Swiss adventure (2)

Here is part two of my "Swiss" adventure, which also features a couple of other countries. Hope you like it.

I arrived in Zermatt around 2 pm and after checking in, and discovering that I had a view of the Matterhorn from the balcony I was sharing with a few other rooms, I started exploring. First I needed to find some food though, so I found a coop and got a pastry to eat on the way. Then I started to walk in the direction of the Matterhorn.

My goal was something called the Gorner gorge, so I walked along the river going through Zermatt until I got to the entrance to Gorner gorge. It’s pretty impressive and in quite typical Swiss style they’ve made it accessible to people by building walkways in the gorge. (It does cost a little bit to use the walkways though.) I took my time and took photos. When you’ve gone through the walkway system you’re on the opposite side of the gorge. I had considered walking a longer route down, but that was on the side I entered so I decided to see where the trails from the opposite side would take me. After looking at the map and the signs I decided to go towards Winkelmatten, and I’m glad I did. I crossed a beautiful little stream and walked through a gorgeous flower field before arriving in the area called Winkelmatten, where I took narrow paths between traditional looking houses on my way down towards Zermatt. When I got back to the hotel I showered, and regretted that I hadn't showered in Kandersteg instead. Yes, it was that bad. I had a shared toilet and shower, the toilet was okay, the shower was not. The room felt dirty, there weren't really anywhere to put your dry clothes, which I would say is sort of essential when you have to get from the shower to your room via a corridor and a set of stairs. But the worst part was the floor, the tiles were broken and that does not seem safe at all. At least there were two bath mats (apparently I was only sharing it with one other room) so I put one on top of the broken tiles. After the shower I relaxed a little bit before getting dressed, I put on some make up and then went looking for food. I found it difficult to find places that were not too expensive though, (Zermatt is a very touristy place and I suppose therefore the prices are a bit higher too) and where I'd feel comfortable sitting down. I guess the beginning of June is slightly off season too, which it really shouldn't be in my opinion, but that meant a lot of places weren't open for the season yet. I eventually ended up at a pub/restaurant. It wasn't fancy, but it wasn't cheap either. The food was pretty good though, I had a chicken cordon bleu. Then I decided to try a cocktail at the cocktail bar next door. One of the most expensive cocktails I've ever ordered and it wasn't even that good. And although there were people there it didn't seem like a place you'd meet people. It was a strange place too, with little witches hanging everywhere. I went to bed after the drink, I was planning on an early morning so it was probably just as well that I didn't meet people to keep me out longer. In the morning I got up and got ready to get the first funicular up to Sunnegga. My plan for the day was to go passed 3 lakes in the mountains before getting the funicular back down. I was extited for a day of hiking; the view and the reflaction of the Matterhorn in the lakes, and the possibility of seeing some wildlife.

When I arrived at Sunnegga there were some clouds covering the top of the Matterhorn, so I didn't get the photos I wanted at the first lake, the view was still beautiful though and I got great photos of other mountains reflecting in the little lake. I had barely been walking for 30 minutes when I saw the first marmot of the day. I didn't get many photos of it but it made me hopeful that I'd see more. I saw a rabbit for a hot minute too, but it was far away and I only got two photos before it disappeared. After another 30 minutes I saw another marmot and got some photos as it stopped to relax on a big rock, It seemed to enjoy the view of the Matterhorn which was finally peeking out from behind the cloud. I kept walking towards the next lake on my list, met some goats and took photos of the view and the flowers. When I got to the second lake there was a cloud in front of the Matterhorn again, typical. I still took the photos, obviously, and it was still beautiful, even if it wasn't exactly what I had in mind. I considered staying put for a little bit, hoping the cloud would move, but then the sun was blocked by a cloud for a bit and I thought it was best to just keep walking. I ended up taking a “path” up to a dirt road. When I got up there I saw the trail I probably should have taken down below, however, if I had I wouldn't have seen what I did on my way upwards. If I had been on that trail I probably would have spooked the marmots that were having a bit of a tiff. Instead I got to watch them and got a few photos of it. And not long after I was lucky enough to get pretty close to a marmot who decided to lay down by what I'm assuming was the entrance to the marmots “house”. I countinued up for a while but took a “break” to get some mobile photos with the tripod. I say “break” because I take a break from the hiking, but instead I'm basically running back and forth between the phone or camera I've set up and a spot I think is going to work for the photo. So it's not so much a break as it is doing something else for a few minutes.

