...from a photographer's notebook
 |
| Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau Massif ©Steve Ember |
I am probably guilty of
some pretty heavy use of the word “serendipity.” But so many of my most fondly remembered
travel experiences – and their associated photographs – would not have happened
were it not for that funny-sounding word sharing the travel see-saw with
careful planning.
Take Switzerland, for example…
Considering my passion for
photographing rugged Alpine settings, it might sound strange that it took me
about 25 years of running hundreds of rolls of Kodachrome, Ektachrome,
Fujichrome, Agfachrome through a bunch of cameras before my first “meeting”
with the Swiss Alps!
And it wasn’t even what
I’d call a well planned visit. Firstly,
the trip in 1988 was shorter than my typical European visits – I think it was
only eight days in length. The intent
was to visit Paris for a few days, and then ride the TGV for the
first time, to make my first visit to Switzerland.
The time in Paris kept getting extended for reasons that are best
briefly summed up by that old expression “Cherchez
la femme!” Well, la femme turned
out not to be as interested in cherchez-ing moi, and I realized if I was going to
see Switzerland at all, I’d best allez-myself-en,
tout-de-suite.
As I was doing some
photography of the vicinity around the Paris Opéra, I noticed a Swiss Government
Travel Office. Let’s call that Serendipity No. 1, not for its discovery, but
for what occurred inside.
With great embarrassment,
I explained to the gentleman my plight – namely that I now had only a short
time left on my trip for a visit to Switzerland, that I had to be back in Paris
in two days for my return flight, and that I was in need of guidance as to the
best way to accomplish this in a way that would provide the best introduction
in terms of Alpine photography.
I mentioned he was a gentleman. Without making me feel like
the inept travel planner I knew I was guilty of being at that moment, he
suggested Interlaken as being the best target, for its central location
amidst some quite impressive Alpine sights.
Honoring my desire to experience the high-speed TGV, he worked out my
rail itinerary, TGV from Paris
to a little spot called Frasne, where I’d board a Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) train to Bern. Transfer at Bern to another train for the short trip to Interlaken.
My Swiss advisor told me
that, at that time of year, late September, there’d be no problem finding a
hotel in Interlaken and that there were many lodgings in close proximity to the
centrally located main station, Interlaken-West – where I’d get off.
Now the trip from Bern to Interlaken starts to get very scenic at Thun. From there,
through Spiez and on to Interlaken, it closely follows the lovely Thunersee (Lake Thun). And as we sped along, I began to see those impressive Swiss Alps in
the distance.
The SBB car in which I was riding had those “pull-down”
windows that make a photographer’s heart leap in rapture. My fellow passengers seemed not to mind, so I
was a happy camper with my new Canon EOS-620 auto-focus SLR, purchased for just such applications, as well as
my trusty Nikons.
So involved was I in my
photography that, as we rolled into Interlaken-West, I realized there’d not be
enough time to put my gear away, gather up my bags, and disembark. But that was OK, as I knew the train would
terminate at a station called Interlaken-Ost (East), just a few minutes down
the track at the other end of town, and I’d not run the risk of forgetting any
of my belongings in the haste of rushing to get off. And, besides, I could take
a taxi back to where all the hotels were.
And now, for Serendipity No.2…
I knew nothing about
Interlaken-Ost station other than it being the end of the line for my
train. I had no idea that, in addition
to it being the terminus for the
standard gauge mainline, it was a magical gateway
for the narrow gauge trains that call at villages along the Brienzer-See (Lake
Brienz) on their way to the Brünig Pass and Luzern…or meander through the
mountain valleys and provide access to the higher mountain villages, and even
the Jungfraujoch at some 11,000 feet worth of altitude.
Nor did I know that the
view from Interlaken-Ost was not only a colorful assortment of trains and
rolling stock I’d never before seen (yes, I am a rail-fan if you hadn’t already
surmised), but that the station sits in the shadow of the mighty Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau
massif.
