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Oct 12 –
No person in their right mind would set the alarm for 5:45 am while on vacation, but that's exactly what we did - and our timing was spot on. The previous night we’d made a 9 am booking for the Monte Carasso-Mornera cable car (which needs a reservation as it only holds six people, 11 chf each) so we were at the station and on a bus by 7:39 am, headed to Monte Carasso, about an hour’s ride from Locarno (4.70 chf each). https://www.ticino.ch/en/commons/det...rnera/998.html We were the first passengers on this gloomy day, and scored an entire car to ourselves, 15 minutes earlier than our reservation. We disembarked at Curzett, where we set out hiking the trail to the Tibetan Bridge, via what felt like a million stone steps, for which my knees may never forgive me. The trail took us past the small Romanesque church of San Bernardo which dates back to the 11th century (closed). The bridge in question is 130 meters high (426 feet) and 270 meters long (885 feet; freakishly long, even by Swiss standards). We had the entire bridge to ourselves and walked it twice, surprised at how steep it rises at each end. I’m not generally bothered by heights, but my heart definitely skipped a beat. I kept my phone safely tucked away in my pocket; it'd be just like to me drop it into the abyss. https://www.ticino.ch/en/commons/det...c-/137557.html https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...52516d3187.jpg Curzett to the Tibetan Bridge https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1334d971a5.jpg Tibetan Bridge from above https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f32018a72a.jpg Tibetan Bridge https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...aaf03684e5.jpg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...894ee1f34b.jpg Here comes the sun! https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...26d2956b10.jpg Tibetan Bridge - walking back across a second time https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...078e5375e9.jpg Tibetan Bridge https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4676c92264.jpg Tibetan Bridge as we were leaving, more people turned up https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e38741104e.jpg Trail back to Curzett https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...28dd8a094c.jpg San Bernardo https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e72b15531c.jpg Near San Bernardo When we got back down to the cable car station we realized how good our timing had been; loads of people – including a school group - were waiting to board. https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1e2cdb5106.jpg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...02af44bfe6.jpg The day had turned beautiful, so we decided to return to Bellinzona via bus for a closer look (2 chf each). We sought out lunch, perusing a few menus, choosing Restaurant Croce Federale, encouraged by their busy patio. We showed our COVID certificates and were led to a small room upstairs which I gathered was overflow seating. We both chose the special of the day, a risotto with pumpkin and cheese; which turned out to be wonderful, one of the best meals of the trip. We washed it down with a lovely Ticino Merlot (red this time, 63 chf). https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...168e917d43.jpg |
October 13 –
We packed, tidied up the apartment and headed down the mountain for the last time, struggling to keep up with our wheeled luggage which wanted to roll to the bottom of the hill without us. We took a train to Bellinzona, and then connected to a double decker bus to Thusis. The bus was near empty and we scored the front seats on the top deck directly above the driver, giving us a fantastic unobstructed view. (30.80 chf each – Locarno to Celerina). Switzerland is home to at least 1,300 tunnels, and we drove through about a dozen of them, some of them crazy long. One such tunnel was the San-Bernardino in Graubünden, which runs under the San Bernardino Pass between the town of San Bernardino (which piqued our interest for next time) and the town of Hinterrhein. I really enjoyed this drive; it was fun to see everything from the vantage point of our bus driver. I videotaped some of it and have made still photos from those videos, a trick I’ve just recently learned. You’ll have to forgive the poor quality as they were shot through a dirty, bug streaked windshield. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6ed7307b15.jpg Leaving Bellinzona on the bus https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c0d78f3bdc.jpg Leaving Bellinzona on the bus https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7c8bc15d7c.jpg Leaving Bellinzona on the bus https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...94ec34868d.jpg Leaving Bellinzona on the bus https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...21318ad437.jpg Onboard the bus https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fa36e5bd01.jpg Onboard the bus https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5b1a39ee54.jpg Onboard the bus https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a505017457.jpg Onboard the bus https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9535bf326b.jpg Onboard the bus https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ab7901b911.jpg Onboard the bus https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2b8367ad1d.jpg Onboard the bus https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0e1529a154.jpg Onboard the bus We were a bit late arriving in Thusis, so we had to make a mad dash to catch our connecting train to Celerina, which took us through the engineering masterpiece of the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway. We mistakenly boarded the kid carriage, but the chaos and noise eventually led us to look for a seat in a different carriage and peace was restored. Our route also took us right through Tifencastel, where we’d booked an apartment for later in the trip; and I immediately became concerned about the logistics involved in getting to that apartment. More on that later. We were now back in our comfort zone, the Engadine valley of Graubünden, which felt like home away from home. Upon our arrival in Celerina, I googled the address of our apartment, but Google came up empty. Fortunately, Bill had looked at a map the previous day and he has a good memory. Thanks to him it took only a few minutes to locate our apartment, situated an easy, flat walk from the railway station. We were warmly greeted by Karen, who was waiting for us outside. Her family has owned the building for generations and we’d learn a great deal about the history of her home over the coming days. ***During our 2019 trip I vowed to stay in Sils on our next autumn visit to Switzerland (Sils is situated just south west of St Moritz). But I had trouble finding a suitable apartment for our travel dates. So after reviewing our options in neighboring Silvaplana and nearby St Mortiz Bad, we changed gears altogether and opted to stay in Celerina, which is situated just north east of St Moritz. Celerina also boasts the most sunshine hours in the Engadine, and I’ve learned from experience that the more sunshine the better when traveling in the off season. We were further enticed to stay in Celerina by the completely flexible, no deposit, no cancellation penalty, pay cash upon arrival terms offered by Karen, who’d told us that she “had to remain very flexible and modest” during the pandemic. Lovely woman.*** Our Celerina apartment turned out to be one of our favorites, and interestingly enough, the least expensive of our month long trip. It was spacious, comfortable and extremely well equipped, and had so much surface space that even we couldn’t possibly clutter it all up. After getting settled we walked to the Coop for breakfast provisions, picked up a slice of Engadiner Nusstorte from the local bakery (didn’t care for it) and had a self-catered dinner in our new digs. To be continued… |
So glad I have an update to read this morning!
The more I look at Ticino ideas, the longer my Locarno base plans get....i wish I was retired, sigh.... Looking forward to Celerina! |
I know Adelaidean, so much see and do, so little time.
Oct 14 – It was cold in the Engadine. On went those fleece lined pants, fleece hats and gloves, and every stitch of top layer we brought, which wasn’t much, just a fleece jacket each and a Gortex shell. It was 18 F when we left our apartment in Celerina, a shock after that balmy Ticino weather. We walked to the nearest bus stop and caught the bus to Sils-Segl-Frutschellas at just past 8 am (4.20 chf each). Once there, we boarded the cable car up to the Furtschellas middle station, just us and another couple with their dogs, hoping for a relatively gentle panoramic hike on the Wasserweg (19.50 chf each). The trail’s description: The Water Trail is one of the hiking highlights on Corvatsch. From the Furtschellas middle station (2312 m), the 2½-hour circular walk takes you past six crystal-clear mountain lakes. The trail goes first towards Alp Munt, then branches off to the left and climbs steeply uphill for a short time. Your efforts are soon rewarded when the first of the six lakes comes into view, Leijn Cristal. This is followed by Lejin Magnetit, Lejin Malachit, Lejin Rhodonit, Lejin S-chaglia and finally Lejin Epidot. All the way along this family-friendly walk, you have wonderful views up to the icy pinnacles and rocky crags of the Corvatsch massif. We didn’t realize until we approached the cable car station that we’d be going up the shady side of the mountain, which meant no sun until later in the day. These are the details we try to work out in advance, but for whatever reason, we failed to get it together several times on this particular trip. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...77795756cb.jpg Furtschellas cable car https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4ed98dfb85.jpg Furtschellas cable car https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a687decf73.jpg Innocuous looking trail It had snowed the night before, so the trail was icy where the sun hadn’t yet reached, and muddy where it had. After climbing that steep uphill section, which was not “for a short time” by any stretch of the imagination, we encountered yet another steep hill, covered in ice and immersed in shade. As we wondered what we’d gotten ourselves into, another hiker pulled beside us and we asked her if she was familiar with the trail, hoping for a hint of what lie ahead. She said she’d hiked to three of the lakes previously, but had not yet made it to all six, having had to turn back due to conditions each time. Huh. Then she forged ahead, and we reluctantly followed. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6954b39efb.jpg Views from Wasserweg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0961e345d0.jpg Wasserweg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a6ff3a675a.jpg Wasserweg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2dfe1efbb6.jpg Wasserweg We eventually made it to one lake, and then another, only to be confronted with more hills, knowing that what goes up, must eventually come down, and ice on a descent could be tricky. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ddb046bf10.jpg Wasserweg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...79f5107fe7.jpg Wasserweg The hike was indeed panoramic and absolutely beautiful; I couldn’t stop taking photos. But it was tough – at least for my old knees; a climb of 1,150 feet along an obstacle course of a trail; and it was damn cold and windy. At one point I had to get on my butt and crawl down an icy slope for fear of stumbling and breaking my head. I'm sure the Swiss who watched from below were amused to no end. At the prettiest point of the walk, we encountered the same woman we’d seen earlier, giving each other a thumbs up for making it to the top. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6d492a2af8.jpg Wasserweg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dd361433a5.jpg Wasserweg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0c7c7d41b2.jpg Wasserweg The four mile hike took us 3:45, which pretty much says it all. Granted the views were breathtaking, but there was plenty of cheek-clenching during our icy climb and descent. Having said that, I’m sure this trail would be much easier in the summer, or at least on a day without snow, ice and mud. When we finally made it back down to the cable station, we had a well-earned lunch on the sun terrace of the Frutschellas Restaurant; Flammkuchen for both, one beer, one cider (54 chf). https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ec49f90025.jpg Frutschellas Restaurant, Flammkuchen After lunch we took the return cable car down to Sils-Segl and a bus to St Moritz Kirche (4.20 chf each – we couldn’t find St Mortiz Dorf on the SBB app for some reason and we didn’t want to chance not having the right bus ticket). From St Moritz Kirche we walked along Lake St Mortiz (no hills or ice!) then took the three part escalator up to St Moritz Dorf. Our destination, Hanselmann Conditorei for late afternoon calories in the form of Black Forest cake for me (not very good unfortunately) and what I think was a Toberlone mousse cake for Bill (excellent), chased down with two expensive, but very good lattes (25 chf). It’s here that I bought a second Engadiner Nusstorte to take home for Thanksgiving (475 gram, 23 chf). https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...787751058a.jpg St Moritz Kirche https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d3133a16cc.jpg Walking from St Moritz Kirche to St Moritz Dorf https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eba2b85205.jpg Lake St Moritz https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d70c353c5b.jpg St Moritz https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b23513e524.jpg St Moritz https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d45fce500d.jpg One of three escalators up to St Moritz Dorf https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...46078d58b8.jpg Hanselmann Conditorei We then caught the train back to Celerina (2.20 chf each), not realizing until we arrived at an unfamiliar stop that there are two railway stations in Celerina, 1) Celerina, which is on the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway and 2) Celerina Staz, which is located on the Bernina line of the Rhaetian Railway. We’d arrived at Celerina Staz, which completely confused me. The two railway stations are located about 900 meters from one another. It took a few minutes to get our bearings, but once we located the steeple of the church, which is located next to the apartment, we found our way home. To be continued… |
Oct 15 –
Another cold, but beautiful day in the Engadine. We caught the 9:30 am bus from Celerina to Maloja which was standing room only until we reached the Sils cable car station - people kept piling on and we wondered how they would all fit (5.60 chf each). We had to stand the entire way; the bus so busy we felt like sardines and had difficulty moving when someone wanted to get off. Normally, we’d leave earlier, but we were waiting for the sun to reach the valley and hoping it would warm up a bit, but it never did. Once in Maloja we located the lakeside trail and followed it back to Sils-Segl Maria, expecting an easy flat walk, but finding yet another undulating Bergweg, albeit a piece of cake compared to yesterday. And of course we were on the shady part of the lake…again. The views were lovely; the sky blue, the larches (deciduous conifers) a bright yellow. The walk was just over four miles; quiet at first, but then it got busier as we approached Sils. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e0053c49ef.jpg Lake side trail from Maloja to Sils-Segl Maria https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9da8a468f2.jpg Lake side trail from Maloja to Sils-Segl Maria https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f0502fe6b1.jpg Larches https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...16b0e166cd.jpg Lake side trail from Maloja to Sils-Segl Maria https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a2c82742e7.jpg Lake side trail from Maloja to Sils-Segl Maria https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...691a173213.jpg Lake side trail from Maloja to Sils-Segl Maria https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9315a579cf.jpg Lake side trail from Maloja to Sils-Segl Maria https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d10b112ea3.jpg Lake side trail from Maloja to Sils-Segl Maria We were craving some hearty Engadiner fare - so we sought out a restaurant offering Capuns - a traditional food from the canton of Graubünden, made from Spätzle dough with (or in my case without) pieces of dried meat and rolled in a chard leaf, and then cooked in a milk or cream bouillon and covered with grated cheese. Cream + cheese = wonderful. I’d done a bit of research and found a couple of restaurants in Sils offering Capuns; we ended up at the first one we found, Hotel Post. It was too cold to eat outdoors, so we showed our COVID certificates and entered the restaurant, which was empty until another couple came in a bit later; surprising considering how many people were out and about in Sils. The Capuns were very good, with the exception of the chard leaves, which were near impossible to chew (75 chf, including a half bottle of a lovely dry Sylvaner