The Lake, Corviglia and a Long Walk Home
0530 The room was much cooler and I didn’t have any problems overheating. Slept better, only waking a couple of times. But I’m awake now and feeling a little stiff. The usual adjustment to a new bed and the excitement of a new location.
0600 Coffee time.
From what I’ve seen so far, St Moritz has a very different vibe to Zermatt. Less alpine and more cosmopolitan.
0700 Breakfast. The setup seems a bit different to the other hotels. Breakfast is included so you just seem to walk in and help yourself. No asking for room numbers or anything. Felt a little lost at first. The food is the usual. Enough to keep me going for a while.
The staff definitely not as accommodating with English, which is fine. Felt bad for not attempting any German. Will try harder.
The plan for today is to go for a walk around the lake and then take the funicular as a starting point for another walk.
0810 I head to walk around the lake. Just taking camera and no bag on this bit.
There are a few people out walking or running. Great reflections on the lake. The sounds of cars is so different to Zermatt. More like a city.
0945 Arrive back at hotel. Have a short break.
1000 I head out again. This time towards the funicular.
1025 Board train.
1040 Depart.
1042 Arrive Chantarella and change trains.
1052 Depart.
1059 Arrive Corviglia.
Lots of bike riders. Seems to be a thing. It’s not quite what I was expecting. More like a base for trails and cable cars. I spend some time deciding what to do. There are trails from here down but they look quite boring. No vegetation. Just hill face.
1114 I decide to be brave and catch the cable car to the top. It will be fine. Really. Just don’t look down.
1120 Depart. It’s fine apart from when we go over the towers. Don’t like that much.
1132 Arrive.
Great views and some nice photo shots. But not much I want to do. Could explore on foot but the climbs will be too much for me.
1205 Depart to return to Corviglia.
When I get to the bottom I head toward the café and spot Jo and Jenna from the train yesterday. Lovely to see them again and we chat for a while. I don’t take many opportunities to engage with strangers but this was delightful. Oh, and Jo very generously shouted me my coffee (see I didn’t forget, Jo).
1310 I take the funicular back down to Chantarella.
1317 Arrive.
1325 There’s a place serving food outside the station but the usual anxiety kicks in: where do I order, how does it work? But I know it would be foolish to start walking without food so I dive in and order something. No problemo.
1410 I start my walk. I want to start with the Heidi Blumenweg. It’s pitched as a nature path with beds of all types of wildflowers. But clearly this is the wrong time of the year and little is flowering. And in little beds they loose much of their impact. I was hoping for meadows.
I decide to walk on and wind back to St Moritz. But then I get glimpses of the next lakes and decide to try and reach them.
1500 I hit roads. Not nice walking.
1540 After winding my way through Champfer I get back onto a path and make it to the lake.
Water incredibly clear.
I’m a long way from where I originally planned and I’ve walked about 6 km. It’s going to be the same getting back. I look for the most scenic route.
1550 I start heading back. It’s not all scenic but at least I get a bit more forest.
1630 I reach the St Moritz lake.
1638 Not far to go but I take the opportunity to rest on a bench by the lake first. There’s a nice cool breeze and mainly clear skies.
1655 Back at hotel. I think a bath would be a good idea.
That walk was much further than I had planned. Tracked at 10.6 km. And unfortunately, not enough of it was through great scenery. But at least I’ve been active. That will probably do me for this trip. Got a feeling I will be stiff and sore tomorrow.
1740 After a nice soak I spend some time on photos and blog.
1815 I’m hungry after my long walk so I brave going to the hotel restaurant.
Hmm. What an experience. The food is nice enough and they tolerate my English. But it is like stepping into a time warp. Very old fashioned. And there is a trio (accordion, clarinet and bass) playing traditional music quite loudly. Not my thing at all. Plus the dining room is uncomfortably warm. It’s bad enough dining alone in a place I like. Won’t come here again.
1958 Glad that’s over. Back in my room comfortable again doing some more work on photos and blog.
2126 Bed time (and that same family making noise again).