New Hiking Trails

The move is complete, almost all boxes are unpacked, only a few pieces of furniture are missing and I am slowly getting used to my new surroundings. The latter happens mostly by walking around the neighborhood with my camera and taking the occasional hike.

My new Hausberg (German for the mountain most prominent in the immediate vicinity) is called Niesen which is the German word for ‘sneezing’ and it never fails to make me smile – especially when I do have to sneeze while on top. I’d been up there a few times before but last Sunday was a first for hiking down. That’s about 1600 m or nearly 5250 ft altitude difference. Normally it should take about 3 1/2 hours but closer to 5 1/2 and so many photos later I finally made it. With all those new sights to capture and having to crouch on the ground to get the right angle for certain flowers I was moving forward with the speed of a snail rather than that of an average human being. No complaints though. The photos were all worth it and lingering here and there to enjoy the scenery is good for the soul after all.

The Niesen as seen from the Harder Kulm

Up I went with the funicular. It’s got two sections and it takes about 30 min to reach the top – 30 very steep minutes with this beauty.

Up on top there’s quite the pretty playground called the Niesendorf – Niesenvillage.

The mountain is popular for paragliding.

That day there were especially many due to some event of which I have forgotten the name. When was about half way down I walked through a little valley and when I came up again this is what I saw.

It felt like they came out of nowhere. Quite the spectacle. But back to the top for a moment which is where you can find those lovely piles of stones…

…and from which you have the perfect view over Lake Thun…

…depending on where you stand all the way into Lake Brienz.

From there my slow descend started along flower-lined trails.

With a view on to the Fromberghorn.

Never losing my way thanks to tons of yellow signposts.

Chasing butterflies.

Refilling my bottle with clear spring water.

Walked past a self service cheese box of which I naturally bought a couple for the boyfriend.

Enjoying the view into the valley I would have to cross.

Then there are the two lakes again.

And eventually past a stream indicating that I was coming closer to my destination.

Which would be this village.

I loved every bit of the way but my feet hurt terribly in the end and climbing stairs the next day was a bit of a challenge.

A few more random photos coming up and then I will sign off for today but before I do so: Is it just me or does this stone look like a fish – maybe? I think I see a nose and a slightly open mouth.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

 

I boldly went where no (wo)men has gone before (maybe)

Cows have though. Found their droppings. Multiple times. Circled around them successfully. Every time.

After last month disaster of finding about a handful of chanterelle which barely made for a nice decoration while the actual risotto was made with button mushrooms from the supermarket, I vowed to do better this time. And that I did. I had to go quite deep into the mountains for them but a fall walk is always nice even without the undeniable perk of finding about four pounds of mushrooms. I dragged in half of the forest with them and it took about an hour to actually clean them up but oh they taste so good.

I really enjoyed being out there a lot. The air has gotten cold and by now it truly feels like fall. It does feel good. I might be ready for summer to end after all.

There were other mushrooms, too. The inedible kind but they always seem to make for a good photo and especially the red ones. They are just too pretty, aren’t they. They actually scream: ‘Don’t eat me!’ I wonder whoever thought it might be a good idea to try anyway.

Later today I tried to make that apple cinnamon jam I talked about in another post and it a kind of turned into apple cinnamon sauce instead. Not what I expected but actually very good anyway and I do happen to really love applesauce. Got quite a few glasses now. So the recipe will appear here some time soon. Just not as jam.

I guess that’s about it for today and it is about time to hit the sheets anyway with ‘Julie & Julia’ by Julie Powell the book of the movie that inspired me to start a blog of my own a couple of years ago. I haven’t blogged as much as I had planned to but I am trying really hard to better myself.

One last photo of the road that I have taken today before I am gone until at least tomorrow.

The last Days of Summer

For the past week it’s been feeling like fall is right on our doorstep but not quite ready to step in. That’s not such a bad thing since I am  not quite ready yet either for it to enter. So instead I am trying to enjoy as much of the late summer as possible.

There is a thunderstorm raging outside and it’s been going on and on for hours. To tell the truth, I am rather enjoying the sound.

However, back to the last days of summer. Been spending the day before yesterday
in the mountains to soak in some of that late summer feeling.

I did ask myself what I was thinking when the alarm went off at 5 am but there are not many things equally as beautiful as a sunrise in the Alps especially when accompanied by some breathtaking alpenglow. After almost eight years of living here it still leaves me in awe.

Came across a lot of cows who seemed to be just waking up while chewing grass and lying around lazily.

Isn’t it amazing what they can do with their hind legs?

Couldn’t take the trail I had planned on because there was a hunter lying in wait and nice as I am I didn’t want to disturb him. So I ended up heading back towards the village instead of down to a lake. It didn’t really matter so much since I got to take some nice photos along the way anyway.

Harbingers of fall.

So  no complaints from my side. There’s always something nice to see if you open your eyes.

Love the little marmot that was just standing there about 30 feet from me not really moving at all until after about a minute it decided to whistle after all and disappear in its hole.

A few more photos before I will go to bed to listen some more to the thunderstorm.