Riesling). https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6c2774c365.jpg Capuns, Hotel Post https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...778fbb30fd.jpg Cheesy After lunch, we waddled through Sils for a bit while waiting for our return bus to Celerina (4.20 chf each, not as busy as the morning’s bus, but standing room only once we got to St Moritz). https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...84207eae6b.jpg Sils https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ff8e6d7b3d.jpg Sils https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...eebe5c648a.jpg Sils https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...acf11a6e9c.jpg Sils https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a01cb21c54.jpg Sils https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fe52bec4b9.jpg Sils https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6ec94fb7f3.jpg Sils https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4b2fb8d9be.jpg Sils https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c296681545.jpg Sils Back in Celerina we sat on the patio of the Cresta Palace, sipping the most expensive Aperol Spritzes thus far, while watching the sun fade (25 chf). https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...54acc721a7.jpg Cresta Palace We logged over five miles, just enough to burn off half a Capun:) To be continued... |
Oct 16 –
Still cold, but beautiful. Because it was Saturday, we figured everyone in the area would be headed to St Moritz, Sils and the cable cars, so we decided to go in the opposite direction. We took a train to Chamues-ch, planning to walk a loop trail from there to Zuoz and return (4.20 chf each). https://www.outdooractive.com/en/rou...mieu/56218946/ As luck would have it, we’d chosen the wrong side of the valley for an October morning trek…again. The sun didn’t reach our side of the valley until 11:30 and the temperature was in the 20’s (F) so it was COLD. We mistakenly took a detour up a Bergweg, which led to the La Punt-Madulain Woodland Nature Trail, complete with a campground and several animal figures carved from wood. We knew we’d lost our intended trail, but decided to keep going because the climb helped keep us warm. https://www.engadin.ch/en/activities...-nature-trail/ https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...495efddcff.jpg Chamues-ch https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...df45d96316.jpg La Punt-Madulain Woodland Nature Trail https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2a6976ac5f.jpg La Punt-Madulain Woodland Nature Trail https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c23af001e6.jpg La Punt-Madulain Woodland Nature Trail https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...40ff73774c.jpg La Punt-Madulain Woodland Nature Trail We eventually found the trail we’d lost, and at one point, came across two linemen way up high working on an electrical line. One waved as I was taking a photo; I sure wouldn’t want that job. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cb068ff9da.jpg Trail to Zuoz https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...de9fb96a9c.jpg Trail to Zuoz https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...45b3c3f441.jpg Trail to Zuoz https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d79282681c.jpg Trail to Zuoz https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c3efd79ecc.jpg Trail to Zuoz By the time we reached Zuoz we’d hiked for some 2.5 hours and had lost interest in returning to Chamues-ch. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...760d0cf01b.jpg Approach to Zuoz https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...168b960d5a.jpg Approach to Zuoz Having Pizokels on our minds, I’d scoped out a lunch venue in advance, the Dorta Restaurant in Zuoz. We’d wanted to try this place when we stayed in Zuoz one December a few years ago, but never had the chance; the restaurant has an interesting history. I was intrigued by their hay soup, and in retrospect I should have given it a go. https://www.dorta.ch/allegra It was nice and sunny on this side of the valley, so we chose to dine on their terrace, where the wasps found us again, but fortunately kept their stingers to themselves. We both ordered the Zuozer herb pizokels, a Graubünden specialty of Spätzle-like buckwheat dumplings with ham, bacon, savoy cabbage and cream sauce. They were okay, but not nearly as good as we’ve had elsewhere in the past, so disappointing (65 chf with one glass of wine each. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f07d9bdfa3.jpg Dorta Restaurant https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...e7093010ab.jpg Zuozer herb pizokels Afterwards we trudged up the mountain into the sleepy Romanesque village, which is regarded as one of the most beautiful in the Upper Engadine. We wandered the streets and admired the Engadine houses, with their thick stone walls, arched doorways and Sgraffito. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7740d899f2.jpg Zuoz https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1981c6f01e.jpg Zuoz https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5d915dca8e.jpg Downspout, Zuoz https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...113585b5be.jpg Zuoz https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...53cb1e1507.jpg Zuoz https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9407b3c87e.jpg Zuoz https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...574f426ac3.jpg Zuoz https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...97065cca83.jpg Zuoz https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...71919de83d.jpg Zuoz https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d5c26cec48.jpg Zuoz https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1628aa3a8e.jpg Zuoz https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...597ceb94de.jpg Zuoz https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...47ca7cc1f8.jpg Zuoz https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8879d231cd.jpg Zuoz I’ve since ready that Zuoz is also home to the highest coffee-roasting plant in Europe, but all we could smell was cow poop. We toyed with stopping in Samadan on the way back to our apartment, but five miles and many hills had wiped us out, so we returned directly to Celerina by train (5.60 chf each), to relax in the apartment. To be continued… |
