Bernese Oberland - Day 5 - Grindelwald

A few photos from yesterday I didn’t get posted. 

We heard the clip-clopping of horses coming down the street so grabbed a pic. 

Me waving to Jo Anne down on the street. 

There has been much mowing of the grass the last couple of days. They either blow it into a long pile or use a pitchfork to scrape it into piles. Then it’s loaded onto these trucks and hauled to parts unknown. 

We have two days left in the Bernese Oberland before making our way to Zurich via Lucerne. We plan to make the most of our remaining time.  

One of the things we heard on the train that stuck with us was:

We invite you please to not leave baggages unattended.   

We’ve used “we invite you please to not” in front of several other things since then. 🤣

The sunrise this morning is about as clear as the sky will be all day. A haze has continually increased causing a strange filminess over the mountains.

Today we are going to Glacier Gorge. We hope it isn’t another tourist hot spot.

This natural wonder was, at one time, covered entirely in glacial ice. Unfortunately, the glacier no longer exists. However, it still will thrill your senses. Now, it consists of various rock formations and galleries carved out over time by nature and the glacial water. The Lütschine river runs through the gorge and is surrounded by 300-meter-high (984 ft) rocks. As we walk through the gorge, we learned more about its formation and geology. At some points, when exploring it, you’ll feel like you’ve been transported into the past. 

After breakfast we walked across the street to check out the goods at the Bäckerei (bakery) that I had been smelling since about 3 am. I’m pretty sure Jo Anne wasn’t smelling anything at that hour. 

It was a bit of a downhill walk to the trail we were taking. This one was not mapped out for us so we asked a couple of people (owner of the hotel and ticket lady at the train station). They both gave us different directions so we opted to go with what we had researched. 

After getting to the bottom of the hill and to the  Lütschine River, we turned onto a trail that followed the river through the woods. 

There was a Land Art exhibition along the trail. I’m going to give you the description of the art below each photo, as written by the artist. That’s all I’m going to say about it. 

The object represents two burnt cities of war together with two large figures and symbolises the importance of communication: “You better talk before” With my art, I want to express how nature can continue to decompose in art.

Moss roots growing from the forest floor. The trees communicate with each other through mycorrhiza - the symbiosis of fungal network and tree roots that allows trees to exchange information. 

What information do they share with each other?  

Two stone men become one stone woman. They meet and lean towards each other as they like each other. Touching each other, leaning on each other, supporting and strengthening each other in the common new. Bridge and empty space at the same time. The missing and the expected in balance. Abundance and enrichment are space through cohesion. Closeness and distance Speech and silence. Moment and eternity. Yesterday and tomorrow. Fate and Destiny. Roots and wings. Body and soul. Silence and noise.

The rise of social networks and the widespread dissemination of information channels have made it increasingly difficult to create spaces for oneself. “Conexiones neuronales”invites the viewer to return to nature to activate thinking. In this way, a dialogue is generated between the viewer and the artwork, the artwork and the landscape, and finally between the landscape and the viewer, far from noise and close to silence.

Party im Wald (party in the forest)

Don't we all wish to glide through life lightly and weightlessly? Perhaps not constantly, but from time to time? Just as our woodland creatures “lightly and weightlessly” through the clearing. They invite us to linger, discover, and float along with them in ease.

Elves and fairies love to dance at dusk in secret places within untouched nature. However, the places where they can do so freely and unseen are becoming increasingly rare. 

A new, young generation of these enchanting nature spirits is now shedding their shyness and daring to step into the public eye. 

Especially for “LandArt Grindelwald”, they have choreographed a dance to raise awareness about nature conservation and the needs of all nature beings. Most still perform within the safety of a (nest) we have prepared as their stage. Yet, some adventurous ones are already venturing further out to reconnect with humans. “This dance is sent by God, meant to infect everyone. So, if you want to save the world, look at your neighbor and dance without a care!”

Inspired by the unique location, the Lütschine river in the background and the stones and boulders along the path, the idea of creating (stones) between stones from the spruce branches found on site grew during the creative process. 

The only tool we used was a pair of rose scissors to cut the branches to size. 

