The Jungfrau in My Closet

I took a train to the roof of Europe. Now it's in a closet in my guest room.

When I was thirteen I traveled with my family to Switzerland. My father rented two Volkswagen Beetles to convey us through the Alps; he drove one, my older brothers drove the other. In the first days of our trip it was thought that the kids’ car would be the “fun” one. Then I realized that it merely provided an opportunity for the older brothers to pick…