Bernina Express

“I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, ‘If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is.’” – Kurt Vonnegut

*Leaving Pontresina, we head southwest* *on this scenic train heading up and over the Bernina Pass.*

*A most difficult photograph assignment yet for my trusty assistant. Lots of glass for viewing was wonderful but for shooting through – not so much!*

*As you can see, the windows are designed for ultimate views (and everyone was enthralled* 😂).

*The terrain was varied – sometimes we were above it all*, *with nice views of the mountain rivers,*

*Sometimes the villages were easy to see and imagine a life there.*

*At other times the villages were barely a rumor.*

*As the train wended its way through the countryside* *it took* *twists and turns.*

*Up and over this circular via duct and back again, thus enabling the train to make a tight turn without a cog rail. (More on cog rails to come, please stay tuned)*

Pontresina, Switzerland

“You’re off to great places. Today is your first day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!” – Dr Seuss

*We arrived via train on a rainy afternoon.*

*The wonderful sound of water rushing down into the valley.*

*The following morning, we took a train to nearby St Moritz and took a cable car up*

*They said we might spot Ibex like this guy…we did not!*

*This is the sun terrace but not a lot of sun this day.*

*From up above, this was our view down to St Moritz.*

*Once down off the mountain, we decided to train to another nearby village – Samedan.*

*Pretty little town, even if it was raining!*

*See the terraced hills behind me? Those were from the 1500’s when Celtic people farmed here.*

*We had heard that it was going to get cold overnight – cold enough for snow, we wondered*? *We were pretty excited when we woke up to this!*

*We dressed as warm as we could and then we took 2 funiculars and a cable car to get up to the paths above Pontresina. Following the signs to Alp Languard.*

*The red and white trail markers let us know we were on the right track!*

*Someone made this section of the path quite easy to traverse.*

*Here’s my fearless leader, crossing a waterfall!*

*Beautiful mountain flowers – so tiny yet so resilient.*

*We walked through a short tunnel in the mountain and I thought this was a fun pic.*

If you’ve never seen a kestrel, it may be worth a google search…we had a couple soaring over our heads as we hiked and they are so much fun to watch. They hover while looking for prey and you’d swear they they aren’t moving, even though they are high in the sky. Every so often they spread their tail feathers as a type of rudder. Just fascinating.

*After hiking for four hours we took a chairlift – down, down, & down into Pontresina – terrifying!*

A Touch of France — Alsace-Lorraine

“Travel while you’re ‘young’ and able. Don’t worry about the money, just make it work. Experience is far more valuable than money will ever be.” – unknown

*From London we took the Chunnel Train to Paris and then transferred to TGV (fast train to Colmar). This is a very charming, work a day town.*

*It felt very real, with families enjoying the parks.*

*Somewhere along the way we picked up a stomach bug (full disclosure, I came down with it first). A bit of relaxing under a tree was in order.*

“*Life isn’t about how fast you run or high you climb, it’s about how well you bounce.” –* Tigger *And Murph bounced back fast*☺️

*The roof of their town hall was pretty interesting, too.*

*The town was spared during WWII because the Allies recognized it’s charm.*

*When these home were built, people were taxed on the square footage of the ground floor. So, often times the upper floors jutted out, giving people a bit more room and keeping their tax bill down.*

*This small area in the town is affectionately called* *Little Venice*.

*Beautiful old water tower that we discovered on one of our explores.*

*This tiny, free bus ran around the central city all day long. It was fun to hop on & hop off.*

*Friends of ours, the Ottolini’s, suggested we check out the village of Riquewihr – supposedly the Disney film of Beauty and the Beast was set in this charming place.*

*I was obsessed with finding the well that Belle visits in the movie.*

*We also enjoyed the many iron signs hanging over the doors.*

*We went up into the fields above the town for a different view. The Romans discovered that this region is a perfect environment for growing grapes. Alsace wine is treasured around Europe.*

*A couple that we met from Germany told us that we really needed to visit Eguisheim if we were going to Colmar. So on*e morning we took their advise and bused over.

*Maybe not as colorful as Riquewihr but very pretty!*

*Charming cobblestone streets to walk down.*

*And they also had some interesting iron signs.*

*This village was also known for the storks that roost there and we were lucky enough to actually see a couple of them.*

Do you know that London pubs are pretty?

