Switzerland
Day 16, After a 7-hour drive through amazing nature, filled with mountains, forests, and waterfalls, we reached the Lauterbrunnen Valley. We parked the bus and took two crowded gondolas to Murren, a quaint village with charming Swiss buildings perched at a breathtaking altitude. But nothing emphasized that as much as when we stepped out onto our hotel balcony and the majestic Swiss Alps seemed just an arm’s length away. Absolutely, incredible! I found my ‘happy place’!
That evening we celebrated my daughter's 18th birthday! The group had signed a card and Ragen had arranged a special birthday dessert for her. It was a very memorable birthday for sure! How many other kids have turned 18 on a three-week European tour? Lucky kid!
The next morning, many of us rode the gondola to the Schilthorn mountain summit for breakfast at the Piz Gloria restaurant which sits at almost 10,000 feet. As you enjoy a buffet breakfast, you're treated to a spectacular view of neighboring summits as the restaurant rotates 360 degrees!
After breakfast most of the group went on a nature hike which I heard was amazing, but we decided to take a down day since my daughter was still in pain from a sunburn she got at the beach. Wear your SPF, people! That evening we decided to explore a local grocery store and picked up sandwiches and snacks for a picnic on our hotel balcony and marveled at the amazing view.
*TIP Switzerland has 4 national languages. The primary language spoken in Murren is German so I had to reach back in the memory bank to pull out a little Guten Tag!.
Switzerland
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