Yosemite - Tuolumne Meadows

Tuesday, August 8, 2017 - 9:45am by Lolo
236 miles and 5.5 hours from our last stop - 6 night stay

Travelogue

Day 1 - Arrival in Tuolumne Meadows

Lembert DomeLembert DomeWe have been to Yosemite so many times that I really don’t have much new information to add for our readers. However, it does provide a place for Herb and me to store our photos and remember where the heck we have been.

As with all camping trips to Yosemite, this one was conceived five months ahead of time, and successfully implemented at 7:00 am (PST) on March 15, when the reservation window for July 15 through August 14 opened. As I have mentioned in previous Yosemite postings, this is a stressful process that must be carefully planned and executed - multiple computers and quick fingers on the keyboard are a must, as all campsites are grabbed up within 5 minutes.

The boys love climbing in Yosemite, and Herb and I love the fact that they still like hanging out with us, so we were delighted that we now had a meetup planned for August - even if their busy schedules only allowed it to be for a weekend.

Tuolumne MeadowsTuolumne MeadowsThe concept of “family” has grown over the years, as girlfriends have been added, and even the parents of girlfriends. Fortunately for Herb and me, not only did the boys choose great girlfriends, but the potential in-laws are pretty cool as well. Tommy’s girlfriend Erin’s parents would be spending the weekend with us in Tuolumne and Andrew’s girlfriend Celeste’s parents would be our partners at the eclipse. We have known Celeste’s parents for years, but this was to be the first time we would meet Erin’s parents, so we had to be on good behavior.

We got to the Tuolumne Campground late afternoon on Tuesday and were extremely pleased to find that we were assigned a handicapped spot, which was very level and large enough to accommodate all our guests. Now, we wouldn’t have to get up early in the morning to wait on line for a first-come-first-serve site for Erin’s parents. Thank God, because the line actually begins forming at 6 am for a 9 o’clock office opening - and it is pretty darn cold at 6 am in Tuolumne.

One little glitch in our planning was that there was no longer any cell coverage whatsoever at Tuolumne Meadows, making our meet up plans with Erin’s parents and the boys a bit more challenging. In years past, there had been just enough coverage in certain spots to receive and/or send an occasional text, but for some reason not totally explained to me by the ranger, even this tiny bit of connection was no longer working. He did, however, say that he thought I could get a little bit of coverage at Olmsted Point, 10 miles back along the Tioga Pass Road. We would visit this spot several times before the weekend to give and receive updates. My need to be connected with the outside world drives Herb crazy.

Day 2 - Hiking to Polly Dome Lakes, Beaching on Tenaya Lake, and Meandering through Tuolumne Meadows

Polly Dome LakePolly Dome LakeSmoke, smoke, and more smoke! This was not a good wildfire season for northern California and Oregon. The fire that was literally hanging over us this time was near Bridalveil Creek, far away in the southern end of the park, but not far enough to avoid its impact. Thankfully, however, it was under control, so it was more of an annoyance than a danger.

So much for our hope of finally doing the 14-mile (RT) hike to Clouds Rest. The views would be non-existent, and the air quality was so bad that an asthmatic, such as Herb, would have difficulty breathing on such a strenuous hike.

We decided on something more modest, the 6-mile (RT) hike along Murphy Creek to Polly Dome Lakes. The nice thing about this hike is that the trailhead is located right across the street from the picnic area on Tenaya Lake, so we could just enjoy the beach afterwards without having to worry about getting a parking space again.

We had done the beginning of this hike the previous year when we climbed here with the boys, but this time rather than veering left to the rock face, we continued along the creek until we reached a small pond. From here, we left the main trail and made our way right, sort of bushwacking at times, to get to the largest of the Polly Dome lakes.

While not nearly as spectacular as Clouds Rest would have been, or so many of the other hikes we have done in Yosemite, it was peaceful and serene place to have a picnic lunch.

After the hike we grabbed our beach chairs out of the car and went in search of the perfect beaching spot on Tenaya Lake. It’s hard to go wrong here as the lake, with its glacial blue waters and surrounding granite domes, is one of the most beautiful in the Sierras.

We concluded our evening with a stroll from our campsite out to lovely Tuolumne Meadow. We would do a further exploratory when our guests arrived for the weekend, but for now, we just found a quiet spot along the bend of the river to sit and have a glass of wine.

Day 3 - Kayaking to Paoha Island on Mono Lake

Chillin' on the MoonChillin' on the MoonHerb loves desolation and the feeling of being miles and miles from civilization and the nearest human being - with the exception of me, of course. Since I was going to be exposing Herb to lots of socialization this trip, I fully recognized that a day of complete solitude would do wonders for his disposition and group harmony.

So, off we went to an old favorite that was sure to deliver - Paoha Island in the middle of Mono Lake, about 3 ½ miles from the Navy Beach kayak launch. Its difficulty to reach and its barren, moon-like landscape pretty much guaranteed that we would not encounter another soul.

The drive from the Tuolumne Campground to Mono Lake is a highly scenic, 45-minute drive, a.worthy activity in itself. When we got to the launch parking lot, we were surprised to find no other cars, even though it was an extremely calm morning - perfect for kayaking.

Old Resort on Paoha IslandOld Resort on Paoha IslandIt's funny how deceptive distances are on the water. The island was just a little over 3.5 miles from Navy Beach, but I could swear that it kept moving further and further away the more I paddled. Thankfully, the lake was calm, at least for now. We would have to keep an eye out for changing conditions because the winds usually pick up in the afternoon making kayaking extremely difficult.

After about an hour and a half, I paddled up onto the beach beside Herb’s kayak and stepped out onto the crunchy, white, moon-like surface. We were standing on volcanic material that had once been lake bottom until a volcanic eruption pushed it 290 feet to the surface about 350 years ago. This place truly is otherworldly.

In the distance we were surprised to see a man-made structure - a dome-like, metallic building practically hidden in the brush. I figured it was some kind of research facility, but later found out that this was once the site of a small resort that catered to people with tuberculosis, who came for a cure in the hot springs on the island. In hindsight, I wish we had battled our way through the brush to peak inside.

Herb meets calcium carbonateHerb meets calcium carbonateWe spent an hour or two exploring, reading, and just enjoying the solitude. It was quite hot and eerily still, until a light breeze began to pick up, cooling things off a bit. I was very much enjoying the effects of this breeze until I realized what that breeze meant - the afternoon winds that kayakers are warned about was coming.

I started running around throwing my stuff in the kayak, urging Herb to hurry up and do the same. Already our nice smooth. glassy lake was taking on a rougher appearance - no white caps yet, but I feared they wouldn’t be far behind. Herb didn’t seem nearly as concerned as I was - sure, he was stronger and had a faster kayak.

I spent the next 3 hours paddling non-stop against 15 mph winds and 2-foot waves, yelling not very nice things at Herb most of the way. I don’t think he heard much of it, but I’m sure he got the gist of my mood.

Mono Lake is extremely salty, so as the waves washed over us and the water evaporated, leaving the salt behind, we became totally covered in a white chalky substance. We looked like mimes. I couldn’t even see through my sunglasses. I was not happy.

After what felt like 2 days, we finally reached Navy Beach, where there was now a fairly good-sized crowd, swimming and playing on the beach. Everyone sort of just stared at us while we pulled our kayaks on shore.

It wasn’t until I got a closer look at Herb, all covered in white, like a mime, that I realized how ridiculous we must look. I still had some venting planned, but at the sight of him, all the anger just flowed out of me and I started to laugh.

We could have grown our own tufas from all the calcium carbonate that came off of us in the shower.

Day 4 - Tenaya Lake and Tuolumne Meadows

Hanging out at Tenaya LakeHanging out at Tenaya LakeIt was Friday and today we would get company - Erin’s parents in the early afternoon and the kids late that night.

After a trip to Olmsted Point to get cell coverage last night, we had arranged with Erin’s parents to meet them at the Tenaya Lake beach, across from the Murphy Creek trailhead sometime in the early afternoon. We would be the ones with the two kayaks covered in calcium carbonate.

Right on time, a couple that I recognized from FB photos, strolled down the beach and introduced themselves as Erin’s parents. Within 10 minutes we felt like old friends.

I lent Richard my kayak and he and Herb enjoyed a paddle around the perimeter of the lake, which really is stunning. The crystal clear water also served as a well-needed rinse from yesterday’s adventure. The kayaks were red and yellow again!

Tuolumne MeadowsTuolumne MeadowsThat evening after helping Richard and Beth set up camp, we headed out to show them the Meadow. We started on the trail by the Visitor Center, and in about a 1/2 mile crossed a footbridge over the river, where we were treated to lovely views of Cathedral Peak, Unicorn Peak, the Cockscomb, and Echo Peaks to the south and Lembert Dome to the north.

A short distance past the bridge, we turned left towards the Parsons Memorial Lodge, a rustic structure built entirely from local logs and granite by the Sierra Club in 1915. It was named for Edward Taylor Parsons, who was the club’s director for 10 years and heavily involved, along with John Muir, in the unsuccessful fight to save Hetch Hetchy. The Club used it as a meeting house and library.

Today the Lodge is used to hold the Tuolumne Meadows Summer Series of lectures by renowned photographers, writers, musicians, storytellers, and environmentalists. It’s nice to know that it is still being used to inspire visitors to appreciate these wonderful surroundings and to instill a need for stewardship to protect them.

McCauley Cabin in Tuolumne MeadowsMcCauley Cabin in Tuolumne MeadowsJust above the Lodge stands the old wooden McCauley Cabin, built by John McCauley in 1912. Today it is used to house park personnel. An interesting tie-in between this cabin and the Parsons Lodge is that the founder of the Parsons Lodge Summer Series, Margaret Eissler, lived in the McCauley Cabin for several summers when her parents were caretakers. There is even a picture of her as a little girl standing in front of the cabin with her family.

We retraced our steps back to the junction for Parsons Lodge and Soda Springs, and continued a short distance to another historic structure - the Soda Springs Cabin, a small log cabin built by John Baptiste Lembert in 1889 over a bubbling, naturally carbonated spring. A surprising fact is that geologists have no idea how or why the springs formed.

Lolo enjoying the water from Soda SpringsLolo enjoying the water from Soda SpringsBeside the cabin, there was a man with several large water bottles, one of which he was sipping from. Without too much prompting, he began telling us of the wonders of the carbonated water that came from this spring - “No better water on Earth,” as he described it. He reminded me a bit of an 1800s traveling salesman hawking bottles of elixir. He urged us to try some.

Richard dove right in, filling one of the cups we had brought along for drinking wine. Beth followed suit. They loved it. “Quite minerally,” they said.

