The down comforters sure came in handy last night. Lauterbrunnen can get a little chilly at night this time of year. We had our first German style breakfast this morning - bread, cheese, yogurt, cereals, juices and great coffee. All this food and a view to die for. After breakfast we headed down to the train station to catch the train(s) up to the Jungfrau, the highest railroad station in Europe. The ride up takes 2 hours with a switch of trains in Kleine Schleindigg. The last quarter of the ride was in a tunnel running through the Eiger. The train stops at two lookout spots where everyone jumps off the train, walks over to the lookout windows, snap their pictures and hop back on. These Swiss are organized!
The train comes to a stop 11,333 feet above sea level. Today that placed us above most of the clouds. Initially the view is blinding because sun's reflection off the snow is so bright. The tinted windows in the observation building help, but once we step out onto the viewing plateau, sunglasses are a necessity. Tony made it 20-30 feet out on the viewing plateau but became uncomfortable with the height. Yeah, 11,000 feet is a long way down. The plateau is relatively safe, but the snow covering was a bit slippery and the only thing to hold on to is a single rope fence. I was comfortable enough to make it to the top. But I stayed in the middle.
We walked through the ice caves to look at the sculptures. Then headed up to the cafeteria for some lunch. By now we were both very light headed so we decided to catch the next train down. It was close to four by the time we got back. On the way back to our hotel we stopped at the market for a bottle of wine which we enjoyed on the balcony off our room. I don't think I can tire of the view in this valley.
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