Eiger, Moench, Jungfrau; photo from Murren; Robert & Diana in Murren w/Swiss Alps.

Video clip of Daniela Martin yodeling in FHE.


JULY 27, 2009 MONDAY

At 5:30 Diana’s eyes popped open when the alarm on my wristwatch went off, but I slept through it. I didn’t set the alarm intentionally, but sometimes the buttons get pushed without me knowing it. She got up and made some sandwiches for our excursion today. I was up at 6:00 and helped with the preparations and we were ready to go by 7:15. We caught our tram and met Charlotte at the Zurich Bahnhof and we were off on our latest greatest adventure. We traveled to Bern, changed trains and continued on through Spiez to Interlaken East, changed trains again and stopped at Zweiluetschen, then continued on to Lauterbrunnen. At Lauterbrunnen we were going to take the bus to Murren, but then we saw a gondola and took it instead. It was a large one holding 100 people, but we’re sure they crowded in more than that. The ride was spectacular and very steep. Our Swiss Pass (GA) got us to Murren without any additional charge, but from there up to the Schildhorn we had to buy a ticket. We were prepared to pay whatever it cost knowing this may be the only time we would get the chance to come here. However, with our GA we got half off the normal price of 75sfr. each, but then the gal at the ticket window asked us if we had a Migros card. We said we did and she told us with the Migros card, the second person gets to ride free. So, for the price of ½ ticket (35sfr.) we were both able to ride to the top. We found out that Migros (our grocery store) has a promotion going on until the end of August that when you have their card, the second person gets a free ticket anywhere in Switzerland. What a deal!!

We took the gondola from Murren up half way where we had to change to another one. We finally reached the top. We got out and climbed some stairs and finally came out onto a big terrace where you could walk all around in a large circle and see the panoramic view of mountains as far as the eye could see in some directions, but the view was blocked by the Eiger, Moench and Jungfrau in the other. The weather was clear which is an anomaly in Switzerland, especially high up in the mountains where we were. We could see the city of Thun in the distance as well as the Thunersee (Thun Lake). There was a rotating restaurant in the middle of the terrace so we decided to go in and order a drink so we could sit in it while it went around. We ended up ordering tomato soup and bread as well as a drink to celebrate the occasion. It was pretty crowded and we had to wait over a half an hour to get served, but the time went quickly while we looked out the windows. The windows had 007 written on them because this is where one of the James Bond movies was filmed, something about In His Majesty’s Service or something like that. The floor where the tables were rotated while the outside windows/ wall stayed stationary. We stayed as long as we could and then made the return trip home arriving back in Zurich at 6:00 pm. We had just enough time to stop at Migros and buy some soda pop, cake and ice cream for dessert for FHE tonight. We weren’t assigned to do the dessert, but during the day we discovered Charlotte got mixed up on her assignment, which was to bring the dessert, so rather than bother her with it, we decided to do it ourselves. She already does so much for us and the missionaries already.

Those who attended FHE tonight were Neide, Denise Maurer, Norma Bachmann and her son, Allesandro, Charlotte Stoeklin, Fabian Streit, Daniela Martin, Elders Harris & Nilsson, Elders Pine & Richeson, and us; quite a house full for our little dinky apartment. Fabian gave our lesson which was on the pioneers and the trouble and trials they went through for the sake of the gospel and building Zion. Sister Martin sang a couple of songs which included Swiss yodeling. She also wanted to get our FHE group together and teach a song in Swiss German to sing in sacrament meeting. I told her I was all for it if she could get permission from the Bishop. She was so excited so called Bishop Schwendener on the spot, who disappointed her. She still wants to get us together and sing it during the next talent night. We had our game and then dessert and the evening was over. Everybody left except Norma, Allesandro and Daniela Martin. Diana spent some time talking to Norma and giving her some good counsel. While she was doing that, I showed Allesandro his baptism photos on our laptop and even printed him out a couple so he would have them. Diana also gave him a sunstone that he was just dying to have. They left about 10:00 and then all of a sudden a thunderstorm started. Loud ear-splitting thunderclaps came one after another and lightning has been going on for over an hour now. And so the day comes to an end.