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Aug 5

We decide to go down into Lauterbrunnen today, as husband wants to visit an underground waterfall in some caves down there.  I pass (walking around in dark, damp underground pathways to see a waterfall- yeah, count me out).  So I wandered the town, bought a couple of souvenirs and then collapsed under an umbrella at an outdoor cafe for a mineral water– it was much hotter down in the valley.

Ended up talking with a man who lived down the valley and when we commented on the heat (almost 90°), he told me of the winters here.  Everyone skis every chance they get – even the seniors.  They use snowshoes to get into town.  He tells of the short days and long winter nights where everyone works on indoor projects.  The farmers carve new fence posts for the summer, the women knit, the children carve wooden tableaus for school projects and gifts.  Not many have central heating and usewoodstoves throughout the winter.  But, he reflects that this is a special season, a cozy time with family.  The outdoor winter activities seem to excite them as much as summer ones.

Here are some photos from husbands cave/waterfall expedition.

Later we took the cable car up and hiked a bit around the Grimmelwald area to explore further.  We had fun finding all the places Rick Steves visited on his Switzerland show.  Grimmelwald is his favorite place.  Check out this garden, more cow bells (I know, I know “more cow bell”…don’t think we didn’t chuckle over that old SNL skit – every time we saw cow bells.  But then, we are easily amused).  

The last photo is at the hostel Rick always stays in.  It’s run by an ancient man who still serves coffee and water with a smile.

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Aug 6  (with video – I know — look at us taking video)

Today we planned our most adventuresome hike – the North Face which gives incredible views of the Eiger and the other peaks in the range.  We start early and congratulate ourselves on another great weather day.

We brought our i-phone (a hand me down gift from our friends Jim & Melinda – thanks guys) so husband took a video of our hike today.  Click to view.

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Now some plain old – school photos.

We meet Brenda, the St. Bernard on the way up in the funicular.  Brenda guards the cafe and children’s area up top.   The children love her and she stoically accepts all petting and praise.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And off we go, we watch the gondolas while catching our breath and then hold our breathe while going through a herd of cows.  The trail signs are as good (if not better) than road signs.  Very inspiring to see where we’re going and where we’ve been.

What you don’t see are our aching knees, tired feet and sore legs – but we couldn’t be happier.

Got back around 5pm as we were invited to a hotel-hosted champagne party (we booked for 4 nights so I guess we rated).

For our last night, we had reserved dinner at our hotel and having made casual acquaintances with some of the staff we were surprised with some extra treats at our dinner.  Most notably, an introduction to a taste of Raclette   which is — wait for it Mom — melted hot cheese scraped over toasted bread with pickles, potatoes and little condiments.

A perfect ending to our incredible visit to the Alps.

OK one more time BREATHTAKING (3)

 

 

 

Aug 4

After an impressive hotel buffet breakfast (and secreted rolls w/cheese for lunch) we take the funicular up to Allendhubel and hike around the top and then down into Grimmelwald — a tiny village saved from development by declaring themselves an avalanche zone.  And in true independent fashion, the residents of Grimmelwald then petitioned the government to have proper avalanche barriers installed.  So, no development, no avalanches.

Snapping photos even as we walk the upper road in Murren.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, yes cow bells are a thing here.  Farmers save the prettiest bells (below) to show off their prize cows, but use every day bells when their herds are out to pasture.  Different tones of the bells designate the ownership of the cows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the funicular up and up to Allendhubel – this photo is of one coming down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A beautiful day – did I mention we’re so high (2,000 meters/6,500 ft. today) that the spring wild flowers are still in bloom?  Beyond the breathtaking (2) vistas, as we hike we hear cow bells ringing all around us.  Truly, had to pinch myself.  It’s the Alps – it’s Heidi’s stomping ground.

 

Tired of snow covered mountain vistas are you?

OK, we’ll hike down into Grimmelwald. Up here in the Alps, every house, window box and spare inch of ground is planted with vegetables and flowers – (perennials).  I was told that the Swiss winters are so long and so harsh that the moment the ground softens – the flowers go in.  Such hope and optimism … as come October, snow returns.

