Here are a few quick, unaltered pictures of our time together today near Kandersteg. We borrowed the Alpine Hikers' car and headed to Interlaken and then the next valley over. It was overcast today with low hanging clouds, which impeded our view and made it pretty chilly out, but didn't damper our spirits.
The kids stuck with Balin for 3 hours while I went up the mountain to check out the trail we'll be hiking down. Steep. Steep. Steep. It reminded me of hiking Beyond Malibu but with food and drinks scattered about our way in cute huts. (And a real bed at the end of the hike, though I'm still having to cook when we get in...) I learned all sorts of glacier terms from Balin, but right now I can't remember a thing. I also took a few minutes to talk to God at the top and learn a few of the flowers' names. It was beautiful, especially as walked to the tunes of Natalie Merchant.
I did run across some local wildlife - cows and moutain goats with BIG HORNS. There were two mommas of the goats with about 6 little guys - so cute. So I dropped my poles to take a picture from about 5 feet and then they started coming towards me. Then they sat right on top of my poles and started chewing on them. I remembered the sign I read at the beginning of the hike that stated that cows can be mean when they have their babies around. Did this apply to goats with big horns? I didn't want to risk it so I asked another fellow if the goats were friendly - he looked at me, smiled and grabbed my hiking poles. Thank you sir - I would have been up there all day had you not rescued my poles.
I met the kids and Balin at the Gondala and they talked me into going on the Rodelbahn, or the Luge. It was super fun, but as always was wicked expensive. The kids said, "Again, Again" we said "With Grandma, with Grandma!" When we finally made it down the mountain and got to the car - it was dead. Totally. So I ran around and asked anyone around if they could jump my car - no one carries cables and we had no luck. Finally I asked a bus driver and luckily he had cables and then I went and flagged down a person who had a car and we got 'er done. I was very thankful that all the people I interacted with understood my German and were very friendly. I'll double check the lights from now on.
I've got to go to bed though - hiking is exhausting. Sandra and her family arrive from Paris tomorrow to start their "nanny" job. I'm very much looking forward to their being here. I've got to go out tomorrow morning and get bread for everyone as after 1pm all the stores, and I do mean all, are closed. If you run out - bummer. I've done that before and won't be doing that again. :)
One last highlight. On our way to Stechelberg to drop the car off and take the Gondola up the mountain, we stopped at a self serve milk dispenser. $1.50 for a liter of fresh from the cow milk. It's so good. And it's so fattening. But it's so good. Hopefully I won't come home 10lbs heavier from all the milk I want to drink. Good thing I'm hiking for a living.
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The kids stuck with Balin for 3 hours while I went up the mountain to check out the trail we'll be hiking down. Steep. Steep. Steep. It reminded me of hiking Beyond Malibu but with food and drinks scattered about our way in cute huts. (And a real bed at the end of the hike, though I'm still having to cook when we get in...) I learned all sorts of glacier terms from Balin, but right now I can't remember a thing. I also took a few minutes to talk to God at the top and learn a few of the flowers' names. It was beautiful, especially as walked to the tunes of Natalie Merchant.
I did run across some local wildlife - cows and moutain goats with BIG HORNS. There were two mommas of the goats with about 6 little guys - so cute. So I dropped my poles to take a picture from about 5 feet and then they started coming towards me. Then they sat right on top of my poles and started chewing on them. I remembered the sign I read at the beginning of the hike that stated that cows can be mean when they have their babies around. Did this apply to goats with big horns? I didn't want to risk it so I asked another fellow if the goats were friendly - he looked at me, smiled and grabbed my hiking poles. Thank you sir - I would have been up there all day had you not rescued my poles.
I met the kids and Balin at the Gondala and they talked me into going on the Rodelbahn, or the Luge. It was super fun, but as always was wicked expensive. The kids said, "Again, Again" we said "With Grandma, with Grandma!" When we finally made it down the mountain and got to the car - it was dead. Totally. So I ran around and asked anyone around if they could jump my car - no one carries cables and we had no luck. Finally I asked a bus driver and luckily he had cables and then I went and flagged down a person who had a car and we got 'er done. I was very thankful that all the people I interacted with understood my German and were very friendly. I'll double check the lights from now on.
I've got to go to bed though - hiking is exhausting. Sandra and her family arrive from Paris tomorrow to start their "nanny" job. I'm very much looking forward to their being here. I've got to go out tomorrow morning and get bread for everyone as after 1pm all the stores, and I do mean all, are closed. If you run out - bummer. I've done that before and won't be doing that again. :)
One last highlight. On our way to Stechelberg to drop the car off and take the Gondola up the mountain, we stopped at a self serve milk dispenser. $1.50 for a liter of fresh from the cow milk. It's so good. And it's so fattening. But it's so good. Hopefully I won't come home 10lbs heavier from all the milk I want to drink. Good thing I'm hiking for a living.
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