Schweiz@billmelk.com
A bit about us:
We’re American expatriates who have recently relocated from Kuwait to Duri, Indonesia. We love Switzerland! We
visit during the off season, as we prefer to avoid crowds and we can find better deals on lodging. Sadly, this
will probably be our last visit for awhile. The miserable exchange rate has made Switzerland prohibitively expensive
- 1 CHF = .90 US at the time of our visit – yikes! The added travel distance from our new location is also a deterrent.
Day 1
Getting in and out of Duri is an adventure unto itself. We left our house at 6:30 am to meet the 7 am bus to Rumbai,
another company camp on the island of Sumatra. The drive to Rumbai can be hair raising due to the poor condition
of the winding road, the dangerous driving habits of the local populace, road washouts, breakdowns, logging trucks,
goats, chickens, you name it.
The 2½ hour drive was miraculously uneventful. Upon our arrival in Rumbai we were met by a company driver
and taken to the city of Pekanbaru, where the airport is located.
Our 35-minute Garuda flight from Pekanbaru to Singapore wasn’t due to leave until 2:20 pm, but we’ve learned to
plan for contingencies, and therefore we leave LOTS of time. We went to a local hotel for a very early lunch, and
were deposited at the airport before noon.
We arrived in Singapore just past 4 pm, nine hours after we’d left Duri. At this point, we sighed in relief, having
survived the major hurdle of getting out of Indonesia.
We arrived in Terminal 1 of Changi International Airport. Here we’d booked a room at the Ambassador Transit Hotel,
which rents rooms in six hour blocks for SGD$64.68 (double) (approx $40 US) - www.airport-hotel.com.sg/.
Our connecting flight was leaving from Terminal 2, but that terminal is undergoing extensive construction well
into 2005, so we chose to stay in what we hoped was a quieter area of the airport.
Before checking into the hotel, we grabbed a bite to eat and made a quick stop at the transit desk to have our
luggage transferred and to collect our boarding passes for our next flight.
The hotel worked out well. It was quiet, dark and comfortable, and even though it was early evening, we both managed
to get several hours of sleep. I suspect the Dramamine we’d taken for the bus ride helped.
We checked out of the hotel at 11 pm, picked up some duty free items, then went to Terminal 2, where we waited
in the Silver Kris Lounge. We’re able to access the lounge because we’re both United Premier Executive members
(Star Alliance) and we were flying Singapore Air Business Class on this particular flight. We’d each redeemed 105,000
United frequent flyer miles and paid $138 in taxes for the 13+ hour journey.
Singapore Air’s Silver Kris Lounge is wonderful. It’s very comfortable and provides complimentary Internet access,
a nice selection of hot and cold food, an extensive assortment of beverages, Swiss ice cream, and even massage
chairs. After a snack and a full body massage, we boarded our 1 am flight to Copenhagen. NOTE: Singapore Air offers
direct flights from Singapore to Zürich, but we were unable to get seats for the dates we wanted using our
miles. So, we did the next best thing and flew from Singapore to Copenhagen, then on to Zürich.
We love Singapore Air! We were in the first row of Business Class on a 777-200 Jubilee. As usual, the service was
excellent, the food good and the almost fully reclining seats very comfy. Entertainment was extensive – 60 on demand
movies, 202 on demand CDs and audio books, 88 TV programs, an assortment of games, and those coveted noise-canceling
headphones. The extensive entertainment system was available in all classes.
We both managed to get some sleep despite the incredible snoring coming from a man located a few rows behind us.
I felt bad for the poor soul seated next to him. Even noise-canceling headphones couldn’t block the sounds coming
from that guy.
We arrived in Copenhagen at 7:45 am. Our connecting SAS flight left at 8:15, so we made a mad dash to our gate,
only to discover the plane wasn’t there yet. SAS ended up switching planes at the last minute – my heart sank when
I saw the de Havilland Q400 prop plane pull up to the gate. I’m a nervous flyer and I go out of my way to avoid
prop planes, so I boarded with much trepidation. Despite the cloud cover, the 90-minute flight was smooth and uneventful.
The flight attendant didn’t bat an eye when we asked for a beer and I think the early morning hops helped calm
me somewhat.
We arrived in Zürich at 10:30 am, but alas, our luggage did not. We checked our luggage tags and found that
despite giving us boarding passes to Zürich, the girl who helped us at the transit desk in Singapore had only
checked our bags through to Copenhagen. Oops.
Off to the lost luggage desk. After a computer search, we were advised that with luck our luggage would be delivered
to us in Zermatt the following morning. We were given amenity kits to get us through the night and 285 francs to
make emergency purchases. I’m not sure if the 285 francs was a function of flying Business Class, being Star Alliance
members, neither or both. We were told that had we been SAS frequent flyers, we’d have been given 285 francs each.
