Can’t beat the apline flowers - Thursday, June 24, 2010

Can’t beat the apline flowers - Thursday, June 24, 2010

Even better weatherwise today - not a cloud in the sky as we left the Oesch’s. It was off to Steckelberg again for a trip to the top of Europe at the Schilthorn - almost. The Jungfraujoch boasts the “Top of Europe” but having been to both now I like the view from Schilthorn best. Maybe because it is up higher than Gimmelwald and Murren - two of our favourite places in Switzerland. It was 4 degree C up there when we arrived by cable car but the bright sunshine made it feel warmer. What a view from the observation deck. We could see the Thunersee far below but best of all the scenery on the way up was magnificent. Sheep were grazing just below the snowline on the bright green grassy slopes and closeby was always a rough barn or in some cases a house/barn combo where the cows and sheep are allowed to graze on the alpine grasses and flowers - a combination that produces some of the best cheese we have tasted. As were descending the 1 hour trip, we cut through the fog in places - a sure sign that the warmer air from below was mixing with the snow covered peaks.
In the afternoon we traveled up to Schynige Platte, an high alpine rocky plateau where wild flowers grow in abundance - almost any colour and size is there. Jean got out her pen and paper and wrote down the names of the ones she might like to get - I can just see a trip to the greenhouse in her cards when we get home.
While the ladies looked at the flowers, we men went in different directions. Merle went up and around the other side of the mountain for some better photo ops and I took off walking the path toward First, a rocky mountain trail that takes 4-5 hours to complete - only spent about a hour on it before returning for a coffee up there. The cogwheel train ride down was better than ever. Both the Thunersee and the Breinzersee are visible from the higher areas as the train passes through the rocks and trees on the way down. We chatted with 2 British men on the way down - both have been mountain trail climbing for 8 years or more - 2 weeks at a time on their vacation. Today they had completed the high walk from First to Schynige Platte in 4 hours.

Looking for Wingers - Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Looking for Wingers - Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Finally an almost cloudless day to travel up to Wengen so we left at 8:30 am and drove to Grindelwald, caught the train to Lauterbrunnen then switched to the cogwheel train for the trip up to Wengen. Wengen is a flat plateau at 4300 ft above sea level that was once the home of the Winger families before some of them moved to America in the early 1700’s . Many are still in the area, in fact we had a waitress several days ago with the surname Wenger.
We found the view up there spectacular as we had remembered. There have been many new chalets, condos and hotels built though since 2002 that in places we hardly recognized the once familiar surroundings. Merle and I walked around to a view point where we had been before and instead of the one bench that was there to rest and take in the view in 2002, there were 12. That was the ratio of changes we noticed around many corners today as we visited. Newer and larger trains are now used to transport people up to Wengen and beyond to Jungfraujoch. Many of the stores in town centre are the same and we enjoyed browsing through the souvenir shops. We stopped at a small café for coffee before walking up behind some of the homes before returning to the train station for the ride back down to Lauterbrunnen then transferring to the Grindelwald train. The name of the Grindelwald bahnhof has been changed to Zweilutschinen but the trains still come and go as we remembered.
We stopped on the way home at the Spiez Bibliotheca (library) to send off a few hurried e-mails before heading “home” for supper.

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.

Saints in the cave - Monday, June 21, 2010

Saints in the cave - Monday, June 21, 2010

Today we started out to Einigen, the closest town to find an internet connection. We asked at the Migros (grocery store) and several other stores and were told that the only place in town was at the Bahnhof (train station) so we went over there. It was a coin operated computer station that charged by the minute - equivatent to $1.00 for 5 minutes. Between the 4 of us we were able to send short reports to family then it shut down after about $5.00 worth or 25 minutes. That seems like a lot but considering we had to type in all new e-mail addresses and try to figure where the keys are located, we spent too much time correcting our mistakes than typing.
After shopping then for groceries for our week at the Oesches, we brought them home had lunch and packed coffee and snacks for the afternoon. We traveled around to the other side of Thunersee to the Saint Beatus Caves which were inhabited in the 12 century by monks then opened up to the public in the early 1900 by the Hartmann family. The caves were formed and continue to be formed by rushing water coming down from the mountains above and creating channels in the limestone rock in some places big enough to drive a car through. The highest point in side the mountain walkway was 300 meters above our entrance point and
Continued to within 400 meters of the top of the mountain. It was very damp and wet inside and very loud rushing water at times. We were taken through by a guide who explained various formations in both German and English. No pictures were allowed so all we have is the brochure we received at the entrance. Then it was home for supper and a relaxing evening. Jean and I did take a short bike ride for an hour or so before retiring for the night.

Torture place - Sunday, June 20 2010

Torture place - Sunday, June 20 2010

We were sad to leave our ‘sleep in the straw’ but are looking forward to putting our roots down for a week at the Oesch’s - a Mennonite-Your-Way host family. We travelled back to Langnau Mennonite Church for Sunday service - tried to find the starting time but could not so decided to go for 10 a.m. but arrived in the middle of the service. After the service was over 4 or 5 persons came to us and we were able to find out a bit more about the church and the people who are there. We received an invite to come back on a good clear day sometime this week to the Rothlisbeiger farm to see the farm and the view. We will try to work that in this week. The wife was the lady who met us first at the church - actually she was in the nursery - the only sign of life we could find initially. She had Lehman relatives and she and Jean joked about being cousins. She spoke limited English but we were able to understand. She told us it is the oldest continuously operating Mennonite church in the world but we think she meant in Switzerland. The wife of the deceased pastor for 50 years spoke to us first after the service - she had been to England to study in earlier years.
After leaving the church in Langnau we set our GPS for the Schloss Thun (Castle Thun), parked in an underground parking lot nearby the castle and ate our lunch before touring the castle. At the castle was a special day - every 2 years they do a re-inactment of daily life in the castle - pottery making, blacksmithing, candle making, lots of food and many were dressed in period costumes. The whole city was there it seemed.
We saw the chamber where early Anabaptists were tortured for their religious beliefs and practices during the late 1600’s and early 1700’s. On up higher in the watchtower accessible only by a narrow curved stairway was a room where they were chained to the stone floor in shackles - only a small hinged opening in the heavy steel door for guards to check in on the poor culprit. There was also mention of a lower dungeon where some were also tortured. It was a sobering thought to think that some of our forefathers may have been among the ones who spent their last days in those locations.
After leaving the castle we drove to the Oeschs and were glad to renew old acquaintenances from two previous trips to Switzerland. Bethli as usual was eager to suggest places and towns we just had to visit. She always wants us to stay longer.

