Visiting old friends and old haunts in Switzerland - Part 3

Wednesday, July 18th, 2018

Packing up and moving out of the chalet is the priority this morning. The weather is once again beautiful and promising to be hot.
They want to show me some more mountain world and have decided to drive back via the Grimsel Pass.
Heading round that road, one of the first things I see is the suspension bridge from the other end.

Up ahead is the Furka Pass which leads to Italy.

Some days, the little train runs with a steam locomotive. Today is not one of them.

The passengers are happy travelers anyway.

Coming into Gletsch, we see the old hotel which used to  stand right at the edge of the Rhone Glacier. 

Like every glacier, it too has receded a lot over the last 100 years.

The road over the Grimsel into the Canton of Bern is a very good and well maintained road. It is also a well traveled one.

The Alpenrosen are still flowering here.

The lake at the top of the Grimsel Pass.

Looking back to the Canton of Wallis where we've just come from.

The hydro dams going down the other side.

Arriving in Innertkirchen we park the car and set about walking through the Aare Gorge (Aareschlucht).

Apart from a few steps at the beginning, it is all very easy going. It is also a lot cooler.

First visit for Yvonne and Juerg. They're loving it.

And suddenly, it opens out in Meiringen.

After a little snack in the restaurant, we walk all the way back. Now, we are doubly glad for the coolness.

Goodbye coolness, now it's back into the hot car.

We drive on over the Brünig Pass and then through Lucerne and Zürich and home to Volketswil. It is extremely hot and as if that wasn't bad enough, we also hit the rush hour which slows us down a fair bit.
Tired but happy we arrive at home in time for some more of Yvonne's yummylicious home cooking.
Thank you lovely people for another memorable day.


Thursday,  July 19th, 2018

Today is a general catching up day - washing, shopping, haircut, organizing train tickets and above all working on my blog.


Friday, July 20th, 2018

Once again, I pack my little suitcase this morning and catch a train. In Langenthal, I'm met by my old mate, retired policeman Peter and his wife Esther.

They take me out to lunch at a nearby restaurant and all too soon, it is time for me to say goodbye again.

A short train ride later, I arrive in Bern where Helmut Gerwig picks me up and takes me home where his wife Barbara awaits us for a leisurely afternoon tea.

More reminiscing for just a very short time and Helmut drives me all the way to Ittigen to Heidi and Urs' place where I am to spend the next few nights.

What a pity the time is always so short and precious. But, I suppose, a little time with old friends is better than none.