Switzerland - October 5th-7th, 2013

Our next stop was amazing Switzerland!  We took a train from Paris to Interlaken and got in at about 11pm.  We had no idea what to expect so rolling in close to midnight in the dark was pretty funny.  There was no train station with workers to help out - it was more like a bus stop and we had no clue how to get to our hotel.  Across the street from the stop was a bar so we went over there and some local guys were walking out and they were super nice and helpful, and luckily spoke English! :) Our hotel was just up the road a little ways so it was fun to walk through town on our way there and window shop!

The first shop we came up to was a Swiss chocolate shop - yum!

We stayed at the best little hotel that my aunt recommended to us - clean, modern rooms, helpful owners, free breakfast and right in the middle of town.  This is the view from our hotel window of all the lush, green backyards with the Alps surrounding, too bad it was foggy most of our time there! 

We started off the day with a bus ride up to some waterfalls and an amazing view of the Alps.  I felt like I was in a storybook - the scenery was incredible!

Obsessed with all the wooden houses and colored shutters - and don't mind the waterfall coming down the mountain, no big deal :)

Our first stop was the Trummelback Falls - they are amazing waterfalls inside a mountain!  

You take an elevator to the top and walk down through caves exploring all of the different falls

Fall in Switzerland!

After the falls we took a bus up to get on a gondola that would take us up to Schilthorn which is an amazing lookout spot for the Alps (also the filming spot for one of the 007 movies) - you stop in little mountain towns along the way up that are so cute, tiny and amazing.

Us with a huge group of Chinese tourists - fun times :)

Aaannnnddddd here is the amazing view of the Alps - not!  We were so bummed with how foggy it was.  We knew we were taking a chance since it was foggy in town but usually higher up it clears so we were hoping it would be clear, but it wasn't :( Oh well - the glass gondola ride up, above Interlaken, and through the towns was worth it! 

On our way down we stopped in Lauterbrunnen - the CUTEST little village. I was dying!

We had fondue for lunch with amazing Swiss cheese

We made it back down to town and decided to go check out the amazing Lake Brienz - we took a little boat tour and it was so beautiful.

Isn't Al cute?!

I have never seen such amazing water in my life - the color was incredible!

Passing by the cutest little towns

Hello gorgeous!  The scenery isn't bad either :)

Can you even believe this place? I was in heaven the entire time!

Loved being there in the fall

That night we just walked around Interlaken

Went into a lot of fun shops

Checked out a super fancy hotel, Al fits right in! - maybe we'll stay there next time :)

Swiss hot chocolate - yummmmm

The next morning we woke up bright and early to catch the 6am train up to the Jungfrau, aka the Top of Europe (also know as the Swiss Alps!)

The Jungfrau is more than just seeing the Alps - there are different exhibits, a museum, dining, ice caves and more. It was quite the experience!

Ice caves!

The amazing Swiss Alps!!

From the pictures it just looks like any other mountain - but it really was so amazing - and luckily no fog!

Lou just chillin' at the highest point in Europe

The train ride up there was too dark to see much, but the ride down was so beautiful! I have never seen anything like it.  The fog added so much beauty, the mountains were incredible, and we would stop in the most darling towns on the way down. 

I would gladly move right into the train and stay forever

So many amazing mountain villages

Amazing resort town - we would die to come back here again sometime and spend a night or two here, in the middle of the mountains and ski or hike.

Our cute little hotel behind Al

That night we headed out of Interlaken and to Lucerne

But not without stopping for some chocolate to go!

We loooved traveling by train - we could just relax and enjoy the beauty

Storybook Land I tell ya

We made a pit stop in Zurich for about an hour or two - it was pouring rain but that didn't stop us from exploring, however it did stop us from taking pictures so I have no proof we were there except our stories! The train station there was NUTS, so many crazy weirdos that made us way nervous about the city, but once we walked into the town it was truly amazing. I am so sad it was pouring rain because it looked incredible.

Lucerne! 

This place really did feel like a Fairy Tale

Can you just image that bridge in a Disney movie or something?!

We went to the higher end of town to explore an old cathedral and here is the view of Lucerne from the top

That night we ate dinner at a local pub, went into shops and just explored the town.

We were crazy and decided to take an "overnight" train to Salzburg, Austria for the next day and a half.  That train ride was one the best memories of the trip - to be continued in the next post!

Overall Switzerland was AMAZING - we would both for sure want to go back in a heart beat.  We would love to go in the summer even though tourism there would be crazy in the summer, it would just be so fun so hike, bike, etc.  We had so many funny times in Interlaken - from literally RUNNING 2 miles with all our luggage to try to make our train - people would dying laughing at us sprinting across town.  Funny experience at a local restaurant where no one spoke English and we had no clue what to do.  Going to McDonald's - gross I know! McD's while your in Europe?! But food in Interlaken was crazy expensive and the only thing we could understand on the menus was fondue - and you can only eat so much cheese without getting sick!  Hopefully we make it back one day!