Wednesday October 24th
First The Story….I headed to Murren on Wednesday morning and towards an unexpected journey…
It starts out leaving Lake Geneva and Lausanne on the train winding away from the terraced vineyards and heading towards the center of Switzerland. I changed trains in Interlaken which has two lakes on either side: Lake Thun and Lake Briez, both very beautiful especially with the Indian summer. I transferred again towards Lauterbrunnen, then took a bus to Stechelberg Schilthornbahn always and in a subtle climb with streams sometimes by the side. At Stechelberg Schilthornbahn, an unsuspecting person ‘not from these parts’ has no idea that the Stechelberg Schilthornbahn are cable cars/gondolas, and are a regular part of living and getting to and from school for kids or someone wanting to go to, say Mürren, this is the way… I get off the bus and am directed to the Schilthornbahn and take not one but two cable cars to get to Mürren. There are no cars in Mürren. Maybe a few electric shuttles but that’s all. It is an unexpectedly small village but wildly popular as what I was to find out, another two cable car journeys above.
There was a James Bond movie filmed here in 1968 called In Her Majestys Service and that was all it took. The top of the Schilthorn Piz Gloria Mountain top was made famous. It was transformed to a popular place to relive and learn about what went on during the filming of that movie long ago.
But first and foremost: The views are outstanding to say the least…360* of the Alps. The Highest – Jungfrau and Mönch and Eiger and many many others (and not being from here I don’t know but everyone knows these mountains from here)
And the revolving restaurant at the top with the experience of the James Bond Movie… all quite an unexpected experience.
The next time I see that movie it will hold a whole new meaning for me.