I do believe I have died and gone to railway heaven, or am I dreaming? I am sitting on the terrace of the hotel GRISCHUNA, FILISUR, watching the narrow guage trains make their relentless spiral up and down the mountain. Their arrival and departures are heralded by a whistle echoing through the valley, which at times sounds like the trumpeting of a young elephant! The hotel is adjacent to the Albula Line Bahnhoff and the line it serves is an artery of the Ratiche Bahn (RhB, or Rhaetian Bahn). After consuming a bowl of Thai seafood soup, I think I might be in foodie heaven as well. The life blood of the region, this railway system has everything going for it, views to sigh for, and trips to die for. A masterpiece of engineering, work on the metre guage railway, which began on what is now known as RATICHE BAHN, early in the late in the 19th century. The first thing manifest in the Alps is that there is no such thing as a straight line. Mileage from point A to B is irrelevant as railways and roads spiral their way to greater heights and even more spectacular vistas. The Hotel Grischuna will be at the hub of all my endeavours for the next week, along with the help of my Swiss Rail Pass which will be enable me to traverse the entire rail system and the Postal Bus system that synchronises with it so well! Eventually, moonlight prevails and I can hear the distant strains of Mark Knophler's melodically played Stratocaster wafting up from a disco in the valley below. Incongruous perhaps, but so welcome to an old Fender bender like me.
One hour's rail journey from CHUR, the village nestles snugly in the Albula valley where the softness of the undulating carpet of greenery contrasts strongly with the craggy austerity of the mighty Alps towering above. Filisur, whilst being a small, sleepy village, is essential to the RATISCHE BAHN system. The ALBULAH line divides here, one branch headed for Davos (venue for the previous summit conference), the other to Tirano which is just across the Italian border. The word junction does not appear in the RhB lexicon, but that is what Filisur is, a junction! There is timelessness about the region of Graubunden, which even modernity cannot displace. The electric pylons which appear to strut their way through the valleys, are painted a soft shade of khaki which renders them compatible with their neighbours, the surrounding pine trees (other countries please take note). At all RhB stations, train arrivals are preceded by a series of chimes, followed by the mandatory announcements.
Switzerland is a federation, consisting of Cantons, semi autonomous regional bodies. CHUR (1 ½ hours trip from Zurich) pronounced Khoor, is one of the oldest townships in Europe dating back to Roman occupation and is the capital city of Graubunden .There is a certain diversity of culture, particularly linguistically. German predominates, followed by Italian. Romanch, reputedly a more updated version of Latin would be fairly common, although rarer in other cantons. Like many capitals, it has an old part and a more modern section. I visited the art museum which at the time was featuring the off worldly work of H.R.GIGER; a native of Chur who was responsible for the set design for Star Wars and who somehow manages to eroticize aliens in a very convincing way. I visited the GIGER BAR, on the periphery of the city and it was well worth the trip.
The engine room of the RhB, in every sense of the word is at Landquart, west of Chur. Here, rolling stock is nurtured, serviced, re-built, refurbished, upholstered and housed. David Wigraz agreed to show me around the works and was very generous with his time and most informative. In addition to all that, vehicles from other railways are also kitted out in the works. The day I was there, a carriage arrived from Sweden as a shell, a very difficult manoeuvre on the back of a low loader as it transpired. When fully kitted out, it will be dispatched to the Netherlands. The Company which employs about 1400 workers is owned by the Canton of Graubunden (or Grissons), the Federal Government and around 1000 share holders. As the older vehicles have been restored by means of sponsorship, currently, they are looking for a benefactor to bring back a 1929 Pullman car to its former glory to join the other six art deco carriages. The interior of the Blue and cream liveried vehicle that I entered featured exquisite marquetry panels and bevelled mirrors. The Pattern for the cheerful upholstery was replicated from photos taken when the cars were first in service. These days they are used on occasions for excursions and private bookings, usually powered by the famous Krocodile electric loco which lives in the roundhouse engine shed which I visited next. At this time there are 2 steam locos, 2 Krocodiles (1 swathed in plastic having been re-painted and sold on to a museum and awaiting transportation) and various locos of a more modern disposition.
The trip on the AROSA line from Chur was something akin to a journey through a national park, green, glorious and displaying little in the way of population. The end of the trip was anything but, it is a tourist destination, which plays host to skiers in winter, tour parties in summer and the picture I have on my screensaver from 70 years ago, belies what I see before me. Enough said! Usually it is all about the journey, not the destination! The BERNINA EXPRESS is more complex than that. It weaves its devious way south to TIRANO, just across the Italian border through changes of polarity (AC to DC at Pontresina), language (German to Italian), and water flows. The southern most lake at the watershed makes its way to the Adriatic and the northern counterpart froths its way in the opposite direction. The climb to the Bernina summit, 7400 meters high is 7 metres in every kilometre. Some achievement considering work on the line began in 1910! The Pontresina to Tirano section was subsumed into the RhB in 1942. The journey, which takes about 3 hours, is a world class trip.