Oh well.
As luck would have it, we’d packed lighter than usual and we had very few items in our backpacks. We each had one
clean shirt, one spare pair of socks and underwear, a fleece jacket (I’m so glad we had those!) and a few personal
care items. We’d worn our hiking boots to save space and that turned out to be a wise decision.
After finishing with lost luggage (handled by Swissport), we had our 15 day Swiss Saver Railpass validated (www.railpass.com) stopped at the Migros grocery store for lunch supplies and caught the 12:13 pm train to
Bern.
We arrived in Bern 40 minutes before our connecting train to Thun and Brig, so we walked around the station to
kill some time (made possible because we had no luggage!) There were a few stalls selling holiday trinkets, roasted
chestnuts, etc. There was no hint of winter as we left Bern – it was sunny and the countryside was very green.
During the ride we were entertained by this little guy:
Not surprisingly, we began to fade as we arrived in Brig. While waiting at the platform for our connecting train
to Zermatt, we were spotted by a conductor who informed us that we’d have to take the bus to Visp, then catch the
train to Zermatt. They were doing work on the line and the tracks between Brig and Visp were closed.
We finally arrived in snow covered Zermatt at 5:45 pm – 41 hours after leaving Duri. The journey from Zürich Flughafen
to Zermatt had taken just over five hours.
Because we had no luggage, we decided to walk to our apartment, which took about 15 minutes and was uphill from
the Bahnhof. We stopped at the COOP grocery store on the way to pick up some essentials.
We nearly froze our butts off walking to our apartment, but it could have been worse – at least we had those fleece
jackets over our short sleeved shirts!
Last winter we’d discovered Casa Vanessa, an “apartment hotel” located near the Furi cable station. We liked the
place and the price so much that we booked the same room again this year - #320. This apartment is comfortable,
well equipped and offers a nice view of the Matterhorn from the balcony. We paid 95 CHF per night, no breakfast,
no service. We were there at the tail end of the low season - the day we left, the room rate increased to 185 CHF,
with breakfast and maid service- www.casavanessa.ch.
After getting settled in our apartment, we sought out dinner. As we walked through town we noticed that Zermatt
was busier than we expected. It was a weekend, so we assumed people were getting a jump on the ski season.
We called in at the Broken Pizzeria, where we’ve eaten several times in the past. The place was hopping and they
were fully booked, so we meandered down to the Walliserkanne, another favorite (www.walliserkanne.ch/).
We had no problem getting a table there. Bill had the Rosti mit Schinken, Kase und Ei and I had Gerstensuppe mit
Brot. And of course no meal would be complete without a pint of Weizenbier. Dinner came to 40 CHF and was very
good.
We headed back to the apartment and broke into the amenity bags graciously offered by Swissport. I was pleasantly
surprised to find they had included a big tee shirt – perfect sleepwear. Exhausted, we were in bed by 8.
Day 2
Not surprisingly, we were up with the birds. Bill chased down some coffee from the apartment lobby where they have
an honesty bar with warm and cold beverages. I’d packed some coffee and filters as I knew the apartment had a coffee
maker, but they were somewhere between Copenhagen and Zürich.
We called the number provided by Swissport to check the status of our luggage, but it was still MIA.
We wandered into the village in search of hats and gloves thinking we could do some hiking if we had a few more
clothes. This being Switzerland, we paid over $100 for two pairs of gloves and two hats – very basic and ON SALE!
That 285 CHF definitely came in handy.
We went to the tourist office to check the status of the sledding runs - all closed until the following week. We
considered walking to Tasch, but the path was closed, so we decided to just wander. We inadvertently ended up on
the road to Sunnegga – by now the sun was out and it was a beautiful day. We were warm enough in our fleece jackets,
gloves and hats, so we just kept walking. The road was uphill and covered with ice and packed snow. There was a
nice view of the Matterhorn from here.
We finally came to a sign that indicated it was another two hours to Sunnegga. We weren’t up for that long an uphill
trek, so we turned around and were back in Zermatt 45 minutes later. Our meandering walk had taken about three
hours and we were in need of refreshment, so we headed to the Walliserkanne Restaurant.
On the way back to our room we stopped at a bakery for breakfast provisions. We called Swissport again, but still
no word. Nadine, the girl at the front desk, told us lost luggage usually turns up a day later than promised.
That night we had dinner at the Broken Pizzeria – 34 CHF for two large individual pizzas and a beer. Good stuff.
Tired and jetlagged we were in bed by 7. Nadine called later that night and advised that she’d been contacted by
the airport and our luggage would be delivered between 7-9 am the following day. Yippee!
Day 3
We got up early again. It was still dark and overcast by 8 and snowing like mad.
