Our next stop was Kandersteg, which served as our home base as we traveled to mountain stops around Switzerland. Our Airbnb chalet was at the far edge of town and a perfect spot for our family.
We went on a walk right after arriving in the alpine town and it did not disappoint. Right across the street was the most magnificent pond! The view! That reflection! Wow!
From there, we went into the mountains and found wild raspberries and blackberries! We enjoyed finding the sweet surprises as we hiked. M-A-G-I-C-A-L. This is the stuff I live for!
We could see a waterfall in the distance on the other side of the valley, so we decided to take a walk over to get a closer look. On our walk, we came upon a tiny gondola, the Scout outpost, and lots of camper vans near the waterfall. It was cool to see all the many people, from all over, enjoying this special place. It was a perfect day in the mountains.
The next day we took a day trip to Interlaken, which is out of the canyon and down in the foothills. We stopped at one of the lakes and the littles took a swim (in undies) which looked so fun, so we decided to go back again so the olders could swim too.
We saw some neat birds and enjoyed the magnificent water which was cold but, oh, so refreshing. Who cares when you're surrounded by this?
We were warn out and needed some food, so McDonalds! We had to try the Swiss version which turned out to be just as delicious as in France, but a tad bit more money. Jess enjoyed the Raclette sandwich, which was a Swiss special. Plus, apple soda came in the kids meals. I mean, how can you not like this place?
We drove through the town of Kandersteg daily, and it was always so beautiful.
The following day, we stayed in Kandersteg and hiked the Oeschinensee mountain.We tackled the hike and stayed focused with lots of crackers and gummies and positive talk all the way up.
At the top, we were rewarded with this lake and more amazing views!
We also had the reward of ice cream and then riding the alpine coaster, which was the funnest part of the day, as far as the kids were concerned. They have been trained on the alpine slides of Snowbird and Park City so were ahead of the curve of most people taking to the slide. They wanted to go faster than anyone else. Ha!
We decided to take the trip down on the Gondola. At 30 CHF, it was a bit pricey, but it was a welcome ride. Beauty all around and a lot of fun, plus we had an aerial view of cows on the steep mountains grazing like it was no big deal. Those Swiss cows sure have it good.
Another stop we made during this week was to the castle in Thun. Another town in the valley. This was a cool museum and historic spot.
At the top, the kids got to dress up as knights and battle each other on wooden horses. They also had a fun quiz game that they completed for a prize at the end. Ansel was totally into it. And again, I loved the views from the top! I couldn't get enough of the views.
The kids enjoyed the fresh water fountains all over Switzerland. They couldn't quite believe that you could drink the water that was constantly running from these spouts. It's one of my favorite things in Switzerland (and I saw it a few times in France too), fresh water for all, at all times, and in most places.
And here's one more shot of a perfect day, in a perfect spot, in Interlaken; a place situated between two turquoise lakes surrounded by towering mountains and green hills with cows and chalets. Maybe it's the beauty, the combination of nature, the fact that my ancestors come from this place. I don't know, but I sure love Switzerland.
Next up: Grindlewald and Lauterbrunnen.
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