Pilgerweg

The “Pilgerweg” - Pilgrims Way Cabin - Saturday, June 19

Last night we slept in the Pilgrim Cabin - a cabin about the size of a single car garage, It has a double bed and 2 single beds and was damp and cold at first but after crawling under the duvet we were very warm and slept well except for Jean waking us up with her nightmare - probably drempt she was in one of those caves we looked for yesterday.
After a hearty traditional breakfast prepared for us by our hostess Regina, we were off to visit Interlaken in central Switzerland about an hour south east.
Before leaving this a.m. we were able to do some laundry and set it out to dry while we went out for the day.
It was raining AGAIN when we arrived at our parking spot so we ate our lunch in the car and then walked to the centre of the city several blocks away. We split up as couples and agreed to meet at 3 pm for coffee at a nice little café we had found several days earlier.
More shopping and then we headed up the opposite side of the Thunersee, stopped a few moments and showed M&P where Mr. & Mrs. Oesch lived then headed back to the Kunzi farm. After unpacking we headed down into town (Wattenwil) for supper at Baren Restaurant - it was salad and pizza. Home in the rain AGAIN and some watched CNN news and some of us journalled before retiring for the night.

Anabaptist Hideout

Anabaptist Hideout - Fri. June 18, 2010

Before breakfast I went for a short hike on the Jacobsenweg - often times paved 4 foot wide paths and other time gravel paths up behind the Kunzi farm. Mrs. Kunzi our hostess had a great breakfast of Canadian style coffee and buns and meats and cheeses as well as cereal and yogurt and jellies and more - a good start to our day.
We 4 decided then to drive to Langnau a small town about 20 km east to look up the Mennonite church from which many of our families had left some 300 years ago for Pennsylvania. It is the oldest still operating Mennonite church in Switzerland. Churches are often open we were told so we went inside and it had all been remodeled to a modern building. A large cemetery was beside the church with familiar names like Wenger, Lehmann, Engle and others. Of coarse all stone markers are recent - within the last 10 - 15 years since the law requires families to relinquish their plots after 30 years or buy it again. We were told that many families remove the stones to somewhere and old sections of the cemetery become new burial places.
Next we drove up tp Eggiwil and out into the mountainside to try to find a cave where Anabaptist Mennonites met in secret in the 1600 and 1700’s again to avoid persecution for their beliefs. We found the area - a deep gorge - a spot similar to Walkins Glen that was onlu accessible by foot path. Trouble was the foot path was also used by the local farmer’s cows and with all the rain it wa a soupy mess most of the way down to the cave. The farmer we talked to about its location looked at my shoes and pointed to his knee high rubber boots and just laughed as he motioned in the downward direction. We decided against going down but took some pictures of the rock formation above instead.
We had read about a barn in the area called Hinter Hutten where early Mennonites and Amish hid to avoid persecusion in the late 1600s and early 1700s. Found the barn high up in the mountains on a gravel one-lane path and a long way from nowhere. It was strategically located so that it was a 2 day journey in those days for authorities to arrive from the city. Someone or organization had documented a lot of history of the period and a brochure led us step by step through the still private farm/barn/house detailing all that happened. The present owners the Fankhausers - he is the 14th generation to live and work the farm, met us at one point and helped us get oriented. The house/barn combination was built in 1608 - the date still visible above the main house door. A hidden chamber about 3’ x 6’ is still visible behind a log wall in the “meat room” in the centre between the house and barn. A very interesting afternoon. The Langnau Mennonite church is approximately 30 minutes south west of the Fankhauser Barn.
Back at the Kunzi farm we moved into the Pilgrimweg cabin for 2 more nights accommodation - this time by ourselves.

Sleeping in the Straw

Sleeping in the Straw - Thursday, June 17, 2010

Today we left our Zimmer in Merlingen early before the hosts were up. They did not offer breakfast this morning so we opted to eat our good old cereal along the Thunersee beside the ducks.
Since it was damp and looked like rain we drove north to Wattenwil area where we found our “sleep in the straw” accommodation for one night - a very large house/barn combination that will house not only the Kunzi family but a separate apartment for Omma but a zimmer as well as the straw mow and large dining room beneath.
Out of town we found several flat paths so we biked out through the countryside for several hours, came back to the car and ate lunch then out on the bikes again for a couple more hours.
It was back up the high winding roadway again to our “straw” farm where we met M&P who will be with us for 2 weeks as we tour Switzerland.
Our accommodation is literally up in their straw mow above the stable. Cows bawling and rattling their chains in the night and the owner started the milking machines around 6 a.m. this morning. It was dry but cold so we each used 4 heavy army blankets and slept in our clothes. When we were still getting ready, 2 Swiss hikers joined us in the straw mow at the other side of the mow. They had been hiking the Jacobsweg, a trail that runs past the high mountain farm and extends from one side of Switzerland to the other. We had “schlaf Im Stroh” in 2002 and wanted to experience it again this time and M&P were eager to experience it as well.