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The sun’s out again, and it’s warmer than ever. We head up to Männlichen half an hour earlier than usual, hoping to find some good snow before sun and thaw take their toll on the ski runs.

Things started well enough, and the first kilometre of the long run down to Holenstein was pretty good. Soon however, the rapidly warming snow got very sticky. Skis don’t work very well in conditions like this, and stopping for coffee when we got back to the top was an easy decision. There’s hardly anyone else around today.

Things aren’t going to improve until the weather cools down, so back to the village we went. Val can get on with swotting up her German for her lesson tomorrow, and I can do what I’m best at – doing nothing.

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Recently, we discovered that clotted cream is available in the big Co-op at Interlaken. Val baked some scones, and here’s the result.

Today we’re off down to the lake. It’s sunny and very warm. The train takes us down to Interlaken, and from there a bus takes us to the lakeside village of Bönigen.

It’s very quiet, and we sit on a bench eating more scones with only the ducks for company. It’s a nice walk back to Interlaken around the lake from here. Eventually, the lake flows in to the river Aare. Pretty village of Goldswil on the other side.

The steamers are being prepared for the summer season. The service starts on Good Friday.

Eventually we arrive back at Interlaken. We pop into Otto’s (a discount shop) and I buy all the beer I can carry. It’s less than half the price we usually pay in Wengen. Back at home, the garden is coming on a treat.

An ice cream in the sunshine polished off the afternoon.

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It’s Monday morning and the sun’s out. We hook up with Ali and head for the hill. Conditions are perfect.

After the weekend crowds, we were a bit worried that it may be busy, but in the event it was quite quiet. We skied down to Holenstein and got a gondola to ourselves. Coffee awaits at the top.

Sometimes, ski runs go uphill, so you need to get lots of speed to avoid having to climb. It’s great fun – this is such a place.

By around lunchtime the sun really gets to work on the snow, and it starts getting very slushy. It’s time for lunch at the Figeller bar. No jackets required – it’s very warm.

A very nice day out.

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We had our quiz last night. We were a lot better than last time, and we came second.

The Easter holidays have begun, and Val was out early for work. Queues to get up the hill.

It’s a beautiful day, and it was predictably busy on the ski runs.

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Emily surpassed herself last night, with this splendid fish pie.

It was huge, and absolutely delicious. Val won at Yahtzee again. Today brought rain early on, and although it dried up later it stayed cold and overcast. Quiz later.

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It’s another lovely day, and we’re off out for a ski. Here’s Val heading for Holenstein with the entire run to herself.

At Tschuggen. A few more people about here.

We can get takeaway snacks and meals from the restaurants, but they’re not allowed to provide seating or tables for us. This results in groups of people sitting around on the restaurant terrace, which is surely worse than sitting them at suitably distanced tables.

We grabbed hot sausage rolls from the bakery in the village – they’re delicious.

Emily is cooking tonight.

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It was our 29th anniversary yesterday, so we travelled to Meiringen for a night at the Victoria hotel. As guests of the hotel, we can use the bar and restaurant. Cheers!

The restaurant is superb – probably the best we’ve come across in Switzerland. Val’s mushroom soup had pumpkin ice cream in it.

She had lamb’s liver for her main.

We had a great night out. This morning we went for a wander around Meiringen. The Reichenbach falls aren’t far away, and the Sherlock Holmes connection is something the town trades heavily on.

We caught the train home, and we were back in time for lunch.