ungkler: My Swiss Pass

Switzerland : Lucerne, Grindelwald, Jungfraujoch, Lausanne, Geneva, Bern
Autumn 2016

At the Jungfraujoch: Top of Europe, baby!
(Nov-2016)

Journal Entry... Switzerland intimidates me, honestly. Think Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous (and my lack of Swiss deposit, lol), the overpriced burger and cola... Secured a Swiss Pass to avoid the horrendous sum of individual tickets. So, let's go on a merry-go-round Switzerland, shall we?

11-nov: DAY 1, Lucerne...

Traveler's downtime
at Hotel Continental Park

Five hours of air transit (Santorini-Athens-Zurich), and three hours of rail transit (Zurich-Lucerne) later... Check-in: #HotelContinentalPark, less than a block away from the Lucerne train station. Feet up, sipping coffee, staring blankly on a traveler's downtime mode. Don't I just love arriving, after a long haul, to a hotel room that comes with free-flowing caffeine fix. Hotel room also came with a welcome basket of Swiss treats and wine. Thanks, Continental-Park! We also make special mention of the nicest people, Alvin, who made us look forward to breakfast service with him around.

Autumn scene at the Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge) in Lucerne

Snowcapped mountains overlooking the old town - night in Lucerne

12-nov: DAY 2, Journey to Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe...

Autumn in Lucerne

Precipitation around November was getting in the way of our Jungfraujoch itinerary, which was calendared for the 12th. With prayers made at the Church of St. Leodegar, and a stroke of luck, hearing hubby's voice at 5AM announcing that weather forecast had registered a 100% sunny weather for the Jungfrau region -a window of opportunity -had woken me up. We only had three days to spare using the Swiss Pass for day trips, from Lucerne.

Grindelwald stop

After loading up for breakfast at the hotel, hubby and I hurried over to the train station, and were on our way to the "Top of Europe". Train route: Lucerne-InterlakenOst-Grindelwald - 2.5 transit hours. A nice lady on the train had a kind heart to suggest we should be seated on the right side of the train for a scenic view. I must have gone to heaven aboard the Swiss train as it headed to Interlaken Ost, before changing trains for the ride to Grindelwald, where the autumn landscape swiped to a winter wonderland scene.

Train passing Lungern en route to Interlaken Ost, from Lucerne

Train passing the town of Grindelwald en route to Jungfraujoch

Jungfrau Railways Passport

At the Grindelwald stop, hubby and I secured a Red Passport, and switched trains for the Jungfrau Railways adventure route: Grindelwald- KleineScheidegg - Eigergletscher - Eigerwand - Eismeer - Jungfraujoch, a slow-moving train ride in about an hour's time to the train's last stop at the Sphinx Terrace (3571m,11782ft above sea level). There, Switzerland's fastest lift took us up the Sphinx Observatory in a record of 27 seconds; the observatory debuted on July 1, 1996. Y'all know what they say, "The view is much better at the top*wink!"

A whole new world seen from the Jungfraujoch-- Top of Europe

Jungfraujoch Certificate
- stamped on 11/12/2016

Did you know?

* The Sphinx terrace offers spectacular views over Europe's longest Aletsch Glacier, 22km. On clear days, you can see the Vosges, in France, and Germany's Black Forest.
**The Jungfraujoch has the highest-altitude post box in Switzerland, the highest-altitude chocolate shop-Lindt, in Europe, and the highest-altitude watch shop, Tissot, in the world.
**The average temperature on the Jungfraujoch is minus -7.9 centigrade.

At exactly 6:25PM, hubby and I had completed the Jungfraujoch - Top of Europe adventure, and had our Red Passports stamped for a Station Master's confirmation that we had visited Europe's highest-altitude railway station. Mission accomplished !!!

13-nov: DAY 3, Lausanne & Geneva...

Lausanne vista
from a lookout hill

It was a Sunday; there's always time for prayer on every travel. Hubby and I took the train on a first stop to Lausanne. Headed up the hill to Place de la Cathedrale, that had the Lausanne vista right off the Lausanne Cathedral's doorstep.
Lausanne is in the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and thus, better say a French greeting, "Bonjour!" in the morning, and "Bonsoir!" in the evening, when in Lausanne.

Lausanne vista as seen from Place de la Cathedrale on a hill

Lake Geneva down the lakefront in Lausanne

From the hilly part of Lausanne, hubby and I took the Metro transiting down to the lakefront. By the time we located the lake - Lake Geneva (of which part of the lake is in the city of Lausanne, and the rest in Geneva), it started to rain. No sooner than reaching the lake for a photo-op, hubby was herding me away. Not only because it was raining, but we had a train to catch to Geneva, for a second stop of the day, which is putting the Swiss Pass to good use. A hodgepodge of sights is what I get for waking up late that day. I failed to catch the Jet d'Eau fountain display at Lake Geneva, this time, in Geneva proper; last show is at 4PM during winter months. Sigh:(

Promenade du Lac in Geneva at night

14-nov: DAY 4, Bern...

Two Peas in a Pod
in Bern

Did you know? The medieval city of Bern is the capital of Switzerland. It is also home to big bears which, at the time of our visit, were deep into early hibernation for about a week already. But guess who pretended to be a bear down the pit, instead? Hubby and I.
Trivia: Bern got its name from the bear. At the Bear park are the bears: Finn, Björk, and their daughter, Ursina; also Mischa, Mascha, and Berna.
Best spot for that romantic medieval Bern vista is well up the Rosengarten. How to get there: From the Bear Zoo, cross the street and walk left up the narrow pathway to Rosengarten. Hubby said, Bern is another ideal base city to Lucerne, for next time. Ps. If you happen to be curious finding the explanation behind the equation, "E=mc2," you're in luck! Bern (just) happens to be where the genius physicist had lived for a time and developed the theory from his home-turned-museum, Einstein-Haus.

Medieval vista up the Rosengarten in Bern

Link to YouTube>>> Ungkler Travels | SWITZERLAND feat. My Swiss Pass

15-nov: Outbound to Rome... Aboard an early morning train ride to Zurich airport, from Lucerne, to catch the outbound #Alitalia flight to pit stop: Rome. Link to>>> Journal Entry: Return Ticket to Rome #italy #rome #winter2016

oOo
PHOTOSTITCH

#Switzerland #Lucerne #autumn2016