Switzerland

May 18-23, 2006
AC878 YYZ-ZRH, AC877 GVA-FRA-YYZ

Spring in Switzerland turned out to be a nice idea.  Once you get over the sticker shock, it is great fun.  My audit was still on at work, but long weekends were okay and Tom had put Switzerland on his list for the year, so off we went.  For a nice change, Tom planned everything, I just followed along.  To our surprise, we found out that Switzerland is a Bollywood Destination and got accosted by an angry Indian woman who wanted our seat on the train -- who knew you could get curry at 13,000 feet?  We also learned that the best way between any two points was always a tunnel through the mountain and everywhere we went they were building new ones.  Great Mountains, chocolate and cheese fondue and Zermatt is another on the 50 list down.

May 19
Arrive Zurich after overnight flight and travel to Luzern

Chapel Bridge of Luzern (original 14th century)

Re-built portion, after 1993 fire

Lake outside of Luzern

Pilatus Railroad - the first of many steep climbs

The way up mount Pilatus (30 minutes to the top)

Still climbing...

Bighorn sheep

Short hike

The top of Mt. Pilatus (7000 ft)

View from the other side of the mountain

The last stretch of train viewed from the top

Looking down to Luzern

The clouds finally lift in all directions

More Alpine views

Captured U-Boat - Luzern Swiss Transport Museum

Swissarena - an interactive Google Earth with slippers

Lake Luzern

Luzern Mill Bridge over Reuss River at dusk

Square with swan outside yummy Opus restaurant

Chapel Bridge at night from hotel balcony

May 20
Luzern to Grindelwald (via Bern and Luzern), our rainiest day

Luzern Lion Monument carved into the mountain

Our favorite fountain in Bern - yes he’s eating them

One of the famous Bears of Bern

Park in Interlaken

Mountain fortifications built during WWII

Camouflaged gun hole 

Inconspicuous entrance (there are still active sites)

Looking back towards Interlaken

Grindelwald

May 21
Grindelwald to Zermatt

Jungfraujoch Train to highest station in Europe, the last third is all underground 

First voyage outside at 13000 ft 

More outside, not much to see at top except clouds when we were there

Cheesy photo inside hollowed out glacier

The way down after we clear the tunnels & clouds

The sky clears as we descend

Clearer still

Coming back into Grindelwald (3393’)

Car train from Kandersteg heading South to Zermatt

Zermatt Cemetery has many Matterhorn dead 

Clouds finally lift on the Matterhorn late in day

Gord in front of Matterhorn

The crowds run for the Matterhorn shot

Matterhorn Sunset, last we see before morning cloud

May 22
Zermatt to Lausanne

Morning train to Gornergrat (5000’ climb)

Gornergrat (10,270’)

St. Bernards brought up for tourist photos

Gorner Glacier

Our best Alpine views

More of the same views in all directions

Goats in shadow, glacier on the right

The train back to Zermatt

Old bridge heading North out of Zermatt

Chateau de Chillon (13th century) near Montreaux

Lake Geneva from the Chateau

Drove ways to Callier chocolate factory, but it was closed!

Some fresh Gruyere Cheese at the factory

Gruyere Chateau, centre of the cheese-naming town

Lausanne Castle

Lausanne Cathedral

May 23
Lausanne to Geneva and flight home to Toronto

France across Lake Geneva from Lausanne

Lake Geneva Shore at Ouchy (below Lausanne)

Olympic Statue on Lake Geneva

Olympic Museum - Lausanne is home to IOC