I got to meet the only person in the B&B a lady named Silvia, we easily get chatting and she describes me as 'very open' nice! Between that and Ben at Zermatt saying I can get on easily with people I'm starting to actually notice who I am!
A weird thing to consider but it's part of this trip and it's proof that I'll come out of this at least more comfortable of how I'm perceived rather than how I think I'm perceived....
Anyways!!!
This is Sylvie another hugger!
Pack on and away, Silvie waves me off from the balcony of the B&B.... Nice 😊
Walking down the icy road with snow about 400mm deep either side I miss my path to the lake, a road gets me back in the right direction walking past a crepe stand I ate at last night and onto the track around the frozen lake, there was a sports event on the lake and what else would it be but an English cricket team playing some locals.... On the ice..... Didn't expect that!
the route back to the station was more direct and I was soon at the platform and waiting for the Train to Tirana on the Bernina line a UNESCO world heritage site apparently...
Certainly a beautiful route and one that continues the high route through the mountains, there's been a lot more snow this side of the Alps and it's currently in a complete white out as we go up
looking out it's impossible to tell where the ground meets the sky there is absolutely no detail!
At Ospizio Bernina We're at the language border of the area The local Romansch changes to Italian
Reaching the highest point of the trail at Alp Grum 2091 MTRS there is some visibility
ok the sign is visible!
But from here it's downhill! Zigzagging all the way
guaranteeing a view one side at least!
I took to looking at snowy trees and different ways to stop avalanche.... No I wasn't bored
with the twists in this descent at least I can look back at the train as goes over around the bends I've already followed...
dropping below the snow line at last there's detail the now familiar alpine villages passing by and Lago(lake) di Poschiavo at the far end of the lake a village with the same name is passed through these odd structures catching my eye...
shortly an announcement said what they were, store houses for cheese and wine! I do wonder just how old they were!
Nearly at Tirano and I cross the border into country number 5 , stepping out the train into a rather pleasant square with an hour to wait until my connection to Lecco I have a wander about
Grabbing a midday snack at the station cafe which felt very much like a cafe from the 80's , in a good way, it was catering to any need people passing through could want from kiddies toys to burgers to cigarettes.. clinging onto it's place in the world for now.... Nice people tho who went out of there way to talk to me as I'm struggling once again in the language transition from Germanic to Italian.... It's an ongoing battle to communicate where just as I'm getting a little understanding I leave the country!
The train arrives so I leave these nice folk.
We're in a flat valley now carved out by the river Adda, passing towns all ending with the letters I,a,o,e you don't need a map to tell you your in Italy!
An Islamic looking family got on the train a little girl in tow only about 6/7 who was singing sweetly away to herself, I couldn't help but smile! I got a smile back ☺️
With my little friend singing away we passed through the valley with towering mountains either side now once again with signs of vinyards on tiny plateau and steep slopes.
Nearing the end of the valley my friend and her family leave at one station or other, before the train turns south along the banks of lake Como
small villages cluster the shore between track and lake. pretty misty along here so much of it wasn't clear enough for photography, it stayed like this to Lecco my planned stop.... Yes Lecco rather unimaginatively means lake...
Up to the hostel I pass a museum with a few bits visible including a shoe nail maker! Seemed rather industrial for that job!
Day30
I wanted a rest today it's surprising how tiring it is just sitting in trains!
But I suppose I'm not actually fully at rest?
Still I made up for that today
Only venturing out to find a supermarket to make a cheap lunch.
Otherwise I've been planning Italy a bit and sleeping!
Watching crap on Netflix fills the day
And with the morning I'll be ready for my next stop Milan!
