Interlaken is one of my favorite
places. My previous visits have been in late October, February and early March.
Duing all 3 visits, the area was under a beautiful blanket of snow. On this
trip, having a chance to see Interlaken in the springtime with all the mountain
flowers blooming was going to be something new. Immediately entering the
valley, I was struck with how green everything was. It was warm and sunny, but
the Jungfrau, Eiger and Mounch were still covered in snow.
We checked in at the Rugerpark B&B
and met our host Ursula. She was born in the nearby canton and had been running
the family B&B for over 10 years. The B&B could have doubled for the
Mystery spot in Santa Cruz in that every floor, door way and stair of the old 5
story home were at 3 degree angles opposite each other. It was also decorated
in a bizarre combination of items that I’ve seen at the Party
Supply Place.
It was too late in the afternoon for
hiking, so wandered downtown to check out a few of a favorite places. WOW! What
a difference! It was no longer the sleepy, quiet town I had grown to know, but
a bustling area with packed tour busses of Chinese, Indian and Middle Eastern tourists. Many Muslim women
who were enjoying the shopping wore full burkas. Past the shops was the huge
grassy field that the town centers around. It is lined with benches and I have
spent a lot of time sitting there looking up at the mountains and watching the
paragliders landing there from the peaks above. Now, it was much busier, but
the view was still just as beautiful and we enjoyed some ice cream while taking
in the mountains and people watching. Switzerland is still on the Swiss Franc.
They will accept Euro, but give Francs back as change. I lost count of how many
tourists were overly complexed and outraged of their transactions.
Before leaving the B&B, we had
purchased some lift tickets from Ursula to go up one of the peaks for a view
across the valley of the lakes and mountains. The Jungfrau had still shrouded
in clouds and we were hoping they would lift. The funicular lift was not
crowded at it was looking like it would be a nice ride up the mountain.
Unfortunately, the peacefulness was interrupted by a huge tour bus filled with
very loud, ill-mannered visitors. At the top of the mountain, everyone spilled
out of the car and the quiet peak exploded with sounds of loud voices that
could not be escaped. The children were ill-behaved, throwing rocks and running
all around while their parents laughed (btw, these were not American tourists).
Where is my peaceful homeland I thought to myself? The views were beautiful,
however, there really were few places to seek solace other than retreating down
the mountain via the hiking trails.
Back down at the meadow, we made plans
for the following day’s hike, enjoyed the views and then walked along the
river.
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I
found another crazy vending machine…this one made and dispensed grilled cheese sandwiches!
I learned that even with the annoying tourists and increased volume of
the town, nothing could take away from the looking at the towering mountains. I
always wonder to myself if the locals ever get tired of their views.
If you are reading this blog, here is a
little prologue:
While sitting on a bench overlooking
the meadow below the Jungfrau, Matt looked at me and proposed. My response was
delayed as I tried to mentally process what had just happened and then he
removed a ring from his travel-trooper REI pants and put it on my finger. I
said “yes.” He proposed in my family’s homeland and it felt like my Pop was
there giving his approval. Prior to our trip, Matt had gone to Sacramento and asked
my brother, Mark, for his blessing. Mark never let the secret slip and I was
completely surprised. I called my Mom, via Facetime, and pointed at the
Jungfrau Mountain. It took her forever to notice the ring on my hand that was pointing
towards the mountain. It was too funny, but when she finally spotted it, she
was very happy. Interlaken, Switzerland has always been special to me, now it
is a very special place for the both of us.
When we arrived back in our room that
night, we found a bouquet of flowers and a sweet congratulations card from
Ursula on the room’s table. She had picked the flowers from her garden.
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