As much as we loved the diversity of sights and experiences in Switzerland--from charming cities like Luzern to half-kilometer-long villages that haven't been touched by modern civilization--we've agreed that given the challenge of getting into and out of Switzerland, we aren't entirely sure we'll be back any time soon. Even though Salzburg, Austria is only 256 miles away from Interlaken (as the crow flies), it took over nine hours for us to get there by train. Interlaken, like so much of Switzerland, is nestled in wreaths of alps that make any attempt at direct transit impossible. We wound our way to Bern, where we changed trains to get to Zürich, where we changed trains to get to Münich, where we changed trains yet again to finally end up in Salzburg by the mid-afternoon.

It was pouring rain when we finally got to Hotel Mercure just north of the old city. After Bern, this was only our second "real" hotel of the trip, so I was beside myself when I found out we had an actual bathtub (a bathtub!). We dropped off our bags, prepared our umbrellas, and headed out into the onslaught of cold rain.