DAX

Thanks for the info kopp. I will have to try the outdoor elevator the next time I visit. I did hear that an investment group (Richemont?)bought the 5 star hotel and they have a record of buying old hotels and turning it into something more profitable, hopefully still a hotel.
You're very good in describing places in details. Where else did you go besides what you've posted so far.

cmcfong

WOW. What a treat this report is, Kopp. Loving it....

kopp

Thanks, y'all, for your very nice comments. I must admit that even I'm getting tired just re-reading all this. Now I know why I haven't had any energy since I've been home, lol!

Before continuing with Grindelwald and the Berner Oberland regions, I have to make a comment about the delicious ice cream we had. (Faina, honey, are you home from Chicago yet?? This is right up your alley

In the shopping malls in Dresden and Berlin, taking one of our afternoon walks out of the sun, we see these humongous sundaes being served. These are not your ordinary sundaes, nosireebob. They are made to look like pizzas (Quatro Stazione was the one we chose). Served on a platter with nuts, berries and fruits to make up the different stages, then scoops and scoops of ice cream (like 5 or 6) are then in the middle.

Another one we had was something like "Spaghetti Eis", where the ice cream actually resembled spaghetti, with strawberry sauce and nuts on top like spaghetti bolognese. Amazing stuff!

In Switzerland, DH always gets the Coupe Denmark, basically a hot fudge sundae. I have a penchant for The Colonel, which has a bit of a zing, lemon with Vodka!

But I have now found my new standard for future trips, Meringues Glace. Folks, this is awesome! Two or three of the most heavenly, light, airy meringues ever (like 3 inches each), then piled in the middle with strawberry and vanilla ice cream, and totally covered with whipped cream. Oh, Weight Watchers, lock me up! Be prepared for the oohs and aahs of others when you get this. It's huge (okay, so I could eat the whole thing - I'll never see those people again, so who cares if they know I'm a pig!

Anyway, just a little bit of virtual refreshment on this hot day in Austin.

enzian

Ahhh. . . Zermatt. And then ice cream. It doesn't get any better. Thanks, kopp!

I'm glad you got to try Spaghetti-Eis. We love it too, and I bought a potato ricer so we could make it at home on special occasions. It's a lot of muscle power to squeeze the ice cream through, but well worth it. The "parmesan" is grated white chocloate. The Eiscafe in Garmisch-Partenkirchen which makes our favorite sSpaghetti-Eis also makes an outrageous Pizza-Eis, with hazelnut ice cream for the crust. It's way too much for one person. And the meringue thing sounds wonderful (meringue has no calories, don'tcha know?) I'll have to look for that next time we're there.

BTW, please check your e-mail, kopp. I need to make some choices on apartments and could use your expert help. Thanks!

P_M

Hi kopp. Last week was very busy, but I've enjoyed catching up with you this week. That was funny about the German rhino, I'm glad you escaped. Whew!!

When you were at Mt. Pilatus, by any chance did you find a Kodak InstaMatic camera with a big square flashbulb on top? I left mine on a rock on Mt. Pilatus in 1980 and I would love to get it back. That was my first trip to Europe. We had a fun day on Mt. P, but as I was on that train going down the mountain, I reached for my camera and it was gone!! I was so sad because I realized I had lost not only my camera, but all Mt. Pilatus pics. In 1992 I went back to Mt. Pilatus on a search and rescue mission for my camera but can you believe, nobody found it!! I really must go again and take another look. I just hope the film inside is still good.

Thanks again for the Swiss chocolates you brought me. Those chocolates lived a very short but sweet life.

Can't wait to hear more.

kopp

Oh, P_M - now the puzzle is solved! I knew when we met that you looked so very familiar. It's those pictures I saw on Pilatus. There's this cute little - well, sort of like a memorial plaquard there on the wall with glass all around it, and inside are a couple pictures of this sexy cutie pie and her DH doing some sort of -- well, I won't go into it, but **wink-wink** you get the idea. Lots of people crowded around just to get a look. And there was even this funny little box camera with a yellow cover. I couldn't make out the brand but it started with K-o, so of course I was interested, thinking of moi. But now I find out it was you and your DH - how special!

enzian - yes, the Parmesean cheese aka chocolate. How could I have left that off! However do you squeeze ice cream through a potato ricer? Is this the same as a spatzli maker?

kopp

P_M, pardon me! I just realized you said that was in 1980. You were but a baby back then. Sorry, it must have been my vision, thinking that was your DH. Why, that must have been your papa back then with you. But you were still a sexy babe!

