clock inspired cabins studded into the hillsides. Our guide Kid, K, I, D, as he kept spelling his name out, informed us we'd be stopping at Interlaken (a small town situated between two lakes), for a short break soon, and came round to hand out vouchers to give us 8% discount in a couple of the shops. As he came round, he seemed to have cheered up a bit, and joked around with us as he handed out these “golden” tickets. He also firmly told us to be back at the coach no later than 11.10am.

As we arrived in this beautiful area, para gliders were descending from the skies above, we saw at least 8 in the sky at one time. The skies were brilliant blue with only tiny fluffy clouds – and in the distant Mount Eiger stood tall and proud it's snow capped peak framed perfectly by two smaller green mountains.



We parked up, and Kid lead us like ducks across the road and into the nearby discounted shop. We opted for a loo break, and joined the tour shortly after to grab a couple of souvenirs. It was a strange shop that sold tacky souvenirs, watches (of course), Swiss army knifes and expensive handbags and sunglasses. The town itself was full of healthy looking people, and very fine hotels, think mini Monte Carlo.

On Kid's advice, we headed into town in the search of lunch to take up Junfraujoch with us. We found a Co op express and purchased a couple of sandwiches and a bag of crisps. Realizing the time we quickly headed back to the coach.

We arrived with a couple of minutes to spare, and started to take photographs, only to have a now smiling Kid grab our camera and take photo's for us, making us pose, moving us about and snapping away. He was very funny, and it seemed strange after such a somber beginning. He provided the same service for the Japanese girls on the tour too. Hustled onto the bus, we pulled out of Interlaken at precisely 11.10am as promised.



Kid now came round with guide books for Junfraujoch, and asked what we wanted to do on our 2 hour visit to the peak, and advised us on the best ways to navigate around the attraction. A short drive later through more beautiful open scenery, with Kid telling us all exactly when to take a photo – to avoid trees etc, we finally arrived at Lauterbrunnen – a very quaint village. We arrived at the busy station and boarded our own reserved carriage on the first cog train on our journey up the mountains to reach the 3454m peak.





Kid insisted we opened the windows and all leaned out to enjoy the Swiss air and take in the magnificent vistas. He was really funny, switching from English, Japanese, Bangladesh – and every other language required. Again, he grabbed everyone's cameras and hung them precariously out the windows to achieve amazing shots. Like a well trained party organizer he ensured everyone was chatting and mixing in with each other, Roo even managed to arrange a second wife with one of the Japanese girls.

[roonlou]

The train silently climbed up the mountain, and as it's a single track, stopped regularly to let the trains coming down pass. The air was so clean and warm – slowly cooling down as the signs on the hills marked our assention higher and higher. This first train took and hour to arrive to the second station at a skiing resort named Kleine Scheidegg. We followed our guide and his tiny red glove on a stick across the station and onto another slightly more modern cog train. On route across the platform he pointed out a cake shop that we'd ought to visit on our return later that day.





This train took 50 minutes, and the views were short lived as most of the journey was carved through Mount Eiger and Eismeer. We did pass the husky kennels, and many hikers on the way before we had to close the windows and travel steeply into the darkened tunnel. People took turns walking up and down the carriage to really experience how steep it actually was. Kid took the opportunity to explain he was always really hard and tough on a tour so you got back to the bus on time, but if the group behaved well, he'd make sure everyone got the best from the day trip. Due to the single track, we made two 5 minute stops on the way, both with Toilets and panoramic windows. The first stop I chose to look out the windows, but the views were obscured by clouds. The second stop, I opted for the toilet break – apparently the views at this stop were amazing – which I missed!



Finally we arrived at the underground station at Junfraujoch. It was very chilly and surreal to finally arrive at a train station in a darken tunnel, felt like a broken underground train. Kid and his small red glove shot off at amazing speed and led us quickly out of the train and down a slim carved passageway and managed to squeeze all of us (27), into a lift meant for a maximum of 21 people. This lift with the clear glass doors rose very quickly up from the gloomy passageway and into the brilliant light of the Spinx 3571m above sea level – the multi leveled viewing observatory at the top of Junfraujoch. We all gasped at the brilliant sun shining in – such a change from the train journey up.



Kid grabbed our cameras as we climbed the stairs to the highest platform, and took a photo of each family at peak's height monument before hustling us out into the bracing cold outside viewing area. It was quite busy and a little windy, but not as cold as we'd expected, but the views were obscured by clouds. Kid was just about to drag us elsewhere, on the statement of “don't waste time on clouds, come back later when clearer” - when somebody called out that there was a break in the mists – and the peak finally came into view. It was jaw dropping amazing – the bright blue sky dramatically highlighting the snow capped peaks with rugged rocks jaggedly jutting through the thick snow, and then it started snowing, snow in July. This brought a tear to my eye, it was an fantastic experience, the panoramic views, the snow, the cold, the thin air making you a little light headed – amazing. Memories for a lifetime made there and then.







Seconds later, the clouds were back and the glimpse of heaven was hidden – for now. We chased after our enthusiastic group, and squeezed back into the lift and down into the mountain. One lady of the tour was missing, and Kid sighed “I lost another one”, looked sad for a micro second, then followed up with a big smile “Oh well!” and shrugged his shoulder. We'd been given a final meeting place and time, so it wasn't that bad – but she did manage to catch us up at our next destination – the Ice Palace.





This Palace was a series of tunnels and rooms carved into a glacier, decorated with ice sculptures and kindly lined with hand rails to help with the slippy ice floor. It was great fun to explore and even though cold, much warmer than outside.

