10 Things We Learned in Switzerland

1. Downhill is harder than uphill.

2. If you're ever in Wengen (village in the Alps), have dinner at Hotel Schoenegg and order the special. We had local venison which is only available for a short time each year. It was divine! (It wasn't chicken-fried nor did it come with gravy)...and order Switzerland Petite Arvine wine.

3. More cowbell is not the solution in every situation.

4. There are exactly two public (laundromat) washing machines and two dryers for the entire Swiss village of Wengen. We packed a picnic and hunkered down there for an evening, because the other thing to note is that ONE wash and dry cycle takes at least 2 hours. Clean clothes should never be taken for granted.

5. There are many, MANY Senior citizens in waaaay better shape than us. We saw septuagenarians and older literally sprinting up and down the mountain trails, hauling groceries up massive inclines, breezing up and down steep stairs. #humblepie

6. Riding the train up to the Jungfraujoch "Top of Europe" from the Kleine Scheidegg station is a not-to-be-missed experience. Go early in the day for less crowds and the best chance of clear skies. (Hint: pack a lunch or snacks because the food available for purchase at the top is expensive and theme park quality at best.)

7. Fresh air can be bottled and sold. Really it can. We saw it being sold in the gift shop of Jungfraujoch in aerosol cans and people were buying it for $30. #brilliant

8. Even if you aren't a chocolate lover (in which case there should be an intervention--we will have a ❤️ to ❤️ soon), you *must* have a taste of Swiss chocolate from a proper, boutique chocolatier shop. Not negotiable. Swiss Chocolate is THE BOMB!

9. You do not have to have a fancy camera (or even be a good photographer) because every single picture taken in the Alps of Switzerland could go in a photo book fit for a coffee table, that's how perfectly picturesque every.single. square.inch of that area is.

10. Switzerland should be at the TOP of your travel list. We have visited some amazing countries with others remaining on our itinerary, but we'd be hard-pressed to believe anything will ever be as beautiful as the Swiss Alps.

**Bonus** 11. There were plenty of goat herders around, but if there are yodelers wandering the Alps then they eluded us.