Our favourite apline willage - Tuesday, June 22 2010

Our favourite apline willage - Tuesday, June 22 2010

With clear sunny skies for a change this morning we decided to go up to Gimmelwald, Switzerland to show M&P the small willage we had fallen in love with in 2002. On the way up however it was decided to instead take the gondola on up higher to Murren and walk back down the 1 ½ hour pathway to Gimmelwald . Murren is basically a ski resort town but in summer caters to the tourist crowd. It is over 5300 feet above our starting point at the bottom. Many of the stores were closed but we did find several open including a great little café/bakery where we could warm up with a coffee. It was 2 degrees C up there when we arrived and some of us were not expecting that including me. After exploring the town we walked back down the steep winding trail to Gimmelwald at 3000 feet above the valley floor. Along the way are great vistas of little barns and alpine flowers sprinkled with the occasional hut and some brown swiss cattle grazing with cow bells a clanging..
Unlike Murren, Gimmelwald is a car free little village comprised mainly of alpine farms with several motel type chalets for visitors. Most barns are empty at this time of the year since farmers are in the higher alpine meadows where their cows can graze on the green grasses and alpine flowers which gives much flavor to the cheese that is produced up higher. We bought some of that tasty cheese from a lady in a small hut. Jean recognized the lady as the one shown on one of Rick Steves videos of Gimmelwald. We found many more homes built along the trail down and in town and we were actually disappointed that it has lost some of its unique charm over the past 8 years since we were here last. It is obvious that Rick Steves has been here and left his signature on many shops and motels - they display signs outside their businesses saying they are recommended by Rick Steves. For those who do not know he writes and produces travel shows in video and on TV.
While waiting for the gondola down at mid afternoon, I decided to walk the trail down instead and asked Merle to come along too while the ladies took the gondola and met us in the parking lot on the valley floor below. Ask Jean where she got to at the bottom. The walk down took 1 ½ hours and was mostly steep with many steps cutouts formed into the rocky hillside steps. It winds around the back of the canyon from Gimmelwald and crosses a number of rushing mountain streams on their way to form the main river and rapids along the valley to the Thunersee. Great camera shots at every turn today.