[roonlou]

Next on our agenda was the Ice Gateway, a floor to ceiling viewing area to enjoy more scenery without stepping outside. This was the place our guide left us to our own devices – and his mobile phone number just in case. A young Australian student and a Californian business lady that we'd been chatting with then joined us, both single tourists on our coach, came with us in fear of getting lost.



We headed up to the plateau, our first chance to actually step out onto the mountain. It was lovely and chilly, and very misty – no view, but plenty of snow to convert into snow balls. We all played around for a bit, before we decided to find the husky's.





Back into the mountain and down lifts, along lit passageways, past a couple of souvenir shops, in a lift, up some stairs and then finally out the other side of Junfraujoch to the bright larger outside recreation area, here you could ski, hike, sledge ride and the snow discs. We all wanted to take a sledge ride with the Husky's but turned up just a little too late, and they had finished for the day. We did get to see the husky's though, and their yellow snow!



With a 5f deposit we hired a couple of snow discs and with our new friends were able to get some good photos between us of our extreme sports action. For some reason I managed to get further down the slope than anyone else, which is probably how I managed to wipe a poor lady out!







The clouds were moving really quickly, as it was quite windy – it made the glimpse of mountain peaks slip in and out of view very rapidly. We had great fun playing in the snow – hoping our jeans would eventually dry out.

[roonlou]

As it seemed much clearer, we headed back to the Spinx to hopefully see more of the amazing vista. When we arrived it was lovely and sunny, and suddenly remembering we had food, stopped to enjoy our lunch. Two fluffy fat birds also joined us for lunch, eying up our pretzel rolls full of salami and hams.



Time had passed so quickly, we decided to head back to the meeting point, which also had a cafe to grab a hot drink. This attraction is amazing, it has four different restaurants ad well as bars and shops – all at 11,333 ft. We soon found our way there, to find Kid and some of our other bus buddies lurking round the gift shop. Roo and I enjoyed a Jung Coffee, a sweet cream topped coffee loaded with schnapps.



Unfortunately time had passed too quickly, and it was time to board the train back down to Kleine Scheidegg. The cog train was now very modern, and included flat screen entertainment of how this attraction had first been created back in 1912. With our ears regularly popping, and a slight touch of altitude sickness from our Californian friend we headed downwards through the roughly honed tunnel back into the brilliant Swiss sun. Cows grazing on the green pastures with their bells jingling along the routes, from snow to sun in less than 30 minutes!

We arrived at the small ski resort and were given 15 minutes to enjoy the warm sun before boarding the next train. We took the opportunity to purchase a very large slice of warm apple cake topped with cream. The weight of the cake alone was amazing, and the taste of warm sticky sweet cinnamon apple was very tasty. All that fresh air makes one hungry.



When we boarded the next train heading a different route towards the village of Grindlewald it appeared we were the only two from the tour to have purchased such scrummy delights, and had a lot of green eyes spying our cake.

This cog train was different again to the others, more practical and less comfort, but a much shorter journey that the one up. The train carved through what I can only describe as Heidi land. Lots of wooden cabins and chalets in the valleys, with goats and cattle grazing, edelweiss and other pretty mountain flowers.



Still Kid had us hanging out of windows and messing about on the journey back to our awaiting coach. We finally gave up on the apple cake, it was much too big for us, and finally had to admit defeat.

The train arrived at the station, another tiny little alpine village, and our coach was awaiting our return. Feeling very tired and happy, Kid finally stopped talking and most of the passengers were rocked to sleep on the twisty journey back to Lurzern for our first drop off. We stayed awake to carry on gazing at the countryside even more pretty with the sun lower in the skies.



On arrival to Lurzern a few people waved goodbye as they headed back to their own holiday homes, as we carried on another hour or so back to Zurich train station. The views soon changed from green to more industrial and built up, still with very modern buildings over shadowing old churches and town halls. We soon were on the twisting roads of Zurich City center, the restaurants and bars now very busy with families and friends enjoying the evening sun.

We pulled into the bus terminal at 8pm, we gathered up our belongings and bid our companions goodbye. Kid gave us a handshake and we gave him a tip, which I noted only the Americans seemed to also do.

We headed into the train station, and checked with the information desk on which train to get to the airport, one was departing in just 4 minutes. But up for a challenge, we grabbed a couple of tickets from the confusing automatic machine and raced for the platform. Swiss efficiency played out again, and we made it to the double level train with seconds to spare.



10 minutes later, we arrived at Zurich Airport. Now, we knew the Hotel bus would be there in 5 minutes, and hoped we could make it. Unfortunately, the Airport was much bigger than we'd thought and we missed the bus by a few minutes. But no fear, we knew another one would arrive soon.

We arrived back at the hotel, to find the outside restaurant teaming with guests – it was very busy. We decided the most painless way to get food from the hotel was to order room service, as sitting in a busy restaurant with very rumbly tummies would possibly lead to a very expensive bill.

So back in our room, and met by a limited room service menu, a BBQ burger was our choice of tradition Swiss fare. Roo phoned down, and the burgers appeared within the promise 20 minute order time. We were so hungry the burgers were the most tastiest thing in the world, and snuffled down everything on our plates. It was probably good we were in private settings for our carnivorous dining technique.



A hot shower and collapsed into the comfortable beds – sweet mountain dreams of heaven and earth for me, sure to have been influenced by the day out.

[shirley]

what a wonderful trip, the piccies are amazing and Kid seems a man who knows his stuff lol

[Guest]

Stunning. There is no place as beautiful as real mountains. A great report, thanks for posting.

[Guest]

Wow sounds like a fab day. Stunning scenery.

[ali-s]

That looks fantastic, you certainly packed a lot in one day.

[Guest]

Anotehr great report with lovely photos.

[DIBBadmin]

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