Doing great, S! Yes, the weather was not nice to us. But it didn't spoil the fun. Sunday the Waldhaus had 100 years anniversary - what a treat! Great (free) food, looking behind the scenes ... spent about hours there.

It snowed down to 2000 m. ;-) Today it's pure sun - time for a bike ride down the valley.

I better stop here. Don't want to make you jealous.

I.

PS: last day. Tomorrow back home :(

Glad you've got some summer weather again. I saw the fresh snow in the mountains and thought, "typical Switzerland."

Enjoy beautiful Engadin and the sun! Listen to those cow bells chiming while admiring the incredible beauty of the alps and the architecture. And don't get stung by a "bräma".

Safe trip home, Ingo. Folks, it's been almost like the old days at SGFTWLS, remember? Wow, how many years has it been. What's this I read: driving? J.

I am back home. Safe, but tired. And it seems I am getting a cold. No wonder after the winter-like weather in the Alps!

Schuler,

I am wondering if this is a typical July for Switzerland. The hotel manager said "NO". It was absolutely gorgeous on Tuesday - perfect blue sky and new snow down to 2400 m (northern slopes). Crisp air, humidity 32 %. The photos came out like in a marketing brochure ;-)

jmw, yep, it's been a long time ... the SGFTWLS thread must be down in the Fodor's archives. And on my harddisk. LOL Keep the conversation coming ... until I post my trip report.

Have a good day!

I.

Ah... what's typical? I remember a July 31st where there was new snow in the mountains so I guess it can happen. I wouldn't blame global warming for it though. It's just hard to predict mountain weather.

I find Switzerland doesn't have more than 1-2 weeks of continuous beautiful weather in the summer. It's usually 3 days on and 3 days off. The last two weeks of June were fabulous and everyone here enjoyed them to the fullest.

Today is quite cold with lots of rain, low clouds and thunderstorms. Hoping for better weather on Saturday.

Hope your stay was pleasant despite the weather.

Welcome back! Are you posting your pictures? In the 4 trips to Europe over the last 4 years, we never had rain in Switzerland or Austria. We always go the middle of June or so. A tiny drizzle one day...that's it!
This year, we had a whole week of it in France! And cold, too.

Hard to say anymore what is "typical"

The weather at home in Germany was even worse during those two weeks. Gee! Am I glad I was away.

I am working on a (not too detailed) trip report and I will also post pictures. Progress is slow, got a cold and don't feel like working on the computer ... so patience, please!

Later,

Ingo

Hello.

Sorry about the cold, Ingo. I hope someone is making pots of homemade soup for you.

Schuler, I think I mentioned the Museum for Musikautomatom in Seewen somewhere on another thread. I'm sure I've misspelled the title, because I was scribbling notes in a little notebook while standing in front of my favorite pieces in the "Enigma Helvetia" exhibition in Lugano. (Filled two museums, the arte moderne and the cantonal.) Anyway, I think there were two or three beautiful pieces from Seewen. I wondered if you've been there and can tell me a bit about it?

I don't suppose you'll get to Lugano before the exhibition closes at the end of August (I think), but it is spectacular. Covers the whole range of Swiss visual art, arranged by cultural themes rather than chronological. Seems that all the finest museums in Switzerland shared pieces for this event. Two wonderful Tinguelys, charming paintings by Ernest Bieler, pieces from Arte Brut in Lausanne, and of course, papercuts by some of my favorite scherenschnitte artists. Also, many representatives of contemporary artists of the 21st century. Really an extraordinary undertaking.

Ingo, any fresco photographs this trip? J. p.s. Where is S?

Hi jmw:

Thanks for your Lugano museum tips. The art pieces sound fascinating. I don't think I'll be down there for awhile. The Seewen museum you are refering to is located in Kanton Solothurn and not Kanton Schwyz. There are at least two Seewens in Switzerland and most probably more.

Oh, my goodness, schuler! I even toyed (no pun intended) with the idea of stopping there for a couple of hours on my way back to Bulach. Well, surely someday I'll be able to spend more than five nights in Switzerland. Solothurn is a beautiful small city visited the year I stayed in Leissigen on Thunnersee. I suppose I'll have to put the Music Box museum and that Seewen on my long-range to do list.

J.

The cold already gets better. Yep, had a bowl of homemade soup today ;-)

Sorry, only very few frescos this time. The cathedral in Chur, the convent church in Churwalden and the Art Nouveau style dining hall in my hotel. That's probably all.

Interesting that you mentioned the Musikautomaten. The Hotel Waldhaus in Sils is proud owner of a Welte-Mignon piano from 1908. Saw it and listened to it last week. More on that in the trip report.

I.

Hi Ingo,
Glad you had an enjoyable trip. I recently returned from Guarda area and Soglio. Loved it all. The beginnings of a trip report just posted. Thanks for your insight.

S

Hi Ingo, Glad you enjoyed your trip. I, too, was in Switzerland (and Burgundy)this summer and just posted a short trip report. I haven't forgotten that the only reason I learned about Soglio is YOU. So thank you!

Is the Sils you visited the same as Sils Maria? I spent part of a day there and really enjoyed it. Especially the hike along the river gorge that starts from the main square where the horse carriages are parked. The sign pointed to the Fex Valley, I believe. And I had the world's most delicious crepe at Dada's on the square.

The language situation in this region is a bit maddening, isn't it? Especially when you don't speak any of the languages. It's hard to get a handle on any one when there are so many!

Meant to ask, swans in Promontogno?! We saw ducks in that fountain. Strange!

Cimbrone, I commented on your report. Been away for some days, so couldn't earlier.

Yes, ducks, swans and even a goose on the little pond in Promontogno.

The language situation is indeed confusing. Rumantsch in the Engadine, Italian in the Bregaglia valley (although it is in fact Bregagliot, a special dialect and quite different from the Italian that we know). My native language is German, and that one is spoken widely in that area. No problems for me :-)

Btw, I posted an album with Alpine wildflowers:

http://www.kodakgallery.com/I.jsp?c=...localeid=en_US

Hello there Ingo :)

We have just returned from our Bavaria / Berner Oberland trip. Wow! We loved the small picture perfect villages of Germany (Wurzburg, Rothenberg, Nurnberg, Oberammergau, Ettal, etc. etc. etc.) Truly gorgeous countryside. Even our 5 nights in Munich was not enough! We were truly blown away.

LOVED your wildflower pictures! This year was the best we've ever seen, so many different varieties, entire mountainsides covered with flowers.

I got a chuckle out of your language comment. I never knew there were so many different styles of speaking. We took a took of the Four a Chaux (the Maginot Line), and our guide went on and on about not understanding the German northerners and certainly not the Swiss Germans!

Good grief, I need more coffee!

should read: "we took a tour", not "took a took".

Geez.... :B

swisshiker,

Glad you enjoyed your trip! Weather this summer is la-la, not perfect for travelling. But for the flowers it seems :)

Well, I hope to read your trip report then soon! ;-)

Cheers to TX!

I.

Hi Ingo,

Glad you had a great trip. Yes, the weather has been very spotty.... gorgeous today though...

This winter my husband and I hiked from Sils to Fex for fondue.

Beautiful walk - so romantic in the snow. I'll never forget it.

gruezi