When I arrived at the third lake there were quite a lot of people there and the Matterhorn was being a little shy again. It wasn't too bad though and I managed to get a few decent photos without (or with few) people in them. After getting my photos I walked along the lake and found a geocache before deciding on what trail to take onwards. The goal was to get the fastest trail back to Sunnegga, after a little while I realised I probably should have taken another trail, I kept going up and at this point Sunnegga would probably be more straight on. However, I do like the quiet you get when you haven't taken the same trail as everyone else, and I'd heard a strange sound several times throughout the day and thought it was some sort of bird but walking alone on the quiet trail I discovered the source of the sound; it was the marmots. I guess some sort of warning call to other marmots. And when I got to where the trail ended I was really happy I'd ended up taking this specific trail. I'd seen this wood structure on instagram but wasn't sure where it was. It turned out the trail led me right too it. They've erected this big beautiful wooden heart right by the Blauherd cable car stop. I talked to a couple of tourists who'd also found their way to this heart, just in the opposite direction, and then I spent some time taking photos of the heart and me in it. Okay, maybe I spent quite long there. It was a great spot though and I wanted to get some cool photos. I'm guessing that is what the heart is placed there for; instagram photos, basically. It seems the cable car doesn't actually run in the summer, there was some construction work going on though, so maybe that's why. So I had to walk back down to Sunnegga, and although there was actually a dirt road, it wasn't the most comfortable part of my walk. Walking downhill on a steep road isn't all that plesant. I did end up getting my best marmot photos though. There was a very tame marmot that allowed me to get really close to it while it was just minding it's own business. I tried not to spook it and backed away when I knew I'd gotten the best shot I could ask for. Before I got back to Sunnegga I found a geocache and had an icecream in the sun. The walk had taken me about 5 hours, longer than I had thought, but then again I don't walk too fast and I tend to stop to take a lot of photos, including tripod selfies.

I was pretty tired so when I got back down to town I found some food and strawberries at a supermarket and I ended up relaxing on my little balcony. It was a nice sunny day and it got really warm on the balcony. So I enjoyed the summer vibes with the strawberries and my book for a couple hours or so. Then I got dressed and decided to try a couple of drinks out in Zermatt again. Because of the night before my hopes weren't too high though. I decided to try a bar that didn't seem too dead. I decided I would give it a drink of two and then head back to the room and go for a morning walk before check out the next day. So I ordered a cider and went through the photos on my camera while I enjoyed the drink. I like doing that, I like doing something while I drink alone at bars so it's the perfect combination of checking out the local bar scene and posting a few photos from my daytime activities. While I was more than halfway into my second bottle of cider I saw an opportunity to say something to the girl who had sat down next to me. She was there with her boyfriend and as soon as I'd talked to her my night changed. I was moved to their table as the place was getting fuller, a live band came on, before I knew it I was doing shots and dancing. It was a pretty wild wednesday. I didn't get back to my room that late, but it was late enough and after quite a few drinks and shots I needed some rest, so I didn't go on that morning walk. I definitely want to go back to Zermatt some day though, so maybe I'll do the walk I had planned then, and so many other hikes that I had considered and halfway planned.

