Kittens From The Dark Side: July 2024

This was one of my favorite days we spent in Switzerland! We were reasonably fresh and rested, AND we got to go up into the snowy mountains!

I wore this outfit - longer pants instead of cropped, ankle boots and a light coat because of the snow and potential cold (though it wasn't cold up there!)

Here is our chalet (though we were in a cute separate chalet in the back garden) and the huge crane that was working on the building next door!

View from the backyard:

First we took a train. While we were on the train, Greg bought tickets for our cable car ride up to the Jungfraujoch (where the tippy-top mountains can be viewed).

Here's a map of the routes:

There was a very nice bathroom in the station, plus a Coop grocery store, where we got lunch.

These faucets were great because the little circle at the top controlled the temperature.

Dad picked a salad:

For some reason, the Swiss liked dyed eggs all year round!

Mom picked a salad, too!

Plus Earl Grey tea.

The view was beautiful!

My parents have a friend (Hi, Joe!) who challenged my Mom to blow an Alpenhorn and this advertisement seemed like a great opportunity!

Then I got in the photo with the cow and the Alpenhorner!

Then Greg joined me.

This was the clock in the waiting area - isn't it great?

We also saw this cute female cow in a dirndl.

Then our time slot for our cable car ride came and we headed off!

Jungfrau means virgin and is the name of one of the mountain peaks.

Joch means saddle, and indicates the low point between the Jungfrau peak and the Mönch (the monk) peak.

The cable car process is fascinating!

Here we go!

And the views were gorgeous!

At one point, we switched to a special cog-wheel train. These trains have cogs to pull the cars up the hill and not allow them to slide backward.

Notice the extra teeth in the middle of the rails:

We observed the Eiger Glacier.

Comfy train with plenty of room:

Out the windows:

Jungfraujoch!

We made it to the top!

This is an ibex.

We walked through the tunnels on our way up to the top of the structure that sits in the Jungfrau saddle.

Would you like to see the bench that won the My Swiss Bench Challenge in Germany?

Here it is!

Dad looking at the snow and ice:

We made it to the top of the Sphinx and got ready to go out on the observation platform!

This cute little snow blower is used to clear the small platform.

Alps all the way around!

The floor of the platform is mesh to let the snow fall through when possible.

These side walkways are often closed due to the danger of icicles falling on people.

Then we walked out ONTO the glacier itself, where there was a cafe, sun chairs, and people enjoying a zip line. There was a walking path to a hut further along, where visitors can get hot cocoa if they are willing to walk a bit through the snow!

There were opportunities to take photos there, too, like this flag!

Then we walked through more of the installations inside the mountain.

These are the names of some of the people who died in the construction of the structure and railways up to the Jungfraujoch.

We also walked through an ice cave!

There were ice carvings, such as this polar bear (though it looks like a cow in this photo):

Poor Mom got stuck in this endless ice tunnel!

We saved her!

Then we all had a snack!

There was still more to see!

Then we were headed back down the mountain!

I may have fallen asleep in the train!

Then back onto the cable car!

We saw paragliders landing on our way back!

The otter fountain! (Or were they beavers?)

I needed to go back to the rental place to make some dinner and I was quite tired and wanted some alone time (after a people-heavy day!), but my parents and Greg went out to Bebbi's for dinner! Keep in mind that I wasn't there, but it looked like grand fun!

It looked like a private business party, but our group was welcome anyway.