By Bike

Days 30-31 (2nd – 3rd September). Silvaplana and Albula Pass.

A rest day and a half rest day.

A chance for Liz and Sam to explore the famed St Moritz. To their disappointment they found the town a bit tired and run-down while prices even for basic food items were astronomical! The local town of Silvaplana was far more interesting.

Fine weather till lunch, showers, then fine again late afternoon. Sue and I opted for a late afternoon stroll along the shores of the beautiful Lake Silvaplana and up to the nearby Surlej Wasserfall (waterfall).

Just near the waterfall, we discovered we were being closely watched by a red squirrel.

Common across Europe and parts of Asia (there have been quite a few scampering around our camp), red squirrels are most active during the day. Interestingly, they do not hibernate but reduce their activity during the coldest months, often sharing nests (known as dreys – made from twigs and leaves) for warmth high in trees.

Red squirrels munch out mostly on the seeds and cones from coniferous trees, and eat nuts, berries, and even bird eggs when available. For winter storage, they create food caches or middens in the ground, which inadvertently helps in forest regeneration as some buried seeds grow into new trees.

Next morning, Sam and I go for a ride to Albula Pass.

Once a mule track and trade route in prehistoric and Roman times, it is still a vital route for local traffic, though less so for through traffic.

A glorious descent free of traffic and nice to get back before lunch for once with the remainder of the day to take it easy.

According to Garmin