Sunday July 24: Rest day in Engelberg
Our rest day began with the ubiquitous church bells and the flies that arose at dawn landing on our mouths in bed. We were getting used to these things, and managed to lie abed a little longer.
It was another beautiful morning. We took a leisurely stroll through town, which was pleasantly cooler than South Carolina.
Engelberg is dominated by a peak (and commercial establishment) called Titlis. Seeking a view, we took a cablecar all the way up to the summit. You have to change cars near the top, switching from an ordinary gondola to the giant panorama cars.
The summit is well-developed, with shops (wanna buy a Tissot?) and restaurants and other tourist amenities. The place was mobbed with visitors, but we still got a great view of the surrounding mountains. We could see the Eiger and the Jungfrau off in the distance; we’d be heading into the Bernese Oberland next.
That afternoon, as Eiger prep, we watched the film Nordwand, a German movie about a tragically failed attempt to climb the north face of the Eiger in 1936.
Our room at the Alpenclub had an odd bathroom arrangment. The WC was on one side of the room, and the shower on the other. The shower had a glass door, which made it less than private.
Rest days are wonderful!
