Wendy Ashworth
100+ Posts
Coffee machine yay ! Did you travel with it or does it belong to the chalet owners ?
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Berner Oberland Grindelwald and Lenk, Switzerland in 2021
- Thread starter Pauline
- Start date
The Alps in Switzerland in the Bern Canton.
Pauline
Forums Admin
All their apartments have Nespresso machines but we travel with a small one just in case! I learned that trick from you @Wendy Ashworth !
Pauline
Forums Admin
Tuesday September 21
Cold, 54F, cloudy in the morning, full sun in the afternoon
We had planned to hike up to Siebenbrunnen but the cloud was sitting right at that level. Instead we did the walk along the river, to Simmenfalle and back (5 miles, 2 hours). It was cool out and we wore our heavy fleeces. We met a very friendly horse along the way and at the end of the walk, at Lenkersee, someone was playing the Alpenhorn!
Later in the day, when it was sunnier, we walked out to the recycling center and then did a walk around town.
The mountains covered in snow at the tops looked beautiful today.
Walking to Simmenfalle. You can see it in the distance.
Cold, 54F, cloudy in the morning, full sun in the afternoon
We had planned to hike up to Siebenbrunnen but the cloud was sitting right at that level. Instead we did the walk along the river, to Simmenfalle and back (5 miles, 2 hours). It was cool out and we wore our heavy fleeces. We met a very friendly horse along the way and at the end of the walk, at Lenkersee, someone was playing the Alpenhorn!
Later in the day, when it was sunnier, we walked out to the recycling center and then did a walk around town.
The mountains covered in snow at the tops looked beautiful today.
Walking to Simmenfalle. You can see it in the distance.
reajackson
10+ Posts
Hi Pauline -
Thanks for the report on cross border travel Switzerland to France and back.
Your pictures around Grindelwald are great -my daughter and I are hiking in a year from now on the Via Alpina from Meiringen to Kandersteg - staying at Inns along the way including Murren and Grindelwald - Any tips on special places to eat / stay or go to while we are in those towns along the Alpina? Thanks in advance - Rea J - Castle Rock, CO. USA
Thanks for the report on cross border travel Switzerland to France and back.
Your pictures around Grindelwald are great -my daughter and I are hiking in a year from now on the Via Alpina from Meiringen to Kandersteg - staying at Inns along the way including Murren and Grindelwald - Any tips on special places to eat / stay or go to while we are in those towns along the Alpina? Thanks in advance - Rea J - Castle Rock, CO. USA
Pauline
Forums Admin
That is going to be a difficult hike! What an experience it will beI found a website and followed your route. Some parts of it we have hiked.
On the route from Meiringen to Grosse Scheidegg, there is a restaurant at Schwarzwaldalp. The mountain restaurants in Switzerland are usually good, especially if you like meat and cheese. I am a vegetarian and I always find something on their menus. Coming down into Grindelwald, about an hour outside of town, Hotel Wetterhorn is good.
You pass through Grindelwald, Wengen and Murren, which will all have lots of restaurants.
Coming down into Kandersteg you pass by Oescheninsee which has several restaurants.
You will enjoy the pretty towns you pass through.
Pauline
Forums Admin
Wednesday September 22
Warm and sunny, 65F
We are winding down now, leaving on Friday, home on Sunday. It is been a strange trip because I’ve been a bit under the weather for the second half. Good thing we did some adventurous hiking in the first half.
Another easy day today. We drove on the timed road up to Iffigenalp and walked out, had our sandwiches and walked back, just over an hour of walking. The mountain looked spectacular. This really is a beautiful valley.
Walking in Iffigenalp.
I had planned to hike to the top of this hill, but not today.
The light was beautiful and there were not many people up there today.
Warm and sunny, 65F
We are winding down now, leaving on Friday, home on Sunday. It is been a strange trip because I’ve been a bit under the weather for the second half. Good thing we did some adventurous hiking in the first half.
Another easy day today. We drove on the timed road up to Iffigenalp and walked out, had our sandwiches and walked back, just over an hour of walking. The mountain looked spectacular. This really is a beautiful valley.
Walking in Iffigenalp.
I had planned to hike to the top of this hill, but not today.
The light was beautiful and there were not many people up there today.
Wendy Ashworth
100+ Posts
Look at the sky ! Super photos and sounds like you had a great day even if it was a gentle one by your standards.
Wendy Ashworth
100+ Posts
Arras is very worthy destination & a good spot for a stopover. We visited on one of Richard’s driving holidays. We enjoyed exploring and had a good meal in the main square watching some local dancers rehearsing for a display.
Wendy Ashworth
100+ Posts
Beautiful. So glad you had a successful trip, thanks for sharing. Wishing you a smooth journey home.
Wendy Ashworth
100+ Posts
The timber framed whatever it might be reminds me of Italy where we spotted many unfinished & abandoned buildings.
Wendy Ashworth
100+ Posts
I’m hoping that the “ insulation “ protesters won’t black the roads around Folkestone when you are due to arrive, like they are at Dover today.
