Monday, May 26, 2008

More of the Jungfrau

I hope it's not getting tiresome viewing pictures of our experiences here in Switzerland. Life between our little trips is pretty much just normal life for us both. Once we got used to what "normal" is here it isn't all that exciting. I am still amazed by the diversity of nationalities and cultures that is in Geneva and that will never seem mundane.



The above picture is taken from a bench outside a church in Wengen were Steve and I sat and just took in the beauty for a long time. We are looking down on the Lauterbrunnen valley and falls.

This tme I got to use the camera. Pictures of Steve are few and far between.











The above pictures are all of a waterfall called Trummelbach. This is an interesting fall because it is inside the mountain rather than outside. You take an elevator up inside the mountain so you are in a cave, and then you walk down the trail viewing the falls from different vantage points as you descend.




Steve has take this picture of the church steeple with the falls in the background before when we were here, but that was either the visit 25 years ago, or the one 13 years ago.



The Lauterbrunnen Valley and Falls are one of the memorable places from when I was in the Jungfrau region before. From Lauterbrunnen you can get to the top of either side of the valley by cog rail or gondola. The two most notable towns at the top are Wengen and Muren.


I love the cows just peacefully grazing amidst such grandeur. They are totally unaware of the beauty which surrounds them--not that cows have the ability to appreciate beautiful surroundings. We, on the other hand, do have the ability to appreciate the beauty of the world around us and hope to make the most of our experience here.

We hope you all have a great week. We think of all our family and friends all the time and are looking forward to our trip home in July.






Sunday, May 18, 2008

SPECTACULAR

This is a picture of the mountains called Eiger and Monch. They are in what is called the Jungfrau region. We stayed in the village of Grindelwald which had spectacular mountain views. Needless to say, Steve had lots of camera time and I have pictures to make up several blogs.
This is a scene just outside Grindelwald as you approach the town. You wouldn't need a label to tell you that it's Switzerland.
A view of the Eiger and the valley below dotted with chalets. Along with the chalets there are grazing cows with very loud bells and also sheep and goats--also with the requisite bells. It's surprising how the sounds from the bells travel up from the valley and through the hotel room windows.
There was a picturesque little railway that ran from the valley floor at Interlaken up to Grindelwald. We know we have some grandchildren (and their parents) who would enjoy a ride on this train.
This is the terrace of the hotel where we stayed in Grindelwald. It's a nice place to sit and take in the views.
This church is in the town of Grindelwald where we stayed. It is actually across the street from my wall of flowers. The mountain in the background is the Eiger.
I think these walls that they grow flowers out of are so beautiful. The chalet behind me and the mountain rising up in the back ground complete the scene. This trip to the Jungfrau region has been my favorite so far. I love the Alps and the feel of the air when you are there. There is so much beauty in every direction that it is almost a sensory overload. When we are experiencing this type of beauty my thoughts are that I want to share it with my family and loved ones. We sincerely hope that we will be able to do just that.

Monday, May 5, 2008

A Beautiful Thursday

Thursday, May 1, was a holiday and Steve and I took advantage of the day off to explore. The above picture is one which we saw as we were driving to Fribourg. It is looking across the lake to the Vallee with the Alps in the background. I decided that during our car rides we could review some of our French phrases and thus get a little extra study in. It was while I was going over a verb conjugation with Steve that I realized where the term "mayday" in reference to a call for help originated. If I were to ask someone for help in French it would be M' aider, or the phonetic equivalent of "mayday". I'm sure most people already knew this but it was a "discovery" for Steve and I. We also discovered this weekend why so many people take to the streets to stroll and eat when the weather gets warm. None of the buildings are air-conditioned and it gets really H O T inside. Especially when you live on the fifth floor. It only has to be 74 degrees outside to generate temperatures that feel like 90 inside one's apartment. Opening the windows seems like the answer until the rooms begin to fill with mosquitoes and tobacco smoke from everyone who is eating outside right under your window. We've noticed that everyone just opens their windows wide and doesn't worry about bugs. There are no screens here anywhere--even in new construction. This is just one of our challenges to figure out. "The price of living in Europe" as Steve puts it.

Fribourg is an ancient walled city with a lot of architectural character and natural beauty. This shows some of the old city wall.
The clock tower of the Fribourg city hall. There is a statue of a "bell ringer" in the bell tower. You'll want to click on the photo to enlarge it.
Fribourg is built on several levels with a canyon which the river has carved separating some of the areas of the city.
The river which runs through Fribourg.
After we went to Fribourg, we drove to Sion. There are two castles in Sion--an old one and an older one. The above picture is of the Chateau Tourbillon the older one from the path which ascends to it. Steve and I didn't go all the way to the top, which you can see in the right hand corner of the picture. We are waiting for some of our energetic grandchildren to help us get to the top.
A view of the Chateau Valere from the ancient ruins. This was a fairly steep climb.
In the late afternoon Steve and I just sat on some of the rocks of the ruins and enjoyed the wonderful air and beautiful views. There really is no picture that can do justice to the beauty of the area. We are using every opportunity to check out the various sites--architectural, historical and natural beauty so we will be able to serve as your tour guides when you come to see us.