whitehall

Zurich, Bern and Wengen Switzerland
Fussen, Dachau and Munich Germany
Salzburg and Hallstatt, Austria
This was the first leg of five distinct trips we took between September/October 2018. Our daughter joined us for this segment and set the agenda, initially suggesting Zurich and Munich. Although we are seniors, our style of travel is not for everyone; we move quickly and typically walk 8-12 miles each day. We all traveled with carry-on luggage, and we did not rent a car. We used google offline maps to get around. We had perfect weather between Sept. 13-22.

Our outbound flights were from Tampa to Atlanta to Paris to Zurich.

Day One: This was a long travel day, but we had agreed that Zurich would be a quick visit, and we would have to postpone any jet lag naps. From the Zurich airport, we took a tram that brought us close to our one-night hotel. Quick showers and an evening walk around Zurich’s old town. First stop at a popular bratwurst stand that included a big chunk of crusty bread. Then down to the river Limmat, full of swimming swans and its banks, packed with couples enjoying the Friday evening. Knowing our time here will be short, and with adrenaline flowing, we walked nearly seven miles, down quiet, but well lit, medieval streets, the Bahnofstrase and its fancy shop windows and displays, and, at least from the outside, we saw most of Zurich’s well-known buildings. We also saw lots of busy restaurants, many beautiful cobbled streets and even a small red light district.

Day Two: We began our full second day with a quick hotel breakfast and a grocery store stop, where we were able to self-squeeze some oj. Then a daylight view of some of the old town and walked over the remnants of Zurich’s obvious party town: cans, bottles and trash on many sidewalks. Then, on to the rail station, where we see the first signs of the upcoming Oktoberfest, with a big beer garden tent in the middle and the first group we have seen of men in lederhosen. Our final destination for the day is Wengen in the Alps, but we wanted to see Bern on the way. Trains, like everything else, are costly in Switzerland. That is why many travelers purchase half price rail cards, but our time in this country will be short and the cost of those cards just too high. We opted for some early bookings and picked certain discounted times. Bern, the city of bears, was preparing for an “unauthorized” protest of some sort. This is Europe, where we always see demonstrations, so we yawned a bit, even while seeing a huge police presence. Everywhere. Access to the grand Federal Parliament building was restricted, although we were able to walk its walls in the rear and enjoy a Saturday market in front of it. Then down the Marktgasse, as tourists numbers begin to swell, and we decide not to wait for the next movement of the beautiful astronomical clock and its figurines at the medieval prison tower. We go past the residence where Albert Einstein spent only a couple of years and then across the Aare River to see the famous bear pit in this city named for bears. From a distance, we see two of the three bears now in residence, and, when we get to the fence above the pit, we see only one large bear who walked an endless circle through the trees and along the path allowing for photo ops. He/she seemed restless and not living in the best circumstance for a bear (although it’s better than it used to be), and it made us feel a little guilty contributing to the possible support of taking animals from the wild. A quick visit to the striking Bern cathedral and a park full of families adjacent to it. And, then we went to a large Migros grocery store that was loaded with good looking prepared foods. We grabbed lunch and found nice areas on a narrow street behind it, designed for people eating on the go. Last stop was back across another part of the river to a quiet, but large, botanical garden on five riverfront acres. The indoor/outdoor gardens were a nice respite from the many tourists in the capital. We saw a train crossing a bridge over the river and followed it to the massive rail station where we had arrived. Found the best pretzel stand we have ever seen, with dozens of huge pretzels in different flavors and packed a few for the train. Back on the trains, three more of them to get to our apartment. We take a lot of photos each day with our iPhone and generally have to delete the ones we take from a moving train, often with dirty windows. But we ended up with great shots of Thunersee Lake on the way to Interlaken. We also make note of a future visit to Thun which looks like a nice place. The second hop is a short one from Interlaken to Lauterbrunnen and then we get on what they call a cogwheel train, bright yellow and green, for the ascent to Wengen, our home for two nights. We still couldn’t believe our eyes when we arrived in Wengen and got our first good look at the glacier-packed Jungfrau mountains, backed by blue, blue skies. Everything around us was still, the sounds, the air, the unspoiled beauty. A hillside of classic Alpine homes. We stayed below the rail tracks (the town was above the tracks), and the only sound was the occasional bell from a moving cow. The weather is perfect, but we are between summer and fall seasons, and the small town is quiet. No one is playing mini-golf, even though this is the first of several such courses we see that, like parks or athletic facilities, are simply free. Bring your own club and ball, and best of all are the Swiss mountain themes: skiing, cow bells, cog rail trains, cable cars, etc. Our rustic airbnb apartment was perfect and exceeded all expectations. The snow-covered Jungrfrau mountains enveloped our kitchen, our living room, our bedroom. It may have been off-season but not for the colorful flowers everywhere, including boxes lining nearly every home. More sheep on the hillside than tourists. We decided to eat at home, just too nice a spot not to enjoy. A spacious Coop grocery had plenty of stuff, including some great looking strawberries, blueberries, yellow kiwis, pineapples, Sicilian grapes for our daily morning fruit bowl. And, early to bed with the moon lighting up the mountain snow .

