Switzerland, The Bernina Express

Our trip over the Swiss Alps on the Bernina Express was everything we expected and a bit more.  We were fortunate that the weather was clear and sunny, allowing for spectacular views the entire day.  The Bernina Express is a narrow gauge scenic train that travels over the Alps between various points in Switzerland and the station in Tirano, Italy.  The cars are air conditioned, which we needed the day of our trip, and equipped with large windows for a glorious view.  However, the windows are also sealed closed and can interfere with taking good photos of the passing scenery.  So, Jim spent a lot of time at the back of our car, outside the door, shooting photos through an open window there.  Most of the photos in the album with this post were shot that way.

The train route over the Alps passes through 55 tunnels and over 196 bridges to make its way over the summit at 7391 feet above sea level.  The bridges are beautiful, built like roman aqueducts of stone with wonderful arches.  The provide a wonderful scene as the trains climbs and descends the mountains.

The train passes through villages and towns along the way, and along ridges above villages in the valleys below.  Every scene was more beautiful than the last.  Finally, at the top as we passed over the divide that separates the water runoff in separate directions, we passed by a beautiful lake.  These are some of the best photos of the trip and worth taking time to look at closely.

                                 

The trip was about 4 hours altogether from Tirano to Chur, arriving in Chur about 5:30pm.  It was a wonderful day!