Thursday - To the top!

Thursday Morning
We were all up and fed by 9:00 - and out the door!  With a blue sky calling us to the mountain it was our day to go to the top of the Alps -- all of us!

We put the kids on the sled and walked to the Alpin Express gondola.  My ticket to the top was 36 CF, which is half price due to our train ticket called a "Swiss Pass." Dan's ticket to the top was his ski pass.  The kids were both free.

Julia could not wait to board the gondola.  Even with a line of maybe 30 people, she kept walking towards the loading area.  She did not understand why I was holding her back to wait - she pushed my hands away and tried to keep walking!  She was so excited to go, go, go!  The lift director noticed my plight, and he gave us our own waiting area (taking Julia by the hand) and he gave us two free chocolate bars.  That was nice of him.  Julia and I waited in our own waiting area for Dan/Sara to catch up with us - then Julia gleefully boarded the gondola.  She was ready for her ride - and so happy to be going on an adventure.

We got on the gondola, which was full of other passengers. The kids and I got a seat by the window and we rose up.  "Wow" Julia said, seeing the view and feeling the motion of us climbing up to the sky.
At the top, we got out, and checked out the mid-station.  We took a brief break in the restaurant, then Sara said, "I have an idea, let's get going!" so we did.

Both kids forged ahead.  They were always 3 steps ahead of us, wondering what was around the next bend, or what sort of view, ride, or scene there was to see.  I loved their enthusiasm.

We got on the second gondola, and rose up further.  Julia wanted to stand on this gondola, so she did.  There is no making that kid sit if she doesn't wait to, and there is no holding her if she does not want to be held.  But she was super content to stand so we just let her (why not?).  The gondola took us up, up, up into the blue sunny sky.  The alps surrounded us.  Peaks in every direction.  The highest mountain in Switzerland is here, "the dom" and it is higher than the matterhorn in Zermatt.  (A fact that they are proud of here.)

After the second gondola we were first to board the funicular to the top.  It was deep underground on a slanted track.   We were in the first car.  Julia was in Dan's arms right at the front of the car, so they watched the funicular zoom forward - Sara stood next to me holding onto a rail.  "I'm fine Mom"she said when I tried to put my arm around her.  Our kids like to be independent!  (Though they do know when to ask for help.)

After the funicular we were at the top.  It was windy.  We walked around on the platform.  The alps were surrounding us.  And, you could even see a second ring of mountain range further out - showing how high we were.  Are we nutty for bringing two kids to the top of the Alps?  Maybe.  They were the only kids there, except for 1 or 2 others.  Sara and Julia walked right up to the metal gaurd rail and stood in the snow drift looking at the view.  I looked too.  And even Dan, who has been there before when it was snowing, enjoyed the view since it was a clear day and the view extended for miles.

We tried for a family picture.  It was hard to wrangle the kids into one spot so we did take a picture but it is of Julia trying to wiggle out of my arms and Sara wincing in the sun.  But the picture is a memory and we all were at the top of the Alps together.

The wind forced us inside.  Julia walked along the snow fearlessly.  I walked along next to her ready to catch her if she fell.  She didn't fall.  I guess when you walk fearlessly across ice and snow you do okay.  Sara walked well too - we've had plenty of practice walking in snow here in town.  Being in the elements (sun, wind, snow) was part of the fun.  The kids did great. Happy to be there, and also happy to get inside to some food.

The food was self service where we ate, and a revolving restaurant above. We shared some chicken, fries, and a muffin.

Then we went to the largest ice cave (grotto) in the world.  They had the Guiness Book of World Record plaque to prove it.  We walked down deep into the cave - the glacier.  The ice was thick and blue.  They hard art, slides, snowmen, and rocks/minerals to see.  The kids liked the slide - zipping down on their butts while deep inside a mountain glacier ice cave!  It was quiet down there, and the only lights were man made - so I sure wouldn't want to be down there if they lost power.  You could see how the crevices were formed in the ice - and all around us were ice crystals.  It was rather pretty. Sara and Julia enjoyed the igloo they had down there.  Then we walked up, up, up, up and out of the cave.  Julia likes to walk, climb, or lead, so she walked most of the way herself, then Dan carried her.  Since we were at 10,000 feet altitude she did well with the exertion.

We decided to have more to eat, so we had some soup and a curry wurst at the top.  Our seat was right by the window with the same view as the windy view outside - but cozy and warm.

The journey down was a repeat of the journey up.   Sara and Julia lead the way, and one time they walked in the wrong direction and we said, "Sara, Julia" and the pair of them stopped in their tracks, looked over their shoulders at us, looked at each other, then came back to Dan and I.  With all the times Dan and I went skiing in Switzerland before we had kids it is funny to now do all this with kids.  It is still weird to think that we made those little humans - and we are responsible for them as their Mom and Dad!

The views going down to town across the peaks, and ski trails were great.  It did not look crowded so I bet Dan is having a good ski day (when we got to town, he went back up to ski).  We were at the top at 10:20 and back to the village at 1:30, so it was a fun three hours.  We were actually to the mid station before the top even opened so we were glad of our early start.

I got the kids back to the apartment, a bit tough with a tired Julia.  I got her to her crib and Sara is relaxing too.  We are thankful for our sunny day and our adventure to the top of the mountain.

Quote of the day so far:
(at the mid-station) Sara: "I have an idea, lets get going!"  (enough of this resting, lets go to the top!)

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