Viafier Retica over the Swiss Alps

March 16, 2024

The Swiss Canton of Graubünden spans the summit of the Alps in the southeast of the country, bordering Italy and Austria. A multi-lingual canton, its residents speak Swiss-German (Allemenic), Italian, and Romansh (1).

The two other railways traversing the Swiss Alps (both further west) do so through deep tunnels. The meter guage railway through Graubünden (2) goes up and over the Alps. I was up earlier than planned (3), so I hopped on the first train to Chur. Many other passengers on the train brought skis with them, some already wearing their ski boots (4). 

Changing to the meter-guage train at Chur, the first few miles are dual guage, before the narrow-guage Ratian railways swings south to begin the climb to St. Moritz. The rain in Zurich had not penetrated far south into the mountains, although clouds clung to the hillsides.

Arriving in St. Moritz at 10:00, I spied a trail around the lake. Cleared of snow on the west and north, the trail was a little icy on the east side, where evergreens prevented the sun from penetrating. Hearing indistinct announcements echoing across the valley, I noticed a ski race happening on the town's slopes. I pondered what appeared to be straight lines running across some of the mmountains. Also a commin sight further south on the rails, these were avalanche breaks, seemingly designed to disperse (not stop) the energy of an acalanche. 

Having circumambulated the lake (about 3 miles), I climbed to the town, perched about 300 feet above the lake, to find lunch. A local restaurant's menu offered hamburgers for 48 Swiss Franks (> US $50) (5).

The train further south to Italy runs hourly, but was crowded on this pleasant Saturday. The line's summit at Opsizia Bernina marks the watershed between the Danube River and the waters flowing south to the Adriatic via Italy's Po Valley. A frozen lake at the summit was busy with paraskiiers taking advantage of the northerly breeze.

Desending through tunnels and across bridges, glaciers and avalanche breaks were frequently visible. Poschiavo Lake was visible far below, long before the train reached there via 7 switchbacks. A small station at the lake is known as Miralago. Previously known as "Miserable" due to the high peaks preventing the sun from reaching the lake for much of the year, tourism is said to have increased when they changed the name.

The train traversed a 360° viaduct to lose altitude. Into Italy and through the streets of Tirano, the journey ended. An Italian train runs from here to Milan, but there was substitute bus transportation due to "lavori in corso" (work is progress) for the first 15 miles to Sondrio. Most people waited in a crowd near the bus, but I saw a woman with a Trenord (northern train) uniform on. I stood next to her and was the second person on when the bus pulled up.

Sunset as the train sped by Lake Como, where a mass of people got on the train, standing the hour+ to Milan, from where my flight home departs tomorrow. The train ride across the Alps was a good way break up the trip home from Central Asia.

(1) An endangered language, Romash is an official language of Graubünden (called Grisen in Romansh).

(2) Generally referred to as the Ratian Railway in English.

(3) Central Europe is 4 hours behind Uzbekistan.

(4) Stiff plastic boots, which could not have been comfortable on the train ride.

(5) St. Moritz is the playground of the rich and famous. Being neither, I opted for a modest Italian place.

Zurch Hauptbahnhoff

Train to Chur

Connecting at Chur

Dual guage railway west of Chur

Views from the train to St.  Moritz 

Approaching the Landwasser viaduct

Climbing the switchbacks 

Arrival at St. Moritz

Open water at north end of lake

View to St. Moritz from the east side of the lake

Path along the east side waa a little icy under the cover of the evergreens

The cog railway across the lake

View to the south

Climbing to the line's summit south of St.Moritz

Paraskiing on frozen Lago Bianco at the line's summit at Opsizia Bernina 

Views on the descent

Negotiating 7 switchbacks to descending to Poschiavo Laje

360° descent over the 

Onto the streets of Tirano

Spring is well underway here at the lower altitudes of Tirano

Speeding past Lake Como en route to Milan

The Hagia Sofia, Istanbul

March 15, 2024

Uzbekistan Airlines has a flight from Urghench (near Khiva) direct to Istanbul twice a week, avoiding the need to fly east to Tashkent, the west again toward Europe. The airport had a grand total of three flights operating this morning (all narrow body aircraft), yet was still total pandemonium (1). Due to the chaos, our flight was late. Once in Istanbul, I could have connected quickly to Europe, but I had not visited Hagia Sofia in a number of years, so I opted for a long layover.

