At the suggestion of our hosts, we boarded a train that took us about 2 hours from Zurich, up to the top of Mt. Rigi, called "The Queen of the Mountains," boasting a key triangulation point at her summit (the "Rigi Kulm"). We rode a public-transit train, then switched in Goldau to a "rack railway," with a cogged wheel to grip the mountainside and ascend despite the steep grade. We rode that all the way to the Rigi Kulm! I think it must have been senior-citizen-discount day, because the cars were crammed full of Swedish octogenarians, all of whom gushed over Liam in fluent Swiss German-- I heard the word "hertzig" a lot (meaning "cute")... I just smiled and nodded and thanked them ("danke" is one of the few German words I know).
Our hosts, Christof & Sabina, had told us that we would be above the fog on the mountain top, and that it would be sunny and warm up there, but it was hard to believe them as we climbed through the densest grey fog I've ever experienced and pulled our jackets on. Then, we could see the mist thinning around us and see blue sky at the top of the pines... and then... wow! We burst through into a sunny warmth that had me longing to take off my shoes and run barefoot! The only sounds were happy human voices, the occasional train departure, and the tinkle of goat bells.
We enjoyed a nice heavy Alpine Swiss meal of "Rigivurst" (pork & beef sausage), applesauce, french fries, Swiss cheese (artesanally made on site) and chocolate. Some Swiss genius decided to make a milk chocolate bar with raisins and hazelnuts in it... wow. I am a believer! Ryan & I walked to the top of the mountain, climbed the satellite/TV/radio/cell tower, and explored a little. I sat in the grass with Liam while Ryan played mountain goat and jumped down some pretty steep slopes! Thank you, Lord for this blessing I never even knew to ask for!
See more pictures here!
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| That's not a lake behind me: it's fog! |
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| It was SO BRIGHT! |
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| Standing up in the communications tower |
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