kopp

A Week in Grindelwald
Chalet Schulerszaun 4 – grindelwald.com

We took a slight detour on our train trip to Grindelwald. One of our favorite little towns is Sion, another Swiss town where retirement seems ideal. It’s large enough to have all of life’s comforts within easy reach, yet small enough to feel like you’ve escaped from city life; from the pedestrian shopping areas to the sidewalk cafes, the churches, and the ease of transportation. After an enjoyable lunch, we did some shopping (much needed rain-proof shoes were tops on the list) and were once again on our way. The trains were very crowded, packed with tour groups. The connections were only minutes, and the stations were such that you exited the train, raced down the ramp, found your track and sector, trekked up the ramp, jumped onto the train, and the toot-toot of the whistle would blow. Phew! Several times we had to tromp with our luggage through the moving train like drunken sailors – oh, pardon me, excuse me, can I get through, please, in whatever language seemed appropriate – or when that failed, a kick here, a shove there usually got the aisle cleared.

But at long last we arrived in our beloved Grindelwald. Oh, how we love this place, with the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau proudly standing at attention before us (well, we know they’re there but at this point the clouds had taken over). With specific instructions from the owner via letter, we begin to make our way to our home for the next week. The rain was coming at us horizontally at this point, and our umbrellas were useless because of the winds. (Why did we decide to leave our rain pants at home this year? Yes, dear, I know you wanted to bring them and I took them out of the suitcases because we haven’t used them on the past three trips. Yes, of course you were right. Yes, we’ll bring them next time.)

Our apartment was a disappointment. After this experience, I have compiled a list of questions to help in my selection process:

1. How current are the website photos?
2. When was the last renovation, and exactly what was renovated?
3. Has the shower curtain been changed, or at least cleaned, in the past century?
4. How thick is the bed mattress; or better yet, does the bed actually have a mattress?
5. Was the furniture something your great-great grandmother used as a child?

Yes, we made mistakes, chose poorly, and suffered the consequences of a prepaid apartment with out-of-town owners. Have we learned our lesson? I sure hope so, as this was not a pleasant experience. It was a poor location as well, about a 20-minute walk down a very steep hill, and I hate walking with luggage and groceries downhill. You approached it from the top floor, so there were three flights of stairs going down, down, down to the dark and musty bare concrete floored hallway to what we called “The Bomb Shelter” each day. I guess I’m more disappointed in myself for choosing this place. On the positive side, it had a great view of the Eiger, and it was very quiet. Leave it at that.

One night at Onkle Tom’s Pizza Hutte for dinner, we sat with a couple from Bern. As the evening wore on, the subject of bomb shelters somehow came up. We learned that, yes, all the homes in the area are required to have a bomb shelter or pay the government a large sum for the ability to use someone else’s during those times when a bomb shelter would become necessary. I remember him saying that they have enough shelters for 4 million of their 6 million residents. So then we started to notice that, indeed, in the building of new homes throughout the valley, the first thing construction crews seemed to do was dig a deep hole the dimensions of the home, line it with concrete, lay a roof across which is now even with the ground, then build the home. I found this fascinating. Learn something new every day.

And speaking of Onkle Tom’s Pizza, be careful when ordering the Diavolo pizza. This was DH’s standard in Italy, but here in Switzerland – mama mia, it is a-one-a-spicy pizza pie! Mine was topped with fresh asparagus. Of course, dessert was Coupe Denmark to cool off the hot mouth! Fun place, packed with locals and tourists alike. I love how we all shared tables.

Still to come: Cows on the Mooove and The Snow Storm (sorry, I forgot to include that this time.)

kopp

(Grindelwald, continued)

When we return to Grindelwald, we are always amazed how many hiking trails there are to explore, including the First region with its beautiful small lake and Pfingstegg with its alpine slide. One of our favorite hikes is the very popular Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen, with its jaw-dropping views of the magnificent glaciers. On cloudy, rainy days, the peaks come and go with amazing speed; yet, for those brief moments, you are transfixed on their awesomeness. Hearing the glaciers break off with the crashing sounds across the valley, viewing the Sphinx of the Jungfraujoch way up into the heavens, listening to the clang-clang of the cow bells feasting on the wildflowers, or waving at the train passengers as they make their way up or down the hill, these are all treasures we take home with us in our memories. Who can forget stopping for lunch at the Eigernordwand, gazing out the beautiful restaurant windows or sitting on the cliff-side terrace, feasting on goulaschsuppe, schnitzel, bratwurst, salads, ice cream, strudel, listening to the sounds of the alphorn in the distance, echoing across the valleys. Pictures tell a thousand words, but when I close my eyes and re-live our days in these mountains, I’m always ready to go back in a heartbeat.

