The Long and Winding Road

When we left Rapperswil, GLH headed for the hills. The foothills of the Alps, that is. Which means that they are actually mountains in their own right.

After all, a new car is just a really big, really expensive gadget. And there is no point in having all-wheel drive if you never use it.

So off we went. And we began to steadily ascend. At first it was quite pleasant and I was enjoying the view. But soon the two-way, two-lane road became a two-way, one-lane road. When we would occasionally meet another car, one driver would need to manuever as far onto the shoulder as possible to let the other car pass. Or, if there was inadequate shoulder, one car would need to back up until there was.

Eventually the switch backs started to happen. It seemed to me as if we were mere inches from the edge of an alarming drop to our certain death.

When the two-way, one-lane PAVED road became a two-way, one-lane GRAVEL road with increasing perilous drops I put my foot down.

I'm just a simple Midwestern girl from the Prairie. And did I mention that I am completely and totally terrified of heights? There is really only so much I can handle.

I'm sorry to say that I cannot show you any photos of the really scary parts. Mostly because I was clenching the armrests, trying not to look down and periodically hissing at GLH to "slow down!" and "keep away from the edge!" And getting increasingly angry when GLH laughed at me!

It's hard to use a camera when one is in that state.


But here is one I took before I reached that level of near-hysteria.



That windy road you see in the middle of the photo is the road we were still driving. But further down and many switch-backs away.

By the way, at every level we reached there were farmhouses. I have concluded that the people who live up there must be a tad crazy. You would have to be when you have a yard you could accidentally fall off and die!