May 27: Zernez morning 1

Up and at 'em, time to pack in more exploration the next day.

6085

6085.jpg

I was greeted in the morning by much more clement but still suitably alpine weather.

6087

6087.jpg

Pöllö, my Rovaniemi owl, soaks up the morning rays on the windowsill.

6088

6088.jpg

Cool northern clerestory light on the multisink.

6094

6094.jpg

When I filled up my water at the multisink, it was super-aerated for some reason, looking like shaken-up fizzy mineral water.

6098

6098.jpg

The unassuming Touristenlager entrance round the back of the hotel.

6100

6100.jpg

The church overlooking the hotel courtyard. Man, I was really into that underexposure.

6104

6104.jpg

I started the day's exploration with a simple walk around town. Always hard to resist these mountain-between-buildings shots.

6106

6106.jpg

A most pleasant of fountains in a most pleasant of yards pocket parks. I wonder how old the fountain is.

6108

6108.jpg

This monolith of a building is the info center for the National Park, of which Zernez serves as the main base for exploration, and maybe for Zernez itself. I had an adventure in the National Park in 2005. This was built sometime after my first visit, though. Why then does it seem so familiar...

6110

6110.jpg

By the power of internet I no longer don't remember what this building is: it's the Chastè Wildenberg, an old palace, one of the most distinctive buildings in Zernez with those slightly unnerving inverted-keyhole windows. The tower could be from as long ago as the 12th century.

6111

6111.jpg

Sunclouds above the whisper-smooth concrete surface of the info center.

6116

6116.jpg

The center's impetuously floating fire escape. The righthand landings are even separated from the adjacent walls.

6122

6122.jpg

This is a photograph of a window reflection of the church next to a photograph of the church.

6123

6123.jpg

Hochsonne!

6125

6125.jpg

Subtle evidence of sunlight around a corner.

6129

6129.jpg

Lilacs against a blue spring sky? That's just excessively pretty. Dial it back, folks.

6133

6133.jpg

Fish and sun pretending like they don't see one another.

6137

6137.jpg

A cutely bulldoggish of fountains (note the squat feet).

6138

6138.jpg

A look up the Engadin from the station beyond this service locomotive, also cute. I planned to ride the train down the valley (northeast) to Scuol, the largest town in the Unterengadin, but I got over to the station in enough time to explore around a little.

6141

6141.jpg

The distinctive lettering on the station, consistent among the Engadin stations.

6148

6148.jpg

Just up the road from the station, cool-looking masonry products.

6152

6152.jpg

Further up, just as far as the railway overpass.

6157

6157.jpg

So many dandelions!

6165

6165.jpg

Then back to the station to catch the train, here arriving. In the background you can see the terraced land that so intrigued me previously.