Lauterbrunnen, Wengen, and Mürren
The majestic grandeur of the Swiss Alps
Day 7 – Goodbye Burgundy, Hello Switzerland
On day seven we bid farewell to Hotel Les Grands Chênes and hopped on our bus for the roughy eight hour journey to Switzerland. I’ve yet to name him but I must take a moment to praise Paul, our amazing driver who safely and comfortably navigated this large group from Paris to Florence. As an American, I am very used to navigating long distances by vehicle but there is something about the equivalent distance drive in Europe that is so much more pleasant…maybe it’s the new scenery, the distant chateau…I imagine the safe and pleasant driving of Paul along with Sašo and Janet’s narration had something to do with it. Another special shoutout to Paul for taking the extra time to explore the valley before we disembarked, a real gent that Paul fella was.
We disembarked from our bus and made our way to Wengen via train to settle into Hotel Falken. If you have visited this hotel, you will know, it’s worth the journey and you will appreciate the travel light tips preached by Rick Steves. Once settled we enjoyed a fondue dinner followed by an alphorn and jutz performance by a charming Swiss German speaking duo. My memory doesn’t serve me now but I believe it was either night seven or eight when we received an amazing piano performance from one of our young tour buddies who just happened to be from my wonderful state of Georgia. We settled in with a great night of rest, enjoying the fresh Swiss Alp air.
Day 8 – Free Day – Hiking in the Alps
In a trip that is filled with highlights, this one was certainly up there. Sašo and Janet informed the group that there was an excellent hike they planned for this day and from my recollection, it seems nearly the entire group agreed to go. Our journey was a train to Lauterbrunnen and a cable car to Grütschalp followed by a stunning walk to Mürren where we enjoyed a picturesque lunch overlooking the valley. After lunch we explored Mürren before taking the cable car down to Stechelberg and walked much of the valley, taking in the many waterfalls and stunning views. A perfect day.
