Hockey Night in Davos

---

So Simone and Michael live in the most beautiful place - Davos Switzerland. The view from their place above the lake in Davos Dorf is stunning - I was so excited I decided to come visit the second we arrived.

With the NHL lock out on back home, I got my Saturday night – Hockey Night in Canada fix in Davos. Once I found out Rick Nash and Joe Thornton were playing in Davos, I told Simone we had-had-had to get back in time from Geneva and France to watch a hockey game.

Prior to departure I had put my Martha Stewart skills to work and busted out some iron-on designs to make my own HC Davos shirts for both Rick and Joe. We wandered down to the arena and I was like a kid in a candy shop (making friends in the fan shop and in the lineups outside). We paid about $27 per ticket for standing room which makes up about ¼ of the arena.

Fans are freaking nuts in Switzerland. There is a guy who stands with a megaphone shouting cheers for everyone to scream the entire game. Some people sit down at intermission – but most people line up to get carrier cases of beer to bring back to the standing room only section.

Our t-shirts were an instant hit with the fans and we were the envy up every Swiss puck bunny in the place. I walked around in confusion as people said things in Swiss German to me, but it was pretty hilarious being at the game. Between the chants, people throwing things at the ice, and entertