Day fourteen: Reichenbach Falls and Aareschlucht Gorge Part II
After finding a new direction, with renewed energy I continued up the mountainside on a trail over rocks and roots. I had a beautiful view of the nearby snowy topped mountains and the roofs of the buildings in Meiringen.
The trail was soon filled with piles of red dead leaves, left over from an earlier season. I passed by another small stream that ran quietly through the rocks surrounded by the red leaves and moss-covered trees were nearby. The trail then got much steeper and I braced myself for the climb. A sweaty few minutes later, I reached a sign that said "Luegen- Falcheren" but I was not sure what that meant. The path continued to get steeper and there was a mossy stone wall on either side. This reminded me of the remains of stone walls that I come across occasionally in Massachusetts; abandoned sites where the farmland has grown back into a forest except for the wall. There was one more steep part left until I reached the top...but I didn't hear the falls anymore. After I reached the top, the path went through a large field that rolled up to my left and I had a beautiful view of the Meiringen.
I didn't hear or see that falls. I guessed that I had climbed higher than the falls! I walked forward into a clump of trees but I determined that the path went back down the other side of the mountain which was not what I wanted. I returned to the field and I decided to go in the direction of the falls. I ran through the field stopping only a little bit. The grass started up to my ankles and as I passed a chalet the grass went up to my calves. I ran fast because there were a lot of flowers in the grass and consequently many bees. I could hear cow bells tinkling in the distance and deducted that I was in cow fields....again. And lost.
I ran through the grass with it up to my thighs (good thing I was wearing full-length leggings haha). I got to an electric fence and I could either cross it or turn back. I decided to turn around and I saw a small hill that I went down. I ended up finding a trail that led back into the trees. The path descended down the mountain but by this point I was glad to be out of the grass and I was frustrated and exhausted. I went down the trail and it branched off into a smaller path. I followed the small path to a river. I climbed over a fallen birch tree and crossed the river. I climbed up a steep slope and walked along the trail until it ended and I ended up turning around and going back to the trail that I had left originally. I kept going down the mountain and I kept hoping to find Reichenbache falls but instead I found a rock cliff that curved into a half-circle. Underneath, there was a bench where I took a break.
Then, I continued down the mountainside and the trail zig-zagged through some green plants until I reached the gravel road. I passed by the small waterfalls again and retraced my steps exactly back to where the trolley station is.
Well, I didn't travel all the way to Meiringen to not see the Reichenbach falls up close! I decided to take the trolley up (which was now open). I waited in line and after about 20 minutes, I got into the trolley. I was on the end of the bench right next to the side of the trolley. I am not a fan of roller coasters but this was a slow and leisurely ride up to the falls. I saw some of the trails that I followed on my hike up the mountain.
I gingerly got off of the platform and I was prepared in my rain jacket for the misty rain from Reichenbach falls. The falls are amazing! The water cascades down the sheer rock face and down into a rapid down the mountain. I also saw the white star on the other side of the falls that marks the famous ledge where Sherlock Holmes defeated his nemesis Professor Moriarty.
I started on another hike: up to the top of the falls and over to the famous ledge! Despite my exhaustion, I was energized for another hike!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Day fourteen: Reichenbach Falls and Aareschlucht Gorge! Part I
Note: I did a lot of adventuring this day so there will be multiple posts as I break it up haha
I had a much needed day off and I decided to venture off on my own to Meiringen where the Reichenbach Falls are. The Reichenbach falls are famous as the location where Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty faced off for the last time.
I left Our Chalet at 9:15am and began the long journey to Meiringen. I took a bus and three trains to get there. On one of trains, I passed through Interlaken which is a beautiful city surronded on both sides by lakes. The lakes are turquoise blue and green mountains rise up around the lake. The scenery reminded me of the dinosaur age and I could imagine taradactals flying around in the sky and other dinosaurs eating the vegetation around the lake.
After I arrived in Meiringen, I tried to figure out the bus schedule but I don't think any buses were running because it was a Sunday and most things are closed on Sundays. I meandered into town and the first building I spotted was a chapel. Stained glass decorated the chapel windows and there was a tall wooden agriculture that reminded me of a mix between a totem pole and a tree. The sign outside of the building informed me that it was....the Sherlock Holmes museum! It was closed so I decided to possibly stop by later if I had time before it closed later. The museum was situated in a park. To the right of the building was a platform with a life-size set of chess pieces (similar to the set that I saw in Bern...perhaps this is a trend in Switzerland?). To the left of the museum past the sculpture was a grassy area with a small playground.
I continued up the street but I had two problems: 1) I had no idea how to get to Reichenbach falls 2) It was time to find a WC (water closet). I entered a fancy-looking hotel near the Sherlock Holmes museum and I followed the WC signs to the basement. The basement walls looked like marshmello and were now smooth at all. I walked up and down the hall for a few minutes until I spotted the bathroom! It was a door that had a symbol on it that I had not seen before haha. Afterwards, I asked upstairs for directions and reception kindly gave me a map to take with me.
Now, with directions I could finally set off! I walked down the streets of the quaint town of Meiringen. Stores lined the streets and most of the buildings were white with terracotta roofs or wooden (another theme of Switzerland). I also passed by the Sherlock Holmes hotel and I got a glimpse of some other smaller waterfalls to the left in the nearby mountains in the distance. I turned the corner and ended up crossing a bridge. Underneath, the turquoise water flowed strongly and on both sides, snowy mountains were close on the horizon. In front of me, I spotted Reichenbach falls! The falls tumbled down strongly from the mountain and were nestled in the pine-covered mountain in front of me.
After about 20 minutes, I made it to the beginning of the mountain up to Reichenbach falls. There was a red trolley service that would bring you up to the falls but they were closed down. The wooden track rises up most of the way to the falls. The trolley is bright red with wooden bench seats and doors and was a refurbished antique. I ate lunch near a stone commemorating Sherlock Holmes in the park near the trolley while I decided what to do. Since I did not want to sit around for 30 minutes, I thought that I could hike up the mountain to the falls. I started to head up a hill (without taking a map or reading the map of course) and started walking on the road. I figured as long as I followed the wooden tracks, then I would be able to hike the falls.
I followed the road and passed underneath the the wooden tracks. I continued on the road until I came to a trail that turned all rocky. I ended up passing some other hikers so I knew I was going the correct direction. Then, I came to the end of the rocky road to a bunch of yellow signs. I randomly picked one way to follow and followed a gravel path. I had the rail track in sight and then I crossed a bridge and underneath there was a big rocky patch. A river was flowed through the rocks to a sharp drop of five to seven feet and then continued with a strong current underneath the bridge. The sharp drop amazed me that at such a small waterfall could be made while on my hike up the mountainside before the giant waterfall of Reichenbache!
Then I came to a fork in the road; I then wasn't sure what to do. Should I continue to follow the gravel road (next to which was a grass field with an abandoned chalet) away from the Reichenbache falls or should I follow a small hiking trail into the trees? My internal compass is not the greatest and I tend to get lost easily...I decided to follow the small hiking trail into the trees because I would be following a route closer to the falls and the trolley track would still be in view.
On the trail, I saw the beginning of the waterfall that I had spotted the end of at the bridge that I crossed. The rocks stacked up into a small sheer cliff that the water tumbled over into the a pool and river that flowed into the other smaller waterfall (back near the bridge). I continued uphill over rocks and roots on the trail. I came to a point where I passed right next to the track that I could reach up and touch it (if I wanted to haha). I kept going uphill (taking a few water and sunblock breaks on my way) until I reached a metal electric fence. The wire shaped into a small opening with a wooden door. I ducked down into a large field which I assumed to be a cow field. I could clearly see the Reichenbache falls in front of me and a grey house to the left and the trolley track to the right. I eagerly followed the trail until I came to a bridge that crossed over the trolley tracks. To my left, there was the grey house on the field, a nearby abandoned chalet and tall grass. I watched a trolley under and above the bridge before I ventured across. I ran through a field of tall grass up to my calves to the edge of the field that was surrounded by fence and had a drop. Below the drop of land was a river from the Reichenbache falls. I stayed here for a few minutes stuck. I had managed to get myself stuck again. I didn't want to give up...but where to go?
I crossed the bridge back to the first side that I was originally on. I went up a small hill through the grass (taking the path of least resistance) and climbed up the path and ended up next to the grey house. I paused there for a break, hoping at last that I was going in the correct direction.
Note: I did a lot of adventuring this day so there will be multiple posts as I break it up haha
I had a much needed day off and I decided to venture off on my own to Meiringen where the Reichenbach Falls are. The Reichenbach falls are famous as the location where Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty faced off for the last time.
I left Our Chalet at 9:15am and began the long journey to Meiringen. I took a bus and three trains to get there. On one of trains, I passed through Interlaken which is a beautiful city surronded on both sides by lakes. The lakes are turquoise blue and green mountains rise up around the lake. The scenery reminded me of the dinosaur age and I could imagine taradactals flying around in the sky and other dinosaurs eating the vegetation around the lake.
After I arrived in Meiringen, I tried to figure out the bus schedule but I don't think any buses were running because it was a Sunday and most things are closed on Sundays. I meandered into town and the first building I spotted was a chapel. Stained glass decorated the chapel windows and there was a tall wooden agriculture that reminded me of a mix between a totem pole and a tree. The sign outside of the building informed me that it was....the Sherlock Holmes museum! It was closed so I decided to possibly stop by later if I had time before it closed later. The museum was situated in a park. To the right of the building was a platform with a life-size set of chess pieces (similar to the set that I saw in Bern...perhaps this is a trend in Switzerland?). To the left of the museum past the sculpture was a grassy area with a small playground.
I continued up the street but I had two problems: 1) I had no idea how to get to Reichenbach falls 2) It was time to find a WC (water closet). I entered a fancy-looking hotel near the Sherlock Holmes museum and I followed the WC signs to the basement. The basement walls looked like marshmello and were now smooth at all. I walked up and down the hall for a few minutes until I spotted the bathroom! It was a door that had a symbol on it that I had not seen before haha. Afterwards, I asked upstairs for directions and reception kindly gave me a map to take with me.
Now, with directions I could finally set off! I walked down the streets of the quaint town of Meiringen. Stores lined the streets and most of the buildings were white with terracotta roofs or wooden (another theme of Switzerland). I also passed by the Sherlock Holmes hotel and I got a glimpse of some other smaller waterfalls to the left in the nearby mountains in the distance. I turned the corner and ended up crossing a bridge. Underneath, the turquoise water flowed strongly and on both sides, snowy mountains were close on the horizon. In front of me, I spotted Reichenbach falls! The falls tumbled down strongly from the mountain and were nestled in the pine-covered mountain in front of me.
