Bad Herrenalb - Ettlingen

Back in 1972 I used Ettlingen in southwest Germany as a base to go to Austria, Switzerland and France. The image above shows Bad Herrenalb south of Ettlingen. This is at the northern end of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald).
There are some old buildings of note in the town but a higher elevation gives us an even better vantage point. Ettlingen has a streetcar service that takes you into the city of Karlsruhe. City life has its points of interest but I love nature and the mountains the best of all. - V

Carcassonne, France 1972

After my visit to Switzerland in 1972, my next destination on my itinerary was France. I ended up leaving southwestern Germany where I was staying with my half-sister, took a train through Alsace on the way to southern France. This route took me down the Rhone River valley and on to Arles before heading west to Narbonne on the Mediteranean coast. From there I caught a train heading inland to the city of Carcassonne which was my first destination. The old fortified city dates from the time of the Visigoths, a Germanic tribe originating from the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea that settled this area and on south into Spain. The Visigoths left their homeland during the movement of various tribes into what was left of the Roman Empire. The walls were restored in the mid-19th Century. There was a television program that I watched in the early 1960s about a war between the English and the French (Black Prince). Carcassonne was the setting for this program. I was intrigued enough to want to see the place firsthand. Google to find out more!
Here's a view of the typical countryside in southwestern France. It was overcast weather but warm, not ideal weather for taking photos but I did my best.
Here's a view of the castle which I ended up taking a tour through and a view of the River Aude with the old city of Carcassonne in the background.
And what would France be without vineyards!
After my stop in Carcassonne it was off to Paris and then Strasbourg, Alsace in eastern France. I took no photos in Paris (it was pouring rain when I arrived at my hotel on the Rue de Gramont) but I did take a walk the next day in the old streets of Paris before heading off to Strasbourg where I did take quite a few interesting photos. The weather in Paris was starting to get better as I left. Its known for its rainy weather because of its proximity to the English Channel and the weather systems coming off the Atlantic Ocean. You'll see the photos of Strasbourg next. Meantime, enjoy these!! - V

Lauterbrunnental, Switzerland - summer 1972

During my 1972 summer trip to Europe, Switzerland was another destination. In this case it was the Lauterbrunnental (Lauterbrunnen valley) in the Bernese Oberland in central Switzerland. The photos I took show you what the area looked like at that time. Since then, I've heard that the glaciers are receding due to the changes in the global weather patterns. I stayed with a farm family above the village of Lauterbrunnen (elevation 795 meters). I arrived on a Friday. The Saturday was the first full day in the country. In the scene above you see the Staubbach falls which drop 297 meters from the edge of the cliff above. By the time the water hits the ground below it is like a mist, hence the name.
On the Sunday I went on a long hike further up the valley to a cable car station at Stechelberg (960 meters elevation). From there it was by cable car (Seilbahn) to the village of Muerren where the next station was located (1650 meters elevation). Then it was a trek up the Schilthorn mountain to a cable car station at Birg. I had originally wanted to hike all the way up to the summit at 2,973 meters but decided against it due to time limitations. The photo above shows the scene on the walk from Lauterbrunnen to Stechelberg.
From Muerren and on the way up it is possible to see various mountains such as the Jungfrau (4,158.2 meters), the Moench, the Eiger and the Breithorn. As the following images will attest, its a very scenic view from this height.
A view looking south where the elevation is even higher. There are glaciers behind these mountains. The image below was shot near the ski lodge. The area was used as a setting for the James Bond film called "In her Majesty's Service." The entire cable car system and stations was built for the movie by the studio and then given to the Swiss when the filming was done. The filming took place a couple of years before I arrived to view this scene.
Above is the view from the cable car station at Birg looking across the Lauterbrunnen valley toward the Maennlichen in the foreground at 2,343 meters in elevation. Below is another view looking toward the south.
On the way back down to Muerren, I took this shot of a group of farm buildings at Sonnenberg. Monday it was time to return to Interlaken by the narrow gauge railway and then on to Basel and into Germany. Two two photos below show the train (regular gauge) passing through the town of Thun on Thunersee and finally the main railway station in Basel, Switzerland before continuing on to Germany. I planning the itinerary I ended up crossing destinations off my list just because there wasn't enough time or money to see them all. Time was probably the biggest factor. I was only in Europe for seven weeks and had a two month student railpass to get about ($120 at the time through the Germanrail office in NYC). The visit here and to Salzburg set my interest in mountainous environments. Is it any wonder? I hope you have enjoyed the photos! Feel free to ask any questions. - V

