Switzerland 2015 – Part I

2015 – Swiss Part 1
Dear Family and Friends,
We are back on the road again. This time the primary destination is Switzerland.
,
May 18
We started our travels for this trip very early in the morning. We are once again flying
standby on Delta so you never know if you are going to get on a flight. We left Boise at
about 5:30 in the morning. We got a little nervous because as we sat in the plane just
out from the gate for much longer than normal. Then a bunch of smoke came from one
of the engines. The captain came on and said they had trouble starting one of the
engines but everything was okay now and we should be departing shortly. We made it
to Minneapolis pretty much on time. Of course we had to go from one end of the airport
to the other. That is somewhat like going from Minneapolis to St Paul. Although we do
need the exercise. Then the trouble started. The first flight to JFK was grounded due to
an FAA ruling at JFK. Eventually they said it was weather delays and one of the
runways was down for repairs. The 15 empty seats quickly vanished because people
from a later flight kept checking in to this one. Well we didn’t make that flight so we went
to the second flight which was also grounded. This one now had about 30 empty seats
so we got on and in first class. When we got to JFK planes were parked all over
everywhere. We sat for at least 15 minutes on the taxi strip waiting for two planes to
move so we could get to our gate. We could see our next plane just sitting there. We
finally got to the gate and hurried to the other gate. Unfortunately they had closed the
doors so we were just a little too late.
The Delta representative was very helpful. She got us on the list for tomorrow and put
an expedite on our one bag that for some reason was still in Minneapolis. Rob got us a
hotel room at the Airport Inn because they had a free shuttle and off we went. We got to
our room only to find it had not been made up. The receptionist just didn’t seem all that
surprised. They had free wifi but we never did get on. We did get a room with clean
sheets and hot water.
May 19
We stayed at the hotel until check out and then went to the airport. We spent the time
wandering around the airport, reading, stitching or whatever. We did meet a very nice
Indian lady who was also going to Zurich to join her Swiss husband for a holiday. We
made the flight without a problem but in economy class. There were still lots of empty
seats so we were able to stretch out.
May 20
We arrived in Zurich about 9:00 am. Getting through immigration and customs was very
easy. We went to the Railway ticket office and bought half fare passes plus train tickets
to get to the city. Then we went to the Railway Center in the airport and bought tickets
for the Glacier Express because those sell out quickly. The first good opening was in a
couple of days. That was better than expected.
Getting to the city was easy as long as you know the track number. You go down to the
track and hop on the next train that comes along. As expected the trains are timely,
spotless and quiet. The train ends at the Zurich train station and takes about 15
minutes. The train station is large and people are going all directions. Offices and
eateries line the sides. Push cart venders are in the middle. A market is set up near the
entrance selling dried fruits, cheese, pastries and other goods.
We found the tourist office in train station and had them book a room for two nights. The
cost was 220 francs (more than $220) per night and didn’t include breakfast. Luckily it
did include wifi. This was the Walhalla Guest House. According to the travel book this is
an economy place. Boy we don’t want to know the high end places. Even though we
could stretch out on the plane neither of us slept all that well so we took a nap. Our
room was on the first floor but they start counting with zero so we were really on the
second floor. The elevator was so small one suitcase and one person is all that would
fit. The room was small but clean. The bathroom was similar in size to a motorhome
bathroom. Don’t hit the controls when you turn around.
After our nap we decided to walk and find a place to eat. We knew what was at the train
station so we went the other direction. This did not look at all promising. The trams were
full of people going home but otherwise everything was quiet. Eventually we found a
place doing kebab sandwiches so we ate there. The food was really very good. The
price also was better. By the way breakfast at the hotel was 20 francs each. The owner
gave us each a piece of baklava for dessert. Boy that was good.
Bicycles are a very common means of transport here. The streets have bike lanes and
bikes are parked everywhere. They all have big locks on them. Near the train station
they even had a double decker bike parking. Obviously parking a bike is easier than
parking a car. Not many motor cycles or mopeds.
May 21
Today we decided to walk around old town. The map basically said to go out the front of
the train station, walk a block, and turn right. Well we did that but with a brief detour
through the grocery store. That was a nice store with a good selection. We bought ham,
cheese, rolls, mustard, apples, chips and cookies. That should take care of lunch. Old
town has narrow winding cobblestone roads that is mostly pedestrian traffic. One of the
buildings was being renovated so had some scaffolding. That was the same road the
garbage truck went down. He only had a couple of inches clearance on either side. For
the most part the buildings are living quarters on top and businesses on the bottom.
Those were either clothing or eateries. Quite a few hotels are here too. Before long we
were at one of the old churches. This one was built in the 1100s sometime. It had a
mixture of old and new stained glass windows. The furnishings were not the least bit
ornate even though this was originally a Catholic church. Rob went up the 187 steps of
the tower to have a look around. Connie checked out the rest of the church.
Across the river was the second old church. This one was known for its stained glass
that was done by a French artist. The work looked like some of Picasso’s work. Back in
the pews there were lots of new lighting so the church must be used for some church
services with a modern flair. The pews have hooks to hang your umbrella. We think it
rains here a lot because the businesses have stands just inside their doors for wet
umbrellas.
The third church’s claim to fame was the clock on the tower. It is supposedly the largest
in Europe. No, we did not measure it. Sometimes you have to believe the written word.
