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 BallenbergI 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 frogsSo many things were made out of wood only, no metal


An old root cellarAnd a "working" outhouse.


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


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


The stream from the mill


Taking a hike from BeatenbergThank 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 strawberriesThis 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 roomWaterfront 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 dayCheese 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 housesAt 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 schoolhouseA mill-powered saw


In an old rope factory


About to take the cable-car up from StechelbergOn the Schlithorn






Our car - a Toyoto Corolla VersoIn 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 pictureThe infirmiry


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


The bunk bedsThe guns were well camouflaged


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


At the wading pool in Parc La GrangeA 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