“Travel makes you realize that no matter how much you know, there’s always more to learn.” – unknown

*Well, this one is in here due to the name & sign. A bit of British humor, perhaps?*

*And I’ve included this pub because we went there to watch The Lionesses play in the final game of the Women’s World Cup.*

*“We” didn’t win – but it was fun to join the locals for an exciting (and possible history making) event!*

Lively London

“I’d rather have a passport full of stamps than a house full of stuff.” – unknown

*We spent a week in London and here are just a few highlights. This is one of our favorite underground (tube) stops – Russell Square.*

*And an old favorite place to stay – Murph found this jewel of a spot 50 years ago and it’s still lovely today.*

*We used many forms of transport – buses* *and*

*escalators bringing us up from the “tubes” that are often deep underground.*

*The Underground is a great place for a jostling, people watching experience.*

*Floating down the Regent Canal was a relaxing way to spend an hour or so.*

*After that we walked back along the canal to* *Regent Park.*

*This is the Queen’s Garden in Regents Park.*

*One evening we went to see Hamilton – an unforgettable experience!*

*Another highlight was a train ride out to see Hampton Court with it’s wonderful façade.*

*One evening we walked a few blocks from our place in Bloomsbury to Granary Square. London is always updating and renewing….*

*A thrill for any Beatles fan was this exhibit that we went to at the National Portrait Gallery*. *There were many photos on display that Paul had taken in this two year period. The following few pics are for my fellow Beatle lovers* ❤️

*One morning we toured Buckingham Palace.*

*Where we agreed that this was NOT a job we’d like to have!*

*The Tower Bridge – spectacular as always.*

*The White Tower – built in 1086 has been used as a royal palace and a prison. Thomas More &* *Anne Boleyn both spent time in this tower and ultimately – lost their heads!*

*Big Ben underwent a four year rehabilitation and we think the end result is magnificent – just look at that blue face! Oh and it sounded great*, *too* ‼️

*Tavistock Park has this touching statue of Gandhi.*

There are blue plaques all over town with historical information. Fun to stop and read them – well, maybe Lenin is a poor example of “fun”. 😂

*A trip to Selfridge’s is often cool – they have particularly nice windows.*

*Just a fun shot of the London Eye with a plane flying by.*

*Oh yeah, and I may have kissed a bear while we were in London…*😊

Lovely London

“When a man tires of London, he is tired of life.” – Samuel Johnson

Our first day in London we travelled to the neighborhoods of Shoreditch and Spitalfields – east end of the city. Destination was this amazing restaurant to meet our friend, Alison. Her son is the executive chef at Sohaila (worth a google search) and our first stop was lunch together here.

*A new neighborhood and restaurant for us and it did not disappoint. Beautiful space and amazing food & staff!*

*Most importantly, time to catch up and chat with sweet Alison.* *We figured it had been six years since we’d last been together in London.*

*After lunch, Alison began our tour by taking us around the various interesting markets. Tempting to shop but, you know, traveling light etc…*

*A huge “draw” to this area is the street art – lots and lots of street art!*

*Stopped to watch this man work at his craft.*

There were approximately 20 statues of these baby (and one mom) elephants scattered around the streets. Each elephant corresponds to a real one that’s being protected and cared for by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in Africa. Each elephant has a plaque to tell you their name and story.

*“After all, one can’t complain. I have my friends.” –* Eeyore

A big thank you to Alison for spending the afternoon with us. It was a great tour and a lovely time was had by all. Until next time…xoxo

On the road…

“Wherever you go becomes a part of you somehow.” – Anita Desai

*Heather, wheat and sheep, from the passenger window as we drive by.*

Never get tired of these canopy covered roads. Also, the excitement of never knowing if another car is heading our way, just around the curve. Add the fact that the driver is sitting on the right side of the car and driving on the left side of the road and you have a recipe for a terrified passenger!

*When there’s not quite enough space, go up on the pavement (sidewalk).*

*Lots of tight squeezes – Murph doing a stellar job of driving!*

The Dales

“I hope there are days when your coffee tastes like magic, your playlist makes you dance, strangers make you smile and the night sky touches your soul. I hope there are days when you fall in love with being alive.” – Brooke Hampton