I decided to take the Filisur-Davos-klosters-Chur-Filisur loop. I took the train bound for Chur and when stopping at Klosters, I saw the Classic Alpine Express two tracks away, pulled by a Krocodile. Spontaneously, I fled the train and managed to fire off a few photos before it crossed the remarkable concrete bridge presumably bound for Davos or beyond. The next train for Chur being an hour away, I had a leisurely stroll around the town and was rewarded by the atmosphere of a place untarnished by 'progress'.
Bergun is a splendid little town a half hour train ride south of Filisur. The museum, owned by the Albulah railway society is an essential visit, a three dimensional snapshot of how rural life used to be lived in the Swiss Alps. Curator and librarian Daniela told me that the building (where she also lives) housing the museum is 550 years old. Exhibits include lamps, stoves, agricultural implements, tools, kitchen ware and a working model of the Bergun-Preda section of the RhB Albulahbahn.It is always refreshing to meet someone who is so obviously at one with their calling. There are moves afoot to form a Bergun railway museum which suffice to say will involve a large sum of money. I think that the Canton needs it, because remarkable though the Landquart works may be, for obvious reasons, they are not in a position to open to the public. There is plenty of space for such a project at Bergun station, so any wealthy railway buffs, here is your chance for railway kudos! Open your wallet, repeat after me, I want to help sponsor the ALBULAH RAIL EXPERIENCE PROJECT! Just follow the link ziltener@spin.ch. In answer to the inevitable question, yes the RhB runs pretty much to time, except when the elements decide otherwise, almost like clockwork!
As an inveterate traveller for more years than I care to mention, the hardest decision to be made is do you return to a region with which you have fallen in love, or do you go on to discover more of the same? I seem to have acquired a portfolio of really special places and Graubunden is up there with the best. Grischuna hotel owners Anna and Reto Uffer have been the ultimate hosts and if I were in a position to hand out awards for the most hospitable country inn, Hotel Grischuna, would be at the top my list. Reto's ability as a chef is quite literally sensational and Anna's warmth and outgoing personality ensure that every guest feels special. The staff has all been wonderful and friendly, this feeling re-in forced by the fact that I met several fellow travellers that have been regular visitors over the years. Tonight is my last night at the Grischuna. I am always heavy of heart to leave any establishment where I have been so well treated and made welcome, and that will be very much the case when I head for Zurich tomorrow morning, bound for Dublin. The meal that I ate tonight was a culinary highlight. The recipe for CAPUNS can be found below.
CAPUNS is a very popular regional dish and every family has its own recipe, this is Reto's;
INGREDENTS (serves 4 );
3 fresh eggs.
300 ml ½ milk/1/2 water.
200 ml milk.
1 pinch of salt.
1 pinch of nutmeg.
Pepper (to taste).
300 gr flour.
1 "Salsiz" .You probably won't find one so any spicy sausage of your choice!
Pieces of pepperoni.
Fried Lardons(diced bacon)
Grated cheese.
10 Mangold leaves, you are most unlikely to find that either, so use fresh cabbage leaves minus the stalk, they roll more easily.
RULE OF THUMB Egg/100 ml of milk/water per person.
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl. Add salt, nutmeg, some pepper and milk/water. Keep stirring and add the flour until you have sticky pasta dough. Knead the dough until bubbles appear. be prepared for sore arms !Cut Salziz and pepperoni(or the ingredients of your choice) and add to the dough. Leave to set for ½ hour.
De-stalk cabbage leaves and cut stalks into thumb sized pieces and set aside. Take 1 table spoon full of dough, roll into ½ a leaf and repeat. Place rolls into a large saucepan adding seasoned stalks after each layer.
Pour generous amounts of strong stock over the rolls until pan is ¾ full. Simmer for 20 mn. Add 200 ml of milk and simmer for another 10 mn.
Remove and serve with grated cheese and fried bacon.
LINKS
HOTEL GRISCHUNA, grischuna.filisur.ch
081 404 2480. A weeks half board is only 500 SF !
SWISS TRAVEL CENTER (London). An 8 day travel pass, first class is £237.50 .This will get you on any train, bus or boat. In addition to that you have entry into all museums. stc.co.uk
MY SWITZERLAND myswitzerland.com
H.R. GIGER , hrgiger.com
RATICHE BAHN. rhb.ch
Recommended reading, GEORGE. H. DRURY, RAILFAN GUIDES georgedrury.com
