Over the pass
The weather was marginally better this morning than yesterday, thank goodness. As we enjoyed our breakfast sitting overlooking the lake, we spotted a familiar face on the path outside. It was our friend Res, Chair of the Joachim Raff Gesellschaft heading for the Archive, just across the way.
The building with green shutters is situated on the site of the composer’s birthplace and now contains a collection of artefacts relating to his life and work. We headed over there ourselves to say Good Morning! I will post rather more about the Raff-related activities of the weekend later- it’s why we are here, after all - but for now, will simply add that it was lovely to catch up with friends and to leave them in peace to get on with what they needed to do. In particular, Tra had practice to do for tonight’s concert.
Our first stop was at a local factory with a familiar name.
It’s very conveniently situated and very close to where we stay. Not only that, it has a factory shop too.
Imagine a chocolate factory shop! I can assure you, it’s better than that, too!
The best corner is the one where the unboxed chocolates are sold in bags. Out favourite kirschstengeli are no longer available in the UK and we were happy to find them still here, ready and waiting for us (or so it seemed). One or two other favourites might have found their way into our bag too!
Mission accomplished, it was time to get on with our day.
We decided to head into a favourite part of the countryside, even though the weather didn’t look that good on the higher slopes. We’d driven over the Klausenpass previously and love the high Alpine meadow where cows graze and the air is fresh. We thought it would be a good destination today and just hoped the weather would clear before we got there.
We’d chosen a cross-country route, avoiding large towns and motorways and instead sticking to country roads through villages.
Oh yes, villages with Porsche dealerships! Well, we are in Switzerland, aren’t we?!
We are indeed and the landscape is simply beautiful. Though we love the high mountains, we also love these rolling green hills with small farms too.
Our route took us past a small lake, so still that it almost disappears into the reflections.
First stop, Schwyz, where we managed to get a parking space right there by the Town Hall. There was a wedding gathering there on the pavement outside, too.
Two vintage American cars were parked alongside ours in that small parking place, each one with a beautiful floral arrangement on the bonnet. We decided to take a short walk around the town and headed up the next street over, past the museum with the old wooden building.
Where, looking through the gate, another wedding was taking place.
We wandered up beyond the oldest wooden house in Europe, commenting on the lovely setting beneath the mountains.
The town is filled with little details, pretty corners and set off by the most lovely backdrop. We stood a while just enjoying being here.
But we were too early for lunch, too late for coffee. What should we do next? The wedding party was still on the pavement opposite the car
and another one, maybe the bride we had seen through the archway, was going up the Town Hall steps a little further on. This was a busy day for weddings!
We got out the map and decided the next step and a route towards the Klausen Pass.
It took us through Brunnen, a bustling little town on Vierwaldstättersee, where a train had just arrived and people were hurrying from the station to the pier, to jump on one of the lake “steamers”. The boat that had just left was a modern, electric powered one though and we watched it making its quiet way across the lake to the next stop. As happens many times in Switzerland, places and events like these provoke memories of previous visits. On this occasion, we recalled sailing on the lake on one of the hottest days of the year, with Edward and Amy, all of us trying to find the elusive small square of shade, along with everyone else of course.
These roads are interesting to drive. One minute we are driving through a tunnel, the next, under a canopy like this, and then out in the open again. The whole time, the turquoise blue lake was on our right, a sharp contrast to the dark rockface of this side.
We passed by a familiar landmark, that of William Tell in Altdorf, but on this occasion, carried on and passed right by.
We were heading for the Klausen Pass, and along the way we admired many wonderful woodpiles, not only covetable for the quantity of wood there but mostly for the incredible precision with which it is arranged!
We hadn’t gone very far before we caught up with the Post Bus service to Glarus. We love travelling by Post Bus, especially over the mountain roads. They provide a regular and very reliable service and are remarkably nimble on some of these narrow bends, when they may sound their very distinctive horn.
This one took a while before it could pass the rather slow cyclist. Had I been her, I’d have felt tempted to hitch my bike on the rack there and hop on the bus for the ride!
The next stop was only just around the corner!
Climbing ever higher, we were thinking we’d look out for some lunch before too long - we were getting peckish.
We could look out for a picnic spot too!
Though right now, I felt it important that my Hero concentrated on the road ahead. We weren’t that far from the summit.
There were one or two bends in the road going down as well though.
At last we reached the open green alp we remembered so well. We could get some lunch before too long.
Right here, in fact. As we bought our bread and cheese lunch, we couldn’t have been closer to those who provided the raw materials.
We found a suitable place with a view and tucked in!
Of course, we had a bit of chocolate for dessert too!
The view might have been magnificent, but it was closing in all the time, sadly.
So we made our careful way back down the other side of the pass into Glarus and turned onto the road back to Lachen.
We passed the third bride of the day along the way too.
I was glad the rain had stopped so we could run into the hotel in the dry, but no sooner were we back than it started. Tonight, Tra will play a concert, but since it’s in the hotel we’ll stay dry whatever the weather. My hero tells me the forecast is better for tomorrow, so let’s keep our fingers crossed.
