Up in the Alps!

What a week it has been! In less than nine days I visited three new countries, ate the most delectable pastries of my life, sampled some authentic German beer and attended Easter mass in an amazing Spanish cathedral. This trip was a Spring Break of a lifetime where I saw many sites and also learned many lessons for future trips.

We began our journey with a bus ride to Alicante, Spain since we found a cheap flight out of its airport. We spent the day on the beach with numerous other students enjoying the blue water and soft sand. After getting a little crispy on the beach we ventured to our hostel where Krista and I took a bike ride to another beach. The scenery felt like Florida and provided a nice, relaxing evening before our crazy trip.

The next morning began bright and early with a plane ride to Memingen, Germany. Its airport provides cheap RyanAir flights but is still an hour train ride from Munich. After landing, we began our five hour train adventure consisting of five different transfers, which included us sprinting through the train station with our bags so we would not miss our next train.  The train rides were gorgeous and full of lakes and little towns on hills. It was everything I imagined Germany and Switzerland to look like. The end of the train ride provided us with views of the Alps, which was a nice greeting to Switzerland.

We were quick to realize that Switzerland is an extremely expensive place to visit due to its 20 franc ($21) meals and the need to take the train or cable car almost everywhere. Our hostel, recommended by my sister, was perfect in the quaint little mountain town of Lauterbrunnen. It was close to a reasonably priced grocery store, COOP, which is where we bought our food for breakfast and lunch.

The first day in Switzerland I arose early to take a nice walk through the town. I am so thankful I found motivation to get out of my bed at 7am and go explore the area and enjoy the fresh mountain air. Those walks are something I will definitely remember when reminiscing on Switzerland.

From my first morning walk

Once the others woke up we took a cable car up the mountain to Murren. The ride up was interesting because it looked cloudy down in Lauterbrunnen, but we came out of the fog on the cable car ride and were surprised with the breathtaking Swiss Alps. I hoped to explore the town of Murren, but since it was Sunday many of the shops were closed. Instead, we walked around and took pictures of the gorgeous scenery. We then took a path down the a little town of Gimmelwald, as recommended to me by my sister. Due to the weather, this path was not the best option because it led us back down into the cloudy fog, hiding the mountains and everything about twenty feet in front. We continued on however and took a different cable car down where we enjoyed a two-mile walk back to Lauterbrunnen beside a stream.

The beautiful Swiss Alps!

The town of Murren

Going down into the fog

The stream we walked by

That night we ate at a restaurant in the town campsite also suggested by my sister. The prices were reasonable and the food was amazing. I order Rosti, a tradition Swiss dish that consisted of hash browns, eggs, bacon and cheese. It was amazing!!! The atmosphere was nice and cozy as well and snow began to fall outside. For a moment, I felt as if I was in a snow globe.  

Rosti!

After my morning walk the following day, we gathered the troops to weigh our options in regards to the weather. It was raining/snowing and from the view on the TV, most spots on the mountain were experiencing the same weather. I was hoping to make it up to Schilthorn, a high point in the Alps that provides a spectacular view of over 200 peaks, but would have paid too much money to see nothing. Therefore, we ventured to St. Beaus falls in between Interlaken and Thun. My friend from school had just visited Interlaken and recommended that we visit this site. It had a beautiful waterfall, caves and a spectacular view of the lake and mountains (if it had not been raining/foggy). We visited the caves and hung around the waterfall for a little bit to take pictures. It was a good choice for a rainy day and we made the best out of the given situation.

St Beaus Falls!

The group after our tour of the cave

That evening two of the girls cooked dinner in the hostel (there was a community kitchen which was great!) while Krista and I returned to the campsite restaurant to get another tradition Swiss meal to go. It was macaroni and cheese with ham and potatoes along with homemade applesauce and it was delicious. I learned this trip that the Swiss definitely know how to eat.

Looking back, this time was a very enjoyable part of the trip, full of nature and relaxation. Unfortunately the weather did not work out for us, but we made the best given the situation and still got to see a lot of what Switzerland has to offer. I am already planning my return!

Tips:

1.     Really consider what season you want to see Switzerland in. If you are an avid skier or snowboarder then winter and spring would be perfect. It you want to see the mountains and hike, the warmer months would definitely be your best bet. When I return I will for sure go in summer, and may even return to Lauterbrunnen.

2.     Eat a lot of Swiss chocolate. It is amazing and addicting.

3.     Be aware that Switzerland is expensive with an average dinner costing about $21.

4.     Set aside a good amount of money for transportation. We had to pay for a lot of trains, buses and cable cars up the mountain. To see Schilthorn for example would have been about $90.

5.     Wake up early and enjoy your surroundings. I am so thankful I took those morning walks and ventured down little trails.