Day 13 – Verzasca

Our destination for the day was the Verzasca Valley. This area was barely mentioned in any of the guidebooks but it was recommended by SIL so we took off with her. Our first stop was at the top of the Dam.

DH had asked me previously (as in several weeks ago while we were at home…) if I would let DD go bungee jump. I am told that I had OK’d this…no memory of agreeing. It is possible because I have this irrational sense of security in things which are “Swiss Made”. This includes cable cars, gondolas, chair lifts, see-through viewing platforms, bungee launch pads and yes, DH as he IS Swiss Made.

As we got off the car, DH asked DD if she wanted to bungee jump from the bridge. Her face was a study in mixed feelings. Wide eyes filled with excitement gave way to worried frowns. She walked up to the platform to look down. DOWN. She went and looked at the pictures. I could tell she wanted to go…but it was a LONG way DOWN. She wanted to know if you bounced after jumping the first time, if you went head down and jerked really hard what happened to your neck, how you made it back up to where you started (did they pull you up or you had to hike back up), if this, if that…I was completely surprised at this uncharacteristic show of ‘thinking things through’! I guess she IS growing up….kind of sad though…

In the long run after some soul-searching she decided not to go. I think that if someone else had been jumping so she could see exactly how it went she would have done it. She is a lot more extreme-natured than her mother. I was quite relieved…

Next stop was Corippo with its beautiful stone houses and charming little church. A couple of kms up the road we came to the town of Lavertezzo and its old stone bridge, Ponte dei Salti. This part of the river is magnificent! It has large, smooth boulders and the water is bright turquoise. It somehow reminded me of the Narrows in Zion National Park. The water was so clear that you could see the riverbed several meters below.

There were a lot of people sunbathing on the stones. A bunch of guys were preparing to scuba dive in the river and we watched for a while. DD had to try several different routes through the stones before she could get close enough to the water to dip her feet. The immersion lasted less than thirty seconds as the water was VERY cold. DH started teasing her as being spoiled by warm Caribbean water (true) but there were signs everywhere warning people about strong undercurrents and hypothermia.

Another short drive took us to Sonogno. This is a little, well preserved village where artists have setup their studios. There seemed to be a lot of weaving and knitting taking place. This area was apparently off-the-beaten-path enough that we could not see any Japanese tourist anywhere! After exploring a bit we started walking towards a restaurant outside the village, enjoying the countryside as we went.

We had a light lunch at Efra’s Grotto – soup and a shared meat plate. We sat outside under the trees and admired the view of a nice waterfall. DH asked how long it would take to hike to the waterfall and was told that maybe ten minutes, so when we finished eating we decided to go up there.

It was closer to twenty minutes but worth every step! We agreed that the entire country of Switzerland should be declared a National Park. The endless availability of gorgeous, pristine spots like this is a constant wonder to me. This ‘little’ waterfall would have been a main destination at home but in this country, it was not even worthy of mention! I have hiked for more than an hour in National Parks for less impressive falls.

DD had to dip her feet again and this time I took my shoes off as well. The cold water was nice on the feet but I could not fathom immersing completely! The parking meter back in town had long expired so we had to return.

DD and I slept most of the way back to SIL’s. We had a couple hours before dinner and SIL wanted to go swim in the lake by their old house to cool off. They are helping the new owners with several settling-in issues and they still have a key to the boathouse garden. We had not packed bathing suits but SIL found some for each of us and off we went.

The lake was surprisingly warm and clear. We swam for an hour and then headed back home to get ready for dinner. The plan was to go by boat to a restaurant for dinner and meet there with the rest of family. The weather forecast had us worried as they had announced thunderstorms in the evening but so far everything was holding up nicely.
After quick showers we got into the car and went to the boathouse that had been rented after the old house was sold. The little villa garden was movie-star worthy.

BIL started the boat and we all boarded. DD got a humongous kick out of being allowed to drive (navigate?) once we had cleared the other boats. It was absolutely beautiful. I was taking pictures of Morcote when the motor was suddenly stopped. Just as we turned the lake bend…there it was…the Big Bad Cloud…oh-oh! It was a WALL of rain. It was smack in the middle of where we wanted to go. BIL decided to abort the plan and return immediately. SIL cancelled the restaurant reservation, made new reservations in a different, nearby restaurant and called her daughters to let them know the change in plans. BIL revved up the motor and speeded back to the boathouse. We made it back just in time and barely got wet from the rain. Poor DH looked a little wilted as he had been looking forward to this evening for a long time!

Dinner was very nice anyway and we had a wonderful time with the extended family - three daughters and boyfriends. After we finished and the rain gave us a little break we walked a few steps from the terrace to the lake and showed DD that she was really a stone-throw away from her dream destination – Italy

Next – market day in Italy but no stamp for DD’s passport

Sonogno is beautiful! For a year or so, there was a web site for an old candle factory there that had been turned into gorgeous condos and a few townhouses with their own pools. It was on our top 10 list of "if we win the lottery we'll buy..." I haven't seen the site for months, they have probably sold all the units.

Looking forward to the rest!

Thanks to all that are still hanging in there!

BTilke, in my top ten 'when-we-win-the-lottery' is a crumbled down house in Gandria named Villa Cipolla (Onion), I still have the realtor's phone number in my wallet ;) and then there were these luxury apartments in Zermatt as well...I will be ready when they announce my winning number!

Lugano sounds great, I have the Olive Trail on my list so it was great to read more about it. What a shame the rain spoilt your night out, I was hoping to read something of Morcote (also on my list)but it sounds like you had fun anyway.
How lucky you are!

Day 14 – Market Day in Ponte Tresa

DD jumped out of bed when two keywords were uttered in the same sentence: shopping and Italy. SIL regularly goes across the border into Italy to buy certain groceries and wine and she invited us to go along.

The car was parked on the Swiss side of the border and we crossed the bridge on foot. The cars waiting to cross the border were so backed-up that it would have taken more than an hour! Vacation season had officially started and everyone headed to Italy was funneling into the border crossings.

