Matt and Lyle left last Thursday.  It’s been one week since I’ve seen a familiar face or place.  Traveling alone in Europe isn’t scary.  Even though I am alone, I’m not lonely at all; I’ve met several locals and fellow travelers.  Some of the people here put my itinerary to shame.  I met a young man yesterday who sold all of his possessions and has been backpacking around the world non-stop for over a year.  I met another older gentleman who has spent eight months per year for the past 12 years traveling aimlessly from place to place.

I left Bern on Tuesday and headed southwest toward Interlaken.  From Interlaken, I took a series of trains and lifts up to a small mountain town called Gimmelwald.  This is one of the most untouched areas of the Swiss Alps and is certainly one of the most remote places I’ve ever been in.

Both yesterday and today it has been raining almost non-stop.  This makes hiking up mountains difficult especially when the thunderstorms arrive in the early afternoon.  Despite the rain, I have enjoyed two full days of hiking.

I’ve been trying to climb the nearby peak, Schilthorn.  Hopefully tomorrow the weather improves enough for me to reach the summit.