Please fill up your tank in France, there’s no guarantees against the long queues we are experiencing here because a small minority of BP stations have run out of fuel.
Welcome back !
Pauline
Forums Admin
I never thought of the protesters! We come into Folkestone and are then on the M25! We drive in on Sunday. Text me if you hear anything.
A friend in Bridport said the same thing about petrol. She said it is a bit crazy there. We will fill up before the Chunnel.
Pauline
Forums Admin
Friday September 24
Sunny and warm, 75F in Colmar
We are on the road heading home. First stop is in Colmar, in France about an hour from the Swiss border. It was supposed to be a 3 hour drive but took us 5 hours. We did about an hour of stops, shopping at the Swiss Alpine Herbs shop on our way out of Simmental and having lunch at a parking area with picnic tables in Switzerland.
Traffic was thick in Switzerland once we got out of the mountains, with miles and miles of roadworks around Bern. They have very narrow temporary lanes which makes the driving challenging. I drove most of it because we couldn’t find anywhere to pull off to switch drivers. Either the rest area was fully parked or I chose the wrong direction and bypassed the parking. Finally we found a spot, had lunch and Steve took over.
The border with France - traffic slows and you drive by customs agents standing at the side of the road. That’s it. They don’t stop you.
We got into Colmar by 3:30pm, checked in and walked to the pharmacy we had picked out for our pre-departure Covid tests. It is in the historic center by the cathedral. We paid €50 for the two of us, wrote our names, DOB, phone number, and address on scraps of paper, joined the short line for the test, had a swab stuck further up my nose than I imagined was possible, came back 15 minutes later and were given printed proof of NEGATIVE results. Never did negative feel so positive. We had both been worried about this. My “under the weather” has turned into a cold.
We are in France so what did we do? Have coffee sitting outside a Starbucks. Iced coffee sang out to me. I am starting to like Colmar. We stay at the Mercure which has secure underground parking and nice enough rooms if you book the Privilege room. We had dinner in the room - instant noodles that you cook in hot water. I bring bowls, cutlery and a tea towel tablecloth to make it homey.
I filled out our Locator Forms that you have to have to get into the UK, listing when and how you will enter the UK, where you have been the previous 10 days, a code for the day 2 test you booked. Nothing about the previous-departure test. You are supposed to read the QR code from your vaccine information but that didn’t work so we may have to show it.
Then you upload the Locator form and your pre-departure test results (they text you a link to a digital form) to Eurotunnel! These are the steps to get back into the UK where people are currently stock piling food and petrol because the world has gone crazy (Brexit).
Sunny Colmar.
The pharmacy where we had our tests done.
I picked this one because I thought it might be lucky for us. Valerie and Bryan are “Schneider”.
Sunny and warm, 75F in Colmar
We are on the road heading home. First stop is in Colmar, in France about an hour from the Swiss border. It was supposed to be a 3 hour drive but took us 5 hours. We did about an hour of stops, shopping at the Swiss Alpine Herbs shop on our way out of Simmental and having lunch at a parking area with picnic tables in Switzerland.
Traffic was thick in Switzerland once we got out of the mountains, with miles and miles of roadworks around Bern. They have very narrow temporary lanes which makes the driving challenging. I drove most of it because we couldn’t find anywhere to pull off to switch drivers. Either the rest area was fully parked or I chose the wrong direction and bypassed the parking. Finally we found a spot, had lunch and Steve took over.
The border with France - traffic slows and you drive by customs agents standing at the side of the road. That’s it. They don’t stop you.
We got into Colmar by 3:30pm, checked in and walked to the pharmacy we had picked out for our pre-departure Covid tests. It is in the historic center by the cathedral. We paid €50 for the two of us, wrote our names, DOB, phone number, and address on scraps of paper, joined the short line for the test, had a swab stuck further up my nose than I imagined was possible, came back 15 minutes later and were given printed proof of NEGATIVE results. Never did negative feel so positive. We had both been worried about this. My “under the weather” has turned into a cold.
We are in France so what did we do? Have coffee sitting outside a Starbucks. Iced coffee sang out to me. I am starting to like Colmar. We stay at the Mercure which has secure underground parking and nice enough rooms if you book the Privilege room. We had dinner in the room - instant noodles that you cook in hot water. I bring bowls, cutlery and a tea towel tablecloth to make it homey.
I filled out our Locator Forms that you have to have to get into the UK, listing when and how you will enter the UK, where you have been the previous 10 days, a code for the day 2 test you booked. Nothing about the previous-departure test. You are supposed to read the QR code from your vaccine information but that didn’t work so we may have to show it.
Then you upload the Locator form and your pre-departure test results (they text you a link to a digital form) to Eurotunnel! These are the steps to get back into the UK where people are currently stock piling food and petrol because the world has gone crazy (Brexit).
Sunny Colmar.
The pharmacy where we had our tests done.
I picked this one because I thought it might be lucky for us. Valerie and Bryan are “Schneider”.
Wendy Ashworth
100+ Posts
I will keep you posted, of course.
Good Luck !
