Up to Jungfraujoch

We joined our bus at 8:30 am at the bus station that was conveniently across the road from the hotel. The tour comprised about 30 people, including a few Aussies, ranging from honeymooners to oldies like us - mostly the latter. We were led by an enthusiastic young, gay Asian guy called Kid who had a sort of Mohawk hairdo, and fortunately, had a very distinctive voice as he barked at us to get us where we needed to go.
We drove out through Lucerne to Interlaken past the most glorious green countryside and the bluest of lakes uphill, to the beginning of the cogwheel railway that would take us to the top. In fact there were three trains in all. They seem to run continuously with tourists from all over the world - Asians most noticeable. It took about an hour and a half to get to the top. Along the way there are vertical walls of mountains to see and tunnels that were kilometres long. (And we talk of infrastructure! The Swiss really know theirs!) At the top we took a lift up goodness knows how high to emerge on a platform just below the summit of Jungfrau. It was all covered with snow and visibility was not great but you could not fail to be impressed. We took lots of photos, including the selfie I put on facebook. according to Kid, Jungfrau means 'wirgin' and joch means 'saddle'. I think he knew plenty of jokes about that.

Then it was into the ice palace, which is a series of tunnels with ice sculptures under the glacier. Very slippery and very, very cold! It was then time for lunch - Kid suggested we take the canteen, no doubt because it would be quick and less trouble for him to round people up from the four restaurants. In the canteen, they basically sling hash and it's chips with everything, and did I mention expensive? The most forgettable meal in the most unforgettable place.
The downhill trip was a good deal quicker and we learnt that the train actually generates electricity. Clever Swiss! We took a different way down and travelled through the village of Grindelwald, where all the houses look like cuckoo clocks and the cows actually wear bells and live in wooden barns. I swear, I saw Heidi and her grandfather walking hand in hand up one of the very high cow pastures in the distance! From there it was back to Interlaken and three hours bus ride back through Lucerne.
The Swiss love their cows and their cheese. Fondue is a big deal but we didn't partake - there wasn't time and it looks bland. You can buy it premade in plastic bags. The herds of cows we saw numbered in the tens and graze on the sides of mountains at vertiginous heights. In the food hall of Globus (a big department store) we were amazed at the variety of Swiss cheeses on offer. The bakery was to die for with strudel by the slice.