Plans have changed! After a high speed stroll north on the autobahn, we are now in Heidelberg, Germany. This is all thanks to the 10-year wind storm that shook our hotel last night in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. We had planned to go specifically to two places in Switzerland. One of them in called Jungfrau, also known as the "Top of Europe". The other is known as Schilthorn, which is reachable after a 30 minute cable car ride. The Top of Europe is accessible by train and takes about 2 hours to get there from the town we were staying in. The railway was closed at higher elevations yesterday because the wind gusts were too high for the trains to travel safely. We were hoping to be able to go today, but after the windstorm we had last night, we knew it would be questionable. Below is just an internet picture of The Top of Europe that we had hoped to see in person.
Yesterday's winds were strong during the day and they said the gusts at high elevations were strong enough to possibly take a train car off the tracks. It only got worse last night as an intense wind storm blew through the valley we were staying in. Our hotel sustained winds of at least 80+ kilometers per hour and probably stronger. We we told there was no major damage to the hotel but some things blew from the balconies as the wind shook our hotel. After breakfast we spoke to the owner who told us that trees had been blown over at higher elevations and were laying on the railroad tracks that led to The Top of Europe. It didn't look good that we would make it to either of our desired destinations. The hotel owner said she last remembered that type of a windstorm about 10 years ago!
Plan B
After breakfast we did some brainstorming and planning. The hotel was kind enough to let us go early from our scheduled reservations and off we went, headed north with a purpose to make it about 400 kilometers to the City of Heidelberg. It is a very nice city on the Neckar River. When we got here we drove into a very narrow alley and checked in to the Goldene Rose Hotel. The room is extremely nice and quite modern. Our room overlooks a pedestrian only shopping area and we are about 2 blocks from the river.
After getting settled in, we walked to a German restaurant, had a nice meal and hustled back to the hotel in the rain. We will see tomorrow what Heidelberg has to offer and wonder what the Top of Europe and Shilthorn would have been.
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