Day 4
A beautiful day in the Alps! It was a little foggy when we arose, but you could tell it was the type that would burn off.
Breakfast of baguette and jam, and an early exit. Destination – the Wispile cable car, which was recommended to us by the Gstaad tourist office as a family destination. (Early exit means 10 a.m.)
The Wispile lift is just on the other side of Gstaad. It cost about 56 CHF for 2 adults and one free kid’s ticket. You can see how the whole area must be a skier’s paradise, since with one life ticket you can ski tens of miles of trails, with all levels of expertise, many, many lifts, connecting many towns.
We got our computerized tickets and went through the automatic turnstiles, and boarded our 4-person gondola for the 15 minute ride up. We passed several groups of brown cows, bells clanging, and my “Hello, Girls” brought one group to a halt, staring at our gondola.
Breakfast of baguette and jam, and an early exit. Destination – the Wispile cable car, which was recommended to us by the Gstaad tourist office as a family destination. (Early exit means 10 a.m.)
The Wispile lift is just on the other side of Gstaad. It cost about 56 CHF for 2 adults and one free kid’s ticket. You can see how the whole area must be a skier’s paradise, since with one life ticket you can ski tens of miles of trails, with all levels of expertise, many, many lifts, connecting many towns.
We got our computerized tickets and went through the automatic turnstiles, and boarded our 4-person gondola for the 15 minute ride up. We passed several groups of brown cows, bells clanging, and my “Hello, Girls” brought one group to a halt, staring at our gondola.
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The view got better and better the higher we went (from about 1000 to 2000 meters). Long distance views over Gstaad and other towns, jagged mountain peaks, white fluffy clouds, pine trees, etc. Just gorgeous.
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But wait, it got better. At the top we took a short walk to the restaurant / outdoor terrace / playground area where the views turned to about 270 degrees. Now we were seeing the same amazing view in several directions.
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And after a ½ hour or so walk, we could see the snow-covered high alps to the east. Wow! Many people of all nationalities, shapes, sizes, were hiking off in all directions, some with pets. Even some heterosexual males carrying wicker baskets and hunting mushrooms.
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We walked back to the terrace and had a couple of Diet Cokes and admired the view while Kristen went on the play gear and fed the goats.
Per the usual European experience, there were many obvious shortcomings at the terrace that would make an American litigator drool, and the fact that I even think that way makes me kind of sad.
Dave had a mediocre Rosti with cheese (kind of like a big hash brown), Jill a very good pork schnitzel, and Kristen chicken nuggets and fries, wit drinks about 60 CHF ($45).
Kristen and Jill strode off to some kind of Indian village / obstacle course thing 15 minutes away, while I reclined in one of those alpine resort outdoor chairs and scanned the mountains with my binoculars. It’s amazing how high up people build chalets, and how high cows can go!
Dave had a mediocre Rosti with cheese (kind of like a big hash brown), Jill a very good pork schnitzel, and Kristen chicken nuggets and fries, wit drinks about 60 CHF ($45).
Kristen and Jill strode off to some kind of Indian village / obstacle course thing 15 minutes away, while I reclined in one of those alpine resort outdoor chairs and scanned the mountains with my binoculars. It’s amazing how high up people build chalets, and how high cows can go!
Jill and Kristen returned to report and unsafe and scary experience at the obstacle course involving rope and wood steps, mud, and Kristen nearly panicking on a rope bridge with Jill unable to help her. But Kristen persevered, conquered the bridge, and returned – probably not scarred for life.
Back down the lift, more cows, and watching several groups we recognized from the top hiking down, including one guy with 2 terriers trotting ahead of him on the path.
Back down the lift, more cows, and watching several groups we recognized from the top hiking down, including one guy with 2 terriers trotting ahead of him on the path.
Chateau D
On the way home we stopped in Rougemont for a look-see, looked and didn’t see much of interest. Tried the phone card number I bought in the USA, but apparently the number for Switzerland doesn’t work.
Back to Chateau D’Oex (the Gstaad tourism person pronounced it more like “Chateau Duh that “Chateau Day”, as the guides say), where I bought another phone card from a newsstand after much travail, with the lady calling someone to find out which card worked for the USA, me knocking off part of her cash register, (don’t ask, but she laughed), people waiting, etc.
Back to Chateau D’Oex (the Gstaad tourism person pronounced it more like “Chateau Duh that “Chateau Day”, as the guides say), where I bought another phone card from a newsstand after much travail, with the lady calling someone to find out which card worked for the USA, me knocking off part of her cash register, (don’t ask, but she laughed), people waiting, etc.
Braserie D'Ours
End result, we were able to call home from a payphone and check in, Jill had a better connection than me.
Kristen finally got a souvenir of a nice goat and lamb (3”), and then we backed up the drive again to home.
Kristen finally got a souvenir of a nice goat and lamb (3”), and then we backed up the drive again to home.
Swiss Bob in Foreground
We were all dehydrated, and sunburned too – 2 stupid mistakes. Had some water, now wine, and writing the diary on the balcony with the awesome view, smelling wood smoke and barnyard, and hearing the noisy braying of a donkey and the high pitched whistle of the train in the valley below.
Keeping it simple tonight for dinner again – ham and cheese omelets, salad, bread and wine.
In town this afternoon I got asked by the UPS guy how long it would take to get to Geneva – told him 1 ½ to 2 hours. I count this as extending my streak of getting asked for directions once per trip by a local!
Day 5 >>>
Keeping it simple tonight for dinner again – ham and cheese omelets, salad, bread and wine.
In town this afternoon I got asked by the UPS guy how long it would take to get to Geneva – told him 1 ½ to 2 hours. I count this as extending my streak of getting asked for directions once per trip by a local!
Day 5 >>>