After about 20 minutes, I made it to the beginning of the mountain up to Reichenbach falls. There was a red trolley service that would bring you up to the falls but they were closed down. The wooden track rises up most of the way to the falls. The trolley is bright red with wooden bench seats and doors and was a refurbished antique. I ate lunch near a stone commemorating Sherlock Holmes in the park near the trolley while I decided what to do. Since I did not want to sit around for 30 minutes, I thought that I could hike up the mountain to the falls. I started to head up a hill (without taking a map or reading the map of course) and started walking on the road. I figured as long as I followed the wooden tracks, then I would be able to hike the falls.
I followed the road and passed underneath the the wooden tracks. I continued on the road until I came to a trail that turned all rocky. I ended up passing some other hikers so I knew I was going the correct direction. Then, I came to the end of the rocky road to a bunch of yellow signs. I randomly picked one way to follow and followed a gravel path. I had the rail track in sight and then I crossed a bridge and underneath there was a big rocky patch. A river was flowed through the rocks to a sharp drop of five to seven feet and then continued with a strong current underneath the bridge. The sharp drop amazed me that at such a small waterfall could be made while on my hike up the mountainside before the giant waterfall of Reichenbache!
Then I came to a fork in the road; I then wasn't sure what to do. Should I continue to follow the gravel road (next to which was a grass field with an abandoned chalet) away from the Reichenbache falls or should I follow a small hiking trail into the trees? My internal compass is not the greatest and I tend to get lost easily...I decided to follow the small hiking trail into the trees because I would be following a route closer to the falls and the trolley track would still be in view.
On the trail, I saw the beginning of the waterfall that I had spotted the end of at the bridge that I crossed. The rocks stacked up into a small sheer cliff that the water tumbled over into the a pool and river that flowed into the other smaller waterfall (back near the bridge). I continued uphill over rocks and roots on the trail. I came to a point where I passed right next to the track that I could reach up and touch it (if I wanted to haha). I kept going uphill (taking a few water and sunblock breaks on my way) until I reached a metal electric fence. The wire shaped into a small opening with a wooden door. I ducked down into a large field which I assumed to be a cow field. I could clearly see the Reichenbache falls in front of me and a grey house to the left and the trolley track to the right. I eagerly followed the trail until I came to a bridge that crossed over the trolley tracks. To my left, there was the grey house on the field, a nearby abandoned chalet and tall grass. I watched a trolley under and above the bridge before I ventured across. I ran through a field of tall grass up to my calves to the edge of the field that was surrounded by fence and had a drop. Below the drop of land was a river from the Reichenbache falls. I stayed here for a few minutes stuck. I had managed to get myself stuck again. I didn't want to give up...but where to go?
I crossed the bridge back to the first side that I was originally on. I went up a small hill through the grass (taking the path of least resistance) and climbed up the path and ended up next to the grey house. I paused there for a break, hoping at last that I was going in the correct direction.
Monday, May 28, 2012
Day 13: Training!
The day began with Tour training with Catt after the morning meeting! Since I was not picked to be a tour guide at UMASS, giving tours at Our Chalet will be fun. After going over set-up, we reviewed the script for the tours. First, the script that accompanies the power point and the prouncition of some of the words. Then we went to each area in Spyker (I've been misspelling it so far as Speaker haha. It's the building where reception and guest accommodations are located) and in Main Chalet while reviewing the script. I learned the names of the surrounding mountains and some other fun facts.
Fun Fact: Adelboden's flag has an Eagle on it because Adelboden means land of the Eagles.
Fun Fact: The WAGGGS room in Main Chalet used to be Falk's room. Note: Falk helped found Our Chalet with Helen Storrow.
The afternoon was dedicated to putting all of my clothes in my suitcase through the wash, putting my suitcase outside in the sun and moving all of my stuff to camp house. Because of some nighttime visitors, I opted to move to camp house which required a lot of laundry. Camp house is located near Our Chalet and is a 5 minute walk from Main Chalet. Two summer vollies remained in the attic, two summer vollies are sleeping in a tent near Camp house, one summer vollies is in the first floor of Camp house, and the rest of us are in the loft area in Camp House. The loft area is about half the size of the T-bar (very small) and the stairs to get there are located in the back of the house. The first floor is slightly bigger and we are storing our suitcases and clothes in there. Luckily, there is a bathroom attached to camp house.
Then, it was Eurovision time!! Eurovision is a big song competition in Europe. Each country chooses a representative (s) to perform a song, first qualify for the finals and then (if the country qualifies) compete in the finals for the title of Eurovision. The winning country hosts Eurovision the next year and also wins the glory of Eurovision haha. Eurovision this year was hosted in Azerbaijan.
Two spring vollies, Eve and Karin, hosted the party in the conference room in Spyker for Eurovision. We all came dressed as countries and had to get a little creative haha. I came dressed as Switzerland (though Switzerland did not compete in the finals); I wore a red tank top and put the cross on my shirt in white tape. Other countries present included: the UK, Albania, Hungary, Turkey, France, Italy, Ukraine, and Ireland.
The first part of Eurovision is watching all of the finalists. There were 26 countries competing, though a few countries automatically go to the finals because their countries donate a lot of money to Eurovision. The acts were all interesting. Some memorable ones: Lithuania: The teen male sang "Love in Blind" and he had a sparkly blindfold which he ripped off half-way through the song and then did some break dancing.
Ireland: Two twins dressed in robot costumes sang about a fountain and had matching dance moves. There was also a fountain that they jumped into at the end.
Russia: There were five or six ladies in their 70s who sang a song about partying while they baked bread in an oven.
Turkey: There was a group of men and the lead singer sang about boats. They all had capes on and with their capes made a makeshift boat twice during their song.
Then, after all of the countries compete people call in to vote. The voting though is very political because people usually vote for their neighbors or allies from World War II. We did a local voting on paper (the top three, number 1 being the winner) and I voted for my three favorites:
1. Sweden - This female singer (according to Karin), is at the top of I-tunes in Europe currently. She was very talented and stuck out me the most.
2. Ireland! They were very eccentric and interesting
3. Norway - They had a group of a five people. A woman, playing the violin, and a man harmonized a song. The back-up singers in their group also harmonized with them. They reminded me of Within Temptation (an awesome band!) and they were very talented.
I left Eurovison early, so I didn't know who won before I trekked back to Camp house for bed.
The day began with Tour training with Catt after the morning meeting! Since I was not picked to be a tour guide at UMASS, giving tours at Our Chalet will be fun. After going over set-up, we reviewed the script for the tours. First, the script that accompanies the power point and the prouncition of some of the words. Then we went to each area in Spyker (I've been misspelling it so far as Speaker haha. It's the building where reception and guest accommodations are located) and in Main Chalet while reviewing the script. I learned the names of the surrounding mountains and some other fun facts.
Fun Fact: Adelboden's flag has an Eagle on it because Adelboden means land of the Eagles.
Fun Fact: The WAGGGS room in Main Chalet used to be Falk's room. Note: Falk helped found Our Chalet with Helen Storrow.
The afternoon was dedicated to putting all of my clothes in my suitcase through the wash, putting my suitcase outside in the sun and moving all of my stuff to camp house. Because of some nighttime visitors, I opted to move to camp house which required a lot of laundry. Camp house is located near Our Chalet and is a 5 minute walk from Main Chalet. Two summer vollies remained in the attic, two summer vollies are sleeping in a tent near Camp house, one summer vollies is in the first floor of Camp house, and the rest of us are in the loft area in Camp House. The loft area is about half the size of the T-bar (very small) and the stairs to get there are located in the back of the house. The first floor is slightly bigger and we are storing our suitcases and clothes in there. Luckily, there is a bathroom attached to camp house.
Then, it was Eurovision time!! Eurovision is a big song competition in Europe. Each country chooses a representative (s) to perform a song, first qualify for the finals and then (if the country qualifies) compete in the finals for the title of Eurovision. The winning country hosts Eurovision the next year and also wins the glory of Eurovision haha. Eurovision this year was hosted in Azerbaijan.
Two spring vollies, Eve and Karin, hosted the party in the conference room in Spyker for Eurovision. We all came dressed as countries and had to get a little creative haha. I came dressed as Switzerland (though Switzerland did not compete in the finals); I wore a red tank top and put the cross on my shirt in white tape. Other countries present included: the UK, Albania, Hungary, Turkey, France, Italy, Ukraine, and Ireland.
The first part of Eurovision is watching all of the finalists. There were 26 countries competing, though a few countries automatically go to the finals because their countries donate a lot of money to Eurovision. The acts were all interesting. Some memorable ones: Lithuania: The teen male sang "Love in Blind" and he had a sparkly blindfold which he ripped off half-way through the song and then did some break dancing.
Ireland: Two twins dressed in robot costumes sang about a fountain and had matching dance moves. There was also a fountain that they jumped into at the end.
Russia: There were five or six ladies in their 70s who sang a song about partying while they baked bread in an oven.
Turkey: There was a group of men and the lead singer sang about boats. They all had capes on and with their capes made a makeshift boat twice during their song.
Then, after all of the countries compete people call in to vote. The voting though is very political because people usually vote for their neighbors or allies from World War II. We did a local voting on paper (the top three, number 1 being the winner) and I voted for my three favorites:
1. Sweden - This female singer (according to Karin), is at the top of I-tunes in Europe currently. She was very talented and stuck out me the most.
2. Ireland! They were very eccentric and interesting
3. Norway - They had a group of a five people. A woman, playing the violin, and a man harmonized a song. The back-up singers in their group also harmonized with them. They reminded me of Within Temptation (an awesome band!) and they were very talented.
I left Eurovison early, so I didn't know who won before I trekked back to Camp house for bed.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Day 12: Training!
Today it was back to training indoors haha! My morning was filled with more brilliant cleaning! I listened to my music whilst I vacuumed the entire Main Chalet and then mopped Main Chalet. I did learn about something new during the morning: Eurovision! I had never heard of it before but it is a huge competition in Europe. Basically, all of the countries pick an unknown band or singer to perform one song and represent their country. All of the countries in Europe compete and the final competition is soon to see who wins. After each country representative (s) perform, people call in to vote but they can't vote for their country. Apparently the voting is very political and most countries vote for their neighboring countries. Something to look forward to!
After cleaning, I was feeling a little tired and not awesome so I spent some time outside before lunch. After lunchtime, we had a Health and Safety Training with Koka, the Deputy World Centre Manager. Koka went over how to stay healthy (drink lots of water, sleep, sunblock), fire drill procedure and the duty phone. The duty phone is similar to the RA duty phone. The person who has the duty phone gets it after dinner and takes any call throughout the night (which there are not many) and there is a senior staff also on call as a reference (like the Residence Director (RD) on duty). When answering the phone, I have to answer with "Our Chalet, this is Paige, how may I help you?" I might automatically answer with "BCG Cluster officer, this is Paige, how may I help you?" instead if I am half-asleep haha.