Nobody asked us for passports or any other document but DD wanted an Italian stamp in her passport. We headed into the customs office and after several attempts they let us know that they could not give stamps just because people wanted them, if we wanted touristic stamps we had to go to airport. This argument might have been somewhat reasonable if it had not been preceded by a question of which country had issued the passports. Once the little blue book was shown, there was no cooperation.

It was quite obvious to me that a passport from a different country would have gotten the stamp. We decided to drop the issue and get on with the things we had to do.

First stop was in the butcher shop, every time I see the prices the Europeans pay for meat I go into shock. Back home meat is soooo cheap! On the other hand Europeans would faint if they see what I usually pay for barely-drinkable wine….

SIL placed her order and paid. She would pick it up when she was done shopping on the other places. We headed into the market. When we arrived there was still space to walk and look but by the time we left we had to push just to get where we wanted.

I love these markets. There were stands selling everything! Clothes, cheese, shoes, sausage, jewelry, underwear, wine, household wares….DH swooned by the cheese and sausage stands knowing that he would never be able to get his hands on products like that at home!

The fruits were gorgeous and the vegetables looked delicious. I was thinking of all the wonderful recipes I could cook at home if only I could find them….Puerto Rican dietary habits do not include consumption of a lot of vegetables and the supermarket grocery section shows it. Globalization is improving it but we have a loooooonnnnggg way to go.

SIL said that people sometimes come from as far as Zurich to this market to buy clothes. There were lots of imitation (counterfeit?) brand articles such as jeans, shoes and handbags. And some areas of the market resembled the Chinatown in New York City. They might be a deal for Swiss standards but I found clothing and shoes still expensive when compared to the prices we pay at home. DD bought a handbag and DH a belt.

We returned carrying lots of stuff. After a light lunch in which several of the items purchased were quickly dispatched (cheese, salami, figs, etc) we headed again for a swim in the lake.

In the evening we returned to the house and we packed for our departure in the morning. After a wonderful meal of grilled meats and drinking lots (LOTS) of a wonderful Sicilian red we went to bed.

Next: The Bernina Express: From Lugano to Samedan

Marigross, did your relatives live in Caslano by any chance? it's the Swiss town right over the Ponte Tresa bridge. My husband's aunt and uncle used to live in Caslano and they always drove over to Ponte Tresa for wine, although they shopped for food in the large Coop or Migros on their side of the border.

BTilke you get points for guessing right....Caslano is the place!

I am loving your report Marigross but please do try to remember the wine :-)

Thanks for sharing.

We liked Caslano a lot, it's a nice, pleasant town. When we visited my husband's relatives, we usually stayed at the Parco Lago hotel along the lake. It has its own beach and picnic area and the rooms have big lake view balconies and kitchenettes. It was an easy walk from there to Ponte Tresa--was kind of neat to walk into Italy for pizza.

When will you be going back to visit--soon, I hope!

Day 15 – Falling in love with Samedan

SIL gave us a ride to the Lugano in the morning so we could go in the Bernina Express. The first portion of this trip is by bus between Lugano and Tirano We got all our bags under the bus and took our assigned seats. Thankfully we had made the reservations in Zurich airport on the day we arrived, as the bus was quite full.

Once again I was in awe of the skills of Swiss bus drivers. Just driving out of Lugano required managing several switchbacks. Some houses in the narrowest stretches of a few of the towns that we drove through had protective materials in the corners of the roof nearest to the street…I guess some drivers got too close! The bus driver showed true mastery of knowing exactly how big the bus when at several points there was not more than an inch between the bus and car that was blocking the way and there was not even contact between the vehicles. I would have panicked if I had been on the other car.

I alternated my stay-calm mantras as I visualized the driver illuminated by a bubble of calming white light: ‘he drives this bus through this street everyday’, ‘if he had trashed a bus in a serious accident they probably would had fired him’, ‘we are in a bigger vehicle so we will not get too badly hurt in a head-on collision’…..

The drive was beautiful and worth every switchback and narrow tunnel. We arrived at the Tirano train station three hours later. We had an hour and half to kill before the train was scheduled to leave so we left the suitcases on storage and went for lunch. We stopped in a nearby restaurant for a pizza, that turned out surprisingly good, and people watched.

The average age of passengers assembling on the station was way over sixty. At least fifty percent were Japanese and thirty percent American with the remaining percentage a mix of Germans and French. I guess the Bernina express is not a thing that the locals do.

We finished our lunch and headed for the station. When we got there a train was waiting and we observed several parties boarding and then unboarding when they realized that it was not the correct train. In the twenty minutes that we were there, two other trains came in and left before ours pulled in. As somebody posted recently, the urge to get on the train is hard to resist when you are so close to the time that yours is scheduled, you just cannot get over the feeling that you are missing the train as they depart…

A few minutes before the announced departure time, the train pulled in and then we had to scramble a little to find the correct wagon. Most of the train was stopping in Chur and only a few wagons were continuing to St. Moritz. We were headed to Samedan and this was not listed on the wagon as a scheduled stop. We finally boarded after we consulted with the train conductor.

Two impressions on the Bernina Express: the countryside was stunning and the wagon was HOT. I mean: hot (keep in mind that I live in the tropics and have a high tolerance for heat). Those panoramic windows that allow you to look out also make you sit the ride out in full afternoon sun. There was some A/C but not nearly enough to cool the inside.

Since the Express runs in the EXACT same track as the regular train , we even considered moving back to second class where the windows could be opened but we were not sure when the wagons would be disengaged (Pontresina) and we decided to stay put. People were stepping off the train at every stop just to catch a little fresh air.

For anyone that does not rent a car to drive around the countryside, the Bernina and the Glacier Express rides are an absolute must. The views are truly beautiful! Alp Grum and the Bernina Hospitz are definite highlights. As we drove we saw places that we just could not wait to go back to and hike through!

We arrived to the Samedan station without problems and took off to find our home-to-be for the next four nights: Hotel Central. As we walked, a small disaster occurred: one of my trusty, faithful, ‘so-comfortable-they-are-only-to-be-worn-in-Europe’ shoes broke. The entire sole just came off. I arrived at the hotel limping!

