What's the Matter, Horn?

Thursday - 30 April 2009 - Zermatt

The last day of the tour was saved for the best possible weather and the most stunning scenery of the entire trip, and that's saying a lot. This return visit for me to Zermatt involved two high speed trains including one through the new 4,000 mile (if I have my metric conversion correct) tunnel under the Alps, a postal bus to go around the gigantic rock slide that buried part of the beautiful narrow gauge train to Zermatt, and then a lovely ride on that part of the beautiful narrow gauge train from St. Nicholas (really) to Zermatt that we were obliged to take since you can't drive in a postal bus or any other but emergency vehicle to "car free" Zermatt. I think the scenery is beautiful, but I was mostly looking at rocks high above the train tracks up ahead.

Our guide scheduled a very short time for the group to be at top of the above 10,000 feet MSL Gornergrat summit station of the high volume tourist attraction cog railway since he was afraid of most of the group having the bends or sunstroke or maybe overexertion. Us four intrepid "break aways", uh, broke away and stayed quite a bit longer after the crowd went back down. To quote my friend Ray Solaire, it was a glorious day. Zermatt is a huge tourist trap (even seems to have some attractions copied from Disney World roller coaster) but offers gourmet international food. See picture. After walking through the town checking out chocolate bars with pictures of some Disney attraction on them and more souvenir cow bells we took the narrow gauge train back to St. Nicholas, the postal bus around the gigantic rock slide, the high speed train through the new tunnel under the Alps, changed at Spiez (or maybe it was Nertz or Plotz) back to Interlaken where everyone exchanged real or false e-mail addresses and wished each other a safe trip home. Some of the good wishes for parting were truly heartfelt for one reason or another.


Friday - 1 May 2009 - Flight Level 340, 2000 miles east of Dullas over the Atlanic somewhat south of Greenland

I was up at 5:15 am this morning, caught the 6:10 am Postal Bus to the Interlaken Ost station after (with permission) breaking into the hotel bar where the espresso/coffee machine was in the dark for the 1 hour high speed IC train to Bern and the 1 hour really high speed IC train to Zurich Airport half way across Switzerland. It was nice to travel alone again, but not that very nice. The trip was fantastic, well beyond expectations. Our "break out" group was most compatible, I made new friends, and took a lot of pictures of which only a very few have been included in these reports. There were some very bizarre folks on the tour, but all love trains although some a bit too much. Nevertheless the tour leader, Carl Fowler of Rail Travel Center, was an inspiration for anyone who wants to learn how to do that sort of thing professionally, I got along with everyone, and have lots of stories to tell. I may follow up these notes with these more personal observations via private e-mails and plan to edit and post the best pictures (the ones with the journal entries were to illustrate my mostly true reports, not necessary the best "snaps") on Picasaweb by a week or two. I plan to post my last cruise photo album covering Rio to Barbados as well now that my crazy travel is planned to slow down (he said).

The Top of Europe Wasn't but Was Snowy

Wednesday - 29 April 2009 - Jungfrau

The brochures in Interlaken say that the Jungfrau train goes to the "Top of Europe". Actually Jungfrau is a very high mountain and may be the highest one in the Swiss Alps, but the neat meter gauge train that goes from Kleine Sheldegg to the "Top of Europe" observation station well below the summit spends its entire 1 1/2 hours in a tunnel and costs a $100 supplement even with a Swiss Pass rail card. Also it was snowing and the expensive train isn't even inside the Jungfrau but runs through a spiral tunnel through the Eiger, but I suppose it's THE EIGER, for heaven's sake. Me and the other three of us "break outs" didn't take our tour leaders advice to go back to Interlaken when the snow started and take lake cruises at lower elevation but instead went on a series of trams, narrow gauge trains, really narrower gauge trains, gigantic and small cable cars, and various other means (hard to remember but I do seem to remember the the vertical cable car which we latter found out is the "back-up" maintenance car since most tourists have nightmares when they take it) first to the high mountain town of Murren to see the inside of a blizzard, then on a really nifty train with a big snow plow on its front as the weather began to improve. We then went back to Murren to find the Jungfrau and Eiger now visible, met a local "giver of mercy" to find out that this legend is real (it was drooling), took lots of pictures of the Eiger and Jungrau, had a nice lunch of French fries with a local beer and then went on a remarkably modern narrow gauge to Gimmelsnerd (maybe not quite the correct name) to price out souvenir cow bells. A thoroughly glorious day!

