#wengen switzerland things to do

[apnajourney]

Unexplored Things to do in Lauterbrunnen Switzerland apnajourney.com

Unexplored Things to do in Lauterbrunnen Switzerland Some places make you feel that this is how heaven would look like Magical waterfalls, stunningly green valleys mountain peaks and dramatic vertical walls in the heart of the Swiss Alps, Lauterbrunnen valley has a sense of drama in every direction Read more

For more information visit our site : apnajourney.com

[simgrump-main]

Get to Know Me

[useless info edition]

I was tagged by @akitasimblr!! Thank you so much!!

1. What do you have under your bed? absolutely nothing. I had to put my mattress straight on the floor because I have a chihuahua that likes to pilfer garbage and take it under the bed to hoard. :-) 

2. Favorite candy? (be very specific if possible) Sour Patch Kids, even if they hurt my mouth. 

3. Describe your favorite shirt: It’s a shirt I wear for work which is cream color with flowers on it. There’s a tie in the front and it has flowy sleeves. I’m not usually a dress up type of person (t-shirts and jeans most of the time) but I really like that shirt. 

4. The last thing you drew/doodled was: a smiley face on my notebook while I was in a meeting

5. Are you completely sober rn? yep! I’m at work. I only drink on the weekends.

6. What's the one thing that annoys you more than anything? loud chewers. Don’t ask me why, I just can’t handle loud chewing. Especially loud chewing or noisy eating at the movie theater. 

7. Have you ever gotten you tongue stuck to a cold pole during winter? Yes, when I was a kid, but it was more my lip than my tongue. I was watching kids play on the playground and leaned too far forward against a metal fence. My lip got stuck. 

8. If you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be? Wengen, Switzerland. I visited there once and fell in love with the view. I would love to be back there. 

9. What was the single last word you spoke? “Thanks” to the janitor that just took out my trash. 

Tag whoever you'd like to know better: @baseicsimmer @introvertedfox @sims4-premades and anyone else who wants to do it!

[deepestphilosopher]

5 best things to do in Wengen, Switzerland in winter #winter #snow #nature

[krussabroad-blog]

And here we are...

the start of a month long trip through Switzerland, Germany, Czechia, Iceland and England. First things first, Switzerland. Andrew (my boyfriend) and myself set out on the 23rd of June en route to Zermatt. I’d been looking forward to visiting this place for a while and had been purposely avoiding it because I didn’t want to ruin it for this trip. I’m glad I did this. When I first gazed upon the Matterhorn I was pretty taken aback. We arrived to perfect weather and a mountain completely untainted by any cloud cover. Perfect. Andrew had booked us a little chalet not too far from the train station. It was super cute and cozy, and if you stood on your tiptoes you could see the Matterhorn through the sky light in the bathroom.

We spent out first full day in a town called Randa. This lovely little place held somewhat of a secret in the form of the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in the world!! It was a bit of a tough hike up there but once we found the bridge, it all became worth it. The bridge is 494m long and took about 15 minutes to cross. After a cute little picnic, we quickly descended into Randa and caught the train back to Zermatt. That night we had a traditional dinner of cheese fondue.

The next day we decided to do another bit of a hike, this time actually in Zermatt. We caught the funicular and a cable car up into the mountains and started the 5 lakes walk part way down the mountain. The walk boasts magnificent views of the Matterhorn throughout the walk. It was really spectacular.

We managed to fit in some mandatory souvenir shopping on our last day before making our way up to Gonergrat on the train. The views from Gonergrat were incredible, allowing us to see both the Matterhorn clearly but also the glacier on the other side. We slowly made our way down to the famous Rifflesee, which is known for its amazing reflection of the Matterhorn. When we got there the wind unfortunately made the water in the lake too rough to see the reflection properly. Andrew and I set up for our picnic dinner and as we ate the water slowly began to calm. We got to see it then...a perfect reflection of the Matterhorn in the lake. It was an awesome moment and I was lucky to capture it on my camera.

After a pretty good time in Zermatt, it was time to move on to Lauterbrunnen. I had been to this wonderful place once before, but for Andrew it was his first time. We arrived late on the 27th of June and stumbled our way to the Valley hostel.

We’d planned to to a bit of hiking while we were here, but to my dismay, I’d started to get sick. The first morning, I woke up with no voice. I was still determined to hike, so Andrew and I set out in a cable car up to Grütschalp. We hiked on the mountain view trail to Mürren. It was pretty clear why they called it the mountain view trail. It was absolutely stunning! The hike continued on to Gimmelwald and then we caught the cable car down to Stechelberg. From there we visited Trümmelbach Falls which is truely a feet of natural wonder.

After travelling for a week we decided to have a bit of a rest the next day. Well not too much of a rest because that afternoon we went of a 2 hour canyoning trip. This tested my boundaries a little because to get into the canyon, we had to abseil 50 metres! Once in the canyon I could relax a little but all the jumps still scared the shit out of me! Andrew even did the big 10 metre jump!

We got in some more hiking the next day, getting the train to Wengen and the cable car to Männlichen. The weather was amazing as we walked through wild flower fields surrounded by Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau. Our last day in Lauterbrunnen called for another rest day, but not before we visited the pool at the top of Lauterbrunnen.

The Swiss part of our trip has blessed us with amazing summer weather and incredible mountain settings, it was sad to leave. But as we leave Switzerland behind, we head towards the beer loving land of Germany!

Prost!

K Russ.

[d125]

Jungfrau

Whilst planning this trip, we felt that Jungfrau would be the key highlight of our trip. But as we passed day after day in Bernese Oberland breathing fresh alpine air and seeing innumerable stunning views, it was evident that by the time we got to the day to visit Jungfrau we were already sure it cannot be the best thing about the trip. 

