The majestic Engadine, my summer home for so many years - the end of an amazing three months!
I moved on Monday to an apartment just below the station. It was a great location and spacious, with the exception of the bathroom. Whoever the architect was should be fired! To get on or off the toilet required a certain amount of agility, as the sink actually reached the toilet and the shower was on the other side of it. The only way off the toilet was to slide the shower door back and, the easiest, put one foot in the shower! Interesting indeed! Otherwise, all was wonderful.
Herbert, Dennis’s father, and I went to Guarda whilst the classes took place on Monday. I really didn’t like the aggressive driving of the locals, so future days I took a train and bus pass where I could relax and enjoy the phenomenal scenery.
Guarda is most certainly one of my favourite villages. I visit every year and never tire of the gorgeous sgraffiti on the walls of the coloured houses.
The pottery, where I had planned to learn how to make clay cows is a massive drawcard. Sadly, Covid got in the way, but at least it encouraged me to take up pottery!
These entrances to the beautiful homes are stunning, with lush vegetation despite the heat
What pretty sgraffiti!
There is just so much to love about the Engadine villages and way of life.
The colours everywhere are breathtaking.
High above Ardez is the tower I visited last year, fortunately on a cooler day.
Guarda and Ardez are really like living museums. They somehow don’t seem real.
Next day was another perfect day weatherwise so I headed up to the Bernina Ospizio for a simply fabulous walk around Lago Bianco ( the White Lake)..
You have to look around carefully, not only at the breathtakingly spectacular mountains and glaciers . Those striding it out or belting past on their electro bikes missed lots of tiny treasures by the side of the path.
Every corner gives another perspective, not more or less beautiful, just gorgeous.
The colours are mesmerising. How lucky I am to have all five senses. The older I get, the more I appreciate the brilliant things I can still do!
Oh, how sad! There is so little water in the lake that for the first time in the twenty years I have visited, there were so many rocks visible above the water. Not good news for those reliant on it.
Another bundle of colour and beauty - this time gentian.
Fortunately, the path was uncrowded and I even had moments entirely alone in the midst of this impressive scenery.
Butterflies clustered around thistles. So pretty, and quite hard to photograph.
A short train journey downhill took me to Morteratsch station to meet Dennis and Herbert. I was a bit reticent to do the walk to the glacier because I felt sad knowing how quickly it’s receding, but it was possibly even more important to see it before it is too late!
It was quite a long slog uphill even though it’s a fairly gentle walk up to the mouth of the glacier, but it was exhausting in the heat, especially after a long morning walk too.
Getting closer! Some massive boulders make you very aware of the ever changing glacier.
Was it worth the sweaty walk up? Absolutely! Despite feeling sad that the glacier had receded so much since I last saw it, it was still a majestic sight. Amazing. To think that when I started at the Lyceum, they used to do a glacier walk from the top to the valley on snow!
At this point, not far from the station, the sign told us the glacier tongue was at this point in 1920, 100 years ago. We had walked about one hour from the glacier to this point.
Desert- like landscape .
What a fantastic day, but I was exhausted after 28,000 steps!
The day wasn’t over yet! We had our farewell dinner with the team at Le Punt pizzeria. What a joy to still be involved with the organisation of the camps.
The next day I intended to have a quiet day, with not much walking. It’s pretty hard to do. Anyway, I walked through the Taiswald at Pontresina up to a beautiful, shady spot in the forest, where they have daily concerts. It was heavenly - perfect temperature, setting and wonderful music. I was pleased to get there early to enjoy the peaceful surroundings. Later it was packed- humans and plenty of their four legged friends,
A young teenager played a sensational solo. Very impressive indeed.
It was all too much for this large poodle who distracted me much of the time by first putting his paw into his owner’s hand, and finally going for the shoulder,
I took the long way back to the station, walking through the forest along the RoseggValley before turning and following the icy waters of the Rosegg glacier down to Pontresina.
Having walked around st Moritz Lake half way to the Stazersee , I decided that the black clouds looked a bit ominous and so Dennis, his father and I decided to head to Silvaplana See. Great idea as there was a wonderfully cool breeze blowing down the valley, perfect for us and the dozens of windsurfers, kite surfers on the lake. It was fabulous watching them from the shore.
I had so enjoyed my day at the Pass two days ago, I decided to go again but in the other direction to Diavolezza.. A fantastic day from start to finish, The path is great, though the first part was quite narrow and there were lots of bikers. It was a bit frustrating but you just had to keep looking at the incredible scenery and then you felt privileged to be there!
What magical reflections in the small lake below the dam.
You see some interesting art work around, even in the middle of nowhere!
It doesn’t matter in which direction you look, it’s all equally spectacular and breathtaking.
Gorgeous alpine flowers everywhere with spectacular mountain backdrop.
Close to Diavolezza, the end of my walk, was a lovely herd of Bernina horses, most with very young foals. I sat and watched them for ages. Such beautiful creatures.
What a phenomenal week I had with such marvellous walks, great company, plenty of time to catch up with friends and a comfortable apartment on a small farm.
Halfway home. Hot and sticky in Singapore but pool very refreshing.
What a trip !Three months have flown by.
At the airport I had time to read all the blogs. I am so grateful to Antoinette at academia for having given me my leaving present IPad!
Home again after an excellent flight. Great sleep and woke up to the coldest morning recorded this year -4 degrees. Pretty chilly upstairs without heating( downstairs heating rising a little), but so wonderful to lie in warm bed looking out on the frost and seeing Mike there, enjoying it too!
Comments
Post a Comment