Off to Summer camp! Winter camp! Interlaken:)

There are three large cements stumps inside the train station. A man is sitting in one, a woman on the other and the third is for me! They look so comfy perched up there! I stop myself just short! I have on my backpack and totally would have fallen backward! But i know better than to sit on my backpack on the floor;) at least I've learned that much!


On my way to Interlaken. I'm trying to enjoy the views (except we just went in a tunnel) but thanks to SB every time I get on a train, The Gambler starts playing in my mind!

The views are amazing! Rolling hills, tall pine trees, little chalets sprinkled in the valleys and every shade of green imaginable! Not Ireland green, but very pretty all the same! Waaaaay off on the distance there's a little s.n.o.w. on the mountains. I love that it's here, it is Switzerland after all, but I'm glad it's so far away, too!

Next train! A woman walks in thinking she is very funny by swaying back and forth like she's going to fall over as she walks all the way through the car and then back. The business men are not amused. I sometimes forget its a workday....I'm upstairs in first class and I am the only woman. There's a man who may be retired, he's sleeping, but the rest of the men are very busy working. I am at the curved couch enjoying the view and a little sandwich;) I didn't buy it for. The guy with the cart onboard,but seeing him reminds me that I could do that job! I wouldn't be very fast because I'd have to meet everyone and talk, but what a fun job!

More white covered mountains not shaved like I think of the ski mountains around America. There just naturally carpeted with trees carpeted with snow. So pretty!

Next train, we pull out of the station alongside another train. Move! I can't see!
We pass a school, but we're going too fast for me to see the children. It reminds me of my morning walks in Puerto Vallarta. I always walk past the school to hear those voices;) sooooo cute!

We pass a little river off the lake with stones that reminds me of Colorado. Every river with visible stones like that reminds me of Colorado. Russy took us all there in the summer and in my mind we ran the resort, Idewild. I had pen pals (remember those? When you'd actually use pen and paper, or in my case six hundred smelly markers and lots of stickers) for years from Idewild! We would go horseback riding, hiking and panning for gold! Now that I'm older, I've heard stories about the adults....they had A LOT of fun, too;)
Kevin choking, seriously choking! The rodeo event was to eat saltines and whistle. I've never seen people move so fast as they did to get to him! Then me in the Dirty Backs Club...my horse stepped on its rein, reared u and off I slid! To be fair, they came running pretty quickly for me, too! I have a certificate to prove my membership. Outer motto? If you have never been thrower then you have never rode! (funny how that applies to so many things!)
Did Russy have any idea the memories he was creating for us?

I don't think of myself as a mountain person, but I'm getting really excited as this train climbs higher! Even though I'm closer to the white stuff;) it's just gorgeous! I'm going to freeze my butt off but it's going to be so fun! I think about hiking in Vail with Katie one Labor Day weekend and of course Tahoe. Ok, I'm a mountain girl! Especially in the summer! Ironically, Foreigner is singing "Cold as Ice" in my ear right now. I feel like I'm going to camp! Not the kind with a tent, Girl Scout Camp or Kanakuk/Kanakomo, where I rarely "had to" sleep in my tiny cot by myself....Bridget;) how fun if I got to my b&b and you were there! We definitely have to bring the girls here!

Out the windiw there sre lots of little goats with long legs one is just running, so happy!

