Day 71: Bernina Express

Today we took the Bernina Express from Chur, Switzerland to Tirano, Italy, well, at least we tried to. I will get to that I bit later...

The morning started off quite nicely. We had breakfast at the hotel in Chur (pronounced coor), which was complimentary and then headed over to the train station. We had 5.35CHF (Swiss Francs) remaining in change and wanted to use them before we boarded, as you can only exchange currency in bill form in other countries. We did splendidly, spending 5.35CHF exactly and getting some snacks for the trip.

Shortly thereafter the train pulled in. It was even nicer than we had anticipated, with windows that extended high up along the sides. 

We easily found our train car and seats and got ready to roll. There were these great travel guides provided at each seat that described the stops along the way and provided information on altitude. Daryl seemed particularly pleased with the setup. 

The Bernina Express cuts through the Swiss Alps, passing through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges and viaducts. Its combination with the surrounding landscape has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (our 13th site on this trip). This has been one of the things we have been looking forward to the most during our trip.

While we were waiting for the train to get started, Daryl started sorting through our currency and realized that we have a real need to hit a currency exchange once we arrive in Italy. Right now, we have Swiss Francs (CHF), Hungarian Forint (HUF), Czech Koruna (CZK), and Euros.

Finally, we got on our way. Shortly thereafter, the rail attendant came by to check our tickets. He was a really friendly young guy, chatting away with each of the passengers as he went by. We found out that our cabin, which could seat 40 people only had 7 spots reserved. This meant that each of the passengers could move freely from the right side to the left side of the train to maximize photo opportunities. In our cabin, we had an American couple about our age, a couple of Chinese girls about our age, and an older Swiss gentleman. Everyone was pretty friendly, although the American dude took more pictures than my Dad at the zoo, which is really saying something.

Here are a couple of pictures we took early in the journey. While it was supposed to rain, it remained dry throughout and we even saw the sun a couple of times.

This was one of the cooler points along the journey. We went over the Landwassser Viaduct, which is 450 feet long. According to the travel guide, the stonework on the 164 foot-high supporting arches was completed without the use of scaffolding. This viaduct led the train directly into 200 yard tunnel through a cliff face.

The train continued, passing countless beautiful villages, going over many a bridge and through many a tunnel.

*Daryl loving life

*Glacier in the mountains

Through the journey, the automated soundtrack recited facts about differences in altitudes, steep grades, and overcoming inclines through the use of tunnels, viaducts, bridges, and cuttings. Apparently, our engine wasn't cut out for all of this work because during a climb on our way to the highest-altitude station on the line (at 2253 m or 7391 feet) the train chugged to a stop. Our fun rail attendant, who had been sitting in our cabin chatting with the older Swiss gentleman since there was so little attending to do, stood up and muttered something in German that sounded a lot like "this can't be good". Daryl and I both looked at each other with quizzical expressions, but decided not to worry about it too much. Instead, we played around a little, going to some of the openable windows between train cars and taking some pictures.

Sadly, our worst fears were confirmed shortly thereafter when the rail attendant returned and very glumly told us that the engine was dead. He elaborated: "It is definitely broken, the engine died, it is finished, we can't go on". He continued, stating that a regional train, without the cool windows, would be coming by shortly. We would need to take this train to the last stop in Switzerland and then catch a bus to Tirano, just over the border in Italy. You could tell he felt really bad, even gripping Daryl's shoulder and saying "I'm truly sorry".

So, we got off the train. Daryl's spirits didn't really seem too dampened. Luckily, we would still get to do most of the same route (but the loss of the panoramic windows did suck).

The new train came along shortly thereafter...while it was no Bernina Express, it was fine. We were still able to experience some spectacular scenery (see below).

*Low lying clouds snaking through a valley

In Poschiavo, Switzerland we hopped onto a waiting bus that whisked us across the border to Tirano. In Tirano, we had  over an hour to kill before the train to Milan, so we stopped in at the station's restaurant and had some really delicious sandwiches and 0.5L of wine. It was a nice introduction to Italy!

*Vineyards up the side of the mountain in Tirano, which reminded us a lot of Radebeul, Germany.

The train departed Milan on time and took a very scenic path along Lake Como, the third largest in Italy and a popular vacation spot for the rich and famous. At 17:30, we arrived in a very wet Milan and made our way to the hotel. We ran out for a quick bite and are now settling in for the evening. Tomorrow, we are going to check out the center of the city and then take the train to Bologna, where we will hang out until Friday. Ciao!

P.S. This may rate as one of the best days on the trip thus far. It is in competition with our day cruising the fjords of Norway or our baths/amazing dinner with Opera stars in Budapest.