Our luggage appeared as promised just before 9. Snow AND clean clothes, what a treat!
After coffee and breakfast in our apartment, we wandered out for a walk. It was much colder than the previous day,
so we’d pulled out our down jackets. We walked up Kirchstrasse and began the trail to Findeln that we’d discovered
the day before. We walked for awhile, then decided we had the wrong clothing. The snow was heavy and wet, soaking
our down jackets, so we turned back to Zermatt via Winkelmatten.
After changing coats, we retraced our steps, first walking to Winkelmatten then picking up the trail to Findeln.
We made it to Findeln in just over an hour – all uphill and rather steep. The walk was made more difficult because
of the ice, some of which was concealed by snow. We saw a few local folks wearing crampons. I understood why after
I fell on my butt and couldn’t get back up because I kept sliding down the hill.
Findeln was shuttered for the winter and it seemed an odd place for a town, but this was Switzerland. We’d never
been there before, so it was a bit of a surprise. Another 45 minutes would have gotten us to Sunnegga, but we were
pooped from the uphill walk, so we turned back to Zermatt. The entire walk, including our first aborted attempt,
took us over four hours. We then headed to the Walliserkanne for a much-deserved late lunch – shared pizza and
drinks – 30 CHF.
Day 4
We woke to discover it was still snowing! We were anxious to see the ski resort live cams, but had to wait until
8 when it got light. We couldn’t believe all the snow.
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After breakfast in our room we headed to the Furi cable station and asked if the road from Furi to Zermatt had
enough snow for sledding. We were given the thumbs up, so we bought two one way tickets to Furi (6 CHF each after
25% Swiss Pass discount) and rented sleds at the shop next to the cable station (10 CHF per sled, per day, plus
50 CHF deposit).
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Unfortunately, our plans of spending the
day sledding were dashed, as the road had been plowed too much leaving several bare areas. There wasn’t as much
incline as we’d expected either and the best section of the road was closed to sledding.
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After breakfast in our room we packed our bags and checked
out of the apartment. The man at reception gave us a ride to the Bahnhof in the hotel’s electric car (10 CHF) and
we were on board the 9:10 am train to Visp.
By the time we reached Kalpetran, there was no snow in sight. Just past Stalden Saas, vineyards began to appear
on the mountainside.
At Visp we caught the bus to Brig, then the connecting train to Spiez. The town of Kandersteg was covered in snow
and the imposing mountains were gorgeous. Soon after leaving Kandersteg, the landscape was green again with no
hint of snow. In Spiez we caught the BLS regional train to Interlaken Ost. We only had a four-minute connection,
but it was plenty of time.
The 15-minute ride to Interlaken along the Thunersee was very pretty. The lake was so clear we could see the surrounding
mountains reflected in the water. There was no snow other than a smattering on the highest peaks surrounding the
lake. Once at Interlaken Ost, we had 10 minutes to locate and change trains. We had no problem, even though we
had to lug our bags up the stairs at the station. Well, I sort of cheated. A man who was passing us on the stairs
grabbed my suitcase and ran to the top, where he left it as he dashed to his train. Works for me!
We boarded the end of the train headed towards Lauterbrunnen. The platforms were deserted and there were very few
people on the train.
Once in Lauterbrunnen, we changed to the train headed to Wengen, where we arrived four hours after leaving Zermatt.
Before trying to locate our apartment, we stopped for lunch at Restaurant Waldschluecht, which is located right
next to the COOP grocery store. We ditched our suitcases at the entrance, and had a nice lunch of Gerstensuppe
mit Brot washed down with ice cold Weizenbier. Lunch for two – 27 CHF.
After lunch we dragged our suitcases uphill towards where we thought our apartment was located. We’d booked an
apartment online at the Chalet Forsthaus. In the past we’ve stayed at the Hotel Bellevue, however, it and most
other hotels in Wengen were closed at the time of our visit. Renting an apartment solved that little problem and
saved us some money in the process.
Apartments in Wengen
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Chalet Forsthaus is located on a hill
very near the Mannlichen Luftsielbahn overlooking the village and the outdoor ice skating rink. It’s in a nice
sunny location and only 10-15 minutes by foot (uphill) from the Bahnhof.
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We were greeted by the owner Vreny Jmobersteg. She and
her husband occupy the first floor and rent out the second and third floors of their chalet, which was built in
1938. We were in the small apartment on the third floor (Apt #2), which had a bedroom, bath, comfortable lounge,
well-equipped kitchen and dining area. It also had a nice balcony with a great view over Wengen.
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Other than an apparent communication problem
with the owner (*) our only complaint about the apartment was the short duvets, which appeared to be kid sized
(they didn’t cover our feet).
