Sometimes you just need a little reminder ...

After an amazing lunch here …

we packed up and headed out for our last Swiss adventure. We were going to a place called Schynige Platte, otherwise known as one of the most beautiful places on earth. We arrived at the train station there about 4:00. They said by the time we took the train up (the rack railroad the train runs on has been operating since 1893) we would only have 11 or 12 minutes to be there before we would have to catch the last train down. Although we were disappointed to not have more time there this did not dissuade us (once we went ice skating around the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Plaza with seven minutes left in the session and it was worth EVERY PENNY of the full price we had to pay). Anyway … this is what I think the person telling us “I don’t think you are going to want to go for just 11 minutes” forgot … I think they forgot that the ride to the top was as good as the top. IT WAS AWE-mazing.  At one point I leaned over to Caroline and said … “I think I’m going to cry”. She, of course, thought I was ridiculous but I couldn’t get my mind around the beauty. (I really think God surely must have clapped his hands when He finished Switzerland).

In addition to the beauty, the train we rode on the rack railroad was more like a trolley. It was open air so we could hang out of the sides and it went slowly. All of which only added to the charm. It was exactly like a Disney ride except in wasn’t Disney. It was real and not pretend and was like nothing I have ever seen.

We had the cutest train conductor who was as cheerful as a Disney employee. She was genuinely joyful.

When we got to the top of the mountain the timer on our eleven minutes began to tick down. My family RAN to go take pictures but I had to go ask the train conductor a question.

“Can you believe this is your job?!”

“What?” she asked.

“This. You GET TO drive a train up that mountain AS YOUR JOB.”

“I don’t get paid much,” she replied somewhat happily.

“But you get paid!” I said. “Everyday you GET TO see this scenery AS YOUR JOB”. People pay thousands of dollars to come here and see this beauty and they pay you to show it to people!".

“Yes” she said … “I guess it’s good to be reminded”.

With that I ran to take a few pics with my family and she sat waiting to take the train back down the mountain. The beauty was mind blowing.

We were a little late getting back but she held the train and winked as we boarded. Turns out she had even saved our seats with a “reserved” sign.

I kind of think the two of us enjoyed that train ride back down the mountain more than any of the other passengers.

Sometimes you just need a little reminder to look around at what you get to do.