On our way through the Alps

We have now officially departed from the Anadeus cruise ship and are making our way into the Alps. The air is ever thinner but pure. 

The land rises around  us with towering snow covered mountains and hairpin turns.

Finally we reach charming  Interlaken. It the home of the Victorian  Jungfru hotel. Paragliders artive by the dozen with there in-tandem riders. If only we had more time!

We reach Grimsel Pass in Switzerland, crossing the Bernese Alps, at the upper valley of the Aare River. (You remember that  from Berne) At 7,100 feet above sea level, the temperature hovers in the low 50s on this sunny day so the jackets are on! The deep lakes blue color is mountain fed and reflects the sky.  The stone chapel is seen regularly throughout the alps to remember climbers and skiers who have given their lives here and provide a monent of reflection on natur's majesty for the rest of us. 

In just a few hours those charming UNESCO cities are far away, replaced by staggering natural beauty with small groups of wooden houses burnt black from the sun with thier thick slate roofs that dot the mountains along with sheep, cows and rushing milk water colored light jade green streams. 

We arrive in Zermatt - land of rock climbing and skiing. We  have certainlyleft the  Rhine Valkey!