Our students' holiday trip has begun, and this time our chosen destination is Switzerland!
Unfortunately, my girlfriend Evita Eidina fell ill at the last minute and decided not to come with us, so this time it's a father-and-children trip.
Once again, thanks to Forum Auto and Kia Latvija for the opportunity to go on this trip with a new car, and this time we're driving a KIA Sorento. We'll definitely show later how spacious this car is; for the three of us, it's more than comfortable and roomy. And since we also have an overnight drive planned, we've decided not to book a hotel but to sleep in the car.
Having acquired our new beauty, it's time to refuel. And where to do it? We've chosen the Kool gas station. And do you know why? If you've bought a subscription, for at least 100 EUR, you get a 15-cent discount on fuel every day; no need to wait for weekends or holidays. Additionally, there's a coffee subscription where, by paying 9.99 EUR, you can drink one coffee a day, all month, and your coffee costs only 0.33 EUR, and it's roasted in Latvia and very tasty. There are many other interesting things here, but I'll tell you about those another time.
Next, we head home, pack all our bags, various vitamins to ensure we have enough energy to climb a mountain or two, and we definitely have Isla tablets with us – we no longer go anywhere without them. We also have gifts made in Latvia to give to our friends in Switzerland, but what kind of gifts they are, we'll tell you later. Once all the bags are in the car, we drive straight to Liepāja, where the Stena Line ferry departs at 10:30 PM, and in 26 hours, we'll arrive in Travemünde, Germany.
We arrive in Liepāja at 8:30 PM, head to the port, check in, join the queue, and after 30 minutes, we're already on board. At registration, we were given cabin keys, and upon entering the ferry, we headed to drop off our belongings and check out where we'd be living for the next 26 hours. Honestly, we were surprised by how spacious our cabin was, as I've been on two cruise ships before, and this cabin is more spacious than those on cruises. After 15 minutes, everyone is invited to dinner, and we pay 82 EUR for dinner, breakfast, and lunch for the three of us. All meals here are buffet-style, eat as much as you want, and you can get extra portions. Once dinner is eaten and we're settled in our beds, the ship slowly starts to sway, and with each minute, it sways more and more. I even started counting the seconds, how long we were going down the hill and how many seconds up the hill!
Lote falls asleep first, then Rodrigo and I, and in the morning, we already feel that the sea is much calmer and the swaying has stopped.
In the morning, we are invited to breakfast via the microphone, and we still have the whole day at sea today, but the night must be spent driving through Germany to Switzerland.
A day at sea, a trip to Switzerland and Basel Zoo.
The whole day is spent on the Stena Line ferry, sleeping, eating, playing cards, watching videos, and sleeping again. We ate so much for breakfast that we didn't even go for lunch, and we exchanged our lunch voucher for dinner. Going out on deck, you can feel that we are heading south; it's getting warmer and warmer, and you can see that in summer, people sunbathe here, as there are many sun loungers next to the helicopter landing pad.
Rested and well-slept, we go to dinner, which starts at 5:30 PM, but quickly afterward, we pack our suitcases and get ready to go to our cars. Around 8:00 PM, we are off the ferry, and our seemingly 10-hour long journey across Germany begins.
After driving less than 2 hours, we get stuck in traffic and lose at least 1 hour. Around 2:00 AM, we find a more secluded gas station, get comfortable, and go to rest. I sleep in the driver's seat, Lote in the passenger seat, and Rodrigo, having stacked all the suitcases so that he's comfortable, sets up a sofa for himself in the third row of seats, and sleeps like a king. The children fall asleep quickly, but I toss and turn and can't find the most comfortable position; it feels like I haven't even fallen asleep, but I look at the clock and it turns out I've slept for 4.5 hours. If it weren't for such a large and comfortable car, this night would probably have been much more complicated, and we would be much more exhausted than we are today. Thanks to @Forum Auto for this excellent Sorento.
Waking up around 6:30 AM, it's still pitch black outside and raining, but it's time to move on, as we want to reach our destination, Basel, as soon as possible, and there are still 430 km left.
I drove for two hours until the children finally started making some noise and both wanted breakfast. We stopped at a Shell gas station, but we didn't find anything interesting for ourselves there, so we decided to go further and find a McDonald's to at least eat pancakes, if they have them, of course. Before going to sleep, I filled up with fuel, where diesel cost 1.63 EUR, but here, on the highway, at the Shell station, it costs 2.12 EUR.
We found a McDonald's, they have pancakes here, as well as various other breakfast options. I paid 21 EUR for the three of us and we moved on.
