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Steam Train Magic in
Fairytale Switzerland
By John Clayton
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an
an "Iron Horse" be a movie star? Several years ago I,
along with about 80 other travel journalists, was in Switzerland
celebrating the 75th Anniversary of a fantastic train called the
Glacier Express. Part of our "Swiss Rail Experience"
was visiting a unique steam engine called "The Gletschorn."
We'd taken a bus from the Glacier Express (which we re-boarded
the following day) to find this little engine, and as we got off
our busses we saw why Swiss Tourism wanted us to see this particular
steam engine. Waiting on the roundhouse turntable, and occasionally
shooting off little bursts of steam, here was this tantalizing,
unique little engine. I felt as if Thomas the Tank Engine of literary
fame, had come to life before my eyes. The fairytale setting added
to the magic of the moment - all around us were green clad, snow
peaked mountains that, here and there, showcased bubbling brooks
and rushing rivers that gurgled their musical sounds into our
hearts and souls. Then too, the crisp mountain air ---- it was
so fresh, so invigorating, it made me feel as if I'd enjoyed a
marvelous spa treatment. As any steam engine aficionado will tell
you, finding a top quality, working steam engine today, is like
finding a gold nugget in your backyard. With cameras and videos
in hot pursuit, we crowded round the Gletschorn as if she were
some famous movie star --- including lots of ooohs and aaahs of
excitement. Built with "loving Swiss care" in 1913,
she worked in her country of birth until 1947, when she was sold
to (of all places!) Vietnam. Because "lines of communication"
of the North Vietnamese had to be destroyed by the US military
in that war, this plucky little engine was also part of that conflict
--- and yes, she was bombed and blitzed, but --- thank goodness
--- she survived. Maybe sensing the railroad history of the Gletschorn,
in 1990 she returned to Rhone Glacier area of Switzerland, and
was put into "a happy and safe retirement."
Our railroad reverie topped out with a ride in 3 classic coaches,
as we began a mesmerizing 10 mile journey that transported us
into a wonderland of steam, magical scenery, beautiful bridges,
and a train ride every one aboard, will remember forever. Called
"The Furka Steam Train Adventure," it's at www.furka-bergstrecke.ch.
More Swiss information is at www.myswitzerland.com. If you never
take another train ride in Europe, I urge you to enjoy this amazing
Swiss rail trip, as being the best of the best in steam train
magic. (this is another in the series of "John Clayton's
Travel With A Difference" stories on www.TravelingBoy.com.
Contact John by email: john@travelingboy.com
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Tell John what you think about his article.
* * * * * * * *
John,
As a history and Churchill buff, I found your article to be chilling.
I hope someday to make it to the museum. Is the CWR at all part of the
Imperial War Museum? I don't know how I missed it in my only trip to
London back in 2000.
Thanks again,
Gary Avrech
Santa Monica
Hey Gary....
Yes it is. If you go online and
click on the IWM website, you'll find out even more information about
this intriguing museum. Thanks for your times and words.
John
John,
Very excited to see your appearance in the Boitano Blog. I don't know
who the hell all those Boitanos are, but I know who John Clayton is!
Hey, I wrote a note on your column on the Cabinet War Rooms. I'll be
a regular reader. I certainly hope all are well and happy on the Peninsula
and that all your travels are still terrific.
Ed P
John,
I urge anyone traveling to London to put the Cabinet War Rooms high
on their "must see" list. All who've taken my advice have
thanked me, just like I thanked you, and do so again, for recommending
the museum to me years ago. But then, it's just one of many suggestions
of yours, every one brilliant!
Ed, Port St. Lucie, FL
Three Musical Pilgrimages: Mozart, Grieg and Hendrix
Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756 - 1791)
could read and compose music, plus play the violin and piano, when he was
five years old. Born into a musical family in Salzburg, Austria (then the
Holy Roman Empire), he had a unique ability for imitating music, which first
became evident when he recited a musical piece by simply observing his father
conducting a lesson to his older sister. This led to a childhood on the
road, where the young prodigy performed before many of the royal courts
of Europe.
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Treasures of Ireland: The Irish Goodbye (Dispatch
#20)
The Palladian Traveler brings to a close his 20-part
series on the Emerald Isle from an upscale restaurant in downtown Dublin
where he files his final dispatch and then quietly slips away.
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Two "MUST SEE" Truly Spectacular Places
in Europe. Here's Why.
The Han Grotto and Culzean Castle. As the name
of my Traveling Boy feature is "Travel With a Difference," it's
important to me to always bring you offbeat and unusual tourist places around
the world you may not know about. These two fit that category to a T, and
they're absolutely worth a visit. One's in Scotland and one's in Belgium.
Culzean (pronounced CULLANE) Castle is located near Maybole, Carrick, on
the Ayrshire coast of Scotland.
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Highway 49 Revisited: Exploring California's
Gold Country
In the 1840s, the population of California was only
14,000, but by 1850 more than 100,000 settlers and adventurers had arrived
from all over the world and they came for one reason: gold. James
Marshall had discovered the first gold nugget at Sutters Mill in El
Dorado County, creating the largest gold rush in history.
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Lake Charles Family-Size Low-Key Mardi Gras
The Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras in Lake Charles,
the second largest in Louisiana, does not need parents there to avert their
childrens eyes. This is family entertainment and children are very
much part of it. The main office of the Lake Charles CVB has costumes from
last years Mardi Gras but it also has figures to fascinate little
ones from country boys fishing for their dinner to alligators who have already
fed and are rubbing their stomachs.
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Puerto Vallarta: Magic and Mayhem on the Malecon
So I heard that you could spend from dawn to dusk on
the Malecon in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and never get bored and I thought,
"Okay, I'm up for that challenge." Well, maybe not the dawn part
I'm not a morning person so I had no problem leaving those
early hours to the joggers and those seeking an early start to catch their
red snapper for dinner.
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Relaxing at The Inn at Laguna Beach
There is nothing like sleeping in an ocean-front room
and awakening to the sounds of waves crashing against the sand. It is
one of the finer things in life. And it is exactly what I experienced
recently on a memorable getaway to The Inn at Laguna Beach. The adventure
began when a friend I pulled off the 5 Freeway in Orange County and took
SR 133 south nine miles through winding lush hills and wilderness areas
to the ocean.
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Tim Robbins On His Road To Stardom
Award-winning Tim Robbins began his career on episodic
television. Robbins' film work, however, is what catapulted him into becoming
a major movie star including "Bull Durham" and "Mystic
River" for which he won multiple awards. Equally at home behind the
camera, he directed the riveting "Dead Man Walking." He is Founder
and Artistic Director of The Actors' Gang, which he formed thirty-five
years ago and has directed multiple provocative productions.
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