Stunning Switzerland
On arrival I was immediately struck by how clean and tidy everything was, down to every shop window looking immaculate and something out of a magazine. No time to waste, we were then treated to an incredible view of both lakes above the resort of Interlaken, reached by the funicular railway.
The following day we were off on our various trains and a journey that worked its way through the pretty ski villages of Grindawald and Wengen until we transferred to the train that would take us to the mighty Jungfraujoch. Meadows inevitably turned to expanses of snow cover and visibility became poor. The steep climb, made apparent if you left your seat, meant you would have to lean at a 45° angle just so you wouldn't fall over!
Once at the top we were greeted by minus temperatures and lots of snow. Although at one side of the mountain it was quite warm, almost alpine like where you could go skiing and the other side bitterly cold. Back inside the glacier, we were able to see the different stages of this mighty hunk of ice, where trees had been laid a hundred years before to the drought of 1976, where the ice was totally clear for several metres.
A brighter day followed and here we were able to sample the first zip wire, well worth the train and cable car ride to get there. Basically it involves sliding down the top of the mountain in a harness. On our return we caught the boat back to Interlaken. It was a lovely warm day as we stopped at the pretty villages along the way dropping off and picking up people.
If I had to describe Switzerland in a few sentences I would say it looks just like you would imagine on a picture postcard, with efficiency to match. The people are hospitable and the food was excellent.