The next task is to see the Black Forest, which is exactly in the direction we are heading, but we realize that by driving on the main highway, we probably won't see and enjoy it, so we decide to take a small detour, first stopping at Europa Park to see what it looks like here, and we decide that when we return from Switzerland, we must visit it.
In Freiburg, we decided to turn onto a smaller road and we hit the jackpot, as we hadn't seen such autumnal beauty in a long time. We flew all three drone batteries and you will see all these beautiful videos in the series about Switzerland, on our YouTube channel, Gold Barbell.
After an hour, we arrive in Switzerland, pay 45 EUR at the border for a vignette and head to our first hotel, Novotel. We check in, wash up, change clothes, board the tram and go to Basel Zoo, where our biggest task is to see the white tiger cubs that were recently born and are being talked about by all European animal representatives. And yes, we succeed, even though there are at least 10 photographers with huge cameras and lenses around, we squeeze through and take pictures of them with our phones. Of course, the other animals are no less interesting, and Rodrigo and Lote run around the park so much that it's hard to keep up with them.
On the way back, we buy kebabs to go, return to the hotel, and soon go to bed to gather new strength for new adventures!
Three countries in one day: Switzerland, Germany, France.
The previous evening, we went to bed early, at 9:00 PM local time, and woke up at 7:00 AM for breakfast. It was still a bit dark outside, and we couldn't quite figure out what the weather would be like today; the forecast showed both sun and a little rain. So, at the breakfast table, we decided we were ready for another short trip and wanted to see the Swiss mountains, but in the evening, we would go out to explore Basel's Old Town.
Said and done, after breakfast, we took our hiking boots with us, just in case we suddenly decided to climb somewhere, and headed to the parking lot for another outing, which, according to the navigation, should have taken 4-5 hours, but ended up taking 8 hours.
My friend, who lives in Switzerland/France, Arturs Udris, recommended a mountain pass, Furka Pass, which is said to be rich in beautiful views, and so this is our destination for today.
The first hour is spent driving on the highway and through many tunnels; we even start counting them, but on the way back, at the 40th tunnel, all counting is lost, and my big counters fall asleep. But there are indeed many tunnels here, ranging from a few hundred meters to up to 5 km in length.
The first Swiss mountain views appear along with various small lakes and beautiful villages, but unfortunately, driving on the main highway, it's impossible to stop and photograph them. Perhaps that's a good thing, because if we stopped everywhere we wanted, we might still not have returned from our little trip.
Having reached the first mountain pass, we realize that beautiful mountains surround us on all sides, and snowy peaks are visible in the distance, though they are hard to discern as thick fog still mixes with clouds in the morning. Suddenly, between thickets of trees, we spot a large and impressive waterfall. Where the navigation tells us to turn left and drive away from this waterfall, we turn right and try to find a parking spot to stop and photograph it. But there's no parking, and there are so many cars here that we have to stay in traffic and drive all the way down the mountain. The road winding through the middle of the valley leads right past the waterfall, and we find a small path where we turn in and finally get to photograph and film this waterfall with a drone. I remind you, all these beautiful videos will be available on our YouTube channel, Gold Barbell, in the series about Switzerland, so hit the subscribe button to not miss these wonderful videos.
The first waterfall photographed, and it turns out there will be many more, and if you count all the small ones, there will be very, very many.
After a while, we start driving back up the mountain, this time higher and higher, until the forests end, the bushes end, and only rocks remain, and occasionally some small lakes from which hundreds of small streams flow, forming hundreds of small waterfalls.
At one small lake, the wind was so strong it almost blew me off my feet and sent my cap flying about 50 meters. I had already said goodbye to my cap, but eventually caught it as it was stuck between two rocks.
So we drive up the mountain, stop, take pictures, drive again, and take more pictures. If it weren't for the fine drizzle and if the sun were shining, we would definitely have lingered there for a couple of hours longer.
After descending the other side of the mountain, we arrive at a small village where the house style is very interesting; all buildings are made of wood, many of them even from old trees. Our navigation in this village starts playing tricks on us, driving us first in one direction, then the other, until we decide to head back up the mountain. Everyone is starting to get hungry and sleepy, and as fatigue is felt among our team members, there's nothing else to do but head towards Basel.
Less than 3 hours later, we've arrived in Basel. The kids want kebabs again, as yesterday's Kebab boxes were a big hit with them, but we decide to compare prices. After 10 minutes, we're at a German kebab place, and the prices are: kebab box 6.5 Eur (in Switzerland 12-18 Eur), a bottle of Coke 2.50 Eur (in Switzerland 4.5 Eur). Well-fed and having saved some money, we decide to also pop into France, just to tick off that we've been to that country too.
