Maureen's Travel Blog

Very warm in the dorm but managed to get some sleep. I got up early to investigate post office nearby to return stuff to UK to lighten the load. I certainly won’t be needing anything warm for the remainder of this trip!  Half way through today!

Picked up an apple pastry on the way back to the hostel and sat in the cool common area with a coffee to plan my day. I queued for about 20 minutes in the post office with my carefully parcelled package to be told it must be in a DHL box which he handed to me…. the German behind the counter didn’t like my bin liner and parcel tape but was very helpful and at last I was finally freed up of several kilos of unnecessary clothing, winging its way to my neighbour at home.

Next off to the Pinakothek der Moderne!   This gallery is Munich’s answer to the London Tates.  This was a good 20 minute walk and my trustee iPhone GPS took me there – no problem.  It is an amazing huge, light and exceedingly spacious building, which shows off it’s exhibitions beautifully.  The current temporary exhibition is Ludwig Kirshner, whose work I enjoyed very much…. I know he made use of both sides of the canvas but why would you actually exhibit the work back to front and upside down in some cases with the canvas stretcher pegs showing on the front! Loved his infrared work which was so textural!

I also delighted in some of the better works of Kadinsky, Klee and Picasso, amongst an excellent collection of modern art. There was also some exceedingly weird ‘artwork’ by a British surreal cartoonist that I really didn’t understand at all…. I did try!   After a couple of hours walking round this beautifully designed and fully airconditioned (thank goodness) exhibition centre I took myself off to their restaurant for a beef and cranberry sauce (I think) roll.  I was therefore not too disappointed to have found the more traditional Art Museum nearby containing works by French impressionists was closed today.

Refuelled, I braced myself for the wall of heat that hit me as I made my way towards the English Gardens.  On the way had to stop for breathers and to take on water… 34 deg I think today!  I tried to keep in the shade of trees as much as possible.  There are quite a few green areas with fountains around Munich.

Eventually I arrived at the English Garden to find a number of teenagers surfing on the ‘forbidden wave’.  I sat down under a tree my legs dangling in the cool water a while to watch.  This was like some kind of a weir across an expanse of river with very strong currents but clearly not very deep.  The kids were having a wonderful time surfing back and forth on the wave created by the weir and then finally falling in the fast flowing current which took them downstream only to jump out and do it all again….just amazing and very dangerous!

The English Gardens are quite beautiful affording plenty of shade.  The river, which I think could be manmade, continues to bubble through the gardens, where there are bright flame coloured Acers and unusual geese nibbling the grassy banks.  I sat down again here for a while in the shade of a weeping willow.

By this time it was nearing 4 o’clock so I decided to head back a slightly different way, using my GPS…. such a useful way to get about a busy city.  Three times I’ve nearly got knocked off my feet by a cyclist today.  Now I think I’m beginning to understand the rules…. cyclists are allowed more room on the pavement than pedestrians and seem to be allowed anywhere at lights so just watch yourself.  So many vehicles to look out for including trams which come from all directions.  A few more photos on my way back and then I just slumped into a chair in the welcome air conditioned common room of the hostel.  So glad to have made it back in the intense heat of the day.  Drinking lots of water is definitely the answer…. and a nice cold shower at the end of the day.

As before, Nathalie has laid out a good spread for breakfast but this time inside as it is way too hot outside. We said our goodbyes at the lake which is very near to the backpacker’s hostel Lucerne. Nathalie planned to spend an hour or so there swimming and relaxing. It is a holiday in Switerland today. Goodbye Nathalie and thank you for looking after me so well.

There were familiar faces in the hostel, Dom from Melbourne and several others from the Menaggio Hostel. Also Sophie the New Zealand Busabout guide.  Now we are leaving Switzerland for Germany… Euros only from now on!

Mountains and lakes still abound on all sides and I am glad of the air-conditioned scenic view from the coach as it is extremely hot outside. There seems to be much less snow on the peaks now.  Just passed the sign ‘welcome to Toggenburg’.  iPhone still says Swisscom so am guessing we haven’t crossed the border yet. Ah we have just gone through a check point over a river into Austria at a place called Koblach on the road to Innsbruck.  Phone now searching…. smart camera tells me I’m in Dornbirn.

We have arrived in Lindau for lunch. Fish and chips snack with a German beer in the pretty square sorted the hunger pangs.  More beautifully decorated buildings in this little Austrian town where noone seems to speak English… must now brush up my German ready for Munich.  Just a 50 minute rest before we are back on the road and my phone now says Telekom.de.

