Between mid-April and and the end of May/early June the resort towns of Davos, Klosters and St Moritz seem to pretty much close down for the 'Off Season'. This spring time gap between their winter and summer season however coincided with our trip to Switzerland . . . . maybe a little more research would have been wise? That said we found plenty to fill our time in the Graubünden area of Switzerland especially as we could ride around on the fabulous one metre guage Rhätische Bahn (RhB) for nothing utilising our first class international rail travel concessions. We did not do all of the 384km network, but we certainly had a good go! SUNDAY, 1ST MAY Davos, a place that is well known as the venue for the World Economic Forum taking place in January of every year, was actually a bit of a disappointment. There is very little alpine charm about the place, most buildings are square concrete edifices and being the 'Off Season' most restaurants, hotels and bars were closed so there was little choice when it came to wining and dining (other than a few Italian pizza/pasta joints). We did however get a chance to ride on the Schatzalpbahn, the only operating funicular/cable car in the area, and enjoy a fabulous walk in the forests and snow laden paths above Davos. After the walk we were able to enjoy coffee and cake at the Panorama Restaurant overlooking Davos, albeit the view was a little obscured. You can not choose the weather. After watching the Formula 1 race from Sochi on the Sunday afternoon in our studio apartment we headed by RhB train to Klosters. Klosters had a far more pleasant feel about it from the moment we stepped from the train and exited the station. However, similar to Davos, it was very much the closed season (and a damp late Sunday afternoon as well) so very little was open and people had not ventured out. We had an early dinner at Al Capone's (an Italian restaurant!) before heading back to Davos. MONDAY, 2ND MAY On the Monday we had a fabulous day out on the Bernina Express, operated by the RhB, to Tirano in Italy. See the separate blog entry relating to this day out. In the evening we were able to eat at Hänggi's Restaurant & Pizzeria (you guessed it, another Italian eatery) in Davos in the evening. So glad we had Italian for lunch! TUESDAY, 3RD MAY The Tuesday morning had us up early and on the 0902 from Davos to Klosters where with a four minute connection, and across platform change, we were on the go again to Scuol-Tarasp. This journey from Klosters to Scuol-Tarasp had us passing through the 19km long Vereina Tunnel before exiting into the next valley. Scuol-Tarasp is famous for a castle overlooking the approaches to the town and made for a pleasant little stop for a coffee. From Scuol-Tarasp, departing at 1134, we headed along the Engadin Valley to St Moritz which involved a change of train at Samedan with us arriving at the well known resort town at just after 1300. This was a fabulous journey with snow capped mountains visible from either side of the train as it snaked along the valley. Not quite the spectacular views afforded on the Bernina Express, as the valley is far more populated, but not too shabby for views to say the least. St Moritz had a far more quality feel about it and was definitely more Monaco than Manchester, however with nearly every shop, hotel, restaurant and café closed the placed certainly felt 'out of season' as there were hardly any people about. The setting is wonderful but maybe it needs to visited in either the winter or summer when there is a bit of life in town. One final stop we had before heading back to Davos was a quick visit to Pontresina, just ten minutes from St Moritz by train. Even though Pontresina was, like everywhere else, pretty much closed, it really did have a nice feel about it. Before catching the train back towards Filisur and Davos there was just enough time to call in at The Station Hotel for a drink and toilet stop. Following the great night we had at Hänggi's on the Monday evening we rounded our time of in Graubünden area of Switzerland at the same restaurant in Davos. Great service, very tasty food and prices that were very much to be expected. OUR TIME IN THE GRAUBUNDEN AREA OF SWITZERLAND Given that the resorts have been pretty much closed has meant we have spent very little - well probably just not as much as we may have done as the prices in Switzerland are fairly steep. A pizza at around CHF 20.00 (about £18.50), a meat dish (chicken, pork or veal) for around CHF 35.00 (£32.00) and CHF 45.00 (work that out for yourself!) for a bottle of wine is pretty much the going rate at pretty much any restaurant. Switzerland certainly is not a cheap place to take a holiday in but we knew that beforehand and had budgeted accordingly. With places being less busy it has meant that we have not been dealing with swarms of tourists at every turn. It must be horrendously busy during either the main summer or winter season as the RhB itself carries ten million people a year across the network. Maybe, in hindsight, being here during the 'Off Season' really was a blessing in disguise? One final thought, before signing off on this blog, is for the Rhätische Bahn (RhB) itself which really has been a revelation. I could happily travel around on this network all day. Great scenery, whether on a named train or not, friendly staff, and a regular, reliable timetable that gets you from A to C via B without any real effort. What a great advert for Swiss efficiency and service. The next stop, on this Swiss Railway Adventure, will be Lucerne, from where we will visit the Bern and Interlaken areas. Hopefully they will be very much open for business!