Around the World in 180 Days: Switzerland!

We spend a lovely week staying in the little village of Aeschi Bei Spiez in Switzerland. We stayed in a quaint little chalet with our hospitable and lovely host. Out host and her family had the top floor and we had the bottom area. The scenery was absoultely stunning with peak mountains everywhere we looked. We had a great view of Mount Niesen from our window and we could constantly hear the sound of cow bells dinging.

While staying in Aeschi we got to visit the nearby beautiful town of Spiez which is located right next to lake Thun. We explored the area and even visited Schloss Castle.

On another day we visited Interlakin (which we could see down the hill from the place we where staying) another beautiful town located between two lakes (Thun and Brie). Interlakin in was quite touristy but at the same time very picturesque. Our host worked at a bar in Interlakin so we went along there for a visit. It was a truely swiss experience. We ate cheese and Chocolate fondue while listening to a live traditional swiss band. They played the alpine horn, glass bottles, spoons, wacked a stick on a broom, and a lady even yodeled! There was also a bit of swiss dancing. Amber and I tried playing the cow horn and managed to get a sound out of it! :)

Our biggest day was catching the train from Spiez to Zermatt (the famous skiing town that doesn't allow cars). Zermatt is famous for the mountian - "The Matterhorn" which has been attempted to conqued by many a mountain climber! Some have made it to the top and others had died trying to climb it's shear surfaces. There is a classic old disney film that tells the true story of the first ascent of the matterhorn - "Third Man on the Mountain." While in Zermatt we enjoyed going up on a cable car all the way to the "Mountain Glacial Paradise" (which is the highest viewing platform in Europe). We had a great view of the Matterhorn from the top. We went through a tunnel under the ice and looked at lots of sculptured ice figurines. We even got to slid down an ice slippery dip along with a whole heap of 50 and 60 year olds. I found we all got puffed really easily and I felt like I wasn't getting quite as much air as I was used to getting! :) I got altitude sickness up there for a while and only minutes after I came back down I felt better. It was a weird feeling. While in Zermatt we also visited the mountain climber's cemetery. A graveyard for all the climbers who have died up the mountain.

We also got the privilege of going for a hike up and around Aeschi and finding a beautiful view of the mountains from the top and a stream below. A great place for a picnic!

Switzerland was a truly memorable country with it's clanging cow bells, majestic snow capped peaks, magnificent lakes and greenness everywhere! I would love to go back again one day!