After Jungfrau trip we even felt that it is too costly. For the kind of money you pay, you can easily do 2-3 full day trips to some other summits with better views. Having said that there is a reason why Jungfrau is still on everyone’s bucket list.. It is Top of Europe and also comes with its own passport:

Since we were already staying in Wengen, we easily saved an hour in comparison to people who come from Lauterbrunnen valley and beyond to visit Jungfrau. 

We were checking the weather to go up till Jungfrau and we lucked out with excellent weather all day. Wengen as seen from the train on our way to Jungfrau:

There are several hike trails and beautiful restaurants in this region:

Wengernalp is the station where you change trains to reach the top of Europe.

Like i said earlier, you mainly pay the huge amount for the engineering marvel that the Jungfrau railway line is. Wikipedia quotes that The railway runs almost entirely within the Jungfrau Tunnel, built into the Eiger and Mönch mountains and containing two stations in the middle of the tunnel

The person who dreamed and made this Jungfrau railway line possible:

Since Jungfrau is the top attraction, there were sizeable crowds in the train and long queues in the restaurants. For our surprise, there was a full time Indian restaurant and was full of tourist groups. Since we were damn hungry, we weathered the mob and had a hearty Indian meal on the top of Europe. 

The views were ordinary in comparison to all the earlier days and also considering the fact that we saw better snow slopes in our last trip to Switzerland:

Being peak summer, the snow clad mountains were only far and few:

Several men who died during the railway construction are immortalised with these:

Guyer Zeller’s spirit and vision is what made this railway possible:

The mountain has a lot of history:

An oil painting depicts the first men who climbed up the peak with nothing but back sacks:

We saw a full Ice museum and several ice sculptures whilst there. S touches one such sculpture in what may be called as the cheeky Swiss way of tribute to Scrat from the Ice Age movies:

And on our way out we saw an interesting poster about a James Bond cinematic Installation somewhere in Austria..

I mean you never know right.. If you know what I mean..

.

.

.

D

[toldnews-blog]

New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/sports/skiings-bucket-list-party-even-arnie-cant-miss/

Skiing's bucket-list party even Arnie can't miss

This merry band of Swiss ski racing fans draws crowds like the pied piper and sets a new benchmark in an already unique alpine scene.

It’s a veritable ski cocktail of Euro flag-waving, horn-blowing, bell-ringing revelry — Italians in matching ski jackets with painted faces, Slovenians draped in national flags, plenty of French, Swiss and Germans, some Americans, some Brits and so on. Plus, of course, Austrians in their thousands, including a raucous group of lads in retro 80s ski gear.

All have come to savor the thrills and spills — both during racing and later among the bars, cafes and pop-up stalls — of Kitzbuhel’s infamous Hahnenkamm downhill. It’s earned the reputation as skiing’s toughest test, and, long into the night, its biggest party.

“I wanted to see the race live,” says Norwegian Sture Norevik, clutching a plastic cup of beer. “It’s one of those things I wanted to feel live — not sitting back home on my sofa.” Sture and his three friends arrived from Bergen Wednesday for “one day skiing, the rest fun.”

READ: Why Kitzbuhel downhill is skiing’s wildest race

Smell of gluhwein

Like the scene outside a soccer stadium, stalls sell Austrian scarves and hats and plastic music horns. Men stand outside the ticketed area with signs saying “Suche karten / tickets wanted,” like alpine scalpers. The smell of gluhwein in the morning hangs over the steadily building throng lining the finish area of the legendary Streif track, which snakes down a crest of the Hahnenkamm — literally, “rooster’s comb.”

READ: Kitzbuhel resort guide

The inclement weather forecast in this part of the Tirol, east of Innsbruck, forced organizers to move the race from its traditional Saturday slot to Friday, meaning attendance is down slightly from the usual 30-40,000 revellers.

“In Kitzbuhel, it’s always about the sport,” said a spokesman for the Kitzbuheler Ski Club, hosts since the first official race down the mountain in 1931.

But still they stream in from the railway station next to the Hahnenkammbahn gondola, or from the car parks and packed guesthouses and hotels in town, like an expectant crowd before a big match. In all, nearly 80,000 will arrive over the course of the weekend for the re-arranged Saturday slalom and Sunday super-G. But the downhill is the highlight because of the extreme course, the history, and the seat-of-your-pants racing. No one wants to see a huge crash, but all know it’s part of the deal.

Visit CNN.com/Sport for more news, features and video

‘The people, the atmosphere’

From Chamonix in France comes Liam Giezendanner and his father Eric, carrying a 10 feet tall banner emblazoned with a picture of Blaise Giezendanner — brother and son, respectively. Blaise was fourth in super-G at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, and they’ve also followed him to Beaver Creek and Wengen, but for them Kitzbuhel is “beautiful, the best place” to watch him compete.

Among the masses awaiting the start is Claudia Janka, from Obersaxen in Switzerland. She’s there with friends from the fan club of hometown racer Carlo Janka. Her husband’s cousin is Carlo’s dad. “It’s complicated,” she laughs. She follows the circuit to venues such as Garmisch, Bormio, Alta Badia, but Kitzbuhel is her favourite for “the people, the atmosphere.”

From the finish area, spectators can only see as far up as the huge Hausbergkante jump, framed by a sponsor’s banner, so when a bell tolls to begin the 10-second countdown to the 11.30 a.m. start, all eyes switch to the big screen. There, somewhere high above in the clouds, is the sight of Austria’s Hannes Reichelt, wearing bib number one, settling in the starting gate. The crowd joins the count and then roars Reichelt down the track towards the mighty Mausefalle jump.

