Escape to the Continent: 8/4 The soul train!

8/4 We checked out of our hotel and after a short taxi ride arrived at the train station to track down which platform we'd find the train to Zurich where we would be transferring to a Paris-bound train. We settled into the last of our first-class train accommodations and prepared to enjoy our passage across the Alps. Initially the sky was hung with low clouds that obscured any panoramic or high elevation views, but thankfully it cleared as we - and the sun - climbed higher. We've noticed how quickly time passes on trains - the result of comfort and the often engaging scenery? As we pulled out of Vienna we followed a river up into the mountains and eventually another down the other side and into Zurich, passing lots of classic pastoral scenes of villages and high pastures tucked in below mountain ridges, with an occasional castle ruin on some strategic outcrop. No snow, but plenty of bare rock walls and peaks. Before we knew it the eight hours to Zurich were over! While waiting for our Paris train to arrive, we stepped briefly outside onto Swiss concrete and Serge ran across the street to touch soil and a tree, and then it was time to board again....

Swiss Alps ... taking pictures on a 99 miles per hour moving train is quite a challenge...

front of our train snaking towards the Alps...

castle ruins from a distance ...

want a good view - use a binocular ...

enjoying the view ...

more of the Alps ...

approaching Zurich...

Zurich ...

Zurich - here we come ...

Rail No. 365, cab 27 ...

Switzerland at last ....

must step into the land of the Swiss...

a happy traveler - Zurich ...

Switzerland - hello and goodbye ...

The second leg of our journey was our first experience in coach class - still quite comfortable. We were entertained by a couple who kept getting displaced by passengers with reserve tickets. Evidently folks with open tickets can sit wherever there is an empty seat, but when someone arrives with reserved seats - like we had - they must give up their seats. This particular couple got bumped at least three times before finally getting settled for the ride.

bound for Paris - all aboard ...

an Edelweiss beer and chips while on a train - life is good ...

As the day turned toward dusk, the landscape put on an almost uninhabited appearance - except for the obvious fact that it was tilled farmland with forest patches and a few roads but little evidence of habitation. Perfect conditions, apparently, for deer-spotting. Lyn tallied up 19 deer - as she kept reminding us - of which Joe only managed to see a few.

Cheers to the good things in life ...

By the time we arrived in Paris it was past dark. We caught a quick cab to our hotel, the Brighton - just a block away from the Louvre and the Seine river. Serge was happy to again to have his own room - even if it was a 'walk through' room to the entrance. Had a few issues - smell in entrance hall ("I think they're covering up that someone died," -Joe), low water pressure and looong waits for the water to get hot - but it was still our home-away-from-home. Had an initial disagreement with the evening desk clerk about our accommodations - they had us in a 2-person room despite our confirmation for three - but he came around and did his best to make us feel welcome. Before crashing for the evening we had to step outside and cross the Seine at which time we caught a view of the top of the Eiffel Tower with its slowly turning beacon light. We are in Paris!