Pollution. Everyone agrees it's a bad thing. No one wants dirty air or foul water. But there are other kinds of "pollution" that we endure or even welcome. Well, some of us welcome it. The pollution I'm referring to is visual and noise pollution. Those unwelcome sights and sounds that intrude on the enjoyment of public spaces. After traveling to other countries it is glaringly evident that here in Southern California that kind of "pollution" is everywhere.
Last night I was at a restaurant having dinner. The restaurant is located on a corner and we were eating on the enclosed patio so the noise from Pacific Coast Highway was audible especially when a motorcycle or sports car whizzed by. In addition to the street noise, the restaurant piped in music. You can see where I'm going with this can't you? Everyone on the patio had to raise their voices to be heard including us so as the patio filled with patrons the noise level rose. Despite the wine and good food, our meal was not relaxing and we were glad to be out in the relative quiet of the parking lot.
At the many restaurants we ate in while in Europe, only once did we notice overly loud music that inhibited our ability to make conversation and that was in a sports bar. In Europe eating is a social event and management does not encourage you to scarf down your food and run for the door. It's a cultural phenomenon that prizes a relaxed social atmosphere. Loud intrusive music does not contribute to relaxation or conversation but it does make you eat faster and leave sooner. No wonder there are so many ads for indigestion medications!
Here, our shopping malls, whether inside or outside, have music playing everywhere. There is no escaping it. Speakers hidden in planters make every outdoor space a concert whether you like it or not. I'm not really clear on the concept. Is there scientific evidence that music makes people buy more? In stores as well, music prevails. So while shopping, there is a cacophony of noise with which you have to contend. Every store has it's own music and then there is a different tune playing outside. The volume of the music in stores seems to depend on the age of the employees. The younger they are, the louder it is. I know I sound like an old granny but the reality of it is that I have money 20 somethings don't have and I can't and won't shop in places where I can't think. What are retailers thinking? I don't want to be assaulted by music everywhere I go. There is enough noise in public without the music.
While traveling and shopping in Europe I never heard outdoor music except for the occasional street musician and retail stores were tuneless as well. Maybe they cater to customers rather than employees. Although I didn't shop in large malls, small stores didn't blare music. I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere in the shops and streets and even the street sounds themselves. In old city centers it's imperative to be able to hear cars and bicycles lest one be mown down by one. It's also interesting to hear the variety of languages and accents being spoken around one and to be able to talk to one's companions.
Lastly, here in California, capitalism is king. The amount of money that goes into billboard advertisements must be in the billions. Billboards are everywhere. You can't see the city for the ads. The farther out of the city you get the fewer you see, but they are still there. Even driving into small desert towns that boast barely 1,000 people, the billboards start appearing about 10 miles out of town. Talk about a plague upon the land.
We drove for hours in the Black Forest of Germany, in the Swiss and Austrian Alps, and through farmland and vineyards. No billboards advertising cars, DUI attorneys, or films. No billboards at all. The landscape speaks for itself. This must be a conscious decision on the part of governments to improve the look of their countries because let's face it, billboards are ugly and intrusive.
While traveling in Europe I enjoyed having plenty of landscapes upon which to rest my eyes and quiet outdoor areas to walk and think and talk. Attitudes and values are the key differences. Here business rules our lives. Companies decide what our public spaces will look and sound like and companies exist to make profits not to improve quality of life. In Europe, the "big, bad" government steps in to regulate business and maintain quality of life. Here quality of life is defined by how much stuff we acquire and there it seems as if quality of life has a much broader definition including keeping the country free not only of trash but of noise and visual pollution as well.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Friday, July 29, 2011
Groceries
Several years ago our local supermarket employees went on strike and as a union member myself I refused to cross the picket lines. The strike lasted some weeks and I had to find a new market. I found a family run market with an excellent meat counter, complete dairy section, small processed foods section, and a superior produce section.
