Grandfather's Walk-Gruetschalp to Murren

We woke up to bright sunshine and views of the hills and mountains. Days like this are when you head to the mountains. We had breakfast and then my mom and I went to our Untour's Orientation. It ended up just being the two of us which was kind of nice because we gave the Untour local guide our list of things we wanted to do and got her opinions on it. Untours offers several group activities you can participate in. We chose just two, a trip to a cheese-maker's hut and the farewell dinner at the end of the trip. I was glad that we left the kids and my dad back at the house because they would have been bored.

We'd made plans before we left to head up towards Murren and either do some hiking or go to the top of the mountain via cablecar. We'd make the decision based on the weather, it was very clear early but clouds were headed our way. It is pointless to go to the peak of the mountain if there are clouds.

When our orientation was wrapping up I checked the Swiss Train App on my phone (a huge bonus of having a prepaid data plan on a phone) and saw that the train we wanted was leaving in 15 minutes. If we didn't catch this one we'd have to wait another hour. I texted my dad and told him to bring the kids and meet us at the station. Both my dad and I added international texting packages to our AT&T phones, this was definitely handy! We all met at the station and made it on the train. We had to change trains in Spietz and Interlaken, Interlaken is the transfer point for trains into the mountains. The Swiss transportation system is amazing, it might sound like a pain switching trains all the time but it isn't at all! Everything is so organized and easy! Disney could learn a thing or two about transportation from the Swiss.

From Interlaken we took another train to Lauterbrunnen. The views from the train were amazing. Sometime during the train trip my mom and I started talking about our plan. It was one of those conversations where two people are not on the same page but don't realize it right away. She thought we still might take the cable car to to Schilthorn but I'd decided it would be best to save that for a different day because it looked like clouds were coming. Finally after some confusion we cleared things up and got on the same page. From Lauterbrunnen we took the cable car up to Grutschalp, riding in the cable car was awesome we had great views back down into the valley.

Cable Car

 

We started our hike in Grutshcalp, the weather was warm and the valley was clear, we had great views of the mountains. This hike is called the Grandfather's Walk because it is a relatively easy hike and popular with people of all ages. This hike offers views of the famous mountains the Eiger, the Monch, and the Jungfrau.

The Eiger, Monch, and the Jungfrau

 

Kids ready to hike

 

The kids did great at the beginning of the hike, they were very entertained by the cow pies that we'd find on the trail. In Switzerland you share the trails with the animals. We passed beautiful mountain streams, walked through forests, and came across mountain barns. There was a mother walking with two boys who were a bit younger than my kids. They'd stop to look at bugs along the trail and my kids would peek at them too. I believe she spoke French as he native language but her English was excellent.

What a view!

 

Group picture on the trail

Hiking Sign

Barn in the mountains

Taking a break with Grandpa while Grandma catches up

Another view of the three mountain peaks

Mountain stream

 

At about the half way point of the 4 mile hike there is a stopping point where there is a restaurant and a train stop if you don't want to hike the whole way. The kids were getting hungry and we decided to stop for lunch. The restaurant was very busy and for good reason. The food was good and very affordable. We ate outside and there was a play area for the kids with a trampoline, a rope to walk across, riding toys, and a playground. My kids went and played while we waited for our food. The restaurant had a menu translated into English which made ordering much easier, they also had a children's menu which was great.

Ali had a blast playing on the trampoline, for a bit she was jumping with some girls who either spoke French or German. She couldn't talk to them but they seemed to communicate fine. Connor tried walking the tight rope but didn't make it too far. After the girls went to eat their lunch, Connor joined Ali on the trampoline.

Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. I ordered Rosti which is a traditional Swiss meal. It is like really yummy hash browns, I had mine with an egg on top. I'm sure it isn't healthy but it sure tastes great! Connor didn't stray too far from the norm and ordered chicken nuggets and Ali got german hot dogs. It was really a nice meal and I was surprised that the bill was only 61 Francs, that is cheap for a meal in Switzerland. We didn't order drinks but shared a pitcher of water.

My Rosti with egg and cheese. Ali ate the bacon.

