This weekend, Julie and I had our first chance to explore. We hopped on a train and an hour and a half later found ourselves high up in the Swiss Alps.
It has only been two weeks, but I am still fascinated with the train system. Julie and I purchased 1/2 price cards for 150 CHf. This card, just like the name says, gives us 1/2 off every single train ticket we purchase. We figured it out on the way back home today, and in two weeks, with one trip to Milan and the trip to Engelberg, the 1/2 price card is almost paid for already. One of the things I really want to investigate now, is if the train system actually pays for itself, or is there a lot of government subsidies propping up the system. With the 1/2 price ticket it only cost us 32 CHf round trip. That just does not seem feasible to me.
Back to Engelberg. Engelberg sits in a beautiful valley, the highest peak is Mt Titlis 10,623 ft above sea level.
The Mt Titlis trip is supposed to be one of the most exciting trips in Switzerland. We actually are putting off touring Mt Titlis until our daughter is able to come over next summer. My wife is never going to do the “cliff walk” across the highest suspension bridge in Europe. 🙂 . My daughter, though, is very adventurous, and I know she will go with me!
So instead of Mt Titlis, we took a gondola, and ski lift about 3/4 of the way up Mt Brunni. We spent the afternoon hiking all over the mountain. Needless to say, we did not make it to the top, but it was still a beautiful and fun way to spend an afternoon. We also made sure to stop and have some good swiss beer at the ski lodge on our way back down the mountain! I hope you enjoy the pictures.
The one thing I do know is that I need to get a better video camera. The phone is OK, but I never remember to turn it landscape. The one thing that amazed me were the cows grazing on the mountain side. The video is just a short take of listening to the cowbells jingle as they are grazing.
Julie and I already have added to our calendar next year to go back to Engelberg the last weekend of September for the Alpabzug. That weekend is one of their major festivals. It celebrates the end of summer as the cows are brought down off the mountains into the valley for winter.