Sept. 24; Brienz-Rothorn Train
We spent the day taking the scenic train from Brienz up to the top of the mountain Rothorn-Kulm, taking in the views and riding and hiking back down.
The steam engine.
Passing the houses of Brienz.
A glimpse of Brienz Lake and the town through a gap in the rocks.
A cottage on the slopes above Planalp, the halfway point.
Above treeline, cowherd homes. The cows have been moved down to the valleys already.
Looking down towards Lake Brienz.
What a ride!
Panoramic view from the top, restaurant and hotel in the center.
No I won't take another step back for the picture!
The clouds started rolling in, time to head down.
We passed the train coming up the mountain.
A waterfall at Planalp, the tiny village at the halfway stop where the engine takes on water for the boiler.
We disembarked from the train at Planalp and looked for the restaurant. The Berghaus and Bergrestaurant is a hotel that has been catering to tourists since the late 1800’s. The food was excellent, the fire in the woodstove was warm and we had wonderful views down the slopes.
Pumpkin soup.
Cheese, meat and fruit plate.
After lunch we decided to hike down the rest of the way to Brienz and admire the fall colors.
The road followed the train tracks and soon a train was chugging out of the tunnel.
Some sections were steep trails.
We got down into Brienz as a light rain started to fall. I saw this sculpture in a doorway. Brienz is known for its woodworking artisans.
A delicious fish dinner was served at the B&B.
The dining room was decorated with horsey paraphernalia and these cow bells which decorate many of the houses in the area.
Sept. 23; Swiss Tour – Bern to Brienz
Michel & Raymonde wanted to take us on a tour of ‘suisse typique’ or typical swiss landscape and culture. We headed out on the Autostrade towards the German language area of central Switzerland towards Bern, the capital of the country. The highways here have regularly spaced automatic radar stations and everyone knows where they are, so the traffic slows predictably and flows smoothly even though the European drivers are crazy!
An exhibit of decorated cows near the town of Gruyere.
The Rathaus (city hall) of Bern.
This is where Einstein lived in Bern from 1903 to 1905 and developed his Special Theory of Relativity.
Statuary, fountains and the famous clock decorate The Kramgasse ("Grocers Alley"), one of the principal streets in the Old City of Bern, the medieval city center of Bern.
A detail on the clock tower.
The parliament building in Bern, capital of Switzerland.
A vegetable and flower market was in progress in the streets.
Bern has an annual Onion Market on the 4th Monday in November that has become a crazy fun party where everything is onions!
We continued on to Thun at the west end of Thunersee (Lake Thun) and took a stroll to the local castle.
Thun Castle.
The Lord & Lady of the castle!
Continuing on past Interlaken (the town between the lakes) along Brienzersee (Lake Brienz) and past the town of Brienz (with a short stop there) we found our Bed & Breakfast near Brienzwiler, BnB Bifing. It is a working riding stable with eclectic accomodations and a restaurant overlooking the indoor and outdoor arenas.
A panorama of the rural landscape around the B&B. You can almost hear the cowbells clanging in the distance!
The restaurant served delicious food.
Sept. 22; Jet d’Eau & Mt. Saleve
Today we did more sightseeing around Geneva and from different perspectives. Michel got us out early and took us down to the banks of Lake Geneva.
Swans, ducks and pigeons.
The famous iconic image of Geneva -the Jet d’Eau– starts up exactly at 10 am and we were there for the official start, a young visitor was recruited to push the button.
We were getting a little wet from the spray!
The Niton rocks, dating from the last ice age, protrude from the lake and are the reference point for all surveying in Switzerland.
In the afternoon we took a ride into France and up onto Mt. Saleve, a prominent point overlooking Geneva.
Panorama from Mt. Saleve.
Looking down on Geneva from the top of Mt. Saleve. You can see the Jet d'Eau in the center.
Robert & I took the ‘Telepherique’ or cable car down to the base of the mountain, while Michel & Raymonde drove down. They made it down before us! They then took us on a driving tour around the canton of Geneva.
Looking back at Mt. Saleve from our tour of the canton.
A gnome on Raymonde's patio.
Another delicious meal, pork chops, potatoes, wax beans with mustard vinaigrette and homemade bread!
Sept. 21; Verona to Geneva via Milano
A travel day today. We took a morning walk to the Piazza Bra’ after our breakfast.
Morning light in Piazza Bra'.
We caught the train, a Eurostar City, to Milan. The countryside zooming by merits a good look sometime, it's the foothills of the Dolomite mountains.
The facade of the enormous Milan train station. We had some time so we enjoyed watching the hustle and bustle of the big city in front of the station.
Detail of the fountain on the far right of the station entrance.
Detail of fresco or tile work over an archway in the main hall of the station.
Our train to Geneva, not a bullet train, but fast!
Trees whizzing by, but you can make out the island in this southern part of Lake Maggiore.
Ten years ago we traveled around Switzerland for a week. We stayed in Locarno, a town on the north end of Lake Maggiore which is in Switzerland, and visited Isole di Brissago, an island with a fantastic botanical garden and villa.
The last stop in Italy, Domodossola. (I just like the way that sounds rolling off the tongue!)
The cultivated hills of southern Switzerland.
A glimpse of the Alps.
Back at 'home' in Raymonde's rose garden!
Sept. 20; To Verona
With our Eurail Pass running out of travel days we decided to start heading back to Geneva. A look at the map and a train timetable helped us to choose Verona as our next stop. We arrived in the early afternoon and started up the main street heading from the train station towards what looked like town center. Not having done any research about this town we started looking for lodging on this street, Corso Porta Nuova.
This is the Porta Nuova, the 'new door', which was constructed between 1533 and 1546. Austrians modified it in 1854, giving it a new facade.
We found the B & B Albergo Trento on the main street and it turned out to be the nicest and least expensive of several places we found nearby, so we got a room.
We stowed our stuff and headed out to explore. Just up the street is the 'old door', a gate through the ancient city wall.
Inside the gate is a plaque with a quote from Wm. Shakespeare. Well, 'Romeo & Juliet' is set in Verona, guess I learn something new everyday!
Inside the gate the street opens into the huge Piazza Bra' with the Roman Arena circa AD 30 at the center.
Meandering around streets off the Piazza we saw this cute marketing gimmick for a bakery.
We stumbled upon the Porta Borsari, another gate in the city walls, dating from the Roman times.
Via Borsari led to the Piazza Erbe, another large plaza encircled by interesting architecture and filled with vendors. This is the Madonna Verona Fountain with the Domus Mercatorum (circa 1301) in the background.
At the opposite end of the plaza is the Lamberti Tower.
If anyone can tell me the significance of the whalebone hanging from the arch under the Lamberti Tower I would appreciate it!
Detail of the frescoes painted on the upper story of a building on the plaza.
A bridge over the Fiume Adige (Adige river).
As the sun went down we found Via Mazzini, the main high end shopping district. The wall to wall marble street feels as if we are at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, but this is the real thing, open to the sky!
What's with the tourist traffic jam?
Oh, -'Casa Giulietta'- the supposed balcony of Juliet's house from 'Romeo & Juliet'.
Ancient Roman ruins excavated under the streets, a bit of the sidewalk is visible in the upper right.
