Where to Switzerland - Day Two
We woke up not long after sunrise at our adorable chalet in Iseltwald. It was a foggy, overcast morning, so the moods were a dream for photography.
We went down to have our first breakfast here in Switzerland — think lots of charcuterie type offerings, although there was cereal as well among some other typical western breakfast offerings — choosing a table right by the window so that I could constantly look out at the Seeburg Castle as the sky somewhat lightened. Then we walked along the lake for about 20 minutes before heading back in to pack, check out and get on with our day.
After checking out of our hotel, we visited the nearby dock in town where one of the famous scenes from Crash Landing on You was filmed. Then we drove to Grindelwald!
From Iseltwald to Grindelwald, it was only about a 40 minute drive. Honestly, it was difficult to help Austin navigate because we were constantly sight-seeing, our mouths on the floor of the car. Upon arriving in Grindelwald, we parked in a parking garage near a CoOp supermarket, which we entered to pick up water, snacks and a Red Bull (our first time seeing the Fig Apple Winter flavor) for the hike. One of my favorite things to do when traveling is to browse their grocery stores to see the unique offerings and the way they organize, etc. Austin fell in love with this too, this being his first international trip.
Finally, we headed to the gondola station to head up to Grindelwald First and start today’s activity - hiking up to Bachalpsee. At least the views from the gondola were so breathtaking that it distracted me from my fear of heights. Although Austin found enjoyment at shaking the gondola…
The hike took us about 3.5 hours total. There was a part of me that was slightly bummed by all the fog on the hike, (you should see the pictures out there when it’s clear: it’s unbelievably breathtaking), but the other half of me was obsessed with the moody shots and vibes that the fog offered. It cleared up slightly at the Bachalpsee lake enough for me to get some cloud shrouded photos of the mountains. We had stayed for a while, having lunch while waiting for the clouds to clear enough, before heading back.
We were going to take the First Flyer (a zipline!) back down the mountain, instead of the gondola, but 1) the line was SO LONG, 2) it then started raining, which helped with the line until they closed down the zipline… So we took the Trottie bikes down instead, which we have zero regrets about. They were FAST! More than occasionally, I stopped to take pictures of the beautiful scenery as we decended, especially when I saw cows!
Back in town, we choose a random restaurant for our late lunch/early dinner to have our first fondue (cheese AND chocolate) in Switzerland. We had bratwurst again, but I also tried something new and known for in Switzerland: raclette. So much cheese!
After, we found our car and drove to Lauterbrunnen, where we would be staying in an AirBnB for the next two nights. We explored the village a little bit before sunset after checking in, visiting the “famous picture spot” that everyone thinks of when they think of Lauterbrunnen. Okay, maybe not everybody… After we got a few shots there, I noticed a small group of photographers set up on the edge of the nearby train bridge, so we joined them! They were waiting for the growing darkness to capture the illuminating Staubbach Falls.
What a magical first night.
Swiss wine count total: 3
Where to (next), Meg?
