Google Map

Despite my misgivings on the way up the valley, the village of Sonogno was worth every hairpin corner. Dating back to 1200, Sonogno is the last village on the paved road in the Valley Verzasca. All motor vehicles are required to park at the entrance to the village. It is located at an elevation of 918 m (3,012 ft). The large parking area charged CHF10 for any 24-hour period. We joined several other campers taking advantage of shady trees and the clean restrooms. At $10.70 a night, it was a good deal.

The area is famous for its many hiking trails. Some wander down the beautiful river through the valley. Others climb into the mountains where there are several Alp Huts allowing hikers to carry only their bare necessities for overnight stays. We chose a trail leading downstream for several miles. There were some wonderful picnic spots and some beautiful pools in the river. Crystal-clear waterfalls cascaded down cliffs. We wished we had brought our bathing suits. Summer flowers carpeted hillsides. Sturdy suspension bridges crossed the river when necessary. The good news was that at the end where we stopped, we simply walked up to the next village and took the Postal Bus back to the top.

The region is also famous for its wines, cheeses, breads and sausages. On our last evening we hiked up to a small Grotto near a waterfall. We ordered sample plates of all the local meats and cheeses. Wine in this, the Italian part of Switzerland, is sometimes sipped from small pottery cups called “tazzin” or “boccalino” depending on their shape.

The unique stacked rock construction of the houses using materials available is marvelous. Many of the older homes in the back country have been abandoned. A few have been converted to guesthouses for tourists. The local museum gives a good impression of how these people lived in this remote area. A community oven in Sonogno bakes fresh bread twice a month in the traditional way.

Back in camp, we continue to enjoy our little Weber Go-Anywhere BBQ. No waiting for coals to reach the right temperature. Weber’s Flavorizer System distributes heat evenly across the cooking surface and virtually eliminates flame flare-ups caused by dripping grease. Works nearly as good as our big Weber at home.

With most of Europe taking their vacations, the traffic on the main highways was horrendous. We opted for the old narrow road over the San Bernardino Pass, 6778 feet, to return to Wiesendangen. It wasn’t the ideal route for a truck as big as ours. Many corners had to be backed up to get around, but the scenery was spectacular.

Wine in this, the Italian part Switzerland, is sometimes sipped from small pottery cups called “tazzin”.

Many of the homes in town have been carefully restored.

The unique stacked rock construction of the houses using materials available is marvelous.

A few of the older homes in the backcountry have been converted to guesthouses for tourists.

Sturdy suspension bridges crossed the river when necessary.

Hiking trails were well marked and there were nice picnic areas.

Beautiful pools in the river and crystal-clear waterfalls cascaded down cliffs. We wished we had brought our bathing suits.

The local museum gave a good impression of how these people lived in this remote area. All cooking was done on an open fireplace.

A community oven bakes fresh bread twice a month in the traditional way.

We continue to enjoy our little Weber Go-Anywhere BBQ. Weber’s Flavorizer System distributes heat evenly across the cooking surface and virtually eliminates flame flare-ups caused by dripping grease.

Early summer flowers were in full bloom.

Heading back to Wiesendangen, we drove the old serpentine road over the 6,778-ft San Bernardino Pass. Exciting but more lock-to-lock hairpin turns than even the Gotthard.

Google Map

We were in 6:00 o’clock stop-and-go rush hour, worse than Los Angeles, when we spotted a big MIGROS shopping center. MIGROS is sort of like a quality Super Market/Department Store, except they close Monday through Friday at 6:30 PM, Saturday at 4:30 and Sunday, they are closed all day (Government law). The parking lot proved to be a safe over-nighter, and fuel was about normal price: CHF.1.87 or if you must know, $7.08 a gallon.

Looking at the legend on our excellent Hallwag Swiss map, we saw there are six types of roads: Motorways, Motorways under construction, (which most of them are), Dual Carriageways, Primary Roads, Main/Secondary Roads and Minor Routes/Tracks/Footpaths. OK, the “road” up the Verzasca Valley in the southern Kanton (State) of Ticino was a Main/Secondary Road. Sounded fine. No mention was made of the one-lane alleys twisting through villages, hairpin corners, hairpin corners inside dark tunnels, (Give me a break!! There should be an amusement ride here.), and overhanging cliffs.

