Author: Ange Bowman

I live in Sydney with the love of my life. Work to travel and thrive on learning new skills and about new places. My interests are technology, cooking, agricultural shows, horse racing, photography and all sports. A mother of four grown children who have provided me with six amazing grandchildren (so far).

The final hours before flying home

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The Swistotel was a lovely hotel to stay in and they were gracious enough to allow us to check in early.  

The Swissotel Amsterdam is a four-star luxury boutique hotel located by

 

Dam Square, in the heart of Amsterdam’s historic city centre and a short walk from Amsterdam Central Station. The hotel is surrounded by shops, museums and restaurants and is a 20-minute drive from Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport.


We wandered around for the afternoon. We had very little for dinner as we both felt that we eaten enough in last seven days to last us for a good while.  

 
Our final day in Amsterdam we decided to do the red hop on hop off  tour to give this great place a final look over before boarding sour long flight home. 
 
We flew home via Abu Dhabi on the very good Eithad Airlines. It was a long flight but we both managed to get quite a lot of sleep and there was no-one on being plane being Easter. We were able to spread out in rows of our own on the final leg into Sydney. I was glad to be home but the trip we exactly to plan.

 

 
I was pleased were were able to see so much in such a short time and I guess the two biggest highlights was out 6 days in Switzerland and the river cruise. I know i will be doing many more of these in the future. It is a fantastic way to travel. I occasionally enjoy it when someone else takes care of all the details and I just go along for the ride. 

Need to get this posted before we set off to Fiji for a week of relaxation. The three grandsons are coming along and we are planning lots of pool time.  

 


Never again will I be leaving blog until I get home to write up.  It is too easy to keep putting off and before knew it we had been home for 6 months.

Day 7 15th April – Back to where we began

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During the night we docked at the now familiar Amsterdam dock across from the Centrale station.  After our second last breakfast where I made short work of an awful lot of smoked salmon with my perfectly cooked scrambled eggs. 



The morning was filled with tour to a canal cruise which is the best way to view the historical centre The Canal Cruise ended at the Gassan diamonds centre where we attended a complimentary presentation.           





We decided against walking the attractive route back to the ship and opted use the free transfer on the bus to sit down for our final buffet lunch. The food on this cruise has been absolutely outstanding and such wide variety in keeping with particular region in which we were travelling at the time. 

Don’t go to coffee shop
 and expect coffee
Coffee will be found in a Cafe
(Marijuana sold here)







                                                                           





After lunch were set off on our final tour to Edam (cheese cheese cheese) and Volendam. 

Edam, Cheese and the City







The most obvious association with the name ‘Edam’ is its cheese. For centuries the well-known round Edam cheeses have been sent from this town to all corners of the world. The cheese market, once again restored to its place of honour, is enacted weekly during the summer months. And nearby cheese warehouses keep alive the memory of a colourful past. 




We spent a pleasant hour wandering around Edam and taking the most beautiful houses and scenery of this magical place. For a small place it had such a big church which could be seen from all parts of town.




This was probably the most picturesque place I have ever visited. I really look forward to being able to come back and explore further next time I am in Amsterdam











Our Dear Lady has been standing on this
hallowed ground since the 14th century








After a short bus ride we were in Voledam for a glimpse into the past, and a drive along the low-lying fields and windmills of North Holland, It is too pretty to be true, the quaint fishing village surrounds a picture-postcard harbour lined with wooden houses, where locals still wear traditional Dutch clogs, aprons and bonnets.

 

 

Historically, Volendam’s claim to fame was as the harbour for the neighbouring town of Edam. More recently, it’s easy to see why artists like Picasso and Renoir were drawn here to paint scenes of the harbour lined with steep-roofed fishermen’s houses, canals and drawbridges. Mum and I found a good place for a coffee and a loo. before wandering along the foreshore.   



Mum purchased one more cuckoo clock and I was able to get all the girls their clogs. After another short walk we were back on the bus for the ride back to ship and our farewell dinner. Dinner was equal to anything we had had in the past seven days and we thoroughly enjoyed every morsel. 




After getting our instructions for disembarkation tomorrow we headed to the cabin to pack up and turn in for the final night on board. We had a leisurely breakfast before leaving the MS Impression for the final time and head to our hotel near the main square in Amsterdam. 


Every day of cruise was a highlight of our European vacation, also the food morning noon, night and in between was ample and a great example of fine dining at its best.

