Press enter after choosing selection

In The Swiss Mountains

In The Swiss Mountains image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
October
Year
1895
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Dear Mr. Editor : We found as much that was truly S iss Ín our ride to Berne as iu all the rest oí our wanderlngs. There are numberless taverns along the roadside wlth their queer signs, whicb. seem to dedícate them to the Liion, to the Bear, the Sword or Crown. Beneath the far-projecting rooi is a wooden image of a Golden Lion or Brown Bear, or some liideous Dragon Whlch asserts 1he right to the name adopted. Every one seems to have lil.s place of business and residence uuited, and we find the cobbler, the tiuner and varloua tradesmen all working in their own cottages. Xhen there are the makers of a 1,000 toys and knicknacks of pino wood, worklug industriously at lióme. Xhey have the blocks of wood pi led up artistically in front oí the house fceeath the sunbonnet roof and at tlie dcor is nailed a liumble sign telling tbeir vocation. Mding amid mountains is delightful. When we are weary, there is ahvays a clean, grassy plot where wo lie down by a stream and allow tlje babbling brook to talk us to sleep. There is nothing so conducive to slumber as a long bicycle ride and one of these lulling, whispering streamlets, Then the abundanee of o.herries and har vost apples is not unpleasant. We tried to keep a railroad in sight during this ride but it was a veritable will-o-the-hvisp and at t imes would dodge straight into the side of the mountain and re-appear again, toasingly, after we had a long ride around. I nearly forgot the iuteresting feature in architecture which give a Swiss house 60 windows in the front. Tlie gable end is the front and when the roof lias made it srnajestic sweep to either side and sits brooding over 60 windows, theie is a decidedly startling effect. The Swiss like effects such as a brown or yellow field of grain, stretched ujion a green mountain side where it looks like a huge, tawny Hon's But you have been waiting ïor me to reach Berne. We reached that city just as the suu was descending and tlie Alpine glow was beautifyiug all the glorious mountain scenery. Berne, city of niany fountains ; built on a sandstone peninsular formed by the Aar ; its streets flanked by arcades or covered ways for foot passengers ; city where is the g rotesque old clock with the crowing cock and procession of bears. The bear is the city's emblem and a bear's den is niaintained at the city's expense. The old bridge across the Aar af fords a fine view of oíd and new municipal buildings. But I can't make you nee those queer old structures so I sbali hurry you along to the old city of Freiburg wliich we reached be.ore noon the following day. We saw it first from a suspension bridge, 200 ieet above a alrge part of the city. Down far below, Uie tile roofs and streets with moving streams of people appeared strange euough. At each end of the 'bridge was part of the town on the bridge level. Altogether the oddest town we had seim. An old lime tree, there, has a pleaspleasing legend attached tkat it was originally a twig borne to the city by a lad to herald the victory oí Moraf. After leaving the ancient -.valls and passing near an old, round watch toi er, we rode eagerly under the iuspiring thought of soon seeing Lake Geueva. The approach is a superb mountain district where stupendous heights, abrupt precipices and beetling clifïs gave and took our breath in alternating awe, admiration and honor. At one time, we rode into a deep valley filled with a Jread inspiring mist, soon we were iaced by au almost perpendicular immensily of rock. I knew then tliat Dante did not imagine the depths of heil luit he had seen them in inountain fastnesses. The mist rolled away and mats of forests, mats of wheat and vegetable fields lay upon the mountain side. Aliead was a bare, snow-clad mountain and as we round6.1 a cliff, Lake Geneva lay before us far below. The first sight stopped the beatiug ol my heart. ïhe sudden .bursf; of transcendent beauty is marvellous. Tlie blue of the lake sheds a blue haze over the mountains of the opposite side. Green hills rolled away from our place of view down to the water's edge. Vevey and otter small cities lay white and glisteniDg at the lake side. The blue ol Lako leeman is a Kiver of Paradise blue. "We coasted rapidly down into the very bosom of loveliness. Zigzag went the road and now we turned our eyes to our right, now !eft apon the majestic charms of the lake. At last we were by its side and it was lovely as before with the added grace of lake birds, the swans, gulls and sea swallows. "What names this lake conjures with its beauty. Rousseau, Voltaire, Byron, Dumas and Shelley have all woveu a poetic woof and puiuted it8 deep blue enchantments thei-e. So niany jagged, snowy peaks rise about it. The fierce jJent a;i Midi, the sacharrine Sugar Loaf, the rocks of Meillerie and the Pleides al) win admiration. "We rode along the lake shore and passed the Hotels with their Elysium modeled gardens and we saw the dingy old Castle of Chillón on its isolated rock and tried to fancy Bonivard peering from his dungeon. Then up the Bhone valley whero we passed the night at St. Maurice, a little, old tovvn with a big, old abbey, oldest in Switzerl.ind. lts o!d-time hospitality is no more ; they wouldn't let us stay all night. There is a fairy grotto near. The owner gets 2 francs for exhibiting tlie fairies and a cascade. , It was co!d, bitterly cold, when we gtarted next morning. Not even enthusiasm could warm us when we saw tlnough a lateral vallcy the snowydonned Mt. Blanc. The spray of a cascade whirh we passed only made us more chilly. The Iïhone valley is low and marshy but with a gigantls range of mountains on both sides. A turn in the valley revealed the iirst rays of the sun and as the valley runs east and west, thereafter we were warm enough. The vegetation began to be rankly luxuriant. Apples, plvms, apricots, peaches and all ripe and in easy reach as we ride by, is my remembrance and dream of that ride. Eveiyone carries a basket balanced upon the hetid and the women all knit. industriously as they walk along with laden baskets. The lower siopes ol the great parallel mountain ranges have vineyards and vegetable plots -but high above all is bare rocks, snow and solitude. Agaiu and again the valley seems b'oeked by a Cyclopean rock surmounted by a castle and wall. Sometime.s there is a break in the continuous wall where a turbid stream rushes through a gorge to Joln the Hboue Tlio outer tube on the rear wheel of my bicycle bursts regularly once a day now and we sit down resignedly to wind one more piece of leather old tire about it. The chances of a puncture are small because ihere is a doublé alyer of outer wrapping at nearly every point iu the circumfereuce. The old ship is getting unseaworthy but we shall not abandon her while patches will keep her up. TFo had just finished one of these reparations when a crowd of young men with alpenstocks appeared and we recognized them as the old crowd on the "Veendam." Truly, the world is not very large. We exchanged greetings and they askeil in astoni hni ent. ü' we were real!y go ing up the p;;sü among the glacierB wiüi iliote 1 leyóles. Wc answered by índding [ tl cm goodbye and wheeüng on toI u-d Brieg wliere the great pass i.ciiins to ascend. I'e.ore ïeaching Iïriet; we made a purchase oL a jnait of luscions motintain. trawberries for aboilt - cents. Jlore about vliem later ; at present, remember tliat we put tliem carelully in my case. Upon I oxxr arrival at Brieg, we were urrounded and harassed ly a erowd ol hotel drummers lio assured us that ;it that hour :G p. m.) it was impossible and absurd to .start over the SlmpLom. We, ha!ï in wrath beeause or their importunities, and hall in spirit of adventure, pushed ihe too euger rnoo aside, bought a loaf of brcacï and started up the pass, walking and pushing our wheels.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier