Crazy Beautiful

The Hills are Alive With the Sound of Music. Photo by Chandra

Rick’s son Chandra and his family have been planning a trip to Europe since before Covid. Twice it almost happened, but at the last moment fell apart. The third time is the charm. Kylie, Chandra’s wife, has relatives in England so their program included Great Britain and France for family visits. Chandra is a mountain lover, a serious bike rider, a hiker and an accomplished snowboarder, so he didn’t want to come all the way from California and miss seeing the Swiss Alps. Thus, their itinerary included a visit to the Jungfrau Region between the two other destinations. Happily, they rented a place big enough to accommodate us, and since it is only a 5 hour drive from where we live, we were able to join them there and then drive them back to our place.

Lauterbrunnen. Photo by Chandra

This area of western Switzerland is one of the main attractions of the country because of its dramatic mountains, sheer cliff faces and charming villages. I visited it when I was a teenager, and returning brought back those memories. I have carried mental images of the Jungfrau with me since 1964.

We stayed in the narrow Lauterbrunnen Valley with the mountain peaks soaring above us. The train and gondola systems that the Swiss have constructed are efficient, clean and reliable. You can ride from the bottom of the valley up to the top of the mountains on public transportation. There are two villages on either end of the valley, part way up the mountain, Wengen on the north flank and Mürren on the south, neither of which is accessible by car.

Chandra found a very nice place to stay in Wengen. Their family arrived a couple of days before us and did a lot of exploring and hiking. When we arrived, they already had the lay of the land and were excellent guides. It seemed like the perfect time of year to be there; the wildflowers were profuse and there were no huge crowds. The weather, however was unpredictable and clouds and mist covered the high mountains, only occasionally revealing the snow covered heights. There were waterfalls everywhere, filling the lakes and rivers in the valley with melting snow.

Chandra is a skilled photographer and with his daughter, the photogenic Mila, made some excellent collaborations.

Mila takes control of the scenery. These are just two of a series of shots. Photos by Chandra.

We arrived in Wengen on Tuesday afternoon and had Wednesday to explore the area. On Thursday we drove everyone back to Moulins. It was a brief visit but so completely outside of our usual routine and normal view of the world that it was thoroughly rejuvenating. The drive was about half as far as San Francisco to Los Angeles, so not difficult at all. It was a perfect jaunt for us and we were very happy Chandra and family gave us the opportunity.

Chandra and Kylie in Lauterbrunnen. Photo by Mila.

There were a great many destinations we could have chosen on the full day we were there, but we all settled on the idea of visiting Mürren, where you can look north across the valley toward Wengen. The trip took less than an hour and involved riding a train from Wengen down the north slope to Lauterbrunnen, a gondola up to Grütschalp, gaining about 2600 feet in the process (an ear popping ascent), and finally a train to the lovely town of Mürren, where James and Daniel stayed a couple of years ago and had raved about to us. From Mürren, 5,374 feet above sea level, the Jungfrau, Eiger and Mönch peaks, soar another 8000 feet or so into the heavens. It is dramatic, to say the least. The heights were mostly shrouded in clouds, but they moved quickly, changing forms and giving us quick peeks of one summit and then another.

I found myself laughing at all the views, as they were almost unbelievable in their grandeur.

The Alps are the result of the collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates. The uplift began possibly 40 million years ago and the mountains continue to rise at a rate of about 1/2 millimeter a year. This area is called The Top of Europe, although Mont Blanc in France is actually higher than any of the peaks in Switzerland.

Rick, Mila, Kylie, Eli and Chandra on the streets of charming Mürren.

We had a very enjoyable day walking through town. The houses were mostly made of wood. The architecture has a certain identifiable Swiss aesthetic. I loved the windows and we all admired the order and cleanliness which seems to be ubiquitous in Switzerland. I wondered what it would be like to live in this place. Only 450 people inhabit Mürren year round, but there are 2000 hotel beds.

Would you ever get inured to the view if you lived here?

We enjoyed a pleasant lunch together after walking from one end of town to the other. It was a treat to be together in such a stunning location. Chandra and his family are very easy to be with. I have always enjoyed Kylie’s company and Eli and I had some very nice conversations about European history, which he knows quite a bit about.

Kylie and I took notice of the attractive wood shingles on a village chapel as we walked past.

The younger Harrison family is somewhat more sportif and energetic than Rick and I, so after lunch they were ready to hike up a mountainside. They took a two hour trek while Rick and I stayed below and enjoyed a less strenuous activity, sitting at a table and gazing out over the valley.

Above Mürren, a lovely photo of Mila and her reflection. Photo by Chandra.

The next day we woke up in Wengen to see the peaks of the Jungfrau revealed in all their splendor for the first time. Of course it would be the day we left to drive back to France! It was as if they uncloaked themselves for us to have one last glimpse. Perhaps it was a little like a siren call. After all, this view awaits us anytime, just a few hours from our door.

We think we are looking here at the Mönch and Jungfrau summits, the Eiger being just out of frame on the left.