Day 3: Mürren, Switzerland - Recovering from Jet Lag

Monday, July 3, 2023

Mürren, Switzerland

@hanstullmann Day 3: Mürren, Switzerland - Recovering from Jet Lag https://bit.ly/Day3JetLag #TullmannTravels #Switzerland2023Tullmann ♬ Good Day - Nappy Roots

 

@hanstullmann Day 3: Mürren, Switzerland - Recovering from Jet Lag Https://bit.ly/Day3JetLag #TullmannTravels  #Switzerland2023Tullmann ♬ Sunrise - Official Sound Studio

After a restless night of sleeping, we awoke in another world.  We looked out the window and could hardly believe what we were seeing. 

We stayed in the small town of Mürren, Switzerland.  Nestled snugly on the side of a mountain, this town is only accessible by cable car and train.  It's a car-free village with a population of 400 residents, but over 2000 hotel beds available for tourists.

Our small apartment overlooked the main street of Mürren.

Hotels are the main building type, along with restaurants and stores.  

We planned to take today as a rest day to recover from our 24 hours of travel. 

After buying groceries at the local store, Jonas and I took a stroll and admired some of God’s amazing creations. 

We went to a coffee shop tucked in a sports store called, Intersports. It’s Australian owned and the daughter started the coffee bar last December. 

After going back to the apartment, eating breakfast, and caffeinating with Alina, we walked together through Mürren enjoying the cool morning air. 

We discovered another coffee shop called, “Cafe Liv” and got more coffee.  The coffee was good.  A solid 7 out of 10.

Jonas challenged me to a game of chess and I obliged.  We took to battle on a giant chess board.

I hoped the mountains would inspire an easy victory against a 6-year-old, but alas, not only was I Jojo’s dominating opponent, but also his dedicated chess coach.  This gave him a competitive edge, as I coached better than I played. 

We wrapped up the game before I could come back with a vengeance.

We took time to take in the mountains.

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth." 

Psalms 121:1-2

This is our little Airbnb, a home away from home for 6 nights in Mürren.  

Jonas felt adventurous and wanted to ride on the cable car, so we took two down to the valley of Lauterbrunnen.

We stopped at the Lauterbrunnen train station to get another perspective of the massive valley and mountains. 

Jonas is an outstanding little traveling companion.  He can bring on the child-like wonder out of all he’s around and brings levity in many situations.  However, even travels have limits and Jonas would find his many times throughout the trip. 

This is a picture of one of my favorite things in Switzerland.  In big cities and mountain villages, you can find these drinking fountains or water troughs that supply clean, fresh, cold spring water.  It brings back so many great memories of finishing long hikes and quenching our thirst and faces with these cold fountains. The water is safe, fresh, cold, and best of all free!  

It reminds me of when Jesus was talking to the woman by the well, 

comparing earthly water with spiritual life in Christ, 

“Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”  John 4:13-14

After my recent experiences at a silent retreat, this water is truly refreshing to my soul. 

After meandering around Lauterbrunnen, we returned to Mürren via another cable car and a train (all free thanks to the Berner Oberland pass).

Mürren has a few water fountains along the main road where. we would refill our water bottles. 

Retro poster art can be found all over these mountain villages, showing a time and style from long ago.

We decided to have our first real Swiss meal at a restaurant called, “Stägerstübli” in Mürren.

I had refrained from drinking for the last part of June and was happy to break the fast with a Weizenbier (Hefeweizen).  This beverage also gave me nostalgic memories of hikes.  

I order the beef stroganoff with fries.

Alina had the pork in wine sauce with vegetables.

Overall, it was a very restful day, but at night we still dealt with jetlag, Jonas coughing, and restless sleep... but tomorrow, we would embark on one of the most epic adventures our family had encountered.