Day Three. Another ambitious day, since we hoped to do everything Swiss in our one full day. As it turned out, we took three trains, seven cable cars (three up and four down), two funiculars (up and down), and one bus. Fabulous. We started early with the small train down to Lauterbrunnen and then a cable car up to the other side of the valley. A small train awaited us for the scenic trip to Murren. From there, we realized that our spectacular Wengen was merely a town up in the hills. Now, we were really high above, if that can be possible, with snow capped mountains all around us. We walked around Murren, saw what we discerned as tacky billboards for James Bond and the Schilthorn mountain experience. We were unsure of weather and had not purchased all our possible tickets for the day and could have saved some money with a package deal. Murren was spectacular, quiet on this Sunday morning, and the tourist shops were just beginning to open. Alpine beauty in every direction, a cool 54 degrees but a clear sunny view of the highest mountains. Time to buy more cable car tickets and make that Schilthorn ascent. A tour bus had arrived from the other direction, so the cable car had little breathing room from the first leg up to Birg at 8800 feet. Some got off there, but we took the next car and went on to the Schilthorn summit at nearly 10,000 feet, the highest mountain in the immediate area. On such a great weather day, this peak, by itself, with its views of Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau, and Mont Blanc, should be enough, but it is a bit glitzy. It has a rotating restaurant, financed by the 007 empire, and has James Bond everything else. In 1969, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, with little-known George Lazenby as Bond, was filmed in this small space. Everything from coffee cup saucers to potty jokes are Bond inspired. There is even an outdoor walk dedicated to many of those responsible for the film. The museum to Bond is cheesy, but the widescreen film is well-done. Humor abounds, including the large sign, prohibiting high heel shoes on the very rough path leading down from the mountain. Fortunately, we were able to time the descent between tour groups, and we got off at Birg’s summit and took its glass planked “Thrill Walk.” Breathtaking. A good stop for bratwurst, fries, and a local Chardonnay. By the time we got back to Murren, the peaks of both mountains above us were getting covered in clouds, so our timing could not have been better. Time for a water bottle re-fill of ice cold mountain spring water. We came across a perfect, and our first, “fly agaric”, the iconic red mushroom with white spots. And, then we saw one paraglider after the next jumping with their colorful chutes from Murren down into the deep and narrow valley below. We climbed up and sat with many of them on the hillside as they made their pre-jump preparations, and all three of us felt this was something we could do. So peaceful. We spotted another opportunity to go up, with a little funicular to a smaller summit with a long name above Murren. It offered pretty views of the little village, a restaurant and a large kids playground with an unusual giant flower theme. After the return funicular, another cable car brought us down to Gimmelwald, our favorite village of them all, so rustic and not as touristy feeling, a perfect stop for a wine break in an old dusty Alpine hotel. We opted for the outside deck to get in more of the sensational views. This was a village with signs of some small-scale agricultural activity and one family gathered on the lawn for Sunday lunch. Next was one more cable car, this one down to the valley outside of Lauterbrunnen and a bus to the rail station for the trip back to Wengen.