Only when he approaches the Hausbergkante do eyes switch to the hill to pick up the small dark speck streaking down the white track. He flies the jump and bounces across a horizontal traverse section, before plunging into the finish. An explosion of powder snow denotes Reichelt has come to some sort of stop in front of the grandstands and he gets the green light for race leader. Rock music pumps out, and the racers follow in quick succession.

Groans or roars burst out depending on whether split times are in green, meaning the racer is ahead of pace, or red, meaning they are slower. Germany’s Josef Ferstl beats Reichelt by 0.01 seconds, greeted with equal parts groan and roar depending on local allegiances.

Swiss hero Beat Feuz, a frequent podium finisher without a win at Kitzbuhel, is the seventh man down and takes over the lead before crashing in the finish area. The cow bell band chimes loud and long as massed Swiss flags wave furiously in the snowy air.

READ: How getting fit to ski can help tap into your sixth sense

READ: How to hit 100mph in skiing’s oldest, longest, fastest race

Two racers later Austria’s Vincent Kriechmayer, the winner of the Lauberhorn classic in Wengen last week, pulls off the recovery of a lifetime — and the collective gasps to go with it. He gets twisted off the Hausbergkante and lands awkwardly on one ski, which propels him towards the red safety net at high speed before he gets the other foot down and pulls away with inches to spare. Wonder and awe ripples through the crowd. But behind him, countryman Max Franz takes a heavy fall and ends up with a broken heel bone. Sweden’s Alexander Koell also endures a serious crash and must be helicoptered from the course. He’s later reported to be OK.

Feuz’s time looks more and more impregnable, but then Italian maestro Dominik Paris storms home 0.20 seconds quicker.

There’s still more than 30 racers to come, like lemmings leaping out of the start hut, and the crowd watch with half an eye on emptying glasses. The big screen pics out famous faces, such as former F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone, four-time champion Franz Klammer — known as “The Kaiser” — and Canadian Ken Read, one of the original “Crazy Canucks,” who won in 1980.

Hollywood star and Austrian strongman Arnold Schwarzenegger is a regular visitor, but he’ll appear Saturday for a front-row seat at the rearranged slalom.

The cloud is lifting to allow shafts of sunlight, if not the actual sun, to make an appearance. Aided by an improvement in visibility, Austrian Otmar Striedinger, from start number 27, ratchets up the energy levels again by threatening Paris’ split times before finishing 0.37 seconds back in third.

The crowd seems to breathe a sigh of relief. Former US racer Daron Rahlves tells the story that when he won in 2003 there were no Austrians on the podium and a national newspaper proclaimed it “Black Saturday.”

READ: How Special Forces training is speeding up US ski team

READ: Mikaela Shiffrin: ‘I would rather be hunting than hunted’

Despite Striedinger’s efforts, once the top 30 have gone the result is more or less set. Remarkably, that makes the 29-year-old Paris only the sixth man to win three times or more at Kitzbuhel. It leaves him just one behind Klammer and countryman Karl Schranz, and two adrift of record holder Didier Cuche of Switzerland. It also earns Paris a tidy $84,000.

“I’ve no words to describe this emotion, it’s very special,” he tells reporters later. “It’s not normal to win on this hill three times. It’s just amazing.”

While Paris is talking to the media, the massed ranks of fans — later put at a “very positive” 25,000 — troop towards the bars of Vorderstadt and surrounding streets at the heart of Kitzbuhel’s medieval center. For some the epicenter is The Londoner pub, the spiritual home of the post-race party where in days gone by the winning racers would get behind the bar and pull pints.

And so another layer is added to the Kitzbuhel legend and another raft of ski racing fans can say “I was there.”

[jasonmok]

A friend in Chicago brought to my attention $500 round-trip tickets to Paris during November 2016. What better reason to visit Paris than cost alone? McKenzie and her roommate Keirstin would also be going; the role of the 3rd wheel was a muddy one. This would be my first friends-only overseas trip (yea, I’m like 5 years late to growing up).

As a prelude to Paris, McKenzie and I decided to train through Switzerland for a few days. We flew into Geneva and gave it no mind, hopping immediately from plane seat to train seat. The next 4-5 hours we were on rails, each transfer proving to us how on-schedule the transit was. In a world full of uncertainty, messiness, and President Trump, Switzerland’s train system brought peace. Near 11 PM, we reached the town of Wengen in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. No cars are allowed here. The only motors in Wengen are those of the ski lifts, and even those weren’t in motion for our time there. For the next couple of days, we gradually realized that we had come visit during a lull, as most locals were on vacation from serving vacationers. How about that.

We sat our way on trains to the top of Eiger. We window-shopped for watches that cost as much as a human being. We tried traditional fondue and couldn’t appreciate it. We attempted a visit to Jungfraujoch peak only to find the cable car operators were, you guessed it, on vacation. We walked through Lauterbrunnen Valley, the Earth’s version of Heaven.

To round off Switzerland, we then headed Northeast to the small city of Lucerne, where life is a bit less majestic waterfalls and more fax machines and dinner parties. City life never compares to the outdoors, so the next morning we ferried over to Mount Rigi and hiked 4,200+ feet to the kulm like we were sponsored athletes. Climbing that mountain with McKenzie was definitely a Swiss highlight. In the morning we toured 75% of Lucerne in 3 hours then found our seats on yet another train, this time to Paris.

It’s apt that much of the world’s greatest culinary and artistic feats are housed in France. In our brief few days in Paris and Versailles, we did our best to put on our Parisian garb and soak in the different world. l’Orangerie Museum was the most enjoyable, with its focused Monet gallery up top, and a rotating American exhibit in the basement, including a couple Hoppers that I had never seen in person. d’Orsay Museum was the one for the average plebeian, on the display the real-life images we’ve seen in postcards and duplicates around the world. Whistler’s Mother was larger than expected; lovely woman though. Great mother. And the Louvre. Well, the Louvre sucks. I don’t naturally enjoy that era of Italian painting, and the frenzied crowd around Mona (we’re on a first name basis) was the most interesting thing to see in that labyrinth. The courtyard with glass pyramids, however, proved to be the real piece worth seeing at dusk.

