I could hardly concentrate throughout early Monday morning Philosophy and German class as today marked the day that Zoe and I would be travelling to Interlaken.
Finally 2:30pm arrived and we rushed off to catch our train. You may be wondering what is the big deal about Interlaken? Well, let me explain; located in the Bernese Oberland Jungfrau region, it is probably one of the most stunning mountainous areas in Switzerland with some of the highest peaks in Europe and home to Switzerland’s outdoor adventure playground (have I convinced you yet?).
“Once Interlaken made the Victorians swoon…; today it makes daredevils scream with adrenalin-loaded adventures. Straddling the glittering Lakes Thun and Brienz and dazzled by the pearly whites of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, the scenery here is mind-blowing. Particularly, some say, if you’re abseiling waterfalls, thrashing white water or gliding soundlessly above 4000m peaks.”
{Lonely Planet}
Zoe and I had planned a few weeks ago to come here as part of her 21st Birthday celebrations and so when the day finally arrived, we couldn’t contain our excitement any longer. I don’t think you can come to Switzerland and not see this incredible place! But first to get there, we had to endure a five hour train journey. It wasn’t actually too bad as we took in the stunning Swiss landscapes along the way. The last leg of the journey from Luzern to Interlaken was probably one of the best train journeys I’ve ever had. Passing by glistening lakes, we slowly made our way through tunnels in mountains and climbed up the alps on the train until we finally made it to Interlaken.
After arriving and checking into our very ‘Swiss’ hostel, we decided to go for a dander around the town. It was buzzing with tourists and we couldn’t help but notice the vast amounts of Chinese tourists here (I almost felt as if I was back in China).
The first thing on Zoe and I’s list to do was canyoning. If you aren’t too sure what canyoning is, basically, you jump, climb, abseil, swing into a fast-flowing, freezing-cold mountain river, with the thrill of being carried downstream at high speeds and when I say fast speeds I am not exaggerating! This was honestly the best fun ever and we enjoyed meeting some Americans in our group who were traveling around Europe. The guides made it really safe (don’t worry Margaret) and we lived to tell the tale. A great start to our trip.
Next we got the famous train which took us to the top of Harder Klum (Top of Interlaken). Here we seen the panoramic views of the Jungfrau region and it truly was breathtaking at 1,322m above sea level! Feeling lazy for getting the train, we decided to hike the whole way down. This proved quite challenging, especially as my knee still isn’t fully recovered, but nonetheless it was fun as we walked through fields of Swiss cows with jingling bells.
The next day we got up early to take the train to Grindelwald. This little town tucked in the mountains, really was the real Swiss experience. It was so cute to see all the little wooden cabins scattered throughout the valleys as we glided above in the cable car up to First Mountain.
A first for everything:
First Mountain definitely was a first for being 4 inches in snow on the 1st of June. We hiked around the mountain, visiting the glacial lake and mustering up the courage to do the famous Tissot cliff walk. I think The Gobbins has nothing on this incredibly scary walk on an extension rope bridge where you actually have to edge sideways as you traverse the cliff edge. I was actually quite glad that it was too foggy to see exactly how big the drop was, although this made it even scarier.
Finally after having the best few days, it was time for Zoe and I to head back to Kreuzlingen after what had been an incredibly thrill-seeking adventure.
*A little story to make you smile… As two hungry, smelly girls waited for their train home in Luzern they were overwhelmed by the kindness of a restaurant owner who gave them two free burgers! They honestly tasted so good and in a place like Switzerland where a good burger could easily cost 20CHF we were so delighted by this kindness. As Aesop states;
“No act of kindness, however small is ever wasted.”
After a great week we were delighted to have Zoe and Josh’s friends Louis and Andrew (fellow Stran student) arrive in Kreuzlingen on the Friday evening.
More to follow in my next blog of what we got up to.
LIVING IN SWITZERLAND 