Since there are a few Swiss fans on here, I thought I might put up a travelogue, travelblog, or perhaps trog, of a week's holiday in June 2013. Rather than spend all the time travelling, I decided to stick mostly to one area, around the Gotthard pass, and based myself in Göschenen.

Every journey begins somewhere, and mine began with a small hop from S Yorkshire:

...followed by a bigger hop up to London. Taking a photo at Kings Cross, the guard, who I'd spoken with earlier, trying to help give someone directions to a London theatre, kindly pointed out what happens when you paint the F of Flying Scotsman on a sliding door:

Onwards to visit family in Kent, and then the following day, on the Eurostar from Ebbsfleet-Brussels. Still no sign of the "big horse" artwork intended to rival the Angel of the North (Carthorse of the South?):

and a leisurely lunch in Brussels for the ICE to Köln:

Waiting for the IC up the Rhine, about 5pm on a Friday, what should appear on my platform, exactly when my train was due, but this steamer:

towing this older diesel:

What were they thinking? Things were already running late, in the aftermath of floods in parts of Germany, and my IC south (loco 101 101) gradually got later and later, with the passenger opposite me making increasingly frustrated calls to her other half about missed connections. Still, not too crowded for a Friday night, and great views of the Rhine, as well as its confluence with the Mosel at Koblenz:

Overnight was the Ibis hotel in Heidelberg, right in the station complex, with a handy restaurant/bar just next door. I had scoped out possible restaurants for a visit to the city centre, but it was getting on in the evening, it was still pretty warm, and I was hungry.

Bright and early next day, departure from under the curved concrete of Heidelberg was on an S-Bahn, well-filled with cyclists:

...as far as Bruchsal, where this massive train of military vehicles was waiting:

...to catch the next IC, again 101-hauled, as far as Ulm. The front coach was compartment stock, in a nice pastel 80s style (that's all my luggage on the rack):

Comfortable enough and 200km/h along the Neubaustrecke as far as Stuttgart. Reversal there (it's a driving trailer at the other end) for the scenic hilly stretch through Göppingen, and then change to a diesel unit from Ulm to Friedrichshafen Stadt:

Here you change for the 1 min journey to Friedrichshafen Hafen, so good they named it twice (but abbreviated it on the destination blind):

Next up, walk round to buy a ticket and board the ferry across the Bodensee (Lake Constance), which had some fancy old Alfa Romeos coming off it:

Second Currywurst of the holiday on board the ferry, and into Switzerland at Romanshorn. Stroll round to board the Voralpen Express via St Gallen and Pfäffikon:

Quite a scenic route, with a lot of climbing over ridges and views down to Lake Zurich. One more change at Arth-Goldau, into the Gotthard stopping train:

...via the work site for the north entrance to the Gotthard Base Tunnel:

...and the Wassen spirals:

to Göschenen, where the Hotel Krone was a stone's throw from the station (just beyond the two lampposts):

Just time to check in and wander back down for a crocodile, hauling a special in connection with the Gotthard Bahnwanderweg (rail walking trail) walking festival. The track visible high above the loco is the MGB rack line to Andermatt, more of which later.

So, a relaxed journey, no problems, and I've carried my fleece all the way without wearing it once.

More to follow soon-ish, including the Wassen spirals, a post bus ride, Bellinzona, and some gentle (not) lineside walks.