No Worries…Really?

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” *

When Al signed us up for a tour of Switzerland by rail in August, he was looking forward to riding the trains as well as seeing the Alps. His love for trains has led us to many adventures on American and Canadian railroads. He highly recommends this mode of travel with the added advice, “You don’t travel by train if you’re in a hurry!” Delays happen often, especially in the States. What would the railroad system be like in a country known for its precision clockmaking and advanced technology as well as mountainous terrain?

 Our adventure began from the time the airplane landed at the Zurich airport, where the tour director, Paula, met us and led us to the adjacent train station on a lower level. Our flight had arrived late, but Paula got us on the train to Lucerne on time. “No worries!” said our Brazilian born Swiss guide cheerfully, a favorite saying of hers that was repeated throughout the trip.

The two-week tour went in a counter-clockwise loop around the country, with the first three nights spent in Lucerne. While there we rode the oldest cogwheel train in Europe, the Vitznau-Rigi railway, up Mt. Rigi.  Cogwheel trains have a wheel underneath the locomotive that meshes with the metal teeth on a center rail, in order to ascend and descend steep mountain grades. Unfortunately, it was raining that day, shrouding the “Queen of the Mountains” and surrounding peaks from view. But the ride was great!

Incidentally, the same Swiss engineer who built the Vitznau-Rigi railway also constructed the one up to the top of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Now Al can say that he has ridden both! Cog wheel and narrow-gauge railroads make up about 1/3 of the nation’s rail system, with the other 2/3 being normal gauge.

Can you imagine 3,000 miles of tracks in such a small country or that the total number of trips taken by train averages two billion annually? They are reliable, convenient, reasonably priced and provide an easy mode of travel. When asked how people know when the trains arrive and depart, one of our speakers replied emphatically, “They (both the people and the trains) follow the time tables!”

 After Lucerne, we traveled by southward by train over the Brunig Pass at an elevation of about 3,300 feet and then by boat to Interlaken. Our time in Interlaken included a trip to Bern, the capital of the country. After a guided tour of the old city in the morning, we were left to explore the city on our own with the directions to meet back at the train station at 4:45 pm.

 Al and I gave ourselves plenty of time to walk to the station, but got behind schedule when trying to withdraw cash from an uncooperative ATM.  Without realizing it, we had been walking in the wrong direction. A kind person at the ATM redirected us. But where were we supposed to meet the rest of the group? It was a big place!

As it turned out, Paula was standing in clear view with a few of the other folks from the group when we arrived. “No worries!” she said, “There is still plenty of time!” That had to be the Lord’s doing!

From Interlaken, we traveled to Brig, then across the northern tip of Italy to Locarno, next up to the world -famous resort of St. Moritz and finally completed the loop to Zurick, with many excursions along the way. It was a spectacular tour of Switzerland through valleys, over mountain passes, around lakes and past villages with stone churches nestled high on the sides of the Alps. From attractive modern cities to ancient castles and cathedrals, there was plenty to see by foot, bus, boat and rail.

 By the end of the two-week tour, our group had been on trains twenty-seven times! Paula and her two assistants took good care of us, helping to make it a wonderful experience. There truly was no need to worry.

Come to think about it, is there ever a need to worry when God is in control of our lives? The promise above is a great one to learn and live by. He is with us…no worries! Really!

*Isaiah 41:10 NIV