Day 6 14th April – Maastricht and cruising back to Amsterdam

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After another good night onboard we enjoyed out breakfast at more leisurely pace this morning our cruise was drawing to a close with only another couple of nights on board. 






I was just too tired to do this walking tour but mum set off with the guide and about 20 other hardy souls to visit. the shops were closed on Monday morning as they often do in Holland but if shopping’s your thing, you can hardly go wrong in Maas­tricht.  

Where the density of boutiques and unusual specialty shops is hard to beat. 




Just about all of the streets between the St. Servatius Bridge and the Vrijthof offer inexhaustible scope for emptying one’s purse or wallet , with Stokstraat and the surrounding Stokstraat Kwartier being particularly charming. Mum really enjoyed this and I relished the time spent in my cabin catching up on email and other communications from home. 

River cruising my new favourite way to travel

Day 5 13th April – Antwerp, Palm Sunday Mass and Brussels

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After another sumptuous leisurely breakfast, at least we are getting the hang of getting to dining room early enough to linger a while over our breakfast before grabbing our headsets and communication sets and boarding bus for short ride into Antwerp. 



Our tour guide walked us around all the sights and after a strolling along the Scheidt taking in the old Steen




Fortress (medieval castle), we walked Antwerp‘s classic shopping boulevard, Meir, with its elegant department stores and trendy boutiques, which then leads into De Keyserlei. A side-street of the latter, Quellinstraat, is also good for fashion, but for jewellery shops, try Pelikaanstraat in the nearby Diamond Quarter. 

Of course being Palm Sunday we choose to attend mass at Cathedral of Our Lady Antwerp’s Cathedral of Our Lady can boast arguably the world’s most exquisite Gothic tower (404 feet high) completed in 1521. 

 

Stripped of its original furnishings, the sober interior contains four magnificent canvases by Rubens. It was a great opportunity to celebrate Mass is such a beautiful old Cathedral, the alter was something to behold.  





After a beautiful lunch of soup and other delicacies we boarded the bus again to head in to Brussels, we were getting weary by this time and I think we slept most of the hour bus ride. 


We visited Grand Place (Grote Markt). which except for its City Hall (with 315-foot-high tower), all of Brussels’ Main Square was destroyed in 1695. Rebuilt within a few years, its ornate guild-houses and Maison du Roi (c. 1870) are best studied from one of the many out­ door cafes. 

 
The little bloke everyone come to see

We had Belgium waffles (as if we needed more food, but when in Belgium!!!) from one of these restaurants  and of course who could come to Brussels with out visiting the ribald figure of Manneken Pis (1609) nearby, in the Rue de l’Etuve . 


He was so much smaller than I expected but well worth a look. I managed to secure an extra carry on bag to ensure we could get all our purchases from the trip home. The bus ride home was quiet to say the least, we were all exhausted and most of us slept for the entire journey.

 

 

After a short rest cabin, we dressed for dinner and were greeted with a five course meal for the captains dinner. 




Included such delicacies as lobster tail and beautifully prepared beef. It was such a memorable meal. 






We ate with a couple from England that were old hands at the travel gig so we were able to swap many travel stories.

 

Day 4 12th April – Ghent and Brugges

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We awoke to lightly clouded morning, with a few more clouds coming in by the afternoon. Overall again a pleasant day for sight seeing  as today we visited Ghent in the morning and Brugges in the afternoon. 


Again breakfast was welcome and every day we say we are coming down earlier to enjoy it at a leisurely pace rather rising to make the first onshore excursion. We left the ship and boarded the coaches waiting on the dock and were welcomes by local experts to show us the city of Ghent, partly by coach and partly  on foot…. Cobblestones! 


For those who stayed on board (not us) they sailed through Erneuzen – Ghent Canal and Westerschelde which is an inlet of the North Sea. The Terneuzen – Ghent Canal is a man-made connection between the Westerschelde and Ghent. 

In the afternoon we visited one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. This well-preserved medieval city is a delight for the eye. A canal boat cruise is part of the experience! 












