AUF WIEDERSEN, AU REVOIR & GOODBYE

Five weeks, four countries and two pair of tired feet.  A diet of sausage, pretzels, pasta and beer has been countered by many thousands of steps over butt strewn uneven pavements and cobble stones.  Combine that with hauling suitcases onto platforms and train carriages has left us in pretty good shape, but not something we want to do for more than five weeks.

We haven't missed the Australian political shenanigans and are pleased to hear parliament is in going into recess.  The only time Australia made the news in Europe was damage to the Great Barrier Reef, Murdoch's racist cartoon and the strawberry matter.  Europeans all want to visit and are shocked to hear we experience winter. With any luck we will bring the magnificent weather we have enjoyed with us to counter Canberra's rubbish start to spring.

Our last week has involved quite a few train trips, and has brought home to us how poorly Australia is treated by our political masters.  Decades of inaction has left us with a fifth rate rail network and a dinosaur era power grid.  Rather than rely on ugly polluting coal mines and stations, we should do as Europe does and install vast banks of solar panels and wind farms.

It's been a largish last night in Munchen.  Linda's advice was to get to Cafe Palau early to claim the outside seats.  Luckily we got there early as locals Danny and Tim had bagged two of the best spots.  Palau rapidly filled up with bottles of sparkling rose and cava the preferred tipple.  I stuck with Cafe Palau's sponsor Estrella Beer.  Our overnight accommodation was at the Arabest Hotel located in Munich's Arab quarter where wine is unobtainable but shisha pipes and shawarma are available on every corner.  We asked if we could leave our bags while we explored Munich for the last time.  "Of course, and please use one of our rooms to refresh before your flight."  "How much do we owe you?"  "Nothing, it is our pleasure to have had you as our guest."

Munich is being invaded by party animals eager for Octoberfest to begin.  Lederhosen and dirndles are literally flying out the door all over town.  It doesn't suit everyone but that ain't the point.  Other cities like Zurich and Stuttgart are hopping on the tracht bandwagon dressing their citizens as faux Bavarians.  The omnipresent teams of Jehovah Witnesses with their Wachturm aren't in costume.  Perhaps that's their problem?

It has been said that travel broadens the mind.  So I will leave our final comment to Mark Twain: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts.  Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.”

STUTTGART#2

That's a big pumpkin, and it was ~ 916.5kg!.  Our 3 day Stuttgart travel ticket (€19@) took us yesterday to Ludwigsburg, a palace built by Duke Ludwig in the 18th century.  Initially I thought Ludwig referred to Mad King Ludwig because the place was lined with pumpkins.  Only a mad king would have their own Pumpkinmeister.

How to best capture this quirky feature?  As fast as I photographed a particularly robust pumpkin, a better example appeared.  What the..... ?  Our visit had coincided with the world's biggest pumpkin festival.  30 hectares of gardens surrounding the largest baroque palace in Europe and much of that devoted to der Kurbis!  A horse with an epidermis of pale pumpkin.  A three metre orange squirrel, an ever larger multicoloured woodpecker!  You could sample Kurbis chutney, Kurbis wine, Kurbis waffles and Kurbis ketchup.  I didn't find any Kurbis ice cream but that's only for lack of looking.

All that punkin was making us hungry so we headed for a restaurant near the pale horse.  It was a pleasant surprise after Switzerland's pricing.  A cafeteria where you could pour your own beer and not require a bank loan to pay while sitting in the shade surrounded by families happily enjoying themselves.  After lunch our stroll took us past a number of fairy tale reenactments including Rapunzel's Tower and Rumplestilskin's rage.  A short cruise in a small boat reacquainted us with Gepetto and Pinocchio.  Prompt bus and rail services took us home.

It's still hot in Germany with 29C today.  So, let's find a metro station to keep us out of the sun.  Knowledge of the Stuttgart busse und bahnen is imparted by our pension receptionist so we don't end up walking round in circles.  Knowledge of the final destinations of your S or U lines means you don't go in the opposite direction like our experience in Munich.  Today's S1 destination is Neckar Park and the Mercedes Benz Museum.

