8 September 2004
Switzerland and France
So, on Friday the 3rd, I loaded up my car and headed south. I left from the U.S. gas station in Mannheim about 0830. I managed to clear the stau (Traffic Jam) that is a fixture of A-5 between Bruchsal and Karlsruhe-Durlach by shortly after 9. At the Swiss border, I paid my toll for Swiss autobahn use (40 Swiss Franc). After crossing the first mountain range south of Basel, I was immersed in Swiss-German radio — a mind-bending experience. I could follow only about every 4th or 5th word, and those were pronounced as some odd blending of German, French, and Italian.
I reached the Thun lakeside by about 11:40, and it was the classic scene I remembered it to be. I parked at the West-Bahnhof in Interlaken, and set out to get a quick tour of the city. In the big park in the middle of town, I saw my first Alpine Glacier in 15 years.
Returning to my car, I headed up the valley towards Lauterbrunen. When I rounded the bend in the road and entered Lauterbrunen, the scene in that valley made the pictures I had just taken pale in comparison. The waterfall on the far edge of town took me completely by surprise. I found a Zimmer Frei (Room Available) — a 4th floor room, looking out the back of the hotel, with a view of the waterfall and on up and down the valley.
I walked down to the local Bahnhof, and got myself a round-trip ticket to Kleine Scheidegg (the top of the pass below the mountain peaks of the Eiger, the Mönch, and the Jungfrau). The Berner Oberland Bahn is a cogwheel train that climbs the near-cliff wall on the east side of the valley. Kleine Scheidegg is significantly larger than when I was last there in the 80's. I had a late lunch overlooking Grindelwald and the Eiger. The Hirsch Gescheneteltes was extraordinary — Venison cutlets with a cream sauce, spätzli, bacon, cherries, and gooseberries. Quite possibly the only dish I've found that is better than the Neurot Rham Schnitzel from the Fiedler Bauer.
Rather than take the train back down to Lauterbrunen, I chose to follow the wanderweg (walking path) down — 400 meters of vertical descent. I staggered back to my car, and retrieved a much needed liter of water. Desert was a Coupe Danemark (Vanilla Ice Cream, whip-cream, and chocolate sauce — my traditional Alpine Desert) under the awning on the terrace in front of my hotel, listening to the rain fall.
The next morning I awoke to a stunningly crystal clear day. I packed up, had a quick breakfast, checked out, and headed UP the valley to get what pictures I could before heading north toward Ribeauville, France.
I found my way into Riquewhir — an OLD walled town, very Germanic in appearance with Fachwerk (half-timbered) houses all over the place. The tower and gate I entered through dates to 1291. Inside I found narrow winding cobblestone streets, and colorfully painted and decorated fachwerk buildings. The coordinators had arranged a wine tasting at 1530 at a vineyard that had been in operation for 9 generations in the same house (since the 1500s).
I had dinner in an ancient courtyard a few doors up from my hotel, before the group gathered for fellowship in my hotel sitting room. Father Gianni plucked at the guitar, and the rest of us complained about the horrendously smelly French cheese. We finally stumbled our way to our respective rooms a little before midnight.
Sunday, we loaded into the bus, and drove off to Ribeauville for Church and the Parade. The church dated to 1597. Our organist had a blast substituting her regular Electric organ with a 300+ year old pipe-organ. By the end of service, she was playing anything and everything she could. We wound up having to unplug the (modern) electric pump to pry her away from it.
On my way home on Monday morning, I stopped at the Maginot Line museum before crossing back into Germany and returning to Mannheim. I had some 500 or so pictures to sort through and burn onto CD.
Charles.