A small square was just beside this church. Since there were benches we decided to
stop for lunch. What a nice quiet place until the church bells went off. We continued on
this side of the river eventually getting back to the grocery store. We skipped the main
shopping street. The way the old town streets meander we don’t know how anyone finds
what they are looking for. We bought fish and chips at the grocery store for dinner. Then
back through the train station with a brief stop to price a Burger King Whopper. Wow a
full meal deal is 18 francs. A later check of the McDonald’s index showed that for $50 in
the US you can buy eleven big macs but in Switzerland you can only buy seven.
May 22
Today we go by train to St Moritz where we will catch the Glacier Express train. We met
a very nice New Zealand couple waiting for the same train. They have been traveling all
over Europe by train and boat. They own an old classic car and plan to meet up with
their car club in Switzerland for some kind of a tour. We had to change trains in Chur but
that was relatively easy. The weather wss cloudy but the scenery was beautiful with tall
mountains and deep valleys. Sometimes though a small village was perched way up the
mountain. The story of Heidi makes far more sense now. All the settlements have a
church and many appear to have had the same architect. Only slight variation in
steeples make the difference. We arrived in St Moritz right on time. They had a great
hotel calling board in the lobby. Rob called our hotel and found out they were closed
and that our reservation was in their sister hotel located in Davos Wolfgang. That is
about an hour back up the way we just came. Rather than try to find another hotel we
decided to try to get to the one we had. We bought tickets to the town of Davos. This
stretch of track is incredible with all the tunnels and a spiral that crosses the valley four
times.
Rob looked further at the reservation and determined that the hotel was actually in
Davos Wolfgang wherever that is. Come to find out Davos is a very common name for a
town in these parts. We got off the train and headed for the ticket office. No train is
headed there currently, but we can take the bus. Oh yes to get to the bus you must
cross the street, go up the lift to the top, and walk a block. The bus ride was about 20
minutes but to our amazement stopped right in front of the hotel. We are pretty much at
the end of town now so the only other business was the gas station across the street.
By the way gas is 1.53 CHF per liter which makes gas over $6.00 per gallon. The
reception staff was very friendly. Our room was across the street so off we went. The
room was very small but we weren’t going to be there all that long. The receptionist
agreed to talk to the owner about making us box lunches since we had to leave before
breakfast. We settled in and then headed for the nearby train station to check things
out. We must be there before 7:00 am. This is a request stop only station which means
they don’t have someone selling tickets. You can only get tickets from a vending
machine. According to the receptionist we must push the yellow button with an X 5
minutes ahead of the scheduled train arrival time to make the train stop. We easily
found the ticket machine and the directions about pushing the button. We did not
however find the button. It was no where on the building nor on the sign. Eventually we
looked on the other side of the sign and found the button. We should be good to go for
morning. We decided to have dinner at the hotel because other options didn’t look good.
We could catch the bus back to town but they don’t seem to run all that often. Well this
was the place for dinner. Quite a few people were eating there. The dinning room was
beautiful with pine walls and cloth tablecloths and napkins. We had a wonderful dinner
with local wine and strawberries for dessert. The owner took over waiting on us once he
found out who we were. Good service and good food are important. They had two
waitresses working and they were moving. Once we finished dinner, they found the
owner for us so we could pay. He had our box lunches ready to go.
May 23
We were up before the chickens this morning. The train was scheduled for 6:53 so we
can make the 10:00 departure of the Glacier Express. We ordered the tickets from the
machine but it didn’t like the credit card. Most likely because it doesn’t have a chip. All
the European cards have them. Luckily we had enough coins to pay for the tickets. Now
we were ready to push the button. When you push it the button illuminates and a voice
comes on saying the request has been processed and will be good for 15 minutes. The
train showed up right on time and stopped to let us on. We had a 10 minute ride to the
main town where we must change trains. That all went well. Then we had about a 20
minute ride to the next train change. For the third time we traveled this section of rail. It
crosses the valley four times although you really don’t feel it. Most of that crossing is
done in a big spiral tunnel. We arrived in St Moritz again about 9:00 am just as the first
Glacier Express was leaving. We have about an hour wait. Connie spent most of that
time talking to a nice lady from Kansas. She gave us a few tips of what to see and do on
toward Geneva. We boarded the train about 15 minutes before departure time. These
cars have large glass windows on the sides and more in the roof. You definitely get a
good view. Not that many people got on the train. We thought we would have it to
ourselves. That all changed when we arrived in Chur. After that the car was full. The
morning is still cloudy so the tops of the mountains are in the clouds. We guess we
should be happy it isn’t raining or snowing. For the fourth time we traveled the one
section of the rail. This helps you to become seasoned travelers. The scenery is
beautiful even if part of it is hidden. The mountains rise so steeply and the valleys are
very narrow. Part of the journey is considered a UNESCO site. We traveled along in the
green for quite sometime. We crossed bridges and went through tunnels as we wound
around the mountains. Then we began to climb. Going in one of the long tunnels the
scenery was green. Coming out of the tunnel the land was white with snow. Boy was
that a surprise and oh so bright.
They serve a main meal on the train. We didn’t buy into that plan but it was impressive.
It was a three course meal with a set menu. When they served the main course, the
staff brought out large bowls of food. Then they served each person from those bowls.
Later they came around and offered seconds. All for roughly $50 per person. A few
passengers got off towards the end of the ride. You are supposed to be able to see the
Matterhorn at the end of the trip but it was hiding along with all the others. We got off the
train at the end in Zermatt and onto another one to go back a short distance to Randa
where our room was located. Our room was bigger but cold. We turned the heater on
full but the heater only got a little warm. The comforters felt good. The hotel restaurant
was not open and the town doesn’t have a grocery store. Good thing we had a few
supplies. As grey nomads we don’t like to miss a meal.
Enjoy,
Rob and Connie…