Alpenhotel Flims

We were planning to go to Liechtenstein but thought we may as well as it was sort of on our way. It's the worlds 6 smallest country so it would have been rude not to go..haha.

We didn't drive to the main town but to another.. where really there wasn't anything. I did get a photo with the tourist sign though. Had to somehow prove I'd been there!

Obersaxen ist eine „Walserinsel" im romanischen Sprachraum und liegt auf einer Terrasse hoch über dem Vorderrhein. Der nächste grössere Ort ist Ilanz, die erste „Stadt“ am Rhein. In Obersaxen wird Deutsch gesprochen, in allen umliegenden Gemeinden jedoch Rätoromanisch.

Obersaxen ist rund 14 km lang und zwischen 1100 und 1400 müM und besteht aus ...

... both up the hills and down them!! They had just made it through the Flueelapass, but they had lost brakes, and so the vehicle was left on the road and they put their stuff in another vehicle to get to the nearby campsite. A short night later, they eventually got back to their vehicle, and found that it was OK to drive. Gaz had removed the bonnet, to allow the engine to cool more easily.

They ...

... me that it was very painful. 'Well that doesn't matter' I replied, 'They are for him!!' Of course the other half of the team was blissfully unaware of his forthcoming pain until the cuffs were snapped on, and the policeman took a good grip on the handcuffs ready for the photo!!
What a coup, we could hardly believe it.

So out of Vaduz, and travelling on to Switzerland.

... We took a gondola up and walked (forever!!) across a ridge and down past a couple of lakes to the town of Brillisau (?). From the ridge we could look down upon the valley of Appenzeli or across to Germany & Lichenstine. What a great day we had though the day before it had been pouring rain.
Back through the gently rolling hills to the cabin for fondu and a lot of fun.
Next day we headed out to the Maderanertal for an over night hike. This was ...

... the trail through the forested area, up switchbacks with short stops at lookouts in small clearings to the city below. It didn't take long to reach the castle. It is closed to the public but sits right next to a public road so I walked along the road to get a good look, then continued along the road up a hill a bit further so I could get a nice view.

I navigated my way back down to the city below and checked out some of the shops ...

... town from what seemed a great height on spiral of track. Andermatt gave us the impression of a nearly new military encampment. Well, that was what it looked like without snow!
After Andermatt came Realp where if one knew about it at the time we would have wished to transfer to the Furka Bergstrecke Railway which has its terminas just outside the town and in view of the Bassistunnel ...

The ski resort of Arosa lies at the head of its own little, but very steep gorged valley a very short distance from Chur. The river which cuts the gorge passes the west side of the old city and recent flood prevention was needed to prevent it entering the streets of Chur!
The little train which does a frequent journey up the gorge leaves the southern most section of Chur Station and travels along the streets of west Chur, sometimes in conflict with ...

... the lifts (5 pm). By the end of the day it was difficult to see between the blowing snow and the setting sun. E spent the early part of the day walking around outside and talking with people in the Tannenbodenalp restaurant. She met a Swiss couple from Aarau who were there with their son. After they had talked for a while about a variety of subjects, the couple commented on the United State's environmental policies and lack of stewardship for the world's ...

... in clouds, so we were unable to see the valley below during dinner...too bad. Dinner was excellent. It consisted of appetizers (I’m not a big fan); the main course, which was beef & gravy with noodles and potatoes in a cream sauce, green beans and ham... and (the best part) DESSERT! The dessert table was out of this world...cheeses, plum cake, walnut & shortcake pie, warm plums with ice cream, and (yes!) warm STRUDEL with a cream topping. WOW! Europeans ...