On the way down, we see some Eldewiess – it’s Austria’s national flower, but it grows up here too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grimmelwald also has an adorable “honesty shop” (see above).  Filled with old dishes, some tacky souvenirs, ice creams, drinks and some very old postcards.  No one is there, one just leaves the money in an unlocked box. Bought an old, dusty postcard just so I could support such an effort.

We come back up to Murren (from Grimmelwald) via the gondola (our transportation pass is proving invaluable).

Watched the para-gliders for a bit.  Husband gave serious consideration the offered tandem rides, but soon came to his senses  (after I physically swatted him) and will consider such an adventure once home, where we have more accessible medical facilities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Decided to stop at a little cafe in lower Murren for a well-deserved drink.  Notice the sheepskin rugs on the chairs…the temps plummet once the sun goes down.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After quick showers (umm heaven) we have a small dinner at a cute little restaurant in Murren and we’re in bed, sound asleep by 9:30.

Photo Note:  Thanks to Connie* (the designer/architect behind this beautiful Book Barmy Blog) I discovered we’ve been taking photos with our (relatively new) camera in HD = meaning they are huge.  My apologies.  Halfway through our days in the Alps, we figured out how to take photos in a more manageable size.  So the later photos over the next couple of posts will be click-able to make big-able.

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Aug. 3 – We drive our exchange car to Lauterbrunnen about 1 1/2 hour trip.  Once in Lauterbrunnen we park in a garage which we booked for three days. Then we climb aboard a little train which gets us part of the way up and then we transfer to a gondola/cable car to reach Murren.  Murren is the car-free village at the base of the Eiger, Jungfrau and Mönch range of the Alps.  We booked the hotel ages ago and dreamt of this arrival for months.  (The hotel has a live webcam, and many mornings we would log on just to gaze at the views.)

 

First the little train gets us part of the way up.  Then the gondola gets us higher and higher

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s our hotel – perched on a cliff with lots of stairs.  Luckily, we packed light – just two backpacks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

After check-in, we dump our bags and head for the very top.  Just too beautiful a day not to get out and up … and up … and up.  Our hotel package includes a transit card which gets us on all the little cable cars (gondolas), trains and funiculars that allow one to explore the highest most vantages and then start out for hikes at the summits.  But for today just strolling – first we head up to the Piz Gloria viewing station – also the setting for some really stupid 1968 James Bond film – but we want the views…and views we got.  Just take a look – breathtaking (1).

(1) keeping track of how many times I use the word breathtaking (just for you, Rand).

 

Husband does the obligatory pose with Bond, James Bond – sorry the photo is slightly out of focus, I was giggling at our hokeyness.

 

We had a coffee at the revolving restaurant – more hokey-ness but hey we’re tourists after all, and you can’t beat the view.

Came down from the heights – involves two gondolas and strolled up and down and around the little village of Murren.

Then back to our hotel – just in time for sunset beverages on our hotel terrace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Swiss rose wine is the same shade as the mountains… perfection (big happy sigh).

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*Connie is also a talented needlework/fiber artist – see her work HERE.

We are luddites and don’t travel with a laptop – so no photos for awhile – as we are

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Taking day hikes using the cable cars, funiculars, and cog railways to get up high and hike around the summits.  Our hotel is perched on a ledge – over looking the Eiger.

I apologize in advance for the future posts (with photos) coming up on Travel Barmy – as my friend Rand said “the word breathtaking will be overused”.

Stay tuned, back to Lausanne and a computer on Friday or maybe Saturday…who knows?

Today we ventured into Lausanne, which involves a little shuttle van that runs every 30 mins. up and down our hill from the apartment complex.   Then it meets with a direct bus into Lausanne.