No problem. I’m getting better at this type of “road”. If you have at least 5 inches of clearance between you and the oncoming truck or car, you don’t even slow down. The biggest vehicle has the right of way, even if going downhill. You simply put the driver’s side tire on the center line and on-coming traffic will move over. (A trick an Austrian truck driver told me.) There are now permanent imprints from my fingers on the steering wheel.

I did steal an occasional quick glance at the scenery and there were some turnouts and view areas. The beautiful stone bridge in Lavertezzo was worth a stop, and we had to walk out on the now-famous Verzasca Dam. And no, we did not do the James Bond 722-foot bungee jump. We decided it would be a good idea to have water at the bottom if we ever do a jump. Our destination was the village of Sonogno at the end of the “road”, hopefully with both mirrors intact.

A big MIGROS Shopping Center gave us a good escape from the stop-and-go rush hour traffic.

Diesel was about normal price: CHF1.87 or if you must know, $7.08 a gallon. It up to $7.38 now, since all of Europe is on vacation.

This is a “main secondary road”. Our driveway is wider!

The beautiful stone bridge in Lavertezzo was worth a stop.

The aqua blue river flowing down the Verzasca Valley is startlingly clear.

We saw the Verzasca Dam on the way up and knew it must be the one used in the James Bond film, Golden Eye.

We decided it would be a good idea to have water at the bottom if we ever do a jump.

Switzerland. In German: Schweiz, in French: Suisse, in Italian: Svizzera and in Romansh: Svizra. These are the four native languages spoken, depending on the geographical area. Officially the name is Swiss Confederation, in Latin: Confoederatio Helvetica, hence its abbreviation CH. A land locked country in the European Alps, 15,950 sq mi and with a population of 8 million, it borders Germany to the north, France to the west, Italy to the south and Austria & Lichtenstein to the east.

The oldest traces of hominid existence in Switzerland date back about 150,000 years and the oldest known farming settlements have been dated to around 5300 BC.

Augusta Raurica was the first Roman settlement on the Rhine river, founded in 44 BC. It is now among the most important archaeological sites in Switzerland.

The Old Swiss Confederacy was an alliance among the valley communities of the central Alps. The Confederacy facilitated management of common interests and ensured peace on the important mountain trade routes including the Gotthard Pass. The Federal Charter of 1291 agreed between the rural communes of Uri, Schwyz, and Unterwalden (around Lake Lucerne) is considered the confederacy’s founding document, even though similar alliances are likely to have existed decades earlier. The document was signed “the beginning of August, 1291”, and now it is August 1 that Switzerland celebrates its Independence Day.

The “Bundesbrief” dated “the beginning of August 1291”, is considered Switzerland’s founding document.

All communities are decorated with Swiss flags and most homes will display little flags & lanterns and red candle lit cups on the window sills. Bakeries sell special August 1 breads decorated with mini Swiss flags.

August 1, 2013: Every village, town or city has their own, though similar, local tradition. Wiesendanger folks gather on the school’s recreation area (or in the gym if it rains). In the evening, the two churches ring for 15 min. with all their bells in festive union. There is a speech by the major or another prominent person, gymnastic clubs perform and local choirs sing. Brass bands or accordions play folk music. The National Hymn is sung. Bratwurst or Cervelat (the national sausage) served with mustard and a slice of bread are eaten. Of course, there is always beer and wine….

After dark, the children light their lampions (lanterns) which they carry proudly on a short stick. Fireworks entertain the crowd and at the end, everyone wanders up to the huge bond fire on the hill. These “Augustfeuer” (August fires) have a special spot in every Swiss’ heart. Most likely, an ancient tradition. It is particularly spectacular in the mountains where you can see many Augustfeuer on mountain tops and hills all up and down the valleys.

Bakeries sell August 1 bread decorated with tiny Swiss flags.