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*At the time of our booking we were quoted 385 CHF
for four nights, plus a 40 CHF cleaning fee. Vreny had tried to fax the rental contract to us, but due to some
logistical problems between Switzerland and Indonesia, she was unable to do so. She was also unable to send it
via e-mail. We, in turn, were unable to send her a bank transfer to hold our booking. Because it was low season,
she waived the formalities and we agreed that we’d pay the 425 CHF when we arrived.
On the third night of our stay, Vreny called and asked what time we’d be leaving in the morning. We’d booked four
nights, so we weren’t sure what was going on. She brought up the contract that we’d never seen or signed. Oddly
enough, the contract was for four DAYS, which was only three nights. There was also a daily charge of 10.80 CHF
for visitor’s tax, which we hadn’t been told about. We were confused, so we checked our e-mail and re-sent our
original request to Vreny. She agreed that we were correct and she let us stay the fourth night for no additional
charge and we agreed to pay the visitor’s tax. The four night total came to 465 CHF.
In the future, we’ll be a bit more careful when renting directly from an owner.
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Wengen didn’t have much snow, so we decided
to go to Mürren to check out the snow situation there. We caught the train from Wengen to Lauterbrunnen, then
caught the funicular to Grutschalp and the connecting train to Mürren – it’s not as bad as it sounds – it
only takes about an hour.
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We walked through town and checked the opening date for the Allmendhubel funicular. Good sledding can be had from
the top of Allmendhubel when there’s enough snow. The funicular was closed until December 3rd, so we continued
on towards the Schilthornbahn, which was closed until December 4th. We took the cable car down to Gimmelwald to
see if there was enough snow on the road between Mürren and Gimmelwald to sled. As soon as we got on the car,
we knew the answer was an emphatic NO. Much to the confusion of the cable car operator, when we reached Gimmelwald,
we stayed on the cable car and took it right back up to Mürren.
We stopped at the Schilthorn Taverne, the only restaurant in town open so early in the season. We dined on mixed
salad and Gerstensuppe with Müncher Kindl Weissbier for Bill and Glühwein for me. Dinner and drinks came
to CHF 56.
After dinner we walked back to the Bahnhof and retraced our steps to Wengen. It was a gorgeous night in Mürren
complete with crisp fresh air, snow, stars and holiday nights. It was very peaceful and it seemed as if we had
the place to ourselves.
Day 6
The jetlag was apparently over, because we both slept until 8. After coffee and our favorite brown bread, salami
and cheese, we caught the 10:07 train to Lauterbrunnen.
From Lauterbrunnen we walked to Wilderswil along the Lutschine. The first hour was level and paved in some areas
and took us right past the Zweilütschinen train station. The second hour was a mixed bag – the trail took
us over hills and into the village of Gsteigwiler. The last 20 minutes led us through forest where we had to watch
our step due to wet rocks and limbs concealed beneath dead leaves. We’d planned to catch the train in Wilderswil
and head to Grindelwald for lunch, but it was not to be. We got caught on the wrong side of the train crossing,
watching helplessly as our train stopped at the station, then proceeded to Grindelwald without us.
There were no trains due for an hour, so we decided to have lunch right there in Wilderswil at the Hotel Christina
Restaurant, located directly across from the Bahnhof. We both ordered the Tageteller with only a vague idea of
what we’d get. It was a pleasant surprise and a good deal by Swiss standards - 15 CHF each got us a three-course
lunch consisting of vegetable soup, salad and an entrée of sausages on a bed of potatoes and leeks. Lunch
with drinks came to 42 CHF.
Sated, we decided to continue walking on to Interlaken (45 minutes). We followed a path that led us through a huge
field and under a freeway, ending up in an area of Interlaken we’d not seen before. After wandering about for awhile,
we located the Interlaken West station where we caught a train to Interlaken Ost, then headed back to Wengen. I
was amused to discover that the vending machines on the platform contained all matter of items, including candy,
cigarettes, and condoms.
Day 7
Once again we caught the 10:07 train to Lauterbrunnen, and headed to Mürren to do some hiking. The Allmendhubel
wasn’t open so we walked the 40 minutes to the top. On the way we passed a helicopter that was transporting snowmaking
equipment.
We’d planned to take either the North Face Trail or the Panoramaweg. We hiked for two hours, walking a portion
of both trails before heading back to Mürren.
We stopped for lunch at the Schilthorn Taverne where Bill blindly ordered the soup of the day with garlic bread
and I went for the Raclette. Both were good - lunch for two with drinks – 42 CHF. Before leaving Mürren we
stopped at the tourist office to see if it would be possible to take sleds on the Allmendhubel when it opened the
next day, and then sled down to Mürren. The guy told us we could probably do it once or twice, but because
it was the only run open, we’d no doubt upset the skiers. He didn’t really say that, but I think that was the gist.
