You, Me and the TLC Network

Our day started with some thick rye bread with lashings of French butter we bought in Paris and some raspberry jam. No toaster so we made do. Mike put the kettle on the stove for us to make some instant coffee. The kids were fascinated by the whistle.

Our first activity was going in a cable car up to Phingstegg mountain. While lining up we came across a whole production crew. We asked what they were doing and they said filming a reality show. This spiked my interest! I’m all about reality shows. Then they said a TLC show! That’s my jam. Apparently it is a series in its 11th season called My Bit Fat Fabulous Life. I’ve not seen that one but will keep my eye out. Mike laughed as I chatted away with some

of the crew about the other shows I like on that network. He acted like he didn’t watch them. Ha! He loves my TLC drama.

Anyway we followed them up the mountain and assured Max we were not going to go anywhere near as high as we did yesterday.

We met a nice American family who are travelling home to India for the summer break. They are the second family we meet of several families doing the same voyage.

We fly down the mountain side on a toboggan run. The wildflowers we pass are both beautiful and highly irritable to Kayden who gets instant swollen eyes. We dose him up with polaramine and meet some cows. The cows all wear bells around their necks. This is for them to find each other and the farmer to locate them while they graze on the mountains. The lead cow wears a bigger bell with a different sound. I’m in heaven. Isla falls off the flying fox and freaks out about her arm. At least I got a minute alone with the cows. I

plan to buy a cow bell for my kindy classroom. I can ring it when the children need to come inside from play. Like the lead cow haha.

The next activity is a fly line through the forest. Sort of like a zip line but it follows a beam and goes in circles and loops around the beautiful trees. This was a highlight for Isla.

Before we begin our descent to the next activity Isla and I use the bathroom. We notice that the taps squirt out soap from the faucet mixed with water, it stops for 10 seconds and then rinses your hands with warm water. Clever! I could do with one in my classroom.

Once we are down in the village of Grindewald we catch another gondola up to a mountain called First. We are thrilled we budgeted for a Jungfrau Pass as this gives us unlimited travel on trains, buses and some gondolas. This gondola alone is $400 aud for 5 of us to go up and down. With the pass we were able to go visit and have the most amazing picnic lunch. Well the lunch was yum but the view was spectacular. So much so that I asked Isla to film me while I had my next Julie Andrews moment and twirled on the mountain grass. I started a “thing” and several other tourists started doing it too.

We followed a path to a sky walk which was ridiculously high. You could see the ground below you as you walked. Mike and Max bonded over the feeling in their testicles when they get nervous and too high.

Once we were down the mountain again we spotted some small children who were no older than year 1 all wearing high vis vests. Some also had bus

lanyards. The high vis vest had a picture of a child crossing a crosswalk. The kids wear these to walk home from school independently and indicate they may need adult help. I love it.

The rain began to fall but we had one more place to visit which was a canyon with a spiderweb type structure over the top. Underneath is really fast running water. It’s terrifying at first. Max and Kayden were straight on there. We had to yell to them over the sound of the rushing water not to jump when other people were on there. Isla was terrified but amazingly still walked out onto the web. She got off and cried. Worried about her arm and just with the adrenaline of it all. Mike commented that he has really gotten over some
of his fears of heights on this trip as we spent more time in the air then on the ground over the last few days. We ended up being concerned we would miss the bus back to the closest village, Grindewald. So we ran and ran all the way back through the canyon. We would have been a sight. Turns out Mike got the times wrong and then we stood there waiting with everyone who we had

passed in the panic.

On the way home we stopped at the Swiss Army knife shop for the boys to buy themselves a keepsake and we also had to visit the Coop so everyone could choose their microwave dinners for the evening meals. We also stocked up on fresh raspberry tarts, the most amazing yoghurts, delicious Swiss cheese, Italian salami, gingerbread type biscuits and more beer for Mike to try. The boys also chose some different flavoured Fantas we don’t have in Australia: the verdict was they were gross and got tipped out. This won’t be the last time they do this.

As we waited for a train an American guy started speaking to Mike. He thought Mike must also be American because of the NFL hat Mike now wears. Since his beloved West Coast Eagles have been doing so bad, he started supported the NFL Eagles and often stays up late watching their games. We all awkwardly laughed that being perceived as American in

Europe isn’t always the best. They have a slightly bad reputation. However all of the US travellers we have come across so far are just so lovely and very interested in Australia.

Our accomodation in the village of Lauterbrunnen is right at the end under the famous waterfall. It’s a bit of a beast of uphill walking. Even harder with shopping bags and a long day of walking already behind us. Kayden has decided he’d like to keep his fitness up for footy, basketball and triathlon back home and runs home each time with Max following behind. Maniacs. Mike wants them to wear the yellow high vis vests too as they dart around other walkers.

Once home we collect some laundry from the “drying room”. This place is fascinating and is a room next to the camp laundry that is like a large dryer. You put your wet clothes or ski gear in there and it’s dry in 2 hours. We give the kids the job of hanging or collecting our daily laundry while there.

We have another early night. We have been go,go,go and all enjoy a few hours of quiet time on our devices before we hit the hay. Our last day in Switzerland will be hiking and alpine playgrounds.