By Bob Van Leer

  (ZERMATT, SWITZERLAND, Sept. 15, 1994) - The Switzerland we saw today was one giant picture postcard. Every mile brought another view across a picturesque valley, often with a lake below.

  We left Lucerne this morning by train in weather that alternated between bright sunshine and light rain. The higher peaks have a fresh coat of snow, the first of the season. Our guide, Anthony, said the snow is about a month early.

  The trains we were to ride in are smaller, seating is only three across: one, an aisle, and two. Some of the grades are not possible for conventional wheels on rails and on these grades the train shifts into a cog wheel drive, a gear that grabs a serrated rail in the middle of the track. The effect, and jerking, is similar to switching into four-wheel drive.

   We followed a route south along several lakes and through a low 3000 feet pass before turning west to the town of Interlaken for lunch. As the name suggests, it is between two large lakes. Any view around here is a great one. The whole country looks manicured.

  Most of the streams are tidied up with rocks along the banks to maintain the same channels. At Interlaken clouds broke enough to get partial view of the Jungfrau, a 13,500 feet high mountain. Past Interlaken at Spiez, the railroad left the lakes and headed up the Kander River over the first high mountain range we were to cross.

  The terrain became progressively steeper with numerous small tunnels. This is an extremely expensive place to build a railway. At the spine of the mountain range, the railway goes through it, rather than over, it in a tunnel 10-12 miles long.

  Half of this country is rock, lakes, snow or glaciers leaving little left for the people to live and make a living on. One of the few resources this country has is falling water. Along the way we can see the penstocks diving down the mountains to the power plants to generate the electricity that powers the train in which we are riding.

  At Brig we board the third train of the day, this time the famous "Glacier Express", for our final leg to Zermatt. The route is up the Vispa River gorge which, in places, is barely wide enough for the railroad and the river. The cogs really come into play on this stretch. Our route goes from 651 meters elevation at Vispe to 1616 meters at Zermatt, a distance of about 30 miles.

  At Tasch, about five miles from Zermatt, there is a large parking lot. This is the closest most automobiles can go. A shuttle takes people from there to Zermatt. The train goes all the way. In the city of Zermatt vehicles are not permitted with a few exceptions: at very limited times for deliveries, small electric taxis and horse-drawn vehicles.

  Our hotel was the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, an excellent establishment. Zermatt is within about 10 miles of the famed Matterhorn, Switzerland's highest mountain at 4478 meters (about 14,692 feet high). It is problematical whether we will be able to see the mountain, given the weather.

  If the weather breaks tomorrow, we will take a cog rail trip up higher. Otherwise, the day will be spent looking around Zermatt.