{"id":818,"date":"2024-04-12T22:30:38","date_gmt":"2024-04-12T20:30:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taylorcpt.co.za\/?p=818"},"modified":"2024-04-12T22:30:38","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T20:30:38","slug":"good-bye-italy-hello-switzerland-friday-12th-april-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taylorcpt.co.za\/?p=818","title":{"rendered":"Good-bye Italy \u2013 Hello Switzerland \u2013 Friday 12th April 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We left Venice by train at 7.18 this morning heading to Milan.  I worked on the train and then finished typing the last blog.  The wi-fi is fantastic on the inter city trains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We got to Milan and had about 35 minutes before departing for Tirano.  We were not able to reserve seats on the Milan \u2013 Tirano trip, so assumed that this was because the train would not be too busy.  How wrong we were!  We were lucky enough to get seats, but there were people standing everywhere! Overloading is not a thing here!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The trip was very scenic with lakes and snow on high peaks.  Although it was still Italy, it looked very Swiss.  We arrived in Tirano at about 13.00 and then had a wait to board the scenic train \u2013 the Bernina Express – to Chur.  We found the Bernina Express Office, and I went to information to ask where we would be boarding, and the lady politely told me that due to landslides the train had been cancelled and that we should have been notified by email.  Well, we had received nothing and it would appear that none of the other passengers had either.  Apparently we will be refunded, but let\u2019s wait and see\u2026.. She said that we could catch a bus to a certain place, and then catch a train (which turned out to be 2 trains) to Chur, and that our Bernina Express tickets were valid for these trips.  We thanked her and headed off looking for the bus.  Well, what she didn\u2019t mention was that we would be in a normal commuter bus \u2013 along with all the other passengers commuting to wherever.  The bus arrived and everyone who should have been on the scenic train, together with all our luggage, got on the bus.  As if this was not bad enough people put their suitcases on their wheels in the middle of the bus, where there is an open space.  We put our suitcases flat.  Well, I need not tell you what happened when we went around the first sharp bend \u2013 there were suitcase flying everywhere!  So the men in the bus had to grab suitcases and put them all flat.  As we stopped at various stops, the bus got fuller and fuller and fuller.  At one stop a rather large man got on, and seeing that there were no seats available he sat on the suitcases.  Now, in my suitcase which was near the bottom of the pile were 2 bottles of red wines which we bought for the boys in Italy.  They were well packed, but\u2026..I began to wonder what my clothes would be like soaked in red wine.  I am pleased to report that the wine was still intact when we got to Chur!  And my clothes had not had a soak in red wine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The bus route was up a very windy, beautiful pass through snow like we have never seen before.  It was exactly like you see Switzerland depicted in books and in movies.  (The pictures were taken in a moving bus through a window, so apologies if they are not too clear.)  We have no idea what we would have seen on the scenic train, and will probably never know, but the views we had were spectacular.  Sadly we did not stop for us to touch it, but so be it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When we got to Pontresina, we had to get off the bus and wait for a train, which was delayed, but eventually got there.  We all got on, with our luggage, and had to get off 2 stations later, and wait for another train with a 45 minute wait.  The last train bought us to Chur.  Again, the views from the train were breathtaking.  There is no snow on the ground here in Chur, but we can see snow on the mountains.  Some look like the Icing Sugar boxes, and some have a lot more!  By this stage, we were dead dog tired and now needed to find a bus to our hotel, but all information was in German.  Well we managed to get here \u2013 my knowledge of German from 2 years in High School and working in Namibia for a short while came in handy.  The hotel is lovely, and we have been given a Chur Guest Card which entitles us to free bus travel and free entry into various places tomorrow, including a cable car ride.<\/p>\n\n\n\n