Zurich - the final countdown

There is just over 24 hours until we get on the plane and wing our way back home. I am not sure how I feel about this just yet....I am excited to be returning home to family and friends and our house (where I will only have to unpack everything once!)....but the thought of this incredible experience coming to an end is depressing.

I will take comfort knowing that we did everything we had hoped to do (and more)....we have seen huge cities and small villages, swam in the ocean and climbed mountains, been sunburnt from the sunshine and had caught snowflakes on our tongues, we've been on planes, trains, cars, taxis, buses, boats, cable cars, ski lifts, trams, bikes and even a horse for Neve.....I am not sure there are many other things that could be ticked off in a single holiday!

So we are 'winding down'....yesterday we explored the beautiful city that is Zurich. The alleyways and the river....

Through the alleyways we go...

By the river....

Lunch with a view....

Even Mrs Thornton (the bird) was there!!












In the afternoon we caught a train into a neighbouring 'canton' (a canton is a bit like a county or region) to a lovely town called Zug. An old friend of mine lives there with his wife and their little boy so we spent the afternoon at their place catching up and relaxing....it was really good to see them and the girls were thrilled to be able to play with toys that were different to the ones that they have had for the past 3 months - even if they were baby toys!! I must admit the kids have been very imaginative in their play while they have been away....anything they could get their hands on was transformed into a princess or evil witch or someone or other......

On the train to Zug....Eloise was very excited about having a table in the train - she HAD to put her drink on it!

The fast and efficient (and expensive!) swiss train....

The view at Lake Zug....the mountains in the distance are the ones we had come from the day before.

Walking beside the lake with Murray (Muzz).

They had some birds on display in the centre of the town....we were surprised to see a familiar looking one there.....

Catching the train back to Zurich.











Today, we headed out to take a look at the Zurich Zoo. We had taken Neve there last time we were in Zurich (5 years ago) but obviously she remembers none of it. So we jumped on a tram and headed for the zoo.

The emperor penguins were one of my favourites

Neve watching them feed the fairy penguins

Eloise thought the blue frogs were so pretty she wanted one.....although they are poison dart frogs so I don't think so....

The zoo had a small playground so of course we had to stop and test the equipment........Neve first

Then Eloise

Neve enjoying a bratwurst for lunch.....

Eloise was in charge of the map and was very good at telling us where we were....not so good at where we were supposed to be going....

Back on the tram after visiting the zoo

On the tram.



















After the zoo, we had promised the girls a ride on the merry-go-round that sits on a bridge crossing the river in Zurich......

They were very excited.

Around we go....





















So tomorrow is it.....packing our bags for the last time and heading home....taking back with us memories that will last a lifetime and enough stories to bore everyone senseless!!!

Slide night at the Dempseys anyone????

Lauterbrunnen - snow good - Zurich

And so we arrive in Zurich today....our final destination....a bittersweet moment that has been preceded by some pretty amazing times!

Lets go back a day to yesterday (Sunday). The day was again pretty clear so we thought we would make the most of our last day in Lauterbrunnen (and the Swiss alps) and see if we could drag the kids on a hike.....

So we packed some food and headed for (yet another) cable car ride....(I have now lost count). Up from the village we went...to the tops of the cliffs that we can see from our chalet.

Up we go (again)...



























Once at the top, we got on the hiking path and began our adventure. The hike was 'supposed' to take just over an hour, but we figured on taking a bit longer since the kids wouldn't be able to walk too fast.

The views were truly magical as we wandered along the path....

It was pretty cool (about 7 degrees) so I think that helped keep everyone moving...

Down through the trees into the valley

The path was gravel all the way so it wasn't as if we were crashing our way through the trees....

Spurred on by the glorious views, we kept going....we were slowly going uphill most of the way...the whole path rose about 200m from the start to the finish..

Halfway along, there was a small hotel and restaurant (with playground) so we stopped to warm up with some hot chocolate.

My little adventurers.....

