John Edward Cooper’s Notes

DAY 7
FREE DAY
Your last day is again free for you to choose your own personal itinerary, perhaps using your Bernese Oberland travel pass. You might decide to take the easy ride to Bern — capital of the Swiss Confederation, for a day of shopping and culture in the city where Einstein worked. Another relatively short trip will take you to Mulenen for a ride on one of the world’s steepest funiculars to the conical peak of the Niesen, with dominant views over Spiez and Lake Thun. Or there’s Gstaad, the super-chic resort on the route of the Golden Pass narrow gauge “express” train.
 Close to Meiringen is the excellent Swiss Open Air Museum at Ballenberg, where historic houses and farms from throughout the country have been reconstructed. They’ll give you a real insight into a former rural way of life, much of which has now sadly disappeared even from Switzerland. If the weather looks good and you’re still eager for even more high mountain scenery, why not take the train to Kleine Scheidegg and continue on the Jungfrau Railway through the heart of the Eiger mountain itself to Jungfraujoch (direct supplement payable). This is Europe’s highest railway station with breathtaking glacier views that are normally reserved for the best mountaineers. This evening we enjoy our last meal together in the Royal-St. Georges. It’s your last chance to swap stories and share the wonders of Switzerland’s stunning Bernese Oberland with your fellow travellers.

Janet didn’t sleep well for yet another night. “Lousy night again,” she wrote. “Hey ho, I’ll catch up one day! [I was] ages getting off [to sleep], despite being so tired; then, as usual, I awoke at 5.30am and dozed. Finally I got up at ca.7.30am as I was bored.”
 I followed the usual pattern of shaving and showering after Janet vacated the bathroom.
 “Breakfast. Another sunny day,” Janet’s writing continued. “At ca.9.20am we headed off for the station and just caught the train to Wilderswil by the skin of our teeth.” Actually, we arrived with a margin of 2 or 3 minutes, but we didn’t know that that was going to be so, as we were hurrying along Höheweg. This was the same service as the one on which we’d travelled on Saturday 13 July to Lauterbrunnen; the same, that is, except ½-hour later. We travelled in the front portion of the train as on Saturday, but we could as well have travelled in the rear Grindelwald-destined part, because we were getting off at the first stop, Wilderswil.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 09:31:32
About to turn right to platform 2A for the 09:35 “Regio” Lauterbrunnen train


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 09:34:28
Aboard the 09:35 Lauterbrunnen train: next stop, Wilderswil


Interlaken Ost to Wilderswil [click to enlarge]
Rail route shown as a red line
© Federal Office of Topography swisstopo


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 09:37:22
Aboard the Berner Oberland-Bahn “Regio” Lauterbrunnen train, approaching Wilderswil


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 09:42:16
The Berner Oberland-Bahn “Regio” Lauterbrunnen train at Wilderswil, Platform 1A


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 09:42:34
The Berner Oberland-Bahn “Regio” Grindelwald train at Wilderswil, Platform 1B
The two trains would be uncoupled and go their separate ways from the next stop, Zweilütschinen.

At Wilderswil, on the far side of the metre-gauge tracks, I saw a small crowd of people outside a little two-carriage train on a parallel 800mm (2ft 7½in) gauge rack-railway track, and went over to them; but they were in a private tour group.…






Schynige Platte




Schynige Platte Timetable

After a few minutes, the scheduled train arrived, and we boarded.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 09:52:52
Boarding the 10:05 train to Schynige Platte


Wilderswil to Schynige Platte [click to enlarge]
Rail route shown as a red line
© Federal Office of Topography swisstopo

The train ran parallel to the “main” line for ¹⁄₃-mile or so, till both crossed over a river, and we peeled off to the left, climbing into the mountains through fields and forests. As seems typical of these railways, the two coaches were pushed by the little electric locomotive — which brought to mind again the pile-ups on OO-scale model railways with such a configuration!