I must take a moment to tell you that the Swiss trains/buses run exactly to the minute all the time…I know! Just wrap your mind around that — to the minute!  I’ll give you a chance to process that.  Back now? OK, that means one can actually make a train transfer with only minutes to spare — as the Swiss have planned it so that the train (or bus) you are transferring to is precisely across the platform from your arriving train/bus.  Impressive. But… here’s a cruel reality check, Switzerland has the highest rate of suicide in Western Europe…attributed to their highly structured society.  So maybe our laid back and unpredictable US train/bus schedules have an upside.

The weather was clear and cool, perfect for going into the town.  We had our trusty Rick Steves book with his walking tour, so shameless tourists, we walked the town with guidebook in hand.  There are covered stairways, tunnels and little lanes that snake you up and up into the old town.   These are hills to rival those of our own San Francisco, but we didn’t really notice as there was so much to see…

Then there was the Cathedral de Lausanne…

Husband is fascinated by cathedrals and old churches wherever we travel — he’s not religious, but admires the history and architecture. Whereas I tend to groan and mutter “oh great – ADC* “.  I much prefer the culture, people and activity of a place.  Secretly, (don’t tell husband) in the end, I often enjoy our ventures into these musty ancient structures.

We even climbed the tower – 250+ steps for the extraordinary views…

It was now late afternoon and no lunch for us as we planned an early dinner at a recommended Swiss regional specialities restaurant.  So we did as all Europeans do and claimed a table at a outside cafe where we ordered drinks and just watched people come and go.

Fascinating how the locals use their street cafes – some came and went quickly gulping down a quick expresso, on their phones the whole time, before heading on.  Others meeting up with friends or business associates and linger for as long as they want.   In Europe, be it dinner, lunch, or just coffee — the table is yours for as long as you want…one has to make writing gestures and practically beg for the check. No tipping here in Switzerland (and most of Europe) as the waiters make a proper living with benefits – a few coins may be left if you especially appreciated the service.  Any more and they will chase you down the street to return your tip, as in “hey idiot, you left this money behind”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We watched a florist take in her flowers, and it was 6 pm and time for the ancient clock to go through some fun dancing figures.  Children chased soap bubbles and music drifted up from a street violin player.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Climbed back up the hill for our dinner at Cafe du Grutli.  It’s very (very!) expensive to eat out in Switzerland.  But, we just gulped and ordered – husband scored with a venison sausage dish that was made in house with venison from the proprietors brother’s weekend hunting expedition.  I had a yummy calves liver that was from a local farm and it was the best I’ve ever had (don’t judge, husband hates liver and the smell, so I dare never cook it – have to order it when I can).

 

 

 

 

 

 

After dinner, we wandered our way down the hills and tripped upon several “cave bars” — very popular drinking venues tucked under the bridges.  I climbed back up on the bridge to take the photo from above.  Given the tiredness of my feet, you must appreciate this effort -please?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hoofed it down the last few hills and onto our bus and once back at the apartment on the hill – we were greeted with this view of sunset-bathed alps from our deck.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Good night all.  Thanks for reading.

*ADC = another damn cathedral

Sorry gang, no photos for this post.  A hinge broke on our home exchange tiny fridge/freezer unit and so we spent the 28th traveling by bus and foot to the outer reaches of Lausanne searching for a part.

These are the suburbs where the equivalent of Home Depot, Lowe’s, Kmarts and other big discount stores reside.  At first, it was amusing going in and out of home improvement/appliance stores with the broken refrigerator-freezer hinge (and its broken parts) in a zip lock baggie and trying to find a replacement.  We were met with either firm no’s, blank stares or disinterested “I can not help you, nor am I interested, Monsieur” shrugs.

We finally came across a small appliance repair place that looked like it may be our salvation, but their repair person had left at 3PM and the counter person wasn’t sure they could fix this hinge.  We came home foot-sore and discouraged, just as anyone in any country would be after a day of going in and out of stores without success – only ours was exasperated by trying to do it all in broken French/English.

