After a very early flight from Iceland My Lady and I landed in Zurich feeling a bit groggy and totally confused about where we were heading. We got our bags and headed to the train into the city. Was it this way, or over here, or do we take the elevator up or down. Fortunately we weren’t the only ones with this problem and like lemmings we followed and went the wrong way.

Destination – Zurich

Eventually we ended up onto the train and arrived at the Zurich Hauptbahnhof (or Zurich HB, the main train station) where the next runaround began. Our instructions were to take a tram to the hotel, but the hard part was trying to find out where we were to go to find the tram on the Bahnhofstrasse and the correct direction. If you have ever visited the PATH in downtown Toronto you have a good understanding of our confusion.

Finally we arrived at our hotel and did a confusing check-in process before heading upstairs to our room.

Uhhh, is this an elevator or closet. Only 1 person with 1 bag at a time. Tiny is an understatement.

Ok, the room is at least a little bigger than the elevator. We could both fit in as long as we don’t try to be in the room together (ok we were in the room together, but it was tight). However, the shower was about the same size as the elevator, so definitely only one at a time.

Time to check out the area and wander back to the Bahnhofstrasse where the (expensive) shops are.

Does this sound like a typical North American? It was really a beautiful area, it looked so… European. You know, the buildings are old, the streets have cobblestones, the clothing fashions were really classy, and everything ran On Time!

Do you know what a Funicular is? It’s a type of railcar that gets pulled up and down a very steep hill. It’s actually 2 cars, attached in such a way that they balance each other out with one going up, the other going down, and pass each other midway where the track splits. We found one very close to the hotel so of course we had to check it out. We found out that it takes us up to the University just up the hill, so we walked around a bit and then took the Polybahn back down again. As it turns out this was the first of a few during our time in Switzerland.

Ok, now let’s check out the birds.

It starts out with Sparrows drinking from the fountain, then we found either a Crow or Raven croaking at us, and high up on a roof we spotted a Eurasian Collared Dove. We heard some sweet sounds in a tree right by the hotel where we were entertained by a Eurasian Blue Tit, and a Great Tit. Tits are so beautiful (read into that what you wish). While wandering the Bahnhofstrasse we had a Common Chaffinch watching us from above, and a Eurasian Magpie hopping around on a house. High above us, often in multiples, we had Common Swifts darting around catching their dinner on the go.

Waking up next morning and ready to go. This time we make our way back to the train station on our way to the next stop along our journey.

Destination – Jungfraujoch and Interlaken

We weren’t the only ones getting an early morning start, the pigeons were already getting a drink at the train station fountain.

So this is another day of confusion as we boarded the train in Zurich and took a short trip to Interlaken Ost where we made a change to another train to Grindelwald, just to hop on yet another train to Kleine Sheidegg before eventually arriving at Jungfraujoch, the “Top of Europe” at an elevation of 3,463 metres above sea level.

This last part is not an easy trip for any train, but the Jungfraujoch Railway uses a Cog Wheel system that helps pull it up and up and up, as well as keeping it safe as it makes its way back down the mountain again. It runs mostly through a tunnel and rises 1393 metres over a distance of 9 kilometers.

It could be expected to be cold that far up in the snow line that close to a glacier, but surprisingly it was pretty comfortable. But then again we had just come from Iceland where we had some cold and windy days so it wasn’t too bad.

On the way down we decided to take the Eiger Express Gondola from partway down the mountain back to Grindelwald. Over the course of 6,483 metres it drops 1,391 metres with 7 pillars supporting it. When we got to the pillars and saw as the cable dropped off the other side we had that ominous feeling, but of course it was as smooth as a babies bottom, and we lived to tell about it.

Not surprisingly, when we got back to Interlaken we had more confusion as we got off at Interlaken Ost, since that is where we switched trains originally, but we couldn’t find the hotel. After asking a number of people we finally found out that we got off at the wrong station and had a 15 minute walk down the main road to the hotel, at the Interlaken West station. Ost, West, who knew? Apparently it confuses a lot of people.

But wait, there’s more.