We retraced our steps to Lauterbrunnen, where we walked to the Valley Hostel to check our e-mail – best rate and
the fastest connection we’ve found in the area – 5 CHF for 25 minutes. Back in Wengen we stopped at the Rocks Bar
for a drink. FYI – the bar offers free Internet access. Had we known before, we would have checked our e-mail there.
That evening after watching some curling at the Wengen ice rink, we had dinner at the Da Sina Pizzeria - two large
individual pizzas and drinks - 50 CHF.
Day 8
We’d planned take the Mannlichen Luftsielbahn, which was due to open that day. We wanted to walk to Kleine Scheidegg
or perhaps towards Grindelwald from the top of the Mannlichen, if the trails were open. For some reason however,
the opening of the Mannlichen had been postponed a week. On to Plan B.
We walked to the Bahnhof and purchased round trip tickets to Kleine Scheidegg – 28 CHF each after 25% Swiss Pass
discount. We’d noticed that traffic had picked up in Wengen, but we were still surprised when the door of the Eiger
Hotel opened and loads of skiers poured out. It was a Saturday, and apparently the first day of ski season. We
caught the 10:30 am train with the throng of skiers and headed to Kleine Scheidegg. They even brought up an extra
train from Lauterbrunnen to handle all the people. We got a tiny taste of what ski season and summer season must
be like.
Once in Kleine Scheidegg, we were surprised to learn that only a small section of one ski run was open. All the
skiers were using this one run, and returning to the top via one operating chair lift.
We walked to the beginning of the trail to Mannlichen, thinking that maybe we could walk it in reverse, but not
surprisingly, it was closed. So, we crossed the train tracks and headed up towards the Eigergletscher instead.
The hike was marked at 50 minutes one way, but it took us 90 minutes to get to the top. Not because we’re old and
feeble (well, maybe a little), but because we had to ditch the trail a few times due to deep snowdrifts. We completely
lost the trail once and attempted to hike straight up the mountain instead, but it was just too steep and icy for
the likes of us. We tried a second route, but the snow was knee deep. Just when we were about to give up we stumbled
upon the trail and followed a set of footprints to the top. This was a nice hike, frozen cow paddies and all.
After a quick break at the top, we followed the sound of
barking dogs to a building full of kennels. Huskies belonging to the Jungfrau Railway are bred here, but we figured
this was private property, so we didn’t stay long. We returned to Kleine Scheidegg, where we had an alfresco lunch
at the Rostizzeria restaurant and rested up from our 2½ hour trek. Lunch for two with drinks – 42 CHF.
We caught the 3:20 pm train with a gazillion other people and headed back to Wengen.
Because we’d packed so lightly, we knew we’d have to do laundry at least once. We knew there was a public Waschsalon
in Wengen located behind the Silberhorn Hotel, so we filled a suitcase, grabbed our books, coins and a snack and
headed that way. This Waschsalon is the only one we’re aware of in Wengen. There’s also one located at the Valley
Hostel in Lauterbrunnen. In retrospect, we might have been better off taking the train to Lauterbrunnen and doing
our wash there.
The Waschsalon in Wengen consists of two small, well-worn washing machines, and one very slow, rusting dryer. We’d
done this before, so we knew we were in for a long night.
The washers cost 4 CHF per load and the dryer costs anywhere between 1-5 CHF, depending on time. We put in a 5
CHF coin and knew we were in for a long night when the timer gave us 2:29 hours of slooow drying time.
Four and ½ hours and 24 CHF later, we’d successfully washed and dried three small loads of light weight
clothing.
Day 9
After bidding goodbye to Vreny, we caught the 10:07 train to Lauterbrunnen. Although it was a beautiful sunny day
in Wengen, an eerie thick fog was hanging over the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
In Lauterbrunnen we had a 35 minute wait for the train to Interlaken Ost, so we checked our e-mail at the Quicknet
Internet located in a booth between platforms. We’ve noticed over the years that unlike Waschsalons, Internet access
is gradually increasing throughout Switzerland. We saw Quicknet stations at several locations; they’re fast, but
expensive at 2 CHF for 5 minutes and 5 CHF for 15 minutes.
We arrived in Interlaken and boarded our connecting train to Luzern, which was already waiting on the next platform.
We traveled along the Brienzersee and on to Meiringen. After a short stop, the train backtracked and began the
ascent to Brünig-Hasliberg via cog railway. We continued on to Lungern and the Lungernsee came into view on
the left after passing through a tunnel. After a train change in Hergisvil we headed toward Obermatt and began
the steep incline via cog railway to Engelberg. The trip took just over four hours.
