Swiss Sights

Picking apples

One day, in search of a WWII bunker, we headed into the Alsace region of France, a mere two minute drive from Lance and Miriam's home.  Fall harvest has been underway for several weeks here in Switzerland, which was a crucial factor in our quest.  If the cornfields were still standing, it would have been impossible to actually locate one.  But we were successful and Lance & Aron explored a bunker that was on the Maginot Line while Miriam & I enjoyed fresh-picked apples from a nearby field.

Augusta Raurica

Some other sights were the Dorneck Castle overlooking the town of Dornach.  This place had several uses over the centuries; the ruined castle was converted into a bunker during WWII.  No fighting took place in Switzerland, but the Swiss wanted to be prepared for any eventuality.  Reichenstein tower was another stop on our itinerary, but, unfortunately, it was closed.  But just driving into the countryside was a treat in and of itself.  Fiery reds, burnished oranges & brilliant yellows, offset by the vibrant green of the coniferous trees.  An old monastery, perched on the top of a hill, housing a community of monks.  Another fascinating sight was the Augusta Raurica, the town that sprung up after the Celtic Rauraci were amalgamated by the Romans around 30 BC.  These ancient ruins consist of a temple, amphitheater, aqueducts, baths and so on.  Performances take place at the restored amphitheater in the summertime and no microphones would be required; we tested the acoustics from the stage.

Lake Thun and the Swiss Alps 

Miriam's grandmother has a charming Swiss cottage overlooking a beautiful aquamarine lake near the town of Interlaken.  With the towering Alps and the touristy atmosphere, we found Interlaken to be reminiscent of Banff.  It's here that we fully realized exactly how expensive it is in Switzerland.  Surprisingly, we realized we could eat much more cheaply in London, England.  For example, we ordered two pizzas one night, and before any promotional discounts, the total came to 75 Swiss Francs! (Canadian dollars and Swiss Francs are currently 1:1)

We did a lovely day hike in Grindewald, near the Lauterbrunnen valley.  Being in the Alps in the beginning of November, one would expect it to be numbingly cold, but the brisk wind howling through the trees was somewhat warm.  A favorite, though, has to be the Trummelbach Falls, which drain the mighty glaciers of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau mountains.  A tunnel lift takes one into the heart of the mountain where a switchback trail begins and lights illuminate the way.  There are 10 separate waterfalls that carry over 20,000 litres of water per second.  The rumbling is so deafening that conversation is all but impossible.