Swiss Alps - Here we Come!
The next morning we woke to absolute pouring rain! We traipsed off to the Monterosso train station very
thankful that this was our departure day and not our arrival day! Phew, we dodged a bullet with the weather and
we were glad to be setting our sights further north to Switzerland! Although it seemed like a long bus ride
ahead, we enjoyed every minute because the scenery was spectacular. With the rain behind us and the clouds beginning to lift, we passed by Lake Como, (which is 1,000 feet deep) in Italy’s Lake
District, and soon afterwards crossing into Switzerland we passed by beautiful Lake Lugano. With the peaks of the Swiss Alps surrounding us we passed through the 3rd longest
tunnel in Europe - the Gotthard Tunnel which is 10 miles long. Once we were through this mountain pass we began our decent past another beautiful Swiss Lake - Lake Lucern. Soon afterwards we
arrived in Interlaken Switzerland for a little break, where we purchased a
cowbell. Sometimes, you just have to do
what the tourists do!
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The Drive North to Switzerland
Arrival in the Lauterbrunnen Valley - Stechelberg
We were told that it had rained here for two weeks straight,
so we wondered if this would affect our planned gondola ascent (in the morning) to the 10,000
foot summit of the Schilthorn. We put
this thought behind us as we checked into our cozy little room in Stechelberg
at the very end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley (believe me – you cannot drive any further!) with an unbelievable view of a huge
waterfall cascading down the rugged mountainside! After a delicious
pork dinner with a Swiss cheese fondue with the chef’s secret recipe, and a
visit with our friends, we were lulled to sleep by the soothing sound of the many
waterfalls all around us.
(We'll cover the old world charm of this area at the end of our time in Switzerland on the North Face Trail page).