But before I get there - I really do have to rave about our breakfast in Venice! Can't believe this slipped my mind. By the time we were at camp outside of Rome - we had all had enough of bread and were craving a no frills breakfast of cereal and milk!
I never thought I'd crave cereal. ever.
Some of the hotels in France had served cereal of some sort - and all had served bread in some form. Whether it be croissants, french loaf, chocolate bread...all sorts of bread with nutella, jam, butter, ham and cheese available at most.
In Italy - it was all rolls, or some other sort of bread, ham and cheese. Of course we all ate these because well, breakfast has to be had don't it. Especially with our long days...
Anyhoo - breakfast, Venice - it was scrambled eggs and bacon and tomato and mixed (with roll of course!) But after ham and cheese - scrambled eggs have never ever tasted so good. And this comes from someone who doesn't like eating eggs (I only ever have it in omelette form).
We all pounced on those scrambled eggs like we'd never seen scrambled eggs before! Those were some seriously gooooood eggs though!
Anyhoo, to continue the whirlwind tour
III: Switzerland
After saying ciao to Italy some four hours after having left the camp in Venice, we still had about another four/five hours to go before reaching the town of Grindelwald, where the youth hostel we were staying in was situated.
Stopped at a truck stop, head to the only place that's open at about 9pm - Mickey D's. And was that a good cheese burger. Considering I don't like the big mac, and the places in Europe (UK incl) don't serve Cajun chicken - I had to come up with some sort of alternative.
It wasn't the normal attempt at meat mickey d's burger - it nearly tasted as good as Steers back home. Had it been flame grilled it would've come even closer.
After a dinner of Mickey D's in the alps we head off to camp - on some seriously windy windy roads. Apparently we were supposed to go through some tunnel - but it was closed. So the mountainous roads it was.
Sometime after dinner we stopped again - not sure why, maybe just a loo stop. Stopped at a truck stop - but absolutely everything was closed - restaurant, no people. Clearly people are trusted to actually pay for their petrol by credit card in Switzerland at the available slots. Back on the bus, ready to go - but alas the bus ain't going.
Not good. Not good at all! Especially not after the previous day's break down before Venice, and it being the middle of the night with pretty much nothing around excepts motorways. After what felt like an eternity, but in all liklihood was only about ten minutes the bus eventually started. We were all sitting there waiting, hoping, praying it would start so we could get on our way and arrive at camp already.
It was a pretty amazing night though. Full moon (or was it new? completely round at any rate) and the air was crisp with the silhouettes of the alps all around. It was awesome!
Well, after the long, somewhat anxious ten minutes the bus starts and we get going. On them windy roads. At first I watched, because even though not much could be seen, it felt amazing being surrounded by such a wonder of nature. For once, the inside of the bus was warmer than the outside air! We'd had constant issues with the aircon - the front of the bus wouldn't feel it, kept upping it and the back was jokingly referred to as the arctic. We normally had to peel of the layers when we exited.
After a while though I couldn't watch anymore, with each curve in the road the bus slowed down, changed gears and the noises were getting to me, I kept thinking on this corner we're gonna get stuck for sure. Especially after the breakdown, and non-start! Eventually I lay down on the seat, made sure I was buckled (and the driver had annouced that as an added caution) and hoped and prayed and tried to ignore all the funky sounds.
From personal experience I know windy roads ain't friendly - having driven on a crazy country road in the UK, and another one - with road works - at night, no road lights, and headlights barely penetrating heavy heavy mist - by myself, back home, I really didn't want to be our bus driver.
But he got us there in one piece and delivered us to our hostel at 02:45.
The usual room allocation, scramble for pjs and bed!
We had a few choices for our free day in the Alps - go up one of the numerous cable cars around, walk, or go up to Jungfrau - the highest point in Europe - at some 3500m above sea level.
Going to Jungfrau - two options - 7am or later. Some people decided to do the 7am train ride up to Jungfrau - and didn't sleep. The rest of us were like uh, thanks but no thanks. Sleep. We'll go like 9ish.
Had about four hours sleep - but had never felt as rested the entire trip through as I did that day. Breakfast - more cereal (muesli - yay!) with locally produced yoghurt (yum!) and then made our way to the train station. We first planned to go up one of the other peaks - lower than Jungfrau, and with a cable car - but when we got to the train station we found out going to that peak - 3hr round trip - would cost us just a little less than going up Jungfrau we decided to pay the little extra for going up to the top.
And it was well worth it. Spectacular, taking in the Swiss landscape - which even at about 10am looked completely fresh and unadulterated. It was a serious incline up to Jungfrau, and as we stood in the train for part of the way, taking photos - had to do some bracing. Stopped at two places along the way - with the air becoming thinner and thinner, it becoming colder and colder, and just more breathtaking.
A tunnel was dug for the train, and for view points along the way - stopped to enjoy the view and take pictures - before heading all the way to the top.
Of course the altitude affected everyone differently. One girl got the giggles, another really dizzy, and all of us breathless after like two flights of stairs. Signs are everywhere telling you to take it slow.
I really don't know what else to say but it was picturesque, stunning, breathtaking, beautiful, asemrowend (since awesome just won't do!) and and and -all words along these lines. (yeah, I'm aware I keep using the same adjectives over and over - sitting with a thesauras will take too long :p )
Fooled around outside in the snow - my first proper snow actually - taking pictures and just enjoying the view. Headed back indoors to thaw, went to the ice palace, grabbed a really pricey coffee (temporarily contemplated lunch but quickly changed our minds based on the cost!) and then a few of us headed back out.
