“Schynige Platte” is Bernese dialect for “shining plate”. This refers to the shale rock formations at this 2,076 meter-high (6,800 ft.) location in the Bernese Oberland, near Interlaken.

The trip up to the Schynige Platte takes about 50 minutes, and is by means of the historic and well-maintained cog wheel train built in the 1890’s. Along the way are breath-taking views of the Lake of Thun below, as well as unspoiled alpine nature.

At the Schynige Platte, itself, there’s an equally-historic terrace restaurant and hotel, as well as the famous Alpine Botanical Garden, which features more than 500 varieties of alpine flora in their natural habitat. Here you can sit for hours under an intense sun, marveling over the panorama of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks in front of you.

Bob Zanotti made the trip on a sunny, crystal-clear day.