Our plane landed this morning at Tullamarine half an hour early, luggage was unloaded promptly and we zipped through customs in no time so we thought we'd have to wait for our friends, the Triggs, who had offered to meet us. So it was a lovely surprise to see them as soon as we walked through the door.
We're home but not really functioning on all cylinders today - it was a long flight home, with only a two-hour break at Incheon Airport in Korea. We're very sluggish and trying to stay awake until tonight so we can get our body clocks back into the right time zone.
So this is the final update to 'Boobook explores Europe'. I've had fun doing the blog and thanks for all your comments along the way.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Back to the past
A short train trip from Interlaken along the lake to Brienz and a short bus trip and we were at the Open Air Museum (Freilichtmuseum) at Ballenberg. If ever you're in the area make sure you don't miss it.
We were there the whole day and we only saw a quarter of it - it's so large (66 hectares) and there's so much to see. It's a bit like Sovereign Hill in Ballarat in that they have more than one hundred century-old buildings from all over Switzerland, farmyard animals (including cows wearing their noisy bells), old-time gardens and demonstrations of crafts. The buildings are arranged in regional styles and we could wander in and out to see the furnishings and architecture. Each building has a descriptive sign (in English). We saw cheese-making, pottery (he was wearing a traditional cap), bee-keeping (with mirrors underneath so we could see the bees working) and weaving (on a 200-year old machine) and there were many more we couldn't see. It is still early in the season so we didn't see the costumes, markets and dance demonstrations but on the other hand we missed the big crowds so we were able to have a really good look. It was one of the highlights of our trip. Then we travelled back to Zurich via Lucerne, a beautiful trip, some of it on a rack railway.
A valley in the alps
Interlaken, in central Switzerland, is a tourist hot spot so we booked a room and went down to have a look. The weather has been dismal all week and we knew that it was unlikely to improve while we were there but as it turned out we had a fantastic two-day experience.
First we had to get there - we went by train, changing at Berne, and it took less than two hours. It was a good trip because the trains are so comfortable and quiet (apart from an American in the next seat who didn't stop ear-bashing his companions). We left our bags in a locker at Interlaken Ost rail station and headed up the valley to Mürren - we thought. The train conductor told us otherwise. "You are on the wrong train." He said it in a friendly way. "You must get out at the next station and wait ten minutes for the next train. Push the red button on the station building to stop the train, go back one station then get on the right train." So we got off at Lutschental, pushed the button, waited ten minutes while we watched school children heading home for lunch, got on the train and went back to Zweilutschinen where we soon boarded the correct train. Our mistake cost us no more than 20 minutes!
So we were back on plan. Train up the valley to Lauterbrunnen, cable car up the mountainside to Grutschalp, train across to Mürren. We'd never been in a cable car before and given my vertigo problems I was a bit wary but it was great fun and the views were wonderful. But then we hit the cloud level so it was foggy at Mürren and we couldn't see up or down. The town is a stepping stone for the cable to the Schilthorn mountain top where there is a restaurant and a James Bond Museum and fantastic views of the alps - on a clear day. We saw the live webcam views from the top and decided not to go up. All we would have seen was more fog.
So we walked through the village to another cable car going down to Stechelberg in the valley. It was a lovely trip down - as we slowly emerged from the fog we could see the valley and waterfalls on the cliff beside us.
The next plan was to go by bus back to Lauterbrunnen but as we had plenty of time we decided to do the two-hour walk and I'm glad we did. We saw houses, local farms, animals and farm sheds up close, we saw high waterfalls and rocky cliffs and we followed a lovely river all the way back down the valley.
First we had to get there - we went by train, changing at Berne, and it took less than two hours. It was a good trip because the trains are so comfortable and quiet (apart from an American in the next seat who didn't stop ear-bashing his companions). We left our bags in a locker at Interlaken Ost rail station and headed up the valley to Mürren - we thought. The train conductor told us otherwise. "You are on the wrong train." He said it in a friendly way. "You must get out at the next station and wait ten minutes for the next train. Push the red button on the station building to stop the train, go back one station then get on the right train." So we got off at Lutschental, pushed the button, waited ten minutes while we watched school children heading home for lunch, got on the train and went back to Zweilutschinen where we soon boarded the correct train. Our mistake cost us no more than 20 minutes!
So we were back on plan. Train up the valley to Lauterbrunnen, cable car up the mountainside to Grutschalp, train across to Mürren. We'd never been in a cable car before and given my vertigo problems I was a bit wary but it was great fun and the views were wonderful. But then we hit the cloud level so it was foggy at Mürren and we couldn't see up or down. The town is a stepping stone for the cable to the Schilthorn mountain top where there is a restaurant and a James Bond Museum and fantastic views of the alps - on a clear day. We saw the live webcam views from the top and decided not to go up. All we would have seen was more fog.