Day Four. A long travel day is planned. Five trains. Seven or eight hours. Tight connections. But the Swiss must run their rails with their famous watches. Our online tickets all had arrival and departure gates to make transfers smooth. The first three trains are timed to meet other trains, and we are on the third train within the first hour. The first big change was Bern, and, unfortunately, the 10-minute transfer time nixed any hope of finding our favorite pretzel stand in the station there. Bern to Zurich was less than an hour, and, at this time of day, was a nice train, loaded with polite students. The longest run of the day was from Zurich to Buchloe, where we had enough time to find a cute nearby cafe and some fresh pretzels. Another hour or so to Fussen, a popular Bavarian tourist spot and home to some of the most famous German castles. The travel day was an opportunity for a little napping, some reading, people watching and best of all observing the mostly unspoiled countryside. Our mid-afternoon hotel arrival gave us plenty of time to get to know Fussen, with the first stop the town’s own high castle and abbey. Interesting signs, quaint shops, beautiful buildings and lots of lederhosen. And, of course, tourists. Our biggest surprise, and we couldn’t believe the cheap prices, was the Woolworth’s on the main pedestrian street. A company that disappeared in the US years ago still seems to thrive in Germany. But it was largely low quality stuff, poorly displayed, unlike all the other photogenic shops. Having had our fill of meat on the trip so far, we settled for a surprisingly good Margherita pizza. There was some sort of disagreement between some customers, who seemed like the bad guys, and the wait staff, and the customers walked away without paying for anything. A short while later, one of the group, sheepishly returned to unsuccessfully ask if anyone had seen a camera they lost somewhere. We mentioned the word “karma” to the waiter, and he rewarded us with several little orange fruits we had seen as an embellishment to their dessert dishes. Physalis. Delicious.

Day Five. We had reserved tickets online to see the two castles this region is most famous for, Neuschwanstein, the one the Disney castle is modeled after, and Hohenschwangau, almost next door neighbors. They are mobbed daily with visitors and have very strict guidelines for such things as when you must arrive to make final payment for tickets. We had mixed feelings about queuing with busloads of tourists, especially after reading that the “Disney” castle was more for outside photo op and less for what’s inside. And, our daughter correctly thought the beautiful day might be better for a bike ride. The castles allow a 2-hour written notice of cancellation without any cost, so we emailed our change of plans early in the morning. We found some great bikes, all day for something like12 euros, a real steal. We initially thought we would stick with a flat and short valley ride, but it was warm and sunny and there were few areas where we had to share the road with cars. There were many nice bike lanes. The first stop was Lechfall, a man-made waterfall along the Lech River and its gorge. By now, we were confident to head away from the village into the forest. This involved some steep climbs, and some walking the bikes, and drops that were bumpy but exhilarating. We saw few other bikers but soon came upon Alpsee, a deep green lake that we initially thought was in the middle of a forest far from civilization. We hiked down to the lake, skipped some rocks and soaked up the early sun. But, as we got back on our bikes and continued the descent, we realized that this lake curved around to Hohenschwangau Castle and not far away from tons of tour buses. We parked our bikes, used the restrooms, and took exterior shots of the mustardy colored massive castle. We walked around the area until we spied the castle of our dreams, Neuschwanstein, the Disney Castle, seemingly far away, but on a hillside above us. There were a few ways to get a close-up view of this castle: a long uphill walk, a horse and buggy or some buses that bring you to a closer spot but not right to the castle. We opted for the walk, and were surprised at how many others chose this hearty walk. On the way up, there’s a restaurant, and, for us, a stop for giant pretzels. A major end of the castle was shrouded in a re-modeling blanket, and we feared the hoped for photo op would not work, but the views into the verdant valley below were stunning. We walked around the castle and then took a trail to a landmark bridge where the crowds go to take the best photo, a long walk. But, surprisingly, halfway there, the best drone-like photos of the other castle were right in front of us. We also got our perfect photos of the Disney castle, didn’t have to pay anything, and then we hiked down to our bikes. The remainder of our bike ride was in the valley below, where we had great views of both castles on the hillsides above. In a small village, we found a huge traditional beer and bratwurst spot, a brewery that obviously caters to large crowds. Although we stuck with wine, we did buy a couple plates of food including bratwurst and sauerkraut and another with veggies and roasted potatoes. Adjacent to the outside terrace where we were was another bring your own mini-golf course like we saw in Switzerland. We decided to have a nice dinner in a nice place. It was a cool evening, and we found an inviting, warm and busy Italian restaurant with stone interior. It started with one order of bruschetta and was served split into three plates, each with a large piece of bread, covered with tomatoes and spices, arugula and decorated with balsamic glaze. That was service!Lasagna, fresh pasta and a whole fish with spinach also were all perfect.

