Blog- This is the slow train, crossing the border - a European Travel(b)log - 7. Four more countries, including a little one

RSS Fetcher · June 21, 2014

After passing through four countries in one day yesterday, it's the same number again today. Friedrichshafen to Lindau in a 2-car DB diesel unit. A few things of interest there, including the 'Alex' private operator of Lindau-Munich trains using newer locos and older refurbished compartment coaches, in a natty turquoisey-blue colour: the Zurich-Munich train which comes in via Austria using a Swiss electric, and leaves (Lindau is a terminus) behind two German diesels: and a half-timbered signalbox in the under-used yards at Lindau, Lrm apparently standing for Lindau Reutin Mitte: Away from Lindau in another ÖBB S-Bahn to Feldkirch, from where I walked to the Liechtenstein border: Not a very inspiring start, a Swiss customs post on the Austria-Liechtenstein border, but onwards and following a map, it was up into some low hills on a nature trail through the woods. Here I discovered that you can make a million matches from a tree, but destroy a million trees with a match: Getting really hot, glad I'd brought two water bottles, but the only place open in Nendeln was a Spar shop, thankfully with Mövenpick ice cream. Onwards and upwards through the trees took me up to a little village, Planken, on a plateau heading into the mountains, with some excellent views over the endless steppes of Liechtenstein, and Swiss mountains (Appenzell area) beyond: By sheer good fortune, a Railjet appeared after only 10 minutes (Zurich-Innsbruck and beyond I think, they're only every couple of hours). Wow, a train in Leichtenstein! and crossed a return service in Nendeln station. Wow, two trains in Liechtenstein! A longer shalllower descent took me to the outskirts of Vaduz and towards the Rhine. Two hours after the previous shots, I was on a level with the next Railjet: On reaching the Rhine, it was farewell to Liechtenstein, after only 5 hours, having walked the width of the country: An extremely quiet country once away from the main road that takes traffic between Austria and Switzerland, and even the few locals I saw didn't seem very talkative. A brief 'hoi' counted for an in-depth conversation. Bit like Yorkshire really in that respect. Across the Rhine lay Buchs, where this steam loco was plinthed: Then a repeat of yesterday's route back to Friedrichshafen, with the added bonus of an ice cream break at Lindau caused by the cancellation of a DB service to Friedrichshafen. The only real problem of the whole week's travel. The next one was absolutely heaving with day-trippers who had had a sunny day on the shores of Lake Constance, evidenced by the pink and red arms and legs. That's about it now for this blog. An uneventful journey back through Germany the following day, via Ulm, Stuttgart, the high speed line to Cologne, back over the border at Venlo (where there was a Swiss BLS Cargo loco), and the Harwich ferry. Until next time...<div id='attach_wrap' class='rounded clearfix'>

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Blog- This is the slow train, crossing the border - a European Travel(b)log - 7. Four more countries, including a little one

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