World Adventure

Gimmelwald
Train to interlarken ost (ost=east) then train to Lauterbrunnen  then bus to cable car station  Schilthornbahn near Stechelberg then ,a speedy 5 minute cable car ride up the cliff to Gimmelwald and a slow walk up to Mittaghorn hotel.
Bad new. Tim the manager has recently broken both arms and has a temporary brain injury after a crashing into a truck on the path that runs past the hotel This has left Walter, the 88 yr old Swiss owner, looking after the cooking, cleaning and managing of the place. Yet he subbornly continues on....
Still more bad news. Walter does not use the internet so our forward booking for dinner has not been accepted.
Good news. There is a supermarket at Murren so we can make our dinner.
Bad news. Murren is 30min uphill...
Good news. The mountains are clear and it is 26deg C!
Gimmelwald,population 100, is a super cute traditional gingerbread house town with geraniums in boxes in most windows and complusory slatted window shutters. There are cows with bells in the green field outside and not to be outdone on the opposite corner are goats with bells.
The hotel is obviously a mission brown traditional wooden challet: anything less would not fit the fairytale image. We stand on the balcony of our room and it looks directly across the snow-capped Schwarzmonch ("Black Monk").The three peaks just above are Eiger,Monch and  jungfrau (maiden) mountain. Outstanding.
Odd. Beds are quite short and the bed covers are shorter. Have to sleep diagonally with the bed cover in a diamond shape for coverage.
11Sep Gimmelwald
Another good day. Large continental breakfast before heading off on an 8hr hike. Walter's idea of portion control is a little out of whack-  a litre of orange juice,a litre of hot chocolate,a chunk of cheese that would see a Swiss family of mice feasting on over the  winter months with residual for Spring,6 slices of heavy rustic bread with lashing of jam and butter-one doesn't have to look far to see why we are gaining weight despite the exercise....