Switzerland
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Special train today, built for steep inclines.
The track includes a rack on the steep parts that engages a cog under the engine. Very cool.
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The scenery in these mountains is spectacular!
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Sunrise on the Matterhorn.
The phenomenon is called Alpenglow. The sunlight appears almost white as you watch it but cameras correct it to yellow/orange.
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Discovery of the day - pepper!
Tried it at an Italian restaurant and the flavor blew me away! So much more flavor than any pepper I’ve had before. Floral, almost sweet.
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It costs $5000 US in fees to climb it. Every year 2000 people attempt it and about 400 make it. You have to climb it and return in one day - if you’re not past a certain point by 11 AM you have to turn back. Not sure how they enforce this.
There are 4 paths to choose from, all of similar difficulty. Amazing that anyone even tries.
Then I looked through a book at a local shop and found that one guy did all 4 in one day!
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We traveled to the base of the mountain, some 9500’. Taxi, bus, two cable cars, stairs and an elevator. Air very thin, had to take precautions.
I can’t describe what I saw - it was overwhelming.
Standing in Switzerland, looking across Italy to Mont Blanc in France - the highest alpine peak.
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But all is not well in alpine paradise. The glaciers - and there are a lot of them - retreated some 30’ this year and they’ve had little rain. They’ve closed the mountain to public skiing for the first time ever - no snow. Time was you could ski all summer.
The Olympic ski team is still training and we met some of them on the cable cars. Charming young people, very athletic, very friendly.
They’re hoping for record snow this winter.
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A fellow traveler observed that the Swiss have developed more ways to change elevation than any other country, then proceeded to itemize them.
Stairs
Escalators
Cog wheel Trains
Funiculars
Elevators
Gondolas
Ski liftsWhat the Roman’s did for water the Swiss have done for vertical transportation.
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