We had booked an apartment at hotel Central and I was VERY pleased with it considering the price we paid. It had two bedrooms, one bathroom and a small kitchen that was not used at all. DD loved having her own bedroom and so did her parents….hummm….maybe that is why we liked Samedan so much ;)

We looked at different restaurants menus and finally decided on Weizen Kreutz (sp? – White Cross) because DH wanted to have Osso Bucco and I wanted Lasagna. DH did not notice that these items had to be pre-ordered and were not available. We had to look again at the menu and select something else while the waitress stood there without budging. Between DH and I we can figure out almost any European language but we could not communicate with this waitress. Every other person in the Engadine that spoke Romanch could speak another language but not this lady (we are still not sure if that was what she spoke). English, German, French yielded no result, and a combination of Italian and Spanish at least got a glimmer of understanding in her eyes. After a while we gave up and resorted to pointing at the menu.

This exchange resulted in the fact that we did not to notice our surroundings before the order was given in. The placed could be the restaurant in the Bates Hotel…plain scary. It was dark, smoky and creepy. We had been seated on the inner bar but an even creepier character sat next to us and started smoking and wheezing made me go over the edge.

I would have bolted out of the restaurant completely but we politely moved to the outer room where the smell of smoke was not as noticeable. DH argued that good food is many times found in ugly places. The place was just plain disturbing but as an act of trust to DH’s instinct, I stayed put.

Maybe it was the bad expectations, but when dinner arrived I was surprised that it looked appealing. We both had ordered saltimbocca and mushroom risotto. The saltimbocca pieces were perfectly golden, the basil leaf must have been just plucked from the garden. The risotto was creamy, cheesy and had tons of porcini. The portions were huge. It was delicious, much better than any other saltimbocca I had had in Italy, or anywhere for that matter. We did our best to eat everything but it just was not possible. We happily rolled out of the restaurant to find another place to have coffee and maybe one more drink before going to bed.

Next: Pitz Corvatsch


Note to Ingo: A million thanks for recommending Samedan as a homebase for the Engadine. It was PERFECT. Not too big and not tiny either.

Note to Schuler: Weggis was beautiful and just right for us. Our lakeside dinners will always be remembered. The Rigi walk you recommended was one of my favorites.

It wouldn't have mattered if you walked back to second class. Every time we opened a window on a train, the minute we stopped and Swiss boarded they would close it! They do not open windows on the train at all!

Day 16 – Diavolezza

Even though we had an apartment, breakfast was included in the price and the hotel personnel made the bed and changed to towels. Breakfast was the standard Swiss offering of bread, preserves, a little cheese and coffee or tea. But there are preserves and then there are PRESERVES. They had the absolute best ever strawberry preserve I have ever eaten! The bread was also very good. As you can imagine, the breakfast affair took a lot longer than it does at home.

We selected Diavolezza for our first outing in the Engadine. We walked to the train station, bought our discounted tickets got in the train and disembarked in the Diavolezza gondola station, all this within an hour of departing the hotel.

The morning was glorious and the gondola ride was beautiful. We looked around in a state of WOW. I wanted to go into the glacier caves so we started to walk down the trail into the snow field. It looked OK from the top….

I had neglected to bring my hiking poles since the trails that we planned to do later that day were rather flat. The path down into the snowfield was steep, sharply cut off vertically and after the first 200 meters of rocks it was slippery slush. There was a rope to hold on the steepest parts but it had to be shared with the groups that were on the way up. DH slid on the snow trying to support me and five seconds later I slid down as well. We were almost down at that point so there was no real chance of falling from the trail but it was still scary for me.

The glacier cave was OK but part of it is closed due to the severe melting. They actually have insulation sheets over the glacier to maintain the temperature. This was truly a show-and-tell lesson on global warming.

Going uphill on the trail was not much easier than going down and just as scary…But once we were in the safety of the platform, life was beu

We planned one of our longer hikes for this day: from the Diavolezza station to Pontresina. This is a mostly flat walk along the river and alternating between forests and fields. Absolutely beautiful...there were wildflowers everywhere!!! Picture perfect until DD started wheezing and I started sneezing. I am not sure which of the ten zillion allergens in the air did the trick! Allergies had not bothered either of us during the entire trip. I was a little concerned since I did not have any medication on my backpack but once we were out of the prairie and had stopped for lunch in Monrterartsch we were fine.

The view from the Morterarsch restaurant into the glacier was absolutely stunning. I could have stayed all day just sipping wine and snacking on cheese and sausage. DD had the only truly awful meal of the vacation here: pasta with Appenzeller cheese that was soooo ‘aged’ that was near inedible. Yuk!

The walk from Morterasch to Pontresina was still quite pleasant with some changes in elevation. We were kind of walked-out when we reached Pontresina so we decided to skip the town and headed to the train station.

We had our evening meal in the hotel restaurant: Remo’s Ravioli. All three plates were good but the portion could have been bigger. In the US where you are almost forced to buy wine by the bottle, you stop when the bottle is dead but in Switzerland you are free to order half a liter and then another half or maybe 3 deciliters….its hard to keep track until the bill arrives. We happily hobbled 100 meters and crashed into our room.

Next: Corvatch

Day 17 – What’s the big fuss about St. Moritz?

We took the bus to Surlej/Corvatsch from the stop straight in front of the hotel. How on Earth do they manage to stay exactly on schedule? This route seemed to be very popular and the bus was full of hikers. We got to the station and went up.

A note about dogs….I like dogs but I refuse to take the responsibility for owning one. DD is dying to have one but we are not budging on this one. We live in a house with a very small patio and we are out for most of the day so it would be quite unfair to the dog. On top of that, it makes going on vacation very complicated unless you live in Europe where dogs are included in everyday life.

The Swiss take very good care of their dogs. They all seemed fit and well groomed. We did not see mangy dogs anywhere. But in the Corvatsch gondola we saw the most beautiful dog of the vacation. DH said it was a ‘Bernese’ breed. It looked like a scaled-down St. Bernard (about the size of a big Golden Retriever) but mostly black with reddish brown and white spots. This dog was award-winning material. Maybe when I retire and move to Europe I will get myself one like it….

