This morning we slept in until 7:45 and magically the Flippin’ Floppin’ Sandwich factory manufactured our lunches magically by the time we woke up 😛 We enjoyed our daily breakfast of Frosties before leaving the house at 7:30. It was a short itinerary:
- 7:36 – 7:48 bus from Krattigen to Spiez
- 8:12 – 8:40 train from Spiez to Kandersteg
Oeschinensee
When we arrived in Kandersteg we walked up to the gondola. It was a beautiful 15 minute walk on a small road with a few houses. As we walked down the street we all imagined what it would be like to live in this serene area with the mountains surrounding us. We came to the conclusion that it would be too secluded in the winter and we would rather just have a summer home.
As we arrived at the gondola we were happy to see one that was more like a ski lift at home that ran continuously and had room for 6-8 people. We all validated our passes and found a seat on our gondola. It was a beautiful and smooth short ride to the top. As we came up to the top of the gondola we passed over the bobsled track and the kids got quite excited.
Our first stop was to purchase tickets to ride the bobsled. There were a group of students in line so we decided to hike down to the lake and come back later. The hike to the lake was down hill along the road. When we approached the lake we were in awe of how green the lake was and how peaceful it was settled between the mountains. It was also quite warm. There were kids swimming on the other side of the lake. We walked down to the row boat rentals and sat at some benches to take in the moment. We also found a fire pit with benches around. It would have been a perfect spot to spend the day and have a bbq. We had about 20 minutes to enjoy our cookies and walk around the area before starting back to the bobsleds.
We decided to walk back a different route. We walked half way around the lake and took a switchback trail. It was narrow and steep… a real hiking trail. It was also beautiful as we ascended up the mountain. When we reached the top of the hill there was a restaurant and a heard of cattle hanging out in the field where the trail led. One cow had a bunch of flies on its nose. I tried to help but she didn’t appreciate my help and waved her horns at me. We carried on another 20 minutes down the trail and reached he bobsleds.
We purchased a 10 ride pass for the kids and a 5 ride pass for adults. A nice lady also gave us an additional 3 passes so the kids each got 3 rides! The first time we went up it wasn’t really clear how to use the bobsled and Ayva didn’t know how to make it go. There was a bit of a slow down at the top but as soon as Sandra told her how to go Ayva was gone like a rocket! It was so much fun that Terris bought 2 more tickets so all 4 of us adults could go twice. By the time we went for our last ride, the nice man running the bobsleds let the kids each take one more ride for free! It was the highlight of the day! For more information on Oeschinensee click here.
After our thrill was over we sat down beside the gondola in the shade and ate our sandwiches on a bench. Sandra bought us a Rivella (a Swiss drink) at the train station this morning and we shared it at lunch. It was so good! It tasted kind of like a Sprite, but nothing at all like it. We decided we need to import it to Canada! After lunch, we took the gondola back down the hill and and started back toward the train station in Kandersteg. We stopped at a playground infront of the gondola that had swings, a trampoline, and a cage of bunnies. There was also the most ingenious mini golf course… It consisted of a wooden wheel (kind of like a water wheel) that had 12 sections around numbered from 1-12. You turn the wheel for each hole and the middle section changes. It was like nothing I’ve ever seen! After leaving the playground we searched for 2 geocaches on the way to the train. Ari found both of them in the trees.
Bern
Next, we caught the 1:15 train from Kandersteg and arrived in Bern (the capital city of Switzerland) just before 2:30. Sandra was tired so she decided to get off in Spiez so she could buy some groceries and get some rest at home. When we got to Bern we walked through the enormous train station and walked down the street tot he parliament building. It was under construction so we weren’t able to get a tour. We continued on our way to “The Minister” which is Bern’s most impressive example of late Goth architecture. The detail was incredible both inside and out. It was extremely hot so we decided not to climb the tower. After going in and seeing the tall ceiling and detailed stained glass, we carried on down the street.
We came to a bridge and as we crossed I spotted a bear on the other side. It was an actual real live bear and it was living in “Bear Park“. The entire side of the river was fenced off and home to a bear. We got quite close as we walked along the far side. The bear seemed quite happy in its habitat. We continued down the riverside and walked down the stairs. We saw people jump in the river and float down. It was so hot that we were all jealous. As we continued walked along the riverside Ari became overheated so we stopped and let him sit on the rocks and dip his feet in the water. After 5 minutes of cooling off we continued up the hill to the road where we caught a city bus back to the parliament buildings.
Terris treated us all to gelato which was amazing! It was also exactly what we needed to cool down. After finishing our ice cream Terris went to a specialty store to buy peanut butter which is apparently a North American thing and not easy to find in Switzerland. We then carried on back to the train station and caught the 3:30 train back to Spiez. Terris, Ayva, Addison, and Ari played a lot of Rocket on the train today which passed the time very quickly. We arrived in Spiez a bit late but our bus waited for us and we were back home by 4:20.
We were still very warm so we quickly walked down the hill to our swimming hole and enjoyed a nice refreshing swim in the lake. We arrived after 5:00 and the kids would have stayed for hours but at 6:30 we got them out so we could get home and start dinner. We enjoyed a delectable dinner of marinated chicken breasts and pork chops, followed by the best chocolate ever!
Today was another perfect day. We are sad that we have to leave Terris and Sandra tomorrow. We were here for 11 days and we could have easily spent another week or 2. We are sad to leave Switzerland tomorrow but also excited to see Italy. Tomorrow will be a travelling day and a new adventure!
Thank you Terris and Sandra for the amazing hospitality! We love your country!