I was on dinner prep and clean-up again but Katy was back from her days off. I helped do random jobs again and then I and summer vollie Cate spent some time in the food pantry putting away the giant food order that just came in. The food delivered was stacked in the middle of the food pantry which is a small-ish room so the boxes took up a majority of space. We were working and suddenly Katy burst through the door telling us that the dinner bell had rung! We hadn't even heard the bell and probably would have kept working through dinner if we hadn't been told haha.
At 8pm, we had our first program with guests....camp fire! Earlier in the day we had planned out songs to do and who would help set it up, etc. We had guests who arrived from Germany and a few guests who arrived the day before from Bath, UK. The campfire went well and I learned some more interesting songs! I also learned the German version of "Down by the Banks" game which is cool except that I can't remember the words anymore. One of my favorites from the night was a song about fishing from Australia (I knew a similar version) because it involved some dancing! Another favorite was a song from Israel that was a quieter yet beautiful song and I hope to learn it by the end of the summer. The guests left after an hour but the summer vollies we stuck around until the fire died down. We talked about a slight issue with our living situation in the attic. I have learned the true meaning of a popular bedtime phrase (aside from sweet dreams). I slept in the WAGGGS room last night though I was woken up at 6am by a thunder of bells. When I looked out the window, there was a line of cows being led up the mountain and the bells were from the bells that they wear.
Thanks for reading!
Today it was back to training indoors haha! My morning was filled with more brilliant cleaning! I listened to my music whilst I vacuumed the entire Main Chalet and then mopped Main Chalet. I did learn about something new during the morning: Eurovision! I had never heard of it before but it is a huge competition in Europe. Basically, all of the countries pick an unknown band or singer to perform one song and represent their country. All of the countries in Europe compete and the final competition is soon to see who wins. After each country representative (s) perform, people call in to vote but they can't vote for their country. Apparently the voting is very political and most countries vote for their neighboring countries. Something to look forward to!
After cleaning, I was feeling a little tired and not awesome so I spent some time outside before lunch. After lunchtime, we had a Health and Safety Training with Koka, the Deputy World Centre Manager. Koka went over how to stay healthy (drink lots of water, sleep, sunblock), fire drill procedure and the duty phone. The duty phone is similar to the RA duty phone. The person who has the duty phone gets it after dinner and takes any call throughout the night (which there are not many) and there is a senior staff also on call as a reference (like the Residence Director (RD) on duty). When answering the phone, I have to answer with "Our Chalet, this is Paige, how may I help you?" I might automatically answer with "BCG Cluster officer, this is Paige, how may I help you?" instead if I am half-asleep haha.
I was on dinner prep and clean-up again but Katy was back from her days off. I helped do random jobs again and then I and summer vollie Cate spent some time in the food pantry putting away the giant food order that just came in. The food delivered was stacked in the middle of the food pantry which is a small-ish room so the boxes took up a majority of space. We were working and suddenly Katy burst through the door telling us that the dinner bell had rung! We hadn't even heard the bell and probably would have kept working through dinner if we hadn't been told haha.
At 8pm, we had our first program with guests....camp fire! Earlier in the day we had planned out songs to do and who would help set it up, etc. We had guests who arrived from Germany and a few guests who arrived the day before from Bath, UK. The campfire went well and I learned some more interesting songs! I also learned the German version of "Down by the Banks" game which is cool except that I can't remember the words anymore. One of my favorites from the night was a song about fishing from Australia (I knew a similar version) because it involved some dancing! Another favorite was a song from Israel that was a quieter yet beautiful song and I hope to learn it by the end of the summer. The guests left after an hour but the summer vollies we stuck around until the fire died down. We talked about a slight issue with our living situation in the attic. I have learned the true meaning of a popular bedtime phrase (aside from sweet dreams). I slept in the WAGGGS room last night though I was woken up at 6am by a thunder of bells. When I looked out the window, there was a line of cows being led up the mountain and the bells were from the bells that they wear.
Thanks for reading!
Day 11: Training with Christoph!
We spent all day outside working with Christoph, the Grounds and Maintenance Assistant. After the daily Morning Meeting we changed into our outdoor gear and started in reception. Christoph explained how the fire alarm system works. The system is a large rectangular box located in reception with a key always in it. He showed us how to turn off the sound and other parts of procedure when the alarm goes off. The system is connected to Stockli and also shows which building the alarm is going off in.
Afterwards, we took a tour of the grounds and Christoph showed us the boundaries. I also now know where there is a secret cave is on the grounds (part of staff challenge is to sleep in a bouvac (outdoor shelter)...maybe I'll sleep here haha). There is also a geocache on the premises near Baby Chalet...I am going to go look for that soon! Christoph also showed us how to unlace and then re-tie the red tent that current houses the fire circle though it will be removed soon for the summer. The summer vollies will then have the opportunity to change the shape of the tent (by removing various pieces) and stay there from time to time! On this tour, I also learned that neighboring farmers mow the grass for their cows and dislike when the grass is trampled on, thus there are many paths to stay off the grass since grass is precious here.
Then, it was rubbish and recycling time! We went to the parking lot behind Stockli, set out a tarp and got some gloves on. We poured out the rubbish from the bin and looked through it. We took any recycling out and placed it in the appropriate bins. We found some towels, shoes and decorative toys. Switzerland is very serious about recycling which I think is very progressive and awesome. They have large recycling centers (I may have the chance to go to one!) and are helping cut down the amount of waste produced.
Afterwards, Christoph pointed out on the mountain tops nearby where the avalanche fences are. Adelboden has the most up to date avalanche protection put into place (probably because of all of the ski resorts around for winter tourism). He also told us stories about wintertime and pointed out different types of tools used for de-barking, de-branching and other outdoor chores. He also showed us the tool cellar (which is the bottom floor of the store) and the goat cellar which is right next to the tool cellar. The tool cellar was part of an addition to the original building which was a goat cellar haha. We got an insight into his ideas for the property and projects he needs to finish before lunchtime.
After lunch, we went back outside to help Christoph. I started out with more de-barking. I have mentioned that I de-bark trees and why we de-bark but I haven't explained how we do it! I use a hand-saw that is a blade between two handles. The blade has 2 edges which I didn't notice till Christoph showed us (much like a figure skate haha). I then, sat on a log and pulled the saw towards me on the bark. Under the initial bark layer is a white layer and underneath that is the fresh wood. The sap sometimes sprays me but the bark came off smoothly from the logs I was working on.
I was working with another summer vollie, Sarah, and the cows ran over to us to investigate. They were very "helpful" haha much like Sprinkles. They licked my knee and started to eat the bark. They also walked into the electric fence trying to get to us....very friendly but not helpful when you are trying to be productive! Then, a while later, we saw a cow leap down the hill and down the road. I started yelling for Christoph (from my angle, I only saw one cow and thought one had escaped). We then determined that both of our cows were still present and the run-away cow was not our problem haha.
I then moved to de-branching. To de-branch, you take a tool that looks like a curved dagger. You take a branch (we took them from the pile of branches we had made the other day) and use the dagger tool to cut all of the branches off. Then, the top part (thinner and usually with pine cones), I used a blunt tool that looks like a kitchen knife to cut off that part. It is a good arm work-out haha!
We were taking turns doing different jobs and one-by-one learning how to use the chainsaw. It was my turn! I put on all of the protective gear: puffy green overalls, giant orange boots, and a red helmet with a face shield and red ear protectors (connected to the red helmet). I felt like I was in a vintage scuba diving suit and I lumbered over to Christoph to learn how to use the chainsaw. With the big group, he had explained the safety rules and how to turn on the chainsaw. I put my foot on the chainsaw and pulled the string to turn it on! Then, with the help of Christoph, I cut a pile of branches into firewood. The chainsaw felt less heavy when it was turned on and all it needs are gentle movements to cut. Then, I made a Finnish candle. A Finnish candle is where you take a vertical log and carve down most of the way three times. On the top, it looks like you have cut the log into 6 parts. For fires, you put a fire starter into the middle and the log burns down just like a candle. The cuts on my Finnish candle were a little crooked but it was still fun! I was glad that Christoph was there to help me though!
Then, it was near to dinner time and I was feeling exhausted! The rest of the evening was uneventful; I relaxed and hung out with the summer vollies. :)
We spent all day outside working with Christoph, the Grounds and Maintenance Assistant. After the daily Morning Meeting we changed into our outdoor gear and started in reception. Christoph explained how the fire alarm system works. The system is a large rectangular box located in reception with a key always in it. He showed us how to turn off the sound and other parts of procedure when the alarm goes off. The system is connected to Stockli and also shows which building the alarm is going off in.
Afterwards, we took a tour of the grounds and Christoph showed us the boundaries. I also now know where there is a secret cave is on the grounds (part of staff challenge is to sleep in a bouvac (outdoor shelter)...maybe I'll sleep here haha). There is also a geocache on the premises near Baby Chalet...I am going to go look for that soon! Christoph also showed us how to unlace and then re-tie the red tent that current houses the fire circle though it will be removed soon for the summer. The summer vollies will then have the opportunity to change the shape of the tent (by removing various pieces) and stay there from time to time! On this tour, I also learned that neighboring farmers mow the grass for their cows and dislike when the grass is trampled on, thus there are many paths to stay off the grass since grass is precious here.
Then, it was rubbish and recycling time! We went to the parking lot behind Stockli, set out a tarp and got some gloves on. We poured out the rubbish from the bin and looked through it. We took any recycling out and placed it in the appropriate bins. We found some towels, shoes and decorative toys. Switzerland is very serious about recycling which I think is very progressive and awesome. They have large recycling centers (I may have the chance to go to one!) and are helping cut down the amount of waste produced.
Afterwards, Christoph pointed out on the mountain tops nearby where the avalanche fences are. Adelboden has the most up to date avalanche protection put into place (probably because of all of the ski resorts around for winter tourism). He also told us stories about wintertime and pointed out different types of tools used for de-barking, de-branching and other outdoor chores. He also showed us the tool cellar (which is the bottom floor of the store) and the goat cellar which is right next to the tool cellar. The tool cellar was part of an addition to the original building which was a goat cellar haha. We got an insight into his ideas for the property and projects he needs to finish before lunchtime.
After lunch, we went back outside to help Christoph. I started out with more de-barking. I have mentioned that I de-bark trees and why we de-bark but I haven't explained how we do it! I use a hand-saw that is a blade between two handles. The blade has 2 edges which I didn't notice till Christoph showed us (much like a figure skate haha). I then, sat on a log and pulled the saw towards me on the bark. Under the initial bark layer is a white layer and underneath that is the fresh wood. The sap sometimes sprays me but the bark came off smoothly from the logs I was working on.
