This past weekend I had the pleasure of traveling to the beautiful city of Interlaken. We left from the train station a bit later than normal. This meant we would be arriving in Interlaken bright and early. We left at about 9pm from Florence, spent the night on a bus. Luckily I had my own seat and it was the last bus ride for the semester. We arrived in Interlaken at about 4am. We quickly got ready for bed, which was really a nap.
Ashley and I were up bright and early for our paragliding at 8:30am. We had our breakfast, and were trying not to think about how exhausted we were. It was a beautiful morning and the sun was shining. We were picked up by the company and driven up the mountain we were about to go off of. The views from going up the mountain by car were amazing. After reaching out point, we took about a five-minute walk to where we would be jumping off. My guides name was Thomas. He was very nice. We got ready with all of our gear. Ashley went first and I followed. It was not as scary as I had thought. It was like running down a hill and before you knew it you were up up and away. The view was breathtaking and very relaxing. It was not scary at all, but probably one of the coolest things I have done. I loved every second of it. Unfortunately it had to end.
After paragliding we headed back to the hostel for some lunch. Our hostel was very cute. It was more like a little lodge but it was decorated so perfectly. After lunch, we had a food and culture tour. We would be exhausted by the end of the day. We met our tour guide Vicktor. He was very nice. Our first stop on the list was a dairy farm. The farm was just outside the city, and I loved every second of it. We got to feed the cows, and there were calves too! They were so cute and very friendly. However, it was like a war zone if you stood behind them… Anyways we made it out clean, and got to try some fresh milk. I must say I still like 2% better but it was good. After the farm, we went to a wood carvers shop. She was carving a piece of wood into what looked like one of the seven dwarfs. She was very talented and it was amazing to see what she could do with a piece of wood. I bought some pretty cool coasters. Then we went to the chocolate store. The chef and owner was a young woman. We had the best hot chocolate ever, and got to taste some amazing Swiss chocolate. Then we ended with a cheese tasting. It was all very good. My belly was full and it was time for a nap. We went back to the hostel before dinner. For dinner we went to a cute little lodge called the Bear. We ate a typical dish called Roshi. There were just shredded potatoes but very good. I finally got to drink ginger ale, which I had been craving all semester too! After we headed back to the hostel for a good nights rest.
The next morning we were off to a hike. We headed to a little town called Lauterbrunnan. From there we went to hike the falls. These falls were amazing. They were called Trumbach falls. There were ten glacier waterfalls in caves. The water was moving so fast and so strong it was had to get a clear picture. However, they were very cool to experience. After we took the train back, explored Interlaken some more, and headed to the lake. Funny thing about the lake is on the way back we took the only bus, which was an hour long, to the furthest town on accident had to wait an hour until the next one, and took an hour ride back. It was another long filled day. Finally, we ended our night with some good old Swiss Fondue. It was amazing.
Sunday morning we were off to Lake Como. Yes, George Clooney has a house here. We arrived in the early afternoon. However, it was pouring down rain. Therefore, we quickly looked for a café to stay dry and grab some coffee. It did finally stop raining, and the view was a bit foggy but beautiful nonetheless. We arrived in Florence in the early evening.
On this trip, I realized how much of a city person I am. The country is very beautiful but I could only look at it for so long. The shops closed early and Interlaken was very small. There just wasn’t a whole lot to do. It was way more country than the normal city life I am used too.
Paragliding in the Swiss Alps
Before take off
The chocolate store chef
Sunset
A traditional Swiss Dish
The beautiful mountains
The lake
Lake Como
The cow farm
Trumbach falls
The water fall
This fellow was hungry
Switzerland
Spring flowers
Our hostel
The alps