Back at the hotel, we park the car and take the tram to the city center to explore the old town. When checking in, we were given free passes for all public transport, and we gladly use them here. After walking through a part of the city and wanting to buy something to drink, we realize that all shops are closed on Sundays, and only cafes and fast food restaurants are open. We buy drinks at McDonald's for 14 Eur and take the tram back to the hotel. On the way, we see a Coop store that's open, so we jump off at the next stop and rush to the store, buy sweets and water, and now, enjoying all this, we're sitting in the hotel writing this long ramble!
Have a great week everyone, and may the students enjoy their well-deserved holidays!
A day of rest at Basel Water Park!
Today we have decided to take a break from driving and give our youngsters the great pleasure of spending half a day at the Aquabasilea water park.
But before I dive into the story about the water park, I want to commend the Novotel hotel for its wide breakfast selection. Today's greatest discovery was freshly blended mango puree, which, when poured over yogurt with fresh fruit, just begged for refill after refill. In addition to other standard items, there was also fresh salmon, many types of olives, and several varieties of very delicious cheeses. There's not much to write about; my mouth is already watering just remembering it all.
Of course, the hotel's location is also perfect, and the free underground parking is very important here, as we realized tonight when we drove to the city center and wandered around until we found a parking lot, where we paid 5 Eur for 40 minutes. In a foreign country and city, public transport is still the best way to get around. And if you even have a free travel card, it can't get any better.
The water park opens at 10:00, and we arrived a few minutes before ten. We meet Michael, whom we had contacted beforehand via email to get permission to film in the park. We give him Latvian-made Puratos jams, and after just 10 minutes, we are in the water park. The children immediately jump into the pool, run from one end to the other, explore the park, and slide down both the Amazon river, similar to the one at Tropical Islands in Germany, and the many slides, and they even persuade me to go on a few rides. While the children enjoy the water, I head to the adult zone, the sauna center, which is truly top-notch here. Children are not allowed here, as saunas are used without swimwear. The entire sauna area is divided into two parts: an indoor zone and an outdoor zone. The outdoor zone has several pools, several saunas, and many sun loungers, even on two levels, while indoors there are several jacuzzis, many saunas, a restaurant, and relaxation rooms. In 2 days, I will have the opportunity to film and photograph this sauna area, and I will definitely share these photos with you. And no, the pictures will be without naked people; I will photograph before the park opens. Walking to the saunas, I wondered if anyone else would be visiting the saunas on a Monday morning besides me! I arrive and am surprised; there are many sauna enthusiasts, but with my just over 40 years, I felt like I was the only student left in school for detention, surrounded by teachers!
So the hours pass, and we finally leave the park around 4:00 PM. We are all tired, and even Rodrigo finally says he is tired and would love to sleep, which is something we don't hear from him often! And now it's time to try a strength and energy-restoring remedy, and we have brought Spirulina from the company SpirulinaNord with us. I have been using this product for a while, but for the children, this was their first introduction to it, and they liked it so much that at one point we had to take it away. And speaking of energy, it really helps and replenishes our internal reserves. Driving to the city center, Rodrigo tells me, "Give me some of that Stena Line syrup again!"
After the water park, we change hotels, moving from Novotel to Ibis Budget. This was probably a big mistake, and we will try to avoid this hotel in the future. We are not spoiled, and the main thing is that the room is clean, and it is indeed clean here, but the three of us have several bags and two bags of filming equipment, and if we want to organize anything in our bags, we do it in the hallway, outside the room. The size here is much smaller than our cabin on the ferry.
In the evening, we want to rent bicycles, but all the normal rental places are already closed, leaving only scooters which require an app. This time, we opt for another walk, and after a brief exploration of the city center, we drive to Germany to fill up with fuel and buy some groceries at a German Lidl store. Today we fill up for 1.53 Eur, while on the Swiss side it costs 1.87 Eur.
Tonight, we need to go to bed early because tomorrow we're going back into Switzerland to meet my friend and his family, and we hope they will show us something beautiful and interesting!
The fabulously beautiful village, a crazy museum for 18+ only, and the unsuccessful trip to Italy and Lucerne!
Do not show pictures to children!!!
