You can never count on the weather. On my last weekend in Switzerland, I was cursed with grey gloomy skies and rainy wetness. Regardless, I bought a 4 day Swiss Pass and set out to explore a few last-minute places in Switzerland.
All in attendance: Kristen
Cities visited: Oberhofen am Thunersee, Thun, Rigi, Locarno
My half-fare train pass ran out on July 28th. On Friday the 27th, I met my friend Alex in Zurich after work. It will possibly be the last time I walk through Bahnhofstrasse and a stop by Zürichsee to feed the swans for a very long time. The London Olympic Ceremonies were happening this night as well. Since all the bars were full to the brim, we watched it at Alex's house on his swanky large television. Highlights include falling asleep shortly after Canadian athletes were called on.
The next day, I picked up a Swiss pass and set off to a full day of rainy adventure. Armed with an umbrella, a bar of Swiss chocolate and a book i bought based solely on the cover, I set off to Oberhofen am Thunersee - a German speaking city in the canton of Bern.
I went here because I was misled by google images on the beauty of this place. However, as you can see by google images, there really is only one vantage point of the lakeside castle. A cloudy dreary day and an entrance fee was all that it took to deter me from going inside. Instead, I read my novel along the hazy lakeside while viewing the castle and its eyesore scaffolding.
I took the bus to Thun and explored the city. Lots of people were out because of the weekend. There was also a small festival of some kind going on at the time. I walked up the castle which was neutrally exciting and got a view of the city. I ended up taking beautiful alleyways back down to the city and then walked along the River Aar (which flows out of lake Thun and through the city).
I looked around for a nice (and affordable) restaurant and called it a day once the rain started to really come down. I decided at the last moment to transfer onto a train to go to St. Gallen to see the cathedral but heavy rain, a setting sun and arriving without any map or clue on where the cathedral was made the trip a lost cause and I returned swiftly to Baden.
On Sunday, I woke up to equally grey and rainy skies. My flatmates and I went up to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Basel for the Jeff Koons exhibit I had wanted to see for some time. This was followed by an overpriced coffee and a meal from Migros-Takeaway. Then, even though the rain was coming down, I decided to try my luck to go up Mount Rigi with my Swiss Pass.
The Swiss Pass includes rides on some specialize lines, including the train that goes up Mount. Rigi. I should've have known better because visibility was even more awful on top of Rigi this day than it was on the day I climbed Faulhorn.
I climbed on the train and took a gamble to go to the Italian part of Switzerland. Even though the daylight was running out and the window for train connections to take me back to Baden were running out, I decided to try to explore another small sliver of Switzerland. Cue: blurry train window photos and nearly falling asleep.
I got out at Locarno and I berated myself a bit for not considering going to the Italian part of Switzerland sooner. Of course it would be sunny here! It's always sunny in the south of Switzerland! There wasn't much time to do anything else than walk around Lake Maggiore before taking the last train connections home to Baden.
In fact, this may be the last time I take those last train connections 'home to Baden'.
Goodbye Switzerland - you were such a beautiful home to me.
Things I learned:
- Cloudy days suck.
- See Rigi
- Paraglide off of Pilatus
- which I wanted to do if it wasn't so cloudy. I was going to sneak out of work on Monday or Tuesday to do this but the weather never cleared up. - See the catherdral in St. Gallen
- Bungee Jump from the Verzasca Dam
- Hike/Walk through the Lavaux Vineyards
- Do more Switzerland hiking!!
