Trip 40: Swiss Pass Adventures

Trip date: July 28 - July 29, 2012

You can never count on the weather. On my last weekend in Switzerland, I was cursed with grey gloomy skies and rainy wetness. Regardless, I bought a 4 day Swiss Pass and set out to explore a few last-minute places in Switzerland.

All in attendance: Kristen

Cities visited: Oberhofen am Thunersee, Thun, Rigi, Locarno

My half-fare train pass ran out on July 28th. On Friday the 27th, I met my friend Alex in Zurich after work. It will possibly be the last time I walk through Bahnhofstrasse and a stop by Zürichsee to feed the swans for a very long time. The London Olympic Ceremonies were happening this night as well. Since all the bars were full to the brim, we watched it at Alex's house on his swanky large television. Highlights include falling asleep shortly after Canadian athletes were called on.

The next day, I picked up a Swiss pass and set off to a full day of rainy adventure. Armed with an umbrella, a bar of Swiss chocolate and a book i bought based solely on the cover, I set off to Oberhofen am Thunersee - a German speaking city in the canton of Bern.

I went here because I was misled by google images on the beauty of this place. However, as you can see by google images, there really is only one vantage point of the lakeside castle. A cloudy dreary day and an entrance fee was all that it took to deter me from going inside. Instead, I read my novel along the hazy lakeside while viewing the castle and its eyesore scaffolding.

I took the bus to Thun and explored the city. Lots of people were out because of the weekend. There was also a small festival of some kind going on at the time. I walked up the castle which was neutrally exciting and got a view of the city. I ended up taking beautiful alleyways back down to the city and then walked along the River Aar (which flows out of lake Thun and through the city).

I looked around for a nice (and affordable) restaurant and called it a day once the rain started to really come down. I decided at the last moment to transfer onto a train to go to St. Gallen to see the cathedral but heavy rain, a setting sun and arriving without any map or clue on where the cathedral was made the trip a lost cause and I returned swiftly to Baden.

On Sunday, I woke up to equally grey and rainy skies. My flatmates and I went up to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Basel for the Jeff Koons exhibit I had wanted to see for some time. This was followed by an overpriced coffee and a meal from Migros-Takeaway. Then, even though the rain was coming down, I decided to try my luck to go up Mount Rigi with my Swiss Pass.

The Swiss Pass includes rides on some specialize lines, including the train that goes up Mount. Rigi. I should've have known better because visibility was even more awful on top of Rigi this day than it was on the day I climbed Faulhorn.

I climbed on the train and took a gamble to go to the Italian part of Switzerland. Even though the daylight was running out and the window for train connections to take me back to Baden were running out, I decided to try to explore another small sliver of Switzerland. Cue: blurry train window photos and nearly falling asleep.

I got out at Locarno and I berated myself a bit for not considering going to the Italian part of Switzerland sooner. Of course it would be sunny here! It's always sunny in the south of Switzerland! There wasn't much time to do anything else than walk around Lake Maggiore before taking the last train connections home to Baden.

In fact, this may be the last time I take those last train connections 'home to Baden'.

Goodbye Switzerland - you were such a beautiful home to me.

Things I learned:

• Cloudy days suck.

Things to do next time:

• See Rigi
• Paraglide off of Pilatus
  - which I wanted to do if it wasn't so cloudy. I was going to sneak out of work on Monday or Tuesday to do this but the weather never cleared up.
• See the catherdral in St. Gallen
• Bungee Jump from the Verzasca Dam
• Hike/Walk through the Lavaux Vineyards
• Do more Switzerland hiking!!

Trip 39: Faulhorn II and Zermatt

Trip date: June 21 & 22, 2012

Redemption! One of my last weekends in Switzerland - one of my last chances to hike Faulhorn. Unfortunately it was nothing but fog and rain the whole time. Oh well, continue on anyways.

All in attendance: Kristen and Eric


Faulhorn (again)

It just had to rain! Eric came to Baden by ride share on Friday night. All hostels in Interlaken were full so we hopped on to 5:47 am train connections on Saturday morning from Baden to Wilderswil.

Picking up food and looking like sleep deprived zombies, we headed up with the nostalgic train up to Schynige Platte. Fog and clouds were thick but denial was high. We hoped that just maybe we could get above them and get a view. No such luck.

Last time the trail was completely snowed out at the half way point. This time the views were next to nil. It makes you concentrate though on the nearby beauty of flowers and nearby meadows though. It was still a bit unfortunate though - remember, this is one of the most beautiful hikes in Switzerland!

I think the most disheartening part were instances where we would come across a bench which overlooked nothing but a view of bright white fog. I can only imagine the serene mountain views which can usually be seen.

We arrived at the mountain hut and went in for some much needed warmth and overpriced tea. Then it was back up up up in the wet and the fog while wearing gender appropriate rain coats.

We reached the peak of Faulhorn! Celebration included eating some of this Rote Hexe (Red Witch) cheese we had brought.

Anticipated view vs. Actual view

A Canadian lesson is that we can never win all our weather battles. It was still a good day nonetheless. On our decent to First, the fog did lift just enough for us to catch a glimpse of Brienzersee. Cue 147829 well deserved photographs.

Then it was a snoozy exhausted and soggy train ride to Zermatt. We bought a 1 day travel pass (68 CHF with our halbtax) to cover our trains to Interlaken and Zermatt. On the way to Zermatt, they put you in fancy different trains with large windows so you can see all the beautiful small Swiss towns as you zip by.

We stayed in Täsch, a small town a single train stop away from Zermatt in a guesthouse (30 CHF each). Highlights include a warm shower, a balcony with a clear night of stars and a wall with animal pattern carpet.