This morning starts early for us; we have breakfast at 6:30 and are in the car right after seven, heading to meet Arturs Udris and his family. The journey takes us two hours, and we arrive even before Artūrs. Approaching the village, we already noticed it had to be something very interesting, but we didn't expect it to be so beautiful. The village itself is located amidst large mountains, on a hill, and from below, it resembles a village from a fairy tale movie. The village is called Gruyeres, and cheese of the same name is also produced here.
While we wait for Artūrs, we manage to fly the drone around and film excellent views, and all these videos will be available on our YouTube channel Gold Barbell, in the series about Switzerland.
We decide to go up to the village and wait for Artūrs and his family there, and it turns out this place really is like something out of a fairy tale. If all the cars were removed, it would feel like we had stumbled upon a film set for a Robin Hood movie!
While we are still waiting, we take pictures and film in all directions, and the mountains surrounding this village create a truly fairy-tale ambiance.
What more to write, the pictures say it all, and if you are ever in the vicinity, definitely visit this village, it is well worth it.
After meeting our friends, we slowly explore the surroundings and head to the museum, which was largely why Artūrs invited us here.
The H.R. Giger Museum is an art museum, I would say a museum of peculiar art, and Giger gained his popularity in 1980, winning an Oscar for the visual effects of the Alien film, which he had drawn and created. More about this personality and his crazy artworks can be seen in the film about Switzerland, so if you haven't yet clicked the subscribe button, you can do so to not miss the latest videos! It's better not to show the pictures to children and people with weak nerves!
After the museum, we go into Giger's museum bar, where we drink coffee, and the entire bar interior is designed with samples of Giger's artwork.
After walking around the village and reaching the fortress, we realize we want something to eat, and Artūrs says we must try their traditional dish here, Fondue. It's two types of cheese baked in white wine and eaten with white bread, dipping it into the hot cheese with a long fork. The food is delicious, and the four of us quickly empty a full plate of cheese.
Having said goodbye to Artūrs and his family, we want to see the snowy mountains and head directly to a mountain pass very close to Italy, called Gran San Bernardo. After driving for two hours, the navigation shows us 20km to the destination, but upon reaching the road that leads directly up the mountain, it turns out the road is closed, probably due to snow. So we turn back and have to drive 3.5 hours back to Basel.
But on the way, a restlessness still gnaws at us, and we so much want to see something else today, so we decide to go to Lucerne. Encouraged by Artūrs and hearing that it's a beautiful city, we change the navigation from Basel to Lucerne, and after 3 hours, we are in the city, in complete darkness and rain. We find the river flowing through the city, walk onto a bridge, tick off that we've been here, and head towards the hotel. An hour later, we collapse into our beds, wondering why we drove half a day to who knows where, but you won't know unless you try; that's the spirit of an adventurer, live and always seek the new!
"I hope this isn't a dream," Rodrigo said, seeing this place!
But before we reach this fairy-tale kingdom, I want to share some sauna pictures, as I promised in previous posts. Our hotel is a 2-minute drive from the water park, and by 9 AM, having gathered all our bags and belongings from the hotel, we are at Aquabasilea and, together with our new friend, Michael, we embark on a tour of the sauna complex. It turns out that on Monday morning, when I was here for the sauna rituals, I hadn't even experienced half of all the saunas and didn't know that there were so many beautiful relaxation areas here. To the question of how often their regular customers come to the saunas, I received an answer that surprised me: older people visit the saunas every day, and it's a ritual for them. If in warmer climates everyone meets in the morning at a café for coffee, here everyone meets for the first sauna ritual.
Having filmed and photographed this water park, we get in the car and drive deeper into Switzerland. Today we only have to drive 2 hours, at least that's what the car's navigation shows, but my phone's navigation can't find a way to get to the hotel. At first, this doesn't raise any suspicions, just a slight annoyance with the phone for Google Maps once again rambling something. Our goal for today is to reach the hotel called Arenas Resort Victoria Lauberhorn, and then we will see based on the circumstances; if the weather is good, we'll go explore some beautiful sights nearby, but if it rains, we'll relax at the hotel.