Oct 17 –
Karen had been kind enough to extend our check-out, so we left Celerina late in the morning and caught a train to Tiefencastel; a short hop of about 1:15 (11.90 chf each). We backtracked along the Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway; a UNESCO World Heritage site that we intended to thoroughly explore. Tiefencastel is still in Graubünden, but lies in the Albulatal Valley at the confluence of the Albula and Julia rivers. When we skirted Tiefencastel a few days prior on our way to Celerina from Locarno, my antenna had gone up...I’d noticed that the village is way below the train station and typically Swiss mountainous; where the heck was our Air BNB? Had we overlooked something when we booked? A quick consult with Google indicated it was a 12 minute level walk. Yeah right. Google is not my friend in Switzerland. Turned out that while our accommodation was at the same level as the railway station, we had to cross the Grand Canyon to get there…1/4 mile down one steep hill and then 1/4 mile back up...with luggage…that had gained significant weight thanks to all the Swiss chocolate I'd bought to take home. And…knowing that Tiefencastel didn’t have a grocery store, and that we’d be arriving on a Sunday, when shops in neighboring towns would be closed, we’d picked up a few breakfast provisions the previous day in Celerina, making our luggage even heavier. Part way up the second hill and confused about the discrepancy between Google Maps and what the apartment owner had told us, I left Bill with the luggage and continued walking up the hill and around two corners trying to locate our apartment. It became clear in a hurry that we’d been given driving directions. While I was gone, Bill had figured out a shorter, yet very steep, route to the apartment. After recovering from our unexpected mountain climb, we walked back down to the village for a late lunch at the one and only (open) restaurant at the Albula & Julier Hotel. Great option this. A lovely plate of Capuns for Bill, Gerstensuppe (barley soup) for me, a nice Italian red and Nusstorte with cream for both. (56.40 – good price, great food). https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dd9f6b8ff5.jpg Albula & Julier Hotel https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8a3df62317.jpg Albula & Julier Hotel https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1455e25ab0.jpg Albula & Julier Hotel Then we hit the streets of Tiefencastel, exploring the church, the cemetery, and our immediate surroundings. https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5a081a537f.jpg Tiefencastel https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...897598efed.jpg Tiefencastel https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...7c1a4a8591.jpg Tiefencastel https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3816e1d9d0.jpg Tiefencastel https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cc5a4d3b62.jpg Tiefencastel church ceiling https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...0cede2e7a2.jpg Tiefencastel cemetery https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6ea20ae007.jpg Tiefencastel https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...29a975cac4.jpg Tiefencastel Unlike most apartments we’d rented in Switzerland, this one was HUGE. Three bedrooms, a massive living room, dining room, kitchen and two balconies. It wasn’t particularly cozy, but was certainly spacious. Despite the size, it was probably my least favorite accommodation of the trip, due in part to the struggle to get there. Other than a strange constant whining in the living room, the place was quiet. The kitchen desperately needed some new equipment, and the whole place needed a little TLC. To be continued... |
Ahhhh, so wonderful but heavens that bridge is something else! You are very brave. The hike to it would do me in and having to cross it would take care of my husband, so it's out for us. The elevator thing is more our speed. What a glorious trip you're having, majorly jealous here! Looking forward to more (I'm only up to post #83 but darn it I have to work now.) Love the photos.
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Thanks for following along Trophywife.
I don't consider myself particularly brave. The Tibetan bridge was our consolation prize for not being able to walk the Charles Kuonen Suspension Bridge a few years ago while we were in the vicinity. The trek to get to the Charles Kuonen is probably out of this old lady's range. Not the distance so much, but the difficulty. https://www.zermatt.ch/en/Media/Attr...ge-in-the-Alps |
So happy to have another instalment to read this morning, Mel - I’m on holidays myself, dreaming about Switzerland, lol.
You remind me about mountain shade considerations should we visit later in the season, I’d not have thought of that. Interesting that the bus is still full this time of year. We had several full buses in Sils, while extra ones were called, we learnt to not have tight schedules to meet. I used to look over the balcony at the quiet, sleepy hamlet - then check out the bus stop and see a hundred hikers there, ready to leap on the bus! Would you share a link to your Celerina apartment? |
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Thanks, Mel, there are several that look perfect, and very reasonable.
