Sigriswil Panoramabruke (panorama bridge)
A tourist tax is included in the cost of accommodation in Interlaken, but it entitles all guests to an Interlaken Guest Card.
The card allows "free" use of public transport and discounts at major attractions.
On our first full day we flashed our guest cards and headed off on the bus along the northern side of Lake Thun to our first stop Sigriswil.
It’s a small village set on the side of a steep mountain.
On one side of town the mountain drops away into a deep gorge.
A 340 metre long suspension bridge spans the tree-lined canyon.
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At first, Mrs H refused to cross.
A fear of heights, combined with a very gentle sway in the bridge, both had to be overcome.
She dug her heels in deeper than the foundations that support the structure.
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We watched someone ride a pushbike across.
As the rider wobbled from side-to-side I assured Mrs H that he was coming home from a long night at the pub and the bridge had nothing to do with him being unsteady.
She didn't buy it.
Next I told her that I'd only bought one-way tickets.
If she refused to cross, the family would be split up, she would miss the rest of the day's adventures and have to find her own way back into town.
She didn't buy that either.
I needed a far bigger incentive.
Time with her loving family wasn't going to cut it.
I took a final shot with the biggest incentive I could think of...
"Look, there's a place just over there that does amazing coffee. It was on the internet, it must be true."
Mrs H leapt onto the bridge and began marching across as if her life depended on it.
Miss H looked at me with scorn.
It was the kind of look a parent gives a child when they're caught telling lies.
I shrugged.
"She's crossing isn't she?"
We were fortunate to have a mostly clear day and from the bridge took in stunning views across lake Thun to the Alps on the other side.
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On the other side of the bridge we found houses built into the side of a steep hill.
These people are fortunate to have magnificent views year-round.
But what they don't seem to have is a local coffee shop.
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We continued on a graded path and over the next ridge.
In need of a caffeine miracle, the sight of a small mountain chalet up ahead gave me hope.
It was a spectacular spot for Mrs H's morning coffee hit.
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Just don't believe everything you read on the internet that was made up on the spot - the coffee was dreadful.
