Our Swiss adventures have continued with some more exploration of beautiful Lucerne, including a very misty morning cruise of the lake...a pleasant way to spend an hour or so but not a lot to see through the hazy skies.
The afternoon had us all aboard our coach in search of the sunshine above the fog. The drive took us across the countryside to the canton of Graubunden and upwards into the Alps. Our destination? Playground of the rich and famous...St Moritz. Arriving late in the afternoon we settled into the warmth of our hotel room, deciding on one of the many in house restaurants for dinner and an early night.
The area of Graubunden (indeed Switzerland) has four official languages: German, French, Italian and Romansche. Romansche is ONLY spoken in Switzerland and more specifically the canton of Graubunden.
This morning dawned a very chilly -13 with the clearest skies and freshest air. After another European breakfast (and dodgy eggs) our coach was ready to deliver us to the train station for our trip on the Bernini Express. This UNESCO World Heritage listed rail experience had us climbing further in to the Alps passing spectacular snow covered peaks, glaciers and ice covered rivers and lakes; over the Bernina Pass to the village of Poschiavo, not too far from the Italian border. Our coach was waiting for us in the valley town, so we didn't have to spend too much time out in the icy air as we transferred from the train.
We returned back up and over the pass through beautiful landscapes with a couple of photo stops, one that provided the opportunity for some snow silliness.
Back in St Moritz we chose some free time to wander the streets and have some lunch before trekking down the hill for a walk on the ice covered lake. What a strange experience...walking on water!!
We'll rest for the remainder of the day before an early start tomorrow.
