Nothing like skiing when you can still smell the cows**t..

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Autumn has just flown by. A little over a month ago I was wandering round a tiny mountain village "perspiring" in a t-shirt and shorts. However, a week later things really started to cool off. Anja and I went up to her family's mountain place in Breil for the weekend. Kidding (as you do), while walking through the five or six streets that made up the village, the cool (but not cold) mountain air suggested there was no way we were going to be snowed in for the weekend. It looked a whole lot more likely when we woke up and the green fields had turned snow white overnight! Mountainbiking was out of the question, but the daily business of visiting the village bakery, butcher, grocer, and a real dairy for fresh 'squeezed' cream to make butter and some slices of local cheeses was that much more fantastic with everything glowing white.

That first taste of winter didn't last long, and most of the snow was gone by the next day... but since then it really has cooled down and we've had some quite heavy (well I think) snows in Zurich. They haven't really settled, but on occasion have taken the attention off what is going on inside the windows at the office.

We've had quite a few clear sky days, like the weekend of Asia's flying visit, and a Saturday ex-Wellingtonian excursion up a 1000m high rock pinnacle with Thomas, Anjes, and Anna. The four of us were some way from our natural environment, but Mythen treated us to some incredible Swiss views (see the view over the Schwyz Valley at the top of the page!). Generally though, the cloudy or foggy days and sporadic snowfalls have chilled the vivid red/yellow/orange colour from the trees and it's getting quite grey.

Apparently no-one expects to be skiing in November, but fields opened two weeks ago after piling on 50cm in a couple of days... time for me to beg/borrow/buy some gear for boarding. A few of us headed up to a field called Toggenburg for a day to start the season. I guess the cows had just been pulled off the fields, and there's still a pretty 'agricultural' odour as you ski past the barns that ubiquitously dot Swiss ski slopes. I learnt that I've never really learnt to ride in deep fluffy powder. After a lot of wallowing on my back, or digging my board out from in front of me I've come to the conclusion that i'm going to need a lot of practice at this!

I also had a go at mid-week cross country skiing after work one night. There are trails set up about 1hr out of town which are lit up during the evenings. Unfortunately the instruction was in Swiss Deutch, and I think the "beginner" Swiss must've been born with little skis on their feet 'cos they really put me to shame. How I'm supposed to control my obviouly very flexible kiwi ankles with such long sticks stuck to my feet escapes me at the moment.. but I'll figure it out.

Right now I'm on a train once again, which at the moment seems to be the only time I have the chance to write. In exactly 3 weeks time Asia and I will be arriving in Chch for Christmas - time is really racing by! If anyone feels like a late December beer in Chch, a poncy mid January coffee in Auckland, or a sub-$7 bottle of rose' in Welly later on in the month let me know and maybe we can piece together half a plan 😊

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Photos

Magic morning view
Breil from Anja's family place

not so serious freshies
Al, Toby, and Bill on the first day of the season