On this day, I left the group and hiked for two hours from Holenstein down to Grindelwald

The last full day of our trip, the Swiss Alps were illuminated by a bright, clear sun.  I was thrilled for my Swiss hosts, for my comrades who had never seen this country so clearly, and for myself.  Because this was the day we were headed up to First, a tram station high above Grindelwald that offers incredible views of the alpine majesty that defines this country.

The night before, we had all felt the blush of sunlight at our evening meal high above Interlaken at the Harder Kulm restaurant.  As a result, our meal was festive and alive with anticipation of the sun to follow the next day.  We ended that evening in the bar at our hotel, the Hotel du Nord, in Interlaken.  Our group was at ease with each other by then, and we had a ball in the bar just relaxing with Swiss locals and a dog or two that found its way in.

The following day, we took the train to Grindelwald, then the tram to First.  We began the morning with a new zipline ride, the First Flyer.  Then we enjoyed lunch at reserved tables on the patio at First.   Hikers and families were everywhere enjoying the first sunny day of September.  It was intoxicatingly beautiful outside.

Afterwards, all of us took scooters down from Bort to Grindelwald, dodging cars, hikers and bicyclists along the way.  Then many of my comrades rented bicycles for more touring of the countryside around Grindelwald.  I stuck to my plans to hike.  I left the group and walked a mile or so to the lift at Grund and took it most of the way up the mountain to Holenstein.  From there, I spent two hours walking and photographing the Alps, always in the shadow of the Eiger, which was serene and solemn.

This day in sun in Switzerland proved the perfect dichotomy for a group of travelers who ended up seeing two Switzerlands, one as enthralling as the other.

I was thrilled for our hosts in Interlaken when the sun came out and brilliantly lit this picturesque city

At Harder Kulm the evening before, traces of sunlight began to appear in the clouds--a sign of things to come

From the terrace in First, the grandeur of the Bernese Oberland Alps is almost more than one can absorb

This father and son enjoyed close communion in the beauty of the Swiss Alps at First

A couple prepares for a day in the mountains at the Wilderswil train station

Our group was treated to two very different Switzerland experiences in our five days on the ground.  The first few days we were there it was snowing in the Alps.  We were there in celebration of the Jungfrau Railways 100th anniversary and our first full day in Interlaken began with a trip up to Kleine Scheidegg, where groups catch the trams up to the Top of Europe. 

The Jungfraujoch is indeed Europe's highest altitude rail station.  This massive station can be seen on a clear day from thousands of feet below, its gleaming silver exterior sitting atop a craggy cliffline just above the Aletsch Glacier.  The railway that climbs into the Alps to serve the Jungfraujoch was envisioned by Adolfo Guyer-Zeller in 1893.  Within three years of expressing his vision, the work began, and 16 years after that, the railway was completed in 1912.  The Jungfraujoch station includes an ice bar, viewing decks, several restaurants and a gift shop.  A playful ice palace burrows its way through the base of the structure, featuring whimsical creatures and carvings.

Our second day in snow was at Schynige Platte, an alpine preserve that is well-known for its flower gardens and walking trails.  On a clear day, this place offers a wonderful view of the three signature peaks in the Bernese Oberland--the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau.  For us, it did not.  But we had a wonderful lunch here and enjoyed touring its old mountain hotel.  The restaurant was filled with diners and I spoke with the owners about a hike I hope to do some day from Schynige Platte to First.  It's about an eight-hour hike and is offered in the summer as a full-moon hike as well. 

Snowball fights broke out repeatedly within our group--most of them instigated by our intrepid tour director, Adrien Genier.

Our train engineer awaited his load of passengers from Wilderswil station up to Schynige Platte

This vista from the train up to Schynige Platte gives some idea of the weather we encountered on this day's excursion

There were no takers for any of these hikes on this day, but the day after was highlighted by bright blue skies

Even in snow, the alpine garden at Schynige Platte held forth dashes of color