There were four dogs in that gondola: the Bernese, a humongous Doberman, and two medium size mutts: one with lots of Labrador in its ancestry and a smaller one with Beagle roots. Each one took a corner and laid down next to their family. The Doberman was the most skittish of all and it growled a little at the other dogs when it got on the gondola. The owner made a sharp ‘hush’ sound and firmly put its head down so that it would stay on the laid down position. It kept its ears to the back in an aggressive mode but it did not make additional sounds.

The Bernese tried to get up every time the gondola swung after the supports but the owner kept making eye contact with the dog and it stayed put. It did not bark or assume any kind of aggressive position at all. And that was it. No growling, barking or fussing around whatsoever. Boy…was I impressed, back home you usually can’t get results like that with kids!

The view from Corvastch was glorious. The sun was out shinning on the glacier and the view to the valley was perfectly clear. This is an absolute must-do!

We had considered the hike down from the top station into Silvaplana but had given up on it because of DD….we know not to push her limits and so far she had put up with us without too much protest. We looked down the path into the glacier we realized we would not have made it anyway because we did not have the right gear (or stamina) to walk on the snow, slush, and mud at the glacier edge.

We returned down on the gondola and walked to Silvaplana for lunch. There were over fifty surfkites on the lake. It was a nice view with all those bright colors over the water. After lunch we walked by the lakeshore to St. Moritz Bad.

That little lake was CROWDED. I questioned why people would crowd here almost on top of one another when there was such a nice big lake 200 meters away (keep in mind that I’m from the tropics and the ocean never gets colder than 70F…). DH laughed out loud (he seldom laughs at me like that) and said: ‘Temperature, honey, TEMPERATURE’ to which I just replied: ‘Ohhhhh’.

We found the bus stop and rode to St. Moritz Dorf. We walked around a bit and went into a few shops. Ladies, you can visualize this image: going into Prada attired in beat-up Hi-Tec hiking boots, pants from Zara and a Gap T-shirt. DD was fully dressed in Old Navy and wearing Reebok hiking shoes. We were completely ignored by the sales people. Not that I was going to buy anything for that matter…we could have had another vacation in Switzerland with the amounts written in some of those price tags! No thank you, we’d rather go travel.

St Moritz is set in the middle of a gorgeous valley and framed by a wonderful lake. Aside from that it did not do much for me and I would not make a detour to visit it again. Give me quaint little towns any day! There is something for everybody in this planet. God Bless diversity…it keeps uncrowded the places I love.

Another quick bus ride and we were back in Samedan. We freshened up and rested for a while before going to dinner. It was threatening to rain so we went to a nearby restaurant I had seen from the bus: Pizzeria Sper l’En. Finding the entrance was a bit tricky and we almost gave up. It started drizzling and we were out in the open so we looked around the building and finally found the entrance. It was full of locals and quite crowded. We appropriated the last table and proceeded to have great pizza washed down with generous amount of Dole red wine. By the time we had coffee and DD the rain had stopped and we walked happily back to the hotel.

Next: Guarda and DD’s refusal to walk anymore

Mari, thanks for this fabulous trip report. I am very glad you liked Samedan so much. Years ago we had rented an apartment there at the upper edge of town with the best views ever: above the valley and to the glaciers of the Bernina massif. I almost refused to leave the breakfast table by the window ...

Yup, St. Moritz is just an ugly town. That's why we use to recommend the small towns and cute villages around it here.

You did not seriously want to walk down from the Corvatsch top station, did you? Uhhh, it is getting steep and a bit dangerous w/o guide. Yikes!

Looking forward to Guarda!

Ingo

Day 17 – Guarda

That little lake was CROWDED. I questioned why people would crowd here almost on top of one another when there was such a nice big lake 200 meters away (keep in mind that I’m from the tropics and the ocean never gets colder than 70F…). DH laughed out loud (he seldom laughs at me like that) and said: ‘Temperature, honey, TEMPERATURE’ to which I just replied: ‘Ohhhhh’.

We found the bus stop and rode to St. Moritz Dorf. We walked around a bit and went into a few shops. Ladies, you can visualize this image: going into Prada attired in beat-up Hi-Tec hiking boots, pants from Zara and a Gap T-shirt. DD was fully dressed in Old Navy and wearing Reebok hiking shoes. We were completely ignored by the sales people. Not that I was going to buy anything for that matter…we could have had another vacation in Switzerland with the amounts written in some of those price tags! No thank you, we’d rather go travel.

St Moritz is set in the middle of a gorgeous valley and framed by a wonderful lake. Aside from that it did not do much for me and I would not make a detour to visit it again. Give me quaint little towns any day! There is something for everybody in this planet. God Bless diversity…it keeps that places I love uncrowded.

Another quick bus ride and we were back in Samedan. We freshened up and rested for a while before going to dinner. It was threatening to rain so we went to a nearby restaurant I had seen from the bus: Pizzeria Sper l’En. Finding the entrance was a bit tricky and we almost gave up. It started drizzling and we were out in the open so we looked around the building and finally found the entrance. It was full of locals and quite crowded. We appropriated the last table and proceeded to have great pizza washed down with generous amount of Dole red wine. By the time we had coffee and DD the rain had stopped and we walked happily back to the hotel.

Next: Guarda and DD’s refusal to walk anymore

For our last day in the Engadine we took the train to Guarda in the morning. It was a rather long ride but completely enjoyable as one picture-perfect spot followed another. The Guarda train station is at the bottom of the hill and the town is on top. The trail sign stated that it was a ten-minute walk to town but the evidence before our eyes differed. I think it was the only blatantly wrong sign that I saw in Switzerland as the bus ride itself was approximately that long.

The bus was waiting for the train and we immediately boarded. It was quite crowded for the small bus and we had to stand. The switchbacks on the road resulted in some bumping and awkward moments. We were transported to the town square where a fair/market was taking place. They had live music, food, and crafts which made for a very lively ambiance.