 

After lunch my mom decided she was done hiking and she took the train to Murren where the hike would end. The kids, my dad, and I continued hiking. Apparently Ali really wanted to go with Grandma because she was pretty whiny for the last mile or so. She just didn't think she could go any farther. I tell you, once that girl gets going she can be something else! She is very fit and in shape, she was just being dramatic. When she'd forget about the drama she'd run up ahead like she wasn't tired at all! I wouldn't say the hike was a piece of cake but it wasn't bad either, it was mostly uphill so that does make your legs tired. The scenery was amazing though and definitely made up for the tired legs!

Another mountain stream

Poor Ali! So mean of us to make her hike in the Alps!

A cool shelter along the trail

 

When we arrived in Murren we looked for my mom at the train station but we didn't see her. We looked in a shop for a bit while we waited, Connor saw the Swiss Army knives and decided he really wanted one. His birthday is two days away so I told him I'd think about it. Ali saw a stuffed dog she wanted but I told her she'd need to wait as well. We sat on a bench at the station and waited for my mom, she arrived and as we'd suspected she'd been checking out the shops in town.

The first train was full (the trains from Murren are small) but a second one came about 15 minutes later. The train ride down to Gruetschalp was fun, the windows were down and it seemed like an old fashioned train. We took the cable car down and this time Ali stood by the window. We headed home from there. When we were at the Interlaken station we had a 15 minute wait for the train, I stopped at a convenience store and grabbed drinks for Connor and Ali. I bought Connor a Coke, it was overpriced but he'd been a trooper all day so he deserved something special! When I gave it to him he said "Mom, you bought me a Coke?!?" He was so excited! At home he is allowed to have soda in moderation, but we told him before this trip he wouldn't be ordering soda because soda costs a lot at restaurants in Europe. It's not cheap like it is at home. I guess he was thinking he was going to go all 18 days with no soda. Funny how the little things can be so exciting for kids. Connor also noticed a movie poster for Ice Age 3 and said now he has seen that poster in at least 3 languages, English, German, and French!

Inside the cable car

Ali's view looking up the mountain

One overpriced Coke made Connor a very happy boy!

 

We stopped in Spietz to go to a bigger grocery store than we have in Frutigen. In the end we decided we liked our store in town better. Once we got back to Frutigen my dad and I headed to the store. We picked up a pizza to put in the oven for dinner. It was very good and easily fed all of us and it was only 7 Francs!

Lights out was a bit later than I'd hoped. At 10:00 I could still hear the kids in their room. We really had a great day, I couldn't have asked for more on our first full day! The weather was gorgeous, the views amazing, and everyone was happy (minus the mile when Ali thought we were torturing her). Switzerland is an amazing country, not only is it beautiful but the people are very friendly and helpful. I am already trying to figure out when our return trip will be!

 

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Travel day to Switzerland

After our one fun night in Paris it was already time for us to leave. Luckily, we'll be back again in two weeks at the end of our trip. We were booked on the 10:20 train to Basel, Switzerland where we would meet my parents and then travel on together to our final destination of Frutigen.

I had set my alarm for 7 so I could shower and we could get breakfast before heading to the train station. Well apparently I didn't need an alarm because I woke up at 3:30 am and never fell back to sleep. Between 3:30 and 7 I chatted online with Dan, I bought some plane tickets for a future trip and took care of a car rental for Spring Break.

The kids got up around 7:30, they both slept very well and I was grateful for that, at least we'd just have one exhausted family member. We headed down to breakfast at the hotel, breakfast was included in the price of our room. It was a good breakfast, they gave us a basket full of breads including Pain au Chocolat, which are crossaints with chocolate in them. Connor loved the chocolate filled crossaints! They also had a tiny buffet with cold items like yogurt and cereal. The breakfast was good and it was so nice to just be able to walk downstairs and eat.

We were done with breakfast by 8:30 or so and we headed back to the room to finish packing up. At 9:00 we checked out and headed over to the train station. I wasn't really sure how early to get there but I figured earlier was better. Gare de Lyon is a huge train station and I wasn't sure how easy it would be to navigate. As it turns out we could have stayed at the hotel longer, the train station was easy to manage. At the train station I stopped in the tourist office and bought two Paris Museum Passes. We'll use these when we return to Paris in a few weeks.

