Laowai

Bea and Brian had Thursday and Friday off so we took a quick trip to the mountains. To Brienz. It was a very quick trip because on our second day it rained and rained and rained. We were sad that we didn’t get to do some hiking, but it was one of those days that you can tell is not going to clear up so we headed for home.

In the short time we were there I managed to take a ton of pictures. Maybe I’m trying to fit a bunch of Swiss memories in our last few weeks. First a few photos from the train. So picturesque!

Here we are in Brienz – it’s famous for it’s pretty chalets and it’s wood carving traditon.

OK – now I will interupt this post to say that Switzerland your capacity for kid friendliness has amazed me again. Not only do they have playground train cars and playgrounds set in the most spectacular settings they also have special play areas on boats.

Here’s what you find under the deck of that paddle boat above – the most charming space filled with toys and art supplies and coloring pages. It was hard to get a photo but the beautiful color on the walls and the tidyness of it just felt so nice. I want to live there. Bea sat right down and started coloring. You can even leave your kids there with a nice older couple and go up to the restaurant for some kid-free time.

And here are Brian and the girls watching the whirring mechanism that turned the boat paddles. Cool.

OK – I’ll stop raving about that boat now. Here’s the waterfall on the other side of the lake from Brienz – called Geissbach Falls.

It was starting to rain so we didn’t hike up along the waterfall very far. Brian and Bea went on a trail behind the waterfall – look close and you can see them below.

Here’s the old hotel next to the waterfall.

This funicular takes you down from the hotel to the lake.

Here’s a poster that celebrates the anniversary of the rail line in this area.

Last photo – the curtains in our hotel. All the quaint chalet style decorating makes me want to fill my house with the same stuff… maybe.