Most importantly, Paris had the most delectable chocolate pastries. I now have one more unanswerable life question to add to my list: why can’t everyone make chocolate pastries like they do in Paris? Secondly, I had one of the best meals of my life in Versailles. Best Thanksgiving meal with froie gras, wine, fresh baked bread, and beef bourguignon. I can understand why King Louis XIV wanted to live there. I found Le Sept Restaurant on Trip Advisor with a nondescript listing, only to discover later from the owners (a couple) that their quaint restaurant was consistently booked throughout the day. Oh, and that their restaurant was featured in the NY Times without them knowing, until the NY Times sent them a copy of the article. To top it all off, the husband was one of the nicest guys in all of France (I checked) and he and his wife only started Le Sept a couple years ago after quitting his high-level job at a tech company. What a couple. What royalty.

[leilanadawson-blog]

INTRODUCING LEILANA

Hey everyone! So this is Val, as you can tell by my intro with the first task! Anyway I thought there’s a few things I should mention before getting to Lei’s actual introduction?

So first off let’s start with smutting, yeah? So it’s not a trigger for me, I just feel really uncomfortable and uneasy writting it. So I mean, yes, if our characters are going to it, I’m fine, we’ll just hae to time skip it because I won’t be writting it at all. I hope that’s not a bother for anyone.

Next would be activity I guess? So usually I get on everyday to do replies, except on Fridays(although it could happen, it really just depends how I feel in the morning). My work schedule is... very varrying? Like we just fird someone today so my schedule for the whole week changed. Luckily, so far I should still be able to get on but I just wanted to warn you all.

And last, I guess it would be concerning how to contact me? I know there’s a Skype, but I’ve had very bad, nearing triggering and traumatic, experiences with it, so I am not going to join the group. So I just wanted to let you know that you can always contact me on here, and if you want, I have a Facebook roleplay account which I could give you. It’s logged in 24/7 on my phone so unless I’m working or sleeping, I’ll be able to answer.

Okay so that’s done, now onto Leilana!

I could’ve sworn I just saw JESSICA SULA wandering about the town. Oh no, that’s just LEILANA DAWSON. She is a TWENTY year oldLITERATURE STUDENT AT UNIVERSITY AND PART TIME CASHIER AT BOULANGERIE DES BAINS. They came to Stillwater because they are a MERMAID and want to be around others like them. Some say she is CALM and PROTECTIVE, but I’ve heard others say she is MYSTERIOUS and EMOTIONALLY UNSTABLE. 

 She’s a mermaid, she was born naturally in the Mediterranean Sea on January 4th, 1997, so she’s still very young.

She was a kid when she got a bit too close o land and washed on the shore. Luckily, it was a stormy day so the only person around was a vampire called Sophie Dawson. Sophie decided to take her in until the storm went away, but in the end, she adopted Leila.

She grew up in Marseilles, France, until she got into college. At that point, she decided to go study away. Being already fluent in both French and English, and knowing some basic German, she decided to go study in Switzerland. Sophie proposed her to go to Wengen’s university, considering who she was, so Leilana ended up there.

She was nearing the end of her first year when she learned Sophie had been murdered by hunters. She was broken by that news, and instead of going back for the Summer, as it was what was supposed to happen, Lei decided to stay, and never left Wengen since then.

She found a job as a part time cashier at Boulangerie des Bains, although she doesn’t particularly like it. She’d much prefer becoming a writer, but for now she needs the money.

She picked up on German quite easily, and she’s confident in calling herself fluent in the language.

She never really experienced what true love is. She had partners in the past, which she thought she loved, but it wasn’t really that strong. 

If you want plots, feel free to message me, or if you like this, I’ll message you!

[wherewillyoubeinayear]

Austria

When Austria is mentioned in conversation a few things come to mind.  Saltzburg, Sound of Music and Vienna.  I am generalizing, I do not mean to offend others that think of something else.  So with that being said…

Obertraun and Hallstatt

I had never heard of this incredible little jewel until Whitney brought it up in the initial planning of our Austria trip.  We took an incredible journey on trains to get here from Switzerland.  We started out in the morning in Wengen and ended up in Obertraun close to 9pm.  It was raining, dark and lucky for us very small, so we, thanks to GoogleMaps, found our hotel.  The Hotel Haus Am See.

The staff was great.  Being a small village, they close early, but they were ready for us.  We called, they had a key in a lockbox and we were in.  The only downfall was no elevator or lift. Ugg.  Three flights with my overpacked bags reminded me to pack less and lighter next trip. This super creepy lady looked at me each time I went in and out of our room.

Hallstatt Salt Mine

The Hallstatt Salt Mine is awesome!   We took the bus from Obertraun to Hallstatt and then walked to the mine which was really about 5 mins from the bus stop.  We paid inside and took the funicular up the mine.  However, be forewarned!  You have to walk up to the mine and the walk is not for all people.  It is a steep walk up, remember slow and steady?  Again, grateful for Whitney for being so patient and I took lots of pictures on my “catching my breath” rests.   Here is a quick video of the flora and fauna on the way up to the mine. 

Inside the Salt Mine

After huffing and puffing for me, we arrived at the start of the Salt Mine tour.  Let me just though this out there.  There was more steepness for me to conquer.  Huffing and puffing some more.  I made it.  Each journey Whitney took me on, I did it.