Gare de Lyon

Gare de Lyon

Ali and I waiting for the train

 

Connor waiting for the train

We ended up sitting at the station for nearly 45 minutes. The kids were pretty bored but they managed fine. At 10:00 we boarded our train, our seats were upstairs which ended up being kind of a pain. This was my first trip on a train so I didn't really know how everything worked. I wasn't quite sure where to put our luggage, at first it seemed all the luggage racks were full and I was getting stressed. In the end, I found an empty luggage rack upstairs near our seats, but carrying two heavy bags up the stairs was no fun! Connor really was a good helper with the bags, but he couldn't carry them up the stairs. We finally got situated though and life was good. 10 minutes of stress in a whole day really isn't too bad!

The ride to Basel took 3 hours on our high speed train. Ali fell asleep quickly and slept nearly the whole ride, I really wish I could sleep like she does! Connor watched a movie and I slept for 30 minutes or so. We arrived at the Basel train station and spotted my dad quickly. I wish I would have had my camera out because Ali made a beeline for him and gave him a big hug! My dad walked us to a nice waiting room where my mom was with their bags.

Sleeping Ali on the train

 

We had just over an hour in Basel before our next train, this was perfect because there were a few things I needed to do. First, I went to get my Swiss train pass activated. That was easy, you just go to the counter and they sign it and write the date on it. The kids are on a Swiss Family pass which is free! So basically if kids are traveling with a parent in Switzerland they are free on the trains. I also went to the mobile phone store which was in the train station. I'd gotten some great advice from my friend Josh about buying a prepaid SIM card to use during our time in Switzerland. It was very easy, I went to the store and they put the card in and activated it. For 30 swiss francs I have a phone with 2 weeks of free internet on it and 30 francs worth of credit for making calls. The only tricky part is your cell phone has to be unlocked, most phones in the US are locked to a carrier. Many providers will unlock them upon request but it usually takes several weeks. I'm not using my normal phone, I have a different phone that my sweet husband gave me to use. He had one of his techie friends unlock it.

After running my errands we took a train to Speitz where we changed trains to get to Frutigen. My kids were so excited to see Grandma and Grandpa! Our ride was great, the Swiss transportation system is amazing. I'll tell more about it later but it is just awesome and so easy to use! This train ride was our first view of the beauty of Switzerland. It was a gorgeous day, very bright and sunny. The scenery was just breathtaking!

Connor and Grandma

Lake Thun

 

We arrived in Frutigen and our hosts Peter and Esther were waiting for us. My parents recognized them right away. They had brought two cars to drive us to the house. The house is within walking distance of the train station but they picked us up since they knew we'd have luggage to deal with. We headed to the house and they gave us a tour and showed us how everything in the house worked. They also had a starter supply of groceries for us, bread, milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, fruit, and a bottle of wine. The house is lovely and the views are breathtaking! Now I understood why my parent thought this place was so fabulous! Peter has built a model train display that goes all through the backyard, of course the kids thought it was great! He took the kids downstairs and showed them the trains and told them he'd run them for them one day during our trip. Peter and Esther live downstairs and the apartment we are in is upstairs. The kids loved the view from the house, we could even see a mountain with snow on top. At one point we saw people hang gliding.

My bedroom

The view from the bedroom window

Kid's room

Kid's view from main window

View from other window

Kitchen

Living room

View from the kitchen while washing dishes

Welcome fruit

Our street

 

After settling in, my dad and I walked down to the grocery store (5 min walk) and got some groceries for dinner. We had pasta for dinner and everyone seemed happy. I think Ali's favorite part was the ice cream for desert.

We did lights out pretty early because all three of us were pretty worn out from the last two days. The mountain air must agree with me because I had no problem falling asleep!

 

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Paris Evening

After our failed attempts at naps it was time for us to get cleaned up and ready to head out. Lack of sleep certainly wasn't going to keep us down! We freshened up a bit and headed out for our evening plans.

Most of you know that I love Disney and you probably know that I have a lot of Disney loving friends! Well, it just so happens that one of those Disney friends was traveling in Europe with her husband and three children. We emailed back and forth before our trips and discovered that not only did our trips overlap in Paris, but we were staying in areas very close together. We decided to meet for dinner.