I was a bit skeptical at first - and the sign warning of possible animal contamination didn’t help -- but, not wanting to feel like a weenie in front of our new friends, I took a tentative sip as well. “Quite minerally,” was certainly an understatement.

Herb and Richard stalking troutHerb and Richard stalking troutI was about ready for some wine to wash down the minerals, so we set up a blanket near the stream where Herb and Richard could try their luck at fly fishing. Herb had had the foresight to bring along his fly rod and a box of flies. After examining the choices, they selected a tiny Adams as their weapon of choice. Richard, who had considerably more experience fishing in small streams, stressed the importance of sneaking up on trout, as they are very skittish and have a very acute sense of sight. Beth and I sat happily amused, sipping our wine while watching our men crawl through the underbrush towards their prey. It was a noble effort, but alas at the end of the battle it was Trout 1, Herb and Richard 0.

The only thing I love more than pristine, natural beauty is having some history thrown in. Add a good cocktailing venue along a river to that and you have the makings of a perfect evening.

Day 5 - Rock Climbing at Murphy’s Creek

Andrew and Tommy climbing at Murphy's CreekAndrew and Tommy climbing at Murphy's CreekAndrew, Celeste, Tommy, and Erin had arrived late last night, ready and raring to use their short time in Yosemite doing what they enjoyed most - climbing. Herb and I enjoy climbing as well, so we decided to join them, while Beth and Richard went off for a hike to Cathedral Lakes.

We chose the Murphy Creek climbing area, both for its numerous interesting routes, as well as for its convenient access. Parking in Tuolumne on a summer weekend can be an event in itself, so situating ourselves in the Tenaya Lake lot across from the trailhead would allow us to both climb and enjoy the lake afterwards.
Accessing the climbing area took us along the trail that Herb and I had followed a few days back on our way to Polly Dome Lakes. However, this time after about a mile and a half, we left the trail, which at this point was rock slab, and headed left toward the obvious rock wall. It required a bit of bushwacking and rock scrambling along the way.

Once there, the boys used the Tuolumne climbing guide, which has photos and detailed descriptions of each route, to get to the base of the climbs they wanted to start with. There was a wide selection of crack climbs ranging from 5.7 to 5.11, so there would be something for everyone to have fun on - even me.

Tommy climbing at Murphy's CreekTommy climbing at Murphy's CreekI love the conviviality of hanging out with the kids while they climb. Also, they are so nurturing encouraging to me - real role reversal here. They convinced me that I could do a 5.7 called Frogger, which I did, and later a 5.9 called X Wing, which I struggled through falling a few times, but eventually completed. The rest of them (including Herb) did those as well as a 5.8 called Pac Man, a 5.11a called Penguin, Cafe and a few others I can’t remember.

The other thing that the boys had encouraged me to do was to get my lead belay certification so that Herb and I could be somewhat self-contained. I actually did belay him on a lead climb, which freed them up to be simultaneously working on their own climbs.

Afterwards, we met Beth and Richard back at the beach on Tenaya Lake. I could see that Andrew and Celeste were itching to do more climbing, so I volunteered to drive them up the road about 5 miles and drop them off at Olmsted Canyon to do a climb that they had on their list. So many climbs, so little time seems to be their driving force.

As promised, we picked them up an hour later on our way (actually this was in the wrong direction) to get back to the campground.

That evening, we all combined food and had a wonderful feast.

Day 6 - Rock Climbing at Olmsted Canyon and Farewell

Celeste on Ivory Tower CenterCeleste on Ivory Tower CenterIt was Sunday, and everyone had to leave by mid-afternoon (except lucky Herb and I), so we split into two groups. Tommy, Erin, and her parents went for a hike in Tuolumne Meadows, which would allow Richard to fill up the empty water bottles he had been collecting with mineral water from the Soda Spring.

Andrew, Celeste, Herb, and I went to Olmsted Canyon, where we had dropped Andrew and Celeste off the previous night. Celeste had fallen on the last move of a 5.10a climb called Ivory Tower Center, and wanted to go back and have another go at it.

On her first attempt, she once again made it to the final move before coming off. Undaunted, after a brief rest, she went back for another attempt and got it. Andrew breathed a sigh of relief as he now knew there would be peace and harmony in the world.

There was nothing on this wall within my range of ability, but Herb did take a shot at the Ivory Tower as well, and Andrew lead a 5.11a climb called Tideline.

It was getting around that time for the working folk to get back to San Francisco, so we hiked back out and met Tommy and Erin at Tenaya Lake. Her parents had already started their long trip back to southern California. After a round of hugs, the kids hit the road as well.

It seemed so quiet again to just be the two of us. We took another walk out to the meadow that evening. It is such a peaceful and serene place - with the exception of 4 people, with cameras at the ready, stalking a poor mama bear and her three cubs that were sauntering across the meadow minding their own business.

Another Yosemite adventure had come to a close. Tomorrow we would head north towards Crater Lake and then onto Solartown and the eclipse!

Description

Tuolumne MeadowsTuolumne MeadowsIn my past Yosemite National Park trip stop descriptions, I have focused on Yosemite Valley. However, this time our foray into Yosemite included a few days in beautiful Tuolumne Meadows along the Tioga Pass Road in the northern part of the park.

Tuolumne Meadows is very different from Yosemite Valley. At an altitude of 8,600 feet, it is high country and therefore, considerably cooler and wetter. As its name implies, Tuolumne is a beautiful sub-alpine meadow along the Tuolumne River, surrounded by rugged snow-covered mountain peaks and glacially-carved granite domes. The rock is porphyritic granite, which has a tendency for exfoliation, resulting in the distinctive dome shapes that are found here.

Hiking and rock climbing are extremely popular in this section of the park and tend to be much less crowded than the Valley. In contrast to the big walls in the Valley, the rock climbing routes on the major domes in the Meadow are shorter.

There are very few services in Tuolumne and the Tioga Pass Road is usually only open from Memorial Day through late October / early November, depending on the snowfall. During the summer (mid-June to mid-September), camping is available at Tuolumne Meadows Campground. It is extremely popular, so reservations are strongly recommended. However, there are also many sites saved as first-come-first-served. There is also a small grocery store, grill, post office, and gas station.

McRent, Arcadia Hotel München Airport, and Flight Home

Thursday, June 22, 2017 - 9:45pm by Lolo
10 miles and 0.25 hours from our last stop - 1 night stay

Travelogue

Ready to go homeReady to go homeWe said goodbye to our "home away from home" for the last 4 weeks and called a taxi to take us from McRent to the Arcadia airport hotel, where our trip had begun - what seemed like a year ago.

To complete the symmetry of our journey, we dined at Il Casale, the same Italian restaurant as Day 1 on the trip.

The next morning it was off to the airport and the long flight home. It had been quite a journey!

Description

The Arcadia is a 3-star hotel located in Oberding, Germany close to the Munich Airport, which offers a shuttle (charge) to and from the airport.

Wieskirche, Andechs Monastery, and Ampersee

Wednesday, June 21, 2017 - 9:45pm by Lolo
80 miles and 2.5 hours from our last stop - 1 night stay

Travelogue

Cows grazing near the WieskircheCows grazing near the WieskircheThis was it. The final day in the camper van. I can’t believe it was almost over. It felt like we had been traveling for a year rather than just 4 weeks -- and I mean that in a good way.

Our goal for today was modest - just situate ourselves near enough to McRent to be able to clean and return the camper by 10:00 am the next morning.

That didn’t mean, however, that we couldn’t make a few interesting a fun stops along the way, the first of which was the Pilgrimage Church of Wies, about 18 miles northeast of Fussen, in a lovely alpine meadow on the slopes of the Ammergau Alps.

This lovely somewhat isolated and pastoral setting seemed like an odd place for such a large church, and it would have been if it had not had been for the “miracle” that attracted, and still attracts, thousands of pilgrims each year.

Pilgrimage Church of WiesPilgrimage Church of WiesBack in 1738, when this was just a small abbey, a peasant woman named Maria Lory claimed to have seen tears in the eyes of the dilapidated wooden statue of Christ at the whipping post. Word got out and soon thousands of worshippers were making the pilgrimage here to see this miracle.

Unable to accommodate the throngs, the Steingaden Abbey commissioned the brothers J. B. and Dominikus Zimmerman to design a larger and more worthy church to house the miraculous figure of the Scourged Christ.

The result was a masterpiece of Rococo art and one of the most extravagant and flamboyant rococo buildings in the world. The Wieskirche was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.

We were fortunate enough to have timed our visit while a mass was going on.

Andechs Monastery Pilgrimage ChurchAndechs Monastery Pilgrimage ChurchOur next attempt to avoid admitting our vacation was over was a stop at the Andechs Monastery, atop the Heiliger Berg (Holy Mountain) above the eastern shores of the Ammersee. We

Like the Wieskirche, this too was a pilgrimage church, but dating back much further all the way to the 10th century. Its claim to fame and main attraction for pilgrims is a piece of Jesus’ crown of thorns, which is still on display in this lovely rococo and baroque-style church.

However, most of the pilgrims today come for the miraculous beer that the Benedictine monks have been brewing here since 1455.

We would have liked to have tried some beer and Bavarian food in the “Klostergasthof” (monastery restaurant ), but there was literally an army on line in front of us. Seriously, a German army band had just completed a concert in the church and were now ready to be rewarded with some wurst and Andechser Doppelbock.

No more excuses or diversions. It was time to settle in somewhere and start putting the camper back into pristine condition for its return.

We found Camping Ampersee, a pretty little campground on a small lake, just 10 miles from McRent. In between the cleaning, we did manage to squeeze in some time to swim in the lake and dine at their beer garden.

Description

Pilgrimage Church of Wies

The Pilgrimage Church of Wies is located in a lovely alpine meadow on the slopes of the Ammergau Alps, in the village of Steingaden, about 18 miles northeast of Fussen. It is one of the most extravagant and flamboyant rococo buildings in the world.

The history of this church began in 1738, when a peasant woman named Maria Lory claimed to have seen tears in the eyes of a dilapidated wooden statue of Christ at the whipping post, which prompted thousands to make a pilgrimage to see this miracle.

Unable to accommodate the throngs, in 1740 the Steingaden Abbey commissioned the brothers J. B. and Dominikus Zimmerman to design a larger and more worthy church to house the miraculous figure of the Scourged Christ.

The result was a masterpiece of Rococo art, created to unleash the divine in visible form. The Wieskirche was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1983.

Admission to the church is free, but donations are appreciated. Guided 30-minute tours for groups can be reserved with advance notice.

Andechs Monastery

The Andechs Monastery is located on top of the Heiliger Berg (Holy Mountain) above the eastern shores of the Ammersee.

Dating back to the 10th century, It is the oldest pilgrimage church in Bavaria. For centuries, the faithful have made the trek across Bavaria to this beautiful rococo and baroque style church to see a piece of Jesus' crown of thorns, which is still on display.

