Tuesday, July 4th

Karen, Larry & I got up early to walk along Lake Moritz…the morning was cool and lake was calm!  The walking trail around the lake is about 2.5 miles.  We walked the south shore, which was lined by trees and vegetation and completely undeveloped!  We could see mallard ducks, could hear the clanking of cow bells and could smell the slight fishy scent of the lake.  Visibility of the lake was about 10 - 20 feet…we spied good size trout!  After showering, we met in the hotel dining room for breakfast…this view never got old!  We hopped on the Bernina Express train bound for Tirano a little after 9 am.  The train ascended steeply up the Swiss Engadin Alps to the highest pass in the Alps for a train (Bernina Pass at 7,400 feet) with stunning views of waterfalls, quaint villages and vast green pastures!  The weather was partly cloudy, which made blue sky and snow-capped mountains pop!  The train made a brief stop at Alp Grum for photos!  Upon arrival at Tirano, we hopped in a cab for a short ride to the car rental office just in time before their lunch break (from noon to 2 pm) to pick up our car…phew!  We drove south for an hour and a half to Mareno for lunch at a lovely ristorante along the east shore of Lake Iseo!  We arrived at Badia a Coltibuono, a former abbey built in 1051 and current B&B, just in time for dinner at their restaurant!  Dining on the vine-covered patio felt so special!  In preparation for this trip, I worked with Triptoscana, a local travel service who was referred by a friend from SLO, to make arrangements for this B&B and several excursions while in Tuscany!