FainaAgain

Wonderful pictures, thank you for sharing! Can't believe it's your first try!

I want to go back to this addictive country

bd

My husband and I still joke about the video cams, because it looked the same every morning. We put a white sheet in front of our faces to indicate the "view from Jungfraujoch."

kwren

that's so funny bd! (although maybe not if that's ALL you saw ) I did see that view too one day so I knew how disappointing that could be.

enzian

Wonderful photos, kwren, thank you. They help a bit with the "homesickness" I feel for my favorite place. I'm glad you got to see the Jungfraujoch and the Schilthorn before the clouds rolled in! I thought those blue flowrs in the crevice on the Schilthorn might be Schnee Enzian, but I can't tell for sure. Here is a great website with photos of alpine flowers for identification:
http://www.pbase.com/edlibaer/flowers

ronkala

Karen,
We're staying at an apartment for two weeks in Kanderstag that we found through Untours. We will be going to all the places in your photos plus as many other places as we can fit in. I've gleaned the various posts here and found enough to do to keep us busy.

kopp

enzian - I see we have a mutual love of alpenblumen. It seems half my time is spent photographing the many different varieties.

Check this link out. You may be right about the name. These were all over the place:

http://www.flogaus-faust.de/e/gentniv2.htm

enzian

Hi kopp---yes, I love alpine flowers. I was a horticulturist in a previous life, and studied arctic and alpine botany in Alaska. Your Schnee Enzian photo is lovely---a true depiction of the species. I just can't tell about the ones in kwren's photo---the color is a little off, and I'm not sure of the little white "eye" at the center.

We have lots of gentians in the Cascade, Sierra, and Rocky mountains (including an unusual blue-green one), but not this one.

kwren

I go to one 5th grade open house and I miss the alpenblumen discussion!

I take close-up flower pictures on every vacation too, but often don't know what they are. I was surprised and happy to receive the little wildflower guide. I can't tell either, however, if these are Schnee Enzian (a personal favorite of yours I take it, enzian?!) The leaves look a bit different and these were all very close to the ground, although maybe better growing conditions would give them a boost. I was amazed that I saw these on a rock mountain top with nothing else green in sight. Isn't it amazing how plants can take hold anywhere?

I did take a slightly closer view if that helps:

http://tinyurl.com/pm76f

Did you see my bluebells in the Mannlichen hike pictures?

ronkala - I never heard of Kandrsteg, but see it on my map. I'm sure it will have similar scenery and it doesn't look like it will take too much effort to go to these places. 9 months will go fast and I'll be looking for your trip report!

kwren

Here's a little plant I found next to the bluebells (if that's what they really are). I took over 1000 pictures, so I had to pick and choose what to post here.

http://tinyurl.com/ofz99

I don't know what this is either.

enzian

Hi kwren,

Yes, the Schnee-Enzian is a personal favorite, but we rarely see them when we are there in August; they bloom a bit earlier (soon after the snow melts, hence the name). So I think you are correct; the leaves aren't quite right, and your little Schilthorn flowers don't have that distinctive "pinwheel" twist to the petals. I'll have to search my books for an ID on yours--I have a couple of Alpine wildflower books I bought there. And yes, I did see the Mannlichen bluebells---that is a Campanula, found in many places in the world (we saw them two weeks ago in the Wasatch mountains of Utah, at around 9,000 to 10,000 feet). They seem to like dry, rocky places. The famous "Bluebell of Scotland" is a Campanula.

Ronkala is going to have a wonderful time in Kandersteg. It's a valley town, so a good choice for May, when (I think) they are going. Great connections to the north (lakes) and the south (Valais region). The town itself is lovely, with granite cliffs and peaks rising all around. And waterfalls. And. . . . well, anyway, you can see photos of the area here:
www.kandersteg.ch
(Go to "impressions" and then "pictures.&quot We'll be there ourselves in early July.

kwren

The Kandersteg area looks beautiful. I can't believe I want to go back already.

enzian

Welcome to the "addicted to Switzerland" club! Did your children love it too? Our daughter (age 13)still repeats little jokes and sayings from our last trip, sorts her photos, and talks about the new things she wants to see next time.

kwren

Their favorite was Paris (what can you expect - I LOVE Paris, go every few years and talk about it endlessly), , but yes, followed closely by Switzerland. We loved the trains, both watching them across the valley and riding them, the mountains, that hike! We're all ready to go back!

Hagan

Karen, thanks so much for posting your great pictures! We stayed at the Silberhorn nearly 3 years ago, had the room on the corner with balcony, second floor from the top. We'd sit on our balcony and notice a large Japanese group staying in the chalet just up from us - had no idea that was part of the Silberhorn. Did they just recently acquire it?
Your pictures brought back many wonderful memories for us, thanks again!

P_M

kwren, after seeing your pictures I am now depressed. I'm depressed because I'm not there and I won't be going in the near future.

Just kidding, of course. But really Switzerland has been on the brain a lot lately. Just 2 years ago today I returned from a hiking trip I took to Switzerland. I had a few days on my own in the Lake Geneva area before the hike began. After the week-long trip with the hiking group ended, I took the train to the BO for 3 days. I saw a lot of the places in your pics, so thanks for taking me on this virtual tour.

Maudie

I still can't see the first two lots of photo's but can look at the 3rd. Very strange this is all I get:

Kodakgallery.com will be back soon.

The Kodak EasyShare Gallery Web site is currently undergoing temporary maintenance to better serve you and your photos. Please visit us again soon.

Thank you for your patience, and we apologize for the inconvenience. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected].

Anyone got any ideas???? I really want to see Kwren's photo's.

kwren

Maudie - You';re still trying to see these! Sorry I can't offer suggestions - I'm too new at using this - and it's working for me right now anyway.

Hagan - I think I looked at that balcony quite a bit from ours! I bet you had a great view. I didn't think of asking when they acquired that chalet, but I'm glad they did! A few questions for you now since I had been wondering...

Did your room look similar to ours, from what you could see in my pictures? Did you have an elevator?

P_M_ Sorry you're depressed!! So am I...I have no idea when I can go back

Thanks to everyone for you nice comments about my pix. I appreciate them all! I'm still working on getting the other parts of my trip together to post.
K

enzian

Ok---I think I've identified your little blue flowers in the crevice on the Schilthorn---a Mt. Cenis Glockenblume (bellflower), Campanula cenisia. It grows above 2000m in shaly and calcareous rocks and scree. My alpenblumen book says that it's very rare.

DeeW

Great pictures! I chuckled at your son's privacy screen held up with shoes.
We stayed in the same hotel last September, minus the crane next door, so your pictures brought back fond memories.

You have inspired me to learn how to post pictures to the web.

Pleiades

Great pictures! We were in Switzerland last year (Lucerne, Murren, Zermatt, Vevey) - your photos bring back so many happy memories. DS (10) loved every minute of the journey and we are planning a surprise return visit for him in 07. We'll definitely go back to Murren again and hopefully also go up the Jungfrau this time as well. This time we will have at least two weeks in Switzerland, not four days! Can't wait.