The Monastery is not only famous for its pilgrimage, but also for its beer, which the Benedictine monks have been brewing in this location since 1455. The Andechs brewery produces seven different varieties of beer, with their most popular one being the dark, strong Andechser Doppelbock. There are guided tours to the brewery.

Besides several beer gardens, there is also traditional Bavarian food served in the monastery restaurant “Klostergasthof.”

Fussen

Monday, June 19, 2017 - 6:45pm by Lolo
180 miles and 3.5 hours from our last stop - 2 night stay

Travelogue

Day 1 - Beaching and bathing in the Forggensee

Camping BrunnenCamping BrunnenWe were back in the Motherland! After an amazing 4 weeks of traveling through Bavaria, Austria, Northern Italy, and Switzerland, we were back to the land of beer gardens and fantasy castles. It felt like we had come home.

What better place to end it than Fussen, a town in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, with a beautiful lake, Old Town with beer gardens, and, of course, “Mad” King Ludwig II’s Schloss Neuschwanstein, a castle so magical that Disney used it as the model for Sleeping Beauty.

Although this castle gets most of the attention, Schloss Hohenschwangau, the castle that Ludwig actually grew up in, is also nearby.

As you can imagine, it’s a very popular tourist destination, so we were fortunate to get the last campsite in Camping Brunnen, on the shores of the Forggensee, about 3 miles north of the castles.

Our campground beach on the ForgenseeOur campground beach on the ForgenseeWhen we asked about visiting Schloss Neuschwanstein tomorrow, the campground host said that there were no longer pre-day ticket reservations, and that if we wanted to tour the inside of the castle, we would have to get up early and wait in a very long line at the Ticket Center. Oh, great. We were actually more interested in photographing it from the outside, so we would just go there anyway and see how long the line was.

In the meantime, we spent the afternoon relaxing on the beach and swimming in the Forggensee, capped off by an evening stroll along its shoreline path.

Being a coast dweller, I always thought it would be hard to live far from the ocean, but there is definitely something to be said for the beauty of a warm freshwater lake surrounded by incredible scenery. I think this was our seventh.

Day 2 - Biking to the Castles, Lechfall, and Fussen Altstadt

On the way to Schloss NeuschwansteinOn the way to Schloss NeuschwansteinToday it was off to the castles! Not wanting to move the camper or deal with parking by the Ticket Center, we decided to rent bikes at the campground and ride there.

The ride was great - only 3.5 miles alongside lovely green pastures. Directions were easy. Just keep heading towards the magnificent castle on the hill.

As we entered the tiny village of Hohenschwangau, we left the peace and serenity of our bike ride behind and entered the land of long lines and tour buses. What a mob scene! The ticket line had to be at least an hour and a half long.

It was a little bit of a tough decision, but we both agreed that we would rather not wait.

Crowds on the Marienbrucke to take the classic Neuschwanstein photoCrowds on the Marienbrucke to take the classic Neuschwanstein photoBesides, the best photographs of the castles are from the exterior anyway; in fact, photography is not even allowed inside. At our age, pictures are the only way we remember where we’ve been.

So, we locked up our bikes, and joined the crowd hiking up the steep mile-long hill to Neuschwanstein. It was a pretty long walk so I’m surprised so many were doing it instead of taking the shuttle or the fancier horse-drawn carriage.

Once at the castle, we continued on past for another 10 minutes to the Marienbrucke, which spans the spectacular Pollat Gorge over a waterfall just above the castle. This is the spot where the classic photos of the castle are taken. This vantage point is no secret, so we practically had to elbow our way to the railing to get a shot. I think the real photo to get here is of the people taking selfies of themselves with the castle in the background.

Schloss Neuschwanstein from the MarienbruckeSchloss Neuschwanstein from the MarienbruckeThis is turn around point for most visitors, but we continued across the bridge and a short distance along the gorge, just to get a breather from the crowds. Legend has it that Ludwig used to love to come to this bridge to enjoy the serenity. Boy, would he be surprised if he were here today.

We walked down a different trail to get to the other castle, Schloss Hohenschwangau, Ludwig’s boyhood home. Built by Ludwig’s father, King Maximilian II, this 19th-century, bright yellow, neo-Gothic palace has none of the theatrics of Ludwig’s “fantasy” castle. Still, Ludwig did manage to add a whimsical touch to his bedroom, by having stars, illuminated with hidden oil lamps, painted on the ceiling.

Swan statue in Schloss Hohenschwangau GardenSwan statue in Schloss Hohenschwangau GardenAs with Neuschwanstein, we did not have tickets to enter Hohenschwangau, but we did get to enjoy its gardens. Ludwig must have gotten a little bit of his theatrical flair from his dad, because Maximilian had Domenico Quaglio, a theater architect, design the gardens.

The garden had lots of fountains. The swan (“schwan” in German) was the emblem of the Bavarian royal family - hence, the word schwan in both castle names, and not so surprisingly a swan fountain in the garden.

There is also a beautiful Lion Fountain with four majestic lions supporting a central basin. It was inspired by the Palace of Lions in the Spanish Alhambra.

Also, in the courtyard is a lovely fountain with the Virgin Mary holding the baby Jesus in her lap.

There was also a relatively austere royal family chapel on the grounds, which we were allowed to go into without tickets. The building was a drinking hall before it was converted into a chapel. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall for that discussion.

LechfallLechfallWe returned to the Ticket Center to retrieve our bikes and then continued through a park along the Schwansee towards Lechfall, located in a beautiful gorge along the River Lech. We walked out onto the footbridge that spans the falls for a beautiful view of the Lechfall cascading over five man-made tiers on one side and cascading into a rock-studded gorge on the other.

From the bridge, we climbed down a trail and strolled for a while along the river. Rumor has it that King Ludwig II also loved the beauty of these falls and visited here often. I don’t think he could have been that crazy, maybe just a bit too theatrical and romantic. There are worse qualities to have.

We continued on to Fussen’s Historische Altstadt (Historic Old Town) in search of beer and schnitzel. After yelping, we selected the Fussen Brauhaus, both for its good reviews, as well as the fact that it had an accordion player right nearby in the square to add to the ambience. It was great to be back in Germany!

After a very delicious meal and a refreshing beer, we rode the remaining 5 miles back to Camping Brunnen. All in all we had biked / walked 15.6 miles on our castle exploration.

Time to hit the beach back at the campground.

Description

Fussen is a town in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, two hours south of Munich, that is home to “Mad” King Ludwig II’s fantasy castle - Schloss Neuschwanstein, as well as Schloss Hohenschwangau, his boyhood home.

Schloss Neuschwanstein is featured in “1,000 Places to See Before you Die” and is also the model for the Disney castle.

King Ludwig II designed the castle with the help of a stage designer, rather than an architect. He was obsessed with Germanic mythology and the operatic works of Richard Wagner, so he planned his palace to be a giant stage on which to recreate his fantasies.

Today Schloss Neuschwanstein if one of the most popular castles in Europe, hosting about 6,000 visitors per day in the summer. Entrance tickets (13 euro) can only be purchased at the Ticket Center in the village of Hohenschwangau below the castle.

Visitors have three options for getting from the Ticket Center to the castle.

  • Walk - it takes about 30 to 40 minutes to walk up the steep 1 mile hill
  • Horse-drawn carriage - For 6 euros, the carriage brings visitors to an area below the castle, from which it is a 5 to 10 minute walk uphill
  • Shuttle - For 1,80 euros, the bus brings visitors to an area above the castle, from which it is a 10 minute to 15 minute walk downhill

For the best view of the castle, walk another 10 minutes to the Marienbrucke, which spans the spectacular Pollat Gorge over a waterfall just above the castle

Standing more subtly below Neuschwanstein is the Schloss Hohenschwangau, a 19th-century, bright yellow, neo-Gothic palace where Ludwig spent most of his childhood. It is much less showy than Ludwig’s “fantasy castle” and has a distinctly live-in feeling. After Ludwig’s father, King Maximilian II died, Ludwig had stars, illuminated with hidden oil lamps, painted on his bedroom ceiling - always the romanticist.

Admission to the Schloss Hohenschwangau is also 13 euro, or you can buy a combo ticket for the two castles for 24 euro.

Another attraction in Fussen is Lechfallwhere the River Lech cascades into a rock-studded gorge. A footbridge spans the fall, giving a dramatic close-up view. King Ludwig II loved the beauty of the falls, just as visitors still do today.

Lucerne

Saturday, June 17, 2017 - 4:00pm by Lolo
55 miles and 1.5 hours from our last stop - 2 night stay

Travelogue

Day 1 - Lido Beach and the Altstadt

Outdoor art along the waterfront promenadeOutdoor art along the waterfront promenadeSwitzerland is not just alpine meadows, verdant pastures, flower-filled window boxes, and cowbells, so we figured it was about time we visited one of its cities, to see how the other half lived.

We chose Lucerne (population 81,000), just a half hour drive from Gimmelwald (population 120), -- but seemingly a world away. It is known for its beautiful Altstadt (Old Town) with colorful houses, waterfront promenades, covered bridges, sunny squares, and medieval architecture.

We found camping at Camping International Lido, across the street from Lido Beach, and just a mile and a half walk along the waterfront promenade to the Old Town.

KapellbruckeKapellbruckeAfter settling into our campsite, we walked across the street to the grassy beach on Lake Lucerne. We could have paid 7 francs to go to the official Strandbad Lido, a lakefront park with a heated pool, playground, volleyball court, and beach, but we thought the free beach right next door suited our needs just fine.

It was a Saturday, so the beach was full of young Lucernians (if that is a word) recreating. Most of them were under 30, probably because those with children were enjoying the facilities at the Strandbad Lido. Even the statues along the promenade were young. We old folks spent a relaxing afternoon swimming and people watching.

Later that afternoon we walked the mile and a half along the lovely waterfront promenade to Lucerne’s Altstadt, the colorful Medieval Old Town that the city is famous for.

Lucerne street performersLucerne street performersWhen we got to town, we continued along the waterfront to the Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge), the iconic covered wooden bridge that runs diagonally across the Reuss River. It is Lucerne’s most photographed landmark. Originally built in 1333, it was completely rebuilt and restored in 1993 after a devastating fire. Although damaged a bit by the fire, there are still more than a hundred 17th century pictorial panels hanging from the roof rafters, depicting scenes from the town’s history.

Next to the Kapellbrucke is the octagonal Wasserturm, a 13th-century, 110-foot high water tower that was once part of the town’s fortifications.

After crossing the bridge, we continued along the southern bank of the Reuss River to a plaza where street performers gathered. My favorite was a gold-covered peasant holding up a brightly-clad aristocrat on a bicycle. I don’t know how they did it! Of course, my engineer husband later explained it to me, giving away the illusion.

