Germany, Austria and Switzerland, 2015
Tour Day 5: Murren
Walking in a winter wonderland!
We woke to a beautiful winter wonderland outside our windows! The picture to the right is the view from our room. While the snow is not exactly what we had expected when we planned a mid-May trip, we are glad we got to see it. The snow on the wildflowers throughout the area was a really beautiful contrast. And what do you do when you get snow in the Alps when you aren't expecting it? Well, if you are in a group full of people who take the "no grumps" pledge seriously, you build a snowman!
After breakfast and our impromptu snowman-building escapade, we headed to the gondola, descended through the clouds and landed in a different world! The fog only added to the drama of the beautiful valley landscape. We took a walk through the Lauterbrunnen Valley with Hans on our way to visit Trummelbach Falls.
We loved looking at the houses that looked too quaint to be real and watching cows munching down on front lawns with their iconic cowbells dinging away. We wondered if they had any idea how lucky they were to be able to eat grass in such a beautiful place! Ha! We identified what must be one of the most scenic camping spots in the world and stopped for a snack with a jaw dropping view. Switzerland is even more beautiful than everyone says!
 Descending into Lauterbrunnen Valley |  Our group of happy explorers |  |
|---|---|---|
 Lovely place for a bike ride! |  Best camping spot imaginable! |  Iconic Swiss chalet |
 A snack with a view |  Dream homeCan you imagine living in a setting like this? |  Complete with cow!We loved watching the cows meander through the yards of the valley, and wondered if they know they are among the luckiest creatures on earth to live in such a place! |
We walked together to Trummelbach Falls along a path that follows the mountain with views of waterfalls that have cut their way through the stone into the mountain. The power of the water was breathtaking! It is so hard to capture the feeling of being there with a photo.
After the falls, Hans showed us the little cemetery in Lauterbrunnen. We loved the ornate wrought iron designs found on a lot of the graves in place of more traditional gravestones. We could really tell that people value taking care of their loved ones' graves, as they were loaded with fresh flowers and candles. We were shown a large gravestone that is considered a community grave where anyone can lay their ashes to rest, even if they cannot afford a regular grave. What an amazing idea!
We finished off the afternoon with lunch with some of our tour mates at Hotel Jungfrau where we enjoyed traditional cheese and potato meals and fondue before heading back up to our hotel in Murren for a cozy, relaxing afternoon.
 David and NancyDavid taking in the view with my buddy, Nancy. |  Our favorite view of the valley |  Trummelbach FallsNo picture could do justice to the power you felt from this water as it pounds its way through the mountain. Amazing! |
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 Hang gliders |  View from Trummelbach Falls |  CemeteryWe loved the beautiful gravestones in this cemetery. |
 Community gravestoneWe thought it was beautiful that the valley has this large community gravestone where people can place their ashes if they cannot afford a regular space. |  Hotel JungfrauWe had lunch at Hotel Jungfrau and enjoyed the company of some of our tour mates as we ordered traditional meals of cheese and potatoes and fondue. |  Don't you love David's "I would like you to stop taking pictures of me and let me go inside out of the snow" expression here? What a trooper! |
I felt a bit under the weather this afternoon, so David wandered the town to give me a chance to nap, coming home with his local convenience store finds of specialty sports drinks and snacks. I didn't feel up to going to the group dinner, so he went on his own. The hotel staff who were waiting tables noticed my absence and asked David about it. When he told them I was not feeling well, they insisted on packing a dinner for him to bring back to me. I couldn't finish it all, so we decided to rig a plastic bag to hang it outside the window to keep it cool. This turned out to be one of my favorite memories - even during what could be considered a lower point of the trip, I was floored by the kindness of total strangers. This is very indicative of the great, family run hotels that the people at Rick Steves' choose for their guests!