Considering Germany has in excess of 6,700 museums, you might dismiss my claim that the Mercedes Benz museum is the best I've seen.  The exhibition commences with models of the engineering advances of Karl Benz, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach.  These involved the development of motorised cycles, boats, buses, railway carriages, locomotives and airships.  Despite their parallel fields of endeavour, we were amazed to discover Benz and Daimler never met!  Benz & Cei. and Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft merged in 1926 when they came under financial pressure in the wake of inflation and economic crisis in the Weimar Republic.  I wasn't surprised to find  motorised trucks were first bought by breweries.

The name Mercedes originated with the daughter of an early DMG customer who ordered a race car with an even more powerful engine designed by chief engineer Wilhelm Maybach which won an important race in Nice in 1901.  The name Mercedes was trade-marked in 1902.  Other early customers included the Sultan of Morocco who bought one of the earliest Benz vehicles in 1892.  An entire stage was devoted to vehicles owned by customers like Emperor Hirohito, Nicholas Cage, Princess Diana and The Pope.

The museum concentrates on the technical development of motor vehicles and specifically Mercedes Benz vehicles.  In addition there is the progressive history of the changes to regulation, society and culture.  It is fascinating to learn that under Reich Chancellor Bismark laws were enacted from 1883-90 to protect employees in case of illness, accident and disability and in old age.  The social and cultural changes included references to the commencement of recreational travel, Bauhaus architecture, The Beatles, JFK's "Ich bein ein Berliner", AIDS and the Internet.  The music accompanying each display adapted to the era.

Ralph Nader's 1965 book "Unsafe at any speed" was mentioned concerning car safety.  Future improvements occurred with Mercedes Benz leading the motor industry in the introduction of many technical and safety advancements including ABS and Air bags.  I could wax lyrically about further museum features but I will let the attached pictures tell the story.

Our short packed stay in Stuttgart ended with a traditional culinary blowout at Der Ochs & Willy mit lashings of pork, potatoes and dumplings.

STUTTGART

A most interesting evening in Stuttgart.  We expected nothing less than your basic European doddle from Hauptbanhof Stuttgart to our pension with Google maps suggesting our trip was nothing much to talk about, or so we thought.  Only 2.4km to our apartment, cool!  However, it's Europe, or specifically Stuttgart and our Google maps have a problem with distances.

We were hot and sweaty by the time we mounted the steps to Pension am Heusteigstrasse 30 and subsequently to Apartment 11.  Our luggage was heavy and those additional steps didn't help!  Hot showers and BBC 1 news assisted in our recovery.

We had noticed the area about Rathaus was composed of Stuttgartians (sic) celebrating Sunday with a few outdoor drinks.  ATM's with security glass didn't permit Beyond Bank access so we assumed our cards would pass muster.  Europe is like that, just as you assume global banking conditions are in play, your assumptions are disproved.  "What the hell, let's wing it!"

Einstein's bar and grill was the first to be encountered and a vacant table beckoned!  You get a lot of that on the Continent, beckoning tables!  It was a big night with our new friends Yasmin and Christophe.

Next morning following a nutritious breakfast of paprikawurst and abricot jam we went for a wee walk.  6000 steps later we rested under a spreading chestnut tree after visiting Museum Wurttemberg and an Evangelistic church with a magnificent organ.  Tinkling could be heard from just behind the altar where the backup piano was being tuned.  The Monday morning retail session had just commenced and we were bemused to see a ladies apparel store called Closed.  I suppose they could have named it Geschlossen but that doesn't have the required degree of panache.

TRUMMELBACHFALLE

The roar of water cascading through the Corkscrew chute at Trummelbach is tremendous, where it is one of ten glacier-fed waterfalls inside a mountain.  We accessed them by initially riding a tunnel-funicular to level six, and then by mounting another four sets of stairs.  It is difficult to believe the funicular and 140 metres of illuminated stairs were built in 1913 with the rock excavated by hand before the funicular could be installed.  Trummelbach creek drains the glacial defiles of the Eiger and Mönch mountains and carries up to 20,000 litres of water per second.  Inside the mountain, you can get a bit damp and it is chilly even in summer.