I’d tried to locate an apartment in Engelberg, but couldn’t find one within walking distance of the train station
that allowed stays of less than a week. So, we opted to stay at Hotel Garni Belmont - 142 CHF per night including
breakfast - www.belmont-engelberg.ch
We spotted the hotel from the train, so we knew which direction to walk once we disembarked. At the hotel we were
greeted by Daniel, who took us to our room, which included a small kitchen. It was very nice and we were impressed
with the place. It was incredibly clean and well maintained and turned out to be very comfortable.
When we went down to the lobby a bit later, Daniel offered us a welcome glass of champagne. We sat in the lounge
sipping champagne and watching a scuba diving program, which Daniel helped translate. Turns out he and Bill are
both scuba divers and they’d both recently been diving in Sharm El Sheik. Small world.
We left the hotel to explore and found that Engelberg was in full swing, unlike last year, when we’d visited over
Thanksgiving. We wandered the streets, bought some tangerines, and were enticed into the Restaurant Zur Alten Post
by a sign for Feiner Apfelstrudel mit warmer Vanillesoße und Rahm - good stuff – 7.50 CHF each.
After returning to our room we watched the Titlis cam and were surprised that although it was gloomy in Engelberg,
it was sunny at the top of the Titlis.
That evening we walked to the Gasthaus Engel Restaurant. My mouth was watering for some of their incredible barley
soup that we’d fallen in love with last year. Sadly, Gerstensuppe wasn’t on the menu, and the waitress didn’t seem
to know what we were talking about. She convinced me to try the pumpkin soup instead, which was good, but it just
wasn’t the same. Bill had the mozzarella and tomato salad and we shared the Farmer’s Rosti. Dinner and drinks came
to 58 CHF and was very good.
Day 10
We both slept well and were happy to once again have full-length duvets. While getting dressed we watched a bit
of the European curling championships on TV and tried to figure out the object of the game.
Breakfast was included with our room, so we headed downstairs, where we met Daniel’s wife Carla. Breakfast consisted
of the usual - breads, cheese, ham, cereal, jam, fruit, coffee, tea and juice. We were glad to see they also had
hot chocolate, which is something we look forward to on our trips to Switzerland. As an added bonus, the milk was
served piping hot, just as we like it.
It was gloomy again, but the Titlis cam revealed that was not the case on the top of the Titlis. We walked to the
tourist office to see if any sledding runs were open, but they were not. We also asked about the Handwerksmarkt
in Luzern to be held in two days. I’d seen a sign advertising it on the train to Engelberg and it’d piqued my interest.
We discovered that there was also a Christkindlmarkt being held in the Luzern Bahnhofhalle.
After picking up some chocolate at the COOP to take home, and checking e-mail (*), we returned to our hotel and
put on another layer of clothes for our trip to the Titlis. It was cold and damp in Engelberg, so we figured it
would be really chilly at 3020 meters.
*Tele Alpin AG/Von Holzen Camera Shop – Dorfstrasse – 8 CHF per hour
We walked to the Titlis station and bought return tickets to the top – 52 CHF each. We showed our Swiss Pass and
our Gastekarte, but to no avail. Apparently, the usual rate for this trip is 76 CHF, so it was already discounted
for the low season.
We ascended to Gerschnialp, then continued on to Trubsee. Here we stopped to take some photos of the clouds hanging
over Engelberg, before transferring to the gondola to Stand.
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Once at Stand, we boarded the “world’s
first” revolving gondola – the Rotair - for the ride over the Titlis Glacier. It was a beautiful day and the views
were just incredible.
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Once at the Titlis cable station we walked through
the Ice Grotto, but there wasn’t anything there. We then took the Ice Flyer, a six-seat chairlift that deposited
us at another viewing area. There was a sign which said the Ice Flyer was 10 CHF return, but when we showed our
Titlis ticket, we were told it was included. We had to laugh at a Japanese woman we saw sliding about on the ice
and snow wearing a short skirt, pantyhose and high heels.
We had lunch in the self-service restaurant – Gerstensuppe
mit Brot, Bier and Weisswein – 30 CHF.
After feasting our eyes on the gorgeous scenery, we took the Rotair back down to the Trubsee station and walked
around the lake. We considered walking back to Engelberg from here, but the path was covered in deep snow and looked
a bit dicey. So, we settled for circling the Trubsee, which took about an hour, then we began our decent back into
the fog via gondola.
Upon our return to the hotel, we asked Daniel and Carla where we might find some Raclette for dinner. They made
a few calls and suggested the Banklialp Hotel Restaurant.
Later that evening we headed to the Banklialp, which we’d never have found without the assistance of our friendly
hosts. It was located on a hill about 15 minutes from the hotel. Daniel even offered to drive us, but we preferred
to walk.
I thought I’d already experienced Raclette, but apparently we were about to experience real Raclette.
