CHAPTER 12. SWITZERLAND CONT.

It is June 19th and we reluctantly say good bye to the helpful couple running the Palais Hotel in Evian and finally enter Switzerland, driving up the Rhone valley, with a stop in Martigny to buy Swiss francs. High mountains rise all around and we have occasional glimpses of even higher snow covered peaks. At Oberwald we start hairpin curves up to Grimsel Pass where there is high snow along the road and we look down on the glacier that is the source of the Rhone.

From Grimsel Pass, with overcast skies, we wind down thru many tunnels and curves and stop in Niederried at the Bellevue Hotel where our balcony overlooks the Brienzer See.

It’s a partly cloudy day as we drive to Interlaken, then up to Grindelwald along a very scenic route. We see mountains that are gigantic blocks of granite rising almost straight up, with glaciers on top and coming down the valleys. We take the 35 minute cable car ride up to 2224 meters high Mannlichen; en route, and at the top, there are spectacular views of rugged snow capped alps and the green valleys below; unfortunately the peaks are not clear enough for good photographs. We eat a not expensive lunch at the restaurant on top. It is not too cold, but a sweater feels good. On the way back to Niederried we detour up to Stechelberg and back in a long scenic valley that rivals Yosemite, with high vertical rock cliffs and waterfalls .

With bright sun and a nice day we leave Niederried and drive towards Lucerne through beautiful forested country on a twisting highway. At Griswil we take the Panoramic Strasse, hair pinning up on a road so narrow that downhill traffic pulls over and stops while you pass. After the summit we go down to Sörenberg which is ski country, but with no snow in June. We stop in Wolhusen for lunch and also see a wedding party in native costume who pose for a photo.