 

The other Side of Fall Melancholy

Just yesterday I realized that fall has sneaked in. Not uncommon that early as far up in the mountain as I am but I should have seen the signs. So much thick fog for so many days, rain here and there and the temperature has dropped to a chilly 10°C (50°F). I’m not complaining. We had an unusually hot summer, I went on my normal share of hikes and was blessed with good enough weather the past three days while a friend was visiting, so that we could explore the mountains around here quite a bit. We had a lot of fun and took some amazing pictures.

I think it was while looking at this one that it hit me: This year I am not only gonna miss the first snow but also the entire fall. Again not complaining  ’cause in exactly two weeks from now I will be on my way to the Caribbean but I think a little melancholy is in order nonetheless since fall is one of my favorite seasons. I can never quite decide between it and spring.

However I made the plan to drain every last possible bit out of fall and started doing so by making vegetable soup – which I can eat all year round but it’s still essentially a fall dish to me -, having some vanilla-pear tea and I might just keep on looking at this picture that I took last year in Basel. (No leaves up here. Just needles.) I will simply get in a fall mood while I still can.

More about the oncoming trip another time. Let’s just say that I am getting more excited by the day now and that I feel utterly unprepared to go on a 10 week trip but I know it will be great. So this truly is the post of no complaints.

A few more pictures from the past days of hiking.

In Memoriam of Mr. Penguin and I’m not an early Bird

This is Mr. Penguin.

Happy in Florida. Those were the times.

He was with me for about three years. Practically joined at the hip since he was attached to my camera, we spent glorious days in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Greece, France, Egypt, Liechtenstein, Italy and the US. Sadly yesterday I lost him while taking a hike in the mountains. I do miss him and wonder how I could get so attached to an immaterial thing to begin with but here I am mourning him. Might have something to do with the fact that he was given to me by a close friend and I haven’t yet found out a way to tell her. Meanwhile, may he rest safely in the Alps.

I have never considered myself to be an early riser and past experiences have proved over and over again that I am right. That’s why I am still surprised that I managed to drag my butt up at 3:30 am yesterday without an airplane waiting for me somewhere or any other pressing reason that would force me to do such an insane thing. So I was all the more amazed that I basically jumped out of my cozy bed just like that.

The plan was to hike to a mountain lake to see the sunrise over it. I had heard that it was an especially nice place to take good pictures and I had meant to do it last year but my inner demons won time and again back then. This year I’ve been in the mood of catching up on some things that I always only seem to talk about. I am not getting any younger after all and what good does it to only talk. Now I got one more thing to cross off the list.

Here’s the first bit the sunrise at about 5 am.

Schwellisee

I walked around the lake next and watched the sun slowly appear.

Schwellisee

Schwellisee

The bottom one was taken from the other side of the lake. Looking towards where I would go next.

First rays of sunshine bathing the mounting tops into a very special light.

Schwellisee

A last look back before moving on.

Schwellisee

And a look at the village I live in.

Arosa

Walking along a mountain stream for a while.

Made it to another lake a bit higher up and to my surprise someone was camping there. Given that it was not even 6:30 by then I tiptoed around there for a moment taking pictures, trying not to wake them. I think I did good.

Älplisee

Spring water.

Walking back but trying a different way. Which didn’t work out quite as planned but left me with a nice view of the first lake from up above with Alpine Roses in front of it.

Schwellisee

Always a sight for sore eyes: mountain cows. Black and white ones you hardly ever see here. The brown one below is the common one.

Another drinking trough on my way back into the village.

The first sign of civilization.

The same stream as before but wider at this point.

And another cow. Looks a bit like curious one.

A real look at civilization.

A last look back.

And finally sheep. Mommy makes a real funny face.

What’s left to say: I am not gonna get up that early again in the foreseeable future but I am glad I made an exception.

I was back home close to 10 and fell asleep for a few hours around noon. That’s what getting up so early is doing to me. But I have to admit that it was a day well spent. That is apart from losing Mr. Penguin, of course.

Up in the Air

tA couple of days ago I went on a little trip with some friends. I more or less went with which I sometimes do when my boyfriend goes paragliding. I don’t have a license myself and I never felt the urge to get one. Even if I’d drag myself through the whole paragliding school thing, I wouldn’t be doing it all the time. There’s too much other stuff in my life going on already. It would slowly go to waste. So I mostly watch and help a bit.

However, I did go with a couple of times. Not with my boyfriend. He cannot take passenger but he has a friend who can and who did. Breathtaking is the word I’d use. Here comes a picture. 

It does look like fun, doesn’t it? The whole thing took about twenty minutes. Twenty nice minutes. And then I was back on the ground. The others went up the mountain again to take another flight and I went on a two hour hike to the next village. It was so quiet. I never met a person. I don’t remember ever being that alone in the woods. It hardly ever happens and I loved it. Very peaceful.

Love sunflowers and didn’t get to see all that many this summer so I knocked myself out photographing those.Mountain view. I never grow tired of those.Into the woods.Sometimes it felt like Hansel and Gretel or Red Riding Hood could be just around the corner. I wouldn’t have been all that surprised.And then there was a bridge over a not so raging river.Almost at the finish line. Past the finish line. Nice church and apparently a funeral going on. Very loud church bells.Safe to say that I had a great day. I was pretty beat at the end but that was the whole point.

Time for bed now and ‘Lolita’. Started reading it a few days ago and haven’t quite found my way in so far. Not ready to give up just yet though.