Wengen, Switzerland

Aug. 1, 2012     Swiss Day!

Hike Schynige Platte to First

Happy Swiss Day!  Breakfast rolls get fancy.

Jim and I are heading to Schynige Platte--we were out there the other day with our friends for a short hike; today it's just Jim and me for a day-long walk over to First.

Others are enjoying an around-Wengen medicinal herb walk this morning.  Wish I could do both.

 We're at the top of Schynige Platte after riding the train.  It's a gorgeous day!

Last year we started our walk here with scattered clouds that turned to downpour half way through our 7 hour hike. So much of last year's hike we couldn't see 10 feet in any direction.

Today, I did tuck my raincoat into the pack bottom; Jim didn't.  Such faith.

Really, I'm anticipating a 6-hour hike, and that I'll need my sunglasses and sunhat all day long.

 Here are photos from each stage of the hike. 

 Lunch in the shade.  Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, some trail mix, and water.  Limited water--no WC for a while yet, and little cover on this high-mountain trail.

In the lee of our lunch rock we spy an egg shell.  Where's the bird nest?  There are some trees across the valley.  Maybe a marmot sat here and ate its lunch, too.

 About mid-way is this remote berghaus.  Cold ice tea, a beer, and a big slice of apfel kuchen mit rahm to share between us. The outhouse is a rickey piece of tin, sitting on a slight slope.  Interesting experience.  I'm happy to have it, too.  Men have an alternative without a door. 

 We've been climbing for hours, and it's not over yet.  Rock steps--this is one of the hardest parts for me.  Maybe it's that apfel kutchen mit rahm rolling around in my stomache.

 I make Jim take a photo of my hiking boots.  They are so comfortable and I am so grateful for that.

 Bergwanderwegs are more challenging terrain than a plain wanderweg.  And worth it.

 Even in this high, rocky place, the summer flowers find a way to bloom.  Butterflies, flies, and bees respond.

 Jim's got his heart set on walking up to Faulhorn this time.
A few shots of panorama:

 Next few from Faulhorn:

 I wait for Jim.  Climbing Faulhorn would put me over the top for tired legs.

The lake below--finally--means we'll walk downhill--finally--for the next couple of miles.

 We ride the gondola down from First, to Grindelwald. 

 Jim's really happy to be back in time for dinner, although we're later than we thought we'd be.  Our friends are eating slowly as they wait for us.  We're so hungry we eat our soup before I remember to get a photo.  Tonight was potato spinach and noodle soup.

 Salad includes a slice of foccacia with mountain thyme, with the usual garden greens from Terese's garden, with the house savory dressing.  I'd love to take a bottle of this dressing home.
Vegetarian main course (above) is gnocci in herb sauce, potatoes with cheese, and the veggies configured to represent the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau mountains with glacier, valley below.
Each part of the meal tonight, Swiss Day, is from a different canton in Switzerland.

 Veal in hay sauce.

 Dessert is a generous helping of lavender ice cream.  The bits of blue are the lavender leaves.  Mixed reviews on this dessert--three of five like it.  The dessert inspires a discussion of uses of lavender, with advanced knowledge from this morning's medicinal herb walk.

Happy Swiss Day!  We head to the town square to celebrate: Children's parade, bell-ringers, horn players, and fireworks.  To top it off, lightening crackles and lights the sky for a concluding thunder storm.  As we watch the storm from our hotel balcony with our friends, I think what good timing on that rain.