The only allow a certain amount of people per tour group.  You get one lead tour guide and there are some people in the mine, but our guide was great.  Her voice carried well.  She spoke in German first and then English, so we were able to follow along.  To get into the mines, you have to wear light pants and a top over your clothes for protection to your clothes and I am sure so you don’t snag your stuff in the mine.   You can lock all your stuff up in a locker they provide for your use.

I was last in the mine as well, because you have to climb up to get into the mine.  Lots of walking during this holiday and especially when we wanted to see really cool stuff.  Makes sense right?

The tour

To be honest, I did not hear all that was being said about the mine, I have relied on reading the website for more details.  Following at the back makes it hard to hear at times.  This is the entrance to the mine.   We walked in a single file line for a bit and there were sounds and smells that made it an even better experience.  

This was Whitney and I as we were heading into the mine.  I am so glad we took this tour and hiked up to it!  It was amazing.  Below are some pictures from the first part of the entrance as we headed deeper into the mine it just got darker and even cooler in temperature.  They really do a great tour and keep you wondering what is around the corner.

So much to see

It is dark in the mine, so hard to get some good pictures, however, I got a few.  I really tried to listen to all the really cool stuff about the mine.  This is something I recommend to do if in Hallstatt.  Families came too.  There were children all about.  Whitney and I  were able to even have some fun going down slides in the mine!  Check us out ⇓⇓⇓.

This is the oldest ladder in Europe!  It was the original and in really great shape! Found here in this salt mine!

A train ride back to the light

This was such a fun thing to do!  The walk-up, the walk into the mine and the walkout.  We took a train back out into the light and it was really cool.  Sorry, it was a bit over 3 minutes long… tried to trim it, but here we are…

If you are in Hallstatt make sure you take the time to see this incredible part of Austria!

I hope you enjoyed my small version of a really incredible part of Hallstatt.  The Salt Mine.  Don’t forget to stop in the gift shop on your way out!  So many cool things and lots of Salt!!!

As always, comments or corrections are appreciated!

Bis wir uns wieder treffen!

Sheri

          #saltmines #austria #wherewillyoubeinayear #wanderlust #blogger #bloggervibes #hallstatt Austria When Austria is mentioned in conversation a few things come to mind.  Saltzburg, Sound of Music and Vienna. 

[wendibird]

A Get to know me game

rules: complete the fifteen questions and tag others who you follow but you want to get to know more.

tagged by: more like accepted the open invitation offered by @koedeza

tagging: @azrielrose, @kirathehyrulian, @ambrosine8, @themegalosaurus, @monkeysatemylastrolo, @semirahrose, @casquecest, @missjackil (And of course, anyone else who just feels like giving this a spin.) 

name: Wendi

age: 39

country: USA

favourite colours: Purple!

when you made this blog: maybe about 6 months ago or so?

follower count: 54 (and honestly, I’m a bit surprised it’s that many since I don’t create much in the way of original content. I mostly reblog things I like and sometimes offer opinions or meta ponderings.)    

choose a superpower: The ability to fly

favourite drink: milk!

a song you love right now: “Blackbird” by Alter Bridge 

dream career: I’m already trained in the food-prep industry, and enjoy that kind of work, but something I think I’d LOVE to do would be to work with whatever company handles the food services for the SPN cast and crew. I’ve heard they’re a great bunch of people to work with and I’d really enjoy being able to help make people’s day nicer by giving them good food. 

dream vacation: Several weeks in Wengen, Switzerland. I’ve been there once just after high school and I’m stilled awed at how beautiful it was up there in the Alps.

hogwarts house: Ravenclaw

favourite character of the week: Magda from 12x4 of Supernatural. I still wish we could have gotten more of her.

how you like to keep your hair: Long and usually in a braid.

christmas or halloween: Christmas, because it means spending time with family and generally having everyone in the kitchen helping out with getting dinner ready.

[travelworldnetwork]

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Lauberhorn downhill ski race. Photo: Ben Groundwater

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"We're not usually this crazy!" a Swiss guy yells at me, grinning and tipping a beer down his throat while hugging a friend of his who's dressed as a T-Rex. He's not kidding, either – they're really not.

The Swiss are usually quite reserved. They don't approach strangers. They're not known for drunken revelry. They're not the types for excessive displays of emotion. Today, however, is special. Today things are different.

Today, it's the Lauberhorn downhill ski race. This is the pinnacle of the Swiss sporting calendar. It's their Melbourne Cup; their Super Bowl. This is the race that doesn't just stop a nation but seems to supercharge it, seems to bring it out of its shell and onto the snowy mountain slopes for a boozy good time.

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Lauberhorn downhill ski race. Photo: Reto Nyffenegger

The venue is Wengen, one of those postcard-perfect alpine villages in the Bernese Oberland. That's where the finish line is. The prime viewing spot for the race, however, is much higher up on the mountain, at a spot where you can see the skiers careen through a narrow gap in some rocks called the Hundschopf, before they screech into a fast turn and zip away out of sight.

That's where tens of thousands of people are gathered to watch today, where there's a carnival atmosphere, where the Swiss are coming out of their collective shells. Flags are being waved; cow bells rung. Cans of beer are being kept cold in the snow. Spectators are cooking up raclette, the Swiss dish of melted cheese on vegetables, with their own mini grills. There's a guy walking around spraying Jaegermeister into people's mouths from an improvised pesticide kit. It's a little crazy, and a lot of fun.

The traditions of the Lauberhorn, however, aren't just about the modern revelry. This is a race that dates back almost 90 years, a cherished tradition for a country that takes its alpine sports very seriously. There's a Swiss racer scheduled to compete today, one of the favourites in fact, which helps explain those flags, those bells, this enthusiasm. There's the feeling that something great could happen today.

Until such time as it does, however, everyone's keen to party. There are several "guggenmusik" bands here – groups of musicians from towns across the country who get together at big events like these and dress in outlandish costumes, paint their faces, drink a heroic amount of booze and attempt to string a few songs together.

