My friend, Armando, smoothly negotiated the innumerable hairpin turns. It seemed the snaking mountain highway would never end. We were driving from Zürich to the village of Samedan, near St. Moritz. Twists and turns were so many I rarely stayed upright, rocking first left then right then back again as we climbed the mountainside to Julierpass at 2284 meters. It felt a bit as if I were on a small boat sailing a rocky sea. In spite of the constant swinging to and fro, the landscape kept me awestruck, as mountains always do. I wonder how many times my friends heard me say from the rear seat, "Wow," "Oh Wow" as I turned from one window to the next. Stopping at the pass for an espresso, a number of motorbike travelers in their leather biking gear had also stopped, looking ready for anything the mountain might place in their path.

The espresso provided fuel for the remainder of the drive and soon we were in Samedan in the upper Engadin, rolling slowing--weaving around other vehicles and people--through the lovely village atop the colorful but muted cobblestone way. Picturesque Engadin houses line every street.

We parked in front of our Hotel Bernina, which is a grand and ancient yet restructured place, where it loomed above us. It's plush lobby invites lingering over wine and conversation. The stunning dining room is elegant with its crystal chandeliers; its walls a soft almost-not-pink with a trimming of mint green. The breakfast choices spread across a long white tablecloth were both savory and delicate. The service was impeccable. The unfinished pine woodwork and furnishings throughout the hotel are beautiful as only simplicity can be. It was a fine mix of the elegant and the natural.

Soon we walked to the apartment building belonging to a new friend of mine. After procuring photographic evidence I'd been there, we returned to the center of town to shop and walk until dinner. I will be eternally grateful that I managed to arrange an hour massage before dinner at the Mineral Spa. My young Masseuse was excellent and she deserves much praise for ridding me of my remaining aches and pains from our eight kilometer hike. (See: My Magical History Tour blog entry.) After, we went to St. Moritz to the Restaurant Hotel Veltlinerkeller to enjoy Pasta Mista, as per my friend from home suggested. What a delight that was! A wonderful assortment of regional specialties.

i would definitely return one day. Samedan is now one of my favorite places!