Some of the sights we took in…

  • Markt square best viewed from the exquisite 285-foot-high tower (366 steps!) (we DID NOT do this) of the late-Gothic Belfort above the medieval trading halls, this large square is flanked by the 19th.century home of the West Flanders parliament and many street cafes.
  • Burg the smaller but finer, this square includes the  Holy  Blood Basilica, a two-story church going back to the 12th century containing a reliquary purporting to hold a phial of Christ’s blood. No less impressive, the Stadhuis is Belgium’s oldest City Hall (1376, with 15th.century facade).
  • Groening Museum.Home to one of the world’s finest collections of Dutch art, this has wonderful works by ‘Flemish Primitives’ like van Eyck, Memling and Bruegel.
  • Memling Museum located in a medieval hospital, this presents six masterpieces by Hans Memling,as well as changing exhibitions. Onze Lieve Vrouwekerk the Gothic Church of Our Lady is notable for containing a small sculpture (Madonna and Child) by Michelangelo as well as the magnificent 15″‘-century gilded tombs of Charles the Bold and his daughter, Mary. 
  • Begijnhof  which is close to the many pleasant cafes of Wijngaard­ plein, the Beguinage is a charming convent founded in 1245 that is now occupied by Benedictine nuns.

Flanders emerged as an important producer of lace(kant) during the 16th century. Made from threads of linen produced from locally grow n flax or silk, such filigree yet surprisingly tough patterned textiles were produced exclusively by hand until the 19th century, when machine made products using cheaper cotton swamped the market. In cities like Bruges, though. many shops have exquisite lace made in the traditional manner which is a highly skilled procedure involving braiding and crossing bobbins around pins stuck into a pattern. 
Such a pretty place that I am keen to visit again with more time to explore and enjoy it’ character and charm. With more time it would be a shoppers paradise only to be followed by great food to satisfy the appetite built up exploring the wonderful little stores. Belgian beer is an inexhaustible subject, apparently one can quickly get a good grounding by taking a guided tour of the small brewery so this is a must do for next time for me.

We almost crawled back on the ship for a very short break before getting ready for yet another three course dinner which was out of this world. 

One thing is to be sure, this cruise is not going to be as relaxing as I imagined.  

Day 3 11th April – Delta Works and Middleburg

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With another busy day ahead we were up early again for breakfast (can’t get an enough of the fantastic selection on the buffet) as the tour to the to the impressive Delta Works which consisted of  a presentation, documentary film, exhibition and a visit inside one of  the piers. We drove through the quaint Veere a small village on the way to Delta works. 

The Delta plan came in to being after a tragic event on the the night of January 31 and February 1,1953. was a fateful one for the inhabitants of Zeeland on the coast of southern Holland. The combination of a hurricane with high spring tides caused hundreds of breaches in the dikes. so that over 100,000 acres of land were flooded. More than 1800 human lives were lost, and the damage in terms of material losses (including 200,000 homes) Following this catastrophic event the delta works was developed to ensure such a catastrophe never happens again. 

It was so interesting to see how the Dutch took control of their environs and with great ingenuity implemented this amazing plan to hold back the sea. 
The afternoon was filled with a talk from local ladies from Middleburg and then a guided walking tour through the historic Middleburg township. This was interesting and our guides were first class. We had three groups to suit all levels of fitness.  
Traditional  Group (Our chosen Group) This was the optimal  way to see the sights with all its features. Local guides giving us an in-depth presentation  and  answered all our questions along the way. We were able to keep up and still had time to take lots of photos of this charming old place.



The Essential Group took in the first part of the Traditional tour, with a brief introduction and basic background commentary. On a certain stage the guide dropped them off at a central location. Ideal for those who prefer to have more time on their own.
The Leisurely Group  – This walking tour was ideal for the gentle walkers, with a slower pace for those who wanted to take it easier. They didn’t miss out of the highlights but without the pressure of keeping up with the faster groups.
This was the case for most onshore tours and there were always at least two levels of walking tour.

Day 2 10th April – Keukenhof Gardens & the windmills of Kinderdijk

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Up and at ‘em early so we could enjoy the extensive breakfast, this was going to be just the kick start we need each day before heading onshore for various tours. 




Todays adventure and the main reason for our whole trip was a visit to see all the tulips and flowers of Keukenhof Gardens and the windmills of Kinderdijk.






Our half day visit to the Keukenhof Gardens was spectacular and certainly a must do for anyone visiting this part of the world in Spring. You just can’t describe the the brilliance and the perfume of
this famous Dutch Flower Exhibition.  

We decided to stay longer in the Keukenhof  Gardens rather than return to ship for lunch. At 2pm the bus returned for us and we set out for Kinderdijk for our sightseeing at the windmills.

The local guides will walked us from the ship to the windmill site of Kinderdijk where we have  a guided visit of a windmill and a pumping station. 