Our first clue that something was different was the price. I’d been paying between 8 and 14 CHF for a portion of
Raclette, but this Raclette was 23.50 CHF per person. Frankly, that seemed like a lot for a plate of melted cheese,
potatoes and pickles. This was my birthday dinner though, so we decided what the hell, we’d give it a try. I’m
so glad we did.
After we ordered, the waiter brought out and plugged in the Raclette warmer, which we’d never seen and had no idea
how to operate. He then brought out two plates with four huge slabs of cheese each, a basket of small steamed potatoes,
and large servings of pearl onions, pickles and tomatoes. He showed us how to operate the Raclette warmer by placing
a slice of cheese on our plate and pressing it against the side of the warmer to turn it on. Bill had previously
turned his nose up at pearl onions, but once he tried them with the Raclette, he was hooked. The melted cheese,
potatoes, pickles and crunchy pearl onions made a really good combination. It was very good and filling. Dinner
for two with drinks – 63 CHF.
The walk back to our hotel was very nice. It was a cold, crisp evening and we were surrounded by white twinkling
holiday nights. Very festive.
Day 11
The fog over Engelberg finally lifted. After breakfast we walked to the Brunni cable station and bought return
tickets from Engelberg to Ristis, as Brunni was closed. It was 32 CHF for both of us. I’m not sure if we got a
discount or not, although I did show our Swiss Pass. I forgot to show our Gastekarte, although it might not have
made a difference.
We’d misjudged the weather and had worn our down jackets, which we soon realized was overkill. Ristis and Brunni
are located on the opposite side of the valley from Titlis and it was warm and sunny up there.
Once we reached Ristis, we walked to the Brunni SAC hut (all uphill – took an hour). We were in our short sleeves
15 minutes into the walk. We then picked up the Pfad trail, which is a panoramic circular walk. Our walking map
indicated that this trail was easy, but walking up to Brunni didn’t feel particularly easy and the return decent
to Ristis through the meadow was downright steep.
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We walked through snow, ice, mud and
marshy wet meadow. It was a very pretty hike and we couldn’t have picked a better day.
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We were back in Ristis a little over two hours later, having a drink on the sun terrace. There were quite a few
people on the terrace with us, enjoying the December sunshine.
We took the cable car back down to Engelberg and stopped for lunch at the Gasthaus Engel. I tried the Tomatencremesuppe
and Bill had the Super Mozzi Salad, with a Weizenbier of course. Lunch for two – 38 CHF.
Oddly enough, it was much colder in Engelberg than it had been up at Ristis, where it was downright balmy.
Day 12
We woke at our usual post jetlag time of 8 am. The low fog was back and hanging over Engelberg, making it cold
and damp.
We caught the 9:45 train to Luzern, first making the decent into Grunewald and then Obermatt. There was no snow
here, but a very thick layer of frost covered everything. The decent was so steep that we slid forward in our seats.
By the time we reached Dallenwil, the grass was green and we saw pansies in bloom. We were in Luzern within an
hour. Once at the Luzern Hauptbahnhof we got directions to the Handwerksmarkt, which was being held in the pedestrian
area of Old Town. After checking out the Christkindlmarkt in the Bahnhofhalle, we crossed the river and headed
to Old Town. We’d opted to wear our fleece and Gortex jackets, but that was a mistake. It was really cold and damp
in Luzern and those down coats would have felt good!
Once in Old Town we poked around the Handwerksmarkt, which was only being held that day. There were some interesting
items for sale. On our way back to the Hauptbahnhof we stopped at a Migros store and bought some lunch provisions
before taking the train back to Engelberg.
That evening we returned to the Restaurant Zur Alten Post for some Gerstensuppe and Feiner Apfelstrudel mit warmer
Vanillesoße und Rahm – 27 CHF – delicious!
Day 13
When we woke, there was a light fog still hanging over Engelberg, but it looked like the sun was trying to peek
through. Before checking out of the hotel, we walked to town and checked our e-mail. We then caught the 10:45 am
train back to Luzern. Once in Luzern, we deposited our suitcases into a storage locker (8 CHF for 24 hours) so
we wouldn’t have to deal with them for a single night stay. We’d packed all we’d need for the evening in our backpacks.
We crossed the river and checked into the Hotel Des Alpes. Although it was only noon, our room was ready and we
had no problems checking in early. We were given #563, a very nice room with a view of the river and Chapel Bridge.
This was the most expensive lodging of the trip at 195 CHF. http://www.desalpes-luzern.ch
We got directions to the Swiss Transportation Museum
(Das Verkehrshaus der Schweiz – www.verkehrshaus.ch)
from a woman in reception and we headed that way. You can take a bus to the museum, but we chose to take the 35-minute
walk along the lake instead. The entry fee was 22 CHF each, after the 2 CHF discount with our hotel Gastekarte.
