Switzerland 2013

Switzerland 2013
We crossed into Switzerland from Chiavenna on the Italian side, and immediately discovered a different world. The roads were wider, with shoulders. The whole place was cleaner, with not a trace of litter to be seen. The air was crisp and crystal clear. We had entered the Engadine valley, with a huge lake to our right, and magnificent snow-peaked mountains on both sides. We stopped at Silvaplana, just before St Moritz. We stayed in an attractive hotel, which was almost empty. Clearly it is totally oriented to the ski season, with a huge underground garage, vast heated drying rooms, storage areas for ski equipment, and so on. We occupied an apartment, but without access to the kitchen. The views from our balconies were terrific from all sides, with the Silvaplana lake and a little castle beside it, the village house and the church steeples, and snow-capped mountains all around us. The next day we followed the Engadine valley through exsqisite countryside and pretty villages, and met the Inn river, which at this stage is near its source, a furiously-flowing icy torrent. We crossed into Austria between Vinadi and Pfunds, heading toward Landeck.

The lake in the Engadine	The castle at Silvaplana

Cattle grazing beside Silvaplana Lake	A Swiss meadow

Victor's and Barbara's Travel Diaries