After yet another can’t believe they just get better dinners we crawled off to bed. Success we saw the garden in all its glory and the weather really allowed us to see the most beautiful garden I have ever visited.


During the night we sailed through Noord. Nieuw e Maas, Oude Maas, Dordste Kil, Hollansch Diep, Volkerak, Krammer, Krabbenkreek, Mastgat,  Oosterschelde,  Veerse Meer, Walcheren Canal.

Seven days of blissful cruising – tulips, tulips everywhere

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Need to get the final posts up from our trip earlier this year as just about to embark on another trip next week and determined to to post as we go this time.

We arrived back in Amsterdam and checked into the Mövenpick Hotel which we choose as it was the pickup point for out seven day Tulips and Windmills Tulip cruise tomorrow. We had a fantastic room overlooking the lake after hot showers and room service we enjoyed watching the sun disappear below the Amsterdam horizon.  The hotel was a little on the expensive side if booked through tour company but I was able to secure a good deal on hotels.com (A$196.39 much cheaper than quoted by cruise company $442 for the pre-cruise night). It was worth it to be settled in place and well rested before we had to checkin for cruise at 1pm


Up early the next morning headed in to centre Amsterdam to replace the bag that had parted company with one of it’s wheels conveniently while we were walking from the station to the hotel in the rain and towards the end the fine hail.  We must have looked like exhausted drowned rats when we checked in. After a yummy breakfast is a small French cafe we bagged a bag at the de Bijenkorf department store and headed back to the hotel to check in on our cruise.

Day one of cruise – 9th April 2014

At check in we were offered an optional pre-cruise 1/2 day cheese and windmill tour which we signed up for and really enjoyed the afternoon and it really set the scene for the next seven days.  This tour was like a little slice of Holland”
Working windmills, clog making, cheese making and tourist shopping all in one historic park. Zaanse Schans is the first ever industrial park in the world that had over 1100 industrial windmills in its prime. You get to go inside different working windmills (paint making, oil making and wood cutting)



We boarded at 5pm and settled into our beautiful cabin aboard the MS Impression which is part of the Avalon Waterways fleet. 


We attended the welcome reception and  speeches in Panorama Lounge before dressing for dinner, and what a dinner it was.  


The whole dining experience was far and above our expectations. The food and wine was sensational and service was top notch.  After some beautiful cheeses with our coffee we headed back to the cabin. 



We turned in and watching the riverbank slide by was a pleasant way to drift off to sleep. Our first night on board was an insight to what the next seven days are going to hold for us.

Overnight we sailed to Schoonhoven it was really relaxing with the gentle movement of the ship during the night. 









During the late evening and night we sailed through a number of locks.
I was able to watch this through the webcam on board which we could view from our TV. 

 

 

 
   









Our last stop off before the Tulip River Cruise

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After six glorious days in Switzerland we are headed back to Germany and laid our heads down in Frankfurt for a couple of nights. The main purpose of this stop is to visit the historic Rothernburg.
Every year millions of people are attracted to the medieval city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. No wonder: the 12th century castle is still standing and in excellent condition. The ancient city walls still fully enclose the centre of the city, and visitors can walk on the ramparts. We walked, walked and walked then climbed down the narrow steps at the end. It was unreal to be in such ancient location on a wall that others walked many generations ago.
For centuries Rothenburg’s hospitality has been the reason for many famous people visiting the medieval city centre. Throughout its history emperors and kings were frequent vistors Today politicians and celebrities from all over the world come to Rothenburg. It is a very special city, which invites you to wander through the streets, or take a break in one of the many cafes and simply enjoy the romantic atmosphere.

The name “Rothenburg ob der Tauber” means, in German, “Red fortress above the Tauber”. This is so because the town is located on a plateau overlooking the Tauber River. While buildings within the walled city reflect the city’s medieval history, this part of the city is in many ways a normal, modern German town with some concession to the tourist trade. Many stores and hotels catering to tourists are clustered around the Town Hall Square and along several major streets (such as Herrngasse, Schmiedgasse).
more on this later 
After pleasant day resting on our direct train to Frankfurt we disembarked and headed a couple blocks away from the station to our hotel. We stayed at the Mercure Hotel which was very comfortable and the bath even came with it’s own duck. (I obtained one for Miss Emi but not knowing I was expecting another grandchild until I got home it quickly became new baby’s first gift)
After getting settled we decided to seek out some dinner and decided we could go a decent steak or similar we wandered down street and decided on Kakadu, bound to find a steak here and it was wonderful.
Breakfast in Buffet Car of train to Wazburg
As mentioned previously the main purpose for our stop off in Frankfurt was to take a day trip to Rothernburg. 

