April 29th Bernina Express and then on to Salzburg

Yesterday we left Varenna and took the train to Tirano Switzerland.  In Tirano we caught the Bernina Express.  The Bernina Express is a scenic train that goes over the Bernina Pass in the Swiss Alps.  It took about 5 hours to go the 120 kilometers from Tirano to Chur.  In that distance we went over 196 bridges, some 200 feet high, and 55 tunnels, one of which was 3 kilometers long.  We went from 497 meters above sea level to about 3000 meters above sea level and back to 590 meters.  The view was beautiful but the pictures through the windows weren't so hot.  There were palm trees in Tirano and we got in a snow storm through the pass.  It  was a beautiful ride.

Today we took the train from Chur, Switzerland to Salzburg, Austria.  We were glad to get out of Chur.  Two Mc Donalds burgers, fries, and cokes were $29.  A quart of Agip 5w-40 motor oil was $32.  That's $150 an oil change.  Gas was $10 a gallon.  The train ride was beautiful.  We went through, among other places, Innsbruck, Austria.  We got into Salzburg today around 1:00 pm.  We went to the Augustiner Beer Garden (for Coach Bellah) and had supper and it was nice not to have pasta.  We looked around the old city and took a few pictures.

Tomorrow we are going to Hallstatt, Austria.  The history of Hallstatt goes back the 12 century B.C..  There has been a salt mine there since then.

THE BERNINA EXPRESS TRAIN

AVIEW FROM THE BERNINA EXPRESS

NONETTE HAVING A CAPPUCCINO ON THE TRAIN FROM CHUR TO SALZBURG

AT THE AUGUSTINER BEER GARDEN WITH LOW CAL BEVERAGES

LOW CAL SUPPER AT THE BEER GARDEN

WHERE MOZART WAS BORN IN SALZBURG

THE SKYLINE OF THE OLD TOWN OF SALZBURG

BELOW ARE SOME MORE PICTURES OF VERNAZZA IN ITALY

BELOW ARE A FEW MORE PICTURES FROM LAKE COMO

THE PERILS OF ORDERING IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

LAUNDRY IN VERNAZZA

LAUNDRY IN VENICE