We would really love to stay a fortnight next time, so apartment choice (no hill climbing ;)) and a grocery store are priorities. |
Still here, and of course loving seeing your photos!! Even in places I do not love (Ticino), you found fabulous vistas and beautiful scenery on your hikes. Amazing. And of course, the Engadin is simply perfect.
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swandav - the Engadine got short changed this year due to needing that last night in Zurich for the Expedia bundle. But, as is usually the case, we already have a list of possibilities for next time.
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October 18 –
About that UNESCO World Heritage site mentioned earlier... The Albula line of the Rhaetian Railway - with its countless bridges, loop and spiral tunnels, it is an engineering masterpiece… Between Filisur and Tiefencastel the train travels over the Schmittentobel viaduct until just before Filisur it reaches the hallmark of this stretch of railway: the 65-m-high Landwasser viaduct which curves with a 100-metre radius directly into a tunnel in the opposite cliff face. Our first full day in Tiefencastel was all about trainspotting, and some heavy duty hiking to reach several vantage points to spot said trains. We took a train from Tiefincastel to Filisur (3.40 chf each) and spent the day hiking up, over and under the iconic Landwasser Viaduct, which was constructed in 1901/1902 without scaffolding and using only two cranes. The viaduct crosses the Landwasser valley at a curve, and then goes through a tunnel in a vertical rock wall; it’s known as the most spectacular construction on the 63 km long Albula line. And get this - the viaduct underwent renovation work for the first time since its original construction in 2009! In other words, it’s pretty amazing. To view the viaduct, we walked three separate trails, which began near the Filisur railway station. But not before taking an unplanned detour which led us past some tree climbing sheep. We walked some distance before we figured out our mistake and turned around. Sorted, we walked to the viewing platform (Aussichtsplattform Sud) and watched several trains from above as they crossed the Schmittentobel viaduct and then the Landwasser viaduct and entered the tunnel. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...771b3aa36a.jpg Schmittentobel viaduct as seen from Aussichtsplattform Sud https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...146dab23da.jpg Landwasser viaduct as seen from Aussichtsplattform Sud https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5cd5791968.jpg Views from Aussichtsplattform Sud Then we backtracked for a bit and picked up the steep, side path that led us down to the river path, which we then followed to the base of the viaduct. From there we watched trains cross as we looked up from below. The viaduct wall is 142 meters long (465 feet) and 65 meters high (213 feet), numbers that are difficult to appreciate until you’re looking up from below. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...92a6272976.jpg Landwasser viaduct from below https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...042ee89322.jpg Landwasser viaduct from below https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a00a9716e8.jpg Landwasser viaduct from below https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9dd62c1816.jpg Landwasser viaduct from below https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f8c9251e00.jpg Landwasser viaduct from below https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d056090e82.jpg Landwasser viaduct from below There’s a picnic area and small food and drinks kiosk near the river path, but the kiosk was closed. Not that we were interested in spending much time here; it was very cold and the sun was nowhere to be found down here in the shadows. When we crossed the viaduct onboard the train a few days ago, we saw the same small train that is parked at the Filisur railway station down here at the base of the viaduct, which I assume is to transport people who don’t want to walk down to this lower viewing area. Then we decided to check out the Aussichtsplattform Nord on the other side of the valley, which turned out to be a much more difficult trek with some very steep sections. The trail led us under the Schmittentobel viaduct and then up to a ledge overlooking the Landwasser viaduct, giving us yet another vantage point from which to watch the trains cross and enter the tunnel in the rock face. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6502087d71.jpg Schmittentobel viaduct https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...60ab1ce1dd.jpg Schmittentobel viaduct https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...68b6c7be3f.jpg Views from Aussichtsplattform Nord https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...dd0e22ff1d.jpg Views from Aussichtsplattform Nord - still photo from video, so not the best quality https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c3e3be4c87.jpg Views from Aussichtsplattform Nord - still photo from video, so not the best quality https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...c1ea369b99.jpg Aussichtsplattform Nord - QR code for train schedule https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6c3c4012e5.jpg Aussichtsplattform Nord We then walked back to the Filisur railway station and on to the nearby Grischuna Restaurant for a late lunch. Alas, it was well past the witching hour (the kitchen of many restaurants in Switzerland close at 2 pm) so our only option was a sandwich, soup, or cake. We both chose Gerstensuppe, a Graubünden specialty – in this case a small cup for 10 chf – but man it was good. Still a bit peckish, we both ordered a slice of Nusstorte with cream (47 chf with 5 dl of red wine). https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...46dc87f814.jpg Walk back to Filisur