The most amazing mountain views, from the last steam cog railway in Switzerland.

It's Sunday, and the weather is fabulous. We're on the bikes and cycling once again to Brienz. This time, we're going to travel on Switzerland's last steam-driven rack railway.
All aboard!

At the base station, climbing up to the summit at 7363 feet takes one hour of hard chugging and replenishing the cooling water halfway. To make a return trip on the 25% gradient, which includes ten tunnels, the locomotive will require 350 kg of high-grade coal and 2,000 litres
of water, all at a top speed of 9 km an hour.

As you climb, you will have beautiful views of Brienzersee.

Ever higher, you start to leave the trees behind.

Chugging to the top.

The station at the summit.

Looking towards the Grimsal and Furka passes and our onward journey tomorrow.

Looking north towards Alpnach, where we were yesterday, it is still shrouded with clouds.

This really is breathtaking. As you turn from this view to what is behind you, it's just amazing!

The high Alps are in full glory, although the weather changes by the minute.

We can see Jungfraujoch, the Eiger, and many more prominent peaks.

What looks like black and white is taken in full colour.

Taken through a large telephoto lens, the ferry boat heads back to Interlaken from Brienz.

The shadows are extending, and it is time to get on our return train.

Just fabulous in the late afternoon sun.

We leave our railway station in the sky.

Reluctantly!

Higher tomorrow, and this time, it is in the camping car!

Happy Days!

The Bernese Oberland, High mountains, the Brienzersee and Sherlock Holmes!

The road from Bern leads us out into the Alpine heart of Switzerland. We admire the classic Swiss scenery and high peaks when passing Lake Thun. A short visit to Interlaken and we will continue to Meiringen, where we shall spend a few days surrounded by the mountains. 

The misty blue Lake Thun and high mountains.

It's all here in Meiringen, Sherlock Holmes, the Museum of Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle and the Reichenbach.
The falls are above the town, and the wonderful funicular is the best route up.

The Reichenbach Falls are best visited in Spring with the snowmelt from higher glaciers.

Was he really a Blonde? Elementary, my dear Watson!

We walk higher through the forest to the village of Zwirgi at the beginning of the dramatic Reichenbach valley.

The gentle funicular above Meiringen.

We ride our bikes along a beautiful cycle track to the Brienzersee and pass farmhouses selling delicious local cheeses. The views of the surrounding mountains keep us in awe.

 Sitting in peace and quietly sipping our coffee, a mute swan crashes onto the water rather than waking us from our reverie.

On the return cycle ride through the meadows, once again, we are caught in nature's moment. A Peregrine falcon snatches a Wood Pigeon away to our right.

We stop and watch as it devours the prey. Not wishing to disturb its supper, we move along quietly.

It's Saturday, and across the mountains at Alpnach, the Swiss Air Force is having a small celebration for the 50th anniversary of their military airfield.
 The weather could not be worse, but we go and join them.

Despite the drizzle and mist, we had a thoroughly good time.

     

They really need nerves to fly around the mountains and forests.

That's what we need: high-speed police response, Swiss style!

A Cougar deploys its chaff like a fireworks display.

A great day out, tomorrow we will take the Brienz Rothorn Railway.

Happy Days!

Bern Switzerland

We drove around Freiburg twice on our way to Bern. The trouble was we could find no parking, so there it was, onwards to the Swiss capital, Bern. We will have to do Freiburg another day from Bern by train.

The Swiss public transport system is expected to be efficient, so a bus will drop us off at Bern's central railway station at precisely the right time. It is a short walk to the Old Town, which is UNESCO-protected. The feeling of a distant past surrounds you. Few European cities have an architecture that has remained essentially unchanged since medieval times.

The Zytglogge is a must-sight for us with its history, a prison for prostitutes who made their living serving the clergy, later burnt to the ground in the fire of 1405. It had been constructed of wood until this time, and then it was rebuilt using stone.

As we stroll down Kramgasse, we come to the ornamented fountain with an armoured bear. The bear is holding a standard from 1535 of the City's founder, Berchtold von Zahringen!

Relatively speaking, it is a short walk to the Einstein-Haus, the famous scientist's house and workplace. He developed his Theory of Relativity in Bern in 1905.

The Arcades, seen here and on every street and on both sides, are said to be the longest-covered shopping promenade in the world. When you enter the arcades, you are faced with a different world. Here you find all today's stores and mass consumerism. 

Bern's statue of Samson.

The axe-wielding carpenter of Bern.



Street scene with ever-growing arcades and shops. There are also more shops below ground, entered by stairs built into the old service hatches (visible behind the lady in grey).

We took our leave from the fascinating City of Bern and took the road the road to Interlaken
and onwards to Meiringen, where we have an appointment with a certain famous detective at
the Reichenbach Falls.

Montreux at the head of Lake Geneva

It is early afternoon when we arrive in Montreux, passing the impressive Chateau de Chile and having a leisurely lunch in Evian en route. At the border, we also stop to purchase a vignette to use the Swiss motorways.
The camping car stop we are night-stopping at in Montreux is adjacent to the Lac and a leisurely stroll to the town centre (remember to purchase a ticket). We got fined as it's not clear at all.

There is a lovely lakeside walk along the Territet waterfrontage, which we use to visit the town. The impressive Montreux Palace Hotel with one of the beautifully maintained paddle steamers passing by.

Montreux is not huge, but there are some very nice shops (for Linda). I head back to the waterfront. Finding Freddie Mercury's flamboyant statue, patience is needed to photograph it as fans and tourists envelop it.

The many park benches allow you to sit in the afternoon (patchy sun)and enjoy the view out across the water to the high Dents-de-Midi.

As we enjoy an early evening drink (expensive) outside one of the many cafes, unfortunately, a light rain sweeps over the lake and darkens the mountains.

A lone Kayak passes.

The sun sets across Lake Geneva.

In the morning, brilliant sunshine on the lake.

Lovely to see young Red-Breasted Mergansers out on the water.

Also, young Grebes and tufted ducks are seen.

The next stop is Fribourg and Bern.