They don't do anything traditionally Swiss: it's oom-pah versions of contemporary hits, things like Ed Sheeran played by a big-band of buffoons. The crowds love it, dancing around on the snow, as much to get warm as to appreciate the music.

There's more entertainment to be had, too, simply by looking around at the alpine scenery. The rocky peak of the Eiger looms in the far distance. The heights of the Jungfrau lurk majestically nearby. The sky is clear today, and that gorgeous blue is soon streaked with white as the Swiss Air Force's stunt team, the Patrouille Suisse, do their traditional fly-by.

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And then it's race time. The crowd goes nuts any time there's a Swiss skier, waving their flags and cheering for the few seconds the athlete is in view, whipping by in a blur, teetering so close to falling as their skies scrape the ice. Beat Feuz, the favourite, posts a great early time. He's in the lead – and, it turns out, he'll stay there all day.

A Swiss skier winning the Lauberhorn is as good a reason as any to continue the party, and later everyone here will make the hour-long walk down this snowy mountain to Wengen for the festivities. That journey will be a treacherous one for lubricated souls. There will be far more carnage there, in fact, than we've seen all day from the skiers. Locals will laugh and joke and cheer. A Swiss guy with a red beard not unlike my own will throw an arm around me and declare, "You're my brother! From the same mother!"

Until then, however, it's back to the racing, back to the raclette, back to the Jaeger. The Swiss aren't usually this crazy. You have to make the most of it.

TRIP NOTES

MORE

traveller.com.au/switzerland

myswitzerland.com

FLY

Swiss Air flies daily from the east coast of Australia to Zurich, in code share agreement with Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific. See swiss.com. From Zurich, trains are available to Wengen. See myswitzerland.com

STAY

In nearby Grindelwald, the Romantik Hotel Schweizerhof has beautiful rooms with views of the alps, starting from $799 a night. See hotel-schweizerhof.com

SEE

The Lauberhorn downhill ski race is held every January around the town of Wengen. For tickets and information, see lauberhorn.ch/en, or the website above.

Ben Groundwater travelled as a guest of Swiss Tourism.

from traveller.com.au

The post The craziest day on Switzerland’s calendar appeared first on Travel World Network.

[mystlnewsonline]

New Post has been published on https://www.stl.news/nyman-crashes-downhill-practice-pulls-out-race/75152/

Nyman crashes in downhill practice, pulls out of race

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN/January 26, 2018 (AP)(STL.News) — Steven Nyman crashed in downhill training on the Kandahar course for the second year in a row.

This time, though, the American skier escaped relatively unharmed.

Nyman had to end his season early last year when he crashed in downhill practice on Jan. 27 last year. On Friday, he went into the net before pulling himself up and skiing down the mountain. He said he felt a tweak in his right knee.

He will skip Saturday’s World Cup event, the last downhill race before the Olympics next month. “He’s just going to rest his body for the Olympics. Eyes on the prize,” United States ski team press officer Megan Harrod told The Associated Press.

Nyman wasn’t sure exactly what had caused him to skid off.

“Maybe I pushed too hard at one point. It’s kind of a peely snow – it’s hard underneath but then a wet layer on top. I think I pushed too hard and just kind of did the splits. It was weird,” he told AP.

The incident brought back memories of Nyman’s accident in Garmisch-Partenkirchen last year, when he was having the fastest run of the day until he crashed off a jump and tore his left knee. He had to be airlifted off the course.

Nyman, 26th in practice on Thursday, has been working hard to get back this season, placing 41st at a downhill in Val Gardena, Italy, in December, then 28th in Wengen, Switzerland, two weeks ago. He was 15th in Kitzbuehel, Austria, last week and 32nd in the super-G the day before.

Nyman’s girlfriend, Charlotte Moats, gave birth to the couple’s first daughter, Nell, last June, and she played a huge role in helping with his recovery from left-knee surgery. He said before that she helped prevent him from over-training and pushing too hard to get back too quickly.

But time on the slopes is what counts now with the Olympics only two weeks away. Nyman is captain of the United States downhill squad.

“I haven’t really skied all too much this year, so to do well tomorrow would be a huge boost of confidence,” Nyman said before he pulled out. “Kitzbuehel was a huge confidence-boost as well.”

Nyman has 11 World Cup podium finishes but the last of his three victories was in Val Gardena in December 2014. His last podium was on the same course two years later.

Asked if the political situation and tensions in the region were having any effect on his preparations for the Pyeongchang Games, Nyman said he was learning to shut a lot of things out.

“I live over here all winter. I rent a place in Innsbruck (Austria) for three months out of the year, so to be over here and not be super-fluent in German, you kind of learn to not listen to a lot of things,” Nyman said. “It’s pretty nice.”

By Associated Press, published on STL.NEWS by St. Louis Media, LLC (US)

[unconciouslyromantic]

On a gloomy day in Switzerland, she dat down on an empty train, and she was thinking... . . . "Somewhere along the way, many things have changed. Do you still remain as true to yourself as you were in the beginning?” (at Wengen–Männlichen aerial cableway)

[wherewillyoubeinayear]

Austria

When Austria is mentioned in conversation a few things come to mind.  Saltzburg, Sound of Music and Vienna.  I am generalizing, I do not mean to offend others that think of something else.  So with that being said…

Obertraun and Hallstatt

I had never heard of this incredible little jewel until Whitney brought it up in the initial planning of our Austria trip.  We took an incredible journey on trains to get here from Switzerland.  We started out in the morning in Wengen and ended up in Obertraun close to 9pm.  It was raining, dark and lucky for us very small, so we, thanks to GoogleMaps, found our hotel.  The Hotel Haus Am See.