Every house is decorated with Swiss flags and red candle lit cups.

Google Map

The weather was finally looking like Summertime, so we took advantage of it to make a little mini-tour of places we hadn’t seen for a long time and some we had never visited. Driving south, our first destination was the famous Gotthard Pass. Historically the St. Gotthard Pass has played a critical role in the history of Switzerland and of Europe. There are tunnels and freeways now that make it easier, but really, the best way to see the Gotthard Pass is to drive the old cobblestone serpentine road called the Tremola (on the South side) that was built back in 1830. It replaced a path that was in use since 1200. We had followed this road twice before, once in our BMW, (The Ultimate Driving Machine), and again in a small motorhome for a story we researched for Motorhome Magazine. It’s a beautiful road. I did have to back up on a couple of corners, but there is very little traffic during the week.

At the top of the Gotthard Pass, we wild camped in front of the small lake. The second reason of our stop was to visit the new museum and display called SASSO SAN GOTTARDO. Back in 1942, during World War II, the Swiss realized they needed to protect themselves more effectively. Part of their goal was to save its core, Central Switzerland, should the Germans or the Italians decide to attack. High above on the rocky cliffs of the Gotthard Pass, (called Sasso da Pigna) an amazing maze of tunnels and caverns were dug in record time to house a small army and an array of artillery that could reach 15 km (the Italian border) away with accuracy. The fortification was active until 1998. The gun placements are still there and as a historical monument today, you can tour much of the existing facility.

The lower part has been converted to a fascinating themed Exhibition centered on Sustainability and how Water, Weather & Climate, Mobility & Living Space, Energy & Security relate to your day-to-day life. There are also giant crystals from the Planggenstock on display. Inside the mountain, the temperature is 18°C (64.4°F).

From the Exhibition, a 400-meter long tunnel takes you to a tramway (or 400 steps) that brings you up to the actual defense facilities including the big 15-cm, (6-in) guns, still poking out of the side of the cliffs. They are hard to spot from the outside even when you know they’re there. The 8,000 m2 (86,100 sq. ft./1.97 acre) facility including a small hospital was totally self-contained and capable of supporting itself for at least three months: Power, water, food and heat with no visible steam or smoke to the outside.

As the website explains:

A tour of the historic fortifications is an experience in its own right. It leads not through a museum, but rather through a completely preserved, real world from the past. You are literally entering history, and experiencing it as a concrete reality.

This journey through time will enable you to explore the roots of the values that, to this day, constitute the fundamental elements of the way Switzerland views itself: independence, cultural autonomy and self-reliance. The encounter with history highlights the historic distance to the answers of earlier times and, in so doing, adds an extra dimension to the themed exhibition, with its focus on the issues of today and tomorrow.

We could hardly believe that we emerged out of the tunnel five hours later!

We had camped here before, so we knew exactly where to park overlooking the small lake at the top of the pass.

Among many exhibits inside the new museum, the Crystal Room holds some of the largest crystals ever found.

High on the sheer cliffs, artillery guns are still poking out of their self-contained fortifications.

From the inside, the 15-cm, (6-in) guns look ready to fire.

Outside, the barrels of the big guns are difficult to spot from below.

With a range of 15 km, (10 miles), they were state-of-the-art at the end of WW II.

The Gotthard Pass was a 6,909-foot wall of rock that became the main north-south route into central Switzerland and remains so even today.

The historic cobblestone Tremola was a feat of engineering in 1830 and is still our favorite pass in Switzerland.

Yes, in July, there is still snow on the Gotthard Pass!

Even the center lane is cobble stone on the Tremola road.

The famous Tremola Gorge is not for the faint of heart. The Turtle V had to back up on a couple of corners. Sorry to say, it has the turning radius of a battle ship.

As the most important North-South route in Switzerland, traffic thorough the tunnel can be horrific. Glad we were headed the other direction.

