Day 26 Das Zug

Even creeping out as quietly as I can my light sleeping friend in the bunk below woke up! I doubt he'll miss me! 

Still I achieved my ambition this morning and the train was reached with ample time to grab a coffee. 

Standing on the platform i met a climber called Giles (jhe'el by pronunciation) and we travelled on the train together talking of our adventures and just life! 

Observing the mountainsand lakes as we passed through Chambery, after which he disembarked nice guy! 

Into Geneva and my first change of train, to do this I had to cross the border control between France and Switzerland country no4 no one at the border at all so I just walked through and the journey as always continued, carrying on past Montrose, lake Geneva looked like an inland sea! 

stretching over the horizon into a blue infinity,  from here the direction of my vision shifted and was pretty much locked at the same angle at  the mountains, these towered either side of the valley through which we travelled they were incredible! Literally rearing almost vertically from the flat valley floor

you'd think erosion would have created a more scooped valley floor?

Still onwards through Martigny and Scion to the station at Visp where I change trains and start the ascent yep a train that goes up you don't see this in the UK and my god does it go up! At about 30° with leaves on the line causing no issue!

the track ahead shows the real heights ahead! And promise of views I didn't anticipate! 

Wherever there was a flat section of this stream eroded valley there was a small village and a greater and greater depth of snow! Yes it's the Alps and I should expect this but it's so good to see and getting into Zermatt the picturesque Swiss chalets were thick with it! 

walking towards the hostel which is up quite an ascent tho still within the village/tourist trap yep it's very much that! But it's possible to get through frugally I do have the cheapest accommodation here after all!

Signing in I'm told I'm upgraded into a four bed dorm nice! Even nicer tho the view! Anywhere else you'd be paying hundreds for this view! 

Yep that's the Matterhorn!!!!! 

Tearing myself away from the view I head into town to find some food yep keeping it cheap at a little supermarket, I was nearly enticed into a bar......

brilliant advertising! Back to the dorm and I have two dorm mates! A bit of banter and I'm off to sleep...

Day25 busy going nowhere!

Inevitably I've got a cold, I've been stuck on trains with people coughing and sneezing for weeks now..... I've fended them off well! 

Coughing and sneezing a bit I opt for a lay in! Why not! 

I don't get moving much before 11am, but I'm not planning to do much today as today had originally been intended for travelling to the next stop, lack of availability of hostel rooms facilitated this lay in....  Quite a bonus in the end! 

Grabbing some food on the go I head to bubbles as they're called locally! 

yep I've a cable car too play with! And at only 9 euros return its not too be ignored!

It takes me up to the old Fort de la Bastille a tourist trap but a good one! 

i could and did sit and just stare imagine what's ahead! 

For now I had my first latte machiato! And why not

as I said this is tourist trap so a little art display was on in the fort I didn't take any snaps as it was mostly in the dark with plastic clams fluttering their shells ..... Weird, dangling rocks on strings to give the impression of water and erosion...... You can get why I didn't snap any pics.....a couple of snapped strings might have been interpreted as artistic? 

Well there anyway!

Back into a bubble and on my way down towards the city

great value little trip costing less than the coffee! 

Into the town for nibbles and a moist around it's a little like stepping back into a British town from the 90's with Body shop, C&A, and even Burtons here!!! 

As with other places they have a curious understanding of English!

pulled me fast good...... Ahem!! 

Back over the river Isere to the Musee archeologique Saint-Laurent a free museum with audio guide set in and under the old church

i must say I'm impressed! This was really good and free! Wandering around on metal platforms looking into the excavations going back to Roman times through the medieval and Merovingian period and to recent times, with a funky Irish vocal audio guide! 

showing burials, catacombs and a rather impressive chamber

that has world heritage status! 

Not bad for free!!

Back out and city wandering I again get lost ...... This doesn't happen.... I'm great at directions this place turns me around tho! 

Back to the hostel and blog catch up time! Before I tuck into my supermarket scoff!