We wandered around for quite a while, investigating hidden corners and taking pictures of the beautifully restored houses. Each of the buildings was decorated with interesting sgrafitti drawings. For some reason which I have not been able to understand considering Guarda’s location, there seemed to be a lot of mermaids and sea motifs.

The town is full of artists and little craft stores that seem to be quite prosperous. The quality of the offerings was high, these were not sad souvenir stands (well, not all of them) but the merchandise had price tags that reflected it. I loved the ceramics and am still kicking myself for not buying a hand-made knife.

Guarda is beautiful and it certainly worth a detour but it still left a carnavalesque impression on me. Everything was new and shining from recent renovations. As with Gruyere, I think I would have liked to stay overnight and see how it looked after the tourist departed. I bet the empty, quiet streets would look a lot more appealing and romantic.

DD was hungry so we decided to look for a place to eat lunch even though it was only 11:30. The terrace on Hotel Meisser looked totally appealing and had a marvelous view. By the time we were done settling in and ordered the place was packed and they were setting up additional tables. We barely made it on time. DD and I ordered soup and salads which were OK, DH declined saying that he was still full from breakfast (totally believable as he ate a lot indeed – have I mentioned the hotel had some GOOD bread?).

We lingered in the restaurant until it was time to go to the bus stop. Again we were packed like sardines into the little bus. This time I could sit and enjoy the view of the town from the road.

We arrived in Samedan in the early afternoon. As we discussed in the train station what we should do with the spare time, DD informed us that she did not care where WE were going because SHE was not walking anywhere except to the hotel for an afternoon of TV watching.

I was not expecting this one! DH and I usually discuss special parenting situations in private but on this one we were caught by surprise. I had to weigh the pros and cons within seconds.

Pros: (1) She had been such a great sport throughout the vacation, hiking without complaining when I know that she is not crazy about hiking. (2) She was probably fed up with being 24hrs with us and needed time by herself. (3) We were in SAMEDAN and not in some big city. (4) She is totally responsible, mature, independent, and would not go wandering around town without us. (5) We certainly did not want to spend OUR afternoon on the hotel.

Cons: (1) She is thirteen (so was I when I started staying by myself on a daily basis) and (2) she does not speak the language (it had not stopped her so far)

You can call social services and child protection agencies if you think necessary but DH gave me a quick nod and I handed her the key. She took off like a bat out of hell! I had to almost scream after her that she could expect us between six and seven. I don’t think she cared. Neither would I have at thirteen.

After a quick look at the maps for nearby, short hikes, we got on the bus to Muottas Muragl. Of all the trains, buses, ferries, gondolas, etc., that we had taken on this trip this was only the second instance in which they did not give us any discount for Flexi Pass. We rode up on the cogwheel train with ten thousand Japanese tourists.

Once we had taken in the view we started to hike down. Within 500 meters I was sorry not to have my hiking pole with me. It was quite steep and the further we went down the rockier it got. But…the view was breathtaking! We walked down a ravine and along the river.

At one point we looked backwards DH noticed solid column of hikers coming down. I mean it looked like an anthill. It looked like a nation in exodus. We tried to walk as quickly as possible but there was no hope of outpacing them! Thankfully, they headed into the Muragl restaurant instead continuing down the trail where we were. My conservative estimate is that there were at least a thousand hikers in that march. It had to be some kind of event but we did not get a chance to ask. That cogwheel train was going to have to make continuous trips until midnight to get all the people down!

This trail was not the best marked one and at one point we wound up walking on the road. We finally came into the lower station and while we waited for the bus we saw lots of cars with Italian plates picking up kids from that walk. It looked fairly organized on the tiny parking lot so the kids must have been calling to be picked up only when they were on the train. The drivers must have been waiting somewhere else.

When we returned to Samedan we found DD happily watching TV in the room (big sigh of relief). After we cleaned up we headed out in the hunt for a dinner place. We finally settled on the restaurant at Hotel Post. The menu was extensive and reasonably priced. DH had tripe in tomato sauce and I had saltimbocca that was not nearly as good as the one I had in that awful-looking place! After dinner DD took off again and went to the hotel. As we walked back we saw that there was some kind of town party with live music and we stopped for a while.

There was a band playing the entire Gypsy Kings and Buena Vista Social Club repertoires in Spanish, both are groups that we love. It was surreal listening to all that Spanish in Switzerland! The people were having a ball. So we sang along and danced for a while. As we returned to the hotel we saw DD coming out. She was ready to come search for us! She was worried sick because we were so late (11:00 PM)….you can imagine how active our social life is...pathetic.

Ingo, we did not really WANT to walk down but I must say that it did not look that bad on the map. Once we saw it we knew that we were WAY out of our league.

Bookmarking...

Mari -

I'm loving your trip report, since I leave for my first trip to Switzerland on August 29th. Your descriptions and detail are great. I can hardly wait to leave - I have everything in hand, including a rail pass and hotel reservations. I am spending 3 nights in Pontresina, 2 nights in Zermatt, 5 nights in Lauterbrunnen and a final night in Morges, on my way to the Geneva airport for the trip back to the US. I am really looking forward to the alpine hiking. If anyone has any tips for things I MUST do or sights I MUST see - please let me know.

Thanks,
Martha

Hi Mari,
I am still reading and enjoying.

Martha, where are you staying in Pontresina? We are going next year and I am looking for ideas.

Maudie

Maudie -

I am staying at the Hotel Rosatsch for 3 nights. I will try to post a trip report when I return, plus I usually report hotels I stay in on tripadvisor. The Hotel Rosatsch has gotten good reviews on tripadvisor, so I'm hoping for a nice little hotel.

Martha

Martha,

Thank you for the info and I will look forward to your trip report. We would like a nice little town to stay in for 2 nights. We have been looking at Filisur as there is a walk from there to Wiesen via the Landwasser Viaduct and we would like visit some other places in the general area but the hotel there didn't get great reviews so I will check out the Rosatsch.

Thanks again.

Marigross, Thank you for your report. I laughed at your description of browsing shops in St Moritz. I had excatly the same experience there a few years ago.

maudie- we stayed at Filisur for an overnight and enjoyed it. There were some good hikes. There are 2 hotels there I would recommend..