Following side roads, which we prefer to the more hectic autobahns, with their white-knuckle 250 km/h (155 mph) Audi A8s, (420 hp/0-100 in 5.8 sec), practicing for the Le Mans 24 Hour Race and the screaming bugs–in-their-teeth fat-tire Ducati crotch-rockets, we visited the town of Einsiedeln to see the beautiful Barock style church and monastery, one of the most famous pilgrimages sites in Switzerland. As history has it, a Benedictine monk from Reichenau Island in Lake Constance on the German/Swiss border came to the region in 835 seeking seclusion. He established his hermitage on the slopes of Mt. Etzel. When he arrived in the area, he had with him a wonder-working statue of the Virgin Mary that he had been given by the Abbess Hildegarde of Zurich. Near his hermitage, he established a small shrine to house the statue, which became a small pilgrimage site.

According to legend he died in 861 at the hands of two robbers who coveted the treasures offered at the shrine by pilgrims. The robbers were then followed by two ravens into the village and drew attention to them with loud squawking. This is the reason, for the two ravens on the town flag.

One of the hermits named Eberhard, previously Provost of Strassburg, erected a monastery and church there, of which he became first abbot. Work on the monastery is said to have begun in 934. Following a miraculous vision by Eberhard, the new church was dedicated to the Virgin Mary. The ornate rose-collared paintings and delicate porcelain figurines are truly magnificent, even if you are not a churchy person.

A short 5-mile drive away we found a nice wild camp in the Euthal Valley, a well-visited resort located on Lake Sihl. In the morning, a farmer and his family stopped by, wondering what this strange truck was all about. Our world map on the side was becoming useful and his eyes lit up when we started the engine.

The beautiful church and monastery in Einsiedeln is one of the most famous pilgrimages sites in Switzerland.

The ornate rose-colored Barock style paintings and delicate porcelain figurines are truly magnificent, even if you are not a churchy person.

A short 5-mile drive away we found a nice wild camp in the Euthal Valley, a well-visited resort located on Lake Sihl.

OK, so our front lawn needs mowing. Where are the Swiss cows when you need them?

Monika gave some kids the royal tour of our home-on-the-road.

The world map on the side of The Turtle V is turning out to be a fun and useful tool.

Children love to look at the photos on our information card. Some will go to our website, translate it into German, French, Italian or Spanish and follow our adventures.

Between short trips to visit friends and relatives around Switzerland, we have spent much of our time in Monika’s hometown of Wiesendangen. Once a small farming village, founded between 600 and 650, Wiesendangen has become somewhat of a bedroom community for the nearby city of Winterthur. The original name Wisuntwangas, (first mentioned in a document on February 29, 804), derives from the Old-High-German word “wisunt” which means “bison”. The town is growing, now with a population of 5000, but in many ways it still has the small village atmosphere.

Surrounding fields are planted with various rotating crops. Hillsides are mixed wood forests and vineyards. Cows graze in meadows, contentedly clanging their bells. Woodpiles are an art of Swiss perfection. Flowers spill out of windowsill planters. A stone bison stands guard in front of City Hall. Celebrating the 1,200th anniversary of recorded history in 2004, every resident was encouraged to chip a little on this symbol of the village. A church tower rings the hour every 15 minutes, 24/7. A small creek runs down the center of town. You can pretty much walk or bike anywhere. There are miles of hiking trails into nearby hills and farmlands and everyone you pass nearly always says “Grüezi” (“Hello”).

Monika’s hometown of Wiesendangen still has the small village atmosphere.

Walking in the nearby farmlands. The Swiss cow will often come up for a pat on the head. Each one has a name.

Salty hands can be a treat for the friendly Swiss cows.

Stacking firewood in Switzerland is an art.

Flowers spill out of windowsill planters.

A stone bison stands guard in front of City Hall.

Finally! Finally we made it to Switzerland. In-between get-togethers with Monika’s family and friends, our first stop was Zürich to finalize the Special Visa we have been working on for six months. The bureaucracy of the Swiss Immigration Department, (and probably similar to every country in the world), is more like a 3-ring circus. In the end, instead of getting a three-month extension for the European Schengen countries on the original three-month tourist visa, the ID card is valid for a whole year. Oh well.