https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...76604f2000.jpg Gerstensuppe https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b4cdff6602.jpg Nusstorte Our apartment owner had told us that we’d find grocery stores in Filisur and Thusis. Our larder was bare and Thusis was a 30 minute train ride away, so we decided to check out the offerings in Filisur since we were already there. While in the restaurant we checked the train and bus schedules for our return to Tiefencastel, and discovered there was a bus stop in Filisur village, which we hoped was near the grocery store. What we didn’t know at the time is that Filisur is very similar to Tiefencastel; its railway station is situated high above town. We followed the road down into the village in search of the Coop…it was a very loooong way down. We did our shopping in the small store, picking up all that we’d need for the next four days including a few heavy items (milk, sparkling water, beer) thinking we could take a bus back to Tiefencastel and thus avoid both the long steep climb back up to the Filisur railway station AND at least ½ of the steep ½ mile trek from the Tiefencastel railway station to our apartment (there’s a bus stop near the Albula & Julier Hotel in Tiefencastel, another at the bahnhof and a third part way up the hill towards our apartment, but not once did we see a bus there). Not. Buses don’t run as often as you might think. We could sit outside the Coop for 1:15 in the cold, or climb the hill back to the sunny Filisur railway station and catch the next train. So, we lugged our groceries up the hill to the Filisur railway station and waited 40 minutes for the next train (3.40 chf each). https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a5404486af.jpg Filisur https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...14bc591cc1.jpg Filisur https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...14822259aa.jpg Filisur railway station Once in Tiefencastel I walked uphill to the tank station to see if they had an item that I was unable to find in Filisur. Then it was the ½ mile trek back to the apartment, down the hill and then back up the steep hill on the other side. By now I was exhausted. And discouraged. And regretting my choice of village and apartment. But tomorrow was another day. To be continued… |
Really enjoying sharing in your holiday, Mel. I think it will be some time before we will return to Europe - the long journey from Australia will be even more arduous with the necessary covid restrictions for the journey - so it's lovely to vicariously experience your holiday in beautiful Switzerland (even if it does make me green with envy!).
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I took that minitrain from Filisur station to the base of the viaduct. It was a lot easier than walking ;)
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Just catching up on your adventures, Mel.Glad you guys had the opportunity to pull this trip off. Love the report with your usual stellar photos and enjoyable writing.
It's not easy to tell from photos, and I could be wrong, but it appears to me (your Tiefencastel lodging and Filisiur grocery hikes notwithstanding), that you consumed more calories from fabulous meals than you burned off on the fabulous trails! :eat::pasta::wine: In 2019 I spent some time around a few of the places you mention - Grimentz, Lac De Moiry, Saint-Luc - so thanks for bringing back some memories. |
dreamon - The prolonged mask wearing in the airports and on the planes wasn't as bad as I'd have guessed, although my ears did get awfully sore. I was double masked, which probably didn't help with the ear issue. I tried the tie around the head style mask that Bill prefers, but between my long hair, my glasses and my head phones I was tied in knots.
Travel from Australia is difficult enough without the additional COVID hoop jumping - believe me I know - so I can't blame you for not wanting to head to Europe anytime soon. I hope you're able to do some travel - somewhere - to scratch that travel itch. Nelson - I think the incidental walking and stair climbing - of which there was a lot - helped with the calories this year. We generally only ate out once day, but there was plenty of behind the scenes chocolate consumption (that would be me). And some big breakfasts made in the apartment (that would be Bill, I'm not much of a breakfast eater). The good news, I didn't gain any weight. The bad news, I didn't lose any either. Did you take the hike to the glacier at Lac de Moiry? noncomformist - the train wasn't running the day we were there - probably a weekend thing, but we generally prefer to walk. Although as I age such options are becoming more and more attractive. |
Oct 19 –
The previous day at the Filisur railway station, Bill had studied the board with hiking trails. He’d also noticed the train that went from Filisur to Davos. That night he went online for more details and discovered a promising hike that began at Davos Monstein. So, we made the ½ mile journey down and back up to the Tiefencastel railway station and caught a train to Filisur, then connected with a train to Davos Monstein (5.60 chf each) and set out to walk the Zugenschlucht (Zügen Gorge) from there back to Filisur. https://wegwandern.ch/listing/wander...lisur-wandern/ https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...802ad86144.jpg Tiefencastel railway station https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2f6ca83d01.jpg Here we followed in the footsteps of the road and railway builders who made access through this inhospitable steep and narrow gorge possible back in the day. https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...2d17f0dee8.jpg Great trail this. The first 90 minutes were easy and followed a level path through the gorge, alongside the river. We passed through tunnels and underneath stone bridges. We were surrounded by sheer