Our last full day...

After I posted the blog for last night, we had one more beautiful sight of the day. We looked out our window and there was a full moon rising over the Alps. It wasn't an event we could adequately photograph, but an "event" none the less.

We knew this would be a long day...or long two days...or whatever...with the flight home and the time change, so we did not set the alarm this morning and slept until we woke up at 8:30. The good news is that there was not a cloud in the sky. The bad news is that we have to leave the area today.

At breakfast we visited with a couple from Orlando, Florida. We swapped travel stories and tips with each other for several minutes. We meet extremely interesting people at breakfast.

Sadly, we packed our backpacks and caught the train and lift back to Lauterbrunnen, but before we left the valley area we decided to get off the train and take a side trip...a cog railway from Wilderswil to a place called Schynige Platte. While we were waiting for the cog train to arrive in Wilderswil, we stuffed our big backpacks in a locker and went to the local Migros (grocery) and picked up some picnic items. Among other items, we bought a "surprise sandwich". Pre-prepared sandwiches are always a "surprise" to us because the ingredients are written in German, and of course we don't read German. So, we peek around the wrappers and try to guess what is inside the bread. Sometimes we guess correctly, sometimes not. Nearly always a surprise.

We boarded a slow-moving cog train on a very steep path. The little train climbed to high so fast that it made me think of the "Little Train that Could". I could almost hear the engine saying, "I think I can...I think I can...". At one point our little train stopped to let another train by us, and the name of the little station where we stopped was named Rotenegg. I don't know the German pronunciation of that word, but to me it looked like we stopped at a spot called Rotten Egg. Not a delightful thought. There was one really intriguing-looking man on the train with us. I snapped his picture because he looked so typical. I just loved his features.

The train ride itself took almost an hour, but once we finally reached the top, the view was spectacular. We could see for miles and miles in every direction. We could see Lake Thun and Lake Brienz, Interlaken, several other towns in the area, and had unobstructed views of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau peaks. People were wandering around the area and climbing all over the hillsides. There were hiking trails all over the mountains and hillsides. There were trails for leisurely hikers like we are, and trails for serious hikers, all with spectacular views.

Before hiking, we picked a spot on the side of the mountain and ate our lunch: the "surprise sandwich" (which turned out to be turkey), potato chips, apples, and grapes. The last of the Swiss chocolate cookies completed our menu. With our mountainside view, how could we miss?

We took a photo while stopped for lunch. These are the feet that have hiked for miles in the Alps, hopped through rain puddles in Munich, walked on the medieval walls in Rothenburg, and walked aboard a ship cruising the Rhine River. These feet have visited royal castles and humble McDonald's. They have climbed stairs to get to hotel rooms, stairs in towers to get a higher view, and stairs in train stations rushing to make the next train. These feet have been to worship services in three different countries, and these feet have ridden airplanes, trains, buses, funiculars, lifts, and taxis. Most of all, these feet have had a wonderful trip. They may look a little shop-worn in this photo as they overlook the Alps and Lake Thun in the distance, but they are happy feet. Yes, you can make it for three weeks on one pair of shoes. They have served us well.

We took a hike to an even higher point on the mountain after lunch. The location on the mountain was called Aussichtspunkt Daube, which is much harder to spell than it was to hike to. The views from up there were excellent. Olen posed by the hiking sign. They have these all over Switzerland. They point the direction of the trail to various locations.

We rode down the mountain on the Little Train that Could, and then took a regular train to Interlaken and on to Zurich by way of Luzern. When we left the hotel this morning our host suggested a more scenic route to take on the train, and he was correct. We passed by Lake Brienz and other beautiful blue glacier-fed lakes with the nountains on the opposite side. We arrived in Zurich at 8:30.

So, this was our last full day of our wonderful trip. Tomorrow we board an airplane to take us home and we will face the "real world" where there are meals to be cooked, clothes to be washed, bills to be paid, etc.. But, with these wonderful memories to mull over in our minds, we will face the real world with smiles. I will probably post one more note for this trip when we get home, but it may take a few days for me to get adjusted to the time on the other side of the world, so give me a couple of days. Until then...