1000 metres of elevation gain in less than two hours – not bad for an after-work walk that demanded a lot from us. But the real highlight came at the very end.
Sometimes agendas are superfluous. Fortunately. A good friend and I spontaneously meet up for an after-work walk. It quickly turned into a power hike. It’s a steep climb right from the start, and after just ten minutes we’re running up the steep paths in the sweat of our faces, accompanied by the residual heat of the day. We don’t run out of things to talk about on the way to the summit – we almost run out of breath.
We reach our destination shortly before eight o’clock, just in time for a cool drink and a snack on the restaurant terrace before the last cable car takes us down into the valley. This mountain, which has given itself an aristocratic title, is known the world over and is a real tourist magnet. But when I wanted to pay the bill for CHF 17.80, I was told that amounts under CHF 20 cannot be paid by card. So I order another espresso to cover the minimum, as neither my friend nor I have any cash with us. Customer-orientation? Obviously a foreign word here. Disappointing!
On the way down, the car is well filled with people from all regions of the globe. Guests from India, Korea, the USA, Spain and other countries that I couldn’t identify. It is the last journey of the day and the train driver must have seen hundreds of guests on this long, hot day. Nevertheless, he is bursting with energy and enthusiasm.
When he arrives at the valley station, he says goodbye to the guests as they get off, grabs his Büchel – the little brother of the alphorn – and plays a short piece. The reaction of the guests is overwhelming, they applaud, approach him and ask him lots of questions. Although he doesn’t speak English, he communicates with them using his hands and feet. He conjures up a Swiss flag from somewhere so that the picture is perfect for the guests. I am happy to help out and take souvenir photos for the travellers.
These guests will certainly talk about the cog railway and the view when they get home. But what really stays in their hearts is the warmth, the moment of surprise – that extra something! A single person can make all the difference. Today it was the train driver. Tomorrow maybe you?
A cheerful greeting, Ralph Hubacher