This journey is fairly uneventful and not especially scenic so decided to settle back and watch the movie on board as we have quite a journey ahead of us…. very funny “An Idiot Abroad”.   Munchen 140k, I notice briefly through the window!

The mountains and lakes seem to have been left behind now…. oh no, another tunnel up ahead but just through a hillside…. and replaced with crops and farmland. There are quite a few solar panel crops too… well this is Germany – efficiency country!  A good number of vehicles on the road here seem to be Mercedes or Audi.

We finally arrived in the city of Munich quite early, about 4pm.  Dom and I find ourselves in the same dorm and are both agreeably pleased both with the room with en suite and with the whole hostel which has everything we need, good showers, power points, wifi, welcome glass of wine or beer, central location, etc.  Our only problem is the heat.  There is air conditioning downstairs in the common area so we decided to pop out and buy a snack to bring back rather than spend unnecessarily at a restaurant.  After all we had had a reasonable lunch in Lindau.

The hostel pack contained a useful map of the city with all the best places to go.  I decided to give Dachau a miss as I’d been to Auswitch in Poland.  However, there seem to be some galleries and gardens within easy walking distance of the hostel, which is quite central.

For now a cool shower and early night.

Another very hot day and not a cloud to be seen, but a gentle breeze just to make it more bearable.

Sliced oranges and raspberries, muesli, yoghurt, bread and honey, not to mention fried sausages and potato cakes adorned the table on the balcony.  Natalie is really looking after me well!

It was so good to have a decent shower in Nathalie’s son’s en suite…. everything beautifully laid out, clean and modern and tasteful.  ‘Coffee?’ Nathalie asked, while I was still trying to decide where to start with this amazing spread. My unwashed clothes that had been accumulating in the Sainsbury’s bag in my backpack now sat clean and folded on the kitchen table.

Today we are going to the lake up in the hills to relax and swim. Oh what joy not having to think about the next 24 hours at least.  I have just had a swim… very cold and unusually for me taking a little while to get in. Nathalie went straight in. She swims here regularly after work and sometimes cycles up here from her apartment. She is so fit!

I meet a large water boatman of sorts at eye level as I gently glide out into the middle of the lake where Nathalie tells me it is warmer. There are many luminous giant dragonflies and a cygnet that seems to have become separated from its family.

We return around 4 via Nathalie lovely town of Zug and then spend the rest of the afternoon with our feet up watching the French Open final. We have beers and avocado dip… can this get any better?!

After an excellent match with Rafa winning, Nathalie and I went into Zug on the train; we just missed the bus! We walked down to the lake (there seem to be lakes everywhere).  There were trees with flowers that I didn’t recognise.  Do you know this tree Leigh? Then past a small bird centre and into the old town. It was quite historic with decorative shuttered buildings lining cobbled streets.  We chose a restaurant in one of these quaint streets to have our evening meal. This would be my last in Switzerland.   We shared a bottle of good red wine from Tuscany to say our farewells – viva!! or in Swiss – prost!!

Found one of my seed bars in my backpack for breakfast – I knew this would come in handy and found a coffee machine so all good. We set off at 8am for Lucerne, just a 2 hour trip.

Lauterbrunnen is situated between two high mountain ranges so gets no sun at all but you can see it reflected in the trees ahead
…. and suddenly we are in it – so bright and warm. This morning the driver is another Spaniard and Dee, the rep, is Polish. We left the other bus which was heading towards Milan, and took the freeway in the direction of Lucerne. This was a fairly short journey, just an hour and half, arriving at just 9.30am.

I recognised Nathalie from behind as she walked past the hostel and called out to her.  It was so good to meet up again, having not seen eachother since our adventures on the Moose Bus in West Canada exactly a year ago.  We dumped my bags in the boot of her car and Nathalie took me to the beach by the lake.  By now the temperatures were really souring and it was so pleasant to paddle in the cool clear waters of the lake.  All the time we were chatting and catching up partly in French and partly in English.  I was determined this time to speak French as poor Nathalie had to speak English in Canada as I was teaching her and this was our rule…. no Swiss despite the fact that we traveled with Carole as well, who was also Swiss!   I hadn’t realised that in the meantime Nathalie had been going to English classes here in Switzerland and her English had improved immeasurably.

