When I arrived in Chur, I went to the tourist information centre to get a map like I usually do. But since I knew I had a little time today, I also asked the lady at the desk if there was anything nearby that I could get to on public transport. She mentioned Caumasee and that there was a walk there and it was really pretty and I was sold!
I had to hop on a bus to get there - my first and only bus experience in Switzerland which was a little nervy - and we drove out towards a place called Flims. The lady at tourist info had told me exactly what stop to get off at and so I waited and watched my phone then got off at the right one - phew! From there, I had to work out where the start of the walk was. I had a few false starts then finally found the path and wandered along it. It was nicely graded and snowy, meaning there was good traction along the whole way.
I didn't really know what I was in for during this walk. The lady had mentioned something about a lake and some viewing platform called Il Spir so I dutifully wandered along the pathway that led in that direction. I was so unprepared for how utterly beautiful it all was, Lake Caumasee with its beautiful blue water, the whiteness everywhere, trees coated in snow, the soft creaking noises that they made. It was divine.
After doing a loop around Caumasee, which probably took a lot longer than usual due to all the photo-taking, I set off for Il Spir. The path went through another forest area and out past a refuge to the edge of the gorge. I had travelled here a couple of days prior on the Glacier Express, through an area known as the grand canyon of Switzerland. I got to the lookout and had a look down - it was quite impressive, I must say!
The walk back to Flims and the bus stop was equally as pretty. There was a lookout at the top that looked over Caumasee and all its blue colours.
I stopped in Flims at a cafe and had a well-needed cup of tea and a sandwich.
The bus stop was just outside the cafe so I waited inside in the warmth until the bus pulled out then popped out to catch the bus back to Chur. I got there about 2:30pm, then went back to my hotel to pick up my bags - I had another train to catch, back to Zurich!
I arrived in Zurich at 4:30pm, and went to my hotel. I'd picked the same hotel that I'd stayed in the first time I was in Zurich, but they didn't give me as nice a room this time - last time I was in a new section of the hotel with an amazingly comfortable bed and bathroom. This time, it was old and daggy, needing a facelift (and a new bed!). Never mind, it was only for a night. I put my suitcase away and got ready to go out to dinner. I'd picked a somewhat touristy restaurant called Walliser Kanne for dinner, and went there early to get a seat. I had another delicious rösti for dinner, this one with cheese, bacon and some pickles. Yum