back to our chalet

29/12/14

It was another lazy morning today... Though I was awake earlier, I didn't get up until 9 ish when mum bought me up some breakfast! Service in bed - I could get used to it!

We eventually got up and headed out, I had to pack all my things into my backpack to take with me into Bern as I was to head back to Adelboden that afternoon.  We walked down to the Bear Park (Barenpark).  The Bern Bears live in 6000m2 park along the banks of the River Aare.  Currently the three bears - Finn, Bjork and Ursina, have all withdrawn into their dens.  

  

The view of the river Aare

We headed into the Train Station after the Bears, stopping by Einstein's House on the way.  I caught the 12.39 train back to Frutigen, then the 1.54 bus to Adelboden Oey.  Along the way I made some friends.  There was a family heading out to Our Chalet - the English kind of gave them away!

When I got back I completed another 3 points for  my Staff Challenge, by cleaning the whole of Stockli by myself.  

When I got home - the 'Wall of Fame' had been updated and our pictures where here!

luzern

28/12/14

This morning was a lazy morning.  We didn't get up until 7.40 am and then didn't get down to breakfast until 8.30.  Overall we didn't leave the hotel until 10.45 am.  I think that is the latest I have ever left a hotel when on holiday with mum!  Usually its up at 6 out by 7, and not back until 10pm at least! I usually need a holiday to recover from my holiday!

We caught the tram into Bern Bahnhof, where we bought tickets Luzern (or Lucerne - you can spell it two ways).  There were two options - One train which only took an hour but didn't leave until 12 (it was 11.20), or there was one at 11.36 which got there by 12 as well.  The 11.36 train was also cheaper than the 12.00 train, though this was because it took longer.  We bought two adult tickets, one half fare ticket and two children day riders (Lauren and Hannah) for the train and headed to the station.

We arrived in Luzern at about 1 pm, as with every other city the first thing we did was find the tourist / information centre.  As it was Sunday though, it was closed.  I managed to find a tourist information brochure though and inside was a map (all we had actually wanted really).

The bikes at the train station

We walked along the river, Lauren was leading.  We were eventually heading to the Dying Lion monument, however got side tracked along the way.  It was snowing quite heavily whilst we were walking, Nanny had her umbrella but the rest of us were in jackets and the snow just got everywhere,.

We turned left down a side street, on a mission to find the Lion Monument, and got distracted again.  This time it was by a church.

 

This was the Court Church of St. Leodegar.  One of the most important churches in Luzern, it was built in parts between 1633 to 1639, onto the foundation of a Roman basilica which had burnt down in 1633.  Inside the church was absolutely beautiful (look at the organ!)

We eventually made it to the Lion Monument ... one of the most famous monuments in the world.  The statue was carved in memory of the Swiss Guards who were massacred in 1792 during the French Revolution.  It was designed by Bertel Thorvaldsen and was carved in 1820-21 by Lukas Ahorn.  Mark Twain described the sculpture as "the most mournful and moving piece of stone in the world."

Right next to the Lion Monument is the Glacier Garden.  It is a journey where you travel back to when Luzern was a subtropical palm beach 20 million years ago right through to the glaciers of the last Ice Age 20'000 years ago.  The museum was built around a glacial pothole found by accident when a wine cellar was being built, a glacial pothole which had survived since the Ice Age.  The museum also displays artifacts from throughout the town's history.  

The last thing in the museum, is the Labyrinth of Mirrors.  Which was really fun - if you don't get lost!

We walked around town before having a coffee at Macca's.  It was absolutely freezing, so we decided that a warm drink was a good idea.  

Then we walked back to the Train Station - we walked along the river and then across the board walk across the river.   

White Swans!

Boardwalk of Luzern

Tower in the Lake

Then we caught the train back to Bern, it was dark by then.  We went through the Co-op and got some salad and food, and then went to Macca's for a burger and Daim McFlurry for desert!

bern take two

27/12/14

Scenery pic of the day:

Toady was my first day off of three in a row.  Due to ruckass in Stockli at some ungodly hour, my plan to sleep in didn't eventuate.  However I just chilled in bed until 8.30 am, which was still more than normal.

I met Mum, Lauren, Hannah and Nan over in the T-Bar ready to head out at about 10.15.  We were in the car heading down the hill by 10.20 and waiting at the bus stop by 10.30.  The bus didn't come until 10.54 and we had some time to waste...

