On our travels we have already enjoyed many extraordinary panoramas. I’m thinking, for example, of the sight of K2 when we were driving in Pakistan the Karakorum Highway – a nasty gravel road high above the Indus – on the way to Skardu. Or the sight of Mt. Everest, when we stood breathless at the foot of the highest mountain in the world on August 25, 2011, at 5,150 meters above sea level. When we drive from Spiez through the Kandertal to Kandersteg, we remember those moments when we see the snow-capped three-thousanders towering up into the blue sky at the end of the valley.

Easter Monday was beautiful and sunny. We actually planned to go to the Gasterntal; but there is still so much snow that access is closed until May. So, we put on hiking boots and set out to explore the panorama trail. It meanders through the mountain forest on the west side of the valley, high above Kandersteg.

When I saw the steep entrance, I briefly thought about turning back – at almost 78 years of age I’m not the youngest anymore! But Brigitta encouraged me and so I trudged up step by step. After an hour we were at 1,380 meters and the trail flattened out. Phew; it was done! We sat on a bench for a long time and marveled at the panorama before we descended back into the valley.

PS. The Rugen-Bräu, a good, local beer, has seldom tasted as good as it did that afternoon when we were sitting in the sun on the terrace in front of our apartment!