SWITZERLAND, Interlaken (Madison)

July 2018

Fortunate to get to spend a few weeks traveling with my granddaughter, Madison, which culminated in Switzerland where she got to hang glide and sky dive in the same day plus got to top of Schilthorn in Jungfrau Valley.

SWITZERLAND, JUNGFRAU, hiking

SWITZERLAND, Skydiving from a Helicopter

Thursday October 26, 2007

I left at 9 am to go skydiving from a helicopter. The jumpmaster told us that there were only 3 places in the world you could jump from a helicopter, Australia, Hawaii and Interlaken, Switzerland. 2 days ago I went skydiving out of a plane but the opportunity to jump from a helicopter was too great to pass on. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures from the jump but I did buy a video of my jump which is pretty wild. To jump from 12,000 feet right inside of the Jungfrau, Monch and Eiger mountains was quite an adrenaline jump. At one point we were only about 10 feet from a waterfall.

"decide....whether or not the goal is worth the risks involved. If it is, stop worrying....."

Amelia Earhart

SWITZERLAND, Matterhorn at Zermatt

Sunday October 22, 2006

I left Interlaken by train this morning to go see the Matterhorn in Zermatt. The train ride was 5 hrs. but the ride on the cog railway up the mountain across from the Mattterhorn was beautiful with the Matterhorn staring you in the face the entire time. I decided to walk the six hours down the mountain to enjoy the scenery. I took a trail that I later found out was not the tourist trail as you may notice. A picture of some mountain scooters for the true adventurer.

SWITZERLAND, Bern

Saturday morning October 21, 2006

I took the morning train from Interlaken to Bern. Only 1.5 hrs. I immediately walked to olde town to see the Glockenspiel clock with the bear chasing the rooster. I visited the bear den. Bern was named after the bear because it was the 1st animal killed on that site. I also took pictures of the various fountains including the ogre fountain which depicts him eating children. There also was a cheese and milk market which happens every Saturday morning.

SWITZERLAND, Lucerne

Saturday October 21, 2006

After lunch I took the train from Bern to Lucerne. It has a beautiful bridge, Kapellbrucke, whose murals lining the ceiling, are nearly identical to those painted in the 14th century. The covered bridge supposedly had over 120 painters at one time painting it in the 17th century. I also got to watch skull {rowing} races in the middle of the city with everyone lining the river and cheering. A Cheese Festival was also going on with a milking contest complete with a fake cow that gave milk. The building decorations were some of the most unusual that I have ever seen.