Thursday was a travel day. I left the room a little past 10 am and started on my journey. My destination was Liechtenstein and I arrived at my home for the next couple of days after 3 trains and 2 buses. It only took me about 5 hours though, it all ran pretty smoothly. My origninal plan was to take the Glacier express, which I'm sure is a great experience, but I didn't manage to get the seat reservations for it so instead I took 3 trains halfway around the country, it took less time and cost me less though (since I had the swiss pass). When I arrived in Triesenberg I went to the cafe I'd been told to check in at, got checked in and then the owner walked me around the building to the flat I was going to stay in. As we got outside I noticed a bird of prey just above us and took the camera out to get a few photos. He told me this bird had been fed by him and another neighbour for some time, until the neighbour had been scratched. The bird would still come close though since it had been fed. Had I not know that I would have been completely baffeled by the behaviour I would see the next day. (I'll get to that later.) After I’d put my stuff down in the flat I went outside and took more photos of the bird before getting settled in the flat, which was pretty big and nice btw, and then I needed food. There was supposed to be a restaurant nearby, a couple actually, but travelling alone I get some anxiety about walking into places and when the door is closed, I can't see into the restaurant and I don't understand the words on the different doors, so I didn't feel comfortable walking in. I ended up getting the bus into Vaduz, the capital of this small country. After wandering around the “city centre” a bit I decided to try a restaurant that seemed to have some things I liked on the menu. I wasn’t too pleased with my choice, but at this point I needed food fast. The food was okay, but it was really expensive, in my hurry to just sit down somewhere after not finding anything that really appealed to me I hadn’t noticed that sides were not included in the price. And the guests were allowed to smoke inside, now it wasn’t too bad as I sat far away from anyone else, but it really isn’t ideal. (Not only do I hate the smell, but my throat gets all scratchy and sometimes I get bad coughing fits from smoke.) I left as soon as I could after my meal. I started walking back towards Triesenberg, killing time and taking photos as I was waiting for the next bus back up. I looked at the time at each bus stop and assessed the distance to the next one. Ended up getting pretty far in those 20 minutes, and then I explored the area around the flat a little before I went to bed.

On my full day in Liechtenstein I got up early and got the first bus to Gaflei, a great place to start hiking. There are several routes to take from there, I had decided to walk up so I walked passed an enclosure with cows and donkeys and then headed up. On my way up along this snaking road I glanced back down to where I’d come from a few times and at one point I saw a rabbit running passed where I’d been just a few minutes before.

When I got to the top of the gravel road I had a few choices of trails, I made a decision and started hiking the trail. My goal was just to walk as far as I could manage to be honest, and maybe go the other way as well when I got back down to the gravel road. Most places I’d been on this trip I could get a good idea of the paths beforehand, but that wasn’t as easy with Liechtenstein so I had to wing it a bit more than usual. I did have a hope for the day though, as I had seen 2 of the animals these alps are known for I was really hoping to see the third one before leaving the mountain region. And at 8:20, after walking for about 1,5 hours it happened. I looked back where I’d come from, I did that a lot because of the beautiful view anyways, and there it was. The Chamois (or Gämse in German I believe). At first I only saw the one animal, but a few minutes later I saw several headed down from the mountain, crossing the path where I’d been a few minutes before. They weren’t that close to me, but I still felt really happy that I had found all three of the alp animals I had really wanted to see and I took photos and videos before I kept moving. When I got to the top of the trail there was an older guy there. I sat for a bit and we talked a little, he didn’t seem too confident in his English but as soon as he decided to try to speak English, and not German and charades, we had a nice little chat. Then I started on my journey back down. Now, it’s definitely possible to keep walking passed the top instead, and I’m sure that is a beautiful hike as well, but I walked back towards the gravel road I’d taken earlier. I decided to take the upper trail down though, which gave me some cool new encounters with chamois as I was making my way down.

The trail was also steeper though. Walking up I had noticed how the trail had a lot of loose rocks, not really ideal for a steep trail. The thought of “this will not be fun when walking down” definitely hit me, and yet I chose the steeper trail down. Not the smartest thing I ever did, I also should have taken my time more, there wasn’t really any hurry. But I was just careless enough that I managed to slip on the loose gravel for a split second, I caught myself with my hand and cut it. Although I didn’t hurt myself THAT much, I definitely felt tired afterwards. I decided to try to find the geocache at the “middle of Liechtenstein”, but couldn’t find it, and regretted the decision since it meant more up/down walking when I was already feeling the effects of having had a fall and not had much to eat. Naturally I scraped the idea of hiking through the forest on the other side of the gravel road and just walked back down to Gaflei instead. I was hoping the building at the trail head would house a café with some simple foods, but instead it was a “fancy” place, and I needed to make the next bus as well, since it would be a couple of hours for the one after that. I really needed food though, and the shop in Triesenberg would be closed for a few hours in the middle of the day so I was nervous the bus would be late. Luckily it wasn’t and I was able to run into the shop and get a few things before they closed. When I got back to the flat my plan was to sit outside in the sun with a pastry thing I’d just bought, but the bird changed that. I went inside to leave my stuff and came outside with the pastry bag in my hand when I heard an “eagle cry” and saw the shadow pass a few meters above my head. So I ran back in, tossed the pastry on the sofa and grabbed my camera. I only got a few photos, but seeing as the bird had been so close and had been fed by someone in the building before I decided to just eat a little inside and then shower.

