Deadly serious

We finally arrive at the top and the views were as spectacular as we'd hoped for. Well, while we could see. Patchy fog (actually it's just our heads in the clouds) was drifting past continuously so one minute it looked liked we were standing on the top of the world, and the next moment you wonder if maybe your eyes have malfunctioned. When the cloud passes over, the city and surrounding vista vanish, to be replaced by a clean dark gray wash. It's like we've been cut off. And the two minutes later the fog passes and the city and mountains reappear. 

We hadn't yet reached the top of this peak and there was another stop on the journey, by another cable car and a different station a minutes walk away. It's only a five minutes wait and we're back in the air looking down on the many paths below. We see hikers and mountain bikers making the route and I do wonder what it's like to cycle down here with these views around and gravity going the right way for a change. At the top we meet a whole new view and it's breathtaking. To think we almost dismissed this. To think you can get up here from down below by cable car alone. Oh I haven't shown you the view from the top yet. 

A short walk from the restaurant, around one of the bends in the walking path that allows you to do this whole journey on foot, is this viewing platform elegantly reaching out from the mountain side. We had to wait a few moments for others to clear but it wasn't so busy and the views down to Innsbruck and indeed the view of the platform itself was outstanding. Literally, in this case. It's one of many well designed structures throughout the tourist route along this mountain. It adds so much to the experience when it's so well maintained, attractive, and blends with the environment. 

There were a few stops on the cable car including a zoo. We took it as far as the (middle) cable car would go, to 2256m, one stop short of the top. At this level there's an outdoor restaurant so we enjoy some welcome caffeine and I top up on some sun lotion (although in error do miss some patches and suffer for it later). At this altitude it is cool but the sun is very strong and glaring. Even looking away the sun stings your eyes. Down below Innsbruck looks very far away and I suppose it is. To think we almost dismissed this trip and we're going to spend the afternoon walking the streets of Innsbruck. Looks like we'll be here a while. We still have another stop to go. 

With a little advice from the guesthouse we park our car at the base station for a funicular and cable car that rides up the side of the Nordkette mountain range. At first we intended only to go to the first level as the top station was much more expensive but when I realised it actually takes you to the very peak of one of the highest mountains overlooking Innsbruck it was impossible to refuse. In any case a ticket included free parking. Definitely a win win. The station itself is deigned by an Iraqi-British architect Zaha Hadid, who has won many prestigious prizes. At very close quarters, the building looks a little worse for wear but still great in photos. Innsbruck is not just an ex-imperial city but also host to the Winter Olympics. 

So back in the car yet again, but well rested, we set set out for our next city Innsbruck in the Tyeol, western Austria, only 30 minutes drive from the guesthouse. We snap a few more shots on the way down to the wide valley that nestles this imperial Alpine city, passing by a small group of cyclists taking advantage of the decent and freewheeling at 30-40mph.

We wake on our first morning in Austria in a guesthouse surrounded entirely by nature. You cannot see very far for the mountains surrounding us very close by. Our breakfast was another quality German buffet. In fact our whole stay here has been to a high standard and the Dutch expatriots who run the place have done a fine job. This was definitely a good find. 

Ok this time it's for real and we cross to Austria but only after purchasing our second motorway vignette to sit above the Swiss sticker. As the sun sets we get another display of shifting shadows on the mountains. But there's nowhere to stop now to get better shots. A few more miles on the motorway and we pull into a small town just before Innsbruck. Unfortunately the GPS takes us to the outskirts of Innsbruck first and then back. Seems wasteful but maybe a faster motorway journey. Our next sleep takes us on another ride back into the mountains where we are greeted by the guesthouse owners with their dogs. We've even arrived early enough to share a drink with them before heading to bed. 

Back on the road we continue on our way out of Switzerland and enter Austria towards Innsbruck. It's a long road but fast enough. The valley widens but the mountains seem no less impressive. We even notice some snow or ice still clinging at high altitudes but not on the peaks themselves. I take a particular liking to these lines of water flow down the side of one mountain. You can see the very start of the water cycle that forms the great rivers of Europe. 

So we find a nice cafe in Scuol and park the car in a space that has a one hour limit. That should be enough time. The staff are lovely and we enjoy some refreshments with the local mountains as a stunning backdrop. This place is so beautiful I even ask the woman who served us whether she still thinks it's so beautiful seeing this view every day. She answers yes. I understand the local official language here is Romansh, closer to Italian than German. It sounds like Italian when I hear the staff speak. We notice a greyhound passing by and can't help greet the owner and pat the dog. 