Avez-vous des pièces pour cette charniére?  While showing them the hinge…

Ahh mais non, not here — mais there is OBI store — juste 7 kilometers on the bus, then traverse droite through a park and juste la bas, a pont and voila you is there…

Back home, after a restorative glass of wine, we decided because it’s the freezer door part of the unit – and, given they don’t have ice here (small American sigh), we have no need to open the freezer during the rest of our stay.  So we wedged it shut.  Voila  — c’est tout!

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The next morning we woke to rain, and husband, dissatisfied with the wedged freezer door solution, found some tools and McGuyvered a temporary repair on the hinge until our exchange partners return.  I used Google translate to compose a letter of explanation on the situation…and we did a little high five.

As a second part of our housekeeping, the recycling had to be loaded into the trunk of the car and hauled down into town to big barrels in designated parking lots.  Exciting huh?

After that chore was done and despite the rain, we decided to take off on a side trip with the car and ended up having a short walk around a little hillside village — another beautiful stone paved walkway through vineyards and back garden plots.  We  ducked into a little cafe, had a glass of wine, sampled some local cheeses and just watched the rain come down over the lake.

Two days of routine housekeeping in Switzerland was somewhat diverting and allowed us to feel a little bit like locals.  (But then again — who are we kidding?) 

Back to more exciting ventures tomorrow — promise.

 

Just below us lies Lake Geneva, or Lac Leman as the French speakers call it.  Along this part of the lake is Lavaux, the wine region of Western Switzerland.  Our original plan for today was to visit the old town of Lausanne.

But it was too beautiful a day to be wrangling with buses and the underground metro. Much too pretty outside to be going in and out of old musty cathedrals and buildings.  So we threw our plans to wind and set out to explore along the lake towards Montreaux.  We decided to find the terraced hiking paths which take one through many of the vineyards (vignobles in French) and into the small villages.

All right down the hill from us  –and, as we turn west along the lake, we knew we’d made the right decision — take a look…

Notice in the last photo, a mere four rows of grape vines are planed in the narrow space between the road and the railroad tracks – utilizing every bit of the fertile land.

We climbed up and up into the vineyards to more panoramic views of the lake — even came upon a pretty man-made waterfall diverted from the irrigation canals.

The terraced walkways are paved with stones and are bordered by low stone walls and meander through the vineyards and in and out of the little wine villages — with names such as Epesse, Chexbres. Each village has plaques on the houses proudly designating the inhabitant and their role in the local wine industry.  We did finally stop and have a glass of the local wine and watched the clouds chase each other across the sky.

 What a spectacularly fine day – one to remember.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caught the mid-day train from Zurich to Lausanne.  Pro-tip: always bring ziplock bags to the buffet breakfast in a European hotel.  Especially in the German or Austrian areas, as they love their meat, cheese and bread for breakfast — which in our terms makes a lovely train lunch.  Not to worry, look around the breakfast tables at the hotel, you’ll see others (even the snobby French) doing the same.  Here’s photographic evidence of our crime. (Lest you think we’re gluttons – we ate only a small portion of this haul, saving the rest for later.)

 

We arrived at the Lausanne train station late afternoon and as pre-arranged, met up with our exchange partners accompanied by their daughter and boyfriend (the latter speak excellent English). We walked over to a little cafe, had a drink, exchanged keys, information, chatted for bit and then our exchange couple dashed for their train to Geneva to fly to San Francisco.  (I think MI5 may not be as adept as the 6 of us were at this involved arrangement.)  The daughter and boyfriend drove us up to our exchange apartment, showed us the appliances (whew what a bonus!) and made sure we felt at home.  We shared a quick glass of wine and swiss cheeses that had been left for us, exchanged contact information and thank you’s and we were all set.

This is a new 5-floor apartment building and the apartment is a great pride of our exchange partners who just purchased it earlier this year.  This is the view of Lake Geneva from the deck:

Just below this spanking new complex is the village of Pully – which we explored the next day (Saturday) so as to test drive our exchange car (photo of car included for you Dad – husband says to tell you it’s an Opal.)  We stopped on the way back up the hill to do some grocery shopping.  Exchange folks left us a lasagna so we got salad makings and a baquette to complete a nice dinner that evening.  Click on photos to view larger.

