EUROPE : Switzerland/France : Days 4 & 5

 Day Four : MONDAY, 26th September. 

It rained early on but we left Willisau in sunshine, taking the scenic route for most of the way,

continuing on the motorway for the remainder and stopping at the services on the motorway for coffee and a shared foccacia.

  

Nearing Interlaken, 

we stopped at a car park to take photos and got talking to a group of 6 German people about to have a picnic.  We took photos of them, 

they took photos of us, 

we declined their invitation to join them and as we were leaving, one of them came rushing over to ask us to come back to have a group photo with them 

and forced us to take some of their home made cake, an offer we just couldn't refuse!

We then continued on to Lauterbrunnen, bought tickets to Schilthorn, a four cable car journey to the mountain where scenes of the James Bond film "On His Majesty's Secret Service" was filmed. 

Going up

and up

 and up

                                                                           

at the top

                                                                             

the clouds lifted enough to enable us to see Jung Frau 4158m

as well as Eiger 3970m and Monch 4099m

On the way back down the mountain,

 we stopped at Birg 2677m and walked the Thrill Walk

It was an expensive exercise but one we'd read about and didn't want to miss.  "We're only here once!"

It was quite late in the afternoon by the time we returned to the motorhome so our planned visit this afternoon to the Trummelbach Falls will now take place tomorrow.   

After a stop in Interlaken West to visit the Co-op,

we drove up the mountatin to Habkerk, our proposed overnight stop which afforded absolutely stunning views.  

Beers at the nearby Alpenblick Restaurant and a long chat to Adrian, the owner with his wife Vroni, capped off our day, which not even the rain could spoil.

Day 5 : TUESDAY, 27th September.  

 Rain, rain, rain!  

This morning's view from the motorhome door.

In order to arrive at the Trummelbach Falls at opening time, we left Habkerk a little after 8am to drive back down the mountain.  Driving through Lauterbrunnen which we first visited in 1969 when it was a quiet, sleepy village which tourism had not yet overtaken, we barely recognised the place which is now a hive of activity with tourists from all over the world.  Our memory of the Falls is of just two or three at the lowest level so are not sure if the others were open to the public then or if, being on a meagre budget, we couldn't afford to visit the higher levels. The waterfalls are formed by melted snow from Jung Frau, Monch and Eiger Mountains creating tunnels through the mountain.  There are ten individual falls at various levels which requires a considerable amount of climbing but is well worth the effort. 

The Trummelbach Falls 

After leaving Trummelbach we continued on to Saanen, stopping at an Aldi shop there to buy umbrellas as the weather ahead was looking decidedly iffy, and we wondered if today's intended  destination, Glacier 3000 would be closed.  The main reason for our visit to Switzerland (we've avoided coming here on previous trips as it is so expensive) was to go up the mountain and do the Tissot Peak Walk, which is the only suspension bridge in the world that connects two mountain peaks.   The disappointment on later discovering it was closed was eased a little by yesterday's visit to Schilthorn.  

We stopped in Gstaad,, had coffee and a bite to eat, then wandered around the town for an hour or so

         then headed for Glacier 3000 as it was on the way to our proposed overnight stopping spot.   

The signs all said 'Closed", 

and we assumed it was because of the weather but a young lady in the office told us there had been a fire in the restaurant at the top of the mountain and the cable car and walk would be closed until at least 12th November, far too long for us to wait around.  

As winter approaches the farmers bring their cows down from the mountain to lower ground. Intresting to see and hear them clanging their way down,

We carried on through the mountains 

                       to our chosen stopping spot, didn't like what we saw so continued on 

and we are now in France, parked on the shores of Lac Leman, the French side of Lake Geneva at Evian les Bains.  

We went walking along the extremely attractive forshore, called in to a wine bar for drinks and watched the ferry which travels across the lake between France and Switzerland.  The rain continues.