After passing the 17th century Jesuit Church, with its double onion-domed towers, we crossed back over the river along Lucerne’s second covered bridge - the Spreuerbrucke. Built in 1408, this bridge also has artwork in its rafters, but of a more macabre theme. Beneath the roof, for all sinners to see while passing beneath, are 45 triangular panels depicting the Dance of Death, known in German as a Totentanz.

Lolo beating the hordes to the Lion MonumentLolo beating the hordes to the Lion MonumentWe couldn’t leave the Altstadt without visiting Lucerne’s famous Lion Monument, so we continued our self-guided tour up the hill to the Lowenplatz. As we approached the square, we passed a large tour group. We knew exactly where they were headed, so we picked up our pace to get there first. I am so glad we did, because for 3 minutes we had this beautiful, touching monument all to ourselves. As I was posing in front of it, I watched the army of tourists approach Herb from behind. “Just take the picture!” I urged through gritted teeth. He did, and not a moment too soon, as we were immediately engulfed by hordes of tourists.

Having nabbed the rare solo shot in front of the Lion, we sat on a bench and took time to admire this truly touching sculpture of a dying lion, carved into the limestone cliff. It was created in 1820, as a memorial to the Swiss soldiers who died protecting King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Mark Twain once called it the “saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.”

On the way back to the waterfront, we passed another one of Lucerne’s beautiful churches - the Hofkirche, an 8th-century Benedictine monastery built in the 1630’s. This twin-towered church is considered the most important Renaissance church in Switzerland.

The walk back along the waterfront promenade in the evening light was enchanting.

Day 2 - Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip

First leg of Golden Round Trip - cruise along Lake LucerneFirst leg of Golden Round Trip - cruise along Lake LucerneFrom everything we read, the single must-do tour in the Lucerne area is the Goldene Rundfahrt (Golden Round Trip) to the summit of Mount Pilatus, the iconic mountain that rises above Lake Lucerne. The trip, which costs 77 francs, is a multi-leg adventure with various means of transport, including a lake steamer, a cogwheel railway, a cable car, and a bus.

We started our journey, or “Golden Fart,” as Herb kept calling it, by walking to the nearby ferry dock by Lido Beach. From there, we boarded a beautiful lake steamer, which took us an a very scenic one-hour cruise across Lake Lucerne to the town of Alpnachstad.

2nd leg of Golden Round Trip - cogwheel railway2nd leg of Golden Round Trip - cogwheel railwayUpon disembarking in Alpnachstad, we hopped aboard a cogwheel railway, famous for being the steepest in the world, with gradients up to 48%. This railway has been in action since 1889, which I have to admit made me a little nervous. For 40 minutes, we were transported through alpine meadows and forests, up steep rock faces, and through four tunnels to the summit of Mount Pilatus, 7,000 feet above sea level.

Now it was free time to spend as much time as we liked exploring the summit.

We stopped first to take a peek at the beautiful Hotel Pilatus-Kulm, built in 1890, a year after the cogwheel railway started scooting tourists up the mountain. The views from the rooms and Queen Victoria dining room must be amazing. We, however, satisfied ourselves with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches on the sun terrace.

View of Pilatus-Kulm Hotel from EselView of Pilatus-Kulm Hotel from EselThere are several hiking trails to various viewpoints. We started with the short walk up the Esel trail to the second highest point on Mount Pilatus - don’t worry, we would get to its highest later. From Esel, there was a wonderful view of the Hotel, Lake Lucerne, and the surrounding mountain peaks.

The whole while we were up there, we heard the haunting sound of a Swiss alphorn. We weren’t sure where it was coming from, but it certainly enhanced the experience.

View from atop the Tomlishorn of Mt.  PilatusView from atop the Tomlishorn of Mt. PilatusNext, we took the longer and slightly rougher trail for about a mile past the Hotel to the Tomlishorn, the highest point and actual summit of Mount Pilatus. So many mountains in Switzerland end with “horn” because of their horn-like shape. Needless to say, the views from here were breathtaking as well.

Back at the Hotel terrace, we tested out their comfy lounge chairs a while before starting on the next leg of our journey.

Satisfied that we had conquered Mount Pilatus, we boarded a gondola, which swept us along on a scenic aerial ride back down to the town of Kriens.

From there we walked to the bus stop and embarked on the least glamorous leg of our journey - the #1 bus back to Lucerne.

Description

Twin onion-domed towers of the Jesuit ChurchTwin onion-domed towers of the Jesuit ChurchLucerne is a small city in central Switzerland, known for its colorful Altstadt (Old Town) and preserved medieval architecture. The Altstadt, with its colorful houses, waterfront promenades, covered bridges, and sunny squares, lies on the east side of the River Reuss, an outlet to Lake Lucerne. Majestic Mt. Pilatus looms above the lake’s western shore.

Sights in the Altstadt include:

  • Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge), Lucerne’s best-known landmark, is a covered wooden bridge that runs diagonally across the Reuss River. Originally built in 1333, it was completely rebuilt and restored in 1993 after a devastating fire. Although damaged a bit by the fire, there are still more than a hundred 17th century pictorial panels hanging from the roof rafters, depicting scenes from the town’s history. Next to the Kapellbrucke is the octagonal Wasserturm, a 13th-century, 110-foot high water tower. It was once part of the town’s fortifications.
  • Spreuerbrucke is Lucerne’s second covered bridge. Built in 1408, this bridge also has artwork in its rafters, but of a more macabre theme. Beneath the roof, for all sinners to see while passing beneath, are 45 triangular panels depicting the Dance of Death, known in German as a Totentanz.
  • The Jesuit Churchon the Reuss’s left bank was Switzerland’s first church in the Baroque style. Built between 1666 and 1677 it can be easily recognized by its two distinct onion-domed towers. In 1750, its interior was updated to the Rococo style
  • The Lion Monumentis a 10-meter long sculpture of a huge dying lion, carved into the limestone cliff in the Lowenplatz, just north of the Altstadt. It was created in 1820, as a memorial to the Swiss soldiers who died protecting King Louis XVI during the French Revolution. Mark Twain once called it the “saddest and most moving piece of rock in the world.”
  • The Museggmauer (Town Walls)run along the north side of the Altstadt. Built between 1350 and 1408, each of the nine towers was constructed in a different style. Four of the towers can still be climbed today for views of the city and the lake. The Zyt tower houses the city’s oldest clock, built in 1535. It asserts its dominance by chiming one minute before all the other clocks in the city
  • The Hofkirche is an 8th-century Benedictine monastery. Built in the 1630’s, this twin-towered church is considered the most important Renaissance church in Switzerland. Recitals of the church’s famous organ are held in the summer.
  • The Museum Sammlung Rosengartshowcases the Post-Impressionist collection of Angela Rosengart, an art collector and friend of Pablo Picasso. The collection features the works of more than twenty 19th and 20th century artists, such as Klee, Monet, Cezanne, Chagall, Braque, Matisse, Miro, and Kandinsky
  • The Verkehrshaus der Schweiz (Swiss Transport Museum), just east of the city center, is devoted to Switzerland’s proud transport history - from automobiles, to ships, to railway locomotives, to aircraft, to rockets. An entire exhibit explains how construction of rail tunnels through the mountains
  • The Strandbad Lidois a lakefront park with a heated pool, playground, volleyball court, and lakefront beach. Admission is 7 francs. Right next to the park, there is a lovely grassy beach that is free, where the locals like to lounge and swim.

Mount Pilatus Golden Round Trip

Approach to TamlishornApproach to TamlishornWhen in Lucerne, one should really not miss the classic Goldene Rundfahrt (Golden Round Trip) to the summit of Mount Pilatus, the iconic mountain that rises above Lake Lucerne.

The trip begins with a scenic, hour-long trip on a lake steamer from Lucerne to Alpnachstad. From there you board the steepest cogwheel railway in the world, with gradients up to 48%, for a 40 minute ride through alpine meadows and forests, up the steep rock face, and through four tunnels to the summit of Mount Pilatus, 7,000 feet above sea level. Spend as long as you like on the summit, taking one of the short hikes to various viewpoints, dining at one of its restaurants, or just lounging in one of the deck chairs on the terrace. When you are ready to leave, the summit cable cars will bring you down to Kriens where bus #1 will bring you back to Lucerne.

The cost of the trip is 72 francs per person.

Stechelberg, Gimmelwald, and Murren

Thursday, June 15, 2017 - 9:00am by Lolo
14 miles and 0.5 hours from our last stop - 2 night stay

Travelogue

Day 1 - Hike to Gimmewald and Murren and Lunch at the Hotel Bellevue

Camping Rutti in StechelbergCamping Rutti in StechelbergToday’s drive was a short one - just 14 miles to the other side of the Eiger to Camping Rutti, at the end of the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the village of Stechelberg. Although we didn’t have the Eiger to gaze at, the views of the Lauterbrunnen Valley and surrounding mountains from our campsite were equally impressive, but in a less dramatic way.

The woman that ran the campground, I think totally by herself, was very methodical about where people camped, and she escorted each and every one of us to a spot that would not impede in any way on their neighbor.

Our true reason for being in Stechelberg though was to get to Gimmelwald, the tiny alpine village above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, with a higher population of cows than people. I had wanted to visit it ever since I saw it featured on a Rick Steves Switzerland video -- to me, it was the epitome of a Swiss pastoral village.

Gimmelwald cowsGimmelwald cowsStechelberg was the closest we could get, because Gimmelwald is car-free and only reached via cable car or foot. The Schilthornbahn cable car was just a little over a half mile walk from Camping Rutti, but we thought it would be more fun and adventurous to walk the 2 miles to Gimmelwald.

So, we set out from the campground and spent the next hour and a half hiking up and up until after about a 2,000 foot elevation gain we finally started seeing cows and then the rooftops of chalets. I knew we were finally getting close.

We were further inspired by a welcoming pair of gnomes alongside the trail, who seemed very fitting residents for a place as magical as this one. I felt like I was in a fairy tale.

Gimmelwald GnomesGimmelwald GnomesThe village was everything I imagined - quaint houses, verdant pastures, cows, and, of course, that awesome mountain backdrop of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau.

There’s not a whole lot to see and do in Gimmelwald - one street, no cars, no food store - just cows and cheese. The only store is “The Honesty Shop - Europe’s First Unattended Self-Service Village Shop.”

The main center of activity is the cable car station which picks up and drops people off on their way between Stechelberg and Murren.

From here, we planned to continue our hike up to Murren, where we wanted to hike along the Murren Via Ferrata back down to Gimmelwald.

Via Ferrata is Italian for “scary hike” - just kidding, actually it means “iron way.” In German, these routes are called Klettersteig (“climbing path”).