Sunday was overcast, with a chance of rain (a relief from the 90 degree heat wave Switzerland has suffered for the last 3 weeks) so we drove down the hill to Ouchy area which circumvents the lake.  Parked in a 5 hour permit area and walked down into the town, found a open market and enjoyed our first taste of the Lausanne.   Again, click to view larger.

Showers came just as we were walking back, so we came home only slightly damp…you see we’re already calling it “home”.

 

 

 

July 22-23, 2015 – In Transit San Francisco to Zurich

The joy (and the challenge) of travel is often what I call the un-comfort zone.  And the in-transit part really proves that concept.  California to Europe is a gruelling 11-12 hour flight.

At first, one anticipates this time as a delightful sort of  suspended animation — so much time to read. But, by hour 5 you have lost all interest in reading, watching movies or being civil to your travel companion.  By hour 6, you are slipping in and out of sleep in a semi-counscious state.  Hour 8 – and you are ready to admit that traveling is the pits and are considering a second mortgage to upgrade to first class.  By the last two hours you are picking at the in-flight breakfast, looking at your watch and secretly wishing you had stayed home watching The Good Wife.  The flight ends and you glare at the annoying guy in front of you who spent the entire flight with his seat fully reclined into your lap.  And with with crusty eyes and swollen ankles you stumble off the plane.

Then you find your way to the train (let’s see train in German — Bahn?) and check into the budget hotel you found right next to the train station.  Your room overlooks a busy street corner and you wonder how you will sleep.  After quick showers (and figuring out said same shower system) you feel almost human and together you strike out to walk around, get some fresh air, daylight and try to adapt to the new time zone. A light meal is in order so you choose a cute cafe with outdoor seating and order the inevitable room-tempature drinks and an overpriced salad to share. You start to relax – watching the locals come home from work and you sigh with happiness.  The blatt blatt of the European police car in the distance, the striking of the church bells and the surly waiter all secure the fact  — you have arrived.

This is the joy and pain of what I call the un-comfort zone.  One has to embrace the discomfort — because this is what kicks your butt out of your safe, easy and predictable world.  A familiar world where the plumbing is understood, a world with cold drinks and ice, a place where you don’t have to think about every choice — and all in a language you fully comprehend.   You are far away from home —  you have shaken off your soft and cushy comfort zone – but this is why you travel – why you are here.

 

Stay tuned right here as Book Barmy becomes Travel Barmy.  We head off to Switzerland next week and I’ll be posting photos and travel stories if anyone out there is interested.  (You can sign up to get email notices of new postings below on the right.)

Home exchange is our preferred method of travel.  When it comes up in conversation, the reaction is always something along the lines of …”What, you let people stay in your house?”  or “You sleep a stranger’s bed?” “What about your stuff?” “Is it safe?”

I’ll take a moment here to explain how much we benefit from exchanging homes.  When we first started, I did a great deal of research, talked to other  exchangers and over the last seven years of exchanging — have found that the following factors makes home exchange successful (for us anyway).

No money is exchanged – this is not Air B&B.  The exchange is based on trust, honesty and mutual respect.  You are in their homes — they are in yours.  You care for their things just as you know they are caring for yours.  We have never had a serious problem – a broken wine glass once (like that’s never happened before).  We always come home to a spotlessly clean house, some great food or wine in the fridge and often a lovely gift.

Sometimes you meet in person, sometimes not.  We have done exchanges both ways.  When we do meet the people, it’s usually the day before, we spend the night in their guest room and then take them to airport in the morning. When you don’t meet – you arrange for house keys to be exchanged.

No Craig’s List.  We use a reputable membership-based home exchange website where for ~ $100 per year, you list your home with photos, your preferences (i.e. no pets, no kids, no smoking), and you send/receive exchange requests through the website.  You don’t exchange personal contact information (email address, phone numbers) until you have agreed to an exchange.  By the time we actually exchange, we’ve usually sent additional photos, heard about the grandchildren, traded local travel tips – and become new best friends.  There are many great sites.  These are our two favorites: Home Link and Home Exchange.