I was working with another summer vollie, Sarah, and the cows ran over to us to investigate. They were very "helpful" haha much like Sprinkles. They licked my knee and started to eat the bark. They also walked into the electric fence trying to get to us....very friendly but not helpful when you are trying to be productive! Then, a while later, we saw a cow leap down the hill and down the road. I started yelling for Christoph (from my angle, I only saw one cow and thought one had escaped). We then determined that both of our cows were still present and the run-away cow was not our problem haha.
I then moved to de-branching. To de-branch, you take a tool that looks like a curved dagger. You take a branch (we took them from the pile of branches we had made the other day) and use the dagger tool to cut all of the branches off. Then, the top part (thinner and usually with pine cones), I used a blunt tool that looks like a kitchen knife to cut off that part. It is a good arm work-out haha!
We were taking turns doing different jobs and one-by-one learning how to use the chainsaw. It was my turn! I put on all of the protective gear: puffy green overalls, giant orange boots, and a red helmet with a face shield and red ear protectors (connected to the red helmet). I felt like I was in a vintage scuba diving suit and I lumbered over to Christoph to learn how to use the chainsaw. With the big group, he had explained the safety rules and how to turn on the chainsaw. I put my foot on the chainsaw and pulled the string to turn it on! Then, with the help of Christoph, I cut a pile of branches into firewood. The chainsaw felt less heavy when it was turned on and all it needs are gentle movements to cut. Then, I made a Finnish candle. A Finnish candle is where you take a vertical log and carve down most of the way three times. On the top, it looks like you have cut the log into 6 parts. For fires, you put a fire starter into the middle and the log burns down just like a candle. The cuts on my Finnish candle were a little crooked but it was still fun! I was glad that Christoph was there to help me though!
Then, it was near to dinner time and I was feeling exhausted! The rest of the evening was uneventful; I relaxed and hung out with the summer vollies. :)
Day 10: Training!
After my adventures on my day off it was back to training. I was put in the group assigned to all meal duties. Katy, the Catering Coordinator, does not come in for breakfast and it was one of her days off so she would not be there to help us with lunch or dinner.
I woke up at 7:29am for breakfast duty and ran down to the kitchen because I was supposed to be there at 7:30am. Breakfast set-up is pretty easy; all we do is set out cereal, yogurt, bread and some other cold food for breakfast. Fresh bread, milk and butter is delivered daily except....we could not find the bread, milk or butter. After looking for a while, we finally defrosted some bread for the day. We decided there were three reasons why the bread was missing: 1) We could not find it 2) the Spring vollies took the bread, hid it and were watching us from Stockli and laughing 3) the bread was not delivered. Now you can think about which reason we thought was what really happened (obviously reason 2 haha). I also went downstairs and put some kitchen clothes (we have to wear aprons and hats every time we work in the kitchen) in the wash from the day before.
After breakfast, I went downstairs to take out the laundry and I hear a strange beeping noise on my way into the laundry room. When I got there, the washer door was open, there was water on the floor and the beeping would not stop no matter what button I pressed. After recruiting the help of other summer vollies and Catt, the washing machine was shut off. Yikes! And this is one of the reasons I hate laundry haha
Then it was cleaning time! I cleaned the bathrooms in Main Chalet. Then, we finished early again so we were sent to find Cameron. Some vollies helped Cameron move some logs and I continued to de-bark a tree (that had fallen in a recent storm). The trees need to be de-barked because bugs will infest the bark of the dead trees. Then, they will infect the healthy trees and eat the white layer that provides the trees with nutrients, thus killing the healthy tree.
After lunch, I was on clean-up and it was a magical time filled with Disney songs including my favorites from Mulan and Pocahontas! We then were split into two groups for training. First, office training with Sussie (Guest Services Coordinator) ! We learned where the important keys are in the reception office and some other helpful folders including one that has a free bus pass! Then we learned how to do a "Meet and Greet," which is basically the information that we tell guests when they arrive. Next was Shop Training with Catt! The shop is a separate building near Stockli and Main Chalet. The shop is filled with Girl Scout and Swiss souvenirs. We learned how to use the cash register (slightly different than the standard American cash register). We each grabbed three items and practiced checking out each others' items.
Then it was back to the kitchen for dinner prep and more Disney/other music! I mostly did cleaning and other odd jobs. I am glad to be getting a wide variety of experience from retail to culinary!
I felt like I spent most of the day in the kitchen, so after dinner clean-up I spent the night relaxing with the other summer vollies. I also practiced my cartwheels outside before the sunset....my cartwheel has improved and I am really close to having a complete cartwheel!
After my adventures on my day off it was back to training. I was put in the group assigned to all meal duties. Katy, the Catering Coordinator, does not come in for breakfast and it was one of her days off so she would not be there to help us with lunch or dinner.
I woke up at 7:29am for breakfast duty and ran down to the kitchen because I was supposed to be there at 7:30am. Breakfast set-up is pretty easy; all we do is set out cereal, yogurt, bread and some other cold food for breakfast. Fresh bread, milk and butter is delivered daily except....we could not find the bread, milk or butter. After looking for a while, we finally defrosted some bread for the day. We decided there were three reasons why the bread was missing: 1) We could not find it 2) the Spring vollies took the bread, hid it and were watching us from Stockli and laughing 3) the bread was not delivered. Now you can think about which reason we thought was what really happened (obviously reason 2 haha). I also went downstairs and put some kitchen clothes (we have to wear aprons and hats every time we work in the kitchen) in the wash from the day before.
After breakfast, I went downstairs to take out the laundry and I hear a strange beeping noise on my way into the laundry room. When I got there, the washer door was open, there was water on the floor and the beeping would not stop no matter what button I pressed. After recruiting the help of other summer vollies and Catt, the washing machine was shut off. Yikes! And this is one of the reasons I hate laundry haha
Then it was cleaning time! I cleaned the bathrooms in Main Chalet. Then, we finished early again so we were sent to find Cameron. Some vollies helped Cameron move some logs and I continued to de-bark a tree (that had fallen in a recent storm). The trees need to be de-barked because bugs will infest the bark of the dead trees. Then, they will infect the healthy trees and eat the white layer that provides the trees with nutrients, thus killing the healthy tree.
After lunch, I was on clean-up and it was a magical time filled with Disney songs including my favorites from Mulan and Pocahontas! We then were split into two groups for training. First, office training with Sussie (Guest Services Coordinator) ! We learned where the important keys are in the reception office and some other helpful folders including one that has a free bus pass! Then we learned how to do a "Meet and Greet," which is basically the information that we tell guests when they arrive. Next was Shop Training with Catt! The shop is a separate building near Stockli and Main Chalet. The shop is filled with Girl Scout and Swiss souvenirs. We learned how to use the cash register (slightly different than the standard American cash register). We each grabbed three items and practiced checking out each others' items.
Then it was back to the kitchen for dinner prep and more Disney/other music! I mostly did cleaning and other odd jobs. I am glad to be getting a wide variety of experience from retail to culinary!
I felt like I spent most of the day in the kitchen, so after dinner clean-up I spent the night relaxing with the other summer vollies. I also practiced my cartwheels outside before the sunset....my cartwheel has improved and I am really close to having a complete cartwheel!
Day 9: Frutigen and Bonderfalle Part II
I left Our Chalet at 7:55pm with my backpack, peanut butter, water bottle and camera. I took a hiking self-guided map and first I walked down Our Chalet driveway. I walked down a road where there are Harry's Chalets where big groups can rent out to stay. It was a long paved road and when I walked by one chalet, there was a cat that stared me down. I hoped that it was a good sign and not an omen. I was a little scared; this was my first hike alone and it was going to get dark at 9pm! Also, no one knew where I had gone and I had no phone which wasn't the best plan. I walked along the road past a small Bistro and all of the chalets belonging to Harry. There was also a bunch of construction on both sides of the road (mostly digging from what I could tell).
Afterwards I reached the grove of pine trees. From far away, the trees looked ominous but there was a big open space under the trees where the road went through. Underneath part of the road, a stream ran underneath that began at the waterfalls though I had not spotted them yet. I followed the road out of the trees and kept going towards an older looking chalet. I spotted the waterfalls in the distance! There were a few small waterfalls and one bigger waterfall (though not as big as Engstligen falls ) nestled in the mountain in front of me. I passed the older chalet, which had grey wood and a Swiss flag, and I passed through an open fence to a gravel road. The gravel road was surrounded by small green hills. I could hear the river flowing on the left hand side of the gravel road down the banks of the green hill. At the end of the road stood another older looking chalet.
After I walked down the gravel road, I walked past the chalet and started looking for my next landmark: a turnstile. I found it, though it had fallen over onto the ground. I started following a small trail next to the river. The river was beautiful and flowing strong. It was thinner at the beginning but expanded with rocks in and out of the water. The trail was a little muddy (adding to the mud already caked to my shoes). My next landmark I was looking for were boulders marked with a hiking sign. I wasn't sure if I was searching for a painted sign or an actual standing sign and also didn't know how close the boulder was to the waterfalls.
The rock face of the mountain with the main waterfall was growing closer and I could see snow left over nearby the fall. As I walked along the hilly, narrow trail, I saw mini streams that lead into the main stream flowing from the collection of waterfalls. Closer to the end of the trail, I saw stacks of rocks next to the river: evidence of previous hikers! After that, to the left were two large boulders that were connected. I crossed a smaller stream to get to the boulders and then walked through the passage between the two boulders. I also spotted the painted sign on the boulders.
I then climbed up on the boulders for a nice view of the waterfalls. The waterfalls are beautiful and the water cascades from high up down the mountain face through snow into the river. The smaller waterfalls to the left and right of the biggest waterfall also add water into the river through different streams. At some parts, the river grows wider because of where the other waterfalls add in. I took this moment to drink water and crack open my peanut butter!
After a while, I was thinking of climbing down and heading back to Our Chalet (as nighttime was quickly approaching) but then the lid to my peanut butter fell down near the river. I climbed down and retrieved the lid. Since I was so close to the water, I took some more pictures and crossed the river. I picked rocks that were sticking out of the water but they were still pretty slippery but I made it across ok!
I continued slightly uphill towards the falls. The fog started to cover the top of the mountain but I climbed to a rock that was on a slightly higher elevation. I contemplated going all the way up to the falls but as I turned to get off of the rock I slipped and fell. I scratched and bruised my right leg (and ripped a hole in my new leggings :( ). I didn't look at my leg and my first aid kit was back at Our Chalet. With my cut and the fog setting in, it was time to turn back to Our Chalet.
I had to manage to get across the wide part of the river on slippery rocks without falling again and injuring myself farther. With full concentration, I crossed one river nearby the boulders and then again to get back to the trail. I quickly followed the trails until the trail split into two. I followed one trail that went up the hill instead of beside the river which abruptly ended. It was the wrong trail (of course). I then ran across a field of plants that were shaped like pink cones to the correct trail. I then retraced my steps very fast; I wanted to reach the grove of trees before nightfall hit which would begin around 9pm. I reached my goal and on my way back past Harry's Chalets I met another kitty friend. This cat was white ( a good luck sign!) and then I continued on my way. I took some silly pictures of myself on the way back.
