Our adventure started with a brochure from Grand European Tours.  Debi was intrigued by the bus and train tour through the Swiss Alps.  I had never been to Europe and was concerned about accessibility, but the lure of the Alps  was too great and we decided to go for it. Debi must have analyzed the brochure and itinerary daily as the trip approached. We contacted the hotels directly to inquire about accessibility in the rooms.  Some were not accessible, but they were willing to work with us. We were concerned about accessibility on the bus, but Debi's determination and the tour company's offer to reserve the first seat solved that problem.

     We departed from Sea Tac  airport on a pleasant late summer day. The 9 hour flight to Copenhagen was long and we had an interesting tour of the airport as we tried to make our connection. The airport staff was very helpful and somehow we made it to Zurich.  We were glad to get checked into the hotel and slept well.

     The next day started with a delicious buffet breakfast, followed by a day of exploration in the neighborhood by the hotel.  We strolled past neat, tidy houses laden with flowers and stopped at a local market, where we had to buy some Swiss chocolates.  We discovered a gravel path that followed a slow moving canal that was filled with trout.  We followed that path for awhile and then headed back to the hotel to meet our guide Nigel.  He took a group of us on a bus tour through downtown Zurich.  We stopped to explore the bustling area where the Limmert River flowed into Lake Zurich. The shops and cafes were very accessible and we got a good taste of the city.

     Sunday morning found us traveling by bus to Lake Constance, just inside the German border.  We enjoyed strolling through the flower gardens at the park and watched the area come to life as cyclists, boaters and diners gathered to enjoy the warm sun.  We noticed a long bike path running alongside the lake as we began our trip into the foothills of the Alps.  Our next stop was in the tiny, scenic country of Lichtenstein.  We stopped for lunch and enjoyed shopping and more chocolates. The bus wound it's way up the road to Julier Pass, where we stopped to take photographs of the spectacular scenery.  We arrived in St. Moritz just before sunset and checked into the newly renovated hotel Crystal. The room wasn't accessible, but the staff removed the bathroom door to help us use it.  We had a delicious dinner that was served by a Swiss trained wait staff that was really attentive To Debi's needs.

     Monday morning we took the bus to Pontresina.  We then caught a train that took us up the steep grade past waterfalls and cliffs into the Italian Alps.  A spectacular descent from the pass brought us into the charming village of Porhiavo.  A tasty lunch was served at a small Italian restaurant and then we explored the shops along the bumpy cobblestone streets .  Some of the buildings and churches dated back to the 15th century.  We took the bus back to St. Moritz and explored shops there.  accessibility was limited due to the steep hill in town.  We had Swiss fondue for dinner.  We were looking forward to the highlight of the trip, a train ride on the famous Glacier Express through the Alps to Zermatt.