LAUTERBRUNNEN - Upon arriving in Lauterbrunnen we were greeted by perhaps a more Melbourne feel with wet and wintery weather. We stayed in Jungfrau camping ground with two other busloads of Contiki travellers who showed their true colours in the 'Bunker Bar' on arriving by throwing up on our Busabout guide as soon as she walked in...
We stayed in a cosy wood cabin and while the facilties were basic, we finally had a kitchen to cook again (minus a fridge). The town was smaller then we expected. Set in a valley which you could walk from one end to the other in 15 minutes. Due to Swiss law the town dwellings all remain the same and new houses have to abide by the same rules. All new houses require bunkers to be installed under the homes and even look like they would have 50 years ago.
Our time here included white water rafting in the glacier waters (very cold), plenty of waterfalls, a day trip halfway up the mountain to Murren. Unfortunately that day was overcast and we couldn't make the trip to the Schilthorn summit (which had the purpose built lookout made for one of the Bond movies). Dee was thankful we didn't climb to the top anyway because the summit was only 0 degrees and she had forgotten to take her jacket!
Some shopping time was also spent in the much bigger town of Interlaken, with some essential purchases including an umbrella and of course true Swiss chocolate. Our last night was capped of with James experiencing a traditional Swiss dinner called Rosti (stewed fried potatos with ham and onions).
LUCERNE - Our highlight of Lucerne would have to be our daytrip to Mount Pilatus. The day we arrived the whether was great and we had learnt from Lauterbrunnen that when it is sunny you make the most of it. The trip to Mount Pilatus included a 10 minute sprint to the ferry (we were in a hurry again!) which we made, for a 90 minute cruise along the lake to the bottom of the mountain. This was then followed by a funicular ride (old fashioned cable train designed to climb steep gradients) directly up the face of the mountain to the summit. At one stage the incline is 46 degrees which is the steepest in Europe. The 360 degree views from the summit were spectacular. Unfortunately it wasn't cold enough for snow, being 15 degrees at the summit and a much warmer 30 degrees at ground level. The return trip included a 20 person gondala ride, then a smaller cable car trip to the bottom. These and a bus ride home meant we had covered nearly all forms of transport known to man in one day!
In the evening we stumbled by the annual Blues festival (yes another festival). They had the likes of Macy Grey, Shaggy and K.D. Lang playing there over the two week festival. Some more drinks that night, however Dee did decide to pass on the 20 Franks (AUD 21) champagne glass that was being sold and stuck to the Heinekens.... we were warned that Switzerland is expensive and we now agree.
Other sights we visited were the famous Lion monument that symbolised the lives lost in the civil war and a hike to the fortified tower wall, that still has 8 remaining towers from the old ages.
Next is Germany for some beer hall action...
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