Bring cash (either Swiss francs or Euro) as they don't accept payments by card (CF11) at the Falls or the nearby cafe.  Our discounted travel fare of CF16 allowed travel by train to Lauterbrunnen and by bus to Trummelbach passing by very pretty sloping pastures dotted with sheds used to house cows during winter.  Upon return we turned in for a couple of hours, we were pooped!

Visitor cards from our hotel receptionist entitles us to free local transport, discounts and an introductory free gift at Bucherer Watch and Gift Shop.  How do they do it?  Surely the rental alone at their two stores must be poisonous, let alone their high priced lines of watches.  Sadly I never enquired of their neighbourly generosity.

I'm afraid I previously sold Interlaken short.  It is more than just a glitzy tourist trap and a low-rent strip of cheap bars and bistros.  North of the Aare and railway tracks is the old town where hotels and traditional wooden houses are supported by shops, bars, and a billiard hall.  Each corner is marked by a triumvirate of flags ~ national, canton and municipality.  Bypassing our favourite Baren, we fortunately chose Italian restaurant Citta Vecchia.  A shared minestrone and zablione were delicious as were our fungi risotto and tagliatelle.  A leisurely stroll back home revealed smart homeware and apparel stores.  Extensive roadworks led us to a lowered rail barrier where an Inter City train barreled past.

THUNERSEE

It's our first full day in Interlaken and it would be a shame not to spend time on the beautiful lake Thunersee.  Fortunately our Eurail ticket covers boat as well as rail travel and we have sufficient coverage to spend a day cruising.  We notice the leaves are just turning autumnal as the lake is circumnavigated in bright sunshine.  It has been such wonderful weather these past four weeks.  Thunersee is serviced by a number of cruisers, one the paddle steamer Blumlisalp with a first class upstairs lounge and table service.  We opted for the shady side downstairs as it was hot and my trusty Panama had absconded while we were lunching outdoors in Burgundy.

The good ship Blumlisalp stops at a number of towns including Spiez that has a historical castle set in the middle of a vineyard.  We alighted at Oberhofen and walked about town looking for somewhere to eat.  "Terrasse" screamed the blackboard in a town that had shut down for lunch.  "Guten tag, here is your menu". Yum, that goulash soup was so good and seasoned just right. The Swiss do tend to be a little heavy on the salt, but not this time.

Our hotel the Continental Central sits astride an island surrounded on two sides by the River Aare.  It's a 19th century establishment with improved plumbing but no fridge, and as the name suggests centrally located.  We sit on our Juliette balcony drinking wine and watching the descent of hang gliders and the swift flow of the Aare.  The Eiger and Jungfrau are hidden behind the clouds.

Interlaken is an interesting dichotomy.  The glitzy strip commencing east of the railway station is a capitalists' dream ~ high value jewellers, expensive hotels, snooty head waiters and deferring chronograph salespersons of your own nationality all eager to test your credit rating.  A Chinese guy with trailing salesman walked outside and pointed to the watch attached to the photo of a model.  "That one!".

The other side of the tracks is monopolised by low-rent bars and restaurants all offering a selection of vegetarian, Indian, halal, and the ubiquitous pizza ~ often at the same spot.  Opposite the station is a newish shopping mall with two supermarches offering a decent selection of fresh vegetables missing from those restaurant's offerings.  I didn't realise I was so lacking in the life preserving vitamins vegies provide until I ate an energising vegetable soup in Zermatt. 

We were therefore fortunate we chanced upon Restaurant Baren not far from our hotel.  Initially we were testing the waters with a refreshing beverage when we noted the clients all knew each other and were sharing a meal ~ it was the local.  A genuine pork schnitzel with potato dauphinoise hit the spot.  A consecutive night at Restaurant Baren reinforced our opinion.  Excellent!

