THE ALPS, Thurs., June 16

Oh! Ah! Look! These were the words of the morning, as we viewed the magnificent scenery during our climb by train and 3 cable cars to Shilthorn peak at 12,000 feet. There from Piz Gloria, the solar-powered revolving restaurant and panorama terrace, we viewed the spectacular Eiger, Monch, and Jungfrau mountains, as well as dozens of other marvelous peaks.

We had gotten the first train out in the early morning and arrived before the clouds moved in. What sights! I recalled these mountains when I'd seen them in the winter with the skiers. They are equally beautiful in the summer. (I still remember reading Heidi.). There is little wonder that 007 wanted it's James Bond movie ("On Her Majesty's Secret Service") filmed here right after the restaurant opened in 1968. We lingered, ate, took photos, lingered some more and read the information boards that identified each peak.

After a rest back in Lauterbrunnen, we took a train to Wengen, a fancier mountain town that is traffic-free.

Returning in the rain, we made a beeline for a restaurant and waited for it to clear. What a great day!

At Shilthorn, John was moved to poetry:

If the top of Europe you'd be born
It's best to ascent to the Shilthorn
In large cable cars
That fly to the stars.
Piz Gloria is its commercial nom;
Close to heaven you can make your home.


Three giant look eye to eye with you- 
Namely, Eiger, Monch and the Jungfrau.
Thirteen thousand feet tall they stand,
So high over the clouds and over the land.


Rather than always looking up to the sky
You'll find yourself looking down to earth from on high.
Maybe you're standing on a planet up in orbits
Viewing below landscapes from the top of their tips.


This Shilthorn is a restaurant merry-go-round;
360 degrees it abounds.
Above valleys, mountain peaks and over the ground,
Circling, circling where heavens are found.


For geologists it's a paradise,
Beneath snow cover and ice,
So many geologic forms to see,
So many different rocks, a treasure for thee.








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Location:Shilthorn and mnt. Towns