Keeping up the momentum! The husband is traveling for work this week and the evenings are very productive now that I'm going to move on to my new role and do not have to bring work home.
We took a train from Paris to Lausanne, the Olympic city and spent the rest of the afternoon there. The subways are very nice and I love the hilly old town with cobbler stones.
Lausanne was actually a stop to catch the scenic train ride to Interlaken where we used as a base to travel around Switzerland.
They say Interlaken is well, too touristy and all, but it is still a nice little town really. There was limited things to do as the funicular up the hill was closed during winter. We spent the afternoon walking along the lake and just taking everything in.
We took many train rides across Switzerland on many scenic routes. I mean, what can we do when it's so cold and snowing outside?!
The viewing deck was only partially open due to winds. It was so cold and windy with snow being blown into your face. Your face and hands freeze. It was barely sub-zero but felt so much colder than the -26 degrees in Sweden due to the wind and altitude. We wanted to take nice pictures badly and went out when the wind subsided, took a few shots and went back to 'thaw' ourselves. This repeated for so many times till my cheeks were all red and sore from the wind.
Yea, we were crazy enough to attempt jumping shots in that cold. Crazy things we do. The real crazy people were the Koreans. They lay on the snow with their tummy among other posts, some took their socks out for jumping shots!!!
We did manage to get a nicer photo when another tourist helped us snap one.
We stopped by Grindewald for a stroll on the way back. I almost wanted to try snow sledging - it looked like a lot of fun. But me being me, was afraid of coming downslope very quickly and not very sure if I'd like to be out there in the hills when snow was forecasted. I promised to come back with our kids someday!
We had cup noodles in the hostel and went to this famous restaurant in Interlaken to try the cheese foundue. After all, it's a must-try. We didn't like it though. There was too much alcohol in it and doesn't really taste like cheese!
Another reason why I didn't go for snow sledging was that we've planned Luzern for the next day. I've always wanted to visit Luzern because it's where one of the Harry Potter scene was shot.
The 'Harry Potter' bridge! There was a scene on the broom being shot here, I can't remember which episode.
I kind of like Zurich. It feels like the old and the new came together, and it was nice to walk around the city.
We only had 15 minutes and we were running around, taking pictures and setting up the tripod. Till those Koreans offered to help us take a jumping picture.
The landscape was really dramatic when it came to a frozen lake.
Then as we pulled into the area nearing Italy, it was totally different.
The thing is, my zoom lens was spoiled after the short stop-off and picture taking. I wonder if it was too cold, but my lens couldn't retract and couldn't focus. =( I had to go on the rest of the trip without my camera and had to rely on iPhone. I had my wide-angle lens, but in the hotel!!!
This was in sharp contrast to the dramatic landscape just barely an hour away.
It was sunny with blue blue skies but still super cold.
The town was deserted because it was a Sunday. The famous Italian restaurant wasn't open, to my disappointment. We went to the other restaurant, and the food was great (and cheap) too. This is an Italian town in Switzerland and very near the border to Italy.
So we enjoyed ourselves, had a walk in the empty town and took in the sights. The train actually goes into Italy, but that part was closed due to rail repair. =( We were taking the same train back.
For some reason, we decided to board the earlier regional train, thinking that it would stop at one of the beautiful stops on the way. That will give us some time to take some pictures and board the Bernina Express when it drops by the station.
All was well. We got off the station and took in the dramatic landscape. There were people paragliding on the frozen lake.
You can see that the station is behind while the frozen lake was on the right. It was impossible to walk because the snow was soft and I sunk deep into the snow with every step I took (till knee level!!!). There was no where else to go.
So, we went back into the station because it was cold and my jeans and shoes were wet. Then, when we checked the train timetable, we realized that the Bernina Express does not stop at this station! We were screwed. We were going to miss the train and had to wait for a whole hour before the next regional train brings us to another town and we had to transfer back to where our hotel was. Gosh, I was panicking and upset to be left in the cold like that. There was another Swiss guy there who confirmed our suspicions. Gosh.
The Bernina Express was going to pass by this station but it just doesn't stop on Sunday. I heard the train approaching and went out to see in some desperate attempt. Miraculously, the train stopped! And for some crazy reason, I actually ran to the train and tried to press the 'open' button. And miraculously, the train doors opened!!
So, we hopped onto the train! The train stopped for quite some time till the train conductor found us and checked our tickets. He was looking for the people who boarded the train and told us that the train was not supposed to stop here. The driver made a mistake and forgot that it was Sunday, making the stop. They then realized that someone opened the train doors and boarded the train. I didn't believe our luck then really. Another little adventure on our trips.
This was us, making it back to the train and really happy!
