The road to Silvaplana, Val Mustair and into Italy.

Chur (pronounced Koor) is the capital of the canton and our night stop before heading for Silvaplana. Exhausted from our drive today, we rest and leave exploring until the morning.

The morning is bright but with a slight chill in the shadows; as we explore the old town, we enjoy the alleys, fountains, and cathedral. The Scalara stone used to build the street's houses is rather grey, and now we feel even colder. We find a lovely coffee house to warm up in the sun. 

An early lunch in Chur and we are back on the road.

Another day, another pass! The scenery is just so stunning; this is the winding Julier Pass.

Passing the towering Nair peak, standing at just over 10,000 feet.

When we arrive in Silvaplana for the evening, it is quite late. The clouds hang low, and snow is on the high peaks.

In the early morning, we are amazed at our view.

Today, we are going to walk in that huge landscape. The photographs below need no explanation; it is just wonderful walking.

We eat lunch on the fast-flowing stream, watching a busy but shy Dipper find its lunch in the fast-moving water while we are busy with ours.

We have to stop again shortly after lunch to sit in the warm sun and admire the Autumn colours.

We had seen them before, a magnificent bird, the Nut Cracker, and we were surrounded by their calls.

Later, walking deep in the forest, we were pleased to watch a red squirrel eating nuts.



 Some of the Squirrels are black, a first for us. Sadly, failing light and their shyness, this is the best we can do. But below, a Starling posed beautifully for us.

We drive through Parc Naziunal Svizzer the following morning and head for Italy.

 We walk to the remote village of Mustair, with its Carolingian monastery and church, and have lunch. The road ahead drops through the green valley. Farmers work the fields with their tractors, and we know, sadly, this is Switzerland's end. The start of Italy and a new adventure beckons as we, too, descend and cross the border.