Konstanz

12th of July 2008

I had long thought about bying a day pass ticket and see how far I would get traveling in Switzerland by train. I had originally other plans for the day, but the weather cancelled those. Here is the notes I made during the trip:

"11.35: Day pass bought. 54 francs or 54 dollars, about 270 kr! One full day of travel. How far do I get?
The goal is Liectenstein. Not because I have to get there, but to have a direction (- as I learned in Slovakia last year). If I figure out I will do anything else, I will do that...
I have with my my mp3 player with some sermons, two apples, pizza from yesterday and my bread for work for yesterday, toothbrush, a French dictionary, a French version of Tom Sawyer, camera and cell phone."

"Lausanne 11.45: found IC from Lausanne to Yverdon, Neuchatel, Bern and all the way to St. Gallen. The only thing I need now is some water."

"Biel/Bienne 13.00: Decided to go off the train. I started to feel a little dizzy and needed some water. On the way down the stairs I stepped over. Bought water and got on the fist train I found. It hurts and I wonder how I will get home to my house this evening.
There was once talk about tilting trains in Norway. Trains that bends in the curves. I never know if I took one of those trains. But taking a tilting train here is like beeing in a boat at sea. I knever knew I would get seasick in Switzerland."


The rest of the trip was spent on trains. I got to Konstanz - reentered Switzerland and found a train back. (It is not so central in Switzerland.) In Winterthur I found a train heading to Brig. Then I took the IR back to Lausanne.

I got to see Swiss farmland. Even fields of red currant and rhubarb. Each farm had several different sorts of produce, but never much of anything. An where there were bridges over the rail tracks, the farmers used the brigdes as garages for their equipment. I also saw a sign for Borregaard! (Norwegian industry company).

On one field they had to full size, plastic cows, in red color. The one had a wide, white bond of white in the middle and the other a big white cross. Kind of cool way of showing the flags of the hosts of the European Soccer Championship.

The weather was reflecting my mood. I think it should be a nice sight of the lake and the mountains from around Spiez in nice weather.
In Brig some people told me I could rent crouches at every pharmacy in Switzerland. It was quite late when I got back to Lausanne, but the train station pharmacy was still open and my friend Beke came and met me. I got home, but still I regret not taking a taxi from the bus stop back to the student housing...