Nathalie took me all over the beautiful town of Lucerne, around the lake where there was a steam paddle boat, through the markets, across the ancient covered bridges between the many castles, etc.  There were beautifully decorated buildings and went inside a very ornate church.  Nathalie took me to a wine bar near the lake which sold wines from all over the world.  We sat outside and chatted in the warm sunshine, then continued to explore the historic town.  We looked around the Bodem shop because Nathalie was looking for items for her new apartment.  She pointed out her favourite restaurant with a garden beside the river so I suggested we went there for lunch.  It was certainly very nice and quite grand.  We had perch from the lake with vegetables and wine. As we walked back to the car after lunch I was overcome by the heat.  By this time it was 33 degrees and I felt quite faint.  Nathalie left me in the shade and fetched her car. It was so good to get into the cool aircon.  In about 20 minutes or so we arrived at Zug where she lives with her younger son in her new apartment in a small village about halfway between Lucerne and Zurich.  Michel, Nathalie’s son is on holiday in Brazil at the moment where he is doing some underwater diving.  Nathalie’s apartment is on the first floor and is very modern and tastefully decorated by Nathalie.  We had a welcome glass of fizzy grapefruit on her balcony before retiring to rest for a while.

Soon I hear Nathalie about and look at my watch to see it’s nearly 7pm already.  She is busy preparing a light evening meal for us of Swiss salad with cheeses and bread.  It is delicious and she has opened a special bottle of Swiss wine produced in the area she was born.  The cheese also was produced by her father from a rare herd of black cattle.  We sit eating drinking and chatting on the balcony, hardly noticing night falling.  The temperature must still be in the mid twenties as we retire to bed at around 11.30.

Just waiting for the local bus back to Como where we pick up Busabout again. Spoke to the family last night on Skype although my webcam is not working. Sarah in the hostel tried to fix it again for me with downloaded driver, to no avail. Oh well, better that I see them than they see me… pictures on blog will have to suffice for now.

Reasonable roast chicken dinner and a couple of Merlots then bed after skyping family but so noisy last night. There was a huge group of teenagers on some language course staying on the floor above. I reckon they were having races, then jumping off bunks before moving all the bunks around and shouting to each other while they did it!

Now on the bus back to Como and the temperatures have definitely risen! The driver is Spanish and the rep is a New Zealander. As the bus twists and turns following the edge of the Lake, I am reminded how beautiful this journey was on the way. Pretty little villages are nestling in the hillside. Mustard coloured houses in varying shades with terracotta roofs sprinkling down to the lake. Lake Como itself is massive. The journey only part way round takes an hour.

Now sitting in a street cafe in Como waiting for Busabout.  Maddy is from Melbourne, although her father is Chinese. She and I met in the hostel last night and have just shared a panini, basically so that we could sit down comfortably to wait for the bus and use their loo! Maddy has already been to most of the cities I am heading for and, after Lauterbrunnen, will be heading off towards Paris.

We have been on the bus an hour now and have passed through many tunnels, just going through the longest tunnel in Europe St Ghottard – 17k. In fact We are on a freeway which appears to be suspended in mid air between tunnels with a high range of mountains on either side. There are just 9 of us on the bus and they are all Aussies except me!

Loo stop at freeway service station called MYSTOP wouldn’t you know it! …now I can use some of my Swiss Francs! But oh so expensive. I just replenished my chocolate store exchanging Cadburys for Swiss (like you do) and also bought a bag of crisps in case I can’t afford dinner this evening. Together these came to 6.60 Swiss Francs… ouch! Plus 1 Swiss Franc for the loo! We continue our journey alongside a large lake to the right (there are lots of lakes here and I figure they must be very deep judging by the steepness of the mountain). Through yet another tunnel and now a lake on the left with snow-capped peaks on the right. This pretty well sums up the whole journey this afternoon …..hmm this Swiss chocolate with almonds is so good; very creamy, maybe I should eat it all before it melts!

Ok a bit of drama! The bus has been pulled over by the Swiss police and led to their headquarters… yikes, what’s this all about? It seems they want to check that we are in their country legally and need to check the documentation… all is fine and off we go. our rep says the Swiss Police are very strict but we’re good so back on the road… Now we’re climbing higher and higher towards Interlaken. Now a beautiful deep turquoise lake on the right. At the top beautiful scenery below of a vast green flat area of land dotted with wooden farms between ginormous mountain ranges. Maddy tells me the image for Paramount Films came from this area. I’m just about to take a picture of the turquoise lake and we’re back inside a tunnel again. Photos are not very good through glass from the bus anyway. Will wait til we get to Lauterbrunnen. Welcome to Jungfrau Region, the sign just said. Jungfrau is the highest peak in Europe!  Ausfahrt – that means leave the freeway, unless you were wondering! Nearly there….

