Morning musings and chocolate plans
The gentle patter of rain against my window woke me around 6:30 this morning. I lay in bed for a while, listening to the rhythm and watching the gray light gradually strengthen. There's something deeply comforting about being warm inside while rain falls outside.
By 7:15, I was up and dressed, standing by my hotel window watching Interlaken slowly come to life. The town has a different character in the rain - more subdued, but with its own quiet charm. The mountains are playing hide and seek behind veils of mist, occasionally revealing a snow-dusted peak before disappearing again.
I headed down to the hotel's breakfast room at 7:50 (for an 8:00 breakfast start, naturally). The coffee here is decent - strong and served in proper-sized cups. I've noticed Swiss breakfasts tend toward the continental style: fresh bread, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt, and fruit. Simple but satisfying.
As I ate, I planned my day around the weather forecast. It looks like rain until early afternoon, then potentially clearing up. Perfect timing for my chocolate-making workshop at 3:00 PM. I signed up yesterday after realizing I'd been in Switzerland for several days without properly indulging in one of its most famous cultural contributions.
The turquoise waters of the Aare River have been on my mind since yesterday. Despite the rain, I decided to take a short walk along the riverbank after breakfast. Even under gray skies, that remarkable color persists - a luminous blue-green that seems almost artificial. I stood on a small bridge for several minutes, just watching the water flow beneath me, mesmerized by its color and motion.
It's now just after 9:00, and I'm back in my room with a second cup of coffee, watching the rain continue to fall. I'm struck by how settled I feel here, despite only arriving two days ago. Perhaps it's the embrace of the mountains all around, providing a sense of containment and stability that resonates with something in me.
The chocolate workshop is my only fixed plan today. I'm considering visiting the local museum later this morning - "A journey into the past" exhibition opened today according to a flyer in the hotel lobby. Might be perfect for a rainy day. Tomorrow, if the weather improves as forecast, I'll take the funicular up to Harder Kulm for those panoramic views I've been reading about.
Sixty days into this journey, I find myself less focused on ticking off attractions and more interested in understanding the rhythms of each place I visit. In the beginning, I felt a certain urgency to see everything, do everything. Now I'm finding value in slower days, in watching a river flow, in sitting with a coffee while rain taps against the window.
The forecast suggests better weather tomorrow. For now, I'll embrace this rainy Saturday in Interlaken, with its misty mountains and the promise of chocolate-making this afternoon.