Day 19- On the Glacier Express from Samedan to Zermatt

After one last, large, long breakfast of strawberry preserves and bread we checked out of the hotel and walked to the train station. We boarded the Glacier Express wagon and found our seats without problem. As this train ride takes over six hours, I had been mildly concerned about the temperature but it was early morning and not nearly as hot as our experience with the Bernina Express.

Within a few kilometers we were marveling at the wonderful mountain views and stone bridges. Every single Japanese tourist in Switzerland must have been aboard that train! Our wagon had some vacant spaces and a French family sat behind us. The conductor told them that those were reserved seats and if someone claimed them they had to move, otherwise they could stay. I was almost floored at this show of Swiss flexibility! The French boy cried for a good half an hour before his mother finally moved and let him have her window seat. The mother talked CONSTANTLY for the ENTIRE duration of the SIX HOUR trip. Her family did not pay that much attention to her so I guess they were used to her monologue. By the time we arrived in Zermatt I was ready to smack her.

We had a light lunch of soups and salads which were served on our seats. DD slept 80% of the trip. Someday she will realize what she missed and regret it. The ride is gorgeous but I was expecting more glacier views than what we actually saw…I mean, it’s the GLACIER Express….Still, I am very happy that we did this and would recommend it to anyone that is patient enough to sit it out.

The closer the train gets to Zermatt the more impressive the views get. The last 15 kilometers I could do over and over again. Just before arrival the landmark peak appears, the Matterhorn in all its glory.

I must say that I was prepared to dislike Zermatt. I have no idea why but I had the pre-conceived notion that it would be a mix between Las Vegas and a retirement community for people with too much money.

As we came out of the train station we walked among the crowd down the main street and its souvenir shops. There were hundred of jewelry stores, thousands of Japanese tourists, millions of t-shirts, plastic cows, and red, white-crossed coffee cups…

BUT here and there one would catch a glimpse of an old, tumbled down chalet; there were flowers in every window, one passed sweaty, dirty people carrying climbing gear and every kind of rope ever woven. We saw older ladies in hiking boots drinking coffee in the sidewalk cafes. There were kids riding every kinds of mode of transportation ever imagined. It was vibrant and happy. And then….there was the Matterhorn.

I loved it. LOVED IT.

Even though the hotel would have picked us up (if we had called instead of rushing out of the train station) we wound up walking to the hotel. I had packed the map into the suitcase and it required a few stops to ask where Hotel Dufour was. Well, Zermatt is not that big…I think most hotels and garnis in the area have comparable facilities and offerings according to their rating. I did not see any hotel in Zermatt where I would refuse to stay, they all seemed to range from Decent to Very Nice.

Our room in Hotel Dufour was quite nice and big. It had a sitting area, a little balcony and the most spacious bathroom of the entire vacation. As soon as DD saw the hotel’s mini golf she wanted to go play. We cleaned up a bit and changed into fresh clothes (it was not steaming hot but it was not particularly cool either) and got golf clubs, balls and tally sheet from the hotel reception.

It was totally silly but we had fun. I was winning so DD started complaining that I was violating our unspoken agreement which requires that I always do worse than her at any sport that we attempt. Before we realized it was time to go for dinner.

DH had asked for a few restaurant recommendations from the hotel receptionist and we headed into town. We finally decided on the Old Spaghetti Factory mostly on availability as it was 8:00 and the restaurants had not turned the tables around yet. I had lasagna, DH had tagliatele al pesto and DD had mussels in red sauce. This was washed down with the, by now normal, two half liters of red wine. We were all very happy with our meals

As we ate we watched recordings of Orienteering events on the restaurant big screen. This sport is very popular in Switzerland (DH has several friends which are very involved) and is a mix of cross-country running and map reading. Participants are given a map of the area with the location of checkpoints marked. They have to find them as fast as possible (or walk) and stamp their log at the post.

DD wanted to buy ice cream and walk to the hotel by herself. After several admonitions that the walking-by-herself privilege was restricted to small, safe towns and would be suspended once we left Zermatt, she got her three francs and happily skipped away.

DH and I lingered over coffee and then went for a walk through town before heading back to the hotel and crashing for the night.

Next: Gornergrat

LLindaC,
yes, please, I would love the 2 hotels in Filisur that you recommend. I am trying to stay within the budget of the ones on www.rooms.ch if we can.

Marigross,
Food, wine and icecream, sounds like a perfect holiday.

hey maudie, I don't want to hijack the thread....if you want to write me personally at [email protected] I will give you my Filisur info. The hotel by the railway track had great food, friendly staff.That was the Grischuna ( sp?) We stayed at the Schoental. While it was a nice setting, nobody staffed the desk. NO kidding. We had to summon waitresses to get our keys at check in and to check us out. They didn't get our bill right, and we got called at the railway station. AWFUL! Terrible service.We had dinner at the hotel Raetia and it was lovely. I think either one of those hotels would be great. The town is very cute, right on railway, but has charm and many nice hiking trails and villages close at hand. It was a pleasant surprise. By the way, marigross, your description of Guarda is shocking to me! It must have been the "festival". When we were there in June, we hardly saw a soul in town. Very quiet, almost eerie. Like Soglio. I think the time to visit is in June! FAR fewer tourists. BTW, what do the Japanese do with all those pics? Maybe I'd be a millionaire if I sold photo albums in Japan!!

Day 20

Today was Thursday and DH had made arrangements to meet with one of his friends in Zermatt for the weekend and had thrown some ideas around what they could do but had not made solid plans. One of the things they had considered doing together was going up to Gornergrat but when DH saw this glorious morning he was worried that we would miss the good (excellent) weather if we waited until the next day.

We got up early and as soon as I looked out the window I saw hundreds of people running around in all directions. It was the day during Swiss National Orienteering Week when the participants run through the town of Zermatt and the hills around. There was a checkpoint just outside our window so we could see as the runners came in.