The Rain in Bern

Tuesday - 28 April 2008 - Bern

The capital city of Bern is a remarkably sophisticated world capital for its size. I had a gyro sandwich. This is a big deal in Switzerland where the food choices vary from bratwurst to sausage and everything in between. They also have the national dish of chicken curry. (This is true.) Actually, the resort town of Interlaken where I am writing this is according to one tour participant's guidebook "a mecca for Indians and Arabs who seek relief from the monsoon." I would have thought that the Arab's might think Mecca was the only "mecca", but you can't fight with guidebooks. At any rate, we saw a number of Indian and Middle Eastern families enjoying the cold and wet weather which is a relief from the very hot weather dry monsoon ("monsoon" means SEASON; so there are wet and dry monsoons). Readers of the guidebook would be very confused trying to understand why someone would try to escape rain by going to rainy weather. But I digress.

Today's wet excursion was via the the high speed German ICE through agricultural lands bound for Berlin, but we went only as far as 1 hour away Bern. We walked in the rain through the rose garden to see an overview of this preserved city (neutrality has its virtues, kind of), saw the bear pit (!) where the animal for which Bern was named lives uncomfortably (something about someone saying they'll name the country for the first animal shot by the group. Good thing it wasn't a weasel.), walked under the wonderful shopping arcades, and visited a few churches after watching the 600 year old--never stopped--clock do a little mechanized silliness. Nice but cold day with an early return, although some opted for a narrow gauge train ride to a nearby town with a woodcarving center. Oh joy. I came back to the room instead and ate my Swiss chocolate bar.

Weather is supposed to be better for the last two days for trips up and down mountains. The Jungfrau, the highest point in Europe, is just out of town here.

The Golden Pass Route to Chateu Chillon, Montreux

Monday - 27 April 2009 - Golden Pass Route

The Golden Pass and the associated "Golden Pass Panoramic Train" names are shams. Well, the train route is real, a combination of standard and narrow gauge trains with beautiful observation cars labeled for this route. But there is no such thing as "The Golden Pass". Rather it's a lovely crossing of a number of high passes on a 7% adhesion (no cog) narrow gauge railway with fantastic scenery even in the rain. So I'll save the pictures for the full set after some editing.

Nevertheless, the ride was fantastic--as they all seem to be on this perfectly programmed tour--and the trains were punctual to the point of all the jokes. You can even set your watch (correctly) by the local bus to town from the hotel. Well, it is Switzerland.

The three train ride over the "Golden Pass Route" was to visit the medieval Chateau Chillon on the eastern shore of Lake Geneva. The chateau was old, cold, bare, and involved lots of narrow staircases. But it was the nicest old, cold, bare, and narrow staircased chateau of this trip, and the rain wasn't too bad waiting for the return trains over the high speed "IC" routes via Lucanne and Bern. As long rainy days taking trains to old stone castles go, it was a wonderful day. Really. So were the spooky gardens along the shore of the lake in Montreux before the short boat ride (boat ride!) to the Chateau. I did meet a new friend and things are looking up. (At least the two of us looked up, but I think he's a gnome.)

Tomorrow we go back to Bern for a lengthy tour and a boat ride back to Interlaken from Thun.

By the way, I haven't mentioned the experience of touring with 40 or so strangers. I will write a "Riding the Rails" piece after returning home. Let me say that there are some very strange people in the world, although I've done so much better than I thought I would in this people intensive experience. Maybe not so good with the Rush fan. Could be worse, I think, as every one loves trains and train rides. Some are foamers, but perhaps only one or two SLWMs. All are very nice. As I said, could be so much worse.

Brunig pass and lake boat to Lucerne Transport Museum

Sunday - 26 April 2009 - Lucerne

I was in Lucerne (Luzern) over a decade ago. Then, the famous medieval covered bridge across from very modern railway station smelled from urine and was being rebuilt after yet another fire. The bridge has been rebuilt so many times I doubt any of it is authentic, but the modern but grand train station is. We took the spectacular Brunig line, one of the steepest "main line" train lines in the world, which reaches a gradient of 14% with the help of occasional rack assist. The visit included a visit to the Swiss Transport Museum, a very modern facility dedicated to trains, trolley cars, boats, aircraft, and probably go carts and roller skates, as long as they have that white cross on a red background on them. Or is it a white cross on a red background. Whatever.

At any rate the museum affords a total experience, meaning that there are lots of things for young undisciplined children to do. Of course, they Swiss have no undisciplined children. Even on a sunny (for Switzerland) Sunday, the kids were quiet and well behaved. Some where dressed like Heidi, but not in a storybook sort of way. The traffic medium in the street in front of the museum was appropriated gardened. Actually, all of the country is full of flowers, lace curtains, and wooden gnomes or carvings of dogs squatting with a red diagonal line through them. I believe that's the country's symbol. See, I'm observant of everything.