After checking in to the hotel we decided to walk all the way back to Ost so that we can take another funicular up to Harder Kulm, or as my Lady called it, Heidi Klum. By the time we got there it was already getting late but we went anyway and got some beautiful views of the valley and the mountains before coming back down and walking all the way back to the hotel. On the way my Lady wanted some Gelato, so who am I to deny her that? She was quite happy.

Destination – Montreux via the GoldenPass Express

Fortunately we didn’t have to go back to Interlaken Ost in the morning as the train station was literally just across the road from the hotel, and we jumped aboard the train for a leisurely tour to Montreux on the shore of Lake Geneva.

But wait, unfortunately due to ongoing work on the tracks we had to take a commuter train from Interlaken to Zweisimmen and transfer there to the GoldenPass Express. Not that there was a problem with that, but it just added a little wrinkle.

So after a few hours of mountains, rivers, farmlands and overall Swiss Natural Beauty, we turned a corner and viewed Lake Geneva and Montreux in the distance.

Ha Ha Ha, don’t always trust Google Maps, especially in a strange country.

According to Google we had just a short 10 minute walk to the hotel after arriving at the train station. But after getting to where it wanted us to go, and not finding anything that resembled the hotel, I called them (the hotel) and had to walk 5 minutes back the way we came and 2 streets closer to the lake. Made us very leery of using Google Maps again.

After dropping off our carry-on bags we took a walk along the lake admiring all the sights and sounds and found some new birds to add to our list, and a statue of someone that I had seen many times in concert when I was younger.

Apparently Freddie Mercury had moved to Montreux where Queen had purchased a studio and he lived a quieter life there for some time.

We wandered over to the dock and found that we were just in time for the next boat tour on the lake. Stopping at various places along the lake and seeing iconic sights, and even coming fairly close to the French border.

As we were sailing back to the Montreux dock my Lady pointed out a young woman on a stand up paddleboard and told me to take a picture of the naked lady. Once I got a few shots and checking them out, we realized that she actually wasn’t quite so naked… thankfully(?)

Oh my, I almost forgot to mention the birds!
How about a Eurasian Coot dragging a stick through the water, Common Tern, Common Merganser, Red Crested Pochard, and Yellow Legged Gulls.

Destination – Zermatt and Gornergrat

In the morning we had a leisurely walk along the lakeshore to the train station, without using Google Maps, and began our journey to Zermatt at the foot of the Matterhorn. This time we had to take the train from Montreux to Visp, and then from Visp to Zermatt.

While waiting for the train to Visp we were entertained by a pigeon and sparrow enjoying a bit of breakfast. The pigeon was tossing a piece of bread around to try to break it up, when a sparrow came along and tried to fly off with it.

Stunning beauty. Waterfalls, Castles, Mountains, Glaciers, Churches, Wineries. And that’s even before we got to Zermatt.

Zermatt is a car free zone where the taxis are all electric vehicles. If we had known we would have pre-booked a ride from the station to the hotel, but at least this time Google Maps actually was correct. A lovely walk through the town, a turn at the church, walk past the graveyard and a right turn down the street and voila, here we are.

After a short stop at the hotel where we actually had the biggest room out of all of them so far… so big that we actually were able to walk around without bumping into the bed. There was even a table with a couple of chairs to sit at!

Time to head to the Gornergrat with a walk back through town to just across the road from the train station where we picked up the Gornergrat Bahn, another cog rail train that took us on a vertical climb of 1,469 metres over 9.4 kilometers to an altitude of 3,089 metres.

Along the way we were able to get some pretty decent photos of the Matterhorn with clouds covering the top of the iconic mountain, and it’s good that we saw it when we did because as soon as we got to the top the views disappeared in the cloudbanks.

As we were heading up my Lady pointed out an avalanche coming off of one of the mountains nearby. Not close enough to affect us, but pretty cool to get some photos of.

Although the cloud cover blocked much of the view of the surrounding mountains we were able to get some great views of the Gorner Glacier.

Destination – St. Maritz via Glacier Express

From Zermatt we boarded the Glacier Express and took our seats by the panoramic windows and prepared to enjoy the “World’s Slowest Express Train” for the next 8 hours.