Day Six. Another morning of trains with a little back-tracking on the first part back to Buchloe. A quick turn-around and on to Munich, where we stored our luggage in a locker. We had pre-bought an inexpensive day pass for local trains and headed for Dachau. The last part of this trip requires a bus, whose fare is included in the rail pass. Not terribly busy, so we were able to make a full visit in the early afternoon. The concentration camp was operated as a re-education center, prison and death camp for 12 years (1933-45). The main administration building affords a detailed, and lengthy introduction to the Third Reich, the camp and its horrors. There are some barracks and mostly cleared land were most of the prisoners were housed. There are contrasts: an execution wall, Nazi interrogation rooms, crematorium yet a row of estate-like trees separating the old barrack rows. The end of the tour includes the crematorium and gas chamber (which, to very little, if any, relief), we are told, was not ever used to the extent of the ones at other camps. After a day of castles, bike rides and wine, this visit was very solemn with little chit-chat amongst ourselves, but it was a visit all of us have always wanted to take and will never be forgotten. The bus and train brought us back to Munich and took our minds off Dachau. Lots of walking to see this city’s famous spots. No time for museums or palaces but we headed for everyone’s must-see, the Marienplatz, and its fashionable shops, where we also see the New Town Hall (not so new) and its famous Glockenspiel and watched, with many others, the clock’s character’s dance to bells clanging. We find the central market and a massive beer garden. We settled for a little nearby wine bar, although one of us tried the beer. We walked miles by most of the main sights, the former royal palace, a park by the Isar River, which was full of fish, a display of small houses, and an odd Michael Jackson shrine. We had a pizza and bruschetta dinner at a Bavarian chain, this one housed in what seemed like an old palace. A very reasonably priced meal in a 5-star chandeliered setting. Our return to our hotel via the Marienplatz included a heavy police presence for dozens of protestors taking aim at a very small, but professional, neo-Nazi presentation.

Day Seven. Before leaving, we had to see the site of the famous Oktoberfest, even though our eventual flights from Munich were unintentionally timed to coincide with its annual start. We followed sidewalk arrows for a mile or two until we reached what looked like a massive fairground, with amusement park scale carnival rides and super-large tents. The area was heavily secured two days before its opening, so all we could get was a peek. We had always assumed that Oktoberfest was something that took place in the city itself, not in an amusement park setting, so this was a bit of a turn-off. But we did get to see it. And, then off to the rail station for our next stop, Salzburg. The less than two-hour train ride was scenic. The last time we were in Salzburg three years ago was in the middle of an immigration bottle-neck, and there was a big encampment outside the station with lots of police and military. That spot this time was the site of protestors unhappy with some anti-immigration policies. And, we began to see vans and vans full of police and military, a seeming major over-reaction to a relatively small protest. But then we learned that is not why some 1600 Austrian police and lots of military were all over the city. The three European M’s: Merkel, May and Macron were having a contentious EU meeting there, and it was making international news as May was being confronted over the UK Brexit. What this meant for us was that some things were closed. This included the Mirabell Gardens, known for the Do-Re-Mi song in the Sound of Music. Our first visit to Salzburg some 10 years ago, and it’s a long story, was as the first guests at the real von Trapp house, Villa Trapp (when it was first opened to the public as a bed and breakfast). This was a return for our third visit. We showed our daughter the familiar sites, the castle overlooking the city, Mozart’s birthplace and some of the Sound of Music film locations. But, any disappointment we may have had with our scheduling that missed Oktoberfest was more than assuaged when we found Salzburg’s version of the fall beer fest. A much better one. A real one under tents right in the center of the city. We joined in with the loud celebrating, with traditional music, lots of dirndls (ladies), and lederhosen (men). It only lasted four days or so, but we were pleased to be a part of it. Our only disappointment is that we had planned to make a repeat visit to Austria’s largest beer garden, Augustiner’s Braustubl tavern and brewery at the foot of the Monchsberg mountain, a long walk from Salzburg’s old town. We went; it was open, but, because of the competing festival, there were few people in an area that can accommodate many thousands. Our last time there, in one of the many inside halls, a monk toasted the festivities that included a live band and dancing. Beer, drawn from wooden barrels and served in stone jugs, has been brewed there since 1621. We instead enjoyed a luxurious evening in Captain von Trapp’s office and bedroom, now a large suite.