Ok seems I’m sharing a room in a chalet (with two double bunks) with the three very loud girls on the bus who are out for a good time! I’m not going to think about that now. Off to the restaurant to treat myself to schnitzel – my favorite…. it has just arrived … whoer it’s huge, how am I going to eat all this?! Second glass of house… Tyrollean music… what could be better. There is still the bill of course – 29 Swiss francs including 2 glasses of wine – oh well I didn’t sign up for any expensive extreme activities!  (white-water rafting available here… bin there, done that!)
Unfortunately I’m unable to get WiFi connection here so my blog entry will be delayed.

Went for a walk around the village after dinner. So Swiss – wooden chalets with decorative shutters against a back cloth of vertical rock stretching high into the evening sky and shutting out the sun. Although you could still see the last of the evening sun reflected on one of the snow capped mountains behind. Sheep were jangling on the hillside with the traditional bells around their necks and there was the smell of new mown hay in the air.
I returned to my chalet to find 2 of the girls there and we got chatting. They were very friendly and one even lent me her adaptor as mine wouldn’t fit the socket. The fourth girl in the room flitted in and out. She was a bit of a party animal! I went to bed about 10.30 soon followed by Morissa and Angie, but party animal came in briefly at about 3.30 to fetch something then finally climbed up onto the bunk above me at around 5!

It rained heavily last night and was really noisy on the tipi although I felt safe and cosy inside. I woke at 4 to the sound if the dawn chorus and one bird in particular stood outside my tipi yelling “it’s morning, it’s morning, time to get up, time to get up!!!!” repetitively.  6.30 the first train of the day passed by behind my tipi.  I don’t think I mentioned that before but the mountain railtrack is about 50 metres from my tipi.  I was a little surprised at first but I found it strangely comforting and got used to the time the train came through each way.  They stopped running at about 10.30 and starting again around 6.30 and after a while I hardly noticed them.  Going back to the heavy rain I sat up in my sleeping bag to see the rain had come in all around the tipi.  It sits on a wooden raised base and Carole told me later that her father should have wrapped the sides of the tipi around the decking and that way the water would not have come in.  Anyhow, although it had come in as far as my bed, I was raised up on a thin plastic mattress so was not affected.

It was a beautiful morning after the rainstorm and I ventured down the 150 metres or so through the wood to the washrooms for a shower.  The showers were beautifully hot in a large modern wooden building fueled by solar power.  Breakfast was as usual on Carole’s decking overlooking the Swiss National Park, which is a huge mountain range opposite.  This morning they had a telescope out because Ronata had seen some rare mountain goats way up on the mountain opposite eating the new grass that was appearing through the snow.  I took this testing out the 30x zoom on my new camera which isn’t bad as it’s about as good as the telescope!

We called at the ranch to say goodbye to Ava and Andre who were helping the farrier shoe all ten horses.  Then Carole, Ronata and Danny took me to the station to catch the 11.08 Poste Bus to Chiavenna.  After our goodbyes, the Postebus which I had seen recommended on the Internet in a review, wound it’s way through the tiny Tyrollean villages of Engadin.

It negotiated at least ten hairpin bends in one go that should never be attempted by a bus meeting logging lorries and motor bikes!  But the views were to die for!!  I’m so glad I chose to come back a totally different way to Menaggio where I had left my big wheelie bag.  Why oh why did I bring so much stuff?!  I decided while in St Moritz that one change of clothes was absolutely sufficient for this sort of trip.  Noone sees you more than once anyway so just wash every third day in the hostel.  I would discard clothing as soon as possible!  Yes, it was very cold in St Moritz and I needed layers and jackets but not any more.  Europe looks like hotting up from now on.

I am now sitting back in the Menaggio hostel catching up with blog, and a Merlot to reward myself for negotiating all the different forms of transport to and from my little excursion to Engadin…. ferries, trains, busses and walking with backpack.  Actually the transport system so far has been much easier than I expected, even crossing the border from Italy to Switzerland, although I am now landed with some Swiss money the Italians are not interested in.  This last picture is Varenna just before taking the ferry back to Menaggio.