The kids and I headed out to the Bastille Opera, we'd made a plan to meet on the steps. It was an easy 10 minute walk from the hotel. The kids were a little surprised how hectic the streets were. Ali commented that it sure seemed like we were in Chicago. I reminded her that these beautiful buildings were a lot older than the ones in Chicago. Paris is pedestrian friendly but you need to be aware of your surroundings, cars race around and they don't seem to care too much if people are in the way. My kids are used to our sleepy little town with one stoplight where things move a little slower.

When we arrived at the steps of the Opera I spotted Annie and her family right away. We live in Wisconsin and Annie's family lives in Calgary, this was the first time we'd met in person.

We did quick introductions and then we were on our way to find dinner. Annie took the lead and I was so grateful, after being up for 24 hours I was ready to be a follower. Ali jumped in right away and was chatting with Annie's daughters. The boys were a bit more quiet but that is always how Connor is when he meets new people.

We headed to a cafe on then Place de Vosges. The cafe was very busy and we discovered quickly that finding a table for 8 would be difficult. We decided to order take away and have a picnic in the park. Take away food was perfect for my kids who tend to be kind of picky eaters. Connor ordered a Croque Monsier and Ali and I ordered baguette cheese sandwiches. Annie's family was a bit more adventurous with their orders. The restaurant had wonderful sweets and we all ordered macarons. I really should have taken a picture, they were so pretty!

It was a bit of a wait for our food so Annie's oldest daughter took all the kids across the street to the park. This ended up being great because settling the bill was a lot harder than it should have been. Even through we ordered separately the server put it all on one bill, we offered to figure it out on our own but the server insisted. It took a long time and I was totally clueless, I was so thankful that Annie spoke French. We finally got the bill settled and headed to the park. Annie's lovely husband went to find a store with drinks for everyone. As we were passing out the food we realized that 3 sandwiches were missing. Oh my! I walked back to the restaurant and the sandwiches were up on the counter.

Finally we had all our food and we settled down to a lovely picnic. Connor loved his Croque Monsier and Ali took the cheese off her sandwich but was happy eating buttered bread. We ate and talked and ate some more. It was so great learning more about Annie's family. Her kids are amazing, so polite and interfering to talk to. Her youngest daughter is always smiling, I think she was a good influence on Ali!

The kids had fun playing in the park. The two youngest girls were practicing gymnastics. A little French boy was very entertained and decides to join them, he tried to mimic their tricks and he screamed with excitement. It was very cute! The same little guy ended up joining our picnic later, his parents were of watching from a park bench. He couldn't have been more than 3. The children played some running games over in the trees and I had a great time chatting with Annie, her husband and her oldest daughter.

The kids

Doesn't Annie look so Parisian in her skirt and scarf! I on the other hand look like I've been up 24 hours, maybe because I had been!

 

We stayed until they closed the park at 9:30 or so! We were having so much fun that we didn't even notice what time it was. We walked back as far as we could together before heading our separate ways. The kids and I got back to the hotel around 10:00. When we got there the kids really wanted to try the tiny elevator so we all rode in it together. Lights were out a little after 11:00.

The tiny elevator

 

Our first evening in Paris was fabulous! We were so lucky to spend time with Annie an her family. Hopefully our paths will cross again soon! I wish I'd taken more pictures but I'm going to blame the lack of pictures on exhaustion! I promise I'll start using the camera more soon.

 

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Travel Day

Well, since you are all reading this it is safe to assume that I survived my transatlantic flight alone with two children! Hooray!

Monday started out like a normal summer day, we sent the kids to their last day of summer school. Four hours of peace and quiet to pack a few last minute things! We picked up the kids, picked up take out for lunch, and then we were on our way to Chicago. I prefer to fly out of Milwaukee but it is easier and cheaper to get international flights from Chicago. Our drive to Chicago was quick and uneventful. Dan decided since the kids and I would have a layover in Dublin that he would play U2 music the whole ride. This suited me just fine but after about 20 minutes the kids had this iPods on and we didn't head a peep from them!

