Swiss efficiency

When I was a child my father used to hold the Swiss railway up as the epitome of in-time organization – of course he had never been on a Japanese train. We tested that organization today with a series of very tight changes as we made our way from Chamonix to Luzern.

The first part of the journey was in a scenic cog railway which holds on to the edge of deep gorges by the skin of its teeth. The descent into the final valley is incredibly steep and accompanied by a continual screeching of brakes.

The next section was through lower, more rolling countryside. The Swiss railways then let us down, not through timing but through inflexible ticketing – so we had to wait an hour in Visp. Then on again through quintessential Swiss farmland and beside the huge Thunersee lake dotted with boats and paddle-boarders. Today came with a severe heat warming for a projected high of 32 degrees – it certainly seems to be on track.

A quick change in Bern and then we were in Luzern being met by my cousin and her daughter. After a refreshing stop for a drink we moved on by car to Aarau where we had a long afternoon of wine, Croatian meats, and cousins of various generations. It was glorious.

Back in Luzern, we wandered along the river in the gathering twilight and savored the first cool breeze of the day.