They can probably best be described as hiking routes that are precarious enough to require some kind of protection from falling. That protection usually involves steel cables that run along the route at shoulder height to the hiker. Hikers wear helmets and a climbing harness with carabiners attached to them. As they move along, they clip their carabiner onto the cable so they can’t fall.

GimmelwaldGimmelwaldBesides clinging to steep cliffsides, via ferrata routes also cross steep canyons and ravines on wooden walkways and suspension bridges. Basically, they allow inexperienced mountaineers to go on routes that would be too dangerous to undertake otherwise. They are found all throughout the Alps and are very popular with more adventurous tourists.

This particular one had three canyon crossings, one with over a 3,000-foot drop. I have to admit that my palms were sweating a little bit at the thought of it.

Before leaving Gimmelwald, we stopped in the Youth Hostel, which is the end of the Murren via Ferrata route, only to find out that all the harnesses and helmets had been rented out for the day. They suggested that when we got to Murren, we inquire at one of the sport shops to see if any had been returned early. What a disappointment.

We wanted to see Murren anyway, so we continued on our way for another 2 miles and up another 1,000 feet to the much more commercialized and bustling village of Murren, which was, however, also car free.

Along the way to MurrenAlong the way to MurrenWe wandered around town trying to find a sports shop to rent a Via Ferrata kit, but none of them were open - either because it was mid-day “siesta” time, or they just hadn’t opened yet for the season. It was the opening day for the via Ferrata, which was part of the reason for our timing here, but I guess many of the shops had not geared up yet.

Finally, we gave up and reconciled ourselves to having raclettes at the Hotel Bellevue instead - not a bad consolation prize. The hotel had a beautiful outdoor dining terrace with a fabulous view of the iconic Schilthorn, the Eiger’s rival for attention in the area. It was an amazing setting.

I had been dying to try raclettes, a traditional Swiss dish made with lots and lots of melted raclette cheese over potatoes, so I ordered those and Herb ordered the kalberwurst (veal wurst). Thankfully we shared, because as delicious as the raclettes were, they were very very heavy. Of course, there were two nice refreshing mugs of beer to wash it all down.

The meal definitely fortified us for the long 4-mile walk back down to Stechelberg.

Day 2 - Trummelbach Falls

Lovely Lauterbrunnen ValleyLovely Lauterbrunnen ValleyOur legs were still tired from our hike to Murren yesterday, so we decided to stick to the Lauterbrunnen Valley floor today and visit one of its most popular sights - Trummelbach Falls, the most unique and powerful of the valley’s 72 waterfalls.

Unlike a typical waterfall that cascades out in the open for all to see, Trummelbach is a series of ten glacial waterfalls that flow inside the mountain. Trummelbach Falls single handedly drains the entire glacial melt of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau, at a rate of 20,000 liters per second, carving and sculpting interesting rock formations along the way.

Trummelbach FallsTrummelbach FallsAfter purchasing a ticket for 11 francs, we rode an elevator inside the mountain to a platform from which we walked through a dimly lit tunnel to the uppermost falls. Along the way, there were small cutouts where we could view the water tumbling through the narrow slot canyon.

From there we could have taken the elevator back down, but we chose to walk back down stopping at other viewing platforms along the way.

It was a very special and unique place, enough to warrant it becoming a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Despite this being our “easy” hiking day, we had still walked 7.1 miles.

Later that evening I heard the sound of cowbells near the campground. I ran out to see what was going on and saw that a line of traffic had formed out on the road behind a farmer bringing his 5 cows home from pasture. Nobody beeped to hurry him along. It was just a typical evening commute in the Lauterbrunnen Valley.

Description

Lauterbrunnen ValleyLauterbrunnen ValleyStechelberg is a small village in the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Schilthorn Region of Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland, about 11 miles southeast of Interlaken. Set at the base of the Schwarzmonch mountain, it is an excellent base camp for exploring the area. The Schilthornbahn cable car whisks visitors up to Gimmelwald, Murren, Birg, Schilthorn

Gimmelwald is a small alpine village (population 120) perched on the edge of a the mountain 1,500 feet above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, between the villages of Stechelberg and Murren. It is known for its picturesque beauty - chalets decorated with flowers, verdant pastures, grazing cows - all set amongst the backdrop of the Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau. The village is totally car-free and only reached via cable car or foot. The Schilthornbahn cable car stops in Gimmelwald where it is possible to board another cable car to Murren and the Schilthorn.

Perched 2,000 feet above the Lauterbrunnen Valley, Murren (population 450) is also car free. However, unlike Gimmelwald, it is much more developed and ready to accommodate large numbers of tourists - there are about 2,000 hotel beds. The village has many fine restaurants and shops, as well as impressive views of the Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau, and Schilthorn.

Grindelwald

Tuesday, June 13, 2017 - 9:30am by Lolo
80 miles and 3 hours from our last stop - 2 night stay

Travelogue

The twisty roads to GrindelwaldThe twisty roads to GrindelwaldLet’s just say that the drive from Tasch to Grindelwald was an interesting one. We weren’t even an hour into our drive before the twisties began. We refer to them on Google Maps as intestines.

The twisties eventually straightened out and we breathed a collective sigh of relief.

One thing our sons criticize Herb and I about is our reliance on Google Maps, rather than doing it the old fashioned way with real maps and having a general idea of where we are going. Perhaps, they are right, as the following episode will illustrate.

As we were entering the town of Goppenstein, Google Maps told us to “turn left.” Herb did as he was told, and we found ourselves in a parking lot.

Somewhat confused, Herb asked me to get out of the car to help him back out so we could regroup and figure out what was going on. As I was guiding him back, he stuck his head out the window and said, “Google Maps is saying to get on the train!”

What? What train?

"Take the Train!""Take the Train!"Soon we noticed other cars and even another camper drive past us through the parking lot to a ticket kiosk. That’s when we realized that this was a station for a auto-train, and that we really were supposed to “take the train.”

Rather than drive over the Bernese Alps, we were going to go right through them. We paid our 27 francs and drove onto a flat car. We spent the next 15 minutes in the dark, rather stinky Lötschberg Tunnel before popping out on the other side of the Alps in the town of Kandersteg, Switzerland. It was the best 27 francs we ever spent. I’m sure the cost of gas and antacids pills for the driver over the pass would have been more than 27 francs.

Next time we will look at Google’s proposed directions on a real map, so that we have no more surprises.

The remaining hour or so of the drive to Grindelwald was thankfully uneventful.

Day 1 - Cable Car to Mannlichen and the hike down to Kleine Scheidegg and Grindelwald

Camping EigennordwandCamping EigennordwandWe were very excited to be in Grindelwald. This village had been on the top of my list of places to see from the very beginning of my trip planning. It was what I visualized when I thought “Alps.”

It was even more beautiful than I had imagined - lovely alpine chalets, verdant pastures, cowbells ringing. and best of all, the north face of the Eiger looming over our campsite. I had picked Camping Eigernordwand because of its close proximity to the Mannlichen cable car station, but had no idea that it would have the views it did. It never hit me that “Eigernordwand” meant Eiger North Wall.

We selected a site at the northern end of a grassy field, so we would have an unobstructed view of the “big fella.” We have had some very scenic campsites over the last 20 years, but this one hit the top of the list.

"The hills are alive" atop Mannlichen"The hills are alive" atop MannlichenOur preference probably would have been to just chill at the campground for the rest of the afternoon, but the forecast for tomorrow looked questionable, and we really had our heart set on a hike.

So, we walked to the Mannlichen cable car station, bought our tickets for 30 francs each, and spent the next ½ hour soaring through the sky, enjoying the mountain views along the way.

When we got off the cable car we walked to the top of the ridge and were treated to the most incredibly breathtaking view of mountains I have ever seen. This was turning out to be a stop full of superlatives. I wanted to burst into song.

From Mannlichen, we followed a well-traveled trail for 3 miles down to Kleine Scheidegg, with the majestic Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau mountains laid out before us the entire way.

Hiking down to Kleine ScheideggHiking down to Kleine ScheideggAlthough the hike was one of the most scenic I have ever done, I have to admit that I was a bit disappointed with the commercialism of Kleine Scheidegg. As we approached, the scene was dominated by a large red and white tee pee with “Coca Cola” written across it, and lots and lots of tourists, who I had a feeling didn’t get here by foot, as we did.

From Kleine Scheidegg there are several options. You can take a cable car back down to Grindelwald, hike down to it, or take a 2 hour cable car up to the Jungfraujoch, a saddle between the Monch and Jungfrau with even more incredible views of the mountains, as well as the Aletsch Glacier, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A round trip ticket to the Jungfraujoch costs about 77 francs per person, unless you have one of the many Swiss or Bernese Oberland discount cards.

It was already pretty late in the day, and we have a preference for non-touristy activities, so we chose to walk the 6 miles back down to Grindelwald. It was a lovely walk through meadows and verdant pastures, accompanied by the melody of cowbells. The cow to people ratio was easily 50 to 1 - just the way we like it.

Kleine ScheideggKleine ScheideggWe were quite tired when we got back to the campground, as it had been an 8.8-mile hike with a 4,200 foot elevation loss. Elevation loss always sounds good on paper, but I find hiking down much harder on the knees and feet.

We set up our little rental table and chair outside the camper, drank a well-earned beer or two, and just gazed at our imposing neighbor, the Eiger.

After the sun went down, we noticed two bright lights on its face. At first we thought it was the headlamps of climbers camping on its face, but we later learned that it was the lights from the tunnel that was drilled through the Eiger for the Jungfraujoch train to pass through. I don’t think there is a mountain big enough to stop these Swiss from drilling through it.


Day 2 - Exploring the village of Grindelwald and Bouldering in the Sportzentrum Climbing Gym

Lolo climbing at the Grindelwald SportzentrumLolo climbing at the Grindelwald SportzentrumWe had been smart to get our hike in yesterday, because, as we feared, the weather today was cloudy with possible rain showers in the afternoon. Since we hadn’t seen the main part of Grindelwald yet, we decided to make the mile and a half walk into town.

Our first stop in town was the Sportzentrum, a state-of-the art sports center for sports, recreation, and wellness, open to the public. It was pretty amazing. There was a swimming pool, Finnish sauna, steam room, weight room, indoor rope park, internet cafe lounge, ice rink, and boulder area, which is what we came for.

Herb climbing at the Grindelwald SportzentrumHerb climbing at the Grindelwald SportzentrumIt cost us 21 francs each for a bouldering pass and climbing shoes. When we got to the bouldering room, which was the smallest I have ever seen, we looked at the ratings chart on the wall, which showed the color of climbs from easiest to most difficult - Yellow for kids, Orange the next easiest, then green being medium, and so on.