So we walked through the village to another cable car going down to Stechelberg in the valley. It was a lovely trip down - as we slowly emerged from the fog we could see the valley and waterfalls on the cliff beside us.
The next plan was to go by bus back to Lauterbrunnen but as we had plenty of time we decided to do the two-hour walk and I'm glad we did. We saw houses, local farms, animals and farm sheds up close, we saw high waterfalls and rocky cliffs and we followed a lovely river all the way back down the valley.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Schaffhausen
We successfully managed to negotiate the very efficient rail system and did a day trip to Schaffhausen. (A lady assured me that when a train is scheduled to leave at 3.59 it leaves at 3.59. She was right.) Schaffhausen, on the Rhine River near the border with Germany, is yet another beautiful Swiss town and we really enjoyed exploring the narrow streets, the castle and the church and cloister. We followed a printed walking guide which was excellent.
And for those of you complaining that none of the photos I've put up on this blog are of me, here's the one and only.
Another reason for going to Schaffhausen was a waterfall. The Rhine Falls (Rheinfall in German) are quite close to the town and are the largest in Europe. They're only 23 m high but quite wide and the amount of water going over the falls is awesome and noisy. It's obligatory to go by boat to an island in front of the falls and climb to the top, so we did.
And for those of you complaining that none of the photos I've put up on this blog are of me, here's the one and only.
Another reason for going to Schaffhausen was a waterfall. The Rhine Falls (Rheinfall in German) are quite close to the town and are the largest in Europe. They're only 23 m high but quite wide and the amount of water going over the falls is awesome and noisy. It's obligatory to go by boat to an island in front of the falls and climb to the top, so we did.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Planes, trains and automobiles
It was raining, not a good day to go to a mountain top, so we went to Lucerne for the day because we wanted to see the Swiss Transport Museum. It's less than hour by train from Zurich. Lucerne has an old town area and town walls but we didn't see much of it because of the rain and time constraints. It has a covered wooden bridge with paintings on internal roof sections (most of the bridge was burnt in a fire a few years ago so some parts aren't exactly old) and there is a big lake as well. Lucerne would be on my list of places to go back and have a good look at.
You have to allow lots of time or a visit to the Transport Museum because there are so many hands-on activities, models and information boards about railways, air transport, boats, ferries, cable cars, hang-gliding, communications, bicycles, helicopters, space travel. Because it was a Sunday there were lots of families there and the children were loving it all. They made free use of bicycles and scooters available to get around quickly or to just play in the large open central area.
I'm not sure why I agreed to go with Glenn on the Flight Simulator but I have to admit it was fun, even though he rolled us upside down. At least we didn't crash like Phil and Sarah did.
You have to allow lots of time or a visit to the Transport Museum because there are so many hands-on activities, models and information boards about railways, air transport, boats, ferries, cable cars, hang-gliding, communications, bicycles, helicopters, space travel. Because it was a Sunday there were lots of families there and the children were loving it all. They made free use of bicycles and scooters available to get around quickly or to just play in the large open central area.
I'm not sure why I agreed to go with Glenn on the Flight Simulator but I have to admit it was fun, even though he rolled us upside down. At least we didn't crash like Phil and Sarah did.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Rattle and squeak
One of the fountains in Basel features the work of an artist who was born there, Jean Tinguely. It a very quirky piece of satirical nonsense with shovels scooping up water, a big sieve uselessly sieving and other pieces spraying water in all directions. It's a type of sculpture called metamechanics.
We also went to Museum Tinguely in Basel. There are dozens of mechanical sculptures by Tinguely that operate at the push of a button, with pieces of metal squeaking, rattling, groaning, crashing, thumping, rotating, flopping and whirring. It's a noisy and lively museum and a great delight for visitors of all ages. There were lots of families there the day we went. It's a cryptic, tragic, scary, funny, entertaining and thought-provoking exhibition in an interesting building by the architect Mario Botta.
We also went to Museum Tinguely in Basel. There are dozens of mechanical sculptures by Tinguely that operate at the push of a button, with pieces of metal squeaking, rattling, groaning, crashing, thumping, rotating, flopping and whirring. It's a noisy and lively museum and a great delight for visitors of all ages. There were lots of families there the day we went. It's a cryptic, tragic, scary, funny, entertaining and thought-provoking exhibition in an interesting building by the architect Mario Botta.
A day in Basel
After a week of beautifully warm and fine weather the rain has arrived and hasn't stopped for two days, with more to come. It's more normal we're told.
When Glenn and Sarah first started living in Switzerland they lived in Basel and yesterday we all went there for the day -it's an hour's train trip from Zurich. The Rhine River flows through the centre of town and if you stood at the right spot you could see both Germany and France. The old medieval town was a delight to explore.
When Glenn and Sarah first started living in Switzerland they lived in Basel and yesterday we all went there for the day -it's an hour's train trip from Zurich. The Rhine River flows through the centre of town and if you stood at the right spot you could see both Germany and France. The old medieval town was a delight to explore.
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