October in Switzerland was just as I expected as the train rolled in to Zurich, rainy. This is the third time I've been in this city. The first was a quick overnight at a friends apartment before heading out to see Switzerland....that time we saw very little of the city. The second visit I was with my sister as we wandered through the back streets of her memory reliving the time she and her husband lived here. This time Shane and I are spending time as tourists. In spite of the drizzle we managed to find our way from the huge train station across the river and a short two blocks to our hotel. So far so good. Our focus was to wander the old part of town along the river and get lost in the back streets. There were far less tourists than in Vienna which gave the city a more laid back feel. It's interesting that in Vienna the residents seem to dress in designer or fashionable clothing. In Zurich I felt right at home in my hiking boots. In fact there seem to be more back country / sporting stores than fashion stores.
I like Zurich. We found a lot of the places my sister and I explored as well as the 'Walking Tour' sites marked out on the map. Again we enjoyed wandering without any real plan.
At 13:55 the next day (precisely) we boarded the train to Jona (yo-nah). Katharina was there to meet us at the station. Again we had drizzle but not for long! Plans for the coming week were discussed as we walked through the peaceful village of Rappersville. Where we end up will depend on the weather. Apparently it will be sunny in the south so that's where we decided to head in the morning. This turned out to be a great choice!
By the end of the week we brushed the border of Lichenstein, spent a night in Italy and two more nights on a park bordering Austria....we actually hiked over the pass to eat a picnic lunch in Austria on the last day of our hiking adventure.
So nice to catch up with Katherina again and meet her husband and little boy.
We had no expectations about our week in Switzerland thinking we would probably spend our time in their town and perhaps take a few day trips. We were in for a surprise! Katherina managed to borrow a car and, with the weather outlook favourable in the south, she outlined plans for the week. All I can say is I was glad I had a walking stick and my hiking boots!
Tuesday morning we drove to the Val da Camp (in the Bernina Pass). We parked the car and hiked in to Lungacqua Sac. Saoseo Refugio for the night. (Shane and I drove this road 7 years ago in rain so intense it was like driving on a river. The walking path we took to the lake actually begins next to the restaurant where we stopped for a rest! We had no idea of the beauty we missed.)  
A refugio is a mountain hotel. You book a bed for the night which includes dinner and breakfast. The beds are usually bunk beds. We booked a family room which in this case had beds for 8 people. All you need to bring is a small towel, a change of clothes and your toiletries. There is bedding and even comfy slippers all ready for you in these family run establishments. The food is delicious home cooking and there is wine and beer available. We were hiking at the end of the season so there were very few people on the trail. That also meant we didn't have to share a room with strangers.
The hike through the Larch and pine forests to Saosea Lake took about three hours. As we sat by the lake the few clouds lifted and revealed the snow speckled mountains around us. Just beautiful. 
Next day we made our way back to the car and headed to Pontresina. This was a very special day hike to the place where Katharina and Christoph were married. The path follows a river towards the Eastern Alps. They were married in the Roseg valley with the Bernina Range in the background. The sun shone on the glaciers as we made our way along the trail. After lunch at the Hotel Roseg Gletschier (which specializes in desserts!) and a rest in the sun we continued the hike to the site of their wedding. It was a perfect day and a magical place. Max had fun crawling around while we soaked in the beauty around us.  
We stayed near St. Moritz in the delightful village of Celerina. We ate traditional capuns (a speciality of the area) and venison cooked with fruit which was delicious and also a local specialty. A perfect meal to end this lovely day.
From Celerina we drove past St. Moritz.... did a short hike through a park near Silvaplana spotting snow capped peaks in the distance.  
Heading south west we drove down a steep twisty pass to the Val Bregaglia and the village of Casaccia where we parked the car and began a three hour hike through this lovely valley to Vicosoprano. If it wasn't for the wasp that stung Katherina and then Max it would have been a perfect day. Vicosoprano is one of those idyllic Swiss country villages that works hard to retain the old world feeling. There was a witches museum which told the story of a local legend using music and a movie projected on the rock wall of a former prison (complete with torture props). Apparently she was't happy about taking the blame for an avalanche and being burned as a witch. She decided to haunt the town and still does... Nice place to relax while Katherina hopped the bus to get the car.  
That night we spent at a B&B in Chiavenna, Italy. What a great place to wander around. This city played a key role in history. Today it is a charming mountain town with great food and wonderful old buildings (good prices too... compared to Switzerland!).
The next day we took off north through the notorious Splugenpass...pretty views but I'm glad I wasn't driving! 
Stopped to hike down the gorge at Viamala which has been carved out by the Rhein River. The next stop was Ruinaulta, where the Rhein flows below white carved cliffs. Our destination for the next two nights is another refugio, Alpenrosli, at St. Antonien. Christoph met up with us and his sister and family came the next day.
Each place we have experienced this week has been uniquely beautiful. Here at St. Antonien, we have an absolutely spectacular place yet again....and no clouds. The stars here are full on amazing. Shane and I hiked for about three hours the next morning then met up with the family by a small lake. Here there are four huge boulders that are set up for climbing. Christoph brought all the ropes and clips for climbing and the three young kids were busy scaling the rock. What a great family thing to do. Shane put on Christoph's gear and climbed the large boulder... felt pretty good about that!  
The next day we all set off for Austria. The trail we chose took us past three caves which had to be explored by kids and adults alike. One part of the path was so steep I was wishing we'd brought along the ropes and clips. What a stunning way to end the week. We had a picnic in Austria at the pass before taking the long way back to the refugio.  
Had a great time with both families...the kids were great with Max and everyone got along so well.  
We didn't get back to Rapperswill until late....ate a good dinner (Christoph is a great cook!), did some repacking and said our good byes. They both had to leave for work early the next day.
Shane and I found the train...made our way to Zurich and then Geneva. One night at the Airport hotel then twenty hours in transit home.