As the weather continued to deteriorate as the week progressed (snow, sleet, hail, followed by rain then sun), our daily journeys were less hiking and more riding, up and down the trains, gondolas, and trams. We’d go down towards the valley, into Interlaken for shopping, up to Schynige Platte with its lovely alpine garden and views of Interlaken and its lakes, and regions beyond. One particularly cold day in Grindelwald, we decided it was time to try something new. So we headed to the Swiss Open Air Museum in Ballenberg. To get there, we took the train down the mountain to Interlaken, then along the lakeside to Brienz (mental note to stay here next time – this lake is gorgeous!), connecting to the bus to Ballenberg.

The Swiss Open Air Museum is a delightful place for a day’s outing. In a park-like setting, with the beautiful surrounding mountains, it is filled with century-old buildings from all the regions of Switzerland. Walking through the various areas, into the workshops and homes, the old customs come alive. There are gardens of every sort, farm animals, farmers tilling the soil, cheese-makers, bakers, chocolate-makers, a smithy, smokehouses, lacemakers, woodcarvers, basketweavers, etc. There was a small park for children, with a petting zoo and even a bowling lane with the pins and balls carved from wood! At a local farmhouse-restaurant, we shared the daily special, the Bernese Plate: mixed meats, potato salad, sauerkraut, green beans. While basking in the warmth of the sun among the locals, we enjoyed the friendliness of the people and the warm welcome we were given. Such a great day!

On the train back, we met an 87-year-old gentleman from Nottingham, England. He was absolutely delightful to chat with. He told of the many years he and his wife traveled to this area, but his wife passed away last year so this was his first time as a solo traveler. Traveling the day after the terror alerts at the airports, he told of his adventure through security, where he could bring his glasses but not the case; where his digital camera got lost so he bought another upon arrival; his luggage was misplaced for several days so he bought a new wardrobe. He knew all about train connections and bus schedules. Arriving in Grindelwald, we accompanied him to his hotel, waving to him when he reached his balcony. What a guy! I can only hope that I will be half of his charming self when I reach 87.

Grindelwald was practically a ghost-town in the evenings. Restaurants were empty, and the usually bustling town was as quiet as a mouse. Perhaps the weather was keeping the Swiss away, or maybe it was just that little bit later in the season that the foreign tourists were not there. This was now mid-August. But our journey to Grindelwald was over, our trip just about complete.

Next up: Murren and the Swiss Triathlon

P_M

kopp--Oh, silly me, you are so right that I was only a newborn infant in 1980, therefore my story must have all been a dream. Since I was a tiny little baby in 1980, that means I'm only.... :-? ..ummm..26 years old!! Yeah, that's right, I'm 26. So that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!!

enzian

Hi kopp----

Sigh. I'm in heaven. Your description of the Mannlichen to Kleine Scheidegg area put me right there, with the awesome peaks, the flowers, and the sounds of cowbells and crashing ice. Thank you.

I'm sorry to hear about the Grindelwald apartment disappointment--what a shame. But you have motivated me to proceed right away with a reservation for the Grindelwald apartment we've had before (and know is OK), so we don't face the same thing. So if it's any consolation, your bad experience may help others here.

And I think my kids would love that extra-spicy Pizza Diavola at Onkle Tom's.

Here's a picture of the potato ricer we use for making the Spaghetti Eis (scroll down past the "mashers"; it's the third implement:

http://www.reluctantgourmet.com/potato_ricer.htm

It takes a bit of muscle power to squeeze the ice cream through (we use Breyers). I enlist a big strong young man (my son) for this. I chill the bowls well in the freezer first, and then re-chill the extruded ice cream in the bowl before saucing and serving it. Everyone loves this---it's worth the trouble---and the surprised looks when you announce you are serving Spaghetti Ice Cream.

But in Europe we've only found it in Germany. Did you ever see it in Switzerland?

kopp

enzian, nope, we only saw it in Germany. I'm going to have to try that ricer thing, although here in Texas we only buy Blue Bell, so I hope that works.

kopp

Murren (2 nights) – Hotel Edelweiss – edelweiss-muerren.ch
Zurich-Glattbrugg (1 night) – Renaissance Hotel – marriott.com/property/propertypage/ZRHRN

Apartments rent from Saturday to Saturday, so when your flight leaves on a Tuesday, you need to find a place to stay for those extra nights. We chose to stay in Murren for two nights before heading to the airport area. Having walked through the town many times, grabbing a drink or ice cream at the lovely terrace of the Hotel Edelweiss, it seemed the perfect spot for a couple nights.

