Non-French TidbitsInterlaken Switzerland

By Jim and Emmy Humberd

Interlaken, where tourism is the major industry, means "between the lakes," and is situated between Lakes Brienz and Thun in the first range of the Bernese Alps. Interlaken is only a short distance from the town of Grindelwald and the Jungfrau (about 13,500 feet high), and town of Lauterbrunen and the Schilthorn (about 10,000 feet high). The cable cars and cog railroads to the top of mountains in this part of the country, are not only spectacular, but extremely expensive.

One of our favorite photos was taken at Mürren, just south of Lauterbrunen. There are two mounds of hay in a small field in front of a church, its steeple is framed by high sheer mountain cliffs, with a wind-blown waterfall to the right. Since we took the picture, they built a building where the hay stacks were, and grown trees now block the church building.

To visit nearby Trummelback Falls we took a funicular railway, or maybe it was an elevator, on a slant up inside the mountain. As we walked down, we stopped at various levels to see this waterfall that is mostly inside the mountain.

The cable car to the Schilthorn leaves from Stechelberg, and climbs past waterfalls on sheer mountain walls. Most times cable cars go from station to station, one up, one down, passing exactly half-way up, or down. In this case the top station is high above, and a little to the right of the lower station. The half-way point is a transfer station hung on the edge of the mountain cliff. Each car leaves its station at the same time, headed in the same direction, towards the transfer station. At the half-way station, everyone gets out of their car and transfers to the other, then the cars return to the station they just left.

On our first visit we spent a couple of hours walking and shopping in Interlaken. Jim found a barber shop for a needed shave, this time by a blond with brown eyes, and soft hands. We then stopped at the sidewalk cafe in the Casino, and ordered a cup of hot chocolate to combat the chilly weather. They delivered a cup of hot milk, and a packet of Ovaltine. Jim had not tasted Ovaltine since childhood, but as a result of that one cup of Ovaltine, for breakfast in the thirty years since, he has savored 6,000 to 8,000 cups of the favorable stuff, the last 2,000 or so from a cup he bought in Tabor, Czech Republic.

Use that in your next advertisement, Ovaltine.

Books by Jim and Emmy Humberd:
Invitation to France
Invitation to Germany
Invitation to Italy

Hotels in Interlaken:
Carlton Interlaken
Minotel Beau-Site
Toscana

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