The Hagia Sofia (in Greek)/ayasofia (in Turkish) was constructed in the 530s C.E., and featured the largest dome in the western world for over 1,000 years. The building functioned as a church until April 1453, when the Ottomans conquered the city, immediately converting it to a mosque. When the Ottoman empire fell after World War I, the secularing Mustafa Kemal (founder of Modern Turkey) repurposed it as a museum. 

I had seen the ayasofia a few years ago,  and had watched some programs about uncovering and refreshing the religious mosaics in the building. Reconverted to a mosque by the current Islamist Erdogan government in 2022, I was curious how the mosaics were faring; depictions of people in mosques is generally not permitted.

The new Istanbul airport is a long way ftom the city center. In a bit of whimsy apparently designed to confuse visitors, the airport metro has no metro map (2), so when they announce connections at a station to Metro line 7 or 2 there is absolutely no way to know whether such a connection would be of interest (3). At the last stop, I figured I would go above ground to get my bearings. In another distinctive design choice, the exit from the airport metro is literally in the middle of a highway interchange. Back below ground, I wandered about until I found another metro station. Still no map, but I sensed the general direction I needed to go. Once on the train, there was a map, but I had left my microscope at home. Emerging on a bridge over the Golden Horn, I hopped off and walked in the direction of Sultenhamet, the historic center of the city.

The former main entrance to the ayasofia is now reserved for Turkish citizens who wish to pray. After buying a ticket, I joined the orderly queue to access the building from the back (4). The visiting area is now limited to the balcony. The golden Chistian mosaics over the altar are now covered with simple cloth draping. Other mosaics on the balcony, not visible from the apse or nave, have been left visible. The marble floor is now covered with a green rug, which the wandering cats seem to appreciate (5). While still impressive from the balcony, I was glad I had visited the building a few years ago when one could stand on the floor at gawk at the sheer scale and beauty of the building.

Down the hill to a ferry dock on the Golden Horn for a quick trip across the Bosporus to Asia and back. While low clouds hung over the city, the many mosques minarets and the ayasofia would have impressed those arriving by sea. 

Back to the airport for rhe last flight to Zurich.

(1) I had already checked in, had no bags, and had my boarding pass on my phone. Unacceptable to the immigration officials, who insisted I must go back downstairs, join the scrum to get a hard copy boarding pass that they could stamp. A class trip of what appeared to be 6th graders was journeying to Istanbul. In addition to the chaperones, it seems all their parent showed up to see them off, overcrowding the small check-in area (a). Hood thing I have elbows to push my way through (b).

(a) One group was travelling with their English teacher, practicing the language while scrumming at the check-in counter. One youth said "People around here probably don't know what we're saying." The teacher looked at me, and I replied "I do." 

(b) Nobody seemed fazed or bothered by the process. I have experienced this elsewhere in the former Soviet Union where people have cultural memories of  dealing with recalcitrant officials (both Soviet, and before that, Tsarist).

(2) I've traveled on metros all over the world, and this is a first.

(3) The airport metro line is deep underground, with no cell coverage to look things up.

(4) The queue was unusually long, the visitor area reopening only 15 minutes earlier after the end of Friday prayer. I knew the building was huge and could easily accommodate all those in line, which moved reasonably well, passing through security at the entrance. 

(5) The New York Times had a story a few years ago about the large number of cats in Istanbul entitled: "Maybe they should call it Catstaninople."

First light at Khiva 

My first trip on Uzbekistan airlines 

The ayasofia

Covering the mosaics of Jesus and Mary, etc. over the altar/mihrab

Carpet installed after reconversion to a mosque

The mihrab, pointing toward Mecca is only slightly off center for the original Christian altar

Golden mosaic on the balcony

Mosaic of the Madonna and Child

Former imperial entrance during Byzantine era (now a deadend). Constantine present the city (right), while Justinian present the Hagia Sofia to Jesus and Mary 

The traffic police in Istanbul have a Bentley 

Views to Sultahamet and the ayasofia from a ferry across the Bosphorus

Departing the Asian side

The seagulls enjoyed my handouts

Busy entrance to the Holden horn

Flutist playing at Istanbul Airport for Ramadan

I guess one can think better when it's quiet