As we drive closer to the hotel, it starts to get suspicious that we only have 30km left to drive, but after a while it shows an hour. I thought maybe there was a traffic jam in the mountains and that's why it's taking so long, but we'll get closer and see. We drive between small mountains, and the autumn colors of the tree leaves are so enchanting that I can't resist flying my drone. I continue driving the car, keeping one eye on the drone, and my other two eyes on the road. The autumn colors, the mountains, the clouds stuck in the trees and mountains, the fog covering the distant mountains or hills - it's all so beautiful that I start disturbing the cars behind me, so I stop at the roadside from time to time. The traffic here is truly slow, and no one is in a hurry. I start thinking, maybe it's normal that we'll be driving for so long, or maybe the navigation anticipated that I would be flying the drone and stopping occasionally. After flying one battery, I pull over to the side of the road and land the drone, waiting for an opportunity to get back on the road and blend into the slow traffic like a local. Suddenly, right ahead, between the clouds and the thick fog, a ray of sunshine breaks through and illuminates a mountain, not just any hill, but a mountain high, high in the sky, and through it, a snowy peak can be seen. This view is like a fairy tale, because it's hard to believe there's a mountain so high in the sky; it rather seems like a small piece of another planet. While we admire this mountain in the sky, we see cliffs on the left side that have just emerged from the thick fog, and a few hundred meters further, we see huge cliffs on the right side as well, and a gigantic waterfall. Now I know and understand where I am and what this place is. This was the number 1 place on my list that must be seen in Switzerland, and this valley appeared so unexpectedly that my surprise was immense, and the joy of what I saw was indescribable. This valley is called Lauterbrunnen. The author of The Lord of the Rings is said to have drawn inspiration for his works directly from this valley. Rodrigo's first question is, "Have we ended up in a fairy tale?" And later, when we got out of the car, he says, "I hope all this is real, what's happening to me, I wouldn't want to wake up now and find it was just a dream."
We continue looking around and enjoying these views, but the navigation also directs us left, then left again, but there's a sign saying it's not worth driving further, the navigation is wrong. We think maybe it's a joke, but after driving 100 meters, we realize we have to turn back. We get onto the road and ask the first person we meet if they know such a hotel and show them the name. He replies that unfortunately, we can't get there by car; we have to park the car and take a train up the mountain, where there's a small village. Surprised by what we heard, we also write to the hotel, and it turns out, yes, indeed, you can only get to them by train, and not just any train, but the highest in all of Europe. Now it's also clear why my navigation wasn't showing me the way to this hotel.
Having parked the car, packed all our belongings, we head to the little train. Tickets cost 16 Eur one way for the three of us, and after 10 minutes, we are heading up the mountain. On the way, we still see the large waterfall and the beautiful natural scenery, but upon arriving in our village, the fog is so thick that we can't see what's around us. We can only imagine what it looks like here, but we will see the true beauty of nature tomorrow, as tomorrow promises sun, no clouds, and no precipitation.
Settled in our room, we decide to relax today, enjoy the spa, pools, saunas, and outdoor jacuzzi, with a magical view, in sunny weather, but today with a view of the fog. We eat dinner, play table tennis, cards, and I write this short daily description.
Soon it's time for bed, with great hope that tomorrow we will be able to see what it looks like around here and share some wonderful pictures.
Switzerland can surprise us, and we are both happy and a little disappointed! One of the most beautiful places in the world, undoubtedly!
After dinner and playing various games, we go to bed, but I'm still not sleepy, and Andris Bērziņš's song, "Tonight I'll sit on the roof, alone with the whole world," plays in my head. I feel like I really want to climb onto the roof and wait for the fog to clear.
I sleep poorly during the night, tossing and turning, and occasionally looking out the window to see if I can make anything out. I get up around six and go straight to the balcony, trying to discern something in the darkness. Raising my eyes higher, I see stars. At first, I don't believe it, thinking I'm seeing what I want to see, but it's true: the fog has cleared, and the sky is clear.
Since it's quite cold outside, I go into the room to warm up and then head back to the balcony to wait for a ray of light. Shortly before seven, I realize that there's a huge mountain range in front of me, and where yesterday there was only fog, now I can finally see the mountain peaks, and they are incredibly impressive. I grab all my cameras and run downstairs because from the balcony, you can't see all the mountains, only the eastern slope. As I walk out the south-facing door, I see snow-capped mountains, and it's an explosion of emotions: look right, there are mountains, look left, there are mountains, straight ahead, there are mountains. I don't know which ones to photograph first, which to film, which camera to use first, which second; I'm like a confused sparrow that can't bring itself to fly south. After 10 minutes, these mountains look even better, and as I look at them, I feel goosebumps and an inexplicable sense of pure happiness. Just yesterday, I went to bed filled with fear and uncertainty, but now, 6 hours later, I'm standing on the street, wide-eyed, as if seeing my child on its mother's breast for the first time, right after birth. I see it, I truly see it, I shout to myself so loudly that I'm afraid I'll wake others with my loud thoughts. I leave the cameras and run to wake the children; I'm always worried about my cameras because they're not cheap, but this time I didn't even think about them. I ran as fast as I could because I desperately wanted to share this joy and happiness with my children. I rush into the room, shouting that we are lucky and what's outside the window is fantastic. The children quickly get dressed, and in a few minutes, we are outside. Rodrigo is in slippers, without socks, in one t-shirt, and Lote is half-asleep, rubbing her eyes and not believing what she sees. Rodrigo exclaims, "How can it be so beautiful, and why do we have to leave today?"