We returned via a lake boat on the lake to the pier right in front of the chalet that is our hotel, but three of us elected to stay on the boat, the modestly decorated "Jungfrau", as it went a couple of miles up the canal that connects the two lakes. (The town between them is called, "Interlaken". See?) We walked back. A very nice day.

Three days, over the Alps many times, and lots of trains, really a lot of trains

Thursday - 23 April 2009 - 3 trains and 2 buses to Davos and Lacarno

 

Started the day with a nice walk around Chur, meeting a new friend who seemed like of flat. Ended the day, many hours later, in Lacarno on Lake Maggiore at the northern (Swiss) end of the lake. The journey from Chur to Lacarno for us involved three train rides and two lengthy postal bus rides, but the luggage took an easy van ride. Our scenery over a number of the high Alp passes on roads that make I-70 and Rt. 40 over Loveland Pass look like, uh, flat as well. The temperature in Lacarno was in the high 70s when we arrived. (Rick Steves says, "Think New England for north of the Alps, Southern California south of the Alps." I think he is talking about the weather.)

 

 

Friday - 24 April 2009 - Lake Maggiore and Isolas Madre and Bella

 

It was cold and wet all day for our all day boat rides on Lake Maggiore to the palace and garden (one each) islands of Madre and Bella. The rain was never umbrella worthy, and we saw lots of flowers and two nifty palaces. It's good to be king.

 

 

Saturday - 25 April 2009 - Locarno to Interlaken

 

A two hour ride on an interurban type from Locarno to Italy is one of the most beautiful (and unknown) train rides in Switzerland. We did it in a dedicated car for our group. A matter of fact, the car was isolated from the rest of the train. Kind of a James Bond thing where I suggested that a villain would somehow throw us off the mountain. Actually, only a nice young woman with a food cart came on after we crossed into Italy and sold me a bag of potato chips for three euro. Everyone was jealous of my having euro and then of my chips. We took three or so more trains to arrive at a dowdy but very appropriate looking hotel on the shore of Lake Interlaken which oddly enough has more TV channels--including one with an Arap doing the weather--but also somewhat less costly Internet access, and most important nice local beer for 4.90 Swiss francs, about $400 dollars US if I calculated correctly. I unpacked my bag--which came by van in a much shorter time--and will be making day trips from here for the remaining 5 days on this tour.

Crossing the Alps many times without even one elephant

Thursday - 23 April 2009 - 3 trains and 2 buses to Davos and Lacarno

Started the day with a nice walk around Chur, meeting a new friend who seemed like of flat. Ended the day, many hours later, in Lacarno on Lake Maggiore at the northern (Swiss) end of the lake. The journey from Chur to Lacarno for us involved three train rides and two lengthy postal bus rides, but the luggage took an easy van ride but with less scenery. Our scenery over a number of the high Alp passes on roads that make I-70 and Rt. 40 over Loveland Pass look like, uh, flat as well. The temperature in Lacarno was in the high 70s when we arrived. (Rick Steves says, "Think New England for north of the Alps, Southern California south of the Alps." I think he is talking about the weather.)


Friday - 24 April 2009 - Lake Maggiore and Isolas Madre and Bella

It was cold and wet all day for our all day boat rides mostly in Itlay (country #4 on this "Swiss" trip) on Lake Maggiore to the palace and garden (one each) islands of Madre and Bella. The rain was never umbrella worthy, and we saw lots of flowers and two nifty palaces. It's good to be king.


Saturday - 25 April 2009 - Locarno to Interlaken

A two hour ride on an interurban type train from Locarno to Italy is one of the most beautiful (and unknown) train rides in Switzerland (with a little in Itlay). We did it in a dedicated car for our group. A matter of fact, the car was isolated from the rest of the train. Kind of a James Bond thing where I suggested that a villain would somehow throw us off the mountain. Actually, only a nice young woman with a food cart came on after we crossed into Italy and sold me a bag of potato chips for three euro. Everyone was jealous of my having euro and then of my chips. We took three or so more trains to arrive at a dowdy but very appropriate looking hotel on the shore of Lake Interlaken which oddly enough has more TV channels--including one with an Arap doing the weather--but also somewhat less costly Internet access, and most important nice local beer for 4.90 Swiss francs, about $400 dollars US if I calculated correctly. I unpacked my bag--which came by van in a much shorter time--and will be making day trips from here for the remaining 5 days on this tour.