High Finance

You know what really takes the time and effort on a trip like this ? It's collecting money off people. It's a pain. Swapping countries and currencies so needing so many euros and so many Swiss Francs off people. It's a pain in the backside. Well let's just hope we can stick to one currency for a few days now. 

We set off from Gindelwald in reasonable time, sticking to the non toll roads. Strangely, I have a vignette bought on a previous Swiss trip. It's somewhere safe in the van. I have no doubt it will turn up tomorrow when we are out of the country. 

The Grimsel Pass. Awesome road, much snow. 

She got us up there without any major issues. 

If you have never been to this part of Switzerland, it is worth the effort. Jaw droppingly stunning.

Eileen has reverted to his Scandinavian music collection. We had bloody Aqua and then Abba. I did point out that they were Swedish, not Swiss but I was informed that it's the same thing. Now there's a man who knows his geography and his cheesy 70s music. 
 

Lakes of glacial water, spectacular views and winding roads. It reminded me of a conversation I had with my son Lucas a year or two ago. 

Lucas- "Dad, do you remember when we went to Switzerland and there was that hill ?" We had found that hill today. 

We trundled in to Saas Grund in the early afternoon, not first, not last. Ian and Ann were having van issues down in the valley. Not much we could do from the top. Their recovery company were dealing to some extent. 

Eileen and I set off up a mountain to try the 'trotties'. Think children's scooter with huge, chunky 4x4 tyres. 

From the top of the ski lift it was a long winding dirt track followed by a long winding Tarmac road. Marc later measured it at 7 miles long. 

Alas when we got down we missed the bus to Saas Fee by seconds and hence our opportunity to do the toboggan run. Just too much fun stuff to do here. 

Pizza evening in the Central restaurant in Saas Almagell saw all 33 present in there. Ian and Ann alas couldn't get up the hill and were residing in Brig awaiting some work on the van. 

The England football match was then watched in the Groovy Bar. They provide free shots when a goal is scored. Or in this case when they feel like it. 

A new team were on their way to join us. Joel and Fraser from Inverness were working their way down to us from Amsterdam ferry port. We will no doubt see them in the morning though. We have a van to fix in Brig first thing.