Salzburg, Austria

In July 1972 I flew back to Europe for the first time since we left Germany in 1957. One of my many stops was the city of Salzburg in Austria.
There was an excellent vantage point that I found above the old town from where I took a number of photos. I walked there from my hotel which was in a newer part of the city.
There was an excellent view of the surrounding mountains in the Austrian Alps and a view of the countryside.
Then there was the view of the castle, Hohensalzberg!
The image above shows a typical view of a street in the old town. Remember, this was July 1972!
I met up with my former grade 11 German teacher and we drove to the base of a mountain called the Untersberg where we took a cable car (Seilbahn) up to its summit.
I took a photo of her trying to make sense of the telescope and its instructions. Below is an image with a view of Salzburg and the countryside through a break in the clouds. Salzburg was used as a setting for the 1960s movie called "The Sound of Music" starring Julie Andrews as Maria von Trapp and Christopher Plummer as the Baron von Trapp. The film is based upon a true story but the real story is different from what appears in the movie. I hope you've enjoyed the photos! There will be more as I made quite a few other stops on this trip. - V

Buntzen Lake trails

Normally, I start hiking in May and keep going through the summer. With the mini-stroke I had in early May this year, things were delayed but I've done the best I can with the season that is left. Seeing the view from Eagle Bluff last weekend has been inspirational but do some homework before you go out hiking, where ever you are!

Before you go out on a hike, familiarize yourself with the area and the lay of the land. Be sure to dress for the weather. Read about what others have done in the way of hiking. Invest in a topographical map for the area of interest. Be sure to take along some water and something to nibble on. Even a good flashlight can come in handy if your hike is longer than planned. You can find a lot of useful material online that will help keep you from having search and rescue sent out to find you. The trail map above is just one of many. If you do get lost, stay put and call for help! Its a safety issue at that point and may prevent you from getting into some real trouble that'll give the search and rescue people a nightmare! Don't let your ego get you into trouble! Good luck, and stay safe! - V

Note: For those challenged and unable to find their way around the landscape easily, invest in a compass, so that you map can be pointed to the north. Some of us can find our way by the position of the sun during the day and the moon and stars at night. Easily memorizing the landscape is a great help.

If you want to avoid bears, wild cats (such as lynx, bobcats and cougars) and coyotes, avoid hiking when the animals they prey upon are around (at night and in the early morning). True, you won't see deer or rabbits but you won't have a black bear breathing down your neck. If such things are not a concern to you, then carry on! Regardless, be aware of your surroundings!!! - V

Eagle Bluff - photos

Here are some photos of Saturday's hike on Eagle Mountain. The goal was Eagle Bluff which I reached without incident. Enjoy the photos and the scenery! The hiking route took me up the Coquitlam Crunch Trail once again, to a view of the lower mainland and then on to Eagle Bluff. I couldn't have asked for better weather. I plan to post some more photos taken during the beginning of the hike but these will suffice for now. Enjoy!
That's the approach to the bluff above and tread marks in the sand from trail bikes in the photo below.
Here's another beautiful shot of Buntzen Lake above and a shot of the trail from where I came.
The image above looks down to Burrard Inlet and Burnaby Mountain. The photo below shows the top edge of the Eagle Bluff. Its a significant drop down from there.
Finally, this is a shot (above) across the top of a rock found near the edge of the bluff. The view alone was well worth the effort in getting there! - V

view from Eagle Bluff

On Saturday, rather than hike up the mountain I decided to complete the original hike to Eagle Bluff and the view from there of Buntzen Lake was more the worth the effort to get there. More photos are coming as soon as they are edited. Meantime, savour this one! - V