Despite the settlement of the strike we continue to shop at this small market. The prices for produce are great and most importantly the fruits and vegetables are fresh and flavorful. It's hard to get a bad piece of produce there. Many produce items like green beans and corn are locally grown. Their meat may cost a little more but it's always tender and I can get precisely the cut and amount of meat I want.
So that's where we usually shop. Great food, good prices, and a small store. Upon returning from vacation I needed groceries so I headed to my local supermarket because it was close and I was jet-lagged. Of course it's huge and I spent a lot of extra time searching for what I needed. This store now has a section dedicated to cookware, magazines, and other non-food items. Really, they think I'm going to buy pots and pans at the grocery store? When I got to the cashier with my meat, produce, milk, and 1 toothbrush the grand total was $187! This for two people! Then I gave the cashier my "Ralph's Card" number. The machine did its work and miraculously reduced my bill to $146 (still too much since I only had 1 taxable item and 2 meat items).
This is one reason I rarely shop there: the price is not the price. One price for cardholders, another for non-cardholders. What is that about? Of course all thinking people know it's about food manufacturers tracking your buying habits. Every time you swipe your card big business puts your data into its system. Think about it: food processors, advertisers, distributors, the grocery store itself, they all want to know what you're buying.
So what is the real price of groceries? I don't know. I think they mark items artificially high so cardholders will think they're getting a deal by having a card. Look you can say, I saved $1000 today just by swiping my card!! Shoppers can feel good about their local supermarket because every time they go they're saving money! But they're not really saving money because the quality is inferior and the price is artificially high designed to give you a warm glow and make you feel smart 'cause you have a card.
The results of my run to my local supermarket are that so far I've had to throw out a bag of watercress because it was too bitter to eat and the nectarines I bought are tasteless. The cherries also leave something to be desired. To be fair I did buy a nice piece of wild-caught sockeye salmon there that was delicious. But that doesn't negate the fact that the rest of my purchase was over priced and of low quality.
If we really want to get down to brass tacks, I don't want to be part of the many databases to which that damn card attaches me. I also want good food at reasonable prices. AND I want the price of an item to be the price, not some inflated number designed to trick me into shopping at a particular store.
Despite the settlement of the strike we continue to shop at this small market. The prices for produce are great and most importantly the fruits and vegetables are fresh and flavorful. It's hard to get a bad piece of produce there. Many produce items like green beans and corn are locally grown. Their meat may cost a little more but it's always tender and I can get precisely the cut and amount of meat I want.
So that's where we usually shop. Great food, good prices, and a small store. Upon returning from vacation I needed groceries so I headed to my local supermarket because it was close and I was jet-lagged. Of course it's huge and I spent a lot of extra time searching for what I needed. This store now has a section dedicated to cookware, magazines, and other non-food items. Really, they think I'm going to buy pots and pans at the grocery store? When I got to the cashier with my meat, produce, milk, and 1 toothbrush the grand total was $187! This for two people! Then I gave the cashier my "Ralph's Card" number. The machine did its work and miraculously reduced my bill to $146 (still too much since I only had 1 taxable item and 2 meat items).
This is one reason I rarely shop there: the price is not the price. One price for cardholders, another for non-cardholders. What is that about? Of course all thinking people know it's about food manufacturers tracking your buying habits. Every time you swipe your card big business puts your data into its system. Think about it: food processors, advertisers, distributors, the grocery store itself, they all want to know what you're buying.
So what is the real price of groceries? I don't know. I think they mark items artificially high so cardholders will think they're getting a deal by having a card. Look you can say, I saved $1000 today just by swiping my card!! Shoppers can feel good about their local supermarket because every time they go they're saving money! But they're not really saving money because the quality is inferior and the price is artificially high designed to give you a warm glow and make you feel smart 'cause you have a card.
The results of my run to my local supermarket are that so far I've had to throw out a bag of watercress because it was too bitter to eat and the nectarines I bought are tasteless. The cherries also leave something to be desired. To be fair I did buy a nice piece of wild-caught sockeye salmon there that was delicious. But that doesn't negate the fact that the rest of my purchase was over priced and of low quality.