I got the chance again when I was leaving to go down to Vaduz though. And this time the bird seemed to almost circle me. It’s difficult to get good photos of a big bird flying close to you, and ducking behind buildings but I got a few interesting shots. This bird is definitely not scared of people, it flew between buildings, it felt a bit like it was toying with me, and at one point it seemed to set the course straight towards me, it changed course before it got too close thought. It was a bizarre and also cool experience. It only lasted a few minutes but it felt longer. Then I caught the bus towards Vaduz. I decided to get off a little before the town though and went exploring. I wanted to go to the old wooden bridge crossing the border between Switzerland and Liechtenstein. I helped some other tourists get a border photo and got someone to take one for me too. Then I geocached a little on my way towards Vaduz. The weather was absolutely lovely so I decided to buy an ice cream at the supermarket and enjoyed that in a sort of beach chair. They’d made this great outdoor area in the centre of town, but of some strange reason it wasn’t being used as it should. This was a Friday in June and the sun was out, they should have been selling ice cream, slush, soft drinks and possibly alcoholic drinks at this thing they call Summerträff. But instead the area was only used by a few kids and their parents. I would have loved it if this was a festival like area with food and drinks, and more people, but since it wasn’t I went looking for a bar. I found one and was ordering when I was told they only took cash, I’d hardly used any cash since I arrived in Switzerland and didn’t have any on me so I had to go looking for a cash point. It took me a little while to find one actually but I found it and went back to enjoy a couple of drinks. After my drinks I went back to Triesenberg and watched the sun set as the big bird (which I believe was a red kite) soared above me.

In the morning I went for a morning walk around Triesenberg and geocached a little, it was a beautiful walk with stunning views and some eerie but also pretty cool wooden sculptures. Then I started the journey onwards. I took 3 buses just to get out of Liechtenstein and then a 4th bus and 2 trains. This might seem a lot, but the whole thing only took about 2,5 hours, it was all really smooth and it’s clear that the Liechtenstein buses correspond with each other. When I arrived in the German city Konstanz, I made my way back across the border to Switzerland to find my accommodation for the night. I was staying at an arena. The room did feel a little like a locker room in that the walls were all concrete, they’d definitely tried to make the best of it though and it was a nice room. I left my luggage and headed back into the city, I explored and also went shopping. I knew there was a New Yorker shop in Konstanz and I wanted to check it out.

Konstanz is a pretty cool city with a bit of everything, a small shopping centre (that I didn’t go into), a popular harbour area, narrow streets, wider shopping streets and old buildings. I only explored the south side, didn’t cross the bridge to the north so I suppose what I explored was the old town. After a couple of hours of wandering and shopping I went back to my room to shower and relax a little before putting on a dress for the evening. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to eat dinner so I wandered around a little before deciding on a pizza place with outdoor seating in a busy area by the harbour. When you’re as picky as me pizza is often a safe choice. I enjoyed a glass of wine and my pizza and then went exploring a little again. This time my goal was to find a bar or a beer garden where I’d want to sit down, but I struggled a little finding that. I ended up talking to a guy who took a few photos for me and walked with me for a bit. When he left I decided to head towards my “hotel” again, I had seen what looked like a beach bar not far from the arena so I thought maybe that could be cool. When I got close to it I instantly regretted not going sooner. The thing is; it hadn’t been busy when I walked passed to find a place to eat, but clearly by 9 pm the party was at this beach bar. It was kid friendly so there were quite a few people there with kids, but it didn’t affect the good vibes. After my first drink I needed the toilet, I don’t actually know if there were toilets there, but my room was just about 100 meters away so I crossed the border to go to the toilet. The vibes were good and I did actually dance a little, something I rarely feel comfortable doing when I’m alone, but I didn’t actually talk to anyone for a while. Not until I was in line to get a drink and a dog decided I was interesting. The couple whos dog it was were behind me in the line and I ended up talking to them a little. After I’d gotten my drink I found a seat by a table and the couple came to join me. It was lovely talking to them and once again I didn’t feel alone on this solo adventure. The bar wasn’t open until very late, but since I did want a morning walk before leaving Konstanz that suited me fine.