Since we had to go to Zürich to have my biometric photo taken for my special ID card we made the best of it. Switzerland is a wonderful country to travel in, but it ain’t cheap. A small cup of coffee can cost you $3.73 with no refills. We checked a few more prices just for your interest. How about an artichoke? $6.29 each! Fresh salmon? $31.45 a pound. How about some smoked Spanish ham? $191.30 a pound. Hungry for a Double Whopper and a Coke at the local Burger King? $16.94. Fries are extra.

Our big project ahead is going through all the furniture, household goods, paintings, and personal items Monika has stored here since her Mom passed away and the house was sold. More soon on Switzerland, land of chocolate and cheese. Bring money!!

Finally, we made it to Switzerland in one piece.

There were lots of smiles and laughter as Monika reunited with friends and family.

Modern trams are the best way to get around the beautiful city of Zurich.

The Limmat River flows out of Lake Zurich through the center of town.

The steeple of the St. Peter church, one of the four main churches of the old town of Zurich, features a clock face with a diameter of 8.7 m, (28.5 feet). It is the largest church clock face in Europe. The bells date to 1880.

Feeding the swans on the lake is a tradition we still enjoy whenever we visit Zurich.

Aside from cheese and chocolate, a grilled Swiss Cervelat or Bratwurst is a must.

Taking advantage of our multi-transportation day-ticket, we enjoyed a relaxing cruise on the lake.

Artichokes: $6.29 each!

Salmon: $6.29 per 100 grams ($31.45 a pound)

Smoked Spanish ham: $38.26 per 100 grams ($191.30 a pound.

A Big Whopper with a Coke: $16.94 Fries are extra.

We celebrated my new visa with a glass of wine and some tapas at Bodega Española, one of our favorite street cafes in the old part of Zurich.

On the road and looking for a good place for the night, the modern gas stations and truck stops in Germany are often ideal. They have clean restrooms but it will cost you a Euro to use them. If it’s a big truck stop, parking areas are large and easily accommodate small motorhomes like ours. We found a comfortable spot in the back of a gas station. In less than 10 min. we were sitting outside and the chicken was cooking on the BBQ.

Modern German gas stations and truck stops are often ideal for overnight stops.

Our little Weber “Go Anywhere” grill is turning out to be a good travel companion.

The next day we arrived at the small town of Krautheim. This is the home of the Seitz Window Company. We were one of the first campers in United States to use these popular windows, chosen because of their many features. First and most importantly, they are dual pane with no metal cold-sink to the outside. They also have built-in roll-up/roll-down privacy shades and built-in mosquito screens. Our own windows, having been installed over 10 years ago on The Turtle V, needed some minor repairs, and what better place than at the factory.

Several years after we had installed our original windows in 2001, Dometic purchased the Seitz Company. Dometic has been an important product sponsor on our vehicles and RVs for many years, including refrigerators, awnings, stabilizers and now Seitz Windows. The simple fix for our aging windows was to replace the frames on the inside and readjust the security blinds and the mosquito screens. Although the factory does not normally do repairs, they were kind enough to arrange for a technician to do the work and they were able to put an overnight rush job on our new frames to have them painted to match our existing trim. We found a very comfortable campsite on a hill overlooking the village.

The dual-pane Seitz Windows are becoming more and more popular in the United States as RV manufacturers and customers learn of their features. They have been standard on European motorhomes for many years. After an interesting tour of the Seitz/Dometic factory, we headed for Switzerland.

The small town of Krautheim is the home of the Seitz/Dometic Window Company.

Typical of many German towns, there is a castle guarding the surrounding countryside.

Waiting overnight for the frames to be painted, we found a very comfortable campsite on a hill overlooking the village.

Seitz arranged for a technician to install our new widow frames.

After over 10 years of backroad travel, surprises hiding inside the gap between the frame and the external window would require a botanist and etymologist to identify.

The Seitz/Dometic Company employs over 400 people. They make hundreds of different size windows, doors and sunroofs for motor homes and cars.

The Dometic Company has been an important product sponsor of The Turtle Expedition for many years.