At 9:17pm I had re-entered Our Chalet! Another summer vollie, Crystal, helped me get first aid supplies and patch up my leg. Then, I was ready for sleep because the next day I was on breakfast prep meaning I had to be up by 7:30am (so early haha! ). My first hike: a success! Next time, I will embark on a hike during the daytime and always with my First Aid Kit (thanks Mom for making me take one :) )!
I left Our Chalet at 7:55pm with my backpack, peanut butter, water bottle and camera. I took a hiking self-guided map and first I walked down Our Chalet driveway. I walked down a road where there are Harry's Chalets where big groups can rent out to stay. It was a long paved road and when I walked by one chalet, there was a cat that stared me down. I hoped that it was a good sign and not an omen. I was a little scared; this was my first hike alone and it was going to get dark at 9pm! Also, no one knew where I had gone and I had no phone which wasn't the best plan. I walked along the road past a small Bistro and all of the chalets belonging to Harry. There was also a bunch of construction on both sides of the road (mostly digging from what I could tell).
Afterwards I reached the grove of pine trees. From far away, the trees looked ominous but there was a big open space under the trees where the road went through. Underneath part of the road, a stream ran underneath that began at the waterfalls though I had not spotted them yet. I followed the road out of the trees and kept going towards an older looking chalet. I spotted the waterfalls in the distance! There were a few small waterfalls and one bigger waterfall (though not as big as Engstligen falls ) nestled in the mountain in front of me. I passed the older chalet, which had grey wood and a Swiss flag, and I passed through an open fence to a gravel road. The gravel road was surrounded by small green hills. I could hear the river flowing on the left hand side of the gravel road down the banks of the green hill. At the end of the road stood another older looking chalet.
After I walked down the gravel road, I walked past the chalet and started looking for my next landmark: a turnstile. I found it, though it had fallen over onto the ground. I started following a small trail next to the river. The river was beautiful and flowing strong. It was thinner at the beginning but expanded with rocks in and out of the water. The trail was a little muddy (adding to the mud already caked to my shoes). My next landmark I was looking for were boulders marked with a hiking sign. I wasn't sure if I was searching for a painted sign or an actual standing sign and also didn't know how close the boulder was to the waterfalls.
The rock face of the mountain with the main waterfall was growing closer and I could see snow left over nearby the fall. As I walked along the hilly, narrow trail, I saw mini streams that lead into the main stream flowing from the collection of waterfalls. Closer to the end of the trail, I saw stacks of rocks next to the river: evidence of previous hikers! After that, to the left were two large boulders that were connected. I crossed a smaller stream to get to the boulders and then walked through the passage between the two boulders. I also spotted the painted sign on the boulders.
I then climbed up on the boulders for a nice view of the waterfalls. The waterfalls are beautiful and the water cascades from high up down the mountain face through snow into the river. The smaller waterfalls to the left and right of the biggest waterfall also add water into the river through different streams. At some parts, the river grows wider because of where the other waterfalls add in. I took this moment to drink water and crack open my peanut butter!
After a while, I was thinking of climbing down and heading back to Our Chalet (as nighttime was quickly approaching) but then the lid to my peanut butter fell down near the river. I climbed down and retrieved the lid. Since I was so close to the water, I took some more pictures and crossed the river. I picked rocks that were sticking out of the water but they were still pretty slippery but I made it across ok!
I continued slightly uphill towards the falls. The fog started to cover the top of the mountain but I climbed to a rock that was on a slightly higher elevation. I contemplated going all the way up to the falls but as I turned to get off of the rock I slipped and fell. I scratched and bruised my right leg (and ripped a hole in my new leggings :( ). I didn't look at my leg and my first aid kit was back at Our Chalet. With my cut and the fog setting in, it was time to turn back to Our Chalet.
I had to manage to get across the wide part of the river on slippery rocks without falling again and injuring myself farther. With full concentration, I crossed one river nearby the boulders and then again to get back to the trail. I quickly followed the trails until the trail split into two. I followed one trail that went up the hill instead of beside the river which abruptly ended. It was the wrong trail (of course). I then ran across a field of plants that were shaped like pink cones to the correct trail. I then retraced my steps very fast; I wanted to reach the grove of trees before nightfall hit which would begin around 9pm. I reached my goal and on my way back past Harry's Chalets I met another kitty friend. This cat was white ( a good luck sign!) and then I continued on my way. I took some silly pictures of myself on the way back.
At 9:17pm I had re-entered Our Chalet! Another summer vollie, Crystal, helped me get first aid supplies and patch up my leg. Then, I was ready for sleep because the next day I was on breakfast prep meaning I had to be up by 7:30am (so early haha! ). My first hike: a success! Next time, I will embark on a hike during the daytime and always with my First Aid Kit (thanks Mom for making me take one :) )!
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Day 9: Frutigen and Bonderfalle Part I
Yesterday I had the day off! The spring vollies and the staff went out as one of their last times together. Because of this, I had a croissant and chocolate pastry for breakfast instead of oatmeal! Yay!
I went to Frutigen with two summer vollies, Mariam and Jessica. We left for the bus around 11:30am and took the 25 minutes bus ride to Frutigen. I usually go through the town because the train stop is there but yesterday we explored instead. We realized that all of the stores close from 12pm to 2pm in Switzerland for lunchtime. We found a bench to eat lunch and then we looked at and took pictures of people's houses. Frutigen is on a hill so we walked up away from the market place to the residential areas. Running through one part of town is a river that looked a little murky but that was probably from the recent rainfall. Most of the houses are made of natural wood and have gardens in the back. The roofs are terracotta or wooden. There were a few creative decorations including cutesy gnomes and animals. I also spotted two houses with pirate flags on the outside. We even found a walkway for a cat besides one apartment style house. We walked up and down the streets, milling about until we stumbled across CO-OP, a chain supermarket and household store that is open during lunch time.
CO-OP had a separate shoe and clothing section along with supermarket and household items sections. Jessica and Mariam were both shopping for specific items but I started to mill around the supermarket area. I noticed that there was a long aisle with one side dedicated solely to chocolate. I spent a long time examining this aisle but resisted buying any chocolate. I then began to go on a quest to find something that I have been missing from the states: PEANUT BUTTER! After searching the entire store, I found one jar of it and of course I bought it. I have eaten a good portion of the jar already but I plan on rationing it now. Apparently none of the other summer vollies eat peanut butter out of a jar like I do but I think it is delicious!
Once 2 pm came around all of the local shops re-opened and we looked around in different stores including a trophy store, a post office/phone store, and we ate some cake at a tea shop attached to a hotel. There is one main fountain in the entire town and it was in front of a hotel and water came out of two spouts and the front was decorated by a bird. We also went into the local bakery (outside there is a giant fake croissant marking the bakery shop!). The bakery was small and sold dessert, bread, chocolate, drinks and cat food. I can already tell that cats are highly respected here...especially after I saw a cat on a leash in Bern!
We also walked up the hill to a church. The church was white with a terracotta roof and had a sundial on one of the outside walls. There were also a few graves near the entrance but behind the church was where the grave yard lay. We didn't go inside the church because it was being cleaned and someone inside was practicing the organ! The music made it pleasant to look around the yard and take pictures. At the bottom of the hill is the library. The library looked like a house from the outside (aside from the library sign haha).
We then took the bus back to Adelboden. Frutigen is a small town but it was nice to visit and explore it. Frutigen is bigger than Adelboden and has more to do. We started to hike back up the hill but I was walking much faster and made it back to Our Chalet a few minutes before Jessica and Mariam. Afterwards, I had dinner and then stretched before I decided to go on a hike at 7:55pm (it was still light out).
Yesterday I had the day off! The spring vollies and the staff went out as one of their last times together. Because of this, I had a croissant and chocolate pastry for breakfast instead of oatmeal! Yay!
I went to Frutigen with two summer vollies, Mariam and Jessica. We left for the bus around 11:30am and took the 25 minutes bus ride to Frutigen. I usually go through the town because the train stop is there but yesterday we explored instead. We realized that all of the stores close from 12pm to 2pm in Switzerland for lunchtime. We found a bench to eat lunch and then we looked at and took pictures of people's houses. Frutigen is on a hill so we walked up away from the market place to the residential areas. Running through one part of town is a river that looked a little murky but that was probably from the recent rainfall. Most of the houses are made of natural wood and have gardens in the back. The roofs are terracotta or wooden. There were a few creative decorations including cutesy gnomes and animals. I also spotted two houses with pirate flags on the outside. We even found a walkway for a cat besides one apartment style house. We walked up and down the streets, milling about until we stumbled across CO-OP, a chain supermarket and household store that is open during lunch time.
CO-OP had a separate shoe and clothing section along with supermarket and household items sections. Jessica and Mariam were both shopping for specific items but I started to mill around the supermarket area. I noticed that there was a long aisle with one side dedicated solely to chocolate. I spent a long time examining this aisle but resisted buying any chocolate. I then began to go on a quest to find something that I have been missing from the states: PEANUT BUTTER! After searching the entire store, I found one jar of it and of course I bought it. I have eaten a good portion of the jar already but I plan on rationing it now. Apparently none of the other summer vollies eat peanut butter out of a jar like I do but I think it is delicious!
Once 2 pm came around all of the local shops re-opened and we looked around in different stores including a trophy store, a post office/phone store, and we ate some cake at a tea shop attached to a hotel. There is one main fountain in the entire town and it was in front of a hotel and water came out of two spouts and the front was decorated by a bird. We also went into the local bakery (outside there is a giant fake croissant marking the bakery shop!). The bakery was small and sold dessert, bread, chocolate, drinks and cat food. I can already tell that cats are highly respected here...especially after I saw a cat on a leash in Bern!
We also walked up the hill to a church. The church was white with a terracotta roof and had a sundial on one of the outside walls. There were also a few graves near the entrance but behind the church was where the grave yard lay. We didn't go inside the church because it was being cleaned and someone inside was practicing the organ! The music made it pleasant to look around the yard and take pictures. At the bottom of the hill is the library. The library looked like a house from the outside (aside from the library sign haha).
We then took the bus back to Adelboden. Frutigen is a small town but it was nice to visit and explore it. Frutigen is bigger than Adelboden and has more to do. We started to hike back up the hill but I was walking much faster and made it back to Our Chalet a few minutes before Jessica and Mariam. Afterwards, I had dinner and then stretched before I decided to go on a hike at 7:55pm (it was still light out).