cliffs, yellowing trees, and even the occasional waterfall. https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...6cf5f96798.jpg Zugenschlucht https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...8190613083.jpg Zugenschlucht https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...4184f28a9c.jpg Zugenschlucht https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ed3f2a7e04.jpg Zugenschlucht https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1cefb1a0d1.jpg Zugenschlucht https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...128c158837.jpg Zugenschlucht https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...445b925264.jpg Zugenschlucht https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...a385b486b7.jpg Zugenschlucht The trail eventually led us to an impressive overlook (all the more impressive when viewed from further up the trail, as you could look back at the overlook and see that you’d been perched on a precarious cliff above the abyss – sometimes ignorance is bliss). Then came the nerve-wracking descent to Wiesen railway station, along a very narrow trail dangling over the gorge. We took a lunch break at the Wiesen railway station, where there was a small kiosk selling food and drinks. We both ordered Gerstensuppe, were told it would be a few minutes, so we sat at a table with a front row view of the occasional train passing by. Twenty-five minutes passed; I noticed the woman manning the kiosk was washing dishes, so I went back to check on the soup. Turns out she’d forgotten about us. She was very apologetic, and offered us a complimentary coffee after lunch. The soup wasn’t the creamy variety that we both favor, but it was very good (35 chf with beverages). Bill took her up on the coffee, which was strong enough to put more hair on his chest. I passed, but she brought me a huge smiley faced cookie that I put away for later; had I known how good it was going to be, I’d have bought a few. Nice gesture. https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...cd3c73a407.jpg Wiesen railway station kiosk https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...ecbf614153.jpg Wiesen railway station https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...1103a90bf5.jpg Wiesen railway station https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...37dba4613c.jpg Wiesen railway station...say what? After our longer than anticipated lunch break, we continued our walk, which led us across the Wiesen Viaduct via a pedestrian bridge. The viaduct was built between 1906 and 1909 and at 292 feet is higher than the Landwasser Viaduct. https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...b14b599350.jpg Wiesen viaduct https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...fb23bdb504.jpg Wiesen viaduct Shortly after the viaduct the trail became quite steep, but eventually mellowed out to mere undulating, as we worked our way through the incredibly green and peaceful forest. The trail also wound through pasture, and we passed several alpacas or llamas, not sure which, one of which was perched up on a balcony watching the world go by. https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...5b4edee896.jpg Trail through forest https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...45fe1d0106.jpg Trail through forest https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f8832c2a74.jpg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d09bde4088.jpg Views from trail https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...9c554ec4cb.jpg Views from trail https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...3b7acd7bd2.jpg Alpaca? Llama? https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...f33fc77301.jpg Nice spot for a house https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...13285a0735.jpg Filisur from above Then followed a steep descent through a paddock and back to the Filisur railway station, which fortunately was located below us this time. While we waited for our return train to Tiefencsatel (3.40 chf each), an old train pulled into the station. Several people approached and took photos. Curious, when we got back to Tiefencastel I googled and found this: From 8 May to 31 October 2021 you have the unique daily opportunity to travel from Davos to Filisur and back on a historical train compilation from the 1920s. Nostalgia and adventure are combined in a fascinating way in this new RhB travel experience. Enjoy rail travel of a different kind from Davos to Filisur from 8 May to 31 October 2021. In not quite 40 minutes your trip will take you through the ruggedly romantic Zügen Gorge, over the famous Wiesen Viaduct to Filisur. This is also home to the Landwasser Viaduct. This viaduct marks the heart of the famous RhB Albula Line and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The nostalgic railway coaches and open scenic carriages will be pulled by the legendary cult 'Crocodile' locomotive Ge 6/6 414 in alternation with the locomotive Ge 4/4 I (BoBo 1). The breathtaking trip in historical carriages, some of which are more than 100 years old, is available for the normal ticket price. Furthermore, you will be given an unfamiliar glimpse into the railway world of the early 20th century. The historical train will be running between Davos Platz and Filisur twice a day in each direction according to the timetable. https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...d90cad454f.jpg 'Crocodile' locomotive https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fod...00dc20d6b9.jpg Nostalgic railway coach Back in Tifencastel, we popped into the Abula and Julier hotel for an Aperol Spritz and a snack before climbing the killer hill back to our apartment. If you’d told me yesterday that we’d be logging another 7.5 miles today (and really enjoying it) I’d have thought you were nuts. To be continued… |
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