There goes another piece of my heart in the Swiss Alps

Hello, I write to you from my train ride from Lucerne to Milan. I have seen many pretty things, but none compare to this train ride. There was one thing I regretted most and it was not being able to go on to Mt. Rigi or Piatus. I had the time to do it, but not the money! But this train ride through the Swiss Alps gave me the same, if not better views of the mountains, cliffs, valleys, rivers, waterfalls, homes, cows, and most importantly, life in the mountains.

This morning we left our hotel at 6 to catch our train out of Lucerne to Arth-Goldau where we took another transfer to Milan and yet another transfer to Venice. I am currently on the train from Arth-Goldau to Milan and wish this 3-hour ride were a 3-day ride. I have never gotten chills this many times in a row. The bright green trees create a beautiful contrast with the forest green trees that line the mountain against the deep blue sky. Every once in a while you confuse the snow-covered mountaintops with the clouds. The lake is a deep blue-green, which contrasts with the rivers in the valley that are icy blue, almost like spring water, which again contrasts with the bright white of the waterfalls flowing down the mountains. The colorful homes scattered everywhere add the perfect touch to the landscape, similar to sprinkles on that already scrumptious looking cupcake. The black and white cows are a pretty surprise as well, but not as exciting as the wild horses galloping through the field and disappearing in the tall, skinny trees. As the train goes through another tunnel and we ride along next to the streaming river down in the valley, it’s amazing to see the silver fish jumping in and out of the water and you wish you could pull the string, step off the train and explore this haven. As the sun rises over the mountains I began to understand why people choose to live out here with the sheep and trees and not with the man-made lakes and Wal-marts.

We were lucky enough to sit with a sweet, little Italian lady who was very familiar with the route. She could speak English, but very little. She used her hands and face as tools to act things out and communicate what she couldn’t translate. As I sat there taking pictures of the beautiful scenery, she warned me every time a tunnel came and could even tell me how long the dreadful tunnels would last. In one she told me it was 30 Km! When I asked William if the tunnels were actually mountains she explained with her hands that indeed the train was going through a mountain. She even busted out her map told me some interesting facts: the northern part of Switzerland speaks German, the west speaks French and the south speaks Italian. She laughed and asked, “Interesante eh?” She was also able to tell me exactly when the sun came out. She said the north is usually cloudy and overcast, but still beautiful and not gloomy. The Central is overcast and becomes sunny and after 2 more bridges, you will notice it’s completely sunny. She was right. Two bridges later, the sun came out, making the rivers below glisten and the waterfalls sparkle. Once again, my camera does not do Switzerland justice, in fact by the time I got my camera the view would pass or a tree would block it. William didn’t even take pictures in Switzerland and kept telling me to give up; nothing looked the same on camera. I just hope my memory lasts.

After asking about our routes she told us she was from Sicily, Italy. She told us her favorite Italian city was Venice and that we must ride the gondola, she also mentioned loving Rome and told me to hold on to my purse tightly. She also mentioned the crime in Eastern Europe, mainly Romania from her experience. Then she reenacted what petty thieves do. She bumped into William and said, “Oh!! Pardon, Pardon!!” and pretended to grab his purse (with a sly look) and run off. She finally asked where I was from and I told her Texas to which her response was, “oh petrol.” I’m glad she knew us for that and not anything else, unless she was just being polite. She explained her daughter lived in Portland, my other favorite place in the world that I have yet to visit.

Overall I give Switzerland 10 thumbs up and will be back soon. If you love the great outdoors and nature as much as I do, this place is a must. As I write to you I can look out my window and see snow covered mountains with waterfalls coming down the side and wild horses running on lime-green grass and realize Italia has some big shoes to fill.