Switzerland, Part 2

The train rolled up the mountain.  I passed a stream.

Soon the valley of Lauterbrunnen lay below me.

The town of Wengen sat beside me.

Sooner still it was behind me.

I passed tree, pasture, stream and mountain.

And I came to a town very near to the top.

I befriended two kids (the kind that are goats).  Why were they sitting there?  Nobody knows.

I also met cows, but they weren't as nice.

Nor was the goat with the slit in his eye.

A train took me down to the Grindelwald side and a gondola up to First.  The light grew much worse, as you can well see.

That's Grindelwald down below.  Although I was wandering first and foremost, my trip up to First had a purpose.  A zipline.  On the mountain.  On the top of the mountain to be more precise.  From behind, the behemoth First Flieger:

It was in some ways lucky that Sophie was tired.  I don't think that she wanted to go on this ride, as I offered to pay for a later return.  She politely declined.  From on top of the ride:

I believe I inquired, "Does anyone die at the end of this ride?"

"Sprechen sie Deutsch?" said the attendant.

"I am totally fucked," said my mind, out loud.

"You'll be fine," said the attendant.

It was a lot like flying, if flying was a lot like sitting in a hammock next to a fan while watching Planet Earth.  From the bottom of the ride:

Those springs that you see are what stop you.  Those springs that you see hurt my back.  Looking back up:

A French man and his daughter sat with me on the Gondola down.  Their accents were enchanting.  I am very sure that they were talking about something important.  How could they not have been?  That's how French works.

Walking back through Grindelwald, I bought Sophie a box of Swiss chocolates.  So ended our first day in Switzerland.