Boarded a 3 hour long EuroCity train to Zurich. Nice views all the way, except in the tunnels. One of them was the Gotthard Base Tunnel, recently reopened after a freight train derailment a couple years back. Its the longest (35 miles) and deepest tunnel at 7500+ feet deep. The time went pretty quickly and then we were in Zurich. It was around noon so I thought we would stop for lunch but that didn’t appear to be in the cards. Some of us were in a bit of a hurry to get to Chur. So we took a regional train that was close to 2 hours long to get there. The 1 hour trains were all canceled due to track work on the direct line to Chur. The one we took went the long way there. That extra 45 minutes was unwelcome after the longish morning ride from Milan.
We eventually got there and after a short struggle with our GPS map found the exit to the train station going the right direction to our hotel. It turned out to be an long uphill drag of our luggage.. But the next morning it was a lot quicker as it was downhill all the way!
After we found the Hotel Drei Konig and walked inside only to see a sign saying the front desk was on the 1st floor… ground floor is 0 in Europe.. So the 1st floor is the second floor for us Americans.. And of course the Elevators started on that floor too. Really? We drug our luggage up a 20′ high staircase just to check in and board the elevator to our 2nd floor rooms (3rd floor to us)
It had been a long time since breakfast so we rushed out only to find most things closed, but did find one restaurant open. We practically ran there and got a table. I had a Pretzel and Bratwurst as you can see in the pictures. Scott got some sort of sausage with Gold Leaf on top. It was actual gold leaf, the metal. (very thin gold)
We went back to the hotel via the long way but finally got there. By then we were exhausted and got ready to turn the lights out. Tami texted Kathy about them turning the lights out and at that same moment the church bells from right across the street from our window started going off, loudly.. And it didn’t stop for 12 minutes. I could not believe what was happening. I thought they were on some sort of relay system to start ringing them and it got stuck in the on position. I still don’t know what was going on…
We were out early after having a nice buffet breakfast at the hotel and were able to make the 8:17a Bernina Express Train to Tirano
Wonderful Ride thru the Swiss Alps and the Italian Alps on the Bernina Express!
At the end of the Alps trip we took a regional train about 30 minutes toward Milan to the small town of Sondrio for the night. It was a very nice town but our hotel was a ways from the station and of course it was an incline, not steep but you knew you were going uphill. After checking in we headed out for lunch, it had been a very long time since breakfast in Milan, it was now after 3pm. Turns out there was a rally going on in the plaza a few meters from our hotel and we ended up getting Great Pizza at a cafe and we ate it outside trying to figure out what was going on in that plaza. Afterward we took a short nap (wow, who knew naps are fantastic!) Later that evening I was told to find a spot to eat. I found a Chinese place within a reasonable walking distance, it was Sunday so most restaurants were not open in Sondrio (as in most of Italy)
We walk about 3/4 of a mile along the river and find the restaurant. and that is when the fun began.
It looked like a typical Chinese restaurant with all the hanging do dads and chopsticks on the tables. But that’s where the “typical” ended. Our waitress was from asia, but did not speak a lick of English and the menu was in Italian. Our Google app was clueless for translations there. I was confused as the menu read like it was an italian pasta joint. But it turns out that they did serve Chinese food. Ravioli turned out to be potstickers. After that it almost made sense to me. I was looking for Kung Pow Chicken, but no go on that. I ended up with some other chicken dish, which was great, but I have no idea what to call it. (and I love Chinese food, not as much as Mexican though) I tried to order Fried Rice with it, but that didn’t translate for our waitress. She just kept saying No… After a bit they started bringing a plate of food randomly. The first thing that arrived was fried rice… Huh? Tami said they must have figured out what I wanted and made it. A bit later my chicken came out and some others food arrived. Then my White Rice (riso blanca) arrived and I was a bit perplexed. We all had our food by then but Kathy had nothing at all.
We figured out that Kathy s dish was Fried Rice with Chicken. You couldn’t tell there was chicken in the fried rice I was eating. So, I was eating Kathys plate.. Ugh..
At the end we were all still hungry so Kathy and I ordered the Ravioli (potstickers) and Tami and Scott got more food too.
The food was very good, but it was a very different experience getting it. At the time we had been in Italy for a month. Although not in such a small town with almost no tourist traffic.
The next morning we headed for the train station, again, all downhill.. YES! and road a regional train to Milan Centrale that went along Lake Como for at least 30 miles. In Milan Centrale we headed to the 5 Guys for a burger and Fries, The first and last time I had been to a 5 guys was after working at our CoLo in Ashburn Va, I drove up to NYC and stopped at one on the way. Lots of Fries, I remember being astonished back then. This time was very similar. Our travel companions were well versed in 5 Guy Speak so we learned some of the secrets. After that we boarded a Frecca to Verona. (ETR 700 train)