We had some fantastic weekends in Switzerland, visiting Chris and Lucy, and eventually Bridget and Megan. Regrettably I didn’t think to write a journal each time we went, and so we are left with just memories and photos. But these trips were such a significant part of our travels, that I shall attempt some edited highlights, just for the record.
Obviously the two highlights of our Swiss trips are the birth of Bridget and Megan, in 2006 and 2008. They certainly added new dimensions and adventures to our visits – nappy changing, bedtime stories, feeds, walks with the two decker buggy, proud grandparents with big smiles showing off their grandchildren. I remember one warm and sunny evening walking with Chris and baby Bridget, only a couple of weeks old, exploring the scenic footpaths around Wallisellen, the village where Chris and Lucy lived. Wonderful days.
I remember very clearly our first trip to Switzerland. We went for a walk through Alpine meadows. I really couldn’t believe how Swiss it all was. We were following a well-marked trail through steep meadows covered in alpine flowers, with Swiss cows grazing, each sporting a cow bell that provided a musical backdrop to the entire day.
We walked passed absolutely typical Swiss Chalets, exactly as you would imagine them to be, walked over little wooden bridges past cascading waterfalls, all with a backdrop of the soaring snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps. We stopped for lunch at a restaurant with a terrace, where enjoyed our first Swiss Rosti with this amazingly Swiss view all around us. Absolutely perfect.
Chas wanted to visit the restaurant toilet, and so Chris, who had been practicing his Swiss German, told her how to ask where the toilet was. Lucy stopped Chas just as she was going to ask the restaurant owner. If she had repeated the phrase that Chris has advised her to use, she would have looked the restaurateur in the eyes, and declared in perfect Swiss German “I love you”. I’m not sure what that would have done for Anglo-Swiss relations.
On one of our trips Chris and Lucy treated us to an overnight stay in a hotel in Zermatt – I think that I benefitted from a birthday treat for Chas. Whereas most of Switzerland is accessible for a day trip using the amazingly comfortable and efficient Swiss rail system, Zermatt was just a bit too far. We took the rack railway into the mountains and had a coffee (or maybe a beer!) in warm sunshine, at a restaurant above the snowline at the foot of the Matterhorn, with the peaks iconic pyramid peak soaring up in front of us.
Lucy had kindly packed us up with some bread a cheese to enjoy as we explored Zermatt. I think the cheese mature camembert – it came in a small wooden box, and was wrapped in wax paper. It was absolutely gorgeous – I really enjoy as strong mature runny cheese. I remember that we ate half of our bread and cheese before packing the remains into my back pack and heading off to explore the Alpine Museum in Zermatt. I noticed that as we stopped to look at an exhibit, or read information, groups of visitors in the vicinity rapidly moved on to the next display. Flies, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy the same exhibits as we did. We rapidly made the link with the warm cheese. There was no way we could keep the cheese in our hotel room overnight, and so we had to finish it the same day. We managed most of it, in the fresh air of the town square, before putting the remains in an adjacent bin, and heading off to continue exploring. When we passed back through the square, none of the seats by the bin with the remains of the cheese were occupied, but there were a lot of interested flies.
It must have been during the Zermatt trip where we took a series of rack and pinion mountain trains up to Kleine Scheidegg, and then onward and upward through a long steep tunnel, stopping half way to look out across the mountains from a viewing window, eventually alighting on the glacier at the foot Jungfrau. This was amazing, a totally white snow-scape with spectacular views of high peaks in all directions.
We walked about a mile across the glacier to a restaurant at the foot of the next mountain peak – since most tourists stayed in the vicinity of the station, we were almost alone along the route, and it was almost silent as the deep snow on either side of the trail muffled all sounds. I found that, thanks to the altitude, I was a bit breathless, and was a bit fed up to note that Chas, who was a regular smoker at the time, had no problems breathing whatsoever. As we left the restaurant to head back across the glacier, there was a delivery of supplies. By helicopter.
A trip to Luzerne was another highlight of one of our trips, and in particular a trip across the lake to Pilatus, the mountain overlooking the lake. I think that it was here that we watched hang gliders launch themselves off a cliff, climbing in the updraft, before descending to the lakeside.
We walked part way back down the mountain through the meadows with cows adorned with cow-bells. I think that we caught a cable car for part of the trip down, catching the very steeply descending rack railway for the last leg.
We had some really wonderful daytrips, and became very familiar with the walk through Wallisellen to the station, and with finding the right platforms on Zurich station.
Other memories? Exploring Zurich, especially the lakeside in summer, and the Christmas lights and festive market in the winter. Taking Bridget, with Chris and Lucy, to Zurich zoo. Sitting chatting around a “burning log” on the balcony of Chris and Lucy’s first flat.
Helping to move Chris and Lucy between flats – I seem to recall that there was a problem with large furniture and lifts. Playing with Bridget in the local playground close to the flat.
So many memories. And now I’ve gone all nostalgic…..
Technically we live in Oaktree House, but sadly the tree had to go.
We now have a thriving Oakstump at the front of the house.
