Muottas Muragl

If this looks vaguely familiar, it’s because I did the same walk last time I was here, as it is an old favourite of mine. It starts right here in the village and goes up through Swiss pine forest, along a little stream and through alpine meadows to the mountain hotel (in the thumbnail) and top station of a lovely funicular railway that’s 115 years old.

At this time of the year, there are flowers everywhere. Martagon and orange lilies, yellow monkshood and fringed pinks in the lighter parts of the forest, many kinds of hawkweed and saxifrage, gentians and spotted orchids above the tree line. And many, many more - too much to blip. Just like the blue butterflies and fritillaries that were busy collecting nectar.

In the meadows, finally, marmots made an appearance. I remembered the big colony next to the path and looked for them - and they didn’t disappoint. Some of them were still very young, not much bigger than my hand, but also quite shy. As soon as they spotted me, they disappeared in a burrow. The two guys in the extra must have been grown-ups, they were about as big as a cat. 

Today’s obstacles were another couple of mountain bikers (using a designated hiking trail), and a herd of cows that used the path for R&R (rest and rumination). 
As I had no way to avoid walking right past them, I did so very calmly, and they didn’t even bother to get up. 

Up at the hotel, I went a little higher to a lookout point, where I had a picknick. Then coffee on the terrace, and the journey down on the funicular. 
Later in the afternoon, I took the bus to nearby St. Moritz for some shopping. The town was crowded though, they had a „British Classic Car Meeting“ and a rally going on there. Although the cars were interesting, I didn’t stay and watch for long. Crowds still freak me out, and so does the complete lack of Covid precautions in Switzerland.