So up early and off to the station, we decided to grab a roll/pasty and coffee to have on the train for breakfast. We boarded our train but as it was peak hour and with many commuters on board we found ourselves in the buffet car, so decided to keep the rolls for later and order breakfast. It was terrific and certainly hit the spot, there is nothing like enjoying a sumptuous brekkie and watching the german countryside slide by.  

After changing trains at Würzburg Hbf we off on the last leg of our journey to Rothenburg just under 3 hours for the trip but such a great way to travel.   

We left the train and followed the crowd to the main town centre, explored a little before heading off to find the medieval wall. 

You get to experience a little of what it would have been in the good old days of this medieval village.   

The imposing defence facilities at the Spital and Röder gate served to keep away uninvited guests and impressively conveyed in the age of nuclear weapons how well deterrence in the Middle Ages worked. 

Out of all the mediaeval city-fortifications, here unfolds the most tremendous, self-contained and best-preserved cityscapes
We spent a pleasant day wandering around this quaint city with all its shops and eateries, a little focussed on the tourist trade, but this is obviously where they try to capture the tourist dollar. 


The highlights were the walk around the walk and the bear shop (where some good purchases were made for future grand babies) Although if I knew then what I know now I would have bought a few more, stocks depleted already.  











We finished the day with a gelato which was excellent before wandering back to the station to catch the train back to Frankfurt. I would encourage anyone that has the chance to stop by Rothenburg as is a little bit magical.






Meanwhile enjoy the views around Rothenburg, before the post continues below

Grandma give the new knees a good workout

Very steep and very worn from the footsteps of hundreds of years





After early breakfast the next morning we walked down to find red bus starting point, which we eventually did but in doing so stumbled across the The Römer building.

The Römer (German surname, “Roman”) is a medieval building in the Altstadt of Frankfurt am Main,

Germany, and one of the city’s most important landmarks. The Römer is located opposite the Old St. Nicholas church and has been the city hall (Rathaus) of Frankfurt for over 600 years. The Haus Römer is actually the middle building of a set of three located in the Römerberg (a plaza).


As we had to wait until 10am for first bus to take off we settled into a Italian cafe on the square for coffee and a waffle (no lunch needed today) . The owner was a funny little guy who was in no rush about anything but the waffle was good.

Onboard we decided we only had time to do the lap around the red route before walking back to the hotel and check out. Some of the sights along the way were interesting but certainly with a financial flavour.  


We passed by Deutsche Bank, the largest bank in Germany. The twin towers are sometimes nicknamed debit and credit. All in all Frankfurt would be worthy of another visit if in the area. 







We boarded our final train for our journey into Amsterdam which was a direct train meaning that we could sit back and enjoy the 4 hour trip in comfort and in a fairly empty carriage.

The day ended with challenges before a highlight and relief. When we left the train, it took me awhile to sort which direction we needed to go to get to hotel I could see it but navigating the canals and deadened proved annoying. To top things off the wheel on my bag decide to give up the ghost so became drag instead of a bag.  


By the time we were approaching the hotel the light rain had become small hail and boy we were please to step inside the Mövenpick Hotel Amsterdam City Centre. This hotel was the meeting point of the cruise so I decide this was the place to book for our pre cruise night. The relief was that I could now hand of all the planning organising and thinking about arrangements to the cruise staff for next 7 days. The highlight was our room with a spectacular view of the river IJ and a hot shower. Oh and the room service trolley was a welcome sight. Excited about cruising tomorrow, first job go and buy a new bag. 



Six days in Switzerland and 75 years young – Part 2

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The birthday dawned with another sensational day of blue skies and snowcapped mountains so today we decided on Lucerne for our day trip. 
Back to to the now familiar Interlaken Ost station to board the train for 2 hour ride to Lucerne, due to track work we scored a bonus of a bus ride between Meiringen and re boarded our train a couple of stops out of Lucerne which gave a better opportunity to see some of the little villages and the countryside.

Lucerne proved to be an interesting place to wander around with it little covered bridges and an old building galore contributing to Lucerne’s cityscape alongside the world-famous Chapel Bridge and Water Tower are the Musegg Wall, the Jesuit Church, the Mill Bridge, the Lion Monument (which we missed unfortunately).