We found the international terminal in Chicago. The Aer Lingus check in had a really long line. When we walked to the line a woman noticed I had a print out from online check in and she waved us to a much shorter line! Dan stayed with us until we got up to security. The kids were pretty upset when he left. He'll be joining us in Switzerland next week. I kept reminding the kids that we'd see him in 8 days and that we'd see Grandma and Grandpa in 2 days, even with my reminders there were a few tears.

Connor waiting for our flight

 

We got to the gate almost 2 hours before our flight. There was really nothing to do but sit and wait. The kids were good but Ali got a little crabby close to flight time. As we were sitting a woman from the check in counter approached us and said we should line up for pre boarding. I was kind of confused because I don't really think I have small children but I got in line anyway! It was nice to get on the plane and get settled before it was crowded.

 

The flight was very easy! We all watched a movie, there were about 20 choices for what to watch. Something to make everyone happy. They served us dinner about an hour into the flight. The vegetarian meal was kind of icky, the kids ate some of their kids meals though. If you are flying internationally with kids who are picky eaters I recommend ordering a child's meal before the flight. My kids would not have liked the adult meals.

After dinner both kids fell asleep, Ali was out in a matter of minutes but Connor had a tougher time falling asleep. Luckily after about 30 minutes of trying to get comfortable he fell asleep. Both kids slept more than I did. We were served a small breakfast before we landed.

We arrived in Dublin about 30 minutes early. We didn't have to go through customs since we were just changing planes. We did have to go through security though. It was super quick though. The people working were very friendly, the first man gave us a hard time about not staying in Ireland. He said it was so sad that Alice wouldn't be able to see any leprechauns. The second man we chatted with asked us about the weather in Wisconsin. I think our travel plans for the future need to include Ireland, I've visited three times but the last time was 20 years ago.

Ali and her new Irish bear

 

We had a 4 hour layover in Dublin. We browsed the shops and ate breakfast. Ali decided to have a hamburger for breakfast, what a silly girl! We did a bit of shopping and Ali wanted a stuffed teddy bear. Did I mention that we just bagged up 2 garbage bags full of stuffed animals from her room? I chatted with an older lady at the airport, she was born in Ireland but had moved to the states. She was in Ireland visiting her family. She made me think about my Grandma who was born in Ireland and came to the US at age 20. My Grandma never went back to Ireland, even when my parents offered to take her. I don't know if she was sad that she never saw her brothers and sister again, it certainly seemed sad to me.

Connor waiting for the flight to Paris

 

The next flight was the quick flight from Dublin to Paris. Ali slept the whole flight, I really wish I could sleep like her!

We arrived in Paris, we went through immigration which took no time at all! Our luggage came quickly, I was relieved. The last time I was in Paris my bag was 24 hours late! Now up until this point I hadn't decided if we'd take a cab into the city or the Air France shuttle bus. The cost difference was about 20 Euros. We ended up being brave and taking the bus. It was really easy. The bus ended up taking about 30 minutes longer than a taxi would have because we picked up passengers at other terminals. The bus worked well for us because we are staying right near where it drops off in the city. If that weren't the case a taxi would have been a better option. The ride into Paris is kind of boring, it is highway driving without much to see. Once we got into the city though the kids were so excited to see all the old buildings!

Ali even fell asleep on the bus!

 

When the bus dropped us off I didn't see the hotel right away, I knew we were close though. We walked 1/2 a block and found it. Check in was very easy and the woman at the desk spoke good English. I chose this hotel for , it is right across the street from Gare de Lyon (the train station).

I'd read about small hotel rooms and tiny hotel elevators in my guidebook. It was still a bit of a shock to open the door to the elevator and see how tiny it was, smaller than any closet in my home. Honestly I think only two adults would fit at a time. I took the bags up in the elevator and the kids took he stairs because we couldn't all fit in the elevator!

Our little room in Paris

 

Our room was very adequate but small. It was clean and secure, so for our one night stay that is all I was looking for!

We tried to nap but none of us had any luck. The kids seemed to be getting a second wind, I was exhausted so I closed my eyes for about 30 minutes. We didn't rest for long because we had plans to meet friends. I'll tell all about our evening in my next post!

 

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