Knowing the funicular up to Murren was closed, the only way up was the tram at the far end of town. So upon leaving the train, we walked a short distance to the waiting Post Bus for the 10-minute ride to the tram. We were prepared for long tram lines but were pleasantly surprised that there was plenty of room for everyone on the first one. After a couple stops and changes on the way up, we arrived at Murren and walked about half the distance of the town to our hotel.

Hotel Edelweiss is perched on the cliff overlooking the beautiful valley of Lauterbrunnen. (And it still surprises me that check-in is merely a sign-in sheet, whereupon they just hand you the room key. No ID, no credit card required, just a very friendly “Enjoy your stay.”) Upon entering our room, we just plopped on the comfy beds and opened the doors to the balcony to breathe in the coolness and the fresh air. Ahhh, beds that we could actually sleep in – what a treat! The bathroom was very modern, even a nice bathtub with bubble bath for soothing my sore legs. The view out the balcony was unbelievable. I don’t know how many times one can look upon these peaks before you’d say, “Been there, done that,” but it’s still very impressive for us. The move to Murren was basically just on the other side of the valley from Grindelwald, but I don’t think we’ll ever get used to looking at the green hills, the jagged peaks, or the rocky formations. So for the next couple hours, we just sat there, gazing, reading, napping, drinking, knowing our long trip was at a close.

The Schilthorn: Breathtaking, amazing, spectacular, unbelievable. There are not enough adjectives to adequately describe this wonder. You just can’t believe that something this impressive is this high up in the mountains. A large terrace gives you a 360-degree view of over 200 mountain peaks, from Titlis, the Eiger, Monch & Jungfrau range, to Mont Blanc, all the way to the Black Forest of Germany. The circular full-service restaurant, Piz Gloria, slowly revolves, giving you an unbelievable background during your meal. (The meat and cheese platter was delightful; sliced meats of the region served with ever-so-thin yet rolled slices of Swiss cheese.)

This particular day was the annual Swiss Inferno Triathlon. Now, folks, if you’re a triathlete, have I got an event for you! It begins at 6:30 am with a swim in Lake Brienz, followed by road biking from Oberhofen to Grindelwald, mountain biking from Grindelwald to Stechelberg, and finally the mountain run from Stechelberg ALL THE WAY UP to the Schilthorn. This race is not for woosies. We have triathlons here in Austin, but the running portion is not in the Alps from practically ground level up to 10,000 feet! These were tremendous athletes. At the Schilthorn, there were all sorts of banners, balloons, TV cameras, and people everywhere just waiting for the runners to make their final ascent to the top. There was even a 20-piece band (Riggisberg Pulswarmers), all decked out in unique red, black and white costumes, playing “Beer Barrel Polka” and other festive songs. We were handed these little noisemakers, wooden (of course) things that you twist around and around to make a noise when the runners arrive. This was so much fun! When the first runner arrived, he was surrounded by news reporters, hungry for that special interview. Slowly, one by one, the runners arrived, some in better shape than others, some collapsing from the strain, others seeming barely exhausted. We watched the events for several hours before heading back down for dinner.

There was also a race just through the town for the non-Alpine runners, so this went on for quite sometime. Cheers were heard up and down the streets as runners completed their journey or just passed by the homes. That night, the town was full of revelers from the day’s events. A big tent was set up, food booths were everywhere, trophies were awarded to the winners, and live music was heard through the small town until the wee hours of the morning. The chill of the rain didn’t seem to dampen the spirits of the party-goers. It was a time to celebrate the great victories of the day. Hundreds of runners participated, and I am probably safe in saying that just finishing that race was cause for celebration.

After a wonderful night’s sleep and a lovely Swiss breakfast (love that Milch Caffe), we took the tram downhill to the Lauterbrunnen Valley for the Waterfall Hike. There are around 25 waterfalls in this beautiful valley, and a lovely trail has views of just about all of them. We even hiked up the steep path to the Staubbach Falls, where we were treated to a great view of Lauterbrunnen. We decided to skip the Trummelbach Falls on this trip as we were just enjoying the valley walk so much. I love all the flower boxes on the balcony railings and the lace curtains in the windows. Even the cemetery was beautifully decorated with flowers in all the gravesites, bringing life through death. We really got soaked during this hike, were chilled to the bone upon returning to our hotel. But a change of clothes and a cup of gluhwein took away any coldness.