I left the room at around 7:30 am to go for a walk and take photos along the lake shore. I took loads of photos, discovered that the strange noise I’d heard the day before were frogs, so had some fun trying to get good photos of them, now that I knew what to look for. I also took photos of some ducks and a soaring big bird, and some tripod selfies, one of which was for a geocache. After the little morning walk I got my stuff packed and walked to the harbour on the Swiss side; Kreuzlingen. The area was beautiful, decorated with flowers, some cool colourful chairs and flags, if I'd had more time I would have explored the park a bit, but my backpack was heavy, it was very hot and I was waiting to be let onto a boat. I was taking a boat to my next destination and wanted a good seat. And I have to say; spending a few hours relaxing on a boat in 30 degree weather is a great way to travel, I even used my huge backpack as a stool for my legs. I spent about 2,5 hours relaxing, taking photos of the scenery along the lake and talking to other travellers while the boat was criss-crossing the border between Switzerland and Germany.

When I arrived in the charming little town Stein Am Rhein I made my way to the hostel I was staying at the next couple of days. The walk was a bit longer than I thought it would be and in the heat, with my shorts riding up (I did have skin coloured tight shorts underneath, which I bet looked “amazing”) it wasn’t fun. If felt like the walk took forever. When I got to the hostel I found a bathroom and changed, I didn’t see an area to leave my backpack but asked someone who was working in the laundry room and they said to just leave it at the reception. That did work fine, but I later found lockers on the floor above and think it's strange that I wasn’t told to use them.

I walked back into town to explore a little. I ended up in this town because I'd discovered it online, a little accidentaly. I was looking for a few places to spend the nights between Liechtenstein and the airport for my flight back home, I was just using google street view on different places along the lakes and I discovered this place and had to make it one of my stops. There are so many old and intricately decorated buildings in this little town. And obviously the lake/river is beautiful. I walked around the little town for a little bit, took loads of photos, found an icecream shop and tried their gelato, relaxed with some chips in the sun on the grass along the river. This is clearly a popular place to be on a sunny Sunday in June, there were people all along the river bank, having pikniks, swimming, playing games. They also have a cute little train for kids. Then I went back to the hostel to check in, I wanted to be early this time so I didn't end up with a top bunk. But I was told I actually had the room to my self, so I hadn't needed to go back before I had dinner. My room had 2 beds so close together it was like a double bed and a bunk, just in case I would get a room mate who wanted to open the window above the “double bed” I chose the bottom bunk and then went back into town. The restaurants by the dock had been very full earlier, it still was quite a few places, but it was a little better. So, I sat down at one and had pizza, again. After my meal I walked around a bit again, the day tourists were disappearing so the streets were quiet enough that I decided to take a few tripod selfies, even though I was planning on doing just that the next morning too. When I got back to the hostel I bought a cider, because they did actually have a fridge with a few things. And I sat outside in the sun and enjoyed my drink while I went through my photos from the day. The hostel was pretty quiet, there were a few couples there, older than me, which surprised me since it was a youth hostel. Other than a family with kids that I had heard earlier I think I was the youngest person there that night. When I'd finished my drink I went to bed, I was getting up early the next day, again.

My last day in Switzerland started before 6 am. I walked along the river taking photos in the beautiful morning light, then I got photos of the centre of the down, the town wasn't actually completely empty, but close enough, so I took loads of tripod selfies as well. The light wasn't ideal between the buildings this early though. I took my time crossing the bridge towards the train station, I definitely wanted good photos of it as the sun was hitting it, but I had to wait between the stream of cars as the town was waking up. A little after 7 am I got on a train and headed for a waterfall.

