CHINESE FOOD - GRINDELWALD, SWITZERLAND - DAY 16
We wake up still exhausted, but we've got our routine down, and we have one of three options that we can choose to do for our last day here:
1) We can take the Glacier Express, normally 80 euros but for us 20 euros with our rail pass.
2) Take a three hour trip to Matterhorn, or
3) Go to Grindelwald three hours away.
I'm thinking we’ll do option 3 because with our research and the weather, that seems like the best one. Grindelwald it is!
We passed through Interlaken and Bern again today. At the stop in Interlaken, there are so many Chinese and Asian tourists and restaurants, (even in the off season), that it feels like we’re in two countries at once. I only mention this because there are literally no other tourists, except for us and a few locals...And because we stopped in for some Chinese food and tea. As for the Alps, the view was clear and sunny on-and-off, which made the light scatter in pockets all over the skyline. We catch our next train heading to Grindelwald.
Grindelwald was another breathtaking site to say the least. Once again I could stare at it for days but our time is limited. We're a bit discombobulated upon arrival. We see skiers everywhere, and walk over to an outdoor bar to ask questions. The bartender is a sweet girl from the Netherlands. We chat her up and tell her we've just been there. She's gives us free warm spiced wine, and we each pay for a shot- She's really fun, and takes one with us. We ask what we should do while here and she whips out a brochure. We wanted to go up and do a zip line activity, but it was 50fch to go up and then another 30fch to zip line, so we decided to come back and do it when we’re rich. Until then, we thank her and take a million photos and videos- None of which do any justice to the place of course. I had brought a beer that was free from the hostel, and Kay bought one from a nearby shop. We walk over to an open area, away from the tourists, plant our beers in the snow to chill, and take in the view. Before cracking open our beers, we appreciate where we are and the moment we're in. We can't believe we're here, and we can't fully comprehend the beauty before us. Standing in front of such enormous mountains really puts you in your place. We never want to leave, but we cheers and enjoy a drink before heading back.
Another train ride, and we're back at the hostel eating dinner, and prepping to take our overnight train to Budapest. Kay really wanted to get fondue for our last meal, but every spot served it for $30+ U.S. Remo had told us earlier how strange the popularity of fondue has grown over the years. It used to be a poor man's meal for farmers. Now, it's primarily served as a costly novelty to tourists. Personally, I would've loved to have chocolate fondue here, but in actuality, they only serve cheese fondue- Chocolate fondue is almost entirely an Americanized thing.
I hope I sleep the whole way on the train. I got 6 hours last night, but we’ve been running and gunning so hard for so many days that I just need ONE night with a solid 8-10hrs I think. It’s making me slow and nauseous. I’m sure I’ll get through. Plus, I'm sick of eating sandwiches, and I'm really looking forward to good, cheap meals in Hungary.
Love you!
-eM
Xoxoxox