The staff was great.  Being a small village, they close early, but they were ready for us.  We called, they had a key in a lockbox and we were in.  The only downfall was no elevator or lift. Ugg.  Three flights with my overpacked bags reminded me to pack less and lighter next trip. This super creepy lady looked at me each time I went in and out of our room.

Hallstatt Salt Mine

The Hallstatt Salt Mine is awesome!   We took the bus from Obertraun to Hallstatt and then walked to the mine which was really about 5 mins from the bus stop.  We paid inside and took the funicular up the mine.  However, be forewarned!  You have to walk up to the mine and the walk is not for all people.  It is a steep walk up, remember slow and steady?  Again, grateful for Whitney for being so patient and I took lots of pictures on my “catching my breath” rests.   Here is a quick video of the flora and fauna on the way up to the mine. 

Inside the Salt Mine

After huffing and puffing for me, we arrived at the start of the Salt Mine tour.  Let me just though this out there.  There was more steepness for me to conquer.  Huffing and puffing some more.  I made it.  Each journey Whitney took me on, I did it.

The only allow a certain amount of people per tour group.  You get one lead tour guide and there are some people in the mine, but our guide was great.  Her voice carried well.  She spoke in German first and then English, so we were able to follow along.  To get into the mines, you have to wear light pants and a top over your clothes for protection to your clothes and I am sure so you don’t snag your stuff in the mine.   You can lock all your stuff up in a locker they provide for your use.

I was last in the mine as well, because you have to climb up to get into the mine.  Lots of walking during this holiday and especially when we wanted to see really cool stuff.  Makes sense right?

The tour

To be honest, I did not hear all that was being said about the mine, I have relied on reading the website for more details.  Following at the back makes it hard to hear at times.  This is the entrance to the mine.   We walked in a single file line for a bit and there were sounds and smells that made it an even better experience.  

This was Whitney and I as we were heading into the mine.  I am so glad we took this tour and hiked up to it!  It was amazing.  Below are some pictures from the first part of the entrance as we headed deeper into the mine it just got darker and even cooler in temperature.  They really do a great tour and keep you wondering what is around the corner.

So much to see

It is dark in the mine, so hard to get some good pictures, however, I got a few.  I really tried to listen to all the really cool stuff about the mine.  This is something I recommend to do if in Hallstatt.  Families came too.  There were children all about.  Whitney and I  were able to even have some fun going down slides in the mine!  Check us out ⇓⇓⇓.

This is the oldest ladder in Europe!  It was the original and in really great shape! Found here in this salt mine!

A train ride back to the light

This was such a fun thing to do!  The walk-up, the walk into the mine and the walkout.  We took a train back out into the light and it was really cool.  Sorry, it was a bit over 3 minutes long… tried to trim it, but here we are…

If you are in Hallstatt make sure you take the time to see this incredible part of Austria!

I hope you enjoyed my small version of a really incredible part of Hallstatt.  The Salt Mine.  Don’t forget to stop in the gift shop on your way out!  So many cool things and lots of Salt!!!

As always, comments or corrections are appreciated!

Bis wir uns wieder treffen!

Sheri

          #saltmines #austria #wherewillyoubeinayear #bloggervibes #wanderlust #hallstatt #visithallstatt #obertraun #visitobertrau #hiking #nature #amazing #travel #travelblogger #salt #mines #mine #visitaustria #incredibleview Austria When Austria is mentioned in conversation a few things come to mind.  Saltzburg, Sound of Music and Vienna. 

[wherewillyoubeinayear]

Austria

When Austria is mentioned in conversation a few things come to mind.  Saltzburg, Sound of Music and Vienna.  I am generalizing, I do not mean to offend others that think of something else.  So with that being said…

Obertraun and Hallstatt

I had never heard of this incredible little jewel until Whitney brought it up in the initial planning of our Austria trip.  We took an incredible journey on trains to get here from Switzerland.  We started out in the morning in Wengen and ended up in Obertraun close to 9pm.  It was raining, dark and lucky for us very small, so we, thanks to GoogleMaps, found our hotel.  The Hotel Haus Am See.

The staff was great.  Being a small village, they close early, but they were ready for us.  We called, they had a key in a lockbox and we were in.  The only downfall was no elevator or lift. Ugg.  Three flights with my overpacked bags reminded me to pack less and lighter next trip. This super creepy lady looked at me each time I went in and out of our room.

Hallstatt Salt Mine

The Hallstatt Salt Mine is awesome!   We took the bus from Obertraun to Hallstatt and then walked to the mine which was really about 5 mins from the bus stop.  We paid inside and took the funicular up the mine.  However, be forewarned!  You have to walk up to the mine and the walk is not for all people.  It is a steep walk up, remember slow and steady?  Again, grateful for Whitney for being so patient and I took lots of pictures on my “catching my breath” rests.   Here is a quick video of the flora and fauna on the way up to the mine. 

Inside the Salt Mine

After huffing and puffing for me, we arrived at the start of the Salt Mine tour.  Let me just though this out there.  There was more steepness for me to conquer.  Huffing and puffing some more.  I made it.  Each journey Whitney took me on, I did it.

The only allow a certain amount of people per tour group.  You get one lead tour guide and there are some people in the mine, but our guide was great.  Her voice carried well.  She spoke in German first and then English, so we were able to follow along.  To get into the mines, you have to wear light pants and a top over your clothes for protection to your clothes and I am sure so you don’t snag your stuff in the mine.   You can lock all your stuff up in a locker they provide for your use.

I was last in the mine as well, because you have to climb up to get into the mine.  Lots of walking during this holiday and especially when we wanted to see really cool stuff.  Makes sense right?