I joked that I would warm up on the Kids’ routes. Well, I should have known that kids that grow up in the shadow of the Eiger are tough, because these routes were far from easy for me. It was quite discouraging. Herb, did much better, of course, but even he agreed that the climbs were quite challenging.

After that we picked up groceries in the COOP and wandered back to the campground, which basically had the best view in town.

One funny, but rather embarrassing story about our food shopping in a foreign land. Herb loves to eat pastry first thing in the morning before I wake up, a habit he has had for as many years as I can remember. The COOP had no donuts or apple turnovers, so I picked up what looked like cinnamon buns.

Snails in Hazelnuts??Snails in Hazelnuts??When we got back to the camper, Herb happened to read the side of the package, which said, “Schnecken aux nussfullung.” Just for fun, he looked it up on Google Translate and found that it meant, “snails in hazelnuts.”

Snails in pastry? That seemed crazy, but it wouldn’t be the first time this trip that we were surprised by different European foods and customs.

Herb was crestfallen. He has lots of food allergies, including shellfish, so he didn’t think eating snails would be a very good idea. Then it hit us. The buns were shaped like snails!

So, he ate one.

Description

Hiking back to GrindelwaldHiking back to GrindelwaldGrindelwald is an alpine village perched in the mountains of the Jungfrau Region of Switzerland's Bernese Oberland, about 12 miles southeast of Interlaken.

This lovely village of alpine chalets and verdant pastures, set at the base of the Eiger’s north face, is one of the most popular destinations in the Alps, and it is easy to see why.

In winter it offers excellent skiing, and in the summer it serves as a great base camp for hiking. Some of the best hiking trails in the Bernese Oberlands originate here. Hikers can either start in the village or take one of the cable cars up to the high country to begin their trek.

Mannlichen Cable Car

Herb on the Mannlichen Cable CarHerb on the Mannlichen Cable CarFrom the Grindelwald Grund at Grundstrasse 54, a cable car whisks hikers up to Mannlichen, where there is a fantastic panoramic view of the Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau, and more. This cable car is featured in National Geographic’s Journeys of a Lifetime.

If you have time for only one hike from Mannlichen, make it the Panoramaweg to Kleine Scheidegg. Along this 90-minute, mostly downhill walk, there is nothing but pure Alps before you. From Kleine Scheidegg you can take a train back to Grindelwald or hike 3 hours.

Another popular option from Kleine Scheidegg is to take another cable car up to the Jungfraujoch. This train, which actually goes through the Eiger to the Jungfraujoch, which is a saddle between the Monch and Jungfrau mountains. For 2 hours, The railway climbs 9 km to the Eiger Glacier Station where the views of the surrounding peaks and the Aletsch Glacier are incredible.

First Gondola

Another option for hiking in the Grindelwald area is to take the Gondola in the village up to First, where a trail leads to the Bachalpsee, a pretty alpine lake at the foot of the Faulhorn. The hike is 3.6-miles (RT) and takes about 2 to 2 ½ hours.

Also at First, is the new Cliff Walk by Tissot, a narrow metal walkway built into the side of a cliff, with a 130-foot suspension bridge and 150-foot-high viewing platform from which there are incredible views of the surrounding mountains, valleys, and pastures.

Zermatt and the Matterhorn

Sunday, June 11, 2017 - 4:00pm by Lolo
86 miles and 2 hours from our last stop - 2 night stay

Travelogue

Day 1 - Arriving in Tasch and Hiking to Matterhorn Views

Simplon PassSimplon PassI’m not sure why the Matterhorn hadn’t made it to our original itinerary, but after speaking to fellow travelers along the way, we added it. That is the beauty of not being locked into a fixed itinerary.

Our drive between Lake Maggiore and Zermatt was very scenic, but reinforced for us why Europeans have smaller motorhomes than the U.S. The roads leading from Italy to Switzerland were so incredibly narrow, steep, and twisty that our trusty Lazy Daze, or at least its driver, would not have been happy navigating them.

When we came to the border, we had to stop to buy a vignette to drive on Switzerland’s highways. All the countries in Europe, except for Germany, which is free, have some form of charging people for driving on its roads. In Austria it had been a 10-day vignette for 8.90 euros, but in Italy it had been a pay-as-you-go toll system, which added up to something like 80 euros for us. In Switzerland you have to buy an annual vignette for 40 euro, which seems like a waste when you are only going to be in the country for a week, but still cheaper than driving the Italian roads.

First peak of the MatterhornFirst peak of the MatterhornWe also had to exchange some euros for Swiss francs because we now were leaving the European Union. It was exciting to be in Switzerland!

Our drive took us over beautiful Simplon Pass, where we stopped to admire the incredible view. We were back in the Alps, and after the heat spell we had been experiencing the past few weeks, I felt like making a snow angel.

We continued on to the town of Tasch, Switzerland, literally, the end of the road to the Matterhorn. Since Zermatt is a car-free town, visitors have to park their cars in Tasch, 5 km away, and take the train in.

Fortunately for us, there was Camping Alphubel located right near the Tasch train station, which we would use as our base camp for exploring the area over the next two days.

Matterhorn from the AHV-WegMatterhorn from the AHV-WegThe campground was nice and the woman working the reception desk was really helpful in giving us information as to how to get a good view of the Matterhorn in Zermatt. Apparently it wasn’t that easy.

Herb and I really like to keep physically active, but with our busy itinerary, we hadn’t had much time for running, our primary form of exercise. To make up for it, we were pretty much hiking and walking everywhere. Who needs trains and buses when you have feet?

So, rather than take the train to Zermatt, we chose to walk the 3.5-mile Bahnweg path instead. It started right by the campground, and followed the train tracks most of the way, leading us through forests, meadows, and pastures. There were no big views along this trail. Instead, the main attraction was watching the fancy red Swiss trains zip by. Unfortunately, we don’t have trains this fast and beautiful in the States.

Finally, we passed the Zermatt heliport and descended into town near the train station (bahnhof).

Zermatt is a very popular and glitzy ski resort town, and it felt very much like ski resorts in the States, such as Aspen or Vail - right down to the expensive food. I looked at a menu and saw that burgers and pizzas cost over 20 francs - no more 6 euro pizzas like we had found in Germany and Italy. Switzerland is very, very expensive.

We followed our campground host’s very specific directions and headed across town along the Untere Mattenstrasse towards the Vispa River. We crossed the river and arrived at our destination, the Sunnegga-Rothorn station, the starting point for several scenic train trips up into the surrounding glaciers and mountains, such as the one to Gornergrat.

Zermatt at the foot of the MatterhornZermatt at the foot of the MatterhornNow here comes the tricky, secret part we learned from our campground friend. She told us to walk through the station, but to make a left just before the turnstiles for the trains. There, as promised, we found an elevator (funicular), which we took for free up to the starting point of the AHV-Weg trail that would lead us to fabulous views of the Matterhorn.

She was right!! There it was - the iconic, pyramid-shaped mountain. What an amazingly unique rock formation!

We had a long trek home ahead of us, so to increase morale we stopped at a COOP supermarket near the train station and bought 2 beers to enjoy along the trail.

All in all, we hiked 12 miles with about a 2,000-foot elevation change. Not a bad day’s work.

Day 2 - Explore Tasch

Herb relaxing on tiny SchaliseeHerb relaxing on tiny SchaliseeWe briefly considered moving on to Grindelwald, because we had already done our hike to see the Matterhorn, but decided to hang out another day and explore the village of Tasch.

Once again, we consulted Trip Advisor for a suggestion of things to do in Tasch. I have to admit that the list was pretty short, but long enough for our purposes today.

One of the Top Things to Do in Tasch is waterskiing in the Schalisee, a tiny little lake located about a 20 minute walk from our campground in the opposite direction from Zermatt. We were intrigued, but skeptical. However, it was another hot day, so the prospect of dipping into a refreshing mountain lake sounded inviting.

The Hohenweg above TaschThe Hohenweg above TaschSo, we put on our bathing suits, packed towels and a lunch, and walked to the Schalisee. It was quite pretty, surrounded by larch trees and grassy meadows, with a grassy beach on its shore.

As for the water skiing, now we understood. These Swiss are so ingenious. The lake itself is only a little more than 100 meters long, but instead of using a boat to pull a skier, which would be impossible, they have built an electrically-powered waterskiing lift that pulls skiiers from the shoreline. There is even a jumping ramp in the middle of the lake. I would have loved to have seen this in action, but unfortunately it wasn’t opening for another week.

After a refreshing dip, we continued our exploration. We crossed the main road which goes to Zermatt, and hiked up a steep hill to the Hohenweg (High Path), which led us along the hills above the village of Tasch for about 2 miles before descending into the town.

Cemetary Roemisch-katholische Kirche CemeteryCemetary Roemisch-katholische Kirche CemeteryUnlike Zermatt, this is not a glitzy resort town, but a real down-to-earth village where everyday, hardworking people live - in fact, the workers that make Zermatt the successful resort it is. It was quite charming and quiet.

The next (and last 2) things to do in Tasch according to Trip Advisor were both churches. The first one was the Roemisch-katholische Kirche (Roman Catholic Church). The interior was much simpler than the Catholic Churches we had visited so far in Munich and Venice, as you would expect in the parish of a small village.

The most interesting thing about this church is the beautiful cemetery in front of it. Rather than tombstones, each grave has a wooden-carved cross, topped by two more pieces of wood, forming a triangle - kind of like the roof of a chalet. They were beautiful. Each marker had the deceased’s name and dates and was surrounded by personalized items - photographs, flowers, candles, memorabilia, etc. There was no status-seeking here - all the markers were of the same wood and height. What a lovely, peaceful setting to come visit one’s loved ones.

Fuxstein ChapelFuxstein ChapelThe second church on the Things to Do list was very different from the first, and a bit hard to find, because it is so well camouflaged - a rather unique characteristic for a church. The Fuxstein Chapel is not a free standing building, but rather a room hollowed out of a large boulder that sits on the valley floor, surrounded by meadows and pastures.

The interior is quite small - just a few wooden pews set before a small golden altar. Rather than the usual cross representing the crucifixion, the bottom of the altar contained a glass, coffin-like box containing a replica of the body of Christ.

I couldn’t believe this chapel was only about a 100 yards from our campsite, and we never even knew it was here!

Tomorrow we would move on to Grindelwald and begin our exploration of the Bernese Oberland.

Description

ZermattZermattZermatt, Switzerland’s glitziest resort since the mid-19th century, is a popular mountaineering and skiing village that lies below the iconic, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn. It is surrounded by mountains and has fabulous views.

In summer, ski lifts transport hikers into the mountains to many excellent hiking trails. There is a cog railway from Zermatt to Gornergrat that is the highest in Europe and brings passengers to even greater views of the Matterhorn.