After walking around the hotel and seeing the big, snow-covered mountains, we agree to go for breakfast and take a table right by the window, with a view of the mountains. There are few people at breakfast, so we can sit wherever we want and, of course, choose a table right by the window. After pouring myself coffee, I sip it, gaze at the panorama outside the window, and forget that I also need to eat. Before putting together my breakfast plate, I decide to call Mother on a video call and show her our dream breakfast spot. She is also surprised by what she sees, and I then hand the phone to the children, who tell Grandma about their feelings and emotions.
I've seen many mountains in my life, but these are different, special, with their own aura. I feel them much more intimately and closely; they are like family, like brothers, yet also like strangers, but very, very pleasant and benevolent. As the hotel manager later tells me, they are not so benevolent after all; many climbers have died here trying to reach the summit.
The hotel manager recommends we take the train up to the glacier and view the mountains from above. Rodrigo, hearing this, is overjoyed and can't wait to get to the glacier and have a snowball fight with Lote. Our winter jackets and shoes are in the car, down in the parking lot, so we put on everything we have: I wear two T-shirts and two pairs of socks, Lote and Rodrigo wear three sweaters each. We pack the rest of our belongings into suitcases and leave them in a separate luggage storage. Excited about this opportunity, we walk to the nearby train station, happily buy three tickets—one adult and two children—and I reach for my card to pay, but then I hear "140 francs," which is 150 Euros. We look at each other and decide it's expensive, but since we're here, we should go. I place my card on the payment terminal, but the amount isn't 140 francs; it's 440 francs. I ask if there's a mistake, but they tell me that's the price for a round trip. I swallow the lump in my throat, which formed from the surprise at such a price, and quietly say, "Sorry, not this time, cancel the tickets." It's a good thing my children are very understanding, and no matter how much they wanted to get up this mountain, they understood that almost 500 Euros for a train ride up the mountain was too much.
We walk back to the hotel and tell our hotel manager that we'll postpone this trip for another time, as we weren't prepared for such high prices. He is also surprised by the cost but immediately starts consulting with other staff members and looking for the best option for us to enjoy the day as much as possible, and a little cheaper.
A few minutes later, he suggests we drive down to the valley, take the car, and go to the large waterfall. There's also a trail where you can walk beneath this waterfall, but afterwards, we should drive further along the valley to a small village from which there's a cable car leading up the mountain to the village of Mürren.
So we do just that. We buy tickets for the train that takes us back down to the valley, and every time we see this waterfall and the valley cliffs, it feels like we're not on this planet. Driving down, I wonder how long one would have to spend here for these views to become mundane; perhaps a lifetime wouldn't be enough.
Having paid 20 Euros for 24-hour parking, we drive to the nearby waterfall and climb the winding path to the cliff, touch the waterfall, get lots of drops down our necks, and are ready to move on.
We had just been at the waterfall, but after driving 500 meters, we find a small road to stop and photograph it again, only this time from a different angle. And then we have to walk a little further and photograph it again like this, then film it like that, and all this does not lead us to any good, I lost the drone again, but more on that a little later.
Also, a reminder that all these beautiful videos will be in our film about Switzerland, which you can see on the Gold Barbell YouTube channel. If you haven't subscribed yet, you can do so, and the YouTube channel will feature footage that won't be included on REtv.
Next, we head to the parking lot, from where we can see cable cars going up the mountain. We drive into the parking lot, pull up to the ticket booths, and let the youngsters out to inquire about cable car prices. After this morning's surprise, in Switzerland, you have to be ready to part with a lot of money. I sit in the car, thinking how much I'm willing to spend to go up this mountain to see what looks like a beautiful village. To myself, I think, "Okay, 150 Euros is the limit. I wouldn't want to spend more than that." Just then, the youngsters are back and say, "50 Euros." I ask, "For each?" They reply, "No, for all three of us, and that's round trip." After this morning's 500 Euros, this 50 Euros feels almost free. We park the car, buy tickets, and along with 50 other eager people, squeeze into the cable car and head up the mountain.
