Jungfrau

During Craig and Ginny's visit, we took a weekend trip to Jungfrau which is the highest railway station in Europe. There is a cog railway that takes you through the mountain on a 7km ride to the top. It's an amazing design and has the added advantage of keeping the view of the mountains pristine and free of roads! In addition to enjoying the panoramic views of the Swiss Alps and the glacier at the top of the mountain, we toured an ice castle. The kids had fun slipping and sliding along the walkways. Even the adults decreed the castle, "much better than expected." We stayed overnight in the town of Lauterbrunnen. Its claim to fame is having 72 waterfalls. They were gorgeous, and we can only imagine what they look like in the Spring during the heavy snow melt. We woke up Sunday morning to the sound of cowbells -- a Swiss farmer was taking his cows for a walk down the street. We told the kids that's how the milk and cheese is so good in this country -- the cows get regular exercise. (I'm sure the walk had nothing to do with changing pastures.) One interesting aspect of the trip is that many of the businesses were closed for a month's holiday. Hotels, restaurants, shops, etc. were all closed with notices that they would re-open at the end of November. I guess even hotel owners need a holiday!