Just returned from an overnight trip to Interlaken. An amazing place. Interlaken is 2 hours by train from Basel, in the "Bernese Oberland". Interlaken is, as the name implies, between two lakes, and it is surrounded by mountains. It is also the gateway to the "Jungfrau region". Jungfrau is the highest mountain in Europe. From Interlaken , you can take a train deeper into the Jungfrau region, operated by "Jungfraubahnen". The trains are an experience themselves. I went to the resort village of Murren. To get there, you take the train from Interlaken Ost (elev. 567m), up to a village called Lauterbrunnen (796m). From Lauterbrunnen you take a short ride on a cable car up to Grustschalp (1487m), and then a train ride to Murren (1634m). Murren itself is a resort village, you can take various ski lifts and cable cars from there and ski back down. The train ride from Grutschalp to Murren is absolutely breathtaking. I have attached a picture, which really doesn't do it justice.

I didn't have time to much more than wander around and sightsee, but there's lots to do there for adults (skiing, paragliding, bungee jumping, hiking) and children (tobagganing, more gentle hikes). Definitely a place that I want to visit again with Andrea and the boys.

One thing about the trip that made an impression on me is the train system in Switzerland. I really don't understand how they do it. The trains go absolutely everywhere (e.g. from Interlaken to Basel, trains depart about every 30 minutes all day long - with some trains you have to make a connection in Bern). The trains are clean, pleasant, and most of all, disturbingly punctual. Every train leaves at precisely the time stated on the schedule. You never have to worry about making a connection, even if you only have 5 minutes between arrival and departure. The first train will arrive exactly when it's supposed to, and the connecting train will leave exactly when it's supposed to. I contrast this to the Via service between Ottawa and Toronto, which has a few trains per day each way, none of which have ever left on time, so far as I know. And to top it all off, if I'm not mistaken the Swiss Federal railway is a profitable private company. In this area anyways, I think we could all learn from the Swiss...