Cone, marmot and maiden

A spontaneous decision mid-afternoon to jump on a train, go a couple of stops and walk back along the delightful Via Engiadina turned out to be a wonderful choice. We really made the best of the day, enjoyed plenty of sunshine, found lots of flowers (if they weren't still snow-covered), and the fine views across valley and mountains were abundant. There were two surprises of the afternoon: one the colourful pine cone growing on the pine bushes (sorry for being so ignorant not to know the name) and two a handsome young marmot who you can find in the extra photos.
The maiden in the other extra photo strains her eyes against the sun to peer towards Piz Bernina and the surrounding glaciers. A beautiful piece of art which could so easily be missed as she stands on the side of a house lying off the beaten track.