Day Eight. We had previously been to Lake Halstatt and found it one of he most scenic places we have ever been, despite it being an October day with sleet and cold rain. This time, we were expecting our eighth straight sunny day and decided to take the two trains each way and the five-hour round trip to the lake. But first, we chose to visit a new Sound of Music museum in downtown Salzburg, developed and operated by our friends who operate Villa Trapp. The Sound of Music World is a very polished presentation of both the film and the family von Trapp. Fact and fiction. An excellent complement to the many location tours that provide the biggest draw, at least for American tourists. The scenic rail trip to Halstatt necessarily includes a boat ride for the last segment, since the train arrives on the opposite side of the lake. But it’s all smooth, even if crowded. A perfect day, but we decided the outdoors would not be enough. After a quick walk through the small village, we worked our way over to the cable car up the Dachstein mountain, where you can walk on the World Heritage Skywalk and get panoramic views of the village and lake. You can settle for this exhilarating, but quick, cable ride, the restaurant and spectacular views. But, for us, that wasn’t enough, and we decided to take the tour of the active salt mine that is deep within this mountain. A little further hike uphill. And, some seriousness when they tell all of us that we will have to be dressed in shirt and pants they provide and that the pants have to be properly clasped at the bottom. A bit comical, since the entire group covered ourselves in mostly purple or green uniforms that may have resembled prison gear or worse, and then the march began. Once inside the narrow mine, a very long walk, deeper and deeper. Until, we reached the first chute or slide, the way miners reach lower levels. A little scary, at first glance, but a lot of fun, and now we realize they just didn’t want to get our clothes dirty. A Disney-like experience, with very good displays. And, then the second slide we eventually came to, we were told, is the longest one in Europe. You can take the adjacent steps or take the slide, which nearly everyone did. And, as your speed is clocked, just like Disney does, they take your photo near the end for a hoped for sale in the gift shop. The two finishing touches added to the “wow” factor. In an auditorium-style cavern in the mine, they tell a story of the oldest wooden staircase ever discovered and how they went about restoring it. The presentation blended from video to real life, as the finished product is revealed. Excellent. And, then the way out. On a little train. A long ride, and you really need to keep your head down and your arms tucked in. Back to Halstatt village, we took the requisite photos of the swans and the iconic image of the church steeple framed by the salt mountain, at least after the usual brides finished taking their photos. A little schnitzel and fries from the fast food place before taking the last boat to reach the last train to get back to Salzburg for our final night. And, a gift of some nice food and drink from Villa Trapp and a little party to end a perfect trip.

Day Nine. Rail to Munich airport. We walked our daughter to her gate for her flight to Paris and then home. We had to switch terminals, and Munich has a large outdoor covered area between the terminals. It includes a beer garden. And, guess what was happening as we made our way across, with a couple hours to wait for our plane to Milan? Thy were tapping the first keg (we think they have more than one “first keg”) for Oktoberfest. There was traditional clothing, a large band, men in lederhosen cracking whips to the music and dancing, and free beer from that first keg (and we got some). So, with apologies to our daughter (who really didn’t need any after the best one in Salzburg), we got our Munich Oktoberfest. Maybe it was at the airport, but we aren’t sure that it wasn’t any worse than one at a fairground.

scdreamer

Whew! Just reading your account of your travels is making me exhausted - but you did it your way and it sounds as if you had a great time. Not for the faint of heart (and surely not for me), but I salute you and your family for surviving - and actually enjoying - your adventure.

Nikki

What a whirlwind! I admire your energy. I think I remember traveling in similar style when I was a college student, but that was a long time ago. Thank you for taking us all along.

whitehall

That's often the way we travel. We did a blog three years ago on 16 countries in 30 days. Not trying to break records; we can relax and go to the beach at home. When we are away, we want to see and do as much as possible. And, it makes us old people feel younger. And, fortunately our daughter, who has done some travel blogging, has a similar style. We got home on Tuesday from the remaining five weeks (this period without our daughter,) each day with the same intensity. Reports coming on Lakes Orta/Maggiore, Italian Riviera, Florence/Bologna, Sardinia and Brittany/Normandy. Thanks for being respectful to someone who chooses a different path than you might.