If we really want to get down to brass tacks, I don't want to be part of the many databases to which that damn card attaches me. I also want good food at reasonable prices. AND I want the price of an item to be the price, not some inflated number designed to trick me into shopping at a particular store.
Musically yours, Munich
We drove through the Black Forest from Baden Baden to get to Munich and as I wrote before, Munich is in large part a dreary post war city erected in haste. Blocks and blocks of six story buildings painted institutional greens and yellows greeted us. It felt grim and serious, how I imagine North Korea to be. A real contrast to the gorgeous forest and cheery Baden Baden from whence we had come.
The old city center is a different world. Cobblestones pave streets lined with shops and restored buildings. A thriving farmer's market lies adjacent to Marienplatz, the central pedestrian square. An enormous scary looking blackened building in the baroque style houses the Ratshaus (city hall) and overlooks the "platz". It looks like nothing so much as a Tim Burton creation. It has a beautifully restored colorful Glockenspiel that rings out several times during the day and looks oddly out of place in the blackened structure. There is a beautiful fountain in the square and people are gathered there all day and into the night. Although it must be said that Munich like other Germanic cities goes to bed early. They eat early, take a walk and retire. At night the fairies come out and wipe the square clean of the detritus of the day. Nice.
The most amazing thing about Munich while we were there were the street musicians. On the sidewalk in front of a church a trio of young women with violins played classical music in perfect harmony. It was impossible to just walk by. A musical oasis in the midst of throngs of people, bikes, and cars.
Walking further into the square we came upon a quintet of musicians playing more classical music. Mozart probably, since he's "the man" in this part of the world. The group had a baby grand piano, a cello, a bass, a violin, and a woodwind (I don't remember which one). They were out on more than one day. How they got the piano out there was a mystery. Needless to say they attracted quite a crowd. Another oasis of beauty and calm in the bustle of the city.
Munich also seems to be THE place to go for a stag parties in Europe. Groomsmen dress in traditional Bavarian shorts and suspenders and the groom wears a dress and they all cavort drunkenly from beer hall to beer hall including passersby in their revelry. Bridesmaids and brides also appear in groups shrieking and laughing. Must be the beer.
But Munich has an ugly side that I rarely see in California. There are many Muslim women in Munich dressed in full black burkhas. Whether on vacation or living there, I don't know. But returning from a restaurant one night we saw a group of young men (not boys) dressed in leiderhosen approach and heckle a group of women after they had shouted insults at two men dressed like Arafat. I'm sure beer had a lot to do with it, but it was ugly nonetheless. Sadly, the two middle eastern men ignored the taunting of the women and simply walked on while the women huddled together for security. The men posed no physical threat since they didn't stop and approach the women but I'm sure the women felt threatened.
On a lighter note, there you have it, the good, the bad, and the musical. Mostly good I'd say. Our city guide was wonderful and we learned a lot about the history of Munich and Bavaria which I always love. We dined at the world famous HofBrau Haus and joined the crowds for a bit of musical heaven on earth.
The old city center is a different world. Cobblestones pave streets lined with shops and restored buildings. A thriving farmer's market lies adjacent to Marienplatz, the central pedestrian square. An enormous scary looking blackened building in the baroque style houses the Ratshaus (city hall) and overlooks the "platz". It looks like nothing so much as a Tim Burton creation. It has a beautifully restored colorful Glockenspiel that rings out several times during the day and looks oddly out of place in the blackened structure. There is a beautiful fountain in the square and people are gathered there all day and into the night. Although it must be said that Munich like other Germanic cities goes to bed early. They eat early, take a walk and retire. At night the fairies come out and wipe the square clean of the detritus of the day. Nice.
The most amazing thing about Munich while we were there were the street musicians. On the sidewalk in front of a church a trio of young women with violins played classical music in perfect harmony. It was impossible to just walk by. A musical oasis in the midst of throngs of people, bikes, and cars.
