Sttending a Cow Concert in the Outdoor Auditorium

On one of our train rides through the gorgeous Swiss countryside Mike fell in love with the strip of towns between Interlaken and Lucerne. These little towns were all similar; well maintained, peak-roofed homes surrounding a church with a steep roof and tall spire built on the tallest hill around set beside the crystal aquamarine glacier water of a lake. For whatever reason, Lungern struck a cord with him and we decided to stay there for a few days. Mike got on-line and found accommodations in the Rossli Hotel for significantly less than our big city accommodations, so a few days ago we set off for Lungern.

It was a long trip, with four separate train rides and the changes in between. When we finally arrived in the tiny town of Lungern we were ready. We were standing near the doors to the train with our baggage ready to alight when the train stopped. Unfortunately it was difficult to tell which side of the train was the right side to get off, so after pushing hard against the door I finally got my side open and we threw off the bags. Unfortunately it was the wrong side of the train and we were out of sight of the conductor who had no idea we were trying to get off. So, by the time I got off and the bags followed, the doors closed before Mike could get off. They blew the whistle to take off and we forced the door open as he slid out of the train. I know you have guessed the rest. He bruised up the foot attached to the recently healed leg. In fact, his left foot is now a horrible shade or purple that matches the shade the leg was until days ago. He is jinxed.

The train station is on a hill. In fact, the entire town in on the side of a mountain. The train comes over the pass and Lungern is the first town it hits. The town begins at the train station and works it's way down the hill to the lakeside, then back up the mountain on the other side. When I attach the photos you will get a sense of it. We set off downhill toward town to find the Hotel Rossli. This is a small town so it was easy to find. Attached to a restaurant, this family run place was in the midst of lunch time when we arrived, so after waiting for Mom to finish up with some card-playing lunch guests she checked us in. Our room was in the chalet hotel facing the lake. With a wall of windows and a beautiful deck we had a great view of the mountains and lake. Beautiful.

We spent the next few days walking the nature trails around town and enjoying the peace and quiet of this little village. On one walk that I went on alone I walked past a building with opaque glass windows on some garage doors. It was clear that there was heavy equipment inside, red in color, so perhaps a fire department. Later, I revised the guess to be snow removal equipment. As I continued walking it was apparent that the second floor of this building was an elementary school. It was lunch time so I was able to see all of the kids leaving for lunch. I heard a horn player inside practicing (in need of much more practice). After walking up into the hills I heard the most amazing "band" of bells, cymbals, etc. I wondered where it was coming from and kept walking to find the source. Imagine my surprise when I looked down to the field below and saw that I was listening to the bells around the neck of the cows. Some huge (maybe 16 inch diameter) and others smaller, they rang at different pitches making the most wonderful music that echoes through the valley up into the hills where I was walking. A cow concert!

We are sitting in McDonald's using 30 minutes of free internet before it runs out, so I have to go. I will work on another entry tonight that I can post quickly tomorrow when we return to McDonald's.

Bye for now. Deanne