Today, I made a 3 1/2 hours journey to visit the ski village of St. Moritz, which is quite close to the Italy. Often, in the town, you can hear people speaking Italian instead of German. The Switzerland is divided by the Alps. North of the Alps, the weather is often cold and rainy. But, the south of Alp, it is much more Mediterranean, like norther Italy. I saw this first-hand after the train goes thorough the tunnel to Bever. I finally saw sunshine after 4 days of nonstop drizzle.
St. Moritz is small resort-town on the hill, overlooking a lake. And, it has several Spas. It is quite. During the winter, people come here to relax and ski. I enjoyed my little excursion here. It feels much quieter than Zurich (the working city), Luzern (the lakeside town).
I was able to walk around the town and around the little lake. It is very similar to Austrian’s ski village.
Below are some photos. One thing I noticed is that Swiss German is really different from High-German (typified by Berlin and Brandenburg). Swiss speaks much more with the tongue on front teeth than other German speakers. Sometimes, Swiss German feels just like a ticking clock. (The speaking pace is very monotone, no speeding up for excitement or slowing down for emphasis. Perhaps, the culture is embedded in the language.) People from Germany sometimes find it nearly impossible to understand the local Swiss dialect. There are local words, like Grussi. I feel like that it is like chopping the wood.
But, the Swiss Railroad is amazing. It crosses over nearly impossible mountain terrains with bridges, and cog wheels over very steep hills. The Famous Alpine Express runs from St. Moritz to Zermatt. And, it is always on time!!!
Ray at St. Moritz
Forest and Stream
Alpine Valley
Ski Lift Map in St. Moritz
Train running over a valley on a stone bridge