I woke to the sound of rain on my tipi! Oh no, this was my big riding day. Bursting for the loo, I hurriedly put on my trainers and waterproof, and headed down to the campsite washrooms. I toll this opportunity to wash and brush my teeth as I didn’t plan to make another trip in the rain. However, it was quite light and soon stopped altogether but it was very cold this morning. As Carole put out the breakfast muesli, bread, honey and expresso, she read the temperature gauge to be 8 deg. and promptly brought me a heavy blanket to wrap around me while we ate under the awning on the decking of her caravan. She was already wearing one of Ronata’s thick lumberjack coats.

We walked around to the ranch well layered and waterproofed for the morning ride up through the forests in the mountains. By the time we had the horses ready, the sun was out and the temperatures soared. The same four of us as yesterday set off up a steep track and when we got to the top, the scenery was typical of The Endagan Valley – tiny Tyrollean chalets dotted below, with fresh new green larch reaching across the mountainside up to a purple backcloth of snow- capped mountains. We dismounted on a sunny bank dotted with large electric blue Gentian all facing the sun. There were also large lemon flowers which I thought at first was Evening Primrose but Ava told me they were Anemones. As we walked the horses down the steep and winding pathway through the forest and into the meadow below you could always hear the jangle if the cowbells, some near, some further across the valley as the sound carried well.  On a sunny bank in the meadow below I spied Wild Orchids, unmistaken by their spotted leaves. I had certainly come to the Swiss mountains at the best time of the year for wild flowers.
After untacking and returning the horses to the others at the ranch, we had a bite of lunch consisting of fried potatoes and eggs, followed by some strawberries and bars of delicious Swiss chocolate.
As Carole could see my interest in wild flowers, she told me if another special place not far away from the campsite, where I could go for a walk in the afternoon. It was about a 15 minute walk along a wooded track and then through a meadow over the other side of the railway track. It was a peaceful spot just crammed with so many different species of alpines, many if which I’d already seen but also some new ones including violas and Scabious. I just sat down amongst the flowers and enjoyed nature and peace.
I have now returned to my tipi and chilling out, updating blog and planning my itinerary for the next leg of my journey tomorrow.

There were six of us for dinner this evening but tis time under the awning of Carole’s and Ronata’s camp.  Danny joined us as he, Andre and Ronato were making a clever mountain bike stand out of a huge tree trunk this afternoon.  They also carved some very nice plant troughs out of wood with a chain saw.  Dinner was a selection of veggies in a salad dressing for starters followed by chicken curry with rice and then the obligatory liqueurs with coffee.  Carole made these liqueurs from pine tree shoots and wild strawberries.  During dinner a truck arrived delivering their specailly designed barbecue.  It as huge and very heavy.  It took the four guys to lift it into position, but they were very proud of it and talked about it for quite some time afterwards.

After washing up in the campsite washroom, it’s an early night for me ready for my return to Menaggio.

Well I must fill you in on last night…. I checked into my tipi up in the forest.  It seems I was their first guest of the season, and the ONLY guest.  I had a big tipi, which could sleep probably 8 or 10, all to myself…. not sure at this stage whether this is a good thing or not.  The spot here is absolutely ideallic.  There are Christmas trees all around me with pine cones everywhere.  Carole and her Dad have caravans nearby and the main cooking and dining tipi is a little further away with the horses.

After a brief settling in period and a wander down to the fast flowing glacier river below, we all made our way over to see the horses.  I was introduced to each one, although I’m not sure I’ll remember all their names.  Here I also met Ava who looks after them all and runs the ranch along with Carole’s Dad, who is her partner.  As it began to get dark, we retired to the cooking tipi, where I was amazed to see Renay, Carole’s Dad stoking up the fire of an Aga (or similar) in the middle of the tipi.  We were going to have Racotta (a Swiss dish of potatoes and cheese).  Meanwhile, Carole prepared a ‘Flat’ (a large rectangular pastry covered with fruit – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, etc and next covered with latticework of pastry to cook in the Aga.  We all sat down and shared of bottle of very nice Italian wine (their local, called Inferne!)  Firey, I saaid to Renay…. ‘Hell’ he replied!  After a most enjoyable evening, which included locally picked and pickled mushrooms, artichoke sauce, hot chillies and other delights, rounded off with Grappa and a delicious coconut liquor…. time for bed!  As we arrived back at the camp in pitch darkness, I suddenly found it a bit scarey going to sleep on my own in that tipi in the forest.  Actually it was ok… a little cold at first in near zero temperatures but my sleeping bag and rug was snuggly warm eventually and I woke at about 6 to the sound of the mountain stream and the birds singing.  (All the afore mentioned really belongs to Monday.)

