Unfortunately the original route that we wished to take through Switzerland via Andermatt was closed due to heavy snow. Leaving our salubrious accommodation in Chur, we were forced to back-track north via Interlaken. Not such a bad detour given the incredible scenery shown today in all its glory with the bright sunshine.
We have both been to Interlaken before, but of course the memory has dulled. However, Graeme is sure that we parked our car very near the hotel that he and his good friend Ralph, stayed in nearly 30 years ago. He remembers that it was near the clock tower and canal, with a restaurant underneath it. He can't wait to get home to check his photos with the one we took today.
1/ Graeme outside the hotel he thinks he stayed in 30 years ago!!
After a quick coffee in Interlaken our plan was to head south and cross into the Chamonix Valley via Vallorcine. That was the plan.....but unfortunately at this very moment, everyone became directionally challenged and we spent quite a deal of time "pfaffing around" on the shores of the lake trying to find the correct turn-off. When I say everyone, I also include Penny (the GPS). There must have been recent road-works or changes to the road system since she was programmed. She was positively unhelpful, telling us to turn left when the road signs clearly indicated that we should go right! Add to this confusion, the excitement of me behind the wheel and you have a class "A" storm "a brewin!!". Fortunately Graeme realised this and kindly suggested that he take over the driving again!! I enthusiastically relinquished the wheel and for good measure I used the "Off button" to silence the now downright annoying Penny. No more relying on technology - it was back to the faithful road atlas for us!!
As luck would have it, we ended up in a beautiful hanging valley brimming with the deep snow of the past days. Driving past Kandersteg at the end of the valley we found ourselves stopped at traffic lights. We assumed that there was a one-way tunnel ahead. Imagine our surprise when the lights changed and our car was loaded onto a train!! Cool!
The Swiss must be some of the best roading engineers in the world. Their twisting mountain roads all seem to need tunnels, viaducts and terracing. This car-train ferry system from Kandersteg to Goppenstein under an otherwise impenetrable mountain range was nothing short of astonishing! What a shame my Mum & Dad never travelled to Europe. My Dad would have just loved travelling through Switzerland to see all these engineering marvels!!
2/ The snowbound Kandersteg
3/ The amazing "car-train" under the mountain
And finally, we arrive at Martigny, our last stop in Switzerland before heading over the Col de la Forclaz (1527m) and Col des Montets (1461m) into the Chamonix Valley. The home stretch!! And familiar territory at last.
Observation - Europe is BIG!
This road trip has seen me seriously readjust my memories of "how big" Europe truly is. I think my memories of European travel have been distorted by train travel. Travelling on night trains meant that I was asleep for much of the journey and had no real understanding of the vastness passing below me.
Growing up in Australia, and living in NZ, I had an arrogant belief that we, antipodeans, were surely the champions of long distance travel. Sure, us Aussies & Kiwis do some long stints behind the wheel, but the roads are uncrowded, we are travelling fairly slowly and the levels of concentration required are nowhere near what you need to travel at 140km/hr + on a crowded, snowy autobahn with signage all in a foreign language! Our meetings with our Dutchie on the first day of the school holidays and a young Latvian who was going to be driving for 19 hours through the night from Slovakia has seen me change my opinion!
Yeeha!! We're back safe and sound in our little 48m2 in Araches!!
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