Walking further into the square we came upon a quintet of musicians playing more classical music. Mozart probably, since he's "the man" in this part of the world. The group had a baby grand piano, a cello, a bass, a violin, and a woodwind (I don't remember which one). They were out on more than one day. How they got the piano out there was a mystery. Needless to say they attracted quite a crowd. Another oasis of beauty and calm in the bustle of the city.
Munich also seems to be THE place to go for a stag parties in Europe. Groomsmen dress in traditional Bavarian shorts and suspenders and the groom wears a dress and they all cavort drunkenly from beer hall to beer hall including passersby in their revelry. Bridesmaids and brides also appear in groups shrieking and laughing. Must be the beer.
But Munich has an ugly side that I rarely see in California. There are many Muslim women in Munich dressed in full black burkhas. Whether on vacation or living there, I don't know. But returning from a restaurant one night we saw a group of young men (not boys) dressed in leiderhosen approach and heckle a group of women after they had shouted insults at two men dressed like Arafat. I'm sure beer had a lot to do with it, but it was ugly nonetheless. Sadly, the two middle eastern men ignored the taunting of the women and simply walked on while the women huddled together for security. The men posed no physical threat since they didn't stop and approach the women but I'm sure the women felt threatened.
On a lighter note, there you have it, the good, the bad, and the musical. Mostly good I'd say. Our city guide was wonderful and we learned a lot about the history of Munich and Bavaria which I always love. We dined at the world famous HofBrau Haus and joined the crowds for a bit of musical heaven on earth.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Pedestrian Perils
New York City, Los Angeles, London, Rome, take your pick, crossing streets in these cities takes guts. But no guts, no glory my dad always said. In these cities walkers wait until the traffic clears to cross the street. If that happens to be on the walk sign, all the better. But stepping out against the signal is expected and everyone learns to be quick. If you've been in New York City you've no doubt seen what appear to be frail grannies come to life to race across the street. In London, city planners are so nice they put arrows on the street telling visitors which way to look. Didn't matter, I still looked the wrong way. But I also crossed against the light if no traffic was visible. Everyone does it. We're in a hurry, we can't wait for interminable traffic lights if there's a break in the action.
Well, not everyone. In Germany, Switzerland, and Austria one most certainly does not cross until the light turns green. We had the advantage of a guide who lived for 10 years in Bavarian Germany and warned us of the costly ticket involved in crossing against the light. I have to say I didn't really believe it but it's true. In these countries pedestrians do not cross until the light says so. No matter how anti-establishment some appear to be with ripped stockings, piercings, and tattoos, they all wait for the light no matter how long it takes. Sometimes it takes a LONG time. But we wait dammit!
In addition, bicycles have the right of way in Germany so watch out for bikes in market squares, in small alleys or anywhere at all. A cyclist hit and injured our guide, Tara, when she lived in Germany and it was basically her fault for not being careful enough. And there are loads of bicycles everywhere. They're speeding around corners, cruising through town, and tethered to any light post. The heaps of bikes chained up to light posts were amazing. They would lay there like the dead, just dumped one on top of the other. I wondered if at one time they were all standing up alertly waiting for their rider or if said rider just threw down the bike on the pile and attached a lock. And how would you get your bike out if it was on the bottom of the tangle? It's a mystery. It takes some vigilance to avoid bikes in Germany 'cause they're not looking out for you.
As a Californian who assumes that the minute I leave my car and start walking I'm in the right, it pays to find about local customs. If you have no guide, take your cues from all those people standing patiently on the sidewalk while an empty street begs to be crossed, wait for the light!
Well, not everyone. In Germany, Switzerland, and Austria one most certainly does not cross until the light turns green. We had the advantage of a guide who lived for 10 years in Bavarian Germany and warned us of the costly ticket involved in crossing against the light. I have to say I didn't really believe it but it's true. In these countries pedestrians do not cross until the light says so. No matter how anti-establishment some appear to be with ripped stockings, piercings, and tattoos, they all wait for the light no matter how long it takes. Sometimes it takes a LONG time. But we wait dammit!