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Day 8: Training :)
Yesterday I continued my lovely training. First I learned how to clean and set rooms for guests. Our Chalet is like a hotel, so I can now set up rooms! We cleaned and set up a few rooms in Main Chalet and in Speaker.
Then I helped with organzing the tool shed on the veranda near the kitchen. There was stuff piling on all of the tables and reminded me of a Hoarders episode. We put some items in the recycle pile and then re-organized the rest of it. By the time we were done it looked like piles of stuff that was organized (when you looked closely at it).
There were two highlights of the morning:
1) My socks arrived! After one week of borrowing socks, I finally have my socks! Thanks Mom!
2) We have two cows spending some time at Our Chalet. They have a grazing area near the Main Chalet (fenced in with a small electric fence). They are creamy white with brown spots and their names are being voted on Our Chalet's facebook page. I can hear their bells as they move around and eat grass :)
After lunch, we had a training on WAGGGS. WAGGGS stands for World Association of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. I learned more about the structure of WAGGGS and how the World Centres fit into that. I also learned that there is a 5th World Centre that is currently being set up. It will be a virtual travelling World Centre in Africa. I learned a lot about the World Centres, and WAGGGS; I hope to volunteer at another World Centre soon.
Then it was kitchen training time! We helped Katy prepare dinner. I did miscellaneous jobs including....writing the menu on the whiteboard! We prepared beef chili, lentil chili and salad for dinner along with cherry pie. Yum!
After dinner, a few more summer vollies went through the oven! We also planned on hiking to town at midnight and then climbing the fountain as part of the staff challenge. I went to sleep early to prepare for the hike but it was raining too much that we decided to call it off. It was too dangerous and slippery last night!
It was not the most exciting day (besides getting the socks) but it was mildly productive (I read one page of my summer reading book for Critical Pedagogy!). Whoo!
Yesterday I continued my lovely training. First I learned how to clean and set rooms for guests. Our Chalet is like a hotel, so I can now set up rooms! We cleaned and set up a few rooms in Main Chalet and in Speaker.
Then I helped with organzing the tool shed on the veranda near the kitchen. There was stuff piling on all of the tables and reminded me of a Hoarders episode. We put some items in the recycle pile and then re-organized the rest of it. By the time we were done it looked like piles of stuff that was organized (when you looked closely at it).
There were two highlights of the morning:
1) My socks arrived! After one week of borrowing socks, I finally have my socks! Thanks Mom!
2) We have two cows spending some time at Our Chalet. They have a grazing area near the Main Chalet (fenced in with a small electric fence). They are creamy white with brown spots and their names are being voted on Our Chalet's facebook page. I can hear their bells as they move around and eat grass :)
 |
| Their names are Trixie and Bambi (I'm not sure which name belongs to which cow though...) |
After lunch, we had a training on WAGGGS. WAGGGS stands for World Association of Girl Guiding and Girl Scouting. I learned more about the structure of WAGGGS and how the World Centres fit into that. I also learned that there is a 5th World Centre that is currently being set up. It will be a virtual travelling World Centre in Africa. I learned a lot about the World Centres, and WAGGGS; I hope to volunteer at another World Centre soon.
Then it was kitchen training time! We helped Katy prepare dinner. I did miscellaneous jobs including....writing the menu on the whiteboard! We prepared beef chili, lentil chili and salad for dinner along with cherry pie. Yum!
After dinner, a few more summer vollies went through the oven! We also planned on hiking to town at midnight and then climbing the fountain as part of the staff challenge. I went to sleep early to prepare for the hike but it was raining too much that we decided to call it off. It was too dangerous and slippery last night!
It was not the most exciting day (besides getting the socks) but it was mildly productive (I read one page of my summer reading book for Critical Pedagogy!). Whoo!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Day 7: Training and more Staff Challenge!
After two days of amazing adventures, it was back to work today. In the morning we cleaned the main Chalet building and Speaker after the guests left. With so many vollies working, we were done within thirty minutes! We went outside and helped out Cameron, a summer vollie (he has been mostly helping out Christoph our grounds maintainer), with outdoor work. We helped out with de-branching of pine trees by throwing pine branches (that fell during a recent storm) into a giant pile. The pile grew taller and taller...soon far above my head. Afterwards, I helped de-bark a log on the ground. I learned that the fallen trees need to be de-barked or else bugs will nest in the bark and then infest the healthy trees. I enjoyed de-barking much more than cleaning...it was quite peaceful.
After lunchtime, we had a long break until kitchen training. With a few other summer vollies, we completed another task on the staff challenge....climbing through an oven and writing a poem while in the oven!! The oven is no longer functioning and about 2-3 feet long and 1.5 feet tall. I felt slightly claustrophobic but I slid through the oven with ease. While half-way between the kitchen and the library, I wrote a haiku:
This oven is small.
It is very small and tiny.
Please get me out please.
After I got out, I hung my poem among the collection in the kitchen of poems written while in the oven.
We had kitchen training today and reviewed how different machines work in the kitchen. Then we cooked dinner, ate dinner and cleaned up!
I also earned points by doing an environmental activity/presentation tonight. First, Steph, a spring vollie, gave a presentation with a group quiz activity abut meat and the environment. I gave my presentation on recycling and the activity I had groups design an ideal eco-friendly world (I was inspired by GCO!). I gave different facts about why to recycle, two environmental affects: the Great Pacific Trash Vortex and electronic recycling. We watched a clip of a 60 minutes episode that explored electronic recycling. Computer monitors, cell phones and other electronics are getting sent to places including Hong Kong, where the electronics are stripped for precious metals exposing the workers to pollution and causing adverse health affects, instead of being recycled properly in the U.S.
Afterwards, Mariam and Cate (summer vollies!) gave a presentation on clean water and we did a fun activity that went along with it. The presentations show how much we need to improve our current environmental state. I think that we truly need to make our lives more eco-friendly in different ways together each day from eating less meat to not buying as many electronics to decrease the pollution and waste.
Staff Challenge: 69 more points to go!!!!!!!!
Thanks for reading!
After two days of amazing adventures, it was back to work today. In the morning we cleaned the main Chalet building and Speaker after the guests left. With so many vollies working, we were done within thirty minutes! We went outside and helped out Cameron, a summer vollie (he has been mostly helping out Christoph our grounds maintainer), with outdoor work. We helped out with de-branching of pine trees by throwing pine branches (that fell during a recent storm) into a giant pile. The pile grew taller and taller...soon far above my head. Afterwards, I helped de-bark a log on the ground. I learned that the fallen trees need to be de-barked or else bugs will nest in the bark and then infest the healthy trees. I enjoyed de-barking much more than cleaning...it was quite peaceful.
After lunchtime, we had a long break until kitchen training. With a few other summer vollies, we completed another task on the staff challenge....climbing through an oven and writing a poem while in the oven!! The oven is no longer functioning and about 2-3 feet long and 1.5 feet tall. I felt slightly claustrophobic but I slid through the oven with ease. While half-way between the kitchen and the library, I wrote a haiku:
This oven is small.
It is very small and tiny.
Please get me out please.
After I got out, I hung my poem among the collection in the kitchen of poems written while in the oven.
 |
| In the oven! |
 |
| Writing my haiku in the oven |
We had kitchen training today and reviewed how different machines work in the kitchen. Then we cooked dinner, ate dinner and cleaned up!
I also earned points by doing an environmental activity/presentation tonight. First, Steph, a spring vollie, gave a presentation with a group quiz activity abut meat and the environment. I gave my presentation on recycling and the activity I had groups design an ideal eco-friendly world (I was inspired by GCO!). I gave different facts about why to recycle, two environmental affects: the Great Pacific Trash Vortex and electronic recycling. We watched a clip of a 60 minutes episode that explored electronic recycling. Computer monitors, cell phones and other electronics are getting sent to places including Hong Kong, where the electronics are stripped for precious metals exposing the workers to pollution and causing adverse health affects, instead of being recycled properly in the U.S.
Afterwards, Mariam and Cate (summer vollies!) gave a presentation on clean water and we did a fun activity that went along with it. The presentations show how much we need to improve our current environmental state. I think that we truly need to make our lives more eco-friendly in different ways together each day from eating less meat to not buying as many electronics to decrease the pollution and waste.
Staff Challenge: 69 more points to go!!!!!!!!
Thanks for reading!
Day 6: Hike to Engstligen Falls Part II
After our short break and discovery of the chamois on the other mountain, we cut back across the field to a trail that we had spotted before. With this trail, we began our descent down the mountain that we had just hiked up!
We came across a small river flowing over a rocky part of the mountain. We crossed the river and I put my hand in the water....it is freezing! Much colder than Salisbury beach! I took a small rock from my first mountain river!
We walked up through a heavily wooded area and slid down a rock to a patch of snowy ice that extended vertically along the valley of the mountain we were on. We carefully crossed the snowy path to the other side!
From there, the descent was easier and the small hiking trail turned into a dirt road. Once we got to the bottom of the road we realized that we had descended on a private road....whoops! And then the next road we took led us down to a bridge with a light blue river coursing underneath it (beginning of course at the Engstligen Falls which were closer in view this time) and also was a private road.....
We continued on a hiking trail towards the falls alongside the river. I could hear the river rapids rushing loudly and cow bells in the distance. We walked through a grove of pine trees that seemed like out a fairy tale. The woods reminded me of Hanzel and Gretel story but no candy house in sight.
After a little more uphill hiking, we finally reached the first tier of the water falls. The falls are in three parts and the water cascades down the rocks forcefully into a river that runs past the bottom of Our Chalet. The water fall is thin at the bottom tier (where we were) with rocks on either side. No picture can capture the beauty of the Engstligen falls...I advise you to come to Switzerland to see them for yourself.
We ate lunch admiring the falls and afterwards took some pictures with the falls.
After eating a well-deserved lunch, we took some pictures with the falls. Then, while my fellow hiking mates were looking at maps, I started to climb up next to the falls. I went about halfway up to the falls and got pretty close to the water. With the mist splashing my glasses, I put my hand in the water...it was freezing cold! I also took another rock. I see a collection forming already haha.
Reluctantly, I left the falls and started to head back to Our Chalet with Crystal, Libby and Jessica. We took the trail back that we were originally going to take. It was a nice scenic route that wound around the hills. We passed more cows, goats, farms and rolling hills. It was definitely not as strenuous as our hike up and down the mountain haha.
After returning to Our Chalet, I relaxed for the rest of the night and practiced my cartwheel...it's actually getting better! Maybe this will be the summer that I will successfully do a cartwheel!
Staff Challenge update: A guest had a birthday so I sang Happy Birthday in more than 3 different languages....73 points to go!!!
I am so glad that we made it to the falls and taking an adventurous route was very fun...I am training for future hikes! I can't wait to see more of the natural beauty of Switzerland.