"Uberschreite der Glase verboten".  Don't worry, I won't cross the rail track, I've seen how fast those babies move.  It's a pity the boy racer in the red Opel didn't heed Swiss traffic advice.  You have to follow the rules if you don't want to be unavoidably detained.  Crunch!!  Our post-cruise reverie over a bottle of red on our Juliet balcony was interrupted by Interlaken's major traffic incident of 2018.  Before too long high-vis vests were being worn by all and sundry, and luminous wands were being waved directing traffic inexpertly.  Bang!  The 215 bus to Fahrplanfelder came into contact with an overhanging 30k zone sign but didn't stop.  He knows when a high-vis vest takes precedence.

INTERLAKEN

Swiss travel posters don't lie.  Switzerland is that beautiful.  Just as you think you have discovered the most picturesque village with gorgeous wooden chalets, bowling green fields, massed floral displays and snow capped mountains positioned just right, you come across another picture postcard village on a sparkling lake.

My initial selection for the Swiss top spot was Reichenbach whose cascading falls are famous as being the site of Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty's denouement.  We were on a comfortable IC (Inter City) train and had just emerged from a long tunnel through solid rock and there it was!  Comfortable seating with panoramic windows and nearby buffet cars make Swiss trains fantastic no matter whether you are in 1st or 2nd class.

A Eurail pass is essential in Europe.  You can drive or fly from one destination to another if you are a masochist, but you will miss so much by not travelling by train.  Our experience is they run as scheduled and if a transfer is required sufficient time is provided to meet your train on a nearby platform.  With the exception of Swiss Rail, WiFi can be a bit iffy but that gives you more ever-engrossing scenery to admire.  

Our train from Zermatt to Interlaken (2 easy transfers) provided stunning views of soaring mountains with glaciers, raging snow fed streams, boulder strewn landslides, Europe's highest vineyards, grazing dairy cattle and finally views of cruising boats from a shoreline rail track.  A Eurail ticket also provides you with access to cruises and discounts.   It's the go!

ZERMATT

Our Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn service contorted as we twisted and turned from Visp to Zermatt. Through tunnels and alongside craggy mountain waterfalls and rockfalls.  A recently dislodged granite rock larger than a #4 route tram was close enough to touch.  Superb!  As was my first gulp of Zermatt air.  Breathtaking!  I would pay big money to relive that experience.  You step out of your stuffy train into ambrosia.

I like Zermatt.  It's singular purpose - the Matterhorn's ascent - draws climbers, skiers, walkers and stickybeaks like us who just want to see that remarkable mountain.  It draws you along drystone walls and well maintained pavements ever closer to a better view.  Skiers catch the chairlifts up nearby mountain slopes and schuss down in the shadow of nature's glory.

I also like Zermatt Bier, the perfect companion to a fat barbecued weisswurst mit mustard.  A trip to Coop supermarket for vittels was memorable with a checkout chick required to confirm our maturity before we could purchase our grog.  Our hotel balcony adjacent to the Gornergrat railway was a top spot to snack and catch up on a few more emails and postcards. Our hotel made a great first impression by welcoming us with a Toblerone chocolate on our pillows.

Like baguettes in France, every visitor to Zermatt should sport a pair of walking stocks to indicate you are seriously heading somewhere treacherous.  Real climbers have backpacks trailing rope, helmets and a pickaxe.  Residents and visitors get about the village via bicycle, scooter, skateboard and the unique Zermatt taxis.  These electric battery powered crates buzz about delivering guests and luggage to their hotels tag undt nacht!. Our accommodation close to the bahnhof negated their service.

Although it costs over $100@ to catch the Gornergrat Bahn to the top of the mountains, it is the only way to appreciate the enormous splendour of The Matterhorn and The Alps.  We were fortunate to take the trip on a superb early Autumn day with clear views of the Matterhorn from a number of angles.  Our trip from go to whoa was just under two hours and a highlight of our holidays.  The Gornergrat cog railway with its panoramic views of waterfalls and the valley below is a bloody engineering marvel!  Just prior to our departure for Interlaken a goods engine carrying a shiny yellow snow making machine tracked into the terminal.