Friday a busier traffic day maybe ? Jon had a “ saliva “ test for his work in Zurich which was very straightforward apparently. I take a tea towel to use as a table cloth for in room dining too. Last time I used it was In Dijon at the “ Grand Hotel La Cloche “!Friday September 24
Sunny and warm, 75F in Colmar
We are on the road heading home. First stop is in Colmar, in France about an hour from the Swiss border. It was supposed to be a 3 hour drive but took us 5 hours. We did about an hour of stops, shopping at the Swiss Alpine Herbs shop on our way out of Simmental and having lunch at a parking area with picnic tables in Switzerland.
Traffic was thick in Switzerland once we got out of the mountains, with miles and miles of roadworks around Bern. They have very narrow temporary lanes which makes the driving challenging. I drove most of it because we couldn’t find anywhere to pull off to switch drivers. Either the rest area was fully parked or I chose the wrong direction and bypassed the parking. Finally we found a spot, had lunch and Steve took over.
The border with France - traffic slows and you drive by customs agents standing at the side of the road. That’s it. They don’t stop you.
We got into Colmar by 3:30pm, checked in and walked to the pharmacy we had picked out for our pre-departure Covid tests. It is in the historic center by the cathedral. We paid €50 for the two of us, wrote our names, DOB, phone number, and address on scraps of paper, joined the short line for the test, had a swab stuck further up my nose than I imagined was possible, came back 15 minutes later and were given printed proof of NEGATIVE results. Never did negative feel so positive. We had both been worried about this. My “under the weather” has turned into a cold.
We are in France so what did we do? Have coffee sitting outside a Starbucks. Iced coffee sang out to me. I am starting to like Colmar. We stay at the Mercure which has secure underground parking and nice enough rooms if you book the Privilege room. We had dinner in the room - instant noodles that you cook in hot water. I bring bowls, cutlery and a tea towel tablecloth to make it homey.
I filled out our Locator Forms that you have to have to get into the UK, listing when and how you will enter the UK, where you have been the previous 10 days, a code for the day 2 test you booked. Nothing about the previous-departure test. You are supposed to read the QR code from your vaccine information but that didn’t work so we may have to show it.
Then you upload the Locator form and your pre-departure test results (they text you a link to a digital form) to Eurotunnel! These are the steps to get back into the UK where people are currently stock piling food and petrol because the world has gone crazy (Brexit).
View attachment 33786
Sunny Colmar.
View attachment 33784
The pharmacy where we had our tests done.
View attachment 33785
I picked this one because I thought it might be lucky for us. Valerie and Bryan are “Schneider”.
I’m sure you’ll sleep well tonight.
Brave of you to come back to the UK at all. My country is in disarray & not through any fault of mine.
Pauline
Forums Admin
A strange end to this trip report. I was slightly unwell for much of this trip but was much worse once I got home. A week after I got home I developed a crushing headache that lasted 3 weeks. It is not as bad now but I still have a headache all the time and am not back to full strength. I’ve thrown myself into the NHS, our health system, and we are trying to figure out what is causing this. High blood pressure was suspected and I am monitoring that, but now it seems okay. We are not sure what is going on, but I feel I am improving. Nothing like a health scare to make me stop thinking about traveling!
We had one problem crossing from France back to the UK. Because of Brexit there is more of a border now and the French were very interested in how long we had been in Europe. We used our Irish passports to enter France but mistakenly used our UK passports to leave. The French now stamp your UK passport on arrival and ours had no arrival stamps. The agent was very angry wanting to know details of the trip when we realised we needed to show him our Irish passports. Steve held them out to him and he said “too late now” as if they were going pursue this, then he relented and took them.
Next time we will remember to use the correct passports. It was confusing because you think the border is only the country you are entering but at the Eurotunnel you go through French passport control to leave and then British passport control to enter.
Getting onto the train to go through the Chunnel.
We had one problem crossing from France back to the UK. Because of Brexit there is more of a border now and the French were very interested in how long we had been in Europe. We used our Irish passports to enter France but mistakenly used our UK passports to leave. The French now stamp your UK passport on arrival and ours had no arrival stamps. The agent was very angry wanting to know details of the trip when we realised we needed to show him our Irish passports. Steve held them out to him and he said “too late now” as if they were going pursue this, then he relented and took them.
Next time we will remember to use the correct passports. It was confusing because you think the border is only the country you are entering but at the Eurotunnel you go through French passport control to leave and then British passport control to enter.
Getting onto the train to go through the Chunnel.
cindyldoe
10+ Posts
So sorry you've been unwell Pauline. Hopefully they'll find the cause soon. I'll never understand why people choose to be unkind in situations like you had at the border. Being stressed is no excuse for it. Of course you can't call them out on it, as they have temporary "power" over you. Feel better soon.
Pauline
Forums Admin
I think the French are not happy with Brexit, and I don’t blame them. Because of Brexit it is a lot more complicated crossing the borders. They probably had to increase their staff at the border. A lot of Brits think they can continue living part time in the EU but they cannot now unless they have visas. Brits now are under the same visitor restrictions as Americans - 90 days allowed in the EU out of 180 days.
