A Study in Neutrality

Tuesday, April 15 I think my couple days of hiking have caught up to me 😂  A leisurely morning was exactly what I needed.  I took some time to examine the forecast, repacked, and left the hotel around 10:30.  I was tempted to walk through the market along the river but I didn't want to drag my noisy suitcase along the cobblestone; though based on people being caught off guard by me, maybe it's not as noisy as I thought.   From my balcony, it looks like the riverside street is getting ready for another day of exciting tourism. I stopped by a Migros to pick up breakfast and a bottle of Thé Froid recommended to me by some coworkers.  I can report that the ice tea from Migros is pretty dang tasty, I never did drink much Arnold Palmer or Arizona Ice Tea, but I imagine this scratches a similar itch.   My two pastries for the morning included Ragusa chocolate-hazelnut cream and then impressive layers of buttered pastry with a crust. I set up shop near t...

Monday, April 14 Ah yeah, no better way to establish I'm on vacation than going for a hike on Monday morning!  😆  I woke up and escaped/check out of my hotel in time to stash my luggage at the station and nab the 9:55 train out to the Rheineschlucht.  This little canyon features some interesting landscape, nice views, and apparently some hardcore people even do kayaking in April.   This particular train route is part of the Bernina Express' route; I won't be making it out to Piz Bernina this trip (St. Moritz is really out of the way) but the route is fairly clear on this cup holder.  Hmm, I'm glad I've been able not to think too much about politics back home for a while; I suppose that'll have to change soon.  In the meantime, lemme hit the head in this train station and get on with my day.  As the name might imply, the Rhine works its way through this canyon and has carved out impressive walls and structures from crushed limestone deposited here...