There must have been at least fifty kids under the age of ten going through the checkpoint (by themselves or in ‘packs’) during the half hour we watched. It looks like a wonderful sport for the entire family. There were older people of all sizes and fitness level, some walked, some jogged and others RAN. In the younger categories I saw almost the same amount of boys and girls. In the ‘real’ running categories there were still a lot of women but the men still predominated. I think this is a sport I could take up….when I move to Switzerland…well – I can always dream of it!

Breakfast at Hotel Dufour won the all-around prize at the best of all the places we had stayed. First there was the food: multiple types of bread, cheese, cold cuts, yogurt and a huge assortment of cereals, granola, and grains. And second: the breakfast room had a view of the Matterhorn in all its glory. And so our plan was set, we would go up and not risk a rainy day tomorrow.

The ride on the cogwheel train was as spectacular! As we went up we could still see hundreds of Orienteerers running like ants through the outskirts of town. We were soon above the tree line and in full alpine tundra. The train made several stops before our final destination: Gornergrat.

I know I’m being repetitive but: WOW! The views were drop-dead gorgeous. It was quite crowded and touristic but it is an absolute must-see. We went a little uphill to look around from a 360 degree viewing point. In the observation point there were stone mounds everywhere, similar to trail marks or maybe Tibetan cairns. DD and I built one of our own from the ruins of a previously collapsed tower.

The sun shined so bright on the glacier that sunglasses were an absolute must. Through the binoculars we observed different groups of hikers/climber up on the surrounding peaks. The grand scale of the mountains distorts distance making the people look so close and the peak reachable in a couple of hours…luring the unwary hiker!

After ten-thousand pictures we pulled ourselves away and returned to the train station in order to go down to Rifferalp, this was our trail head for hiking this day. DD was not excited to go walk again but she put up with it even if she kind of hung back throughout the day.

The first part of the walk was mostly downhill and not very strenuous (it would have been different if we were walking uphill!). Our direction was Grunsee where we planned to stop for lunch. After maybe an hour of walking through the forest we reached the restaurant/hotel. DD stayed to get us a table – as she would not partake in any unnecessary walking- and we kept going to the lake.

The lake itself was nice and for a while we looked at people diving in and jumping out. That water must have been COLD. Most people just sunbathed and picnicked. It looked like a wonderful location to spend the day.

Back in the restaurant DD had a very expensive but decent chicken breast with mixed salad and I had a ‘croute’ that was not nearly half as good as the one I had in Bettmeralp. DH ate all the leftovers. We shared some white wine. For desert DD had a vanilla milkshake and I had ‘Williams’ (pear liquor) ice cream that was incredibly good

After lunch we still had to complete our hike by walking to Sunegga. Of all the trails we had walked I found this one to be one of the worst marked. We actually lost the trail two times and wound up walking on dirt roads only to find it again when we saw other people coming down in the opposite direction.

We did not really have a good trail map and we were depending on the signs so when conflicting directions were given we had no way of evaluating which way was better. If you read ‘Sunegga 20 minutes to the left’ and ‘Sunegga 40 minutes to the right’ it can be assumed that the 20 minute route will be quite steep and the other one would flatter. The operative word is QUITE.

Up to this moment this was the only hike in which I really struggled to make it up the hill. I still blame it on the super-heavy lunch! But struggle I did and so much that I did not even notice the scenery around Sunegga. We headed straight to the train that would take us back to Zermatt.

This train (more like a semi-vertical elevator) goes through a shaft. We tried to get the three of us into a cabin but it was packed solid and we had to split up. Once I made it I called DD’s name to make sure that she was in. DD could not hear what I was saying and stepped out of the car to come to where I was! I could have smacked her! But she made it into the car before the doors closed.

The ride down was hot, stinky and stuffy. The car was so packed that we were just in full body contact with the people around us. It was very unpleasant. DD began to look pale after the first couple of minutes and by the time we came down into the Zermatt station she was decidedly green.

The blast of COLD air coming out of the shaft into the exit tunnel was enough to revive us and we walked to the hotel.

We took showers and rested for a while. DD wanted to play another round of mini-golf and we did until the rain interrupted us. What a shame…I was winning! After we gathered our umbrellas and raincoats we headed into town.

It was 7:00 PM and every restaurant was packed. We had agreed on having pizza and decided in one of the places recommended by the hotel – “Grampi’s”. I did not know at the time that it was mentioned in the guidebooks. The place was packed but they took our reservation for 8:00. We wandered a bit around town looking at the few souvenir shops that were open and before we knew it, it was time to eat.

We were seated in a corner by the front windows, almost above the street. It was great to people-watch from above. The pizzas were very good. I was beginning to feel a need for seafood (not a Swiss specialty and very good at home) so I ordered the ‘Grampi’ signature pizza. It was deliciously covered with shrimp. I know that seafood is tricky as it is full of water but if they would have managed to make the crust stay dry, that pizza would have won the all-time best award. Delicious!

A half a liter of red wine (Dole) was followed by a second one as we sat there watching all kinds of people stroll by underneath. DD took off to buy her ice cream in the street stand (she was quickly becoming a regular) and for once came back after she had eaten it.

By the time we were done with eating the rain was a mere drizzle and we happily walked home.

Next: Breithorn and the Great Vacation Hike

Day 21

After another nice, LONG breakfast during which the hotel staff had to replenish the cheese and meat tray a few times, we got ready to meet DH’s friend and his girlfriend. I asked DH about the plans for the day and he replied that we would go up to Trockensteg and look around. ‘Okay’, I said, ‘are we going hiking?’ ‘Well…not really …- he replied, because the girlfriend is a self-declared ‘city girl’ and not into hiking at all’.

As I started to put on my trusty Clarks walking shoes (which had been perfectly fixed in a Samedan shoe shop) DH said, “But why don’t you put your hiking boots on anyway? You know, in case we walk somewhere anyway…” I was ready to leave the room when he asked: ‘Why don’t you take the pole as well? It never hurts you know…’

I should have known at that moment that there was something going on….

We met with DH’s friend in the hotel lobby and after a round of introductions we took off for the gondola station. The ride to Trockensteg was spectacular. We went up from the grassy pastures of the Zermatt outskirts, past the tree line into the alpine tundra and over the glacier.

