Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Another Trip To Lauterbrunnen

Last summer we spent a long weekend in the Lauterbrunnen area.  We had a great time, but there was one problem with that trip - it rained the entire weekend.  So last weekend we decided to give it another go.  We're glad we did, because we were rewarded with great weather this time.  Once again we decided to camp in one of those "Eurocamp Trailers."  We've stayed in these in a few different spots and we've always enjoyed it.
Saturday morning we took the gondola up into the mountains and went to "Schilthorn," which is a restaurant up at the top of the Alps.  If it looks familiar to you it's because it was the location for the James Bond film "Her Majesty's Secret Service," and there's lots of signage around to remind you of that fact.  We were there for the "James Bond breakfast."  The restaurant revolves around so you get great views of all the surrounding mountains.  Below the restaurant is a James Bond museum, with lots of information and exhibits about the filming of "Her Majesty's Secret Service" at the restaurant.  We had fun with a photo simulator that put our faces into some of the scenes from the movie.  From there we went to the village of Murren and hiked on the "Children's Trail," which was a scenic hike with activities along the trail to keep the kids busy.
The next day we drove to "St. Beatus-Hohlen," which is a cave system that you can hike through.  The front entrance looks like something out of The Lord of the Rings and Middle Earth.  Legend has it that in the 6th century St. Beatus ventured inside the cave and fought off a dragon, so there are lots of dragon references around the attraction.  The caverns overlook the Lake Thun, which is a beautiful blue lake surrounded by the Bernese Oberland.






"Schilthorn"







From left to right...Mt. Eiger, Mt. Monch, and Mt. Jungfrau.  The heart of the Bernese Oberland.




The James Bond Museum



Megan as a "Bond Girl"

What Ben would look like as "James Bond"

Can't tell if I look like James Bond or Dirty Harry

The village of Murren












Hiking the "Children's Trail"









Lake Thun



The entrance to St. Beatus-Hohlen


Scootering

The kids have recently fallen in love with a "skate park" near our house.  The area is made for skateboards and scooters, and the kids have been making numerous trips there.  Since we don't have a traditional neighborhood, with sidewalks and such this is a nice alternative for them.  They love it.