Not something you see every day …
I spotted this cow in Interlaken, Switzerland.
Posted for Becky’s Square Odds
An odd cow
Switzerland
Tree Line
A view from Grindelwald, near Interlaken, Switzerland.
The tree line is the edge of the habitat at which trees are capable of growing. It is found at high elevations and high latitudes. Beyond the tree line, trees cannot tolerate the environmental conditions (usually cold temperatures or associated lack of available moisture). (source) This particular tree line is in the Swiss Alps.
Posted as part of October Squares Lines&Squares
Fountain Series: Urban (2) – Geneva
Fountain in Geneva
This urban fountain comes from a small square in Geneva.
April’s Fountain Photo Challenge theme is Urban — fountains in a city or town setting.
Travel Album: Switzerland
Walking in the mountains above Interlaken
There was such an enthusiastic response to my recent post about mountains that I thought I would share more photos from the Bernese Oberland area in Switzerland. These shots are from three walks in June 2008 (which explains the less-than-fantastic quality of the photos). To see a much better version of the map below, click here.
Map of trains, buses and walking routes accessible from Interlaken. Just hop on a train, and go!
Walk 1: After my visit to Jungfraujoch and Top of Europe (more photos here), I walked from Kleine Scheidegg to Wengen, a route that takes about 2 hrs and 45 minutes. This was a lovely stroll with a gentle descent of only 800 m.
Grindelwald station (1034m): change trains and keep going up!
Kleine Schedigg (2061m), where you get the train to Jungfraujoch.
A very youthful-looking me on Jungfraujoch (3545m). Behind me is the Aletsch Glacier, the largest and longest glacier in the Alps, being 24 km (15 miles) in length.
A stroll in the snow, Jungfraujoch.
Looking back up at Jungfraujoch and Top of Europe.
Wildflowers along the path.
Mountains reflected in a pond.
Lupins and mountains. (You can just spot Top of Europe on the ridge.)
The path leading to Wengen.
A meadow near Wengen.
Walk 2: From Harder Kulm to Interlaken, roughly 2.5 hours – and a descent of 2500 m. My knees were shaking by the time that one was over!
Funicular up, walk down.
Looking down on a paraglider.
Looking across to Jungfrau.
Interlaken sits between the Thunersee to the west …
… and the Brienzersee to the east.
A lovely, tree-lined walk — down, and down, and down.
Time to rest!
These four photos were taken from the balcony of my hotel, the Metropole. Stunning views of Jungfrau, in all conditions (well, the foggy one is not so stunning).
Taken at 3:52pm.
5:35pm, and what a change in the weather!
Two hours later, Jungfrau is bathed in pink as the sun sets.
The next morning, 6:15am.
Walk 3: Along Schynige Platte, a generally flat 2.5-hour circular walk on a plateau.
From left to right, the famous peaks of Eiger (3970 m / 13025 ft), Mönch (4099 m / 13448 ft) and Jungfrau (4158 m / 13642 ft).
A view from Schynige Platte.
A view from Schynige Platte.
Looking down at Interlaken from Schynige Platte.
A view from Schynige Platte.
My lunch spot on Schynige Platte.
If you have enjoyed these walks in the mountains of Switzerland, be sure to visit Jo’s Monday Walk for other walks.
There’s nothing like a mountain to make you feel small
Mountains have a great way of telling you just how insignificant you are in the scale of things.
Walkers on a snow field; photo taken from the Jungfraujoch.
The Jungfraujoch, with the ‘Top of Europe’ building perched on its top. (elevation 3466m ASL). Note the tiny ant-people at the bottom!
A crop of the previous photo, showing the Top of Europe building.
Another view of Top of Europe. This is not my photo — well, it’s my photo of someone else’s photo, on display at the Top of Europe. You can see the white flare of my flash.
Avalanche on the flanks on the Jungfrau. I’ve highlighted the building to give an idea of the size of the avalanche.
The famous North Face of the Eiger. I’ve highlighted a person at the base. Imagine climbing that!
Rock on
“What are men to rocks and mountains?”
The quotation that introduces my entry in this week’s Travel Theme: Stone challenge is courtesy of Jane Austen (‘Pride and Prejudice’). Heaven knows, there’s nothing like a mountain to put you in your place.
The North Face of the Eiger, Switzerland.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom, Wadi Rum, Jordan.
The Three Sisters, Katoomba, Australia.
Rock bridge, Sao Lourenco, Madeira.
Eroded by wind, used for target practice by Napolean and roosted upon by pigeons, the Sphinx is battered but remains enigmatic. (Cairo, Egypt)
Pics by Kaz 