Just using this opportunity to update the blog over breakfast as Carole has lent me her laptop while she and Renata have gone on an errand somewhere.  Enjoying Expresso and delicious crusty bread for breakfast…. better get stoked up before riding this afternoon.  The weather up here has been kind so far and, although cold at night (there is still snow on the mountains here), when the sun is out it is really quite warm in the day.  So glad I bought that zipper jacket in Como for the mountains though.  Time for another Expresso and then a walk in the sunshine I think…..

Wandering up in the forest behind my tipi I was photographing some alp flowers then heard a bird sound in the tree nearby.  I must be close to a nest or upsetting them in some way, because a pair of large tit-like birds were flitting about making alarm calls less than a metre from me.  I couldn’t make out what they were and only had my mobile to photograph them.  Black heads and white faces… Must check them out.

by the time I returned from my walk Carole and Ronata were back and had laid out some lunch on the decking.  It was a beautiful hot afternoon and we just chilled out for a bit …Ronato in the hammock!

By the middle if the afternoon, we headed off down to the ranch to saddle up for a ride.   Carole and I watched as Ava gave riding lessons to Andre, a local man in a cowboy hat, on handling his horse.  Andre is used to driving horses and not riding.  Eventually we saddled up our horses.  I was to ride Carole’s Ashira, whose birth she had witnessed and first tottering steps.  Ashira was now 12 zears old.  Carole would ride a small Icelandic pony with a shaggy mane and tail.  While Ava and Andre would keep their mounts.  Ava had a 4 year old that she was training and Andree a big heavy black mare.  As I hadn’t ridden since Banff exactly a year ago, I was grateful for some tips and general ingtroduction to the horse in an Enclosure.  Before long, we set off on our preliminary trek and I soon felt at home in the saddle again.

Dinner in the evening was to be a barbecue.  Already Ronata had it lit for our return and Carole set to work preparing corn on the cob, mushrooms, courgettes, Swiss sausages and salad.  The meals are long social affairs here and although we started eating around 6.30, we were still chatting and laughing over shnappes at 9.30!  Shnappes, it would seem is a general term for liqueurs.  These included something very like Baileys called Haselnuss.  My favourite was Coconut Rum, there was Brandy and Whisky and several lethal little numbers whose names I can neither spell nor pronounce!  I find the Swiss language impossible to understand.  It is quite a gentle language and although a mixture of French, Italian and German, I still cannot pick out any recognisable words… must be my brain slowing down… so every so often I start an English conversation and they try their best, bless em… all good fun!

Very nice roast chicken dinner in the hostel last night for 8 euros including a glass of wine. met up with a few more travelers, one Chinese girl with an American accent was a bit full of herself! Reasonable night’s sleep after brief thunder storm. Fabulous had very kindly remembered to bring in his favourite rucksack for me to borrow for my 3 days in the mountains so that I could leave my wheelie in the hostel lockup for my return on Thursday.Here is a view of Menaggio as we leave on the ferry. and Varenna as we arrive.

I met Warren, an Australian, waiting for the ferry to Varenna. He was travelling around Italy before meeting up with his daughter in Scotland. We walked up the hill in pretty Varenna to the train station, where he went in the opposite direction to Milan, while I met up with a German couple going on the same train as me to Tirano.

Although they were from Dusseldorf, they were able to tell me all the best places to visit during my forthcoming visit to Munich…. must make notes, English gardens, tower of St Peter in main square, etc. They got off at the next stop for the scenic walk back. I am now snaking round the lake towards Tirano. It is a public holiday so no ticket offices open so hope all will be well when I get there. These trains are huge but hardly anyone on them. it sounds a bit like a steam train as it chugs along the mountainside in and out of tunnels. Although it started cloudy after a wet night, the sun has just come out. Maybe I didn’t need all these extra clothes for the possible zero conditions in the mountains. I hope the weather stays clear for the panoramic Bernina Express!

