There were so many options out there for the name of this blog. When it came right down to it I had to I had to choose between the winner and “Wakin’ When The Cows Come Home”. Both of them sound negative but the experience has been anything but!

Today is our third day in the Swiss Alps. Our friend, Katherina, recommended a place called Rosenlaui and we are extremely glad she did.

The hotel is quite old and situated below the beautiful Rosenlaui Glacier. Given the age of the place it’s no wonder we have to walk across the hall to the WC. This is, in spite of that inconvenience, one of the nicest places we have experienced in our three months in Europe.

There are no souvenir shops or gawking tourists (besides us!…everyone else seems to be Swiss). From the hotel it is a nice hike to the next pass with a great view of the Eiger, the Wetterhorn etc. etc. On our first full day here we did that hike dropping down to the valley towards Grindelwald. We had great weather, our feet held out and our camera’s memory card filled up. We hiked through fields of wildflowers, over creeks, across snow fields and past countless hillside Refugio’s. It was a wonderful day until we decided to take the bus back to Rosenlaui. The hike took us five hours… the bus ride less than one yet they wanted (and we paid) over 50 Swiss Francs ($50 Cdn) for the experience. When we were in Vietnam a few years ago we paid around $20 to go from one end of the country to the other (over five days). Anway,  I got over it as I looked out the window. We had the bus to ourselves (almost) so I figured out it was the cost of a taxi back to our comfy eiderdown covers and delicious food. Our second night here we had the most delicious meal we have experienced in our three months in Europe. Really, if you get a chance to experience this place don’t let the lack of WC put you off. The hospitality and the food are first class!

Just meters from our hotel is the entrance to the Rosenlaui Glacier Gorge. This is a spectacular hike up a narrow gorge where nature has worked wonders gouging out the rock. Really worth the entrance fee. Shane took a movie of the tunnels along the pathway. You can hardly hear for the crashing of the water down the gorge.

Now imagine this rushing water just outside our hotel window…. Then imagine the fact that the WC is across the hall… then imagine how that is on an aging bladder in the middle of the night. Need I say more?

On the third day we took a trip to Interlaken to do a little sight seeing and catch up on our laundry. The sun was out in spite of the forecast of more rain. Took a drive up the valley to get a closer look at some of the other glaciers in the area. It was still a bit overcast at the top so we decided against taking the gondola up. We saw so much hiking that it would probably be an expensive let down if we went up. At the bottom of each lift there is a web cam that shows you what it’s like up top. Very handy for the tourists for sure!

There is a road that links this valley but for some reason you can’t drive it. We found out that Grindelwald, the town we hiked to, is accessible by road and that the road would, in fact, continue to our hotel if we were allowed to take it. I think it’s a ploy by the bus company to sell those expensive tickets.

So now we come to the second choice of blog title. Twice a year the cows are moved. In the fall they come home from the Alpine pastures and in Spring they return….bells and all!

We just happened to be here at the time the herd is returning. This is a very big deal here. Last night, during dinner, there was a terrible clatter as the first group (we’d seen) headed up the road with bells on. The lead cow seems to have a bigger bell. I’m not too sure what cow protocol is but that seems to be the way it is. The other cows follow the one with the biggest bell. Twas ever thus!

At half past five this morning we were woken by the first in a long series of ‘cow groups’ heading past the hotel. People in their night gowns smiling at the poor things as they trudge up the same paths we took the day before.

It was raining this morning, cold and damp. The ‘die post’ bus came by while we were having breakfast and a gentleman disembarked coming in to our hotel. He ordered a curious assortment of beverages including tea with brandy. Then he set them on an outside table. Eventually a herd of cows came by and their thankful herders knocked back the hot drinks before catching up to the dingle bells. Everyone seems to be a part of the ‘cow’ action as they move up in the world.

It is very peaceful to be walking through the fields of wildflowers and hear the cow bells. However those cows can be nasty. We saw one toss a little girl up in the air today. She could have been badly hurt. We were both a little shaken by that experience.

All in all it has been a good few days. We have experienced heavy downpours, high wind and blowing snow. At the Swiss border it was so miserable that even the guard didn’t come out of his hut.

We have had spectacular views as we have made our way over mountain passes. We have even found our way blocked as we tried to take a pass that was, much to our surprise, closed. We’ve driven around snow and rocks on the road. We’ve had lights flashing hoping to be seen in dense fog. It has been a wonderful week. I absolutely love the atmosphere here in Switzerland. The architecture and the love of nature…not to mention the food!

Tomorrow we head to Zurich to spend time with Katherina.