Intrepid White's Travel Adventures: 07/06/19

SALZBURG to CHUR & MILAN 30 June-2 July

Heading off by train from Salzburg to Chur, the oldest Swiss settlement dating back to 3500 BC, had us full of expectations of experiencing travel through and over the Austrian and Swiss Alps. Chur was the chosen destination as it here that the UNESCO listed Bernina Express will take us over the Alps to Tirano just over the border in Italy on our way to Milan. Chur is 600 m above sea level and is surrounded by mountains up to 1,885 m, over 6000 ft. Our 2 night stay allowed us to explore one of the most popular Alpine Resort destinations with a short 1 hr train trip up to Arosa which provided spectacular views.

Our travel through Europe to this point has been through some of the highest temperatures experienced and we mistakenly thought that the altitude of the Bavarian, Austrian and Swiss Alps would offer some relief. We arrived in Chur greeted by 39 C. and Arosa wasn't much cooler if not for a thunderstorm, showers and a wind shift passing over mid afternoon just prior to our departure.

Switzerland is a unique, very expensive country. They are not a member of the EU and deal in their own currency of Swiss Francs (chf) with 1 chf = $1.44 aud. They speak 4 languages with a Swiss dialect German being the predominate along with French, Italian and an historic Romansh spoken by 1% of the population. Switzerland is also the birthplace of the Red Cross.

THE AUSTRIAN ALPS SALZBURG TO SARGANS

SARGANS TO CHUR(20 min)

Our Digs in Chur

AROUND CHUR

CHUR TO AROSA

The Arosabahn Rhaetian Railway

Over the Viaduct

Arosa Rail Yard

AROSA

There's a bear or two in there!

Braving the ski slopes of Arosa

Ngaire doing what Ngaire does best

Storms Brewing

BERNINA EXPRESS TO TIRANO

This trip is a 4 hour 144 Km journey through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges with gradients 1 in 7 with no mechanical rack assistance there are curves and loops of all variations with one 360'deg .