I'd bought some food for breakfast on the train at one of the late night places - an advantage of being close to the station and the harbour. Juice, fruit and yoghurt I think - and the peaches were a bad idea as they were lovely and juicy - and thus, messy!
We left Genoa at 7
.53 on the TI2532RV for Milan, and arrived there at 9.40. This was a pretty impressive train as I recall. I'm sure the next station showed up on the electronic advisor/map in the carriage - but maybe it was the next one (or both). TrenitNord or something. [ From googling -Trenord is a railway company which is responsible for the operation of regional passenger trains in Lombardy. The company was established by the two main railway companies in Lombardy, Trenitalia and Ferrovie Nord Milano .... all quite recent - about 2009.]
From Milan C, at 10.20, we caught the RE2556 to Tirano FS and arrived there at 12.50. I was a bit worried the Eurail Pass didn't cover this train, because I had such a hard time finding information. Thank you fellow bloggers!! And we didn't have to pay any extra on our Eurail Pass, but these trains today were a lot cleaner and brighter than the regional trains we'd been on before. This trip was very enjoyable - there were a lot of people, including us tourists, but the locals were very helpful and most of the tourists had already encountered the problem we had in not being able to even find the timetable for (or even the existence of) this train
. We passed Lake Como and, as we got into the Valtellina region, lots and lots of hillside vineyards. The names of the estates appear as large signs on the hillside. I managed to get a photo of the Inferno estate (under Nino Negri control) sign which is readable. Other signs said Bettin, Nera and Mele. That large, white building on the hill, in the photo, is the Shrine of the Holy House of Loreto at Tresivio
First thing to do on arrival at Tirano was to walk to the other train station and make sure we could get on the train to go through the Bernina Pass. As there were a few people in front of us, we had a chance of weighing up the pros and cons re the Bernina Express or the regular train. We opted for the regular train with no reservation fees. Then we walked the town centre to decide where to eat lunch. There were a lot of places and time got away - so decided on the equivalent of an Australian 'ham and salad roll' each, with juices, to take-away. They proved to be really really nice - and not expensive
. Great decision.
The regional train also proved to be a great decision. The R1656 had a First class carriage with seating for 12 - but just the two of us as passengers! I could look out any window I wanted to! And what a breathtaking trip it was. We left Tirano, 429 metres above sea level, at 13.40 (actually 12.45 as the train was late leaving). At 15.12 (actually 15.17) we were at 2,253 m at Ospizio Bernina. That is a very steep rise!! And no rack and pinion/cog railway. This was just a regular railway - called an 'adhesion railway' I believe. Before the serious switchbacks started, the train did the spiral viaduct at Brusio - the track does a circle to gain height - and this was just 15 minutes into the trip!
The next 30 minutes was a gradual ascent - passed Miralago Lake and up the Valposhiavo (valley) to Privilasco. And then there were lots of swithbacks and hairpin bends (I had to run over to the other side of the carriage, so we didn't fall off the side of the mountain
...lol). We reached Alp Grum about 15.08 - this is tree level. Then along Lago Bianco (White Lake), whose color comes from the fine rock fragments ground by a glacier, also called "glacier milk." And then we reached the highest point - Ospizio Bernina - without having gone through any tunnels.
We had to change trains at Pontresina, as we didn't go to St Moritz. This was a very short trip (about 12 minutes) in a train designed to take skiers. At Samedan we caught the RE1156 at 16.17 and headed along a broad upland valley to Bever. Our train left the valley here and climbed again - through the 5865metre Albula tunnel which connects the Engadin Valley to the Albula Valley, and, in so doing, passing under the watershed between the Danube and the Rhine. From Preda to Bergun there is some amazing engineering work. Technicians from
all over the world come here to admire the diversity of spiral tunnels, looping viaducts, galleries, and bridges that span the Albula Gorge. It is really something
.
After Filisur, the train crossed the famous Landwasser viaduct - another masterpiece of engineering as its pillars were built without scaffolding. A great view down the valley from the viaduct. It was about here we saw people waiting for what we assumed was a bike race to pass. Soon after we saw the peleton, heading towards us, out the right side of the train. We found out that evening that it was the Tour de Suisse stage 7, the mountain stage, over the Albula Pass (Meilon to La Punt). At Thusis, the line turns and follows the Hinterrhein (Back Rhine) to Reichenau-Tamins where this river joins the Vorderrhein ("Front-Rhine") River.
We got into Chur at 18.03 and then had to make the decision - spend the night here, or get on the train for Disentis at 18.56 and get off at Rabius and hope the Hotel Stazius had a room when we got there after 20.00. (The Hotel Stazius was only CHF 90 for the night - but we hadn't reserved a room.) Not knowing what Rabius was like, we decided we'd better stay in Chur
. Chur is one of the oldest towns in Switzerland, has a population of over 33,000, and is on the Rhine River. There was a very helpful girl at the information centre at the railway station. We didn't want to walk too far and we didn't want to spend too much. Unfortunately, the hostel was too far to walk and all the 3 star hotels were the same price. Plus there was a big convention on. The helpful girl rang around and found us a room at Hotel Drei Konige which was in a great position relative to the station and the old town. The hotel has been operating since 1793 apparently. It cost CHF168 (about $197) and was the most expensive night's accommodation on the trip. (It's at D on my map - on Reichsgasse which I highlighted in yellow.)
After checking in, we walked around the old town for an hour or so and then came back to the hotel to eat at their restaurant. The food was good - and reasonably priced for Switzerland. Our meal (just a main) and 2 drinks cost CHF55.30 ($65). Our room was fine too, but it wasn't air-conditioned and it was a warm night. We had to have a window open and there was a very noisy hotel 'party' just below our window - well it was a Friday night. Another hearty breakfast - saw our waitress from the night before working hard. I really enjoyed the walk to the station. The air was so clear; there weren't many people about; and it didn't take long. Got on the train to Disentis at 8.56.
Italy to Switzerland via Bernini Pass
Friday, June 14, 2013
Chur, Swiss Alps, Switzerland
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