April 29, 07
On the bus

One of those memorable moments: 12:45 pm and everyone is upstairs in the rear lounge watching the Bourne Identity. Moray is sleeping in his bunk. I came down to watch the drive for a bit, and as I came down the stairs I could hear a bit of whistling coming from the forward cabin. It’s a bright balmy, lovely afternoon and we’ve just passed immigrations into Switzerland. We’re motoring down the Bahn, passing through the entrance into the Alps. It’s gorgeous, a storybook day.

I sat down in the forward/lower lounge and could hear Werner, our intrepid and wonderful driver (every bit Austrian) whistling along with something. Delightful, delicate, precise, joyful whistling. Not like passive, mumbling, meandering whistling, but flutelike, percussive, trilling Alpine whistling.

Suddenly he turns up his stereo in the driver’s compartment and I realize he’s whistling along with a classical concert on the stereo. Not just some soft, sweet, beautiful concert piece, but one of those Austrian masterpieces, loaded with flourish, undoubtedly written on just such a spring afternoon, where the sun bathes the countryside in clear light and the new leaves on the trees radiate a green that we only get to see in April in the mountains. The panorama is actually postcard.

So I sit quietly, slide down in a lounge recliner and watch with wonderment as the Swiss countryside glides by in a rolling slideshow of hills and church spires, cows and fences, chalets and Swiss flags, yellow mustard fields erupting in full voice, punctuating the rise and fall of Werner’s whistling concerto. He’s hitting every note. He knows this piece. As the concert rises to crescendo, Werner pushes his participation, steadfastly remaining part of the orchestra. Big Finish! Wow!! That was cool…

People can be so happy, so positive.

Life is good. Really good.