Tuesday
Dear Elsie
It is the strangest thing that we arrived in Italy on Friday and today is only Tuesday. It feels we have been here for much longer than the 4 nights we have slept under Italian sky. We have sucked the marrow out of each day. Today we woke early and after final preparations, we headed to Arona station to begin our long trip to Zermatt, Switzerland. I accidentally booked the ‘slow’ train from Arona to Domodossola, but convinced Mike we were getting more for our money! We changed at Domodossola to get on the next train to Brig. After arriving in Brig, we changed to a different platform and got on the train to Zermatt. Brig is in Switzerland so this is a Swiss train and I have full internet access thanks to Free Matterhorn Railway! In fact I’m starting this entry on the way to Zermatt so you are getting the blow by blow account of our journey. This is leaving Brig.
The Swiss train is clean & I just love that you can’t miss where you are going, when you will arrive and after which station your destination will be. There is no ambiguity here…
Definitely on the right train. Now, I’m going to pack my laptop away, sit back and enjoy the ride.
No internet on the train home, so here’s a summary of what happened next.
Today’s excursion into Switzerland was all for Mike. In late 2022, we had booked for all three of us (Julian, Mike and I) to go to St Moritz on the famous Bernina Express. Our time in Italy was dominated by Mike’s encounter with Covid. Because he had tested positive, he didn’t join us as he felt there was a good chance he could pass it on. Julian and I went alone. That was 11th November 2022 and I wrote about it here.…
Today, was all for Mike. I was just too happy to join him. It was certainly a day to remember.
We arrived in Zermatt and the first thing we did was get tickets for the Cogwheel Train to take us up to Gornergrat…. this is what the train looks like.
This is why it’s called a Cogwheel train. It rides on this rail…
On the train this was our first glimpse of the Matterhorn..
The cloud drifted over the top of the mountain, but at times we could see its peak.
There were plenty of photo opportunities. There literally was 360 degree views of the Swiss Alps
Little video I took…
Certainly it’s one of the highlights of my life. We got back down to Zermatt and decided to walk up the Main rd. No visitor cars are allowed. There are delivery and hotel vehicles which are all electric. 
By 3.15pm, we were on the train for our return trip. This was when things went a little wonky! The trip involved 3 parts to get home – we were returning the way we came- Zermatt to Brig, Brig to Domodossola and Domodossola to Arona. We only had 7 minutes to get off the train at Brig, cross to the main line platform and get on the train to Domodossola. Swiss efficiency was guaranteed. We would easily make it. Only on this occasion the Swiss train from Zermatt to Brig ran 5 minutes late! We only had 2 minutes. The train conductor led us to the very front of the train and told us our platform was number 7. As soon as the train stopped, we leapt off it and galloped down the platform, across the concourse, into the main station, down the corridor and up the steps to platform 7. We were on the train with 1 minute to spare. I was shattered! Just look at the circuitous route we had to travel. 3.5 hours each way.
But we did it. We arrived back in Arona almost 12 hours after leaving this morning. We will sleep well tonight. We are so grateful for the opportunity and a safe return.
Today I started my favourite book of the Bible. The Gospel of John. Verses that meant so much to me when I became a Christian…an understanding dawned with these…
John 1:11-13
11 He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
It’s not about now – we are only passing through.
Keep the smile going.
God bless you.
In His Grip,
Gran xx 🙂