As we proceeded on our drive through the Alps towards Austria we came upon a town almost by surprise and in seeing its name I remembered the woman back at our hotel recommending a visit. It was difficult to miss but we actually turned off the motorway looking for somewhere to eat and found this whole community almost hidden among the mountains. It is very heavily dominated by a mountain range clearly visible in these photos. The area is a major skiing resort in winter and once housed a major hotel, apparently one of the earliest in the Alps, from the 19th century, but it burnt down in 1989. I can't say the town looks too much worse for it. 

As we depart St Moritz we leave behind the drizzle so the sun and blue sky once again bring life to the mountains. It all looks as pristine as a perfect English garden except with 3000 metre clumps of rock bursting through the earth. Personally I like the way the tarmac with its clean white lines cuts through the bright greens. It adds a sort of geometry that complements the almost immaculate landscape. Although the word immaculate makes me think. What is the stain we are avoiding? Nature or civilisation? Is this a natural landscape? Is this artifice? Does that matter? Whatever the case it has great beauty. 

Despite the drizzle the lake didn't lose its sparkle and you don't doubt the wealth that could pass through here. The lake itself freezes over in winter and provides a surface for sports including horse racing. It must look a different sort of spectacular. There were numerous cable cars up to the surrounding mountains for a classic view of the town and lake but with the rain we didn't think the time and expensive would be worth it. We had plenty more mountains to visit. Once our free one hour parking was up we didn't hang around. 

And so we make it to the luxury Alpine resort of St Moritz, home to two winter Olympics. Our journey today consisted of only two necessities: finishing in Austria and passing through St Moritz. But we're not here for the resort, which in summer and without a stay at some billionaire hotel, is probably a much less tasteful affair. We're here for the scenery. However, after a two days of forecasts threatening rain but failing to deliver, today we get plenty of cloud and then some drizzle in St Moritz and it dulls somewhat the beauty around us. It's a shame but compared to all the Alpine beauty we've already passed this place doesn't feel so special. 

Like yesterday's passes, today we find more unexpected structures. This time a theatre. It's closed but that's not a problem for us. Apparently it's a temporary structure as part of a cultural festival and will be removed in a year or two. I'm sure it's not to everyone's liking but I love it. There's plenty of mountain to go round and there's no shortage of virgin mountain view. 

We've already had two coffees each for breakfast but as the days march on and our energy doesn't quite recover we rely more and more on the caffeine. We stop at a restaurant on the Julierpass, our third pass in two days. Here they speak Italian, unless it's Romansh (a small romance language still existent in these parts). I can't be too sure. The pass crosses at 2284m and was probably used since Roman times. It marks a divide between the Rhine and Danube basins. I assume then water that falls one side ends up in the Rhine and the other goes to the Danube. Maybe. By the time we finish the pass and have an opportunity to stop we can no longer see the winding road behind. It's all mountain.

It's no surprise there are places here that look like scenes from The Sound of Music. You don't get much more Alpine than this. You almost expect the birds to come out from the trees singing to you. However as we stopped at one point and climbed a small hill for a stunning view we did find ourselves in a field of crickets that were jumping furiously around us. Every step we took brought on another explosion as they leapt out of the way, in their hundreds. We rushed back to the car, making sure we've carried none with us. 

I was perhaps a little premature saying goodbye to Switzerland because it will be a long goodbye as we begin our long drive around the Alps before entering Austria. Also a little longer as we find ourselves behind a logging lorry. But we've been very lucky with traffic and seen very little. Large slow vehicles here are happy to maneuver to the side and let you pass. And finally we are slowed by our own persistent need to stop at every photo opportunity. The Alps in Switzerland are certainly picturesque. Manicured even. 

And so we start our final day in Switzerland. Our breakfast in the restaurant-cum-hotel is something special. There's no buffet but we choose from the menu and are served a beautiful selection of meats, breads and cereals. It may not have been as much in quantity as a normal buffet but it compensated in quality and we left feeling very satisfied. Just before we leave this single road town of Thusis I ask someone at the restaurant who's been very helpful so far for the most scenic route to Austria. She lists some key checkpoint on a slip of paper and we plug the first into our sat nav.