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 10:12:00
Aboard the 10:05 train to Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 10:14:28
Views from the train to Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 10:32:30
Views from the train to Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 10:41:30
Views from the train to Schynige Platte

I didn’t give much thought to the train that, after a 180° bend, I noticed following us, but it was perhaps conveying the private tour party.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 10:44:00
Views from the train to Schynige Platte: a following train…


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 10:44:00 (detail)
…pushed by 1910-built locomotive №19 “Flühblume”


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 10:52:14
Views from the train to Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 10:53:28
Views from the train to Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:00:08
At Schynige Platte station: our locomotive, 1910-built №16 “Anemone”

Shortly after our arrival, we were serenaded from above and behind us by a man and a woman in traditional Swiss costume playing alphorns. “Behind us”, that is, until we turned and marched up the hill for a drink at the hotel that was there.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:05:28
Alphorn duet


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:06:34
Proceeding to Berghotel Schynige Platte as the train pushed by “Flühblume” arrives


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:20:48
Refreshments at Berghotel Schynige Platte

The “Ogre” belied his name again, by being shy and hiding behind a bank of cloud; and the “Monk”, who’d granted us an appearance yesterday, similarly concealed himself; but the “Maiden” showed herself, with wisps of clouds to preserve her modesty.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:35:48
Views from Schynige Platte: the Jungfrau


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:36:54
Views from Schynige Platte: the Lauterbrunnen valley

We visited the Botanical Alpine Garden—


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:47:54
Flowers in the Botanical Alpine Garden


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:53:12
Flowers in the Botanical Alpine Garden


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:54:58
Caterpillar in the Botanical Alpine Garden


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:55:38
Flowers in the Botanical Alpine Garden


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:57:56
Flowers in the Botanical Alpine Garden: Alpenrose


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 11:58:20
Flowers in the Botanical Alpine Garden: “Alpenrose”


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:00:04
Flowers in the Botanical Alpine Garden: “Edelweiss, cultivated form”


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:00:04 (detail)


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:01:30
Flowers in the Botanical Alpine Garden:
“Leontopodium alpinum
Edelweiss
Stony lawn
on limestone”


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:06:22
Flowers in the Botanical Alpine Garden

—before wandering for a while along the mountain trails.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:10:48
Views of and from Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:11:08
Views of and from Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:11:20
Views of and from Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:12:00
Views of and from Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:12:16
Views of and from Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:25:34
Views of and from Schynige Platte


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:28:08
Views of and from Schynige Platte

Janet had written that the trip to Oeschinensee and on Thunersee on Tuesday 16 July had been her favourite day; but she revised that opinion today. “The scenery was magnificent… It was stunning, and I decided this was my favourite day of the lot.”


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:48:16
At Schynige Platte station: 1910-built locomotive №19 “Flühblume”


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:51:02
Aboard the 13:01 train to Wilderswil, awaiting departure


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 12:57:28
View from the 13:01 train to Wilderswil, as we await departure




Schynige Platte Timetable


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 13:03:28
Approaching a tunnel


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 13:19:04
Calling at Breitlauenen, where there is one of the line’s two passing loops


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 13:38:48
At the other of the line’s two passing loops


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 13:54:18
Wilderswil railway station

We had time to buy liquids to quench our thirst at a convenience store near the station, and to sit on a bench and drink them, before the train back to Interlaken Ost was due.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 14:18:56
Arrival at Platform 2 of the 14:18 Berner Oberland-Bahn train to Interlaken Ost


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 14:20:54
Aboard the train to Interlaken Ost

I decided that I was hungry enough to eat something light that would not spoil my appetite for dinner. Janet hadn’t had time to go to the little Coop at Interlaken Ost station for her usual bread roll and banana; so we went to the big Coop across from the station, where she bought these items and a 45cl bottle of Sprite Zero (14:43).


Till receipt, printed at “14:43”

Then we went up to the cafeteria, where I bought a ham-and-salad baguette and another of those 20cl bottles of red wine, the light red Graveline “Assemblage Rouge” (14:49).


Till receipt, printed at “14:49”

There we consumed the items we’d bought, before making our way to the Harderbahn station for another trip up the Harder. There was a bit of a queue up the steps to the ticket office, where we were issued with free tickets on production of our “Berner Oberland Regional-Passes” (15:34), but there was still room for us in the funicular car, without our having to wait for the next one.




