Nathan got to see Heidi's Hutte for his Birthday!

Get your mind's out of the gutter people - Heidi wasn't that kind of girl! A Hutte is a house (or hut):)

So yesterday we went hiking to the "Official Home of Heidi" with our Ex-pat Group. The hike was in Graubunden. Wanderung: Maienfeld - Jenins - Ochsenberg - Bovel - Rofels - Maienfeld

I was super excited to finally see Heidi's House and run through the fields! It was a beautiful, hot day and the hike was long but really not that difficult. Although, I swear I had put enough sun screen on I got so BURNT that I am truly a "redneck" and it hurts!:(

We started in Maienfeld and soon came upon the sign for Heidi's Alp (obviously a very popular place if it has it's own sign!).

I didn't realize that they would have rebuilt some of the structures from the book, but they did - throughout the trail - with stories included. (It's a good thing too b/c I realized I didn't know anything more about the story than the fact that she ran through the flowers:)). We saw "Heidi's Alp" which we were a bit confused about at first b/c we thought it was her house but it wasn't - I think it was just where she played? She was a tough girl though - that was a LONG way up from her house! Her leg muscles must have been huge! We also saw Peter's House, the tree house where she played, the place where Kara fell out of her wheel chair - any of this ringing a bell to you guys? Me neither - I think I am going to have to check out the book from the library:)

Here we are at Heidi's Alp. I even included a little video so you guys could get the whole affect!

As you can see (and hear) in the video, there are a lot of cows in Heidi's Alp. From this picture you might be able to tell why. Nathan want's to know - which cow looks like it is having the most fun?:) It is kind of blurry so let's just say there were some "rated R" moments!

Either way it was a great hike. After walking all the way to the top (Heidi's Alp) about half way back down the mountain side was Heidi's Hutte. Which I will tell you was a tourist trap! You can enter her house for 7 francs if any of you want to go:) We figured jumping through the meadows where she played was good enough.:) Especially since she was just a fictional character!:) However, I did take a pic outside the house to say that I was "officially" there!

The good and bad thing about this group is that they take a lot of brakes.:) During one of them Nathan was complaining how his bananas always got "bruised" during the hike. Then Paul (the guy who organizes the hikes) pulled out a "Banana Guard" from his bookbag! Designed in the "best country in the world" he said - Great Britian - where he is from - of course! It says "Protect your fruit on the side"! Not sure why we all thought it was so funny but I did get a pic with it.:) Has anyone seen one of these? All kidding aside this thing is the bomb! Nathan really wants to "protect his fruit" so I need to get him one as a late birthday gift:)

Here are a couple other pics from the hike - Nathan had the camera most of the time so really no pics of him on his bday. :(

All in all another fantastic day in Switzerland! Happy Birthday to Nate!

love, Mandy (official Heidi stalker)

Link to rest of pics if you want to see!