The main street through town is the Bahnhofstrasse where visitors will find upscale (and expensive, especially compared to Germany and Italy) restaurants, boutique shops, and hotels.

The town is essentially traffic free, so visitors must park 5 km away in the village of Tasch and take the train into town.

Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands

Friday, June 9, 2017 - 10:45am by Lolo
180 miles and 3 hours from our last stop - 2 night stay

Travelogue

Day 1 - Swim/Beach on Lake Maggiore and Explore Feriolo

Campground beach on Lake MaggioreCampground beach on Lake MaggioreAfter Cinque Terre, we almost headed to another U.S. tour favorite - Lake Como, but after learning that it's a place where the rich and famous like to hang out, we thought that we, and our humble little camper, would feel more at home on Lake Maggiore, another beautiful lake in the Italian Lakes District.

My trip planning is usually very heavily activity based, meaning that I pick stops based on things to do - like hikes, or bike rides. I hadn’t really researched Lake Maggiore at all, but we do like beautiful lakes, so we looked on Yelp for highly rated lakeside campgrounds. At the least, we could swim and enjoy the scenery.

We came up with Camping Conca d’Oro on the western shore of the lake near the little village of Feriolo. It had nice grassy sites and a sandy beach right on the lake.

While Herb was checking in, I walked over to the information desk to find out about things to do in the area. The brochure that grabbed my eye was the boat tour to the Borromean Islands, complete with palaces and gardens. Wanting to find out more about this, I asked if anyone spoke English. One poor girl got volunteered, but her English wasn’t much better than my Italian. I think I eventually conveyed my desire to take this tour tomorrow and asked how I could get to the Baveno boat ferry, which was about 3 miles away. She nodded a lot and eventually handed me a bus schedule.

Village of FerioloVillage of FerioloMeanwhile, Herb was able to get the last available campsite in the section near the lake. It was a nice grassy site less than 50 yards from the beach.

The European heat wave still hadn’t let up, so after settling in, we immediately headed to the beach. Unlike the pebbly campground beach on the Gardasee, this one was sandy with trees to provide some shade. The water was refreshing and delightful.

After a few hours of reading and swimming, we decided to take a walk into the nearby village of Feriolo, about a mile away. It had a picturesque waterfront with several dining patios alongside the lake and rows of brightly colored houses (this is Italy after all).

We continued our stroll along the waterfront around the bend to the marina, where we had a great view back at the village with the mountains of Val Grande National Park as a backdrop. So far, I hadn’t met an Italian village I didn’t like.

Day 2 - Boat to Borromean Islands

Cruising Borromean BayCruising Borromean BayToday we would explore the Borromean Islands of Lake Maggiore, which Trip Advisor rated as the top Thing to Do in the area.

The islands get their name from the Borromeo family, a noble family from Milan that has owned these islands since the 17th century. The Borromeos were art lovers and botanists and hired the best architects and gardeners of their time to build their grand residences and elaborate gardens.

Three of these islands - Isola Madre, Isola Bella, and Isolo dei Pescatori -- are open to the public and reached via a hop-on-hop-off ferry. The closest ferry dock for us was in the town of Baveno, which according to the girl I spoke to at the campground tour desk yesterday could be reached by bus.

So, bus schedule in hand, we set off on the mile walk to the village of Feriolo to catch the 9:28 bus to Baveno. We were the only ones at the bus stop, so we rechecked the schedule to make sure we had the right time and place. We did. Perhaps it was so quiet because it was a Saturday. 9:28 soon came and went, then 9:38 - still no bus.

Isola Madre White PeacocksIsola Madre White PeacocksI looked at the schedule again and noticed the word “Feriale” at the top of the column for 9:28 (and most of the other times that morning). Not knowing Italian, I keyed it into my phone translator. The result was not good - “Weekday.” There would be no bus today.

Not wanting to give up on our plans to visit the islands, we walked the 3 miles to Baveno.

Down at the docks, there were a few different options for boat tours, some more official than others. One was just about to pull out as we got there, so we quickly hopped on and paid the 13 euro (each) fare.

We were dropped off first at Isola Madre, the largest of the Borromean Islands, where we followed the crowd to the ticket booth to purchase tickets to visit the palace and the gardens. We decided to buy a combo ticket for 21 euro each, which would also cover the admission to the palaces and gardens on Isola Bella.

Isola Madre Puppet TheaterIsola Madre Puppet TheaterBefore touring the villa, we wandered through the beautiful English-style botanical gardens that this island is famous for -- the lifework of Count Vitaliano IX Borromea, a passionate botanist who spent his life collecting rare trees and exotic plants from around the world. However, what was stealing the show were two totally white peacocks strutting freely around the grounds as if they owned the place.

After the gardens, we toured the 16th century villa, which was the residence of one branch of the Borromeo family - residences by other members of the family were scattered throughout the Borromean Bay. The home was warm and charming, a lot less ostentatious than many of the palaces we had seen on our trip so far. However, this one did have something the others hadn’t - a puppet theater and marionette collection for entertaining their guests.

Behind the villa there is a small piazza with a modest family chapel and a colorful waterlily pond.

Time for the next island, so we walked back to the dock and didn’t have to wait long for our trusty captain to show up and deliver us to our next stop - Isola Bella.

Isola Bella Grotto - Reclining VenusIsola Bella Grotto - Reclining VenusIt didn’t take us long to figure out that Isola Bella was where the more flamboyant branch of the Borromeos had once lived. The island is dominated by a huge, sumptuous, four-storey Baroque palace with 30 richly furnished rooms to tour - nothing like the relatively simple, yet charming, abode of the Madre Borromeos. Some of the more memorable rooms in the palace included the Hall of Honor, the Tapestry Hall, the Neoclassical ballroom, and the room where Napoleon once slept.

However, by far the most intriguing part of the palace is in the basement where there are six underground natural grottos, decorated with dark and light-colored shells and pebbles depicting various nautical themes. I lost Herb for awhile in front of the “Reclining Venus” statue, which had caused quite a stir back in the day, when one of the Borromeo’s guests found its sensuality shocking. I’m glad the Borromeos stood their ground and kept it, because it really was quite lovely.

Isola Bella Garden AmphitheaterIsola Bella Garden AmphitheaterJust as the residence on Isola Bella was much more ostentatious than that on Isola Madre, the gardens were equally over the top in comparison. The gardens were laid out on ten terraces ornamented with exotic plants, spectacular flowers, topiary, ponds, fountains, obelisks, reliefs, and statues. At the end, there is an amphitheater, on three levels, decorated with statues representing the triumphs of the Borromeo family, dominated by a huge statue of a Unicorn, the heraldic emblem of the Borromeos, flanked by statues representing Nature and Art. From the 120-foot high upper terrace, there is a breathtaking view of the lake and surrounding mountains. It was pretty spectacular.

Oh, and of course they too had their own white peacocks strutting around, a little bit more pompously, I thought, than those on Isola Madre.

The third, and last, island on the tour that day was Isola dei Pescatori, a very different experience from the previous two. This island has no lavish palaces or gardens, and there wasn’t even a fancy peacock in sight. Rather, as its names suggests, it is a quaint fishing village, with narrow Medieval lanes, hardworking inhabitants, and simple two-storey fishermen’s homes, complete with long balconies for drying fish. In contrast to Isola Madre and Isola Bella, this was an island of everyday hardworking people, and had been so for centuries.

Lovely Lake MaggioreLovely Lake MaggioreThat was the end of our island tour, which had been truly fascinating and lots of fun - a very worthwhile activity, which I highly recommend.

Once back to the dock in Baveno, we probably could have found a bus that ran on weekends back to Feriolo, but we decided to just walk the 3 miles instead.

It had been quite a full day and we were exhausted, so we spent what was left of it enjoying the campground beach on the lake.

Description

Feriolo on Lake MaggioreFeriolo on Lake MaggioreLake Maggiore, meaning “greatest lake,” is one of several beautiful lakes in the Italian Lake District, which stretches across Northern Italy. It is Italy’s longest lake, stretching for 43 miles, 8 of which extend into Switzerland.

The jewels of Lake Maggiore are the Borromean Islands, which lie in a bay surrounded by mountains on the western side of the lake, between Stresa and Verbania. The three major islands can be reach via a hop-on-hop-off ferry service from Stresa, Verbania, or Baveno.

The islands get their name from the Borromeo family, a noble family from Milan that has owned these islands since the 17th century. The Borromeos were art lovers and botanists and hired the best architects and gardeners of their time to build their grand residences and elaborate gardens.

Ticket prices to visit the palaces on the island can be found here: http://www.isoleborromee.it/eng/info.html

Isola Madre
Isola Madre Chapel SquareIsola Madre Chapel SquareIsola Madre is the largest of the Borromean islands. Once a medieval defense, it is now dominated by an English-style botanical garden with rare trees, exotic flowers, azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, and ancient wisteria. Count Vitaliano IX Borromea was a passionate botanist who spent his life collecting valuable plants from around the world. Like on Isola Bella, white peacocks wander the grounds as if they own the place.

The villa on the island was built in the late 16th century and served as a residence for members of the Borromeo family. Visitors can tour the home, including the Dolls’ Room, the Room of the Seasons, and the Puppet Theaters.

Behind the villa there is a small piazza with a modest family chapel built in 1858 and a colorful waterlily pond.

Isola Bella (“Beautiful Island”)
Isola Bella GardemsIsola Bella GardemsIsola Bella is dominated by its sumptuous four-storey Baroque palace, along with a luxuriant Italian-style garden. Visitors can tour 30 of the richly furnished rooms of the palace, including the Hall of Honor, Tapestry Hall, music room, Neoclassical ballroom, room where Napoleon slept, etc. However, the most intriguing part of the palace is the six underground natural grottos, decorated with dark and light-colored shells and pebbles reflecting nautical themes.

Equally impressive are the formal gardens, laid out on ten terraces ornamented with exotic plants, spectacular flowers, topiary, ponds, fountains, obelisks, reliefs, and statues. There are also two white peacocks that freely wander the grounds. At the end, there is an amphitheater, on three levels, decorated with statues representing the triumphs of the Borromeo family. The upper terrace, which is 120-feet high, has a breathtaking view of the lake and its surrounding mountains.

Isola dei Pescatori (Fishermen’s Island)
Isola dei Pescatori is the only one of the three islands that is inhabited, and as its name suggests, most of those inhabitants are fishermen, generations of whom have been living there for centuries. Unlike the lavish palaces and gardens of the first two islands, this is a quaint fishing village with narrow Medieval lanes and simple two-storey fishermen’s homes, with long balconies for drying fish. The island’s many fine fish restaurants, where you can eat freshly caught fish, make it a popular destination.