And here's the other pictures from the iPhone.
This was the Bernina Express part, nearing Italy.
This was on Junfraujoch.
This was on the Bernina Express.
The Swiss leg of our honeymoon ended with the Bernina Express. A great ending really.
Switzerland was beautiful, although it didn't really impress me that much. I suppose I should say that it just didn't impact me as much as Norway did. Or maybe Norway was too stunning for me that has raised the bar for dramatic scenery like that, I'm not sure.
And here we are, on our way to Germany on a snowy morning.
I was very nervous about getting to Munich, because part of the railway was closed for maintenance works. We had to change to a bus in between. Having been around Europe so much, I knew how it could be like. There was a high chance that we would miss our connections, especially with snow.
And sure enough, we were screwed. The bus was late, and then refused to drive us. They had some issues with the drivers and routes. We got up the big bus, then were asked to get down, then they were arguing, then we got on a mini bus. They were speaking in languages that we didn't understand and nobody knew what was happening, even the locals. We were very late for the connecting train into Munich and I was dismayed. We had a day in Munich and was supposed to arrive around noon to meet Julia and Alex for lunch. They were my weekly dinner buddies from Sweden and we kept in touch. With missing the connecting train, it's anyone's guess what time or how we will get there.
And you know what? Amazingly, the train waited for us. I mean, the whole train loaded with passengers waited on the track. I really couldn't believe our luck this trip. How much luckier can we be? The train was actually waiting for a few more buses from many different towns too.
We arrived more than an hour later, but well, we made it and met up with Julia and Alex! I was so happy to see them again and they brought us around Munich for shopping and great German grub.
I love the Radler there (beer with lemonade). I was really happy that Tiger Beer started selling it too in Singapore recently. It tastes different, more gasey and less lemony though.
Here we are at the rustic old square. It was a cold and wet day.
From Munich, we flew to Iceland in search of the northern lights aka aurora. It was supposedly one of the best years to catch the northern lights due to the solar activity - whatever that means.
We took a train from Paris to Lausanne, the Olympic city and spent the rest of the afternoon there. The subways are very nice and I love the hilly old town with cobbler stones.
Lausanne was actually a stop to catch the scenic train ride to Interlaken where we used as a base to travel around Switzerland.
They say Interlaken is well, too touristy and all, but it is still a nice little town really. There was limited things to do as the funicular up the hill was closed during winter. We spent the afternoon walking along the lake and just taking everything in.
We took many train rides across Switzerland on many scenic routes. I mean, what can we do when it's so cold and snowing outside?!
We went up to Jungfraujoch. It was pretty. I can never forget the bitting cold.
The viewing deck was only partially open due to winds. It was so cold and windy with snow being blown into your face. Your face and hands freeze. It was barely sub-zero but felt so much colder than the -26 degrees in Sweden due to the wind and altitude. We wanted to take nice pictures badly and went out when the wind subsided, took a few shots and went back to 'thaw' ourselves. This repeated for so many times till my cheeks were all red and sore from the wind.
Yea, we were crazy enough to attempt jumping shots in that cold. Crazy things we do. The real crazy people were the Koreans. They lay on the snow with their tummy among other posts, some took their socks out for jumping shots!!!
We did manage to get a nicer photo when another tourist helped us snap one.
We stopped by Grindewald for a stroll on the way back. I almost wanted to try snow sledging - it looked like a lot of fun. But me being me, was afraid of coming downslope very quickly and not very sure if I'd like to be out there in the hills when snow was forecasted. I promised to come back with our kids someday!
We had cup noodles in the hostel and went to this famous restaurant in Interlaken to try the cheese foundue. After all, it's a must-try. We didn't like it though. There was too much alcohol in it and doesn't really taste like cheese!
Another reason why I didn't go for snow sledging was that we've planned Luzern for the next day. I've always wanted to visit Luzern because it's where one of the Harry Potter scene was shot.
The 'Harry Potter' bridge! There was a scene on the broom being shot here, I can't remember which episode.
Actually, Luzern was somewhat a disappointment for me. I suppose I had higher expectations with all the great reviews.
I think this was Berne?
This should be the old streets of Berne. And it's my favorite city or town on this trip. But on hindsight, I loved Cambridge too.
We climbed up a little hill for this view.
It was really beautiful.
Then we squeezed in Zurich just before it turned dark.
Then we squeezed in Zurich just before it turned dark.
I kind of like Zurich. It feels like the old and the new came together, and it was nice to walk around the city.
They also had a little viewpoint.
Next up was the Bernina Express. It was my favorite scenic train ride out of the many we took. I love it! I can't decide if I like this better or the one in Norway.
