Day 3 in Switzerland provided even more adventures and was probably my favorite day in Switzerland (although each day was pretty amazing).
I started the day with my rescheduled paragliding trip. Outdoor Interlaken booked me on this but Paragliding Interlaken (www.paragliding-interlaken.ch) took me on the trip. They picked me up at my hotel and drove me to downtown Interlaken (yes I could have walked, but I didn't realize we were just going downtown). We signed a waiver, put all of our stuff in a locker, and jumped in a van to take us to the launch site. The launch site was up one of the mountains on the outskirts of Interlaken. It was impressive to get to the launch site. It was a small field with a small runway off the side of the mountain. They set up about 15 different paragliding parachutes and I was of course the first one set up and the last one to leave. I adored watching people run off the cliff though and fly away. When I went skydiving, I was freaked out watching people jump out of the plane. I didn't get the same feeling with paragliding. It looked so peaceful and like it was my chance to fly. It probably helped that the parachute caught the air before we even started to run.
 |
| Perfect Runway! |
 |
| Prepping the glider |
Take-Off
My pilot gave me strict instructions to run until my legs were no longer on the ground. I thought I followed that but he called me out later for stopping just before getting off the ground. Oops! Thankfully it all worked out well. We sailed above Interlaken with the mountains in the background. I chatted with my pilot about Interlaken and where he was from. He came from New Zealand and has traveled the world paragliding. I found it amazing how many people leading the tours in Interlaken where from all over the world. Anyway, the ride was beautiful. Nothing beats beautiful blue water with mountains in the background. As we got lower, he asked if I wanted to do some loops. I knew that my head wouldn't appreciate it, but I never turn down adventure. I told him that I wanted to do a few. It was fun to whip around through the air, but I was right, my head hated it. The amazing thing is that you land right in the middle of Interlaken. You fly down and walk through the landing. I highly recommend going paragliding in Switzerland. The views can't get better. I enjoyed it, but I probably won't rush to do it again. It was fun, but I can be ok with one and done and moving onto new adventures. I used my Go Pro to video the flight, but somehow the file is corrupted so I can't get it, but trust me, it was a pretty flight.
Once on the ground, I walked directly to the train station to catch the train to Jungfrau, the Top of Europe. It is the highest train station in Europe and it would allow me to play in the snowy mountains. There are several stops before getting to the top of the mountain and I wanted to take advantage of it. I was excited to walk through Lauterbrunnen and see the picturesque town with several waterfalls. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do in Lauterbrunnen, but I just started walking towards the waterfall. The town is beautiful! I walked through town and quickly found the Staubbach Fall. I took the path up to what I thought was a viewing area, but it actually led through the rock and under the waterfall. It was fun to see through the waterfall and the rainbows the water created. Then I kept walking down the valley for a bit. I found the Camping Jungfrau campsite. I would love to return and camp here sometime. It has perfect views of the valley, mountains, and waterfalls.
 |
| Can't beat this view |
 |
| Staubbach Fall |
 |
| Under the waterfall |
 |
| If I paraglide again, it will be here! |
I grabbed lunch in town. I wanted to try all of the traditional dishes in Switzerland so when I saw rosti on the menu, I had to try it. Rosti is a dish made of potatoes and covered in melted cheese. It was incredible. The best part of the meal though was the view. It was a perfect meal in Lauterbrunnen.
 |
| Rosti |
 |
| Perfect lunch spot |
With my stomach full, it was time to jump back on the train to get to Jungfrau. It passed through several small towns on the way to the top. The train passed hikers going up the mountain. Next time I return to Interlaken, I will take several days to hike up the mountain and stay at these cute towns. At the last stop before entering the tunnel through the mountain, you get a nice view of Jungfrau mountain. If you know me, you know that I adore mountains. The entire train ride was just beautiful and I couldn't wait to get to the top.