You can exchange anywhere.  We’ve been to the Netherlands, Croatia, Venice, Santa Fe, France, Sedona, Seattle, and Santa Barbara – all on home exchanges.  We’ve experienced the local neighborhoods, met the neighbors, bought groceries in their little shops and patronized their local cafes. We pack light because we have a clothes washing machine.  We prepare breakfast and pack a lunch for the day in their kitchen. With the vast amount money we save – we are able to stay longer (usually 3-4 weeks internationally), eat in good restaurants and take side trips staying in B&B’s or inns that strike our fancy.  No group tours, pricey hotels or whirlwind visits for us.  We take our time, get to know the culture, eat with the locals, visit the things we want — when we want  — all while having a comfortable and usually beautiful house to call home (not stuck in a dinky hotel room). We always feel safer knowing someone is living in our home — coming and going — and watering our house plants.  Many families with children find exchanging with other families a perfect solution (homes already set up for children and they can share the toys)  and there are exchangers who exchange pet care.  So almost anything is possible.

What about valuables?  We don’t own anything that valuable and we now realize no one is going to travel 5,000 miles to steal our flat screen TV.  (Remember, we know where they live).  We have a locking closet in our den where we put a set of wooden steak knives I don’t want put in the dishwasher, a fragile beloved native-American pot and the financial papers from our desk – not that anyone would go snooping (again that mutual respect thing is key) but just in case.  Otherwise we don’t worry about valuables.  Again, we worry more when our house is left empty.

Isn’t it alot of work getting your house ready?  Yes, getting the house ready for the first couple of exchanges was exhausting.  But I kept lists of things that need doing and it has now evolved to an almost brainless effort.  One must clean out a closet and a couple of dresser drawers for them.  Make sure the fridge is cleaned out except for some basic food for your exchange partners.  Clear up the clutter, clean, dust, and the morning you depart change beds with clean sheets and put out clean towels. A “house book” is a must – it tells your exchange partners all about your house – again my has evolved over time – how to work the heat, where the iron and ironing board are located, quirks of the house, etc..  I also leave a plastic folder with all the appliance manuals and a big basket of San Francisco guide books, maps, and transit information.  All in all – it’s a great motivator for getting those pesky little chores done around the house — that old light switch plate or the hard-to-reach window that needs washing.

Are you right for home exchange?  The answer is no if you are bothered by coming back to things not exactly in place in the kitchen or to find your CD’s out of order. To be a good home exchanger you have to be adaptable, relaxed and flexible (characteristics necessary for any type of travel).  It’s a unique, yet fascinating way to travel.  Inevitably, you’ll be perplexed by the foreign home appliances and the nuances of the local trash collection — but for us, that’s part of the fun.  It helps that we live in San Francisco, a top tourist destination – but any location will work as people often want to exchange to visit family.  (We did an exchange last year to a big house near my parents so the whole family could be together for their 60th wedding anniversary -a lovely time.)

In terms of sleeping in other peoples beds – what do you think you do when you stay in a hotel?  We have a full mattress cover/pillow covers (I put away my favorite pillow – my own little quirkiness).

Insider pro-tip. Never mention home exchange to an insurance agent, their heads will spin. If you have universal coverage you’re covered as your exchange partners are considered guests in your home.  And yes, we also exchange cars – exchange partners are “permissive drivers”.  (Check with your own insurance agent on coverage for house guests and automobile permissive drivers.)  Both websites offer an exchange agreement – but we’ve only used it once at the others request – it is not a legal document, just a letter of understanding. Again, the trust and honor thing is the only binding agreement we need.

So that’s how we travel folks, and although you may still find it weird, we find it works for us.  Our experiences have been extraordinary because of the personal connections with our exchangers and living in their homes.

Home exchange also serves to reassure us that most people, most of the time and in most of the world are overwhelmingly kind, honest and respectful.

Not a bad way to think about the world in these days.