The landscaped changed quite bait throughout the ride. Then there was this stopover where you can drop and take pictures. It was cold (what's new). Again, there was this group of Koreans taking crazy pictures.
We only had 15 minutes and we were running around, taking pictures and setting up the tripod. Till those Koreans offered to help us take a jumping picture.
The landscape was really dramatic when it came to a frozen lake.
Then as we pulled into the area nearing Italy, it was totally different.
The thing is, my zoom lens was spoiled after the short stop-off and picture taking. I wonder if it was too cold, but my lens couldn't retract and couldn't focus. =( I had to go on the rest of the trip without my camera and had to rely on iPhone. I had my wide-angle lens, but in the hotel!!!
This was in sharp contrast to the dramatic landscape just barely an hour away.
It was sunny with blue blue skies but still super cold.
The town was deserted because it was a Sunday. The famous Italian restaurant wasn't open, to my disappointment. We went to the other restaurant, and the food was great (and cheap) too. This is an Italian town in Switzerland and very near the border to Italy.
So we enjoyed ourselves, had a walk in the empty town and took in the sights. The train actually goes into Italy, but that part was closed due to rail repair. =( We were taking the same train back.
For some reason, we decided to board the earlier regional train, thinking that it would stop at one of the beautiful stops on the way. That will give us some time to take some pictures and board the Bernina Express when it drops by the station.
All was well. We got off the station and took in the dramatic landscape. There were people paragliding on the frozen lake.
You can see that the station is behind while the frozen lake was on the right. It was impossible to walk because the snow was soft and I sunk deep into the snow with every step I took (till knee level!!!). There was no where else to go.
So, we went back into the station because it was cold and my jeans and shoes were wet. Then, when we checked the train timetable, we realized that the Bernina Express does not stop at this station! We were screwed. We were going to miss the train and had to wait for a whole hour before the next regional train brings us to another town and we had to transfer back to where our hotel was. Gosh, I was panicking and upset to be left in the cold like that. There was another Swiss guy there who confirmed our suspicions. Gosh.
The Bernina Express was going to pass by this station but it just doesn't stop on Sunday. I heard the train approaching and went out to see in some desperate attempt. Miraculously, the train stopped! And for some crazy reason, I actually ran to the train and tried to press the 'open' button. And miraculously, the train doors opened!!
So, we hopped onto the train! The train stopped for quite some time till the train conductor found us and checked our tickets. He was looking for the people who boarded the train and told us that the train was not supposed to stop here. The driver made a mistake and forgot that it was Sunday, making the stop. They then realized that someone opened the train doors and boarded the train. I didn't believe our luck then really. Another little adventure on our trips.
This was us, making it back to the train and really happy!
And here's the other pictures from the iPhone.
This was the Bernina Express part, nearing Italy.
This was on Junfraujoch.
This was on the Bernina Express.
The Swiss leg of our honeymoon ended with the Bernina Express. A great ending really.
Switzerland was beautiful, although it didn't really impress me that much. I suppose I should say that it just didn't impact me as much as Norway did. Or maybe Norway was too stunning for me that has raised the bar for dramatic scenery like that, I'm not sure.
And here we are, on our way to Germany on a snowy morning.
I was very nervous about getting to Munich, because part of the railway was closed for maintenance works. We had to change to a bus in between. Having been around Europe so much, I knew how it could be like. There was a high chance that we would miss our connections, especially with snow.
And sure enough, we were screwed. The bus was late, and then refused to drive us. They had some issues with the drivers and routes. We got up the big bus, then were asked to get down, then they were arguing, then we got on a mini bus. They were speaking in languages that we didn't understand and nobody knew what was happening, even the locals. We were very late for the connecting train into Munich and I was dismayed. We had a day in Munich and was supposed to arrive around noon to meet Julia and Alex for lunch. They were my weekly dinner buddies from Sweden and we kept in touch. With missing the connecting train, it's anyone's guess what time or how we will get there.
And you know what? Amazingly, the train waited for us. I mean, the whole train loaded with passengers waited on the track. I really couldn't believe our luck this trip. How much luckier can we be? The train was actually waiting for a few more buses from many different towns too.
We arrived more than an hour later, but well, we made it and met up with Julia and Alex! I was so happy to see them again and they brought us around Munich for shopping and great German grub.
I love the Radler there (beer with lemonade). I was really happy that Tiger Beer started selling it too in Singapore recently. It tastes different, more gasey and less lemony though.
Here we are at the rustic old square. It was a cold and wet day.
From Munich, we flew to Iceland in search of the northern lights aka aurora. It was supposedly one of the best years to catch the northern lights due to the solar activity - whatever that means.
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