Cinque Terre

Wednesday, June 7, 2017 - 10:15am by Lolo
170 miles and 3 hours from our last stop - 2 night stay

Travelogue

Day 1 - Arriving at and exploring Levanto

The colors of Levanto BeachThe colors of Levanto BeachCinque Terre is a very popular destination on U.S. tours of Italy, and several of my friends have posted Facebook photos of its picturesque, centuries-old villages tucked along the edges of its rugged, mountainous Italian Riviera coastline. Surprisingly, Europeans not so much so. Many whom I shared my list of stops with had never even heard of it. Strange, because it is a truly amazing place.

There are five of these villages (Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore), so hence the name “Cinque Terre, which means “Five Lands” in Italian. I’m sure everyone has seen beautiful photos of these villages taken from the Sentiero Azzurro trail (blue trail) that runs above them along the cliffs. This trail and those photos were the reason we were here.

The towns along the trail are quite remote and isolated and can only be reached via train, boat, or foot. Our plan was to camp in the town of Levanto, so that we could take the train to Monterosso, where the Sentiero Azzurro trail began.

Our original intent was to camp at Camping Acqua Dolce, a small campground in the heart of Levanto, in walking distance to a sandy beach on the Mediterranean and the train station. Sounded perfect -- apparently everyone else thought so too, because by the time we got there it was totally full.

Surfers on Levanto BeachSurfers on Levanto BeachThe campground host gave us a list of four campgrounds a short distance outside of town, which we tried calling to see if they had room for us. Three didn’t answer (possibly Siesta time), but the one that did said they were full as well. We were in a little bit of a panic, as we had really driven quite far out of our way along some pretty winding roads to get here.

We decided to try Camping San Michele, because it was the furthest from town, which we figured would give us the best chance of having availability. As we pulled in, a woman (the proprietress) was just getting in her car to go pick up her son at school. She told us there was room, and suggested we take a walk around to pick a site while she was gone.

Levanto Beach on the Mediterranean SeaLevanto Beach on the Mediterranean SeaWhat a difference from the hustle and bustle we had encountered down at the other campground in town. This one was so peaceful and tranquil, set in an olive grove atop a hill overlooking the countryside. We picked the site that had the best view and waited for the campground owner to return. It seemed like she ran the entire place herself.

My main concern was how we would get to the train station in Levanto tomorrow, without moving the camper. The proprietress told us there was a dirt trail that started right outside the campground that would lead us to the road to the train station, about a mile away.

We decided to take the trail that afternoon and check out the town of Levanto. Our first stop was the train station, where we got a copy of the schedule and bought a two-day Cinque Terre Train Card for 29 euro each. This would give us unlimited train travel for 48 hours, starting with our first usage, and a pass to hike the Sentiero Azzurro trail.

More of lovely Levanto BeachMore of lovely Levanto BeachAfterwards, we strolled down to Levanto’s long sandy beach on the Mediterranean and watched the surfers ride the waves. I so wished we had brought along our bathing suits, but since we didn’t, I did the next best thing - waded up to my knees in the warm water - my first dip in the Mediterranean Sea.

We continued along the lovely waterfront admiring the colorful houses and beach umbrellas. It’s amazing what a difference a bucket of paint can make. The Italians certainly know how to use a colorful palette to make things festive.

We stopped for dinner at a little restaurant called Caffe Roma on the Piazza Staglieno and sat on the outdoor patio watching people recreating and socializing in the park across the way. It was such a happy scene of locals enjoying everyday life.

We made the long walk back to our campground and set up our little rental table and chairs outside the camper to watch the sun set over the olive groves. Now this was the real Italy.

Day 2 - Hiking the Sentiero Azzurro Trail from Monterosso to Vernazza

Looking back at MonterossoLooking back at MonterossoWe were quite excited about hiking the beautiful Sentiero Azzurro trail today, so we got an early start, trekked down the path to the Levanto train station, and caught the 9:05 train to Monterosso, the first stop. From the Monterosso train station we walked up the hill to the Cinque Terre Visitor Center to get maps and information about trail conditions.

The Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail - marked # 2 on the maps) goes along the rugged mountainside, passing through each of the coastal towns - Monterosso (which we were in now), Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. It is supposed to be quite steep and challenging.

We would have loved to hike the whole stretch, but unfortunately the part from Corniglia on has been closed since 2011, due to a devastating flood that damaged the trails.

As an alternative, I asked the Ranger about returning from Corniglia via the inland Sentiero Rosso trail, which runs high above the Cinque Terre towns and is also supposed to be beautiful. She looked at me like I was a crazy tourist and said that not many people do that. I had no idea at this time just how hilly and rough all these trails were. We decided that we would make that decision when we got to Corniglia. If we didn’t want to do it, we could just take the train back to Levanto.

From Monterosso to Vernazza on the Sentiero AzzurroFrom Monterosso to Vernazza on the Sentiero AzzurroThe hike from Monterosso to Vernazza is the most challenging section of the trail. The trails, are steep, narrow, and rocky, and there are lots of steps. It was a rough 4 miles - felt much longer - and pretty much took us the estimated hour and a half.

Almost everyone we passed on the trail was speaking English, confirming my earlier statement that Cinque Terre is very popular with Americans.

As we approached Vernazza from the trail above, the views of the town were incredible - colorful old houses stacked haphazardly on top of each other, narrow crooked streets, and a small, sandy beach along the harbor. I think this is the vantage point from which the photos I have seen of Cinque Terre are taken. It looked very inviting.

Looking back at Vernazza on our way to CornigliaLooking back at Vernazza on our way to CornigliaWe hiked the steep trail down into the town and sat on the beach for awhile. Afterwards we wandered through the narrow alleys of this very picturesque town before climbing back up to the Sentiero Azzurro and continuing on towards Corniglia.

This section of the hike was the wildest and greenest section along the coast. The previous section to Vernazza was supposed to be the most challenging, but this was not exactly a piece of cake either.

Corniglia was different from the other CInque Terre towns in that it was not at sea level. Rather, it sat atop a 300-foot high rocky promontory surrounded by vineyards. No ferries or cruise ships could reach it, so it was quieter and more tranquil than the other villages, but just as quaint.

We took advantage of the quiet, to have a nice lunch overlooking the water. I think there was a refreshing beer involved as well.

Approaching Corniglia on the Sentiero AzzurroApproaching Corniglia on the Sentiero AzzurroThis was the end of the line in terms of hiking the Sentiero Azzurro trail since the next two sections were closed. We had already hiked 10 miles, counting the walk from the campground to the Levanto train station, and most of them had been quite challenging. Now I understood why the Ranger thought I was a crazy lady suggesting that we might want to hike back from Corniglia on the inland Sentiero Rosso trail.

The only hiking we were going to do now was to the Corniglia train station. Even this wasn’t easy, as the station is located down on the waterfront, and required walking down 365 steps. At least, we were going down and not up.

By the time we got back to the campground, we were exhausted. The thought of hiking these steep trails again tomorrow was not particularly appealing, especially since we had already seen the highlights.

Despite hating the thought of not using the second day on our Cinque Terre Cards, we decided that tomorrow morning we would move on to our next stop - Lake Maggiore in the Italian Lakes Region.

Description

Approaching Vernazza on the Sentiero AzzurroApproaching Vernazza on the Sentiero AzzurroCinque Terre, which means “Five Lands”, is a series of five centuries-old seaside villages tucked away along an 11-mile stretch of rugged, mountainous Italian Riviera coastline.

The easiest way to reach and travel between the villages is via a train from the town of Levanto, just north of Cinque Terre. I highly recommend purchasing a Cinque Terre Train Card, which covers unlimited train travel as well as access to all hiking paths. A one-day card costs 16 euro and a two-day card costs 29 euro: http://www.cinqueterre.eu.com/en/cinque-terre-card.

However, by far the best way to visit the villages is via the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail - marked #2 on the maps), which follows the edge of the hills between the villages. It involves steep climbing up rough stone stairs and walking on loose rocky surfaces, so sensible footwear is recommended. It requires a hiking pass (which can be part of the Cinque Terre Train Card). For an overview of the trail, see: https://www.walksofitaly.com/blog/cinque-terre/hiking-trails

NOTE:
In October of 2011, the Cinque Terre region was hit hard by a devastating flood which has resulted in the closing of the section of the trail connecting Riomaggiore (on the southern end) to Manarola to Corniglia. However, the section from Manarola (northern end) to Vernazza (1.5 hours) to Corniglia (1.5 hours) is open. For current conditions, check with the Cinque Terre National Park office (parconazionale5terre.it).

The following is a brief description of the five villages (from north to south - the direction we took):

    Exploring the back alleys of CornigliaExploring the back alleys of Corniglia
  • Monterosso if the furthest north of the 5 villages and the only one with a sandy beach. A tunnel connects the “Old” town to the “New.” The Old Town is similar to the other villages, though larger and not quite as steep. While pretty, it is not quite as stunning as the other 4 villages and has a more beach resort feel to it. Monterosso is known for its lemon trees and anchovies served right off the boat.
  • The hike from Monterosso to Vernazza is probably the most challenging section of the trail. The trails, are steep, narrow, and rocky, and there are lots of steps. Before descending to the town, make sure to take in a beautiful view of it from above. Its colorful old houses haphazardly stacked on top of each other, narrow crooked streets, numerous restaurants and cafes, eye-popping sea views, and small beach along the harbor make it a wonderful respite along the way.
  • The hike from Vernazza to Corniglia is the wildest and greenest section of the coast. Like the previous section, it is quite steep and challenging. Sitting atop a 300-foot high rocky promontory surrounded by vineyards, is the only one of the five villages not near sea level - and therefore, not accessible by water. 365 steps lead down to its waterfront train station far below.Corniglia has a much quieter and more tranquil feel to it than the other villages, but is just as quaint.
  • The hike from Corniglia to Manarola(45 minutes) is currently closed due to damage from a devastating 2011 flood. However, the town can still be reached via train, boat, or car. Manarola has a bustling main street and waterfront promenade, a nice swimming area off a cement pier, and lots of caves and coastline to explore.
  • The hike from Manarola to Riomaggiore(20 minutes) is currently closed due to the above-mentioned flood. However, like Manarola, the town can still be reached via train, boat, or car. Riomaggiore is the southernmost of the five villages and its largest. It has a lovely harbor and pebbly beach, a botanical garden, and an ancient stone castello built in 800 to protect the citizens in case of an attack from the sea. There are numerous restaurants, cafes, and bars along the Via Colombo, Riomaggiore’s main street.

Besides the Sentiero Azzurro (Blue Trail), there is another more challenging inland trail called the Sentiero Rosso (Red Trail), which runs high above the Cinque Terre villages for 22 miles from Levanto to Porto Venere. It’s mainly flat, with plenty of restaurants and bars along the way. It is far less populated than the Sentiero Azzurro.

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