In addition, bicycles have the right of way in Germany so watch out for bikes in market squares, in small alleys or anywhere at all. A cyclist hit and injured our guide, Tara, when she lived in Germany and it was basically her fault for not being careful enough. And there are loads of bicycles everywhere. They're speeding around corners, cruising through town, and tethered to any light post. The heaps of bikes chained up to light posts were amazing. They would lay there like the dead, just dumped one on top of the other. I wondered if at one time they were all standing up alertly waiting for their rider or if said rider just threw down the bike on the pile and attached a lock. And how would you get your bike out if it was on the bottom of the tangle? It's a mystery. It takes some vigilance to avoid bikes in Germany 'cause they're not looking out for you.
As a Californian who assumes that the minute I leave my car and start walking I'm in the right, it pays to find about local customs. If you have no guide, take your cues from all those people standing patiently on the sidewalk while an empty street begs to be crossed, wait for the light!
European Vacation
A simple travelogue did not seem like the way to continue writing about Europe especially since I am home, until I read my previous posts. There are some places that cannot be ignored. The Alps cry out for more description than I can write. While there we saw Switzerland's tallest waterfall, right at the cable car station in Lauterbrunen. The valley of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau peaks looks like a model train layout out without the tracks. It's so perfectly laid out, green grass, dark wooden roofs, windy roads and a rushing stream nearby. All framed by jagged snow capped peaks. Perfection.
Except for the Swiss people. Not the friendliest sort. Our hotelier was Scottish so he was hoot. But the Swiss, not so much. We ate lunch in a local restaurant with 4 other tables filled with people. Not a word amongst them. Our party of 4 made the only conversation in the place. No real interest in selling souvenirs either. No worries on that score, I waited for the world's most expensive chocolate in Vienna.
But they are a hardy and self-sufficient sort. Every house had a garden full of vegetables and flowers. The streets in Murren where we stayed were narrow with no cars. It was so small a car would do you no good. Murren was one of the only places we stayed that did not have cobblestone streets. I didn't realize how nice that was until I'd spent nearly 13 days walking on cobblestones.
While in the Alps we visited Trummelbach Falls. I've given you the YouTube website below if you want to have a look. These falls corkscrew through a mountain at an incredible rate. They are glacier run-off so it's cold in the mountain. A previous owner of the mountain built stairs and landings next to the falls so others could enjoy them. What a great guy! It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site I think. It was awesome in the true sense of the word. These falls are wild raw power. I couldn't contain my exhilaration climbing up and down the wet stairs. Water seeps continuously out of all the granite walls and spray from the falls keeps everything wet. The inside of the mountain is lit by strategically placed electric lights so you can see the force of the water surging around rock made smooth by millions of years of sanding.
My advice to all, see the Alps. Rain, fog, or sun it's always a great day in the Alps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMKSbi43d38
Except for the Swiss people. Not the friendliest sort. Our hotelier was Scottish so he was hoot. But the Swiss, not so much. We ate lunch in a local restaurant with 4 other tables filled with people. Not a word amongst them. Our party of 4 made the only conversation in the place. No real interest in selling souvenirs either. No worries on that score, I waited for the world's most expensive chocolate in Vienna.
But they are a hardy and self-sufficient sort. Every house had a garden full of vegetables and flowers. The streets in Murren where we stayed were narrow with no cars. It was so small a car would do you no good. Murren was one of the only places we stayed that did not have cobblestone streets. I didn't realize how nice that was until I'd spent nearly 13 days walking on cobblestones.