One of the nice experiences aboard a train like the Glacier Express, is having a meal and glass of wine while the landscape passes by outside the window.

Once again we saw Waterfalls, Mountains, Glaciers, Farmlands, Castles, Towns, Churches, Bridges, and the world famous Landwasser Viaducts and Spiral Tunnels.

Upon arriving in St. Maritz we took a taxi to the hotel and went for a walk around the lake. We weren’t prepared to try to find our way with Google this time.

As we started out we watched a few Alpine Swift flying around and a White Wagtail sitting in a tree. Arriving at the lake we noticed a duck in the water that seemed to be out of place amongst the mallards so we quickly headed to the area and were amazed to find a male Mandarin Duck! We immediately checked on our Merlin App and confirmed that it is rare in that area, usually only found in Asia. After looking online for this blog, I have since found out that it has been introduced in Europe. Still considered rare in that area so a bonus for us!

Along the trail we found a few Eurasian Coot, Tufted Duck, Black Redstart, Eurasian Blackbird and a pair of really beautiful Crested Grebe.

St. Maritz is really pretty and the whole walk around the lake offered some beautiful opportunities for photos.

Destination – Lugano via Bernina Express

Up early enough and we were on our way back to the train station to hop onto the Bernina Express to head into Tirano Italy to catch a bus through the Italian Alps and Lugano.

By now you might know the routine… Mountains, Waterfalls, Glaciers, blah blah blah. A wonderful trip, but this is getting really long don’t you think.

However, there are some really cool points just before we get to the Italian border. At one point we ended up travelling right through the middle of a town, as if we were driving down the main street. Then we came to the spiraling Brusio Viaduct, where the track circles back and under itself.

Once in Tirano Italy we had an hour or so to enjoy the town, but we stayed close to the station and enjoyed a lovely lunch. It could be expected to have pizza in Italy, but we decided on a very tasty salad instead.

After lunch it was time to board the bus to take us onward to Lugano back in Switzerland.

We were happy to be on a bus as passengers because at times some of the roads were… interesting. Narrow streets through towns, tight switchbacks through the mountains, and being close enough to be able to take photos out the front window.

Once arriving in Lugano we of course had to check out the main part of town along the waterfront.

While we were walking we noticed a gentleman photographing something on the ground, so being nosy we went to have a look. Not sure what kind of beetle it was but I would not like to be on the receiving end of its mandibles.

Oh look, wasn’t this a site of one of the challenges on the Amazing Race? They had to run up 400 stairs here beside a defunct funicular, and deliver wine and chestnuts from the bottom to the top. We were in no mood to give this a climb a try, as the funicular is no longer running.

Close by we found a building where statues appear to be doing armpit farts. Usually the act of young immature men (wait a minute, I still do this once in a while) these statues appear to be respectable gentlemen. Perhaps the sculptor was just a kid at fart, I mean Heart.

And then came the attack of the Hooded Crows. They seemed so nice as they went picking for food along the lake shore. But then as we were standing under a tree one suddenly landed in a tree directly above our head, and raised such a racket that scared the **** out of us. We moved away quickly as it yelled at us to no end.

Old guy statues get no respect as you can see by the pigeon taking a dominant post on the head here.

Destination – Lucerne (Luzern) via Gottard Express and Lake Lucerne

This portion of the trip was a real treat. Not only much of the normal things that we have seen before like Mountains, Waterfalls, Bridges and Viaducts, Tunnels, Churches and Castles, but we also passed by a gentleman who is often seen outside his home waving the Swiss flag for everyone on the train.

What was really exciting was one of the conductors who would often tell us about the area we were in and would let us know when there was something of interest coming up, and on which side. This allowed us to go into the car ahead of us and open the window to get unobstructed views of everything we could see. Finally an opportunity to get photos without window reflections.

We eventually disembarked in Fluelen and hopped on board the boat that would take us onward to Lucerne with short stops to pick up or drop off passengers at various locations.

There are a number of boats travelling the lake and as they come upon one of their sister ships, they blow their steam whistles to each other, to the delight of all on board.

Ah Lucerne, traditionally the end of the trip, but we wanted to see more. We are so happy to have spent an extra day here. This place is gorgeous.