Zermatt

The next day we took the train from Täsch to Zermatt. We began our hike from there towards Sunegga. There is an underground funicular which runs from Zermatt to Sunegga but the steeper/more challenging parts of the hike were definitely between these two points. Once you reach Sunegga, things are mostly very level.

We were lucky for it to be a clear day (in majority). We hiked along the 5-Seeweg to see the 5 lakes in the region. I made vegetarian salad rolls and we ate delicious German spreads and flat peaches for lunch. Cue: beautiful views of the Matterhorn - supposedly the most photographed mountain in the world!

Clouds came in and we decided that it wouldn't be worth the hike up to Riffelberg. On our hike down I encountered curious coloured goats which I looked at for an unnecessary tourist amount of time.

An exhausted train ride home to Baden. A well deserved sleep.

Thing I will do next time:

• Go to Faulhorn on a clear day!
• Go to the rope parks in Zermatt

Thing I loved:

• Hiking!
• The crazy blue water in Zermatt
  

Trip 35: Faulhorn

Trip date: Saturday June 2, 2012

One of the most quintessential hikes in Switzerland in the Interlaken region is the hike from Schynige Platte to Faulhorn to First. Stunning views of the Eiger mountain and the Interlaken's other mountains as well as rich green valleys and beautiful Swiss scenery are on the itinerary. This hike has been on my agenda for months and months and here in the early week of June, during Eric's visit to Switzerland, I decided to attempt it.

All in attendance: Kristen and Eric

We took our gleis7 pass to Interlaken on Friday night as stayed at the Happy Inn Lodge for 27 CHF. We woke up early, took a fancy and nostalgic (but slooooow) train up from Wilderswil to Schynige Platte (17 CHF).

Here there was a big sign which said the path from Schynige Platte to Faulhorn to First is still closed due to the winter snow. The train station employees told us that it needed one more week for everything to melt. Armed with our ego and disregard for negativity, we set off.

We did some side treks including up to Oberberghorn which is off the main path and offers you a good view. About 1.30 hours in, the snow started to set in and we were stomping out way through to Faulhorn.

We passed a few people who had turned back and even though the weather was warm and the views were stunning, eventually the snow became too treacherous and we lost the trail markers.

To get our hiking fill though, we decided to hike from Schynige Platte back down to Interlaken - Cue: Steep hill of death.

We will come back before the year is done and attempt this beautiful hike once more!!

Trip 26: Dietikon, Switzerland

Trip date: Sunday April 22, 2012

What is so great about a small town between Baden and Zürich? It was once home to a famous Swiss architect named Bruno Weber who's fantastic sculpture park and home still resides there to this day.

All in attendance: Pat, Tom, Kristen

At 10 CHF for students and just a few francs to get there by bus, it makes a perfect morning trip - just leaving enough time to take a late lunch. As Pat and Tom are leaving Switzerland soon to return to Canada (with Gordon already home), this was the last outting we could do as roommates.

A really nice statue park. A bit of construction eye sore and a slight tourist trap but what's new? Cue: crazy steep bridges and strutting peacocks.

Trip 24: Lausanne; Montreux; Neuchâtel, Switzerland

Trip date: March 31, 2012

All in attendance: Kehl Roommates - Pat, Tom, Gordon and Kristen!

Pat and Tom began their jobs at ABB in May 2011 for a one year contract. Gordon started in June and I started in August, both at Alstom. This Saturday Swiss adventure just might be our last one together as roommates.

Neuchâtel is in the French speaking region of Switzerland and just 21 CHF away from Baden with our halbtax. It's a small town of some thirty thousand people (but still twice the size of Baden). It was a march to the town center from the train station where we found lots of people out and about basking in the Saturday sun.

We went up toe the castle of Neuchâtel which had more scaffolding on it than was pleasant. It does sit on top of a hill which gave us a nice view of the Swiss town, including a glimpse of the Eglise Rouge in the distance. It was a sunny-blinding day which makes for horrible pictures but pleasant warm weather.We also sat by the benches along the Lake of Neuchâtel to eat our lunches and for me to eat a really big grapefruit I bought in the outdoor market.

Off to Lausanne for 12.50CHF and just over 40 minutes on a direct train. We didn't go see the Lausanne Cathedral but instead opted to drinking beers and sun bathing by the breath taking Lake Geneva. The fog obscured the stunning Swiss mountains just enough to add a surreal beauty to the whole episode.

Unfortunately no boats were running that day to Montreux so we boarded a train yet again. We passed by really playful topiary art installations, a statue of Freddie Mercury and walked all the way to the Château de Chillon and took a "roommate picture" that will hopefully hang on the fridge in our apartment for interns to see for years to come.

We had dinner in a pub where we paid more than appropriate for simple burger and fries and then took gleis7 train connections home.

Basel Fasnacht

Date: February 29, 2012

The biggest carnival in Switzerland happens in Basel - a city near where the French, German and Swiss border meet. The carnival events start at 4am Monday (Morgestraich) where the lights in the town go out and the Cliques's lanterns are illuminated. This marks the beginning of the Carnival.

Other interns went for the 4am parade and celebration but I waited until the Wednesday to drop into Basel for the final parade, taking a few hours off of work. Cliques are a group of people dressed in a uniformed theme that march in the parades playing the piccolo, drums, flutes, etc. Floats are a means of transportation for the uniquely masked participants to throw candy, flowers, confetti and sometimes large root vegetables into the crowd of onlookers.

You can buy a pin (bronze, silver or gold) in support of the carnival (and it's highly suggested you do so) but it's technically free to attend.

I always thought it was a shame that European countries by large do not celebrate Halloween but it's in fact during these carnivals that you see kids dressed up in costume and they hold out their bags for the carnival participants to throw candy to them. By no means do they get the insane 2-pillow-case haul we get in sugar addicted Canada though.