While in the Alps we visited Trummelbach Falls. I've given you the YouTube website below if you want to have a look. These falls corkscrew through a mountain at an incredible rate. They are glacier run-off so it's cold in the mountain. A previous owner of the mountain built stairs and landings next to the falls so others could enjoy them. What a great guy! It's now a UNESCO World Heritage Site I think. It was awesome in the true sense of the word. These falls are wild raw power. I couldn't contain my exhilaration climbing up and down the wet stairs. Water seeps continuously out of all the granite walls and spray from the falls keeps everything wet. The inside of the mountain is lit by strategically placed electric lights so you can see the force of the water surging around rock made smooth by millions of years of sanding.
My advice to all, see the Alps. Rain, fog, or sun it's always a great day in the Alps.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMKSbi43d38
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Schnitzel and Beer
First let me say that writing on an iPad is difficult so if I misspell words or leave some out don't rush to criticize. Secondly, I am astonished to be sitting here in Salzburg, Austria having just finished a meal of broccoli soup, wiener schnitzel, and potatoes. Every American should be required to travel, I think they would lose their sense of superiority. Here the lakes are clean, the streets are swept free of debris, and public transportation is easy. Everyone has health care, the roads are maintained, and it is important for people to have relaxation. So important you can get a prescription to go to a spa for a week! My kind of culture!
We spent a day and a half in Munich before traveling on to Salzburg. We went to the castle Disney modeled his Cinderella castle after. Built by king Ludwig II of Bavaria it was a mass of tourists and ate up half a day for a 30 minute tour. I'd take a picture of it from the bottom and ride the luge lots more times.
Apparently the Germans and others have these luge parks all over, some better than others. This one pulled you and your luge up a hill and then let you go to race down the steel switchbacks as fast as you could go. Pull back on the handle to brake, forward to go. Just like being 8 again. Two times was not enough!
I could go on about Munich but it needs it's own page. Loved and hated it. It's a young city with a diverse population and a conservative bent. Much of it is drab, spare, and colorless. But I have to remember that most of it was destroyed in the war and buildings had to go up fast to house the 300,000 homeless people living there after the liberation. The old (restored) parts of the city are fascinating and beautiful. I learned a lot about art at the world's first art gallery and some about architecture gazing at churches and city buildings.
So before I go I have to say; yes I've drunk lots of beer, had dinner at the Hofbrau Haus served by a typical buxom Fraulein, and paid to use the toilet everywhere we've been. The scenery has been spectacular, the food wonderfully fattening (I feel like a thanksgiving turkey being fattened up for the feast). The others on our tour are intelligent, friendly, interesting, and fun to be around. We are the second oldest people on the tour. Two Texas gals are our elders at 70.
Mein Gott I better stop meandering all over the place. Next time I'll try to get some kind of organization in place but for now..
Our windows open to the fresh night air bringing the sound of rain on rooftops into the room, I can barely believe I'm lucky enough to be here.
We spent a day and a half in Munich before traveling on to Salzburg. We went to the castle Disney modeled his Cinderella castle after. Built by king Ludwig II of Bavaria it was a mass of tourists and ate up half a day for a 30 minute tour. I'd take a picture of it from the bottom and ride the luge lots more times.
Apparently the Germans and others have these luge parks all over, some better than others. This one pulled you and your luge up a hill and then let you go to race down the steel switchbacks as fast as you could go. Pull back on the handle to brake, forward to go. Just like being 8 again. Two times was not enough!
I could go on about Munich but it needs it's own page. Loved and hated it. It's a young city with a diverse population and a conservative bent. Much of it is drab, spare, and colorless. But I have to remember that most of it was destroyed in the war and buildings had to go up fast to house the 300,000 homeless people living there after the liberation. The old (restored) parts of the city are fascinating and beautiful. I learned a lot about art at the world's first art gallery and some about architecture gazing at churches and city buildings.
So before I go I have to say; yes I've drunk lots of beer, had dinner at the Hofbrau Haus served by a typical buxom Fraulein, and paid to use the toilet everywhere we've been. The scenery has been spectacular, the food wonderfully fattening (I feel like a thanksgiving turkey being fattened up for the feast). The others on our tour are intelligent, friendly, interesting, and fun to be around. We are the second oldest people on the tour. Two Texas gals are our elders at 70.