The tour

To be honest, I did not hear all that was being said about the mine, I have relied on reading the website for more details.  Following at the back makes it hard to hear at times.  This is the entrance to the mine.   We walked in a single file line for a bit and there were sounds and smells that made it an even better experience.  

This was Whitney and I as we were heading into the mine.  I am so glad we took this tour and hiked up to it!  It was amazing.  Below are some pictures from the first part of the entrance as we headed deeper into the mine it just got darker and even cooler in temperature.  They really do a great tour and keep you wondering what is around the corner.

So much to see

It is dark in the mine, so hard to get some good pictures, however, I got a few.  I really tried to listen to all the really cool stuff about the mine.  This is something I recommend to do if in Hallstatt.  Families came too.  There were children all about.  Whitney and I  were able to even have some fun going down slides in the mine!  Check us out ⇓⇓⇓.

This is the oldest ladder in Europe!  It was the original and in really great shape! Found here in this salt mine!

A train ride back to the light

This was such a fun thing to do!  The walk-up, the walk into the mine and the walkout.  We took a train back out into the light and it was really cool.  Sorry, it was a bit over 3 minutes long… tried to trim it, but here we are…

If you are in Hallstatt make sure you take the time to see this incredible part of Austria!

I hope you enjoyed my small version of a really incredible part of Hallstatt.  The Salt Mine.  Don’t forget to stop in the gift shop on your way out!  So many cool things and lots of Salt!!!

As always, comments or corrections are appreciated!

Bis wir uns wieder treffen!

Sheri

          #saltmines #austria #travelblogger #bloggevibes #wanderlust #visitaustria #hallstatt #obertraun #visitaustria #wherewillyoubeinayear #rain #hiking #amazing Austria When Austria is mentioned in conversation a few things come to mind.  Saltzburg, Sound of Music and Vienna. 

[wherewillyoubeinayear]

Austria

When Austria is mentioned in conversation a few things come to mind.  Saltzburg, Sound of Music and Vienna.  I am generalizing, I do not mean to offend others that think of something else.  So with that being said…

Obertraun and Hallstatt

I had never heard of this incredible little jewel until Whitney brought it up in the initial planning of our Austria trip.  We took an incredible journey on trains to get here from Switzerland.  We started out in the morning in Wengen and ended up in Obertraun close to 9pm.  It was raining, dark and lucky for us very small, so we, thanks to GoogleMaps, found our hotel.  The Hotel Haus Am See.

The staff was great.  Being a small village, they close early, but they were ready for us.  We called, they had a key in a lockbox and we were in.  The only downfall was no elevator or lift. Ugg.  Three flights with my overpacked bags reminded me to pack less and lighter next trip. This super creepy lady looked at me each time I went in and out of our room.

Hallstatt Salt Mine

The Hallstatt Salt Mine is awesome!   We took the bus from Obertraun to Hallstatt and then walked to the mine which was really about 5 mins from the bus stop.  We paid inside and took the funicular up the mine.  However, be forewarned!  You have to walk up to the mine and the walk is not for all people.  It is a steep walk up, remember slow and steady?  Again, grateful for Whitney for being so patient and I took lots of pictures on my “catching my breath” rests.   Here is a quick video of the flora and fauna on the way up to the mine. 

Inside the Salt Mine

After huffing and puffing for me, we arrived at the start of the Salt Mine tour.  Let me just though this out there.  There was more steepness for me to conquer.  Huffing and puffing some more.  I made it.  Each journey Whitney took me on, I did it.

The only allow a certain amount of people per tour group.  You get one lead tour guide and there are some people in the mine, but our guide was great.  Her voice carried well.  She spoke in German first and then English, so we were able to follow along.  To get into the mines, you have to wear light pants and a top over your clothes for protection to your clothes and I am sure so you don’t snag your stuff in the mine.   You can lock all your stuff up in a locker they provide for your use.

I was last in the mine as well, because you have to climb up to get into the mine.  Lots of walking during this holiday and especially when we wanted to see really cool stuff.  Makes sense right?

The tour

To be honest, I did not hear all that was being said about the mine, I have relied on reading the website for more details.  Following at the back makes it hard to hear at times.  This is the entrance to the mine.   We walked in a single file line for a bit and there were sounds and smells that made it an even better experience.  

This was Whitney and I as we were heading into the mine.  I am so glad we took this tour and hiked up to it!  It was amazing.  Below are some pictures from the first part of the entrance as we headed deeper into the mine it just got darker and even cooler in temperature.  They really do a great tour and keep you wondering what is around the corner.

So much to see

It is dark in the mine, so hard to get some good pictures, however, I got a few.  I really tried to listen to all the really cool stuff about the mine.  This is something I recommend to do if in Hallstatt.  Families came too.  There were children all about.  Whitney and I  were able to even have some fun going down slides in the mine!  Check us out ⇓⇓⇓.

This is the oldest ladder in Europe!  It was the original and in really great shape! Found here in this salt mine!

A train ride back to the light

This was such a fun thing to do!  The walk-up, the walk into the mine and the walkout.  We took a train back out into the light and it was really cool.  Sorry, it was a bit over 3 minutes long… tried to trim it, but here we are…

If you are in Hallstatt make sure you take the time to see this incredible part of Austria!

I hope you enjoyed my small version of a really incredible part of Hallstatt.  The Salt Mine.  Don’t forget to stop in the gift shop on your way out!  So many cool things and lots of Salt!!!

As always, comments or corrections are appreciated!

Bis wir uns wieder treffen!

Sheri

          #saltmines #hallstatt #austria #visitaustria #mustlovesalt #travelblogger #bloggervibes #wanderlust #wherewillyoubeinayear #visithallstatt #lifebysheri #europe #ladder #oldest Austria When Austria is mentioned in conversation a few things come to mind.  Saltzburg, Sound of Music and Vienna.