Tickets, one printed at “12:43” (presumably in error, or surplus to requirements, at that time) and the other at “15:34” (when we were there)


Route of the Harderbahn [click to enlarge]
© Federal Office of Topography swisstopo


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 15:41:56
Aboard the Harderbahn car


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 15:43:20
Aboard the Harderbahn car

The “Big Three”, as Janet called them, were mostly covered with cloud.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:05:38
Panorama of views from Harderkulm: Brienzersee


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:05:50
Panorama of views from Harderkulm: Brienzersee and Interlaken


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:06:00
Panorama of views from Harderkulm: Interlaken and the Lauterbrunnen valley


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:06:34
Panorama of views from Harderkulm: Interlaken and Unterseen


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:06:42
Panorama of views from Harderkulm: Unterseen and Thunersee


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:06:52
Panorama of views from Harderkulm: Lombach valley


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:07:00
Panorama of views from Harderkulm: Lombach valley


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:09:22
Looking down towards Hôtel Royal-St Georges


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:09:22 (detail 1)
Hôtel Royal-St Georges


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:09:22 (detail 2)
Japanese Garden


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:09:22 (detail 3)
Kirche Heiliggeist


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:09:22 (detail 4)
Schloss Interlaken

We went for a drink, and had our “usual”. (According to Janet, we had “a couple of drinks.”)


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 16:15:48
Refreshments at Bergrestaurant Harder Kulm

Then we kept on watching for the “Big Three”, and indeed the summit of the Mönch appeared briefly between the clouds (“17:11:50”). But mostly the range — or their recognisable peaks — was hidden solidly by those clouds (e.g. “17:22:48” and “17:23:02”), even though it was hot and sunny where we were, and the views below were only very slightly hazy.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:11:50
Glimpse of the Mönch


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:21:12
Plaque showing where the Berner Oberland peaks are supposed to appear


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:22:48
The Daube (left), behind which the Eiger is supposed to appear


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:23:02
The Daube, behind which the Eiger is supposed to appear

The Mönch made another, very brief appearance, as we were about to board the funicular car.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:29:24
Returning to Harder station


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:38:24
Through the barrier to the Harderbahn car


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:38:56
Glimpses of the Mönch from Harder station


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:39:04
Glimpses of the Mönch from Harder station — only the merest hint of the Eiger, though, behind the Daube (left)


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:41:10
Aboard the Harderbahn car at Harder station


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:42:20
Aboard the Harderbahn car


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:43:04
Aboard the Harderbahn car


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:47:48
Aboard the Harderbahn car: tunnel


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 17:56:22
Outside the Harderbahn station in Brienzerstrasse, waiting to go over the level crossing to Beaurivage Brücke


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 18:01:40
View from Beaurivage Brücke: Grand Hotel Beau Rivage

Having crossed the Aare river to the main street Höheweg, we made our way down to the river, and walked back to the hotel that way.


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 18:03:24
Path through the English Garden leading to the Aare and under Beaurivage Brücke


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 18:04:28
On Reckweg by the Aare


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 18:07:58
Alley leading to Hôtel Royal-St Georges


Thursday 18 July 2019 — 18:07:58
Hôtel Royal-St Georges

We went up to our room, dumped our stuff, and after a few minutes went back down for dinner at 6.30pm. There was a “farewell drink”. I had a glass of prosecco — and, because there was some left over, a second one. I didn’t have my usual Grimbergen Blanche from the bar, though Janet had a Coke Zero. Janet wrote: “We had a catch-up of today (Gary and Liz, Jungfraujoch; and Brenda and Clive, ‘The James Bond Thing’ [the Schilthorn summit, with the Piz Gloria panoramic revolving restaurant] — I couldn’t have done either with my breathing problem) and [had] a good laugh.”… We got back to the room ca.8.45pm. I did this and that, while Janet showered, etc.; and we were in bed just before 10pm.

[Friday 19 July 2019]