6. 'And when the snow falls you are found in St. Moritz.'

17 July 2026

It rained overnight giving us the idea that perhaps it will be a little cooler today. We have a very early start today and we are bleary-eyed as we hop on the bus on the dot of 7:30 AM. We travel along the side of Lake Iseo for a few kilometres before branching off onto a narrow road. Susanna, our guide tells us that her decision to leave early is to avoid the expected heavy holiday traffic on the narrow roads between our hotel on lake Iseo and Tirano, which is our first destination for the day. It is a four-hour drive on these precarious mountain roads. Oftentimes they are so narrow that only one car can fit at a time, and like Murphey’s Law, we would encounter a car, a motor bike, or more frighteningly, a huge truck on the most dangerous bend. When that occurred, the two drivers would have to negotiate a way forward, stopping, inching forward, moving rear-vision mirrors, inching forward, until they were both free. Sometimes it seemed that there were only inches between the two vehicles as they slowly eased their way through the narrow opening. All the while we are travelling, we are climbing higher into the alpine setting of Northern Italy. Whilst the treacherous bends are negotiated by talented drivers, I can look beyond what is happening on the road and really enjoy the mountain views from the window of the bus. Already I could almost imagine Heidi and Peter tending goats on the greenest grass I could imagine.

About halfway into our journey, we take a half-hour break in Aprica, an Italian village high in the mountains that offers all types of seasonal activities like hiking, skiing, golf, and tennis. We don't have a lot of time, just long enough to quickly stretch the legs and to get a quick coffee.

We return to the mountainous road, and the traffic appears to be getting heavier, Our destination of Tirano looms and because we left early and apparently missed the bulk of the traffic, we have almost an hour to spend exploring the town before our next activity for the day.

The centre of Tirano is pretty and of course I curse that we don't have more time to spend here. Where does time disappear to when you are in a hurry?

We meet Susanna and the other 31 people on our tour at the railway station, where we are given tickets and advised which reserved carriage of the Red Bernina Express train to sit in. We find forward-facing seats near the front of the carriage and as we pull out of the station, the red Bernina Express train takes us through the streets of Tirano. Cars are stopped at the level crossings as we sail past them until the train line leaves the streets and runs parallel to the road. I am in my element, and as excited as a child on a school excursion, my face is glued to the open window of the train.

Of course, by now whatever rain clouds were around Lake Iseo, the day has progressed into a warm, cloudless, blue sky day. It is perfect.

Completed in 1910 between Tirano and St. Moritz in Switzerland via the Bernina Pass, the UNESCO-listed railway is the highest railway crossing in Europe. There are also some fun facts about it being ranked as the highest adhesion railway in the world with inclines up to 7%. This Swiss ingenuity has been used worldwide in areas where railways are needed in mountainous places, such as Canada, where this technology is used to overcome steep inclines through the use of loops. There is one such loop on this railway, where we watch a lake and town on the right side of the train suddenly appear on the left side as we realise we have completely changed direction after leaving the tunnel. I have travelled on a number of iconic railways over the years but this is one of the most impressive. The four hour journey takes us past glaciers, glacial lakes, and well above the tree-line to landscapes that are bereft of vegetation, the rocky surface that looks more like the moon than earth. Glacial action that happened eons ago has scattered boulders and rocks from the top of the mountains to the ground. Ice that melted thousands of years ago has left this grey landscape in its wake. But the lakes are fascinating. Glacial lakes are green in colour; the particles of the minerals are suspended in the water absorbing the blue light and then reflecting back off those minerals to appear turquoise. Everywhere I look, the scenery is spectacular. We pass a small glacier that 'climate change' followers would denounce as being melted by the rising temperatures, but even they should remember that it is now summer and it is hot, so naturally ice melts thus forming fast-moving waterfalls that follow the direction of gravity down sheer rocks. Around another bend, another glacier is visible. This one much larger and despite today’s warm temperatures, little ice melt has occurred. This is a geologist's paradise. Everywhere we look is the result of tectonic uplift that happened millennia ago and worked hard to form these alps.

We pass areas where hydro electric plants push water against gravity to the tops of mountains. Perhaps Malcolm Turnbull thought he could do the same with our Snowy Mountain scheme, but when you listen to the commentary of these old Italian projects, it becomes very clear that there are more failures than successes is this method of producing electricity. When dams burst, whole communities are lost, and there have been catastrophic failures in the past.

We eventually pull into the Swiss ski resort of St. Moritz, and although I am tempted to go into the city centre, we opt to stay near the lake, which is pure blue. Being an alpine town, St. Moritz stands at about 1800 metres (5910 feet) above sea level. We drink coffee overlooking the lake and enjoying the ambience of the Swiss hospitality. I am sure that this summer experience we are having would be far different in the winter. For today though, it is not simply a destination; it is the means of transport and the spectacular views on the way.

Our time is up and we must meet the group again at our designated spot at the railway station. We are not taking the train back. Our bus driver has driven the bus up here to collect us to make the long and weary trip back to Lake Iseo.

In all, we are in the bus and train for about 12 hours today. Twelve hours that have been filled with wonderful views and a whole new way of looking at the landscape through the open windows of a train. The weather remains lovely, and despite the warnings, we do not need warm clothing at all.

At last, we tumble out of the bus ready for a quick meal, a quick pack up, and an early night (hopefully) before a later start tomorrow.

Title Quote: Peter Starstedt