The Chapel Bridge is a covered wooden footbridge spanning diagonally across the Reuss River in the city of Lucerne in central Switzerland. 


Named after the nearby St. Peter’s Chapel,  the bridge is unique since it contains a number of interior paintings dating back to the 17th century, although many of them were destroyed along with most of the centuries old bridge in a 1993 fire. Subsequently restored, the Chapel Bridge is the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe as well as the world’s oldest surviving truss bridge. 

It is a symbol of the city and is one of Switzerland’s main tourist attractions. We walked across the bridge and steadily made our way back to Lake Lucerne near station before boarding the train for Bern. 



Again being able to choose a different way home on the train was so good as we hardly ever travelled over the same ground, although we had a bit of a wait for our connection in Bern but were glad to settle into our seats for the final hour home. 


We decided on birthday dinner at Des Alpes Interlaken not sure if it was because we both really tired or the meal was only just so so. I enjoyed my steak but it was definitely not the best I’ve eaten by a longshot. After coffee and dessert we were grateful to see our beds which thankfully were just across the road.


After good nights sleep and hearty breakfast (forgot to mention how good the breakfast were more on that later) we set off to catch the Golden Pass train to Montrex. 




We boarded at Interlaken Ost station all included in our very worthwhile EuroRail 15 day pass and spent a very enjoyable day meandering through the most picturesque views I have ever been lucky enough too see.
After changing trains at Zweisimmen we continued down to Montreux which lies on the north east shore of Lake Geneva. We left the train for a wander around along the waterfront and lunch at very nice little cafe in the very French Montreux. 




















Our walk around Montreux




The highlight of the day was being able to travel on the The GoldenPass Classic train that runs on the Montreux–Zweisimmen line offers a journey with a romantic, retro style ambiance. 



Its coaches are inspired by the Golden Mountain Pullman Express from the 1930s, a luxury train in the style of Orient Express that was short lived due to the economic crisis of the period. 

Platter available on GoldenPass Classic
It disappeared from circulation rather quickly. The current train is a reproduction of the Belle Époque style of its predecessors, in which you will travel like a king. You can even find a coach that houses a wine cellar in which you can taste wines from the area in a warm, convivial atmosphere. This was a real highlight for me and I can’t wait to bring Sharpy here to experience this wonderful journey. 


The Route through Swiss Alps
‘a must do’



Day 5 in Interlaken was a supposedly a rest day but it wasn’t long before we decided to head to the ferry wharf and board the ferry to Thun. A short bus ride from the hotel to Interlaken west where we waited to board the ferry (again included in our Eurorail Pass) it was two hour journey with lots of stopping points along the way. It was fun to see all these beautiful places from the lake, a different perspective altogether with each one prettier than the last.

We left the ferry and found a department store to get some of gifts for home purchased wandered through the street markets for awhile but as we were both getting foot sore we headed back to catch the train home to Interlaken, surprise surprise we disembarked at Interlaken West for a change and caught the bus to the door of the hotel. This was a rest day but I am glad we did this trip on our day off as it would have been a pity to miss cruising on the lake. So all modes of local Swiss transport covered train, ferry, cogwheel rail and walking, boy have we walked. Our fitness levels have improved now and all the walking is coming easier each day. There is just so much to do and see, we hated the thought of wasting our time resting.  Time for that on the river cruise or so we thought.

Every trip I plan I factor in rest days rest days along the way but this rarely happens, there always one more site or experience we can fit in.
Day 14 found us once again dragging the dreaded bags back to Interlaken Ost to for our train to Frankfurt, Germany. We farewelled Hotel deNord which was our home for 5 nights and 6 days. The hotel was very central being located midway between to two Interlaken train stations with a free city bus just outside the hotel that ran between the two stations. 



This hotel is in a great location overlooking a park where the para-gliders land all through the day and right near all the restaurants and shopping area! 


Our spacious room had a balcony which was lovely to sit out on or take in the snow capped mountains that surround Interlaken – recommended! 
Love the table ornaments
My breakfast fare – each day 

A feature of our stay here was the beautiful continental breakfast at our disposal each morning, eggs, cheeses, meats, hot rolls and much much more.  



We ate our fill here each day and this set us up for the rest of the day, another feature of this hotel was the fantastic staff who looked after us exceptionally well providing good sound advice for each day’s sightseeing

Getting around Swiss style
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A few random pics from previous few days