Whichever we sit together at breakfast with plenty of chatter, each having different plans for the day, Francesco planning to just chill out and Ben (trying so hard not to call him Fransisco!!!) heading off to the piste! . Me well I'm heading up too, but taking the Gornergrat train to it's last station, this is a cog train meaning it can't slip on the rails and therefore the incline of the rail is quite a surprise, only the train up snowden may compare,
Stunning views left right up and down on this cliff hugging railway line!
the Matterhorn maintaining it's ever present presence!
The final station in this line at Gornergrat (my mind keeps trying to replace this name with Gormenghast! An old fantasy movie!) could so easily take a staring role in any Bond movie with it's twin Observatory domes!
it's a short walk to the summit of Gornergrat but any asthmatic myself and a lady were both struggling to breath enough oxygen! But at 12680 feet three times the height of Ben Nevis in Scotland it's no surprise it's a struggle! The highest place I've ever stood!
the thrill of the Alps doesn't wear thin!
I sit among the places of what may have been considered the seats of gods in the past, they certainly still deserve that reverence!
the bluer looking 'rocks' in this pic are surely glacier!
Nearer and surprising at this height are mountain finches and crows both getting a share of my lunch!
with my breathing restored I wander down to the station and the train down. breathing in heavily the scenery which I may never see again! Always a sad thought but I'm living in the now, future and past one irrelevant the other becoming distant.
My bubble existence.
The only constants in my bubble are my pack, my phone, this blog, largely irrelevant vocal communication and the massively important communication through eye contact, smiles and gesture!
I of course welcome any interaction and the communication in whatever form is priceless!
The bubble isn't a lonely place.
The train descends, there are various stations on the route and at the first a young Jewish man sat with me his name Israel Krish, he'd been on the top slope of the piste, a complete novice! He was glad to be sat safely in the train!
Such a pleasant man and so polite! Our conversation continued all the way to Zermatt covering what have become the usual life stories of newly met people!
It seems the Jews are people who hug!! We part with such a hug! A new type of interaction.... Nice
Back to the hostel and Ben is in conversation on his phone, he's just gained employment back in America and such will be heading back, to celebrate he buys a bottle of sparkling wine which we (all three) consume!
Congratulations my friend, wonder if our paths will cross as I head south in America?
For now we head out to play pool which is free! In a local bar, I don't win a game but I've not played since before either of my companions were born!
I can live with that excuse!
A great day!