After our short break and discovery of the chamois on the other mountain, we cut back across the field to a trail that we had spotted before. With this trail, we began our descent down the mountain that we had just hiked up!
 |
| Engstligen Falls (view from the mountain we were trying to descend) |
 |
| Part of the small river that we crossed! Notice the snow above. |
We walked up through a heavily wooded area and slid down a rock to a patch of snowy ice that extended vertically along the valley of the mountain we were on. We carefully crossed the snowy path to the other side!
From there, the descent was easier and the small hiking trail turned into a dirt road. Once we got to the bottom of the road we realized that we had descended on a private road....whoops! And then the next road we took led us down to a bridge with a light blue river coursing underneath it (beginning of course at the Engstligen Falls which were closer in view this time) and also was a private road.....
We continued on a hiking trail towards the falls alongside the river. I could hear the river rapids rushing loudly and cow bells in the distance. We walked through a grove of pine trees that seemed like out a fairy tale. The woods reminded me of Hanzel and Gretel story but no candy house in sight.
After a little more uphill hiking, we finally reached the first tier of the water falls. The falls are in three parts and the water cascades down the rocks forcefully into a river that runs past the bottom of Our Chalet. The water fall is thin at the bottom tier (where we were) with rocks on either side. No picture can capture the beauty of the Engstligen falls...I advise you to come to Switzerland to see them for yourself.
We ate lunch admiring the falls and afterwards took some pictures with the falls.
After eating a well-deserved lunch, we took some pictures with the falls. Then, while my fellow hiking mates were looking at maps, I started to climb up next to the falls. I went about halfway up to the falls and got pretty close to the water. With the mist splashing my glasses, I put my hand in the water...it was freezing cold! I also took another rock. I see a collection forming already haha.
 |
| The view of the waterfall from where I climbed up to |
Reluctantly, I left the falls and started to head back to Our Chalet with Crystal, Libby and Jessica. We took the trail back that we were originally going to take. It was a nice scenic route that wound around the hills. We passed more cows, goats, farms and rolling hills. It was definitely not as strenuous as our hike up and down the mountain haha.
After returning to Our Chalet, I relaxed for the rest of the night and practiced my cartwheel...it's actually getting better! Maybe this will be the summer that I will successfully do a cartwheel!
Staff Challenge update: A guest had a birthday so I sang Happy Birthday in more than 3 different languages....73 points to go!!!
I am so glad that we made it to the falls and taking an adventurous route was very fun...I am training for future hikes! I can't wait to see more of the natural beauty of Switzerland.
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Day 6: Hike to Engstligen Falls Part I
With a good night's sleep in the attic eves, I woke up at 8am ready to hike to Engstligen waterfalls which are the second highest falls in Switzerland. I went on the hike with summer vollies Crystal, Libby and Jessica. After stopping into reception for some advice on how to get there, we left Our Chalet a little after 10am.
We decided to go on a different trail not outlined in the initial brochure we looked at. This trail advised us to go down the mountain from Our Chalet and follow the trail next to the river. Instead, we started climbing the mountaineos road behind Our Chalet. The road was very steep and just when I hoped that the road would level out, there would be another incline. These inclines make Orchard Hill look like a walk in the park! We stopped periodically and at one point we stopped near some cows grazing. The cows were a light creamy brown with white spots. The cows and bull took little notice to us but two curious calves gradually inched closer to us. I was tempted to pet the calf but it didn't seem like a good idea.
We also passed a restaurant but did not stop by. What I think is interesting is that the signs for the restaurant are very far from the actual restaurant...an hour later I saw a sign for this restaurant!
After an hour, we were only slightly above Our Chalet on the mountain. We were not sure if we would even make it to the falls....we did not even know if we were going in the correct direction. We were using three maps to find our way and we ended up asking for directions. Luckily, we were headed in the right direction!
It started to drizzle but we continued climbing the gradual and contiuning inclines. The mountains were becoming clearer and I was surprised to see houses so high up. We passed a man chopping wood and saw a fire burning nearby. We even spotted snow left over from the recent storm! We stopped near one house to look at the maps and there was a wooden trough outside. There was a spout giving water to the trough which was one giant log. I later learned that mountain water comes from the spout and the trough is for cows. I could also smell bacon and wanted to invite myself inside because I was getting hungry!
We continued along until the paved road turned into a dirt road and then turned into fields. We started following a small trail and it felt like we were in Lord of the Rings. The looming mountains on either side, the small trail that was difficult to keep track of and in the distance: the Engstligen falls! The falls are beautiful, even from far away. They are nestled in between two snow-topped mountains. The water cascades from the top tier of the water fall over the rocks in many different small streams. This flows down into two more tiers of the waterfall that rushes over the rocks. The falls lead to the beginning of the river that continues on past Our Chalet.
Energized, we continued on the small hiking path until it suddenly ended. There was a sign but we were not sure which way to go. After referencing to the maps, we started walking through the green fields. I noticed some beautiful wild flowers. There were small blue flowers the color of sapphire, purple fuzzy flowers, puffy cotton-ball like dandelions-to-be, a green stem decorated with delicate yellow flowers and of course dandelions and buttercups. We got to the edge of the mountain and could not see how we would get across to the other mountain and then to the falls. We were so far away! We took a small break and spotted an animal I have never seen before that looked like a goat with a white face, black fur around the eyes and short antlers. I later learned that we had spotted a chamois, a common animal found in the Swiss alps.
With a good night's sleep in the attic eves, I woke up at 8am ready to hike to Engstligen waterfalls which are the second highest falls in Switzerland. I went on the hike with summer vollies Crystal, Libby and Jessica. After stopping into reception for some advice on how to get there, we left Our Chalet a little after 10am.
We decided to go on a different trail not outlined in the initial brochure we looked at. This trail advised us to go down the mountain from Our Chalet and follow the trail next to the river. Instead, we started climbing the mountaineos road behind Our Chalet. The road was very steep and just when I hoped that the road would level out, there would be another incline. These inclines make Orchard Hill look like a walk in the park! We stopped periodically and at one point we stopped near some cows grazing. The cows were a light creamy brown with white spots. The cows and bull took little notice to us but two curious calves gradually inched closer to us. I was tempted to pet the calf but it didn't seem like a good idea.
We also passed a restaurant but did not stop by. What I think is interesting is that the signs for the restaurant are very far from the actual restaurant...an hour later I saw a sign for this restaurant!
After an hour, we were only slightly above Our Chalet on the mountain. We were not sure if we would even make it to the falls....we did not even know if we were going in the correct direction. We were using three maps to find our way and we ended up asking for directions. Luckily, we were headed in the right direction!
It started to drizzle but we continued climbing the gradual and contiuning inclines. The mountains were becoming clearer and I was surprised to see houses so high up. We passed a man chopping wood and saw a fire burning nearby. We even spotted snow left over from the recent storm! We stopped near one house to look at the maps and there was a wooden trough outside. There was a spout giving water to the trough which was one giant log. I later learned that mountain water comes from the spout and the trough is for cows. I could also smell bacon and wanted to invite myself inside because I was getting hungry!
We continued along until the paved road turned into a dirt road and then turned into fields. We started following a small trail and it felt like we were in Lord of the Rings. The looming mountains on either side, the small trail that was difficult to keep track of and in the distance: the Engstligen falls! The falls are beautiful, even from far away. They are nestled in between two snow-topped mountains. The water cascades from the top tier of the water fall over the rocks in many different small streams. This flows down into two more tiers of the waterfall that rushes over the rocks. The falls lead to the beginning of the river that continues on past Our Chalet.
 |
| The falls are in the background...we were still really far away though! |
Energized, we continued on the small hiking path until it suddenly ended. There was a sign but we were not sure which way to go. After referencing to the maps, we started walking through the green fields. I noticed some beautiful wild flowers. There were small blue flowers the color of sapphire, purple fuzzy flowers, puffy cotton-ball like dandelions-to-be, a green stem decorated with delicate yellow flowers and of course dandelions and buttercups. We got to the edge of the mountain and could not see how we would get across to the other mountain and then to the falls. We were so far away! We took a small break and spotted an animal I have never seen before that looked like a goat with a white face, black fur around the eyes and short antlers. I later learned that we had spotted a chamois, a common animal found in the Swiss alps.
|
| The goal...Engsligen falls! |
Day 5: Bern! Part II
On our way back to the market, we stopped by St. Vincent's Cathedral. We walked around the gardens outside and looked out on the city again. We also found a mini playground which included trying to walk across a mini bridge (close to the ground) that moved. I found it to be easy but I think skating has helped with that. Putri, Jessica and Mariam tried (and succeeded!) and we attracted the attention of some other tourists who also tried it out haha.
We met the other vollies in the market. While I ate my lunch, I watched people play life-sized chess (not as big as in Harry Potter but big enough to play standing up). The men playing the chess were very intense about the game....though I think chess is played differently than in the U.S. because I did not see a queen place and other pieces could do different things than I remembered that they could.
At St. Vincent's Cathedral we climbed up the tower. The steps were very narrow and numerous. We started in the dark but then could start to see the view out of the windows on the way up. The height of the tower started to make me feel a little scared but I kept going and tried not to think about how high up I was going. We finally reached the first part and the platform all around was also narrow but the view was spectacular. In one direction, the bridges over the turquoise river, the terracotta roofs, the roof of the parliament roof. On another side, more tops of buildings, the clock tower, the spire of the Church of the Holy Ghost. On the other side, mostly river, houses far away and the distant alps. The last side, the river, the old part of the city and where the bears are kept. The view was awesome and I could also see the intricate arquitecture of the church up close. The spires had intricate curls and balls on them and above I could see statue sconces. We then went to another stairway with narrow steps and climbed up to the highest point that we could climb up to. There was a little bit of construction surrounding the inside of the platform but the view was still spectacular from farther up...the birds-eye view of the city was cool and the city looked like a miniature version. I was a little scared of heights and I sung a little Phantom of the Opera when I was on one side alone.
On the way back down, there were two secret set of stairs that went into the church. Both sets of stairways led to the bell towers. The bells were caged in (probably so visitors don't fall down the church cavern). It was dark inside and there were two large bells. I imagined how in the medieval times, someone would climb up and ring the bell. It is pretty high up and they probably had to climb the stairs and pull a rope dangerously close to falling down. I think it probably would have been a fun yet dangerous job.
The stairs led out to the inside of the cathedral. The cathedral has high decorated ceilings and wooden pews along with stained glass windows lead up to a candle and the pulpit (that part though is blocked off). Behind that is a decorated altar and to the left but high up was an medium-sized organ attached to the wall. On the other side of the church, on the second floor, was a giant decorated organ with a golden piece on top. The cathedral had divided off into a smaller section on the left hand side. A third wooden organ stood nearby where the cathedral divided into the section. In this smaller section, there was a statue of Mary and Jesus. It was very impressive...the cloth on the statue looked real, though it was made of stone. There was also a pool of floating tea candles and I added one, saying a silent prayer for Nanny. I also wrote in the prayer book out of spirituality and to give thanks for my family, friends and opportunities in life given to me.