Mein Gott I better stop meandering all over the place. Next time I'll try to get some kind of organization in place but for now..
Our windows open to the fresh night air bringing the sound of rain on rooftops into the room, I can barely believe I'm lucky enough to be here.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
July in the Swiss Alps
It's 4 o'clock in Murren and it has been raining all day. We started this trip at 9 am thinking that the weather was clearing. After a two hour trip up cable cars and cogwheel trains we reached the trail head for Kleine Scheidegg. It was gray, cold and drizzly but beautiful. The gray sky emphasized the true green of the valley and the white glaciers spreading down from the Eiger. Wildflowers of yellow, blue, and white bloom in profusion. Down in the valleys small "hay huts" blend in with the ancient feeling of the empty mountains. When the air is just right you can hear the distant ringing of cow bells. Even though jagged peaks surrounded me, I felt as if I was on top of the world.
Not too long after we started a relatively easy hike it started to sprinkle. Towards the end it began to rain in earnest. We carried an umbrella (I have never hiked with an umbrella before, not the easiest thing to do) but walked in light wind breakers and mesh running shoes. Cold! By the time we arrived at Kleine Scheidegg we were soaked: shoes, socks, pants, the works. We took another cog train down to a another town and got off to eat lunch. More yummy food including rosti (hash browned potatoes covered with swiss cheese and in this case ham, mushrooms and onions)the national dish of the Swiss. Desert was apple strudel in warm vanilla custard with ice cream and whipped cream. Plenty of calories for several walks!
Another wet walk to the cable station and a transfer to the cogwheel train to get back up to Murren. By this time it was pouring so the walk to Hotel Jungfrau was even colder. My jeans are now hanging on the towel heater in the bathroom and my wet shoes are sitting upside down on a rack above the heater.
I wouldn't have missed the walk, the views were spectacular. We could see the Eiger, the Monk, and the Jungfrau, the highest peaks in the area. We saw several black salamanders enjoying the rain. But now my only pair of closed toed shoes are soaked as are my jeans and jacket. I packed what Rick Steves advised and so did not pack enough pairs of shoes. Everyone coming into the Alps should be advised to bring some hiking shoes if not for the rain then for the rocky trails.
Coming back on the train we all agreed we felt like the end of a day of skiing, tired, wet, and cold. Wonderful!
Not too long after we started a relatively easy hike it started to sprinkle. Towards the end it began to rain in earnest. We carried an umbrella (I have never hiked with an umbrella before, not the easiest thing to do) but walked in light wind breakers and mesh running shoes. Cold! By the time we arrived at Kleine Scheidegg we were soaked: shoes, socks, pants, the works. We took another cog train down to a another town and got off to eat lunch. More yummy food including rosti (hash browned potatoes covered with swiss cheese and in this case ham, mushrooms and onions)the national dish of the Swiss. Desert was apple strudel in warm vanilla custard with ice cream and whipped cream. Plenty of calories for several walks!
Another wet walk to the cable station and a transfer to the cogwheel train to get back up to Murren. By this time it was pouring so the walk to Hotel Jungfrau was even colder. My jeans are now hanging on the towel heater in the bathroom and my wet shoes are sitting upside down on a rack above the heater.
I wouldn't have missed the walk, the views were spectacular. We could see the Eiger, the Monk, and the Jungfrau, the highest peaks in the area. We saw several black salamanders enjoying the rain. But now my only pair of closed toed shoes are soaked as are my jeans and jacket. I packed what Rick Steves advised and so did not pack enough pairs of shoes. Everyone coming into the Alps should be advised to bring some hiking shoes if not for the rain then for the rocky trails.
Coming back on the train we all agreed we felt like the end of a day of skiing, tired, wet, and cold. Wonderful!
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