Three Walks

Walk One

I went with a friend to the Wallen See (a lake in Switzerland). We went walking along the coast of the lake with the lake below us and the mountains and green hills all around us. It was a pleasant walk, as we caught up on each other's lives over the last two years. At one point along the path we had to go through a cave of sorts (really more like a tunnel made out of the mountain). It was dark and damp inside and in one spot we had to put up the umbrella to avoid the constant dripping in the middle of the tunnel. My friend showed me a spot in the tunnel that opens up to the lake where he and his friends jump down a good distance into the water when they go swimming in the summer. The air was damp as we walked outside again and the wind cool, but the pace was brisk and we kept warm as we went along. We passed a large tall waterfall plummeting into the side of the mountain leading into the lake. We could feel the mist rising up from the waterfall. It was beautifully powerful with the excess water from the consistent rainfall over the previous days adding to its strength. We walked on, heading up a hill to a traditional Swiss chalet that now served as a restaurant and hotel. The outside was made of dark wood and red flowers grew on the window sills. We also saw huge, colorful roosters in the hen house next door. Inside there were many old paintings and photographs and an old tile fire place testifying to the years of history lived within those walls. My friend had coffee and I had tea as we rested from the climb to the chalet. Then we headed back along the shore enjoying the view around us and the finish to a pleasant walk with a friend.

Walk Two

It was the night before my father left, so Hannah, my dad, and I headed out after supper to walk to Lichtenstein, which was right across the Rhine. It was wonderful to walk together; talking, laughing and taking pictures. The sky was beginning its colorful dance into the dark of night. We passed through the town and crossed the bridge over the Rhine, stopping to take pictures of us standing in two countries at once, for the Rhine was the divider of Switzerland and Lichtenstein. One of the castles in Lichtenstein was illuminated, standing proud in the ever-darkening evening. We walked along the Rhine on the Lichtenstein side, all the while enjoying each other's company and taking photos of the mountains that surrounded us and the river that ran beside us. We crossed over a different bridge back into Switzerland, then rested on a bench, silently sitting together in the approaching darkness, treasuring this time before we had to part ways in the morning. Finally we got up and headed back through the town, thankful for the special walk we were able to share together.

Walk Three

After lunch, my grandfather, Opa, asked me if I wanted to go on a walk with him and my cousin Luis. I agreed, since it was my last day in the country and I wanted to spend some more time with him. We met at the bus stop around two and took the bus up the mountain to a town called Oberschaan. Opa then led us inside a small building which housed a red, self-run cable car. I had never seen one that was self-run before. We got in, closed the door, and Opa pushed the green button that pointed up, and off it went at a slow steady pace up the mountain. We rode over plush green fields, cows, and farm houses as the town of Oberschaan became very small below us. Finally we reached the top and the red cable car slowly glided into the station with fine-tuned precision. We got out of the cable car and Opa put money into a machine that spit out coins that would let us out of the station through a full height turnstile. The air was noticeably cooler at this altitude, but I knew the walk would warm us up. Towards the beginning of the walk we came upon a little playground called Heidi’s Land (the real Heidi-land – yes it is a true story and a real place – is actually a few towns over). There were large, carved figures of Heidi, Peter, and her grandfather, and a miniature cabin, which Luis, who is four, enjoyed climbing in. We stopped to let Luis play a while and have a snack of pears and chocolate, then we were on our way down the mountain to Oberschaan. It was so peaceful walking with Opa in the woods, seeing the mountain ranges over the trees that were looking down at us as we walked down the path. He pointed out trees whose roots had grown around and sometimes through these huge rocks in the side of the mountain; truly a phenomenon of nature. Luis was fascinated by the wild mini strawberries growing by the side of the path. He proceeded to pick and eat them with Opa’s permission. As we came out of the wooded area, we looked upon green fields, farm houses, and the towns below. Every where I looked I wanted to capture with my camera. It was breathtaking. We passed a stream, more fields and farms, some cows, and the pool that my grandfather and his friends used to walk up to and swim in as teenagers in the summer; all the while the town of Oberschaan grew larger in our sight. After a brief rest at a bench under a tree and an intake of more chocolate, we descended into the town of Oberschaan and waited for the bus to take us home. I was glad to have this time with my grandfather and will treasure always the walk through the land in which he grew up.