I decided that eventually I would find Swiss National Day activities.
I found a poster hanging in the train track underpass, and a Brit
commented how he had heard the activities started at 11am.
I turned around, followed the growing trickle of people, and found the
heart of Wengen which is otherwise impossible to miss...
11:05 Alps time 03:05 California time
11:06 Alps time 03:06 California time
11:07 Alps time 03:07 California time
Finally I had the full schedule!
This would do just fine!
I grabbed plenty of "free" hors d'oeuvres and "free" wine that were
provided by the local hotel owners...
Over the next hour they announced parts of the day's schedule a few
times, and also reiterated that all schedule changes would appear on
https://wengen.swiss - this is clearly the only place to go to learn
anything about Wengen since my web searches showed nothing.
Dusty: Half drink on free wine. May slow down, may not. I
could get used to this. Only another 10h of festivities!
You know your drunk if you start toe tapping to the oompa loompa music
11:12 Alps time 03:12 California time
11:22 Alps time 03:22 California time
12:23 Alps time 04:23 California time
12:32 Alps time 04:32 California time
12:57 Alps time 04:57 California time
Paul had stayed in Wengen just 5 weeks prior with his family, they
loved watching the rabbits at the hotel near their air bnb...
17:30 Europe time 08:30 California time
Dusty: I saw 2 rabbits sleeping inside.
17:37 Europe time 08:37 California time
Paul: Kids will still want the pic of the hutch in the rain!
Contemporaneous bunny hutch pic wanted!
17:38 Europe time 08:38 California time
Paul: Where's the bunnies?
17:38 Europe time 08:38 California time
Paul: J/K
17:38 Europe time 08:38 California time
Dusty: In my belly!
14:15 Alps time 06:15 California time
Alp horn band Fernweh
Songs lasted under 3m each.
When they were done, they wandered over to the next venue, which
happened to be the Reformed Church with the about the only view of
Lauterbrunnen below.
14:43 Alps time 06:43 California time
wandering over to the Reformed Church
14:45 Alps time 06:45 California time
"yodelling duo" who otherwise were unnamed on today's program.
14:50 Alps time 06:50 California time
15:15 Alps time 07:15 California time
Finally found the church, only because the alphorns went there.
That
view does not suck
15:12 Europe time 06:12 California time
Dusty: Loving Wengen, but I suspect only because its Swiss National
Day..
Dusty: Full of US and British trust fund families, way too much English
spoken, I'm sure any other day I'd probably hate it cause it is so
tourist mobbed
17:22 Alps time 09:22 California time
17:39 Alps time 09:39 California time
Älpler Hörnli
Pasta, bacon, potatoes, cheese, cream, onion, served with applesauce to be dripped on top..
insanely rich and filling.
Cheesier than anything I normally order but it is yummy.
17:26 Europe time 08:26 California time
Dusty: After teasing all day the rain is finally here
Dusty: Managed to find a place to eat before I got soaked
Dusty: Another 3h until the party re-starts...
17:38 Europe time 08:38 California time
Dusty: Haven't seen rabbit in any menu in town yet.
17:58 Europe time 08:58 California time
Paul: What restaurant?
18:01 Europe time 09:01 California time
Dusty: Bernerhof
Dusty: Last night was Hotel Schönegg.
18:05 Europe time 09:05 California time
Paul: Ah
Paul: You're right across from the upper playground then
Paul: They have a cool wooden zigzag track that you can roll balls down
18:05 Europe time 09:05 California time
Dusty: They have several zigzag tracks all over town
Paul's pic
18:07 Europe time 09:07 California time
Paul: 5 weeks ago in that park
18:09 Europe time 09:09 California time
Dusty: Is that Tay on the right?
18:11 Europe time 09:11 California time
Paul: Yep
18:17 Europe time 09:17 California time
Dusty: About half the tables here ordering rachlette
Dusty: I don't understand the attraction...
Dusty: too much cheese, not enough other flavors....
18:26 Europe time 09:26 California time
Kent: Bernerhof was the first place I stayed in the alps in 1991
Kent: They have an awesome deck in back of hotel for sipping beer
Kent: Ate there last year, wasn't too happy with it
18:27 Europe time 09:27 California time
Kent: After the parade, this veal hit the spot
Kent: 7chf
18:32 Europe time 09:32 California time
Kent: Awesome picts of kids in front of the jungfrau and
silberhorn! Great place for kids
Kent: Mine liked it too
18:34 Europe time 09:34 California time
Dusty: I was gonna take a pic when i was done but didn't..
Dusty: I managed to eat maybe 1/5 of it..
18:36 Europe time 09:36 California time
Dusty: Kids made lanterns for the parade earlier, ours is an evening
parade..
18:36 Europe time 09:36 California time
Kent: She dropped bomb on me..
Kent: :)
18:37 Europe time 09:37 California time
Dusty: Yes, they did!
Ray's pic from Colorado
Ray's pic from Colorado
Ray's pic from Colorado
Ray's pic from Colorado
Ray's pic from Colorado
Ray's pic from Colorado
20:33 Europe time 11:33 California time
Ray: Coming down from Long's Peak
Ray: Made the summit this time
Ray: Not easy!!
Ray: It's been a spectacular day.
20:35 Europe time 11:35 California time
Ray: I've been hiking for 9.5 hours with minimal rest
Ray: Still have about 4 hours of hiking left
20:35 Europe time 11:35 California time
Paul: Keyhole Route?
20:36 Europe time 11:36 California time
Ray: Yup
Ray: It was quite something
Ray: One of the hardest hikes I've ever done
20:37 Europe time 11:37 California time
Paul: I've heard that one is pretty sketch!
20:41 Europe time 11:41 California time
Ray: It is in a few places
Ray: There are more than a few chutes of danger
Ray: A couple of death fall potentials are there but it's easy to avoid
deah
Ray: The more likely danger is falling a few feet and breaking
something, which is possible in 100s of spots
Ray: A rescue here would take hours
Ray: I really enjoyed the endless class 3 near the summit
21:00 Europe time 12:00 California time
Dusty: Awesome Ray!
20:43 Alps time 12:43 California time
The Wengen Wind Band
21:03 Alps time 13:03 California time
The Wengen Wind Band leading the latern procession around town.
21:07 Alps time 13:07 California time
Trychlergruppe Wengen - bell ringers
21:11 Alps time 13:11 California time
Trychlergruppe Wengen - bell ringers
21:14 Alps time 13:14 California time
Trychlergruppe Wengen - bell ringers
21:57 Alps time 13:57 California time
They lit a single bonfire about halfway up the mountain between
Mannlichen and Wengen.
Fortunately it was visible, it would have been completely lost in the
clouds if it was much higher.
22:50 Europe time 13:50 California time
Dusty: Fireworks not quite Martigny level but still pretty awesome.
After the Wengen fireworks were done, I could see fireworks
occasionally it seemed like nearly all over the valley.
Some appeared to be coming from Schilthorn, lots from down below in
Lauterbrunnen.
