(Continued from last post)
The next day I slept in a little and enjoyed breakfast, feeling very glad indeed that I had seen the Falls the day before: It was cold, rainy, and foggy, which would have made the whole trek not only more miserable but also quite pointless. Still marveling at the idea that I had no school and zero obligations until my train to Zürich the next day, I browsed the pamphlets in the hotel lobby and picked some things to do. Since it was off season, the hotel was practically empty during the day (even the receptionist left...), so I headed out to see the Aareschlucht Gorge just a short jaunt down the river Aare, which glistened pearly green even in the cloudy daylight. With no idea what to expect, I was in for a stunning treat.
The Aareschlucht Gorge!
One of the wider parts.
I had to go underground a few times to see the river!
The gorge was carved over millions of years by a water trickle that became the river, and the layers in the great stone crevices tell interesting stories about the Swiss landscape through the millennia. It was a much more relaxing adventure than the day before, but fascinating and beautiful all the same, as I wandered through the gorge, following the river backwards and forwards as it coursed through wide gaps and tiny slivers a person could barely squeeze through. On my out I met a friendly Swiss woman who seemed downright delighted to learn I was American - there didn't seem to be a lot who ventured past Interlaken, especially in April - which helped solidify my previous opinion that Swiss people in general are a very pleasant lot.
A kind group of fellow gawkers took my photo.
After Aareschlucht I hopped on a quick train ride to Interlaken. In spite of the rain, I knew I couldn't pass my Swiss weekend away without seeing it (especially since most of Meiringen was completely shut down for off season). Even in bad weather, with no chance of paragliding or kayaking or skiing, the little city was worth all the hype. Packed with visitors (mostly from China), it still emanated a welcoming charm that kept me entertained as I quite literally wandered for hours, crossing back and forth over the river, passing from tourist-clogged streets to almost-empty back roads, window shopping and eavesdropping (even though I couldn't understand a word) and sightseeing. I caved and bought a Swiss army knife from a nice old shopkeeper near the train station, toyed with the idea of buying Swiss chocolate from a Spanish-speaking cashier, was amazed to find myself the only non-Asian person in an entire stretch of the main street, and stopped for cheap Chinese food for dinner. (For such a small place in the middle of a valley, Interlaken is wildly cosmopolitan.)
Interlaken is quite colorful, too.
Always in the shadow of the Alps.
Even on a cloudy day the river was a rich, deep turquoise.
My feet were soaked from the rain by the time I got back to Meiringen that evening, but it had been such a fantastic day - somehow both relaxing and totally active - that I barely cared. I curled up to watch a low-budget British nature show - one of the only English shows on TV - before waking up early to get ready for my train. It was foggy again in the morning, but as it began to clear I could see a distinct line on the slopes of the mountains as if somebody had drawn it on with a pen; below the line was springy green and brown, but above it was powdery white. It had snowed up in the mountains during the night!
Snow in spring!
Bidding a fond farewell to Martina the receptionist - who later found and messaged me on Facebook to make sure I'd arrived in Prague safely! - I left Das Hotel Sherlock Holmes and went for a quick selfie with the consulting detective himself...well, at least the statue of him. (After all, I had him to thank for bringing me to this lovely place!) The train ride to Zurich was a treat; as we zigzagged up into the mountains, we passed through the veil of fog and seemed to go back in time from spring to winter, into heaps of fresh sugary snow as thick as Christmas in Wisconsin. Train was definitely the way to travel in Switzerland; how else could you see so much of such a spectacular countryside?
Christmas?
From snow-white mountain slopes to fields shimmering yellow with flowers to the sky-blue valley lakes, Switzerland is a country of colors and heights. Geneva is a lovely city, but don't stop there; everywhere you go is a different experience entirely. Rather like Italy.
Up next was an Easter in Prague and a reunion with the Woods women. Who knew what to expect?
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