As we headed southwest, we saw a slight detour that would bring us to the town of Seiffen. The earliest record of the town is from 1324. It sits in the heart of the Erzgebirge, or the Ore Mountains, once rich with silver and tin deposits. Miners opened up the district 700 years ago, but as the silver and tin deposits declined, they had to look for new ways to feed their families. In addition to lace making and weaving, the inhabitants went into woodcarving. Their specialties are nutcrackers, smoking men, “pyramids” (carousels with figures of the Christmas story) and Schwibbogen (wooden arcs with candles which are displayed on mantles and windows). The town is also famous for wooden toy making and their toy museum is well worth a visit. It houses the largest carousel pyramid in the world (18 ft tall) and some of the items are well over 120 years old. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seiffen

Maybe you have seen the famous Nutcracker Man or the Christmas Pyramids in gift shops. If they were made in Germany, they came from the Seiffen area. We first noticed them at the Nürnberger Christkindl’ market (Germany) many years ago and had wanted one ever since. We prefer to buy such crafts at the source, and here we were in Seiffen…

One of the most important innovations in Seiffen was the development of Hoop Turning or Gap Ring manufacturing. We visited the Ore Mountains Open Air Museum to see Hoop Turning and basked weaving up close.

Back in town, there were dozens of shops and small home-factories from which to choose our treasures. We are now the proud owners of a candle powered pyramid carousel, an authentic nutcracker and a jolly smoking watchman. Unfortunately, they will all stay in storage in Switzerland until we can ship them home to enjoy them at some future Christmas.

This large outdoor Christmas Pyramid is wind powered.

Some of the Christmas Pyramids on display in the Erzgebirge Toy Museum were very elaborate.

With hundreds to choose from, we had a hard time to select our Christmas Pyramid and Nutcracker Man. Our Christmas Pyramid is the traditional style powered the heat of candles.

With a small piece of incense placed inside, the “Smoking Man” appears to be blowing smoke out of his mouth. It’s hard to see in the photo (on the right).

Using memory and feel, master craftsmen shape “hoops” from the carefully chosen old fir tree trunks on a lathe.

When the ring is separated from the base log, it may contain as many as 40 miniature animals. See the elephants in front of the cutting log.

When “sliced” from the “hoop” or ring of wood, in this example you see little rabbits.

The size and shape of each design is created on the lathe by the craftsman’s memory and his skill as an artist.

The old waterwheel under the shop still turns, but today the power comes from electric motors.

Basked weaving was also an important industry in Steffen.

Fields of rapeseed (canola family) gave some color to the German countryside.

Google Map

The excitement of the weekly market had disappeared as fast as it had appeared. Getting a leisurely start in the morning, Monika said, “Let’s go to Freital-Heinsberg”. I said “Gesundheit”. No, she said, “It’s the town with the Weisseritztalbahn.” I said, “Are you catching a cold?” She explained that the Weisseritztalbahn in the Eastern Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) is the oldest public regularly operating narrow-gauge railway in Germany, and it was sort of on our way. The 26 kilometer long railway line started its operation on September 3, 1883.

Small secondary roads in any part of Europe were originally built for carts or Roman chariots, and many are still about the width of two horses asses. Read this: http://www.astrodigital.org/space/stshorse.html to understand the truth of what we are traveling over with a full-size Ford pick-up. These secondary routes can be quite exciting when a truck or bus is coming the other direction. Fortunately there is little traffic.

Freital-Heinsberg was an ordinary town and the afternoon spent on the Weisseritztalbahn was relaxing and pleasant.

Freital-Heinsberg was rather an ordinary German town that happened to have an interesting train running through it.

The Weisseritztalbahn followed a route through three very different natural settings including the Rabenau Gorge.

At the end of the track, we waited for the boiler to be refilled with water.

Just in case you’re a train buff, here are the specifics.

The engineer’s control panel looks as complicated as a modern jet liner.

The open-air wagon was the best way to see the beautiful countryside.

Had we not wanted to move on to our next stop, this large parking lot, (see our The Turtle on the right), two blocks from the train station and downtown would have been a nice overnight camp.