Tuesday, April 15
I think my couple days of hiking have caught up to me 😂 A leisurely morning was exactly what I needed. I took some time to examine the forecast, repacked, and left the hotel around 10:30. I was tempted to walk through the market along the river but I didn't want to drag my noisy suitcase along the cobblestone; though based on people being caught off guard by me, maybe it's not as noisy as I thought.
From my balcony, it looks like the riverside street is getting ready for another day of exciting tourism.
I stopped by a Migros to pick up breakfast and a bottle of Thé Froid recommended to me by some coworkers. I can report that the ice tea from Migros is pretty dang tasty, I never did drink much Arnold Palmer or Arizona Ice Tea, but I imagine this scratches a similar itch.
My two pastries for the morning included Ragusa chocolate-hazelnut cream and then impressive layers of buttered pastry with a crust.
I set up shop near the lake and a little pond outside a museum to admire the birds. I'm digging the duck's hair do.
As recommended by a coworker, the blue ice tea's lemon flavor (thé froid) is better than the orange tea's peach flavor. And it's all best enjoyed on a crisp Lucerne morning in the park near the lake, where the trees are outfitted with cute lights (that I presume turn on when its dark).
The ride to Interlaken was picturesque, though after having seen the peaks of Grissons and St Gallen, I found myself able to avoid taking a bazillion train pics of the cloud covered heights in the area. I tested out the dining car for a cup of coffee, not a bad deal for coffee considering normal prices in Switzerland. Turns out that the ride from Lucerne to Interlaken heavily favors just one side of the train: the direction swap at the midway stop permitted me front row seats to all the lakes we passed by. Only after leaving the midpoint (Meiringen) did I realize that it was the entry way to the Reichenbach Falls of Sherlock Holmes fame. Oh well.
Imagine my surprise to see someone swimming in a lake and then a Swiss lake doing an impression of Vegas' Lake Mead!
All this could be avoided with the inclusion of bidet seats and clearly noted foot markers on the floor 😆
I take it back, these were still some impressive mountain views from the train. Maybe a bit later in the summer when all the lake boats are active, the Brienzee will have a ferry going across it's length in addition to the train running along the edge.
The varieties of blue that the Swiss lakes manage to achieve are shocking.
Interlaken has two stations: West and Ost. I arrived at Ost and made the short, pleasant walk through town to drop my bags with the hotel. I hadn't received a confirmation email from the hotel so I was pleased to learn that I had a room even if I couldn't yet claim it. I'd also stopped by a place to ask about availability on parachuting but, as I figured, the day was all booked up. So with another glance at the weather forecast (and email confirmation that the Niederhorn was closed for hiking), I pulled the trigger on going to Kansersteg for the afternoon. If the clouds are hiding all the peaks, then I'll do a hike to a hidden lake instead.
Looks like this town has taken its flood prevention seriously; it was a big project in play to shore up the walls of the river bed. It's interesting to see Switzerland take such preventative measures so seriously and proactively; the beauty of a government that can plan a budget more than 2 weeks ahead of time.
The trail featured a bunch of switch backs on a mountain face that had been partially logged. I wasn't the only hiker who'd made it out here this afternoon: one couple decked in motorcycle leather gear caught my attention as I passed them.
Eventually the hike shifted from only ascending the face of the mountain to following the stream's ravine further in to find the snow.
Let's not forget the other mountains on the other side of the town, this photo couldn't capture their imposing presence as clouds shifted around them. It was very quiet up here, just me and my sweaty breaths.
Suddenly, some thawed ski slopes and hidden mountain peaks.
And finally, the view opened up to a big alpine lake. It's a big lake but I think it was still in the process of filling up with melt water for the warm season. Also, I'm not sure what the excavator was doing out there.
The hike overall was great, it was an out-and-back route given that the other half of the loop was closed for construction. It was bizarre climbing switchbacks up a logged face before gently ascending through the valley and then suddenly, wham, a big lake surrounded by mountains. The lake itself seemed a little low, I'm guessing it's supposed to refill rapidly during the spring; I even managed to see (& hear) a couple avalanches in the surrounding mountains as more snow/water tore their way down to the Ochiensee.
What's an alpine hike without some bread and cheese? I think it's really cool that Switzerland labels the locally/regionally produced cheeses; this one had a mild taste but was exactly what I needed to cool off with. I'd stripped my outer layer during the hike so I slowly steamed off the sweat I'd accumulated while I sat on a stone bench and ate.
Nice and cool at the lake; I'm not in any rush to get in the water just yet but I'll enjoy the crisp air and breeze.
I did eventually make it to the waterfront; the shores were muddy and rocky but I found a space to sit down without sinking up to my knees. Also, a water fall!
Come on in, the water's fine! 🥶
While I was relaxing, I heard a *BOOM* and was able to spot the avalanche in the distance as snow and water worked their way towards the far side of the lake.
If I had more time before sunset, I would have considered pushing up past the lake on a trail but the observed avalanche and warnings about the other trails all being closed persuaded me to call it here.
Only the route up to the lake was open to the public but I followed in the steps of others and wandered a bit to the lake's side. I'm glad I did because a woman signaled my attention and pointed out some ibex to me: there were two of them just sitting in the woods and chewing their cud.
Majestic creatures, apparently their horns can indicate age.
Majestic creatures, no?
Thanks for the peace and quiet, Ochienensee! Definitely a worthwhile hike on a partly sunny day!
I made my way back down and caught the train back to Interlaken (via Spiez), which rewarded me with a nice, unobstructed view of the Niederhorn in the dwindling sunlight. Once in Interlaken, I was able to check into my hotel (situated in another roof unit like I had in Zermatt) and snagged dinner in the oldest section of Interlaken, Unterseen. I suppose I didn't manage to see much of Interlaken proper today, but I can live with that 😆
This house has the aesthetic I'd previously attributed to all of Switzerland, I suppose I'm cultured enough now to know that that isn't true for the whole country. Though naming the distinct differences by region is not something I'm capable of just yet; for that, I'd need at least a 3rd month in my stay 😜
Another solid option for hiking would have been the Niederhorn but the trails and cable cars were all closed for maintenance/construction work in preparation for the summer season. Gotta save some things for next time!
Dinner in Interlaken featured a pork hock, which reminded me of the pork hock I'd eaten after an absinthe tasting. This one was also excellent and the crisp beer was exactly what I needed after my afternoon hike. The place, Vintage Chuchichästli was a hybrid Swiss-American restaurant with very friendly staff.
Walking around Interlaken's Unterseen neighborhood at dark was an interesting adventure. The town was really quiet with street lighting that kept one interested in the mystery of exploring. The neighborhood is clean and nice, which is par for almost everywhere I've been in Switzerland that isn't a major transit station 😆
A neat little find: the Berners had taken control of Interlaken as a result of political judo back in the day and had begun to build their road network using markers like these, indicating distance from Bern in hours walked!
Above Interlaken is the Harder Kulm, a peak with activities like observing the surrounding area and parachuting to the town green of Interlaken. I made a choice not to go here today and I likely won't get the chance to visit before I leave; like with the Niederhorn, gotta leave some stuff for next time.
With conservative lighting in town, I was able to make out a few of the stars; though I think I missed my window for being an astronomy nut/hobbyist. Oh well, I can still appreciate a quiet, starlit night.
Comments
Post a Comment