I in fact had no idea that
towering mass of semi-cloud wrapped Alpine majesty was the mighty triad that
dominates the Jungfrau-Region of the Bernese Alps.
What I remember feeling, however, was this sense of wonderment at finally
coming face to face with those Swiss Alps.
So, between photographing the
colorful assortment of mainline and narrow gauge mountain trains at this busy
station, as well as those towering peaks, I suppose an hour or more had slipped
by, and I still had not snagged a hotel room for my stay in Interlaken.
As I contemplated whether
to find a taxi or walk back to the central part of Interlaken, I began to pay a bit more attention to the charming
looking rose colored building that stood just across the street from the
station.
Serendipity No.3…
It was a hotel…right there
at the station, and it certainly looked inviting, to say nothing of
convenient. The sign said Hotel du Lac. And a room was available. This was my first taste of that wonderful
friendly and efficient Swiss hospitality I’d heard about. My comfortable room
was a train- and mountain lover’s dream as it gave a higher viewpoint of the
activity at Interlaken-Ost as well as those imposing mountains I’d admired from
track-side.
One I’d freshened up, I
went downstairs to speak to the friendly folks who had checked me in and get
some guidance as to the best ways to spend my too brief first visit to the Alps. The Hotel du Lac is owned and operated by the Hofmann family, and
Herr Hofmann could not have been more helpful in helping me plan some good
itineraries based on my railroading and Alpine photography interests.
For that afternoon, he
suggested I relax with a nice meal in their restaurant overlooking the Aare River and then to take the late afternoon cruise on Lake Brienz, which would depart from the hotel’s dock. It was one of those
perfect late September afternoons, and I followed his suggestions, including
getting off the lake steamer at Brienz to ride up the Rothorn mountain on the
Brienzer Rothornbahn train, and then return to Interlaken on the narrow gauge
line that follows the shore of the Brienzersee.
The next day was just as
photo-perfect, allowing a higher-altitude visual feast – the first visit to
Mürren – and Piz Gloria!
The village of Mürren sits at an altitude of 5,400 feet, on a mountain ledge, high above
the Lauterbrunnen Valley. The valley floor is 2,624 below.
Mürren is traffic-free – as in: you
can’t get there by automobile. The only
wheeled conveyances are electric vehicles for transporting luggage to and from
the hotels…and little red wagons, so kids can transport groceries.
There are but two ways to
reach Mürren, assuming you’re not a hawk. I’ve tried them both (on different
visits), and I recommend them both!
On this first visit, the itinerary was the
Berner-Oberland-Bahn narrow gauge train from Interlaken-Ost, via Wilderswil, to
Lauterbrunnen. From the Lauterbrunnen
station, one boards an incline railway (funicular) train for the (maximum 60%
gradient!) climb up to Grütschalp. Well,
at least that’s what was there in 1988, the time of my first visit. The funicular was, shall we say, rustic, but
rustic in a Swiss way (read: noisy and not terribly comfortable, but entirely
safe). Since then, however, the steep
rocky slope into which the incline cog-rail tracks were set was deemed
unstable, mandating the end of the funicular, in favor of an aerial cableway
covering the same distance. I can only imagine the cable car giving even more
impressive views of the Alpine splendor than were possible when riding the
funicular, and I intend to try it on my next visit.
The third stage of this
journey is from Grütschalp to Mürren via narrow gauge electric railcar of the Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Mürren (BLM), although a hike along this plateau ledge affords numerous
views of the rugged peaks of the Berner Oberland if you’d prefer to carefully
set up your shots. And if you should tire along the way, there is a mid-point
station for the railway at Winteregg.