The five (pebbles), which were created from the intertwined and intertwined branches, appeared delicate despite their sometimes remarkable size, which contrasts with the chunks of stone between which they have found their place.

Horizon as the tangible, visible edge of our immediate environment. 

The landscape extends towards the horizon. Around the horizon, the environment pours out, flows around me, through me. 

It is interested in recognising and experiencing our environment, the space in which we are integrated, the simultaneity before and beyond the horizon. 

The relationship to our environment in general is at the centre of my work; it is important to create a connection to this environment, this surroundings, this landscape, because we are in a constant exchange with it; flow and return flow.

Ok, that’s the Land Art exhibition. Don’t you feel enlightened?

Carved tree 

Wild horses

Entrance to the gorge 

Jo Anne and I played a little tune. Too bad you can’t hear it. 🤣

Once you walk through the tunnel to make your way to the canyon, you’re greeted with the expansive rock formations formed many years ago by the glacial water as it melted. The walk is laid out to give you an in-depth look at six themed experiences. You’ll first get attuned to the area and then learn more about the gorge’s creation, geology, water, glacier, and associated myths. 

Looking down through the walkway. 

And yes, that is Jo Anne on the steel gridded walkway. 

Bird nest on the wall

As you walk through the gorge, you feel the rush of the cool wind and hear the roaring waters below. 

You see the sun casting shadows on the towering rock walls and feel transported into another world. The experience stimulates every one of your senses. There’s nothing quite like feeling the vastness of the gorge all around you. 

The blue net across the gorge is called the spider web. You can walk on it if you so desire. 

Waterfalls pouring off the canyon walls

There was a little trough with two men “pumping” water down the spout. We emptied our water bottles of tap water and filled them with ice cold refreshing water here. 

Rest on one of the several benches along the way and take a moment to truly enjoy your surroundings. Again, there’s nothing quite like being at the bottom of this massive gorge. A truly epic adventure. 

After walking back through the gorge, our options were to wait 30 min and catch a bus there, or walk 25-30 min back through the forest and catch the train back to Grindelwald. We walked and took the train. It was such a lovely cool walk through the trees and along the river.  

It was time for a light lunch in Grindelwald. 

I had a brat and mustard. So yummy!!!

Jo Anne had pommes frites. You’re only seeing the top of her huge bag of fries. 

Passer or house sparrow eating one of Jo Anne’s fries. It was about to get into my lap and go after my brat before she tossed it a fry. We told him it was not good for him but he didn’t care. These birds try to get into your room since there are no screens. 

Back to the COOP for some lotion and other sundries. 

The haze over the mountain. 

Weather warning: severe weather. We had a little wind and rain but so far that’s it. The wind is picking up a bit more now and there have been loud claps of thunder. 

The house across the way tied down her table and chairs and shuttered her windows. She was sitting outside knitting yesterday. 

We stopped at the Bäckerei for a treat. I had a chocolate meringue. The only thing in the shop that was gf & df. 

Jo Anne got a chocolate and a caramel cookie. 

I got my laundry done while blogging. Nice to have all my clothes clean. Jo Anne mapped out tomorrow morning, weather permitting. 

We made reservations for dinner tonight but don’t want the full 4 courses so have asked for salad and dessert only, because if we have salad, it nullifies the dessert, right???

Salad

Dessert - it was about 3 bites so I think we’re ok. 

View from our table 

I wish the blue in the glacier showed up more in the photo. It was shining in the light. 

Stats

Steps - 17,584

Miles - 7.3

Elev gain - 1,339’ or 24 floors

Waiting on the Lord is trusting Him in all circumstances. We never graduate from the school of waiting. God calls all of us to endure trials, for as we do, we are reminded of the blessedness and joy of leaning on Him. It's not simply that we wait, but how we wait. We must learn the discipline of waiting with humility, hope, and joy, not with clenched fists and frustrated hearts as Isaiah teaches us in Isaiah 40:29-31. "He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint." God made time and called us to experience Him in it. God made us for a story that is not yet complete. He will one day free us completely of the threat of Satan, sin and death. Meanwhile, we wait with expectant and joyful hearts.

p.s. I fixed the archive so it’s easier to go to a certain day.