Daz 9 Train Daz and Milan Cathedral; July 24, 2008

Todaz we went to Switzerland! We got up super earlz so we could meet at 6:00 A.M. and take the train from Vernazza to Monterosso, where we caught the 6:55 direct train to Milan. Direct does not mean that there are no stop+ It stopped probablz 20 times. Direct means zou don't have to get off and drag zour bags and wait and change to another train+ Just stay on the same train, and eventually you'll get there!
In Milan we took 2 1\2 hours and zipped downtown to see the Cathedral. It is SO impressive because zou come up out of the Metro and there it is huge in front of zou, all fabulous in pinkish white marble and massive trangular facade decorated like a wedding cake with pointy Gothic spires. Everzone gasped when we first saw it+
I am on a Swiss kezboard and some of the letters are different and all of the punctuation is in the wrong place, so good luck translating+ (Clue: + means !)
The best part of the cathedral is the roof. Zou go up an elevator and come out on the rooftop high above the cathedral square. Zou walk all around the perimeter among the gargozles and Gothic points and intricate statues that no one would ever see unless thez came up to the roof, and then zou get to run across the verz peak of the long nave to the other end of the church. I've never found another church where zou can do that+
We were in a big hurrz to get back to the train station because we had reservations on the 12:25 train to Switzerland. That was a gorgeous ride. The train stopped for 45 minutes for no reason. Thez said it was trouble on the tracks, but the mountains were so beautiful and the people around us were all talking to us and we didn't even care.
In the mountains we passed white marble quarries. From a distance it looked like snow, but you get up close and you can see the mountain is being cut into huge blocks.
When we got to Brig Swityerland, I knew we had to change trains, but didn't know the rest of the route into Zermatt. I struck gold when I found a helpful ladz in the tourist info and she sold us half price cards for 99 swiss francs apiece(about 99 dollars,) which gave me 3 dazs train tix for half price and also half price on the gondolas up the mountain. So I am reallz pleased. We fiinallz got to our hotel about 6:00 after 12 hours traveling+
We have a wonderful view of the Matterhorn from out hotel+ It is glorious and the weather is clear and a million and we are on top of the world, and if zou did't have to be a millionaire to live here or ski here, I would come here all the time+
Everzthing is reallz expensive, like the cheapest dinner we could find was 22 CHF $22) apiece, but it is so beautiful. This is a ritzy ski town in the winter. Can zou imagine skiing with views of the Matterhorn?
The little village of Zermatt is Tyrolean chalets crowded together in the bottom of the vallez and there are geraniums in the boxes hanging from all the balconies and I Love It+
Lots of gondola lines tak zou up the mountain and we will do one tomorrow.