We arrived back from Switzerland Monday morning at about 10:15, half an hour or so behind the train’s schedule. I realised we’d be late when the conductor woke us for breakfast at around 08:00, as I checked my mobile phone and saw that it was roaming on a German network. Sure enough, we stopped in Emmerich soon afterwards: no way we’d get from there to Amsterdam in one hour and forty minutes.
Our first trip to Switzerland was a great success. After a few days in Zürich, we took the train to Bern and then on to Fribourg, where we witnessed Saint-Nicolas (or Samiklaus in German) ride into town on a donkey, then ascend the steps of the cathedral to its balcony, where he gave the assembled masses an entertaining speech about globalism, capitalism, fame-seeking and other hot topics. I didn’t catch all of it, as my French is shite, but I got something out of it.
We stayed in Fribourg for a couple of days, having lunch with Roman, Carine and her parents in a suburb of the city on the last day.
On the way back to Zürich in the car with Roman, we passed through the pretty town of Solothurn, stopping at a wonderful non-smoking café for a welcome cup of hot chocolate.
Back in Zürich, we had a bite to eat with Roman and then took the bus into town to catch the train.
The train was a lot of fun, I have to say. Being served breakfast and decent hot coffee in your own compartment first thing in the morning is a very pleasant treat to which to allow oneself to succumb. The only downside is trying to avoid baring one’s arse at precisely the moment the train happens to pull into a packed station.
It’s somehow very relaxing to sit in a chair in the dim light of a cold, northern European winter morning and watch the world outside slowly perk up as an invisible sun rises into the sky. The only other night train I’d ever been on was the train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai in Thailand. That trip made a big impression on me, too.
I look forward to using the international train again next year, although I’m not sure where we’ll go next.
You could come to Italy, Milano.
It’s worth to take a ride.
If you came do me a whistle.
Bye
Michele
(the one who called on your mobile when you were in California for DCD tour).