Bernina Express

Also on the previous weekend I took the Bernina express for the first time. It was a long slow train ride that went to an elevation of over 2000m and is the highest train ride over the alps in Switzerland (the rest go through very long tunnels).

The day started with a walk to the small village train station and as we were walking down the road a farmer was driving his sheep up it!

Then it was on the train. We didn't pay for the viewing cars, we just rode in the regular car which turned out to be a good idea since the other cars were full of people and we could always go up to any window in our nearly empty train car! The trip went over the alps and down a long valley into Italy. The weather got better too, since weather in all of Europe this spring has been terrible! When we were almost to Italy there is a famous section of the train where it makes an entire circle in the valley as it drops altitude.

Once in Italy we were over dressed (although it still was chilly in Italy for May). We walked around the town and ate our fantastic homemade sandwiches (yes we packed a lunch). The village had large sections that appeared abandoned, but  the roads were narrow and twisting.

Then we stopped in the piazza and had a cool glass of white wine while enjoying the weather.

Then we caught the train back to Switzerland and did the entire 4 hour journey in reverse. As we crossed over the pass we had some views of glaciers off in the distance.

And at the top of the pass there was still a fair amount of snow. Probably in a normal year this would be clear by now, but apparently this is the worst spring in 30 years.

And after hours of train travel (in the sun) we were home. That was probably the only nice day in a weeks. Now it is snowing! The mountains still have lots of snow on them and it is June! I am wearing a winter coat still, my one concession to summer weather is that I don't wear my big winter boots!