Once the festivities from the race were over, this town was virtually deserted. Most of the restaurants in town were closed, so finding a place to eat was limited to only two places. We settled on the Eiger Guesthouse (across from the train station), where we enjoyed our last Swiss meal (lamb fillet, gerstensuppe, and cheese fondue). Walking the streets after dinner for over an hour, not a soul was to be seen. Isn’t this peak tourist season? Not here in Murren. In our hotel, there were only two other guests besides us. This town is so peaceful and the views so spectacular. I just hope the businesses can survive. Perhaps winter is busier for them, with the skiers.

Our last day would have us staying overnight near the Zurich Airport (a winning $80 bid on Priceline – what a deal!) Not needing to arrive at the hotel before evening, we made one last stop in Lucerne. The day was beautiful, so we decided to take one last boat ride on the lake. We checked our luggage at the station lockers, grabbed a quick lunch at the Migros deli counter (schweinhaxe and gratinated potatoes—oh my!), then boarded the paddlesteamer. Arriving in Vitznau, we took one last walk around the promenade and enjoyed one last scoop of gelato. Back on board, we waved a tearful good-bye to the beautiful lake, the lush hills, the beautiful scenery of Switzerland.

Later that evening, settled in our comfortable hotel, we re-packed our suitcases to conform to the new security regulations, dumping out lotions and liquids, hoping for the best on the flight in the morning. The flight was uneventful, thankfully. After being up for almost 24 hours, we arrived back in Austin and headed straight to the car rental counter to pick up our reserved car. What, no cars available? We have a reservation. And no cars were available at other agencies. That’s just great! Fortunately, DD was home and available.

Thus ends our six weeks in Europe.

The End.

kleeblatt

Hi Kopp: Great trip! Vitznau is truly beautiful, especially when the weather kopperates!

I was in Schwyz last night at the Chloster Chilbi where they have live music or DJs in the restaurants. Walking down the street, I heard jodeling, Swiss music played on accordians, the song "Ballroom Blitz" and saw a group of people dancing the Bolognaise.

I went home at midnight because the music was so loud that I had to yell to make myself heard.

Today is another gorgeous day and the "töffli" boys (14 years old) are tuning up their bikes in the neighborhood and my husband went on a bicycle ride up Klewenalp.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Glad you had a great time here and hope to have you back soon. With a name like Kopp (very Swiss), I'm sure you will be.

Tschüss

kwren

Hi Kopp

I can't believe I only now saw this post! You knew it would bring back wonderful memories of my recent trip. Hmmm - you included many things I had not thought to do (well, maybe not the bomb shelter!) - I guess I'll just have to go back! Enjoyed it very much.

enzian - my MIL had a ricer - I think I'll try that spaghetti eis too since I've never seen it. The kids will be in awe of their incredible mom if I can pull it off!

kopp

Good morning schuler, you have such a lovely way of making me yearn once again for the hills of Switzerland! I would have loved to hear the Ballroom Blitz on accordian. Vitznau has to be my favorite town along your lovely lake, with Weggis being a close second. However, now that I've been to Burgenstock -- well, I could throw a dart and be happy in any of them. How lucky you are!

Speaking of Vitznau, I'm sure you've been to that little bakery / ice cream shop on the main street (across from the cutest souvenir shop). Anyway, they've got a cake there named something like Fireman's something or other. I can't remember the other part of the name. Do you know what it is? I'd like to see if I can find a recipe and make it at home. Delish!

kwren, I've just ordered a ricer to try making spaghetti eis myself. Here's a link to a picture:

http://www.germandeli.com/reforspeis.html

kwren

great link Kopp! I hadn't thought about what to do once I had the ice cream done so this was perfect. Now if I can make enough before the first strands melt I'll be all set!

Thanks!

cheribob

kopp,

I really enjoyed reading your trip report. About those Prague dumplings, as any Bohemian can tell you, they don't call them "sinkers" for nothing!

Tiff

Oh kopp ~ what a delight (you and your report).

I had to come back now and finish, I was out of town last Thursday and Friday, so I had to catch up!

Oh the places you have gone! It sounds like you and your DH have had such great experiences. And when you speak about your favorites, like in this report, it warms my heart and makes me think of my own favorites. Makes me wonder what new travels will someday bring me to a possible favorite to add to our list.

Every now and again you read a report and wish you could have been a lil bird traveling above with the writer during their journey. Your report was one of those. I wish I could have been there. It is not so much that I couldn't go to those places, but more because 'with you' I know with great certainty, you would be looking up at me occasionally and pointing out to something that you want me to see without a word. (Cause after all, I'm just a lil bird and might not be able to understand English.)


Here's to you. Thanks for letting us travel with you on this journey.