I think that if I had to select a single destination in Switzerland, it would have to be Zermatt. Jungfraujoch, Pilatus, Corvatsch are all stunning but happy Zermatt and the Matterhorn steal the show.

We reached the platform on Trockensteg and took countless pictures. Absolutely gorgeous! There were a few clouds and the Matterhorn tip was continuously covered but still the sun was shining and the temperature was adequate (not COOL mind you but comfortable).

After ogling to our hearts content, I saw DH having a talk with his friend P in front of the trail map with the guide book in hand. They wanted to walk the trail from Trockensteg to Schwarzsee. They came back and showed us the trail description: 6km long, 200 meters in elevation height with an estimated duration of 3 to 3 ½ hours.

My mind screamed: 6 Kilometers taking THREE HOURS!!!!....something does not add up here! The elevation noted was only 200 meters but no height profile was provided. Something was very wrong….could it be a typo on the book? But if so, which one was it: height, length or duration?

P somehow convinced his girlfriend (GF) that she could easily walk the trail arguing that she had walked more than that the day before when she was in Paris – yes, poor GF has arrived VERY late the night before from Paris and had not even slept that much.

I took one quick look GF’s shoes….oh oh!...she was wearing nurse-like city-appropriate walking shoes. I opened my eyes very wide at DH: ‘do you think this is a good idea?!??!?’ He pointed out that DD was wearing Converse tennis shoes. I counter argued that DD was really Spiderwoman’s baby that had been switched in the hospital and given to me by mistake and that she could probably climb the Matterhorn in flip flops if given the chance.

I got the distinct feeling that I was being herded towards the trail head before I could raise additional arguments. Hmmmm, very suspicious! Is this why he strongly suggested that I wear hiking appropriate clothes and shoes? Had they planned it all along?

Not more than 100 meters into the trail the path got rocky and steep. I pointedly looked once again at DH: This poor woman is going to break an ankle on this path! I was ignored.

For once I was not the slowest hiker on the group and I walked happily by myself (me and Trusty Hiking Pole) on several stretches as DD took off and disappeared once the terrain was interesting enough (read rock climbing) and DH hung back with P and GF.

This trail is breathtaking. The terrain is quite varied and we walked over a lot of sandy slickrock and rubble. The trail got steeper and steeper as we went down but I was taking my time and I must say that I enjoyed every step of it (except for the ascent to Schwarzsee soon to follow).

DD waited for me at a lookout point and I stopped for a couple of minutes until the entire group was there. GF laid on the ground and was asleep within seconds. She was exhausted but at least did not have anything sprained or broken so far. We just sat there and watch the cable car gondolas hang over the glacier abysm. At this point we had been on the trail for almost three hours and we still had some ways to go.

After a resting a bit we got up (GF was literarily lifted by P onto her feet). Within a couple hundred meters we went around the hill and could see that we were now in a bowl and that Schwarzsee was still quite some way up the hill.

As we approached the final stretch the path changed to gravel. This had the clear disadvantage of holding and radiating a lot of heat. The change from the dirt path to the gravel trail must have been of at least 15 degrees.

DD and I started off together up the hill and we could see that it was at least half a kilometer with a steady STEEP slope. We agreed that the best approach was not to look at how much more we had to go and we resorted to singing (there was some panting involved) silly made-up songs to one another. It was HOT and gritty. In the last switchback we turned around and could see DH quickly approaching but P and GF were lagging behind. At least the path was fairly even and I did not fear broken ankles and helicopter rescues anymore….

Our ‘just keep going strategy’ worked until we were almost all the way to the top. DH caught up and we sent DD ahead to find a table in the restaurant. The last 200 meters did require a few stops to catch the breath. I must publicly acknowledge that I don’t know how I would have made it up to that restaurant if I had not been hiking daily for the last three weeks and very used to hot weather.

We plopped into the restaurant terrace and waited for P and GF. They were at least half and hour behind and wanted to sit inside on the shade. The heat in the steep trail had been almost too much for both of them. I had not considered heatstroke as a possibility during the hike but to me it was quite clear that they were not very far from it at the moment.

After cooling down we had lunch. P and GF, to my ever lasting admiration and awe, were in a good mood and were even laughing a little bit!

Slowly we left the restaurant and headed back down into Zermatt by way of the Swcharzsee cable car. We decided to go back to the hotels and meet with P and GF later in the evening for dinner.

We were happily relaxed for a while in the room. DH had seen an announcement that there was a ‘goat parade’ through Zermatt at four o’clock. So we got our shoes back on and headed into town. We sat on the church square to wait and were rewarded with a spectacle of a different type.

There was a wedding taking place in the church and the honor guard was assembling outside. There was a horse drawn carriage waiting to take the newlyweds after the ceremony. People were taking pictures of the driver and team as well as the honor guard carrying their standards and swords.

When the bride and groom emerged from the church it turned almost into a mob scene. The Japanese lapsed into full blown picture-taking FRENZY. They constantly interrupted the wedding photographer by stepping next to the bride to pose and take their own pictures. Some people even walked all over the bride’s gown train! It was madness… at least the bride looked so deliriously happy that she did not even notice what was going on.

We finally figured out that we had missed the goats and returned to the hotel to shower and get ready for dinner. I was betting that P and GF would be too tired to come but I was pleasantly surprised when they came down. We had a great dinner together and said our goodbyes as they were going to Gornergrat the next morning and we would not see them again.

Next: The Last Official Vacation Day - otherwise known as ‘There are no easy hiking trails in Zermatt’

Wonderful report, Marigross. I came across this while researching hotels in Zermatt, where we will be next summer. Woul dyou particularly recommend the Hotel Dufour? Did you like the location, etc? Do you have any advice regarding staying in the village versus staying up at either Kulmhotel Gornergrat or Hotel Riffelberg? Thanks!

Thanks, enzian, for bringing this back up. I missed it while I was gone, and it's such a good read!

marigross, bravo! This is really nicely done. I can relate to so many of your experiences. You've really captured the essence of the Swiss experience.

And I definitely agree that one of the biggest WOW moments on our trip was the view at the top of the Gornergrat. Unbelievably breathtaking!