The height is quite impressive; the cable car goes almost vertically up the mountain. After 5-7 minutes, you have to transfer to another cable car and continue moving up the mountain, but in a different direction. After 15 minutes, we are in the village of Mürren.
This is once again something difficult to describe in words; the mountains here are so majestic and proud, each more beautiful, larger, and grander than the last, and the views of these mountains from the village are mind-boggling. We walked, photographed, filmed, and went crazy, wondering how it could be so beautiful. If you're heading this way, go up the mountain to this village; these old wooden buildings add such charm that this combination—mountains with dark wooden houses—is like something out of a fairy tale, which we have finally entered.
After exploring the village, we decide to head down to the car, as we have a meeting with a woman in Basel at 3:00 PM today.
We walk towards the cable car, but our steps are one step forward, two steps back. It doesn't matter that 10 such shots have already been taken with the camera; we still need 10 with the phone, 5 with the GoPro, and another 10 filmed with the large camera. Finally, having made it down, we are surprised that in Switzerland, something is actually free: when we try to pay for parking, the machine shows that nothing is owed.
Happily, we drive onto the road and stop again; it's time for more photos. We drive 500 meters forward and see the large waterfall, and nearby, a beautiful Swiss meadow with a forest in the middle, colored in various autumn shades. Such a sight cannot be missed, and it's time to fly the drone. I fly to the waterfall and then back to film this beautiful forest, where Swiss sheep and cows are grazing nearby, and a small shepherd's hut stands in the middle of the field. The sun begins to shine on the forest, and the view is absolutely wonderful. I fly sideways and film this scene, when suddenly the signal starts to fade, then reappears, and I feel it's too late: I've flown into the trees, and my drone has crashed somewhere in the Swiss meadows. I drive 500 meters forward, find a place to stop next to a concrete factory, and together with Rodrigo, we embark on a drone rescue mission. We follow a dirty, muddy path to the river, climb over a fence, and split up, I to the right, Rodrigo to the left. Rodrigo also has the remote control and can see the drone's possible direction. We both head that way, across meadows, across pastures, climbing over electric fences, scaling a small hill, and realize we're close. Then suddenly, in the middle of yellow leaves, the drone lies, looking sadly at us. We collect our teammate and run to the car, realizing on the way that we must have missed our meeting, as the drone rescue mission took over an hour.
Wet, sweaty, muddy, but happy about the drone, we get in the car and head towards Basel.
We drive through the Lauterbrunnen Valley again, and I can definitely consider this one of my Top 3 places I've seen so far in the wide world!
We missed our meeting in Basel, so we set the navigation to Travemünde and set off. As soon as we leave the valley, Rodrigo says he feels sick. I ask if it's because he hasn't eaten, and he replies, "From too much beauty!" After crossing the German border, we refuel, grab a Doner Kebab, and drive for 5 hours without stopping until we start feeling sleepy. We find an apartment for 74 Euros and are surprised by its spaciousness once we arrive. It's very suitable for families, with two bedrooms, a large kitchen, and a bathroom that's bigger than our Ibis Budget hotel room in Switzerland.
In the morning, I let the children sleep as much as they want, because it's only a 5-hour drive to Travemünde, but the ferry is at 11:30 PM.
We have successfully returned from our trip to Switzerland!
We want to share a few more lovely pictures and a brief summary.
Our journey began in Riga, where Forum Auto entrusted us with an excellent family car, the new KIA Sorento. We, the "Travel Without Borders" team, can definitely call this car our "Car of the Year" for both short and long trips. We will tell you more about the car in another article.
Our journey then leads us to the Kool gas station, because as I mentioned earlier, you can get fuel here for up to -15 cents cheaper. Having also bought various snacks to eat along the way, we drive to Dobele to pack our bags and then on to Liepāja, where we need to be on board the Stena Line ferry in the evening, and then on to the German city of Travemünde.
What's in our suitcase besides clothes, cameras, and toiletries?
- Isla lozenges, because autumn is here, and to stay healthy, our throats need to be moist to ward off infections and unpleasant autumn coughs. Isla lozenges are very helpful for the throat, both when flying with dry air and when driving in a car with air conditioning.
- SpirulinaNord syrup. This not only strengthens our immunity but also provides energy and rejuvenates our muscles after physical exertion. The children liked it so much that we had to control their drinking pace. But I can confirm that this syrup truly provides energy, and when traveling long distances, I use it instead of energy drinks; it's, of course, much healthier, and this energy doesn't come in surges but is very steady and long-lasting.