This river becomes the waterfall that we walked under on our first day in Lauterbrunnen and the one that we can see from out chalet windows....

Into the forest we go....

And out again.....

When we got to the next town, we felt we had achieved quite a big deal. It was just over 4km long (and mostly uphill). Neve walked the whole way (Eloise was carried on Shane's shoulders mostly)....

Looking back down the valley from where we had come.

The views the whole way along were incredible.

Once we had reached the next town, we had a rest and then caught the train and the cable car back to Lauterbrunnen village.

On the cable car back to Lauterbrunnen. The waterfall that comes from the stream we crossed in just on the right side of the cliffs.....








It was an fantastic adventure. The girls did SO well with the hike and we were very lucky to have had a  good weather day to get it done.
Needless to say the girls were in bed early that night....we finally managed to wear them out!!!!!

This morning we woke up, more than a little bit sad that our time in Lauterbrunnen was ending. Shane is in love with this place and is already making plans for a ski trip at the end of next year..!

After doing some cleaning and packing, we finally had time to enjoy the view out of huge chalet windows one last time. It was then that we realised that the trees on the top of the cliffs near the chalet (the same trees we were hiking through yesterday) - were covered in snow!!!!

The trees at the top of the waterfall covered in a dusting of snow!!!!!


This made us just a little bit sadder that we were leaving....we would miss all the snow!!!!

There was no snow in the village, so we decided to stop and see if there was any snow in Grindlewald on our way to Zurich.

We weren't disappointed. Grindelwald was a picture of white....and it was still snowing.....big, fat, fluffy snowflakes like I (and even Shane) had never seen before.....floating like feathers from the sky.

The kids loved it and spent a bit of time catching snowflakes on their tongues!

It had been snowing for a while and some of the cars had several inches of snow on them (much more than these cars).

I think the snow was a little unexpected....even the flowers seemed shocked by the cold snap!!!

Not sure how many of these will survive after today......

After spending some time enjoying the snow and the view...it was time to head to Zurich.....

Plus it was really cold outside!!!!!!












We got to Zurich and found our apartment - actually it was quite a fabulous find. It's in the middle of the old town right on the river. And all for the princely sum of 480 swiss francs for 3 and a half nights (I say 'half a night' because they are letting us stay in the apartment until 4pm since our flight home on Thursday is quite late).......this is AMAZING value for Zurich.....the next cheapest place I could find (that wasn't anywhere near as nice!) was 300 francs per night!!!!

Anyway, the apartment is great - although it's on the top floor (the 4th floor) of the building and there is no lift and the stairs are ridiculously steep and small. But Shane somehow managed to get out bags up here!!!

The apartment is on two levels and the kids were thrilled to discover the top level floor is partially glass.....

Very thrilled!!

The apartment is all very new...but in a really old building - so they obviously had trouble getting the floor level.

We went and got some groceries for dinner....I was tempted to try the frozen snails but decided I didn't want any 'trouble' when I am going to get on an aeroplane for 24 hours in only a few days time....









Tomorrow (Tuesday), we explore Zurich - perhaps visit the Lindt chocolate factory - and then go and visit an old friend of mine and his family for dinner, which will be a lovely way to start winding-up this massive and magnificent trip!!!

Lauterbrunnen - another day, another festival

We have done it again...another random festival that we have stumbled upon....

Yesterday, Friday was (again) another pretty wet day. Shane took off in the morning hoping to conquer the mountain......he got half-way before, wet and cold, he took the gondola back to the bottom and walked home for a hot shower....

After he dried off, we headed out in the car towards Bern, where we discovered yet another shopping centre that had a kids club! Being Switzerland the price was over double that of Austria and Germany...but still cheap enough for us to not think twice about leaving the kids there - plus they were DESPERATE to go to another kids club. I think they are missing school and daycare more than we realised!

So the kids had a turn in the kids club (slides, toys, painting, games....all things kids love) while Shane and I wandered aimlessly (but oh so quietly) though the shopping centre.