 |
| Not a bad view from the train overlooking Lauterbrunnen |
 |
| My smile just got bigger and bigger as the train moved up the mountain. |
Jungfrau, Top of Europe
Jungfrau is a whole tourist area. You stop in the tunnel for a quick view of the mountains before getting to the final stop. There are several sites once you make it to the station. You get a panoramic view of the mountaintops right away. It was my first good view of the snowy paradise and I loved it. I was afraid it wasn't going to be a clear day, but it was good enough for me to view the top of the mountains.
 |
| Yes, I can actually hand over my camera to have someone take a picture of me. |
 |
| The tunnels to get around on Jungfrau |
Then I took the path out to the Monchsjoch Hut. It is about 3/4 of a mile across the snowy mountain. You can go sledding down a part of the hill or ziplining. Sadly I didn't have enough time to do either of these, but I was just thrilled to be outside in the mountains. I had on several layers since I was told it was cold up there, which it was, but speed walking across the side of the mountain was exhausting. I was walking around in my Chicago Cubs t-shirt for a bit. I must have been a sight to see in my t-shirt surrounded by snow. But I had found another happy place for me and the cold wasn't a factor. It was so beautiful up there. It was mostly clear but the clouds would roll in and cover the whole area. Then a few minutes later they would move on. I could have spent hours up there, but sadly I didn't have time. I had to catch the train before it closed which is why I was speed walking. I still had several spots to see in Jungfrau so I pulled myself away from the snow covered mountainside to see what else was up there.
 |
| The walk through the snow to the hut |
 |
| Sledding on the left. The lookout section is on the top of the rock on the right. |
 |
| Yep...hanging out in a Chicago Cubs t-shirt in snowy paradise. I guess I have enough Chicago blood still running in me to keep me warm. |
 |
| I loved watching the clouds rolling in. |
 |
| Can you find the overlook? |
 |
| It is so small on top of the rocks up there. |
 |
| My first attempt at using my small iPhone tripod. Obviously I wasn't very good at it. I will keep working on it. |
The next stop was the Alpine Sensation area. This area told the history of tourism in the Jungfrau region and the work that was done to create the station. It took over 16 years to build the railway up to Jungfrau. They dressed it up with lights to make it fun.
Then it was off to the Ice Palace. This is a massive tunnel that is filled with ice and ice sculptures. Even the ground in this area is ice. The different carvings were fun to look at. I would love to see how often they change them.
 |
| All ice! Amazing |
 |
| "Top of Europe" sign in ice |
 |
| Penguin ice sculptures |
 |
| Definitely worth a visit. Although it might have been colder in here than outside. |
The last stop before jumping back on the train was the Glacier Plateau. This is another viewing area to see Jungfrau and the Aletsch Glacier. It also was the spot where you could get your picture with the mountains and the Swiss flag. The views were once again incredible, but sadly I had a train to catch and there was one final stop to make (unofficial stop).
 |
| I love Switzerland! |
Lindt Chocolate has a nice little museum and store in Jungfrau. Of course I had to stop by and get some Lindt truffles to bring home. Then I was off to the train and a long ride home.
I took the train down a different route than the way up. Instead of going through Lauterbrunnen, I went down through Grindelwald. This is another spot I will hit next time I am in the area. I was exhausted so I didn't enjoy the beauty of this area, but that just gives me a reason to go back another time.
Finally, I was back in Interlaken after a full day of adventures. I had a few more Swiss dishes I had to try with cheese fondue at the top of that list. I wanted to find a place that had somewhat affordable cheese fondue without having to wait long for a seat. I walked by the Grand Cafe at Hapimag and it looked like a good place to stop. I was definitely not in a nice outfit for sitting inside (still in my hiking clothes) so I sat outside in the crisp air. I was not disappointed in the fondue. It was delicious and was served with potatoes and bread. I paired it with a wine the waitress recommended and it was a perfect meal. Have I mentioned that I love Swiss food? I could eat cheese every day.
It was an incredibly busy day, but it was wonderful. I tried some incredible food, saw some beautiful sites, went paragliding and hiking. It was as close to a perfect day as I could get.
