What a fantastic week, one of our best trips ever ! It was Simon's choice I have to admit. He thought I would like the scenery, mountains and flowers and he was not wrong, it was spot on.
We stayed at the Hotel and Spa Silberhorn in Wengen, a small carless town high in the mountains. The scenery was mind blowingly good, there was a 'wow' around every corner. We were in the shadow of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau the whole week. Our main walks seemed to be from Wengernalp where we had the choice of a few paths all through flower laden meadows. This was two stops up the mountains on the cog railway and hundreds of orchids could be seen from the train windows. Not a strimmer or weed killer in sight. We also walked the panorama view path from the top of Mannlichen to Kleinne Scheidegg which brought us next to the Eiger's north face. It was fantastic !
We walked every day, not wasting a minute but we did have to work around the weather as most afternoons, around 3pm, we had a massive lightening storm with torrential rain, quite a spectacle but not one you needed to be out in.
I must tell you about the train service that was perfect in every way. We had to take 4 trains from Zurich airport and I was stressing about it. Needn't have, we simply followed the train signs, stropped at the station co-op for a butty as we had 4 hours on trains, and off we went. There was staff on every platform to help who explained our ticket and told us where to board the main train and off we went. The train tickets were provided by Tui and part of the holiday along with a half price rail car which was certainly needed and we used every day.
We simply stepped from one train to another, every time was synchronized to eliminate waiting and every train was on time and departed the exact minute, like clockwork. It put our rail service to shame. We even travelled part of our journey upstairs, a double decker train ! Couldn't fault it at all.
Maps were obtained from the tourist info centre in Wengen who were stacked out with free maps, leaflets and info and we were set for the week.
During our time in Switzerland we did not see one bit of rubbish, not one bit.
It was the perfect week........now where to next ?!
This was the railway banking at Winglenalp Station, flowers and mountains, in my element !
Looking through the meadows for Lady's Slipper Orchids
Taking a couple of minutes before the final few miles......we did walk an awful long way that day, all down hill and our legs were suffering the next day. Wenglenalp back down to Wengen.....through all the meadows. Fantastic !
There is a cafe through these woods at Allmend, the woods were never ending ! We needed coffee !
Even the cow sheds were posh
The top lift at Mannlichen
Mannlichen on the royal walk, this is as far as we got as we got waylayed with choughs. The path only went up this hill so we saved our energy and legs. Surrounded by choughs and beautiful flowers.
We can see the cafe in the distance, coffee and cake here we come. Two small coffees and one piece of apple cake.....£20. Worth every penny x
The highest train station in Europe and Jungfrau
A happy me xxxxxxx
All the meadows were grazed with cows, all very friendly and all wearing a huge bell. The sound was deafening as we walked through the herds in the flower meadows. Brings back so many good memories.
And not everyone's blog has a cow pat on it ! These obviously covered the meadows where the milking cows were grazing but just look at the insect life, they were full of insects. Not the barren, drug filled poo we see in our fields. This looks very healthy poo indeed !
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