By the time we got home it was mid afternoon and still pretty wet - but a quick walk into the village (via the playground and the pub) and we were snuggled back in the chalet for the evening.






Walking back from the pub...





















Today the skies looked pretty clear. So after a lazy morning we wandered into the village for a coffee/hot chocolate. Shane and I were eaves-dropping on 4 young American guys who were trying to decide whether to do paragliding off the top of the mountain or a bungee jump. To their credit, they decided on the paragliding (honestly - you can bungee jump into a river anywhere....but you can't float among the Swiss alps anywhere else!)....

Hot chocolate through a straw....now that's different.....








After grabbing some 'supplies' (ever conscious of the fact that nothing is open on Sundays)....we wandered back to the chalet and then walked a bit further down the river to the 'cow festival'. It is the 100 year anniversary of the cow festival in Lauterbrunnen so this was a pretty big deal in the village. The cows had paraded through the town earlier in the morning (obviously we weren't on the ball for that one).......but they were now lined up in a paddock down the road (next to the tourist helicopter paddock) being judged.

One of the helicopters coming in to land....the cows for the cow festival are just to the left.....

I 'think' these goats were the second prize in the cow festival 'raffle'.....first prize (naturally) was a baby cow (calf).....we didn't buy tickets just in case we won.....

The cows lined up for judging. Now sure the backdrop wasn't the Vienna town hall.....but I think this is probably more spectacular!

A local "Bernese" mountain dog...

This was one of the bells given to a prize winning cow.....
























It wasn't a huge festival by any stretch of the imagination......but there were lots of locals there and we truly felt very honoured to be a part of it all....

After leaving the festival we walked back along the river to our chalet, had some lunch and then set out in the car to explore another village, Grindelwald.

A rainbow at the bottom of the waterfall....

Our chalet bathed in sunshine....glorious.....















Grindelwald is a bigger village than Lauterbrunnen. It's on the other side of the mountain but still has fabulous views of the snow-capped mountains. Everytime I think of Grindelwald (or the name at least), I think of National Lampoons Vacation with the Griswalds - similar name perhaps?!?

Looking from Gindelwald down into the nearby valley.

Eloise trying out a new hat/hairstyle.....what do you think? A bit Bart Simpson?

The main street in Grindlewald

We managed to see some alphorn blowers......looks pretty difficult to me.....not sure I have the lungs for it.

We also went into a local chocolate/heaven shop......the smell was amazing....as was the chocolate!!!!

One of the biggest Toblerones I have seen.....4.5kg of chocolate bliss...!













After visiting Grindelwald we headed back to the chalet.....and just in time for the end of the cow festival and the 'parade of champions' through the streets of the village. Shane and I heard the bells before we realised what was going on....but we all ran down to the end of the street to watch the cows walk past.....

The locals (dressed in traditional dress) leading the winning cows down the street

The winning cows with the biggest bells I have ever seen and SUCH pretty headwear!!!!!

More cows.....the noise of the bells was quite deafening....have attached a video of it to give you some idea of the sound of all the bells

The Bernese mountain dogs pulling a puppy....

They are very good to balance the flowers while having such a huge bell around their neck!! Shane googled why Swiss cows have bells.......one of the answers he found was ...."Because their horns weren't loud enough".....love it!!!!

Check out the sounds of the bells....

Once the cows went past, we walked back to say hello to the sheep that graze in the paddock beside the chalet....and also see a few of the other cow winners that didn't manage to get into the parade.

The friendly locals.....

Must be difficult to eat with the 'hat' and the bell......

Eloise practising her balancing skills.....






















Once again, a great day and once again - we found a festival that was so important to the local people and we felt very lucky to experience a part of it.

Tomorrow is our last 'full' day in Lauterbrunnen. Hopefully the weather holds up and we can do a short hike through the mountains. Shane is already talking of coming here for xmas and said he could easily live here forever....although when we looked in the local real estate and realised that a relatively small chalet apartment here costs above 1 million dollars!!!