- Jars of jam from Puratos, or as is customary, Pūres jams. These were gifts we brought for our friends and partners, so they too could get some vitamins from Latvia, as a long winter promises to be ahead.
- And finally, Flex tablets, these are for joint health, so that when climbing mountains or sitting in the car for a long time, our knees, hips, and other joints feel comfortable. The main ingredients are Glucosamine and Chondroitin.
Why did we choose the ferry instead of driving?
- Since I'm the only driver this time, I'd rather sleep in a cabin than drive all night.
- We hadn't tried the ferry yet and wanted to experience what it was like.
- I let the children choose between the ferry and driving, and they also chose the ferry.
- We promised Forum Auto that we would be gentle with their new Sorento and not drive it too much.
After disembarking the ferry, it's a 10-hour drive to Basel, Switzerland, so we drive until 2 AM and sleep in the car until 7 AM. Why this choice? We don't want to spend 100 Euros for 5 hours, and the children themselves suggested they wanted to try sleeping in the car.
Once in Switzerland, we settle into the Novotel hotel and receive booklets that grant us 50% discounts at various city parks and museums, and free public transport. If your hotel offers free parking and public transport is an option, definitely use it, as finding a parking spot in the city center can be difficult and expensive.
On the first evening, we take a tram to Basel Zoo. The children are thrilled, and we conclude the evening with a kebab that we take back and eat at the hotel.
The next morning starts with breakfast, and I really want to highlight it – it was delicious and very diverse.
After breakfast, we set off to explore Switzerland, with our first trip to Furka Pass. Although the weather isn't the sunniest or warmest, we see magnificent views and drive along a fantastic stretch of road where James Bond once drove.
In the evening, after returning from our outing, we cross over to the German side, fill up with gas, which is -30 cents cheaper, and eat kebabs, which are half the price of those on the Swiss side.
The next morning, we head to Aquabasilea, a water and sauna complex located a few kilometers outside Basel city center. We don't notice how time flies until it's already past four. We then move hotels, from Novotel to Ibis Budget, and then go to the city center. If you ever have to choose between Novotel and Ibis Budget, choose Novotel without hesitation. Of course, Novotel is twice as expensive, but when traveling to Switzerland, you have to expect that nothing is cheap.
The next day we have arranged to meet my friend Artūrs and his family in the village of Gruyères, where we visit Giger's crazy museum and have a cheese fondue. This part of the day was a success, but the second part of the day is spent driving to Italy. However, without reaching our destination, we turn back and drive to Lucerne, a town with many bridges. By the time we reach this town, it's already dark and raining. We turn towards home and, exhausted from the long drive, go to bed.
The next morning, we drive back to Aquabasilea park, but this time to film and photograph the sauna area before visitors arrive, while Rodrigo enjoys the water park. A couple of hours later, we are in the car, and our final destination for today is the Arenas Resort Victoria-Lauberhorn hotel. These two days feel like a fairy tale, and this is the biggest and sweetest highlight of the entire adventure! Starting from the charming place where we arrive by car, then taking the train to the hotel, waiting for good weather in the morning, mountains, valleys, waterfalls, magical views, and unforgettable emotions. You can read more details about these concluding days in the previous article.
After living in a fairytale land, it's time to return to reality, and we drive towards Travemünde. On the way, in the middle of Germany, we stay overnight. The next day, we drive again, visit Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, and are on the ferry just a few hours later.
24 hours by sea and another 2 hours to Dobele, and we are home.
Our entire trip was 10 days, of which 4 days were spent traveling, 2 days on the ferry, and 2 days crossing Germany.
What should you consider when going to Switzerland?
- The country is not among the cheapest.
- You need to carefully plan your travel itinerary.
- Book hotels in advance, as last-minute bookings are very expensive.
- Find all possible apps that offer discounts, for example, tickets for trains and cable cars can be obtained at up to 50% off.
- Food in restaurants and cafes isn't cheap either, so our budget option was the Lidl supermarket, and we made our own lunches or dinners, and it wasn't bad at all.
But beauty comes at a price, and such beauty as in Switzerland is a rarity in this world.
On the way, we decide to visit Hamburg and go to Miniatur Wunderland. An excellent choice, and it's no wonder this place consistently ranks as Germany's best entertainment venue of its kind. We definitely recommend it, and the children will be thrilled.
But now, we are already on the ferry, and our journey will conclude after 24 hours.
Summary: Switzerland is breathtakingly beautiful, but an expensive country, and it's impossible to see it all in a week!
Travel, be happy, and see you in new adventures!
