We reluctantly left Lake Como today. It is a beautiful place that we would definitely like to come back to some day, especially when the weather is a little warmer. Now on to Switzerland!
This was the first border crossing where there was actually a station and a person standing guard. I quickly got our passports out and as we approached, he just nodded without even seeing that we had passports and we drove in through! Unbelievable!
As we crossed over a large lake we were looking forward to the views of the lake and this is what we saw. Russell figured it may be to block the wind coming across the road. Of course we had to stop at a BMW motorcycle shop in Switzerland! It was a Harley dealer on one side and BMW on the other. No, that won’t fit in your luggage!The clouds seemed to hug the side of the mountainPretty church on the top of a hillWe wondered what this fort/castle was fromCool view of the snow on the mountain with the clouds hanging lowThere were quite a few waterfalls from all the melting snowThe clouds are certainly settling in!It was a steep, curvy drive up to the Swiss AlpsParts of the road had this half tunnel We thought it might be because of falling rocks The Swiss Alps ahead!The road got prettier and prettier as we wentYes, this is a two lane roadThrough forested areasAnd through open green pasturesAnd through neat little townsSuch unbelievable scenery at each turn!It seems like a much simpler way of life. They say you should set your clocks back 10 years when you enter the Appenzell region. We were amazed at these tiny towns huddled together with so much open space around them. Entire villages still meet in town square to vote!
We arrived in Wauseraun just after noon and went straight to the cable car station. We wanted to take a ride to the top and look around before it started raining. The cable car takes you almost vertically 2400 feet up the side of a huge mountain.
It was cool to watch as we went higher and higherand higherand higher!The views were amazing!We were the only ones in the car besides the operator
At the top there are a a lot of hiking trails. Lots of people hike from peak to peak between different mountains. There is also a restaurant/hotel at the top. We wanted to take the hike to the caves, so the cable car operator said “just take the path off to the right.”
The path to the abyss!It was a neat little pathThe views were good, but we could tell they would have been absolutely stunning if it was a clear daySnow on the ground. It was about 40° at the topThe entrance to the Wildkirchli cavesRussell enjoying the view
The path leads down through the prehistoric Wildkirchli caves, which were inhabited around 40,000 years ago. Prehistoric stone tools were found in the area 100 years ago, evidence that the area was inhabited by hunter-gatherers during the Palaeolithic era (45,000 – 30,000 BC). The remains of cave bears were also found alongside the stone tools.
The caves are much larger than we thought they would be
Up on the Ebenalp peak is also a hermit’s cabin built in 1658. At one point, the hermitage was converted into an inn.
400-year-old Wildkirchli cave churchHermit monks lived and worshipped here from 1658 to 1853The path leads along the side of the mountain and at this point actually hangs over the edge of the mountain!Russell laughing about me freaking out at this point!
The path eventually leads to the Aescher mountain inn. As early as 1800 the hermits and herdsmen began selling simple drinks and food on Alp Aescher. At the beginning of the 19th century, the alpine hut gradually developed into the Aescher mountain inn, which is one of the oldest in Switzerland.
This inn/restaurant was featured in the cover of National Geographic’s Destinations of a Lifetime book.
It is still boarded up for the season. It will actually open in four days! Of course we had to stop our hike for a bit to buy Michael Bublé tickets! it’s incredible that sitting on the side of the Swiss Alps we have perfect cell service. We joked that when we go to the concert we will remember this moment!Beautiful…. Just wish the view of the mountains and valleys was better.Originally a hut housing farmers, goats, and cows, in the mid-1800s Berggasthaus Aescher evolved into a guesthouse for pilgrims coming to the monks for spiritual guidance. Today you can stay in the guesthouse overnight. Hiking back to the cable car
We are staying at a hotel very close to the cable car. We got there just after 5:00, but apparently they close early. The cook let us in, but didn’t speak any English. He basically just gave us our key to the room and showed us the way. It started raining just as we arrived.
Hotel FroheThe view from our hotel it is such a quaint little town!Our room was very cozyThe balcony off our room
We were hungry and decided it’s probably best not to wait too long to find a place to eat in case the whole town shuts down early. We did a quick Google search and decided on Alpenhof. The reviews said they had awesome burgers. It wound up being by far the best meal of our entire trip!
Alpenhof restaurantThey spoke no English at the restaurant and we had to use Google translate to figure out what to order. When they brought this bib for Russell to wear while eating, he got a little nervous about what he may have ordered! it says “Meat, everything else is a side dish!”Out came a huge tenderloin of pork that didn’t look cooked all the way through on a sizzling hot rock. The rock was 570°! We figured out that he had to slice it and let the slices cook on the rock. They gave him garlic butter and two other sauces to put on top while cooking. It was amazing! I had Fettuccini Alfredo with ham, which was fabulous too!It was an open kitchen, so we could see the other dishes being prepared and when we saw some desserts coming out, we knew we had to try them as well!
Today was a really great day! We loved being outside and hiking to such unusual places. And to end the day with an amazing meal was just perfect!
Hyatt Adventures 
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