PalenQ

I enjoyed traveling at a face pace too when younger and yes it sounds like it was exhilarating so well done. Different strokes for different folks - good show. Great report.

whitehall

A good traveler, among other things, is someone who can laugh at himself, and therefore has a sense of humor and is a good observer of life around him. We believe that describes us. If you could see some of the thousands of photos we took during our recent 6 weeks in Europe, , you would see that. For us, spending a week in new places with our daughter is our idea of perfect travel. Sharing new foods or a glass of Prosecco in a new place is our idea of perfect travel. Seeing new places, interacting with people with different languages and cultures, is our idea of perfect travel. Riding a bike in the German forest and valleys, enjoying surreal views in the high Alps, riding a train in a new area and tumbling at our ages down slides in a salt mine far into a mountain all are our idea of perfect travel. Re-visiting friends who operate successful businesses in Austria is our idea of perfect travel. Call it cliche, but what we feel is perfect travel for us is perfect travel. For you or others, it is how you define it for yourself. But, whatever it is, if you call it travel, it is travel, and we respect that.

KarenWoo

whitehall, I admire your physical strength and your attitude. And all the attention to detail a vacation like this requires. Due to some mobility issues, I can't travel the way you do any more, but we still travel, just at a slower pace and just as enjoyable for us. People should do what they enjoy doing, and what works for them, and not feel the need to apologize.

StCirq

whitehall, I'd probably expire taking a trip like yours, but if it works for you then it's the sort of trip you should take.

whitehall

Karen, we are blessed to have been able to take a trip as we just enjoyed the last six weeks. But "more is not always more" just like "less is not always more". We have taken slower trips, most notably to Tuscany, and also enjoyed that very much. And, we twice spent a few months on a small Caribbean island.

Fodorite018

Whitehall--Sounds like a great trip! We tend to travel the same way, so I get it We did a day trip from Munich to Neischwanstein with Mike's Bike Tours so we got to do some bike riding around there as well as visiting the castle. It is a great way to get away from the crowds. Your bike ride was much more than ours, and it sounds great.

GinnyJo

Loved your trip report, whitehall! We are planning about 12 nights in September, 3 nights each in Luzern, Wengen, Bern and Lausanne (then flying to Portugal). Do you have any accommodations to recommend? We usually do a mixture of hotels and airbnbs.

whitehall

Thanks, Ginny. In Wengen, we stayed in an airbnb, affordable by Wengen standards. It was rustic but the views and location were sensational. Google "At WENGEN apartment with view on the Jungfrau."

maitaitom

I'm showing this to Tracy, Kim and Mary so they can see there is someone crazier than me.

whitehall

We did this trip for our daughter, and she prefers to keep on the move (runs in the family). When she left, we spent time in Lake Orta, Italy, 20 places in 8 days on the Italian Riviera, a week or so in Florence and Bologna and area, and then 8 days and hundreds of miles of driving in Sardinia. And, on the way back to the states, since Paris was our exit point, we spent four nights in Brittany and Normandy. See our link to trip reports on all of them That said, it was relaxing, after taking my wife's sister to 16 countries in 30 days in 2015. And, we are seniors.

GinnyJo

Thanks, whitehall. I just searched, and unfortunately it is not available for our dates. I have made a reservation at the Hotel Edelweiss which is cancelable with about 2 weeks notice. Open to any feedback from anyone re a place to stay in Wengen.

capecod73

whitehall

I recall two places:

We had a nice traditional lunch at a biergarten style restaurant Schloss Brauhaus. We were on bikes, and it’s a good walk outside Fussen (maybe 30-40 minute walk). But we were outside in a beautiful field with distant views of the two famous castles.

We love good Italian food, even when not in Italy, and we found a great one at Il Pescatore right in the town center.

We recently came across a website that shows a lot of locations used in Steve McQueen’s epic Great Escape film. If interested, you might look for some of these spots: Fussen film locations

Have a safe trip!

capecod73

whitehall

We rented bikes at a gift shop in the Fussen rail station. Nice bikes, fair prices, and very helpful with trail suggestions. Hoping the weather is good; we will be in the Dolomites at the same time.

littlejane

Really enjoyed your report - lots of inspiration for future trips and I enjoyed the ride along with you. Thanks for taking the time to share.