Hotel Kurhaus Alpina Lenzerheide

Obersaxen ist eine &#8222;Walserinsel" im romanischen Sprachraum und liegt auf einer Terrasse hoch über dem Vorderrhein. Der nächste grössere Ort ist Ilanz, die erste &#8222;Stadt&#8220; am Rhein. In Obersaxen wird Deutsch gesprochen, in allen umliegenden Gemeinden jedoch Rätoromanisch.<br><br>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.<br><br>They ...

... found a spot. Touris tat and postcards were the first stop. Luckily the little kiosk took Euros - we hadn't thought of that! But he didn't sell stamps, and directed us towards the post office. They took Euro notes, but gave change in Swiss francs, which seemed a bit odd. Anyway, no choice, so the cards got posted. At ast we were back on track.<br>The way back to the car park ...

... we had to begin right away on not much sleep. We toured downtown Zurich. Very clean, nice river running through it, lovely lake at the end, but fairly unimpressive in general. (unless I was just too exhausted to appreciate it's nuances, I dunno). Slept about 2 hours on the bus ride up here, then we were taking a language lesson (the practically dead Romansh), dinner, and a ...

... building, and the government building. This area looks very modern but blends well into the surrounding mountains and old houses and buildings.<br><br>It was a sunny day but a bit chilly. I decided the best way to warm up was to hike up to the castle. I started walking up a steep hill that I thought would lead me to the castle. It passed through a beautiful residential area and eventually ended at a trail head. Perfect! From there I ...

After our day off we next went by train down along the Rhine Valley past the Canton of Appenzelle and the Finance Capital, Vaduz in Leichenstein. Vaduz and the Principality lies high on the side of the mountain which forms the border with Austria. Apart from the distant mountains this part of our journeys was I should say the least striking in scenic wonderment!! <br>

Following the trip to Poschiavo we had a very good night's sleep. The mountain air worked wonders on our appetite and our well being! However, after a quick look around the beautiful old city, the oldest in Switzerland, we decided to take the little train up to the winter resort of Arosa. <br> Arriving at the station, just a short walk away from the hotel we found the Arosa train waiting for us. Hopping on this little 2/3 carriage ...

On our return from Poschiavo to Chur the train took the alternative route via St Moritz. A very short stop, enough to allow us to stretch our legs beside the picturesque Lake Engadine. This lake is famous for its winter Polo and Horse Racing. Quite a spectacle for winter visitors ...

... villages. I took pictures from the bus and am hoping that they come out so that we can share them with you. We simply will not be able to describe the views. Heaven on earth! We disembarked in Tiefencastel to catch the train to St. Moritz. Again, I just can&#8217;t say enough about the scenery. The train ride to St. Moritz is indescribable. I know I&#8217;ve used the term before, but again it&#8217;s true! Riding the train in the mountains, going higher and higher, the mountains ...

... in clouds, so we were unable to see the valley below during dinner...too bad. Dinner was excellent. It consisted of appetizers (I&#8217;m not a big fan); the main course, which was beef &amp; 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 &amp; shortcake pie, warm plums with ice cream, and (yes!) warm STRUDEL with a cream topping. WOW! Europeans ...