Family trip to Jungfraujoch region of Switzerland the summer of 2018. Flying into Geneva and out of Zurich. Third big trip of the summer. AND what a time.
2018 was my last ~technical~ summer break... from now on I'm either on co-op or at the University of Cincinnati studying every other semester for the next three years (yes I'm in a five year program due to these required internships). Anyways, I wanted summer 2018 to be the most adventurous and memorable time so far. A 'Big Bang' finish of this chapter in my life. And, when I strive to accomplish something fun like this, I almost always make it happen.
After meeting up with an old childhood friend in Italy and going to Bonnaroo with college friends, it was time to checkoff another adventure with my absolute favorite people in the world, my close family of course. My mother, father, younger brother and I set off to Switzerland to do just this.
Flying into Geneva the first day, we trekked the whole day across the country by train to our quaint hotel in Wengen (Jungfraujoch region). All of us practically melted into our beds, exhausted, after traveling the for 36 hours. Yet after a few restful minutes, we all realized how vocal our stomachs were, growling at us in demand for something savory to fill them up. Obeying, we set out to town excited to see the village and scarf down Swiss cuisine.
After our meals, we explored the village until sunset. The houses were neatly laid out side by side, with the greenest yards encircling each one and ornamented with rural chalets. The image you'd think of when dreaming of this romantic wooden Swiss style.
While trotting around Wengen, we were inundated by all its little treasures. So many paths led us to a bunch of different sites.
Goats decorated with bells around their necks roamed the steep sides --- the mountain's own band. A plump male violinist performed in the courtyard bistro of a nearby hotel that was adorned with streams of delicate and romantic white lights. Another addition to the choruses.
We strolled past it all, delighted, exploring up the hill to investigate this town some more. Another adventure awaited, my Father and brother were both very entertained by two plump cats getting territorial with each other. The boys doing their best to egg on such the impromptu street showdown.
The next day we ate a continental breakfast provided by our hotel. One of the best perks of eating in Europe is the copious amounts of Nutella they provide at any meal besides dinner. Each morning I took advantage of the creamy chocolate by spreading this delicious concoction onto a buttery croissants. After filling our bellies once again, my family and I set out to hike. We started by gondola from Wengen to Mannlichen, hiked to the left of Mannlichen and then down around to Kleine Scheidegg. In the beginning, a short but intense hike forced us to consider the level at which we are out of shape. We rejected the ideas, and jokingly blamed it solely on the altitude.
The second hike was a consistent slight slope down the mountain. We stopped half way at one of the restaurant/bathroom stops for a beer with a view. And of course, pictures with the cows. When we finally trekked into the actual Kleine Scheidegg town, we sat for lunch in a hopping spot and later begun yet another hike.
That night we devoured thick cheese, bread and potatoes. Knowing how cold it may get between the mountains, it makes sense the Swiss are known for heavy Raclette, fondues and other hearty meals. There was nothing like it after an active day, and I don't believe I've ever fallen more in love with cheese besides in San Francisco (only in comparison due to its pairings with Napa Valley I'd argue).
The next afternoon after a similar morning, two more hours of hiking didn't sound too bad. This hike however ended up taking us over double the time with the intensity of the path not being mentioned in the map. On the last mile of our trail we suddenly begun to notice a faint but increasingly rhythmic sound coming our way. We stalled in our dirty tracks and achy legs to listen.
Looking around confused yet curious, Jason and my father abruptly lunged into a steady sprint chasing the incoming train popping out of the hillsides. My mother and I chased shortly after, laughing languidly yet nervously after immediately realizing the boy's objective for the race.
The bright yellow, orange and brown train looking trolly continued towards the same stop, as did we. "Have I ever seen a sprint more serious in my life involving my whole family? This was hilariously desperate of us." I thought to myself, hoping we'd make it to the stop in time to get on and ride it and skip the rest of our brutal hike. A much better option than another mile to travel by foot. Bowing our heads farther in the stop's direction to gain momentum, we stepped up our game to catch it at its stop. At the last minute we all leapt into the carts ending our sprints, and slumping into the seats with quite audible sighs.
A gentleman with broken English prodded us to explain how his own family had entertainingly watched our sprint and rooted for us that we'd make the train. We laughed with him until polite conversation was essentially tired out. His wife's expression showed she thought of us as an American mess; on the other hand, I aroused pity. Whereas we were covered head-to-toe in dirt, the cleanliness of their shoes evidenced a short jaunt for their family.
The next day was spent in Grindlewald and the Top of Europe. I didn't get the notice while dressing for the day, and practically froze in the ice rooms, lindt chocolate museums, and just in general at the top of the glaciers on the mountain. I wore a long sleeve and shorts. Not the best outfit for that outing.
I made a surprising friend at the Top of Europe. A butterfly flew onto my shirt. Unfortunately, I didn't prepare myself to name it. Startled by the company, and that it was so personal a visit and that this creature was even alive in the glacial area, I took it as my own and carried the butterfly around with me on one finger for the rest of the day. Every mother walking past asked for permission that their children could take a quick peek at the beautiful insect.
Even on the last day in Jungfraujoch region, we made another friend. As we trotted up the mountain on our adventure to see one of the mirroring lakes, our snacks attracted a fox eeringly similar looking to our Aussie Retraiever mix at home, Bella. The fox must be trained to spot the sound of granola bar wrappers from miles away here. I'm sure many dumb American tourists feed these wild pets. My younger brother included; almost succumbing to its desire.
In the picture above, Jason leaps across the stone walkway crossing the stream.
Below are a few more pictures to share of Jungfraujoch region in Switzerland. After exploring the tiny towns clung on the mountain, we rode the train to the bottom of the valley to a place commonly known... Interlaken.
There we felt boring walking on low land, so we saw the opportunity to catch some tickets to another high sites spot called Hader Kulm. There we grabbed beers, took pictures for when our memories may fail us, and chatted about the colors of nature. Oh, and the fact that in the beer garden was a mistranslated sign in which we had quite the laugh covering three words to poke fun at my older brother stuck working in NYC.
We headed back on the road home the next day. Our journey was ending but not our adventures. That afternoon we decided to tour Zurich before flying out of the local international airport.
Being in Zurich before, my father and I had met a man who told us not to vote for Trump and that America was insane to think of it. This man was the bubble man. And here he was again. He had recognized us as American by our accents right away the first time in Zurich and two years later for a second time. The bubble man repeated his conversation with us, this time only to shame us that Trump had been elected.
Here were a few more pictures of the end of our trip as we walked through Zurich.
This trip wasn't as much as a spiritual trip I typically embark on, but rather a moment to share with those I love the most. I wasn't searching for cultural differences nor the oddest food for someone to try. This trip was all I wanted and needed. A few more memories abroad with my family to wrap up a beautiful final summer break.
Xoxo,
~M~