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Day 10
Grindelwald, Switzerland (Day off)
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Distance: 0.0 (450.4)
Elevation Climbed: 0 m (7,388 m)
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Day 10 - Grindelwald, Switzerland (Day off)The Swiss countryside is easily recognized for its vibrant colors, and our day off in Grindelwald was a perfect opportunity to sample the full spectrum. The long, winding town is dotted with small shops, most of their exteriors bearing the hallmark of Swiss craftsmanship in wood. The browns are offset with wildflowers in primary colors, popping yellows, reds and purples, and rolling fields of green in the valley. On a sunny day like today, the blue of the sky is somehow quintessentially blue, likewise the crisp white of the clouds hugging the massive grey, green and white-tipped mountains. The elegant wooden chalets that spiral out from the town complete the fairy-tale quality of the scenery.After a late rousing from slumber, all 13 of us piled into the support van and headed to town. First stop was the Alpine slide which involved taking a gondola ride halfway up a mountain and then zipping down on solo sleds with brakes (unless you are Beau or Nathan, in which case you don't touch the brake). Before returning down, we fraternized with friendly, albeit somewhat bored-looking, cows and pigs. Afterward, the group split into two, five heading for the sky while the rest remained in the valley. For the elect group, it was an expensive but well-worth-it 2 hour train ride to the top of the Jungfraujoch (3,454 meters, 11,332 feet). The train operates at a higher altitude than any other in Europe, making a few stops on the way through the mountain until it reaches the summit known as The Top of Europe, a world of snow and ice, rolling clouds, glaciers, and phenomenal views all around. Amazingly, some people (not us alas), even ski down the glacier. The second group shopped, ate Chinese food, and wandered on foot- all a pleasant change of pace from unicycling up and down mountain passes. Rider of the day: Laura Gerald Age: 28 Hometown: Minneapolis, MN Perfect day: "Yesterday (Day 9) when it was gorgeous weather and we were cruising down the Grimsel Pass." Hardest moment/day so far? "Day 3, when it was pouring rain and freezing and there was only 30 feet of visibility, and I accidentally went on the Autobahn." Memorable Alpine sighting? "The Alpine pig." Weirdest item in your Camelbak? "My space pirate/space cowboy bandana" Favorite Alpine Food? "Chocolate." Favorite bathroom? "The group shower today; I've showered in there twice now." Have you lost anything so far? "Oh my god, I've lost a lot of things. I lost my sunglasses on the first hill up, the same place I lost my balance and got a huge bruise. I did find something today, so that's good." What do you do to get through the toughest part of the day? "I find a train, and I eat." Funniest moment so far? "I laugh at myself a lot." Quotes of the Day: "Everything you do is opposite of conventional wisdom." -Andy to Ken referring to his Coker riding "Are you wearing your tie tonight?" -Andy to John on the way to the American Bar restaurant "That would probably be annoying if we could understand what they were saying." -Andy on a rowdy group of Swiss teens at dinner |
Move your mouse over the images for a pop-up caption. Click on the image for a larger picture. Created: August 11, 2005 08:34
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