From the time you step off the boat you can see and feel the history hit you in the face.

As you pass the old entrance to the train station, you look ahead and see the Chapel Bridge just on the other side of the road. This wooden bridge was originally built in the 1300’s and has had a few changes done over time. Paintings were added in the walkway in the 17^th century. The tower that stands alongside the bridge was actually built 30 years before the original bridge. The Chapel Bridge is the oldest covered bridge in Europe.

Sadly a fire destroyed a portion of the bridge in 1993 and a large number of paintings were destroyed, with only 25 being saved from the fire.

As you walk around you notice portions of the old wall and towers high up on the hill.

Beautiful old churches, medieval towers, narrow roadways/walkways, stunning architecture not only along the riverfront but all through the central area that we were in, and even skulls from the catacombs on display.

We took a city tour around the central area and tried to catch everything that was told, but of course when you are in holiday mode your brain has a hard time keeping information.

Gulls, Alpine Swift, Great Cormorant, Eurasian Jackdaw and a Carrion Crow all paid us a visit, during our visit.

Destination – Stoos

Funny thing, we were watching TV at home one evening and saw something about a record breaking funicular somewhere in Switzerland, and my Lady said it would be cool if we could do that when we were there. I went online and found out that it was just a short hop from Lucerne, so I contacted the people who were looking after our trip to see if we could add that on, and Presto, we were going to Stoos aboard the Stoosbahn. Short train ride followed by a bus ride, and soon we were in Schwyz at the base of the mountain.

I originally mistook the 110% to be 110 degrees, but it actually is a 47.7 degree maximum gradient, which is steeper than any other funicular in the world. The cars are round so that they can rotate in order to keep the riders level no matter what angle the track is.

At the top we entered the village of Stoos, another car-free village.

As we walked up a hill we heard the sound of cow bells in the distance. We originally thought it was piped in, but then I saw actual cows with cowbells out in a field nearby. We spent a good amount of time wandering through the town and checking out the church on the hill.

At one point we were passing some cows that were ummm, how can we say this, frisky. I don’t know if it’s a dominance thing, but it’s something we’re not used to. She tried it a couple times and you could see the embarrassment on the poor mounted cow’s face. The second time it happened one of the other cows got in front in order to hide her friend from being ashamed.

As we sat outside the church we had a Kestrel buzz by, what we believe is a female Common Redstart sitting on a light, and I was Finally able to get a good photo of a Red Kite.

Upon our return to Lucerne we visited the Lion of Lucerne that commemorates the Swiss Guards that were massacred during the French Revolution.

I ventured up some rather steep steps to have a short walk along a portion of the old wall, and then we went and saw some of the old fountains. After a long day with a lot of wandering around we eventually made our way back to the hotel for some well deserved rest.

Destination – Zurich

Ok, so we are finally winding down with our return to Zurich, but of course that didn’t stop us from seeing things.

After finding our way out of the train station again and dropping our bags off at the hotel, we looked for a Hop-on Hop-off city tour, but unfortunately they are no longer available. However we were able to get a bus tour that took us around to many of the sights, and along the way I asked the guide about walking along the waterside, and after she told us the best route she mentioned that we could also take the train to see Tina Turner’s house. Right away my Lady said that we have to go, so as soon as we finished the tour we hopped onto another train and headed out to the gates at Algonquin House. Sadly Tina Turner had passed away just a couple of weeks before and many of the flowers and memorials had been moved away from the front gate.

After another exhausting day, we returned to Zurich where we wandered back to the hotel to prepare for the next day’s train to the airport to fly out for an overnight in Reykjavik, before finally returning home.

Overall it looks like we took a total of
22 Trains
5 Trams
6 Funiculars (what goes up had to come down)
2 Boats
6 Bus Rides
1 Gondola
2 Taxis, 1 of which was a tiny electric vehicle in Zermatt
Unfortunately we didn’t log how many steps we did, but you can be assured that our legs were very tired at the end of the day.

Sorry that this was so long. Glad you stayed with us to the end.

So next month is September and we will be spending a lot of time on the Hawk Tower counting the birds, so it might be a bit before I get another update out.

Thanks again

Till next time.