 

We caught the train from Frutigen to Bern at 11.30 am.  We were staying in the Novotel Hotel (which we had no idea where it was so had to ask the information man how to get there), so we had to catch the tram number 9 to Gertianplatz Expo (wrong spelling I know!).  Our rooms weren’t yet ready so we dropped all our gear and headed back our into Bern. 

Apparently Hannah had had enough !

Our first mission was to find food.  Because it was now early afternoon and if we didn’t eat I feared we would fade away into a shadow.  The concierge had given us free passes so we could catch public transport around the city, so we caught the tram back into the city centre.  We found what was left of the Christmas Markets and wandered through those, and then wandered through some shops on the way.  Eventually we found a Migros Restaurant, and once we had worked out how to pay, what the food actually was, and how to order it, we had some lunch!

After lunch we were considerably full and we walked around Bern to burn off the calories.  We walked past Parliament buildings and generally in and out of shops before heading back to the hotel.  On the way back we stopped at the Co-op to get some milk and something small for dinner. 

When we got back to the hotel our rooms were ready to go.  We had to have an extra bed made up so we could all fit but that was fine.  The rest of the evening we chilled in the rooms, and tried to make the internet work.  During the brief periods of working internet we google campfire songs we wanted to learn – the penguin song being one of them.  Peoples back home – you’ll have to wait and see it!

Me Blogging - courtesy of Mummsy

boxing day

26/12/14

Boxing Day!

This morning I was up and ready to go to morning meeting for 8.30 because I was on Program.  Today we were hiking to Engstligenalp and the Engstligen Waterfalls.  Engstligenalp is the biggest plateau of the western Swiss Alps and is between 1900 - 2000 m high.  The Engstligen Waterfalls are the second highest in Switzerland, and are over 600 m long.

We hiked down the hill and through the adjoining town of Boden, before hiking through the woods and over the bridge below.

We may have got a little over excited with the amount of snow....

Walking though the woods was really cool - it felt like we were walking in a 'Winter Wonderland'.  Though it was pretty without snow, snow just made everything better!  We reached the waterfalls early, because apparently this group of guests were fast walkers.  I feel they were just walking fast because it was so cold! The waterfalls were in the shade of the mountain so there was no sun, but there was wind and it was mighty cold!

The waterfalls were beautiful.  They were still running and though they don't look like much in the pictures they were amazing to see in person!

From the Waterfalls we only had to walk a short distance to where we were going to have lunch.  Our guest services team consisting of Nikki, Mara, Megan and Miguel had driven a couple of the guests (including Nan) and lunch out to a site in the woods.  We had a 'snow BBQ' and had sausages in rolls with salad for lunch.  Everyone stood as close as they could to the fire for the most of it because it was still quite cold!  

At 12.30 ish we left lunch and walked up to the Gondola station to go to the top of Engstligenalp.  When we got to the top, first stop was the rest rooms and through the restaurant so everyone could unfreeze and put on more layers as required.  Then we let the guests have free time whilst we organised the Snow Tubing.  

 

Snow Tubing is almost the same as going down a water slide on a rubber ring, except your on snow.  Thank goodness you don't land in a pool of water at the end.... otherwise I fear you would freeze instantly.  I was in charge of pushing people down the runway slope to get them down the hill (Hence why I was able to get these photos!).  I also filmed me going down, however I haven't figured out how to upload a video to Blogger yet!!

After everyone had had at least 2 turns at Snow Tubing, we allowed the guest to roam around freely.  I went off with Mum etc, and we actually got some nice photos of the four of us (which is very unusual!).  

Mum, Lauren, Hannah and I at the top of the Mountain

At 2.50 pm we met at the top of the Mountain to catch the gondola back down.  We walked back to the Chalet along the road. We sung most of the way home and it made the walk much quicker.  

Whilst we were out, the other Vollies had had some free time, so they decided to test drive the sleds down the Chalet hill.  Unfortunately Sarah and the sled weren't compatible resulting in Sarah having an overnight trip to the hospital.  We are saving her jobs for her so we hope she wont be away long!

Before dinner, Tanya had set up a Silent Auction in the Helen Storrow room.  We were able to bid on items we wanted until the dinner bell rang.  Both mum and I bid on a couple of things and we both won them all ! I got a t-shirt, Scrapbook and jar opener (Don't judge they are seriously the best things ever!) and Mum got a Swiss Army Knife.