Berner Oberland

Berner Oberland A week in the Berner Oberland

We rented a cabin at a campground in Brientz.		Kenny and I took a walk to the river leading to Lake Brientz


At the open-air folk musuem Ballenberg		I think this was the kids favorite part - banging nails into these stumps. They could have done it for a long time.


We also got to shave these posts and make them pointed


		I like these chairs made out of curved stumps


Actually the nail pounding was their second favorite - their favorite was finding a puddle full of tiny frogs		So many things were made out of wood only, no metal


An old root cellar		And a "working" outhouse.


Before they had closets, this had to do. They had few enough clothes that it worked		The little bunnies loved dandelion


17 hours walk from Bern		Riding an old fashioned carousel, about a hundred years old


		The stream from the mill


Taking a hike from Beatenberg		Thank goodness there were wild strawberries! They kept Peter going - he's not a big fan of hiking.





Making charcaol


		Lunchtime


I made a little cup for Peter to hold his strawberries		This whole trail was meant to be very kid friendly, thus the little playgrounds scattered about.


		Kenny wanted me to take a picture of this stick before he had to leave it


At the St. Beatus Caves.


At the Grimselpass. Kenny and I took a path called the Cristalweg down.





		Meanwhile, Eric and Peter drove to the top of the pass


The trail followed an old mule trail, and was quite well laid out in places


		Mountains in Switzerland aren't nearly as "wild" as they are in other places. Here's a canal built into the mountains


The rocks have been chipped away to make a nice path here - I assume this is part of the old mule trail














There was a picnic site here where Kenny found lots of crystals


		A rainbow right next to our cabin


This was the kids room		Waterfront in the town of Brienz


There was a water play area the kids really enjoyed


		A little island at our campground


More in Ballenberg. We actually went there two days, because it's just a lot to see in one day		Cheese making


		Another toilet, actually in use, with newspaper toilet paper. Not many people used it, but some definitely did.





Interesting combination of chest of drawers/steps in one of the houses		At a restored barber shop, this is the stool for cutting children's hair. Even back then, they were giving them little steering wheels to hold!


An old schoolhouse		A mill-powered saw


In an old rope factory


About to take the cable-car up from Stechelberg		On the Schlithorn








Our car - a Toyoto Corolla Verso		In Gimmelwald/Murren








A picnic lunch in Murren - we had a GREAT view!		We saw this interesting sculpture on the way out. I just had to get a picture.


More cabin pictures


		I liked the fact that the sliding glass door could be opened very wide - about 8 feet or so.


About to head to Festung F�rigen, an old fort, relic of the impressive Swiss civil defence system which appears to gradually be phasing out (this was shut down in 1986)		Kenny got to wear an old Swiss army coat. Good thing, too, because it was cold in there!


Peter, figuring out where the machine guns should be aimed


We must have told Kenny and Peter to look serious in this picture		The infirmiry


I think the tool with the big handle is for cutting bones in amputations		The cafeteria


The bunk beds		The guns were well camouflaged


		We bought some genuine Swiss Army chocolate and biscuits at the old fort


At the wading pool in Parc La Grange		A wooden, hand operated Ferris Wheel at Parc La Grange. The kids loved it and so did I! Kenny was only interested in turning it, not riding


		This is what the ride looks like


Kenny turning the wheel