That’s good, the conductor has just given me a ticket on the train – 7 euros only for an hour and a half! Also she showed me where the toilet is… all good so far. But she said at Tirano I must go to a different station to get to St Moritz…. Why is it wherever I go, when I try so hard to speak their language, they always reply in English, this makes me feel so inadequate… why do I bother?! Anyway so far it is very easy to get about on public transport.

Now traveling away from the Lake between the mountains. Amongst the forests there are large area of vineyards on the steep slopes as far as the eye can see, making even patterns like green sticks side by side. I can see the snow capped mountains behind.

Arrived at Tirano… now have to make a choice: regular mountain train leaving in 10 minutes or Panoramic leaving in 2 and a half hours. I think probably the regular but will just check with Carole who is picking me up what will suit her best. 25 euros to St Moritz and it will take two and a half hours. Silly me I should have brought a snack lunch.

Wow we go over 126 bridges and as many tunnels…and pass 26 communities. Lots of bells rattling….  We are going higher and higher… So exciting!! Wow and triple wow – the scenery is just awesome. Lots of irrigation going on, logging, fast flowing rivers tumbling over rocks. Very steep incline and much screeching as this train makes its tortuous way up the mountain. Wish the’d turn the heating down… very hot in here but bet its cold outside. Wow a Beautiful blue lake high in the mountains… going to sit back and enjoy for a while…
Through settlements the single railway track runs alongside the road and the driver blows the horn which sounds more like a bird of prey. I think the heating has changed to aircon now, much better! Just wondering if I am in Switzerland or still Italy. Ah my phone now says Swisscom. The buildings have certainly become more Alpine. Wild flowers in abundance up here… pinks, purples, yellows, whites..
Now at snow level…. wow, it is so beautiful up here…. and no people ! Sometimes shear drops far into the distance. This is a roller coaster of a ride sometimes turning sharply as your stomach continues over a deep and huge ravine……. just making brief notes here to research later…..
Lake Palu and glacier – Alp Grum.
2256 metres above sea level Bernina is the highest of Rhatische Bahn stations
We wait for a train coming the opposite way and it looks like a dinky toy against the humongous mountain. Oh oh suddenly dark blue gentian everywhere. Turquoise blue glacier steams all around…. just so beautiful here… and the sun is shining. I am soooo lucky!!! The scenery just takes your breath away.

Carole and her boyfriend, Renato, were there on the platform at St Moritz and showed me a little of the town before we stopped off at Aldi for provisions.  Finally we drove through the valley of Engadin to Chapell Camping where I would be staying.  I am in a dream!!!  I can’t put pics from my camera on here because I left my netbook in the lock up in Menaggio so mobile phone pics will have to suffice for the next 3 days.  (have now been able to borrow Carole’s laptop.) Here are a few to for today of the beautiful blue Gentian growing in abundance all around my tipi, my accommodation for the next 3 nights in the forest, and some views.

Sorry if pics sometimes go in wrong way round or spelling is bad, sometimes I’m just updating from my mobile.

I am just now sitting beside the Lake waiting for my first Espresso! Certainly not expresso timewise but hey, I’m learning that Italians don’t do speed. Why would they, in such a beautiful setting…. I am so enjoying the moment, with the water lapping just beside me, beautiful flowers all around and happy smiley people enjoying a sunny Sunday morning.

Going back… I had the best night’s sleep – 8 hrs from 10 til 6 am! Woken by the sun streaming through the balcony window straight into my eyes.

My espresso has just arrived after about half an hour I think! Maybe it’s called expresso because you down it in one mouthful – it’s a tiny cup and only half full… but although bitter, is quite delicious!

Where was I……. the hostel, which is run by a group of previous backpackers, served an excellent continental breakfast. I sat outside on the terrace in the hot sun and soon felt a painting coming on. The views from here are absolutely stunning…. I know I shall be using that word a lot….

After a quick watercolour I headed down town with Fiona a Scottish girl staying at the hostel who was heading over to Varenna on the ferry. After saying goodbye I wandered through the little town skirting the lake where there was quite an extensive open air market…. and the most purple of stalls…. yes, lavendar!

Spent most of the day in this delightful little lakeside town sketching, chatting to Italians who liked my work and sampling the occasional gelato… perfect!! I was intrigued by the bells in the church tower which were hung on wheels but were clearly mechanical. There were 5 which rang slowly individually at random for about 10 minutes on the hour and then rang round in perfect sequence. All this is visible from outside.

It is good to have a day just chilling out after such full on traveling and the weather just couldn’t be better!