From Germany, we continued into the south via train into Zurich. While we only stayed there for a night, I was surprised at how expensive it was there. It was a strange city that seemed alive and sterile at the same time. There were primarily businesses, but then in weird pockets there were nightclubs and plenty of people roaming the street even though it was well into the night. It was the first time we were biking in the dark since our 90 mile day in France, and I was surprised to see how many other people were out since most of Europe called it a night at 7 pm. The next morning we checked out of our extremely basic but still expensive hotel to bike back to the train station. While biking the alps might sound fun in theory, it wasn't an adventure we wanted to pursue. Our train was bright and shiny with huge picture windows and comfy seats. While we were eager to start the trip, we had to stop for some Swiss sweets. As amazing as they look, they tasted even better. By this point we've come quite far and seen an array of scenery, by far the most beautiful place on our expedition was the Alps. Our route went through the heart of the mountains, and was our transit down into Italy. Much like Norway, there's so little I can say with words when there's scenery like this to be seen. |
As we ascended into the mountains, the greenery slowly faded, but it was replaced by snow and some of the clearest water I've ever seen. There were several lakes along the way, each more inviting than the last. There were several times the train dipped into tunnels as it skirted along high cliffs. A few times we went through mountains, though the train primarily skirted dangerously along the edges. At the very top, the view was breathtaking. |
The train began its descent, and the memory of sterile Zurich was replaced with picturesque little towns and rolling green hills. At the very bottom, the train tracks made a tight corkscrew turn because of how steep the descent was. As we went around the curve, I saw the sun beaming over the mountains. It was the most amazing volumetric lighting I had ever seen. We ended our ride in a small town in northern Itay named Tirano. At the end, as we settled into what was easily the nicest room of our trip, we agreed that if there was one place we could return to so far, it would be to take another trip through those amazing mountains. |