The Bernina Express-Tirano & Bern
November 16, 2019
After a wonderful nights sleep, I stretch and take a glancing peek at my watch to see how much time we have before the much anticipated breakfast the hotel provides with our stay. My heart skips a beat and I abruptly jolt David out of a sound slumber as I shriek,
“OH MY GOD! IS IT REALLY NINE FOURTEEN IN THE MORNING?!!!”
We scramble to throw on our clothes, brush teeth, pack up the bags and dash out the door after grabbing a few beverage out of the mini-bar and filling my pockets with Kleenex. (I hope that I have enough of them to get me through the day!)
Down the elevator and to the front desk to check out and then dash. (Our bus for Torino leaves at 10AM and we still have to figure out where to find it). The gentleman at the front desk calmly encourages us to at least walk through the dining room and help ourselves to anything we can assemble and carry with us.
I cut a piece of wholegrain bread, pile on a few slices of thinly sliced cured meats and a piece of cheese and then we rush to the funicular for the lift up to the trains and buses.
We take a few wrong turns and finally ask for help from some bus drivers who are standing next their bus. They point us in the right direction and in a few minutes we are boarding the “Bernina Express” bus just in the nick of time. WHEW!
The three hour bus tour takes us from Lugano to Tirano along the shores of Lake Lugano and Lake Como, through picturesque fishing villages and past the famous Veltliner vineyards. The driver announces that we will be stopping at the “Ristop” where we will take a rest stop. We use the facilities and buy coffee and a couple of pastries, though we are initially a little confused as to the process of ordering. (You go to the cash register first to place your order, you are given a receipt which you then present to the barista.) Not so difficult, once you understand…Oh well, we will know what to do next time.
As we pull into Torino, we see quite a bustle of activity; people rushing to the bus/train station and school children walking on the side of the road as big busses drive right next to them, ours included.
Off the bus, we walk around the town of Torino until we locate the cafe recommended by our bus driver. As we enter, the hostess points to a place where we can leave our luggage.
It is quiet with only a couple of other people in the cafe, but within a few minutes, the entire place fills to capacity.
After a relatively quick browse through the menu, I order onion soup and David a delightful pasta carbonara with pig cheeks. (He referred to it as “pig face”). Ha!
It was scrumptious! We also ordered a bottle of still water and a glass of red wine each. ($35.50 CHF)
As we dine and look around the cafe, we notice that most of the people, including the couple sitting next to us, are all enjoying the same dish. It is something gray in color and looks like a bowl full of worms. Curiosity finally gets the better of me and I muster the nerve to ask the lady sitting next to me what she has ordered. She explains that it is ground beef with potatoes. (It is a meal that is included with their Bernina Express tour package.) That explains why everyone has the same thing. Upon further inspection, I reason that the beef was probably boiled along with the potatoes, (which would account for the unappealing color).
The train ride through the Alps is nothing short of breath taking. It is the highest rail crossing in the Alps and connects northern and southern Europe. The section between Thusis and Tirano has been classed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We pass several ski areas, unusual structures for the train tracks, (circular viaducts), lots and lots of snow and spectacular vistas.
The Bernina Express tour ends in Zurich where we change trains and go to Bern. (This is the first time that the trains have been delayed on our trip thus far, due to an accident).
David has booked us a room at Sorell Hotels Switzerland. Now the trick is to find it in the cold and dark, after a long day on a bus and trains. It should be an easy walk…David had intentionally reserved places that were close to the train stations, but this night, David’s phone decides to go wacko.
We walk in the direction that we believe we should, then backtrack, thinking we are going in the wrong direction. Did I mention that it is cold and dark? We are tired and David’s phone display is literally spinning! (I guess his phone had had a day too.) Finally, after walking in circles, we ask a couple on the street for assistance. They are very nice and point toward our hotel. We are just a stone’s throw away! Yay!
The desk clerk greets us with a welcoming smile and happily recommends an Italian restaurant which is just next door to the hotel, Tre Fratelli. Since it is late, we decide to drop off our stuff in the room and go straight to dinner. (I would LOVE to finally have a shower and dress in some clean clothes since we are still in ‘just tumbled straight of bed’ shape from our rushed morning.) But we don’t want to run the risk of having the place close before we get there.
We quickly make our way to the restaurante, walk in the front door and observe the proprietor looking at his watch several times before choosing to walk over to help us. In broken English, he agrees to seat us but requests that we hurry.
We each order something that will be ready and easy to plate; Spaghetti Bolognese for me and David orders Penne Arrabbiate with a glass of Ripasso each. ($64.40 CHF)
The meal is wonderful, (though rushed), we ask for the check, (something we have discovered is the custom to do here), and are on our way back to the room.
Finally, a shower and bed– satisfied with another spectacular day. This time, we set our alarms to be sure we wake up on time.
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