Day 8: Switzerland - The Alps

On Friday, Daniela took us on a half day tour of the area. Words and pictures can't describe how beautiful it is here and how cool and fresh the air is. And so much better that we were able to see it all as locals, rather than tourists. We drove up the mountain to an area also used for skiing in the winter and used this rickety little cable car to get ourselves up a ways where we wanted to hike. Of course Chris pegged me with a snowball the first chance he got.

This is all farmland where the farmers/ranchers keep their cattle, sheep, goats during the winter. Then in the summer (soon) they really do put bells on all of them - you can hear them all jingling - and lead them up to their alps higher up. I never knew "alp" is actually the word for the pastures up high in the mountains where the herds get taken to graze. All the farmers own land low and an alp up high also. To me - these "alps" look like the area we'd consider the bowl when skiing.

After hiking, we headed to a little restaurant by the lake where Daniela treated us to dinner - fried fish - but different from our traditional. It was little strips with the skin still on and homemade tartar sauce. We also got a chance to feel the freezing cold water.