We spent the next 3½ hours in the museum, which was huge and sprawling. I’m sure Bill would have liked to
stay much longer, but we finally got kicked out when the museum closed at 5 pm. While there we took the Gottard
tunnel “ride” and watched a kids holiday program at the planetarium.
We retraced our steps walking along the lake and enjoying the holiday lights. It was really cold which contributed
the festive atmosphere. We took a detour, walking through Old Town, where we saw booths being set up for the weekend
Christkindlmarkt. We returned to our hotel and decided to eat in their restaurant. Bill had Bayernbratwurst mit
onion sauce and Pommes frites and I had Raclette – 50 CHF with drinks.
Day 14
We woke up stuffy and hot because we’d closed the window due to the noise from outside. I guess that’s the disadvantage
of a riverside room, it’s also the side that faces the traffic on the other side of the river. It was still dark
outside and looked to be another gloomy day.
We had breakfast in the hotel, the usual of meat, cheese, bread, yogurt, fruit, cereal, coffee, tea, juice and
hot chocolate.
After checking out we walked to the Hauptbahnhof. With an hour to spare on our 24-hour locker, we collected our
luggage and caught the 11:10 train to the Zürich Flughafen. The ride to Zürich Hauptbahnhof took 45 minutes,
then it was another five minutes to the Flughafen.
We exited the airport and located the hotel shuttle area, where we waited 30 minutes for the van that took us to
our hotel for the evening - The Welcome
Inn, located in Kloten (no charge for shuttle).
We knew as soon as we pulled up that we’d been to The Welcome Inn before, although I didn’t realize that when I
booked. I’d found the hotel online through a booking site - the rate was 120 CHF (without breakfast). Our room
was fine for an overnight stay, but I wouldn’t want to stay any longer.
We don’t care for Zürich so we avoid overnight stays whenever possible. However, our flight left the following
morning at 6:55 am, so we figured it would be best to spend our last night there.
We had lunch in the hotel restaurant – Bill had the Tagesteller, which consisted of soup, salad and a beef patty
with cheese, Pommes frites, and green beans wrapped in bacon for 15.50 CHF. I had pasta with a spicy tomato sauce.
Everything was good. Lunch with drinks - 45 CHF.
There was a train stop a short walk from our hotel, so we decided to catch a train to the Zürich Hauptbahnhof.
We walked around Zürich for awhile, then caught a train back to Kloten. We made one last stop at a nearby
grocery for more chocolate to take home then went back to our hotel. Bill was returning to Duri but I was going
to stay in Singapore for a few days, so we had to repack our bags accordingly.
Our hotel had given us two (buy 1 get 1 free) drink coupons for their bar, so after packing we headed there, where
we had a really healthy dinner of Weizenbier and Pommes frites. “Dinner” and drinks – 18 CHF.
Day 15
Up with the birds, we took the 5:20 am shuttle from the hotel to the airport. Our driver was a crack up. He loaded
a woman’s luggage, then drove off without her. A few minutes later he was called back to the hotel, where he then
asked the same woman where her luggage was. We then had a frenzied ride to the airport – maybe he’d had too much
coffee.
After checking in we waited for our flight in the Star Alliance Lounge where we had coffee and I attacked a bowl
of mini Suchard chocolates.
Our SAS flight (no puddle jumper this time – MD 87) left a few minutes late. There were only the two of us in Business
Class and the flight was practically empty. The Business Class seats were the same as in coach. The only difference
seemed to be a nice breakfast and hot towels.
When we arrived in Copenhagen we were surprised that we had to go through passport control to get into the transit
area. We spent a few hours in the SAS lounge. It was nice enough – comfortable chairs, assorted beverages (including
the local brew on draft), snacks, etc. The weather in Copenhagen looked just like the weather we’d left behind
in Luzern and Zürich – gloomy and cold.
Our Singapore Air flight left Copenhagen right on time at 11:30 am. Even though we’d been up since 4 am, neither
of us could sleep. I watched three movies and several TV programs. Just when I thought we were about to land, a
flight attendant announced we had three more hours to go. Although this flight was an hour shorter than our flight
to Copenhagen, the 12 hours seemed to go on forever.
We were served a very good lunch and breakfast. Snacks were available throughout the flight. The service was excellent
as usual. We arrived in Singapore around 6:30 am local time.
Bill had a four-hour layover in Singapore before his Garuda flight to Pekanbaru and his bus ride from Rumbai to
Duri, so we parted ways. I cleared Customs and caught a taxi to my hotel where I spent the next six hours napping.
I stayed in Singapore for a few days to take care of some personal business before returning to Duri.
Until next trip... And here's hoping it won't be long
until then...
Melanie