After the cathedral, we stopped in shops along the streets. We went to a Co-Op chocolate store. Co-Op is a large store like Sam's Club that sells groceries, household items and chocolate! I had a hard time deciding what to buy but I am trying to find the best chocolate while in Switzerland. I got some milk and dark chocolate along with a biscuit with a bear on it. Swiss milk chocolate is much sweeter and creamer than American milk chocolate...I like it better here haha. Currently my chocolate stash is on the shelf above my bed ... :)
Afterwards, most of the vollies stayed to shop and eat dinner out in Bern. I was exhausted and looking to save money for future travelling, so I left around 3pm with Putri and Jessica. Before we caught the train, we had some gelato. I had caramello which was a creamy caramel flavour! My first ice cream in Switzerland!
We caught three trains and a bus back to Adelboden and then up to Our Chalet. I learned three things on that time back.
1) On the second stories of trains, there are kids sections where there are mini playgrounds! I went down the slide
2) When you dance near the flagpole and think there is no one watching....the spring vollies may be watching you from Stockli house. Embarrassing but it was still fun.
3) When hitch hiking on the mountainside back up Our Chalet, you may catch a ride with Catt!! (Yay!!!)
We got back right in time for dinner!
Update on Staff Challenge: I got more points yesterday for the staff challenge! I got 2 for taking a day trip to somewhere in Switzerland (whoo Bern!). I also got 2 points for sleeping in the eves of the attic! In the attic, where I am sleeping, there are closets that lead to the edges of the attic that are filled with different supplies. I pulled down a mattress kept in there and set up my bed for the night. The cabinet I picked is right behind my bed and I slept soundly with the door open. It was a cozy place to sleep (other than the dustiness in the air!)
75 points to go!!!!!!
On our way back to the market, we stopped by St. Vincent's Cathedral. We walked around the gardens outside and looked out on the city again. We also found a mini playground which included trying to walk across a mini bridge (close to the ground) that moved. I found it to be easy but I think skating has helped with that. Putri, Jessica and Mariam tried (and succeeded!) and we attracted the attention of some other tourists who also tried it out haha.
 |
| I completed walking over the bridge (again) |
After lunch, we headed back to the St. Vincent's Cathedral. On our way there, we saw a demonstration of a gas fire in front of the parliament building and two older versions of fire trucks. One fire truck had a band playing horns in it. It was a little random but I think it was an intentional demonstration by the firemen for something.
 |
| St. Vincent's Cathedral. The tower (under construction) is the one that we climbed. |
 |
| Putri and the architecture of the tower |
 |
| A view of Bern from the tower |
 |
| The staircase....so narrow! |
On the way back down, there were two secret set of stairs that went into the church. Both sets of stairways led to the bell towers. The bells were caged in (probably so visitors don't fall down the church cavern). It was dark inside and there were two large bells. I imagined how in the medieval times, someone would climb up and ring the bell. It is pretty high up and they probably had to climb the stairs and pull a rope dangerously close to falling down. I think it probably would have been a fun yet dangerous job.
The stairs led out to the inside of the cathedral. The cathedral has high decorated ceilings and wooden pews along with stained glass windows lead up to a candle and the pulpit (that part though is blocked off). Behind that is a decorated altar and to the left but high up was an medium-sized organ attached to the wall. On the other side of the church, on the second floor, was a giant decorated organ with a golden piece on top. The cathedral had divided off into a smaller section on the left hand side. A third wooden organ stood nearby where the cathedral divided into the section. In this smaller section, there was a statue of Mary and Jesus. It was very impressive...the cloth on the statue looked real, though it was made of stone. There was also a pool of floating tea candles and I added one, saying a silent prayer for Nanny. I also wrote in the prayer book out of spirituality and to give thanks for my family, friends and opportunities in life given to me.
 |
| The giant organ in the back of the cathedral |
 |
| The floating pool of tea lights |
 |
| The life-like statue of Mary and Jesus |
After the cathedral, we stopped in shops along the streets. We went to a Co-Op chocolate store. Co-Op is a large store like Sam's Club that sells groceries, household items and chocolate! I had a hard time deciding what to buy but I am trying to find the best chocolate while in Switzerland. I got some milk and dark chocolate along with a biscuit with a bear on it. Swiss milk chocolate is much sweeter and creamer than American milk chocolate...I like it better here haha. Currently my chocolate stash is on the shelf above my bed ... :)
Afterwards, most of the vollies stayed to shop and eat dinner out in Bern. I was exhausted and looking to save money for future travelling, so I left around 3pm with Putri and Jessica. Before we caught the train, we had some gelato. I had caramello which was a creamy caramel flavour! My first ice cream in Switzerland!
We caught three trains and a bus back to Adelboden and then up to Our Chalet. I learned three things on that time back.
1) On the second stories of trains, there are kids sections where there are mini playgrounds! I went down the slide
2) When you dance near the flagpole and think there is no one watching....the spring vollies may be watching you from Stockli house. Embarrassing but it was still fun.
3) When hitch hiking on the mountainside back up Our Chalet, you may catch a ride with Catt!! (Yay!!!)
We got back right in time for dinner!
Update on Staff Challenge: I got more points yesterday for the staff challenge! I got 2 for taking a day trip to somewhere in Switzerland (whoo Bern!). I also got 2 points for sleeping in the eves of the attic! In the attic, where I am sleeping, there are closets that lead to the edges of the attic that are filled with different supplies. I pulled down a mattress kept in there and set up my bed for the night. The cabinet I picked is right behind my bed and I slept soundly with the door open. It was a cozy place to sleep (other than the dustiness in the air!)
75 points to go!!!!!!
Day 5: Bern! Part I
Yesterday I visited the capital of Switzerland with 8 other summer vollies and one spring vollie! We headed out of Our Chalet at 8:30am and trekked down the hill to the bus stop. We took the bus and then a train to Bern...about a 2 hour ride. I mostly just stared out the window haha
Bern is a city filled with beautiful old buildings with terracota roofs and other elegant buildings. We wandered out of the train station and walked towards a market. On every street there were flags hanging near every store of the Swiss flag, the Bern coat of arms (which is a bear) and the coat of arms of other areas of Switzerland.
On our way to the market, we saw the fountain of a bagpiper (recently redone for a lot of francs!) which was cool. The market was selling fresh fruit, vegetables and churros! The market was also home to Some of the other vollies got some churros but I got some extra unwanted churros...delicious!
We went the parliament building which is a cream colored building with a green roof outlined in gold. We went behind the parliament building to the view of the city and nearby area. It was beautiful; a turquoise river runs nearby and through the city. Houses and buildings with terracotta roofs filled the landscape in the surrounding valley near the river and in the distance on the hills. And in the way back of this view were the distant snowy Alps.
Parliament Building:
Landscape from the Parliament building:
After taking many many pictures, the big group split up and I went with Putri, Jessica and Mariam to see all of the main historic highlights of Bern. We walked back near the train station where the electric cars constantly run through the center of the street. I almost got run over by a cable car and/or bus many times yesterday haha. We meandered through the city, back near the market past many stores.
Our next destination was the clock tower. It was the city's first western gate (1191-1256) and it was a thin yet tall structure. One side of the tower had a mural painted on it but after we passed through it and saw the other side I understood why the tower was a famous landmark of the city. Underneath the green spire, the clock is guided by a sun hand and a moon hand. Underneath this is a smaller combination of clocks.
The street turned to cobblestone once we passed through the clock tower and we were in an older part of Bern. On either side of the street were stores and cafes. Above the street level were apartments, flower boxes and the flags. Running on either side of the street were the buses and cable cars periodically. Through the center of the street were fountains. Each fountain represented a different people and concepts including justice, etc. Each fountain has a pool of water and a statue standing on top of a pillar in the center. Out of a spout of the pillar flowed fresh mountain water.
Halfway through the street we saw a crowd of tourists standing around one house....Einstein's House! It was where he came up with the theory of relativity. Unfortunately, his house is closed due to severe water damage until further notice :( I guess it means I will have to visit Bern another time!
After, we walked over a bridge, took in the view of the turquoise river and went over to see the bears of Bern! The brown bears are kept in an outside fenced in area with lots of trees, grass and other leafy things to eat! They were so cute! And the river nearby was still breathtaking and this time I was close enough that I could jump into it. Then we started to head back towards the market in Bern to meet the other vollies for lunch!
Yesterday I visited the capital of Switzerland with 8 other summer vollies and one spring vollie! We headed out of Our Chalet at 8:30am and trekked down the hill to the bus stop. We took the bus and then a train to Bern...about a 2 hour ride. I mostly just stared out the window haha
On our way to the market, we saw the fountain of a bagpiper (recently redone for a lot of francs!) which was cool. The market was selling fresh fruit, vegetables and churros! The market was also home to Some of the other vollies got some churros but I got some extra unwanted churros...delicious!
We went the parliament building which is a cream colored building with a green roof outlined in gold. We went behind the parliament building to the view of the city and nearby area. It was beautiful; a turquoise river runs nearby and through the city. Houses and buildings with terracotta roofs filled the landscape in the surrounding valley near the river and in the distance on the hills. And in the way back of this view were the distant snowy Alps.
Parliament Building:
Our next destination was the clock tower. It was the city's first western gate (1191-1256) and it was a thin yet tall structure. One side of the tower had a mural painted on it but after we passed through it and saw the other side I understood why the tower was a famous landmark of the city. Underneath the green spire, the clock is guided by a sun hand and a moon hand. Underneath this is a smaller combination of clocks.
 |
| Clock tower |
 |
| A popular spot in Bern |
The street turned to cobblestone once we passed through the clock tower and we were in an older part of Bern. On either side of the street were stores and cafes. Above the street level were apartments, flower boxes and the flags. Running on either side of the street were the buses and cable cars periodically. Through the center of the street were fountains. Each fountain represented a different people and concepts including justice, etc. Each fountain has a pool of water and a statue standing on top of a pillar in the center. Out of a spout of the pillar flowed fresh mountain water.
 |
| Me and the fountain of Justice |
Halfway through the street we saw a crowd of tourists standing around one house....Einstein's House! It was where he came up with the theory of relativity. Unfortunately, his house is closed due to severe water damage until further notice :( I guess it means I will have to visit Bern another time!
After, we walked over a bridge, took in the view of the turquoise river and went over to see the bears of Bern! The brown bears are kept in an outside fenced in area with lots of trees, grass and other leafy things to eat! They were so cute! And the river nearby was still breathtaking and this time I was close enough that I could jump into it. Then we started to head back towards the market in Bern to meet the other vollies for lunch!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)