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