Rheinfall waterfalls were amazing. I had a lot of fun exploring and taking photos of the waterfalls. It does cost a little to get close to the falls on the south side of the river, but it was worth it. Being so close to the waterfall you can barely hear yourself think. Nature is pretty powerfull. After taking tripod selfies and trying to get photos of the rainbows formed in the waterspray and long exposure photos of the falls I headed up to the castle above, I didn't go in tough, I exited the area through a beautiful gate and walked across the train bridge. I spent some time taking photos on the north side of the waterfall. This side is a bit further away from the strongest part of the waterfall with loads of cool mini falls forming between rocks. Then it was time to catch the train “back” to Schaffhausen. I was meeting a guy I knew from primary school. Christer and I were in the same class for most of primary school and although I hadn't seen him much since the school days, only for a reunion over 10 years ago, we had been in contact for a while online. Christer lives in Switzerland atm and I'm so glad we were able to reconnect while I was there. He's a great guy and it quickly seemed like we'd seen eachother just months ago. We had lunch, one of the best lasagnas I've had in a restaurant, we explored the fortress and had some cocktails. Time flies when you've got good company though. And because I wanted to get the boat back to Stein am Rhein I couldn't stay too long, the last boat of the day left at 15:18. It was a beautiful 2 hour boat journey. In lovely summer weather. It was also pretty cool to see how the top of the boat was lowered onto the front deck when we got to a very low old wooden bridge, the boat would have been too tall to go under it if it couldn't be “folded”. I loved the little towns along the river and the wild nature between them. I think one of my favorite things about this country is the wildlife, the big beautiful birds are never far away and it's sort of magical to watch them soar in the sky everywhere you go.

When I got back to Stein am Rhein I made a choice and went to the supermarked to get some pastry thing, some chips and an ice tea and walked back to the hostel. Had I known about the situation at the hostel I probably would have tried to find a restaurant for some dinner, but the town was pretty dead, I guess a monday in June isn't a busy day in Stein am Rhein. When I arrived at the hostel I got a little bit of a shock. The place was full of kids.

I put my stuff in my room, bought a cider from the fridge and found a seat outside to look through my photos and enjoy the sun. While I was getting my drink a girl said "hi" to me and wondered where I was from and why my English was so good. Soon after I'd sat down the kids were apparently sitting down too, to eat dinner, the girl who'd spoken to me asked if she could sit with me. So I learned that all the kids were about 12 years old, and travelling like they were doing that week is a Swiss and German tradition for the end of primary school. The girl who sat with me was a very bright 12-year old who spoke several languages and didn't always feel like she fit in. A feeling I know all too well. Despite it being a strange situation I did have a lovely chat with the girl and hopefully I left her feeling a little better about herself. Being multicultural with a better understanding of the world than most 12 year olds and being able to speak several langages is probably not the best way to fit in, but it should give her some real advantages later in life. I reatreated to my room after a couple of hours outside and discovered I'd gotten a room mate; a German guy who had met groups like this on several of his trips in the area before. And he was correct in that it would take time for the kids to be quiet. I think the noise died down around 11 pm, and I fell asleep before midnight. In the morning I got ready, had breakfast and left the hostel. I decided I didn't want to walk to the train station with the backpack on in the heat so I found the nearest bus stop and waited there. At the train station I had enough time to pop into the little shop to get something to eat on my journey and I found a geocache, a pretty clever one. Then I boarded a train and headed towards the airport. The trainride went pretty smooth again, it seems there are rarely bad delays in Switzerland. (Norway can definitely learn something from them there, but I guess that would mean upgrading all the eqipment along our rail tracks.) The scenery was beautiful and at one point a big bird flew right outside the window where I was sitting; like a magical little goodbye from the nature of Switzerland. So, in summary; I still love Switzerland and I do need to come back. I really got to try out the public transport system with trains, buses and boats and it all seems to run pretty smoothly. Switzerland has many types of travel passes, but for a journey like this one the Swiss pass was definitely the right one, even though it is quite expensive. Switzerland is known for making it easy to get up to the mountains and I definitely love that. There are still places I want to see and places I need to go back to. The wildlife encounters were pretty good on this trip too. So if you, like me, like mountains, picturesque towns and wildlife encounters I'd definitely recommend Switzerland. And apart from some things not being open yet because the beginning of June, for some strange reason, is outside the season, I think June is the right time to go. I was really lucky with the weather, encountering little rain and the wild flowers were amazing on this trip.