Directions to my b&b are perfect! Even I can't get lost and I don't;) Ursula who owns and runs the place is fabulous. She's checking in a husband, wife and young daughter and giving them advice. I'm excited for it to be my turn;) when it is, she is so proud to tell me about Interlaken, where to eat (and where not to!) which mountains to go on, what to do if it's to cloudy...I tell her even if it's cloudy it's worth going up, there are no mountains in Kansas City. I also share the fact that last time I was in Interlaken, "I fell off the mountain" well that's what Julie said. Actually I think I just fell and slid 30 feet. Now she's giggling and as she points out her favorite mountain spots, she says, maybe you can recreate your fall.
She's outlined a walk for me that only takes about an hour (so I figure two) and will orient me to the town. I drop my bag in the room and prepare to do laundry. I am SO excited! I remember when I used to love to do laundry...it was like getting new clothes every time! Somewhere in the last couple of years it stopped being so and became more of a chore....I am ready for that chore today! I have virtually no clean clothes;( did I mention that when the Marriott in London took my laundry, they first claimed they had done it and hung it in my room, then claimed they lost it, then found it, but it wasn't done? Exhausting! In the following days/towns I have been lured by the claims of laundry service, or just coin operated machines...I'm not afraid! But each time, no:( so I am ready. I head down to where Ursula showed me the machines were, she was even so sweet as to say that she'll change out the clothes-seriously? I can't have her doing my laundry! When I get to the laundry room, there's a woman who says she's finished with the machines. "Oh! I don't want to rush you." "Oh, please! I'm Ursula's mom!" The scoop is she comes and cleans and helps out. (mom, we could so do this except I don't think either of
us wants to clean!) Anyway, she is darling and says yes! Ursula will change out the clothes...but I have a dress and scarf that can't go in the dryer. Don't worry! It's her job...no not her job, but she will...oh please! I'm the mom!
There's a sign by the washer/dryer that reads "Please don't feed our dog, Monte" but he is so cute! When I was waiting to check in, he let himself in the front door;) now he's just trotting around (total prancing pony, Dad!) I love hearing his little paws hit the hard wood! Sheryl (Ursula's mom) says he's a beggar and he will let himself in to the unlocked (unused) rooms and eat the chocolate off the pillow. She knows because the evidence appears on their walks. I am falling in love with Monte!
I decide I'll take a long walk but not so long that I am tying up the machines. This town is so darling! Jackie mentioned that she went to summer camp here-Bridget! Kristin! my girls need to come here! I know it's a long flight, but I'll hold their hands the whole way;) then I'll just stay in case one of them gets homesick! Along the walk I see a pretty green house-it's exactly how you'd want a Swiss chalet to look. It's called Lidia. It makes me think of a little girl that Guinness and I used to walk by. Her house was on our route. One day she had all of these beautiful chalk drawings all over the sidewalk and driveway-obviously I can't walk over these masterpieces, but she does. She comes out to tell Guinness and I her name (Lydia!), show us all her drawings and let us know that she'd like a little brother! I hope she got him! Little biters are fun:)
I also pass a little fenced in area that has a shack in it?? When I get closer, I see that there are two goats inside! Julie and Marta. There are hilarious and come rushing over to say hello. Jules, I may have fallen off a mountain here, but you've turned into a goat! But a very cute one;) I walk a little further and see a sign pointing to "Sunny Days" ....here I go! Sunny days, sweeping the clouds away...! (Actually a great sing to sing while walking through this town-it's so happy it makes you skip!) Reminds me of watching Big Bird (a couple times;)) on the trip from KC to Chicago! As I'm singing (inside my head) and smiling (like the village idiot) a lab comes my way. It breaks my heart to think Guinness is gone and has been gone so long;( But just then, I see a little house that reminds me of you Millie. The owner has hung freshly cut branches of pine tree outside the windows and decorated them for Christmas! It's so pretty-totally reminds me of something you'd do!
A couple houses down there's a cow in the front yard. A fiberglass cow, painted red with the white Swiss cross all over it. It's just like being in Kansas City!
There's a huge open park where people are playing. Overhead a helicopter flies by...I wonder if Ryry dislikes helicopters as much now that her ears are better? These are the complex thoughts in my head. That and clean laundry! I am soooo excited!
Home to clean laundry! Hooray! Not only is it clean, but warm! And the two things that couldn't be dried? Ursula had them over a radiator-perfect! I take everything upstairs to my room, lay it out and just smell it! Seriously, how blessed am I?!

I get dressed in my clean warm clothes and head out for dinner. It is raining hard, so I guess I won't sit outside....like I would...I think it's 1degree. It's raining, with purpose! Ow! I go to Baren's or fondue. As I'm seated I can't believe I'm hearing Radio Gaga! It's following me! The other waitress is talking to herself while resetting a table and nearly lit the placemat on fire. I don't think she has any idea....just moving about her day/night.

Remember the movie The Whole nine/ten yards...Gogoli or some such? This guy has that exact voice! It's cracking me up! Sean, what is his name?!

This is drastically different from last night. I wanted a comparison and I got it. The bread isn't as fresh or tasty...and neither is the cheese. Where I had fantastic service last night, tonight is dismal;( but it was a good glass of wine and as days go, this was a pretty good one! Can't wait to explore on a mountain top tomorrow. Ursula said to come down in the morning, we'll assess the fog and she'll give me suggestions. love it! I want to take Monte with me;)