It was weird - I started feeling a little dizzy, with a headache coming on when I was inside, but this went away as soon as I was outside again. We'd agreed to meet the others at 14.00 to get the train back down... wandered around the touristy complex and found another outdoor spot - with a closer view of the Jungfrau peak - it is HIGH! the viewpoint that is. There's stairs and wire caging - but beneath the stairs is a complete sheer drop down. Not advisable to look down if anyone has a fear of heights - uh, guessing you shouldn't be up there in the first place :p
Missed the huskies - there's only so much you can see when you try and squish in as much as possible in a limited time. The people who went early that morning had a mini sleigh ride with them. The huskies only do this when the snow is cold enough, as the day progresses the snow gets to soft.
Before we knew it, it was time to meet the others - and off we went running. Yep, running at altitude - of course ignoring all the take it slow signs :p Though, it was a short lived run...
Made our way back down, and by the time we got back to the village it was after 3 and we still had to have lunch. Found the nearest shop and bought something light - all had locally made Grindelwald yoghurt - it really was delish! Had something light as we had dinner in a hotel that evening.
Sat by a stream, enjoying the sunshine, clanging of cow bells and just taking in the view. Saw a few paragliders, and had picked up leaflets including hanggliding and sky diving - doing all of these must be extra awesome in the Alps. Am so going back there just to sky dive and hang glide (and hike) in the Alps.
Dinner was in the village of Grindelwald (our youth hostel was just outside it, at Grindelwald-Grund - it was a really awesome hostel! uh, communal showers aside. though they did have separate guys and girls communals. but they also had a few individuals). Grindelwald was a 20min - uphill - walk from our hostel (you could of course be lazy and take the train!)
We had another group - touring with the same company, but doing 12days not 16 - staying at the hostel. So we'd all gone to dinner - filling up most of the hotel's restaurant that we ate at.
Dinner was yum! Choice of turkey and noodle, fondue or pork schnitzel with either chips (fries) or noodles. Schnitzel and fries I had - the sauce with the schnitzel had shrooms in - yummy! We'd ordered a red wine, and soon as it came and started pouring there was this funky smell. Wondering what on earth - so couldn't be the wine - until we spotted the fondue at the table behind us. Smelly cheese! Had a taste - twas good, but th schnitzel was better.
Back down to the hostel after dinner - crisp air made for a chilly walk back, but still absolutely beautiful. Early start the next morning (again!) Had to stagger it since the other group was heading for Italy so also had an early start while we were setting off for Germany.
Loaded the bus at 06.20, breakfast afterwards and we were on the road just after 7am.
The Alps
Swiss cow with the clanging bell
Snow covered peak
at Jungfrau - unadulterated & beautiful
IV: Germany
Uneventful day on the road and we are finally back on schedule. See the Black Forrest - well, as much if that can be seen from the motorway. Stop for lunch in Baden-Baden - the spa capital (well dunno if capital - but it has lots of spas and celebs go there to use them)
Baden-Baden really was more of a leg stretch than a proper lunch stop - we had about 40min - definitely not time for a sit down meal of any sort. Especially when you take into account that it was about a 10min walk from where the bus was parked to the city centre. Quaint town - the part we saw at least. Wandered around looking for a place to eat - most of us had a sandwich from a bakery, stood eating outside, and then headed back to the bus.
We were supposed to visit a cuckoo clock factory - that didn't happen as the last boat for our Rhine cruise was earlier. From Baden-Baden, headed to the town where we were to catch the boat - the Loreley Linie and cruise along the Rhine to the town of Boppard where we overnighted.
Had about 20min before the boat came so took a short wander around the town, and then waited along the banks for the boat. It was a pretty cruise, had random bits of information told to us and German oompah music playing in between. Found out about the castles we saw, Loreley Linie - a fair maiden who tempted sailors, luring them to land - but in a place where it was really shallow so inevitably they'd run aground. Passed a few villages - in one the pub is next to a church. To get to the church you have to walk through the pub, and it's the minister who serves the booze behind the bar!
In Boppard we stayed in a guest house-cum-hotel. We stayed in the guest house section. Was still light, so after dumping our bags some of us took a wander around the town where the stores were starting to close. A chocolate shop was still open - which needless to say - we entered into! And of course I bought chocolate. It wasn't genuine German chocolate though, but chocolate from all over. Whatever - chocolate is chocolate :D Bumped into some of our group in the Penny supermarket - buying...booze!
Back at the Rhinelust Hotel get ready for dinner, after a day on the bus a shower was definitely needed. And what lovely shower - one of the better ones! Dinner was in the hotel's restaurant, and was that goooood German food! Some stew, noodles, pork, gravy, salads and ice-cream for dessert and soup as a starter. The food tasted home-cooked. It was fabulous!
There was to be a pub-crawl afterwards -it wasn't much of one, just one cozy pub where a few had the local beer Bitburgher - yeugh, completely bitter (I ain't a beer drinker)! While the rest of us had sherry. Twas a chilly night, headed back - the drinking crew did more drinking back in one of their rooms. Spent a short time chilling with them and then headed to bed.
Next morning, breakfast in the hotel - we were ready by 8am as this was departure but alas - we had to wait for the bus! It was a chilly morning, with mist along the Rhine but it was really pretty.
Turns out some dude in a convertible had driven into the back of the bus. A stop at the police station, and a police escourt later, the bus arrives 9ish (I think) we load and make our way to
A.M.S.T.E.R.D.A.M!
Found out later that the dude who drove into the bus had concertinaed the front of his car and written it off while there was barely a scratch on the rear of the bus with the many problems.
We were all starting to feel a little sad that the tour was coming to an end, it now being day 14 of our tour. Started the swapping of email addys - but we were all definitely looking to forward to being in Amsterdam (some possibly a little more than others :p) !
The Rhine
German Castle
Along the Rhine at Dusk
Morning mist on the Rhine
No comments:
Post a Comment