Interlaken, Switzerland

   We said final goodbyes at the Garmisch train station to Vonda Vensel and her kids, Max and Madi Barton.  They were heading off to other adventures while we were heading to Interlaken.
   The countryside through Bavaria, Austria and into Switzerland  was beautiful.  We stopped briefly in Innsbruck, Austria to change trains. We changed trains 3 times and made our connections on time without incident.  Pretty good for us!
    The lakes are a beautiful greenish blue...typical glacier melt color.  We pulled into Interlaken  about two and quickly found a taxi.  He knew  where Manor Farms was located and 30 Euros later, we pulled into our campground on the lake and our little 2 bedroom camper.  We are  in a spot amongst many campers, tents and trailers closely parked all around.    Fortunately we barely have one neighbor,  so, honestly,  this might be the quietest place we have ever rented!  We have finally acheived "trailer trash" status!  Ha Ha!
      After we got settled, we took a walk down by the lake and sat down at an outside table overlooking the lake and surrounding mountains.  This nice restaurant  had a menu that would raise the eyebrows of a rich man!  Prices were staggering!      A small steak was $35.  My iced tea was cheaper than Debby's water.  Our chef salads were like $23.00...nothing special except the  high price.  My "iced" tea (a loose term because Europeans do not do ice) tea was $4.00 while Ron, Nancy and Debby had water, which cost  $4.50 each.  We skipped the $12 desserts!
   With Switzerland's minimum wage at $25/hr., everything's bound to be expensive!
 We took a boat ride into West Interlaken this morning and walked around checking out the town.  We ate lunch at McDonald's, where I had a Big Mac combo for another $14.00.  But enough about expenses.
   We caught the Cog Train  at Harder Bahn  and crawled up a steep mountain, called Harder Klum,  overlooking all Interlaken.   Not much on top except a couple of snack shops,  souvineers and a viewing platform that jutted out sharply over the edge.
   Interenlaken is a beautiful city of shops, cafes, restaurants, hotels and tourists. The park is also a favorite landing spot for Paragliding and Hang Glider enthusiasts who launch from the nearby mountains.
   There were many Muslim  tourists...some riding in huge, black, Mercedes SUV's.   
   We took a taxi.
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