DAY 24 – THE GOLDEN PASS EXPRESS TRAIN

Time to bid Arrivederci to Milan. My hotel was OK – Milan is expensive, and this was more like a dorm room with a private bath. It was horribly decorated in a peach color that wasn’t even in style in the 90s – but it was clean and the owners were nice.

            From Milan I headed for Lucern, Switzerland. I’d heard about the Golden Pass Express Train, and planned my travels to include it. According to some sources, it’s the most beautiful train ride in the world – through the Swiss Alps.

            The Polizia were checking passports as we boarded, which slowed things down a bit – but fortunately this train had reserved seating. The First Class Train Car (which cost me all of $13) only has 14 seats – and there were 4 other Americans on board. They all got off together at the first stop, an adorable village named Como (on Lake Como) – and I was tempted to hop off with them. But my schedule didn’t allow for it this time – so I settled into an empty train car to enjoy my ride.

            Today is all about The Ride. Lovely comfortable trains, with huge panoramic windows, winding through the mountains. Charming villages and beautiful lakes coming in and out of view. THIS is what makes train travel so charming. I had brought the necessities with me: some Frizzante Acqua (sparking water), delicious cheese, and Swiss chocolate – what more could I need?

            As time drew on, the views of Italian vineyards were replaced by Swiss orchards – an amazing number of them Espaliered. And home styles morphed as town by town passed by. There were two sure ways I knew we had crossed the border: the announcements went from Italian and English to German and English, and police again boarded – and I was asked for my passport again.

            As I listened to the German, Frau Mahabir’s junior-high German class came flooding back. In high school I could carry on a decent conversation in German, but that was many many moons ago – and I regret that I didn’t have the opportunity to keep it up.

           

The Golden Pass Express ends at Montreux, Switzerland – so I had reserved a hotel for the night. Montreux is right on Lake Geneva, so I booked a room with a balcony and a view of the lake. I got settled in as the sunset, so I sat there and watched the sun reflecting on the water as it set in the west – and stayed out there as the moon rose in the sky. I have no idea if any restaurants serve good dinners, because I was so mesmerized by the view that I opted for a granola bar on the balcony. And I sat out there until people on the street below started to finally quiet down, quite late.

            If you’re ever in Switzerland and have the chance to ride the Golden Pass Express – do it! And get tickets in the nose, right up front. It’s an unparalleled view and experience.