Top of Europe

This is from our last full day in Switzerland. We woke up to clear skies so got up early to get to the top of the Jungfraujoch mountain by train. It was a 2 hour trip so we were taking a gamble on whether or not the clouds would stay away from the top of the lookout. From Wilderswil we took a train to Lauterbrunnen, then a smaller train through Wengen to Kleine Scheidegg, where we got on a cogwheel train that goes through the Eigerwand to the Jungfraujoch. (J's are pronounced like a "y", and we also learned W's are pronounced like a "v"). Here are some of our views on the way to the top.

 The Eiger

We finally reached the top and unfortunately the clouds came in and it was cold! The sign said it was -4 degrees Celcius.

 Inside the mountain they have ice tunnels with ice sculptures that were really cool.

We could have waited out the clouds but we didn't know if we would have to wait minutes or hours since the clouds here move so fast but also seem to come from nowhere. So we decided we would just head down since there were so many other areas we wanted to explore today. Sure enough as soon as we got down the mountain it had cleared up. It was a bit of a bummer but c'est la vie! Here is Ally entertaining herself on the train on the way.

 Nothing more entertaining than playing with your reflections.

Next we went back down to Lauterbrunnen to head up the other side of the valley towards Murren.

The Lauterbrunnen valley is absolutely breathtaking and puts Yosemite to shame. I love the 3 waterfalls shooting out from the right side of the mountain. From Lauterbrunnen we took a bus to visit the Trummelbach Falls. These falls flow inside the mountain and we were able to climb up through the caves alongside the falls to watch them twist and turn through the caves that were carved by the water and worn smooth. It was really cool. Unfortunately my camera battery died right after my first picture.

Important note to self: The Falls only accepts cash, so make sure to not discourage your dear husband from pulling cash out the morning of your journey. It really will prevent frustration and anger when you have to wait 25 minutes to take the next bus 10 min back into Lauterbrunnen to the nearest bank, and then another 10 min wait before taking the 10 minute bus ride back to the falls!!

We finished up our journey for the day by taking a tram and train up to Murren with more spectacular views. Then we headed back to our apartment to rest and pack up for our long journey back home. We had such a fabulous vacation and are already thinking of where to go next. We are hoping it will be someplace warm =)