I mentioned there are two
ways to get up to Mürren. The other is
the breathtaking Schilthorn Bahn cable car ascent from Stechelberg, also in the
Lauterbrunnen Valley. Stechelberg can be reached
from the Lauterbrunnen train station by Post Bus. It’s just a short ride from Lauterbrunnen,
and these buses are coordinated with the train schedules such that, if you
can’t get there by train, the bus will get you there, and there’s usually a bus
leaving within minutes of your train’s arrival. As the large and comfortable
cable car begins its ascent from Stechelberg, I know you’ll be smiling.
Here is a photo taken on a
subsequent visit capturing the enchanting Winter Wonderland view of the Lauterbrunnen Valley from the intermediate station at Gimmelwald. Just had to come back
and see that rugged Alpine splendor in Winter’s lovely dress. See why I love the Schilthorn Bahn?
That same Schilthorn Bahn will take you high above Mürren to –
where else? – the top of the Schilthorn, perhaps better known from a certain
James Bond movie as Piz Gloria. More on
that destination in a bit. (Bring your appetite along!)
Back to Mürren, where the
view across the valley is stunning. That
same majestic Eiger-Mönch-Jungfrau Massif I’d admired from my window at the
Hotel du Lac and the platforms of Interlaken-Ost station takes on another
dimension when viewed from higher up, along Mürren’s main street or from one of
the hotel terraces looking out over the Lauterbrunnen Valley.
Mürren lies north-to-south
on that aforementioned mountain ledge.
If one is merely visiting for the day, it would make sense to arrive via
the Lauterbrunnen-Grütschalp-BLM
connection and to depart via the Schilthorn Bahn cable car back down to the
valley floor at Stechelberg, Post Bus back to Lauterbrunnen for the train
connections to Interlaken or other points in the Berner Oberland. But…if you
ride the Schilthorn Bahn cable car only between Mürren and Stechelberg, you
will miss half (or more!) of the breathtaking vistas of the Berner Oberland,
including the view from the terrace at Piz Gloria at 9,744 feet…or the hearty deftig fare in the revolving restaurant,
which presents a 360 degree view of the surrounding peaks in the span of an
hour. And, yes, there is something, oh,
romantic about enjoying that “stirred, not shaken” Martini with your meal as
you glide ever so slowly past the window that says “007” while savoring the
breathtaking (Have I used that word too often? I offer no apology!) panorama of
Swiss Alpine grandeur.
If anything I’ve written
implies Mürren is merely a day-part excursion, that is not my intent. I relate merely the experiences of my first
visit and a subsequent brief return with some friends. My intention is to
experience Mürren again for at least a few days, staying in one of her inviting
hotels, so as to take in – and photograph – the mountains in all their moods,
from sunrise to Alpenglow.
Naturally, the D-SLR will be at hand, but those 20 rolls of
Kodachrome-25 in my freezer, as well as a similar number of rolls of Agfa-Pan
25 black and white deserve something really special to excite their
fine-grained emulsions, especially the K-25 that the one remaining Kodachrome lab
(in the world!) will stop processing at the end of 2010. Seems this is the time for that hoped for
return to my beloved Swiss Alps…including that little mountain gem called Mürren.
Labels: Berner Oberland, Hotel du Lac, Interlaken, Mürren, Switzerland
The more years I spend on the planet, the more I marvel at the capacity of the human brain (well, at least mine) to store major amounts of trivial information, bordering on the useless…until such time, that is, when it just might morph into being useful (in a crazy sort of way).
fellow photographer, and I were wandering through the inviting cobblestone streets of the town of Bad Mergentheim. I was concentrating on architectural features, timber-framed houses and such…when a cute little tabby cat came scurrying across the cobblestones and leapt up onto a stone wall, close to where I was standing, and peered back at me as if to say, “Here’s your next Kitty picture.”
fellow photographer, and I were wandering through the inviting cobblestone streets of the town of Bad Mergentheim. I was concentrating on architectural features, timber-framed houses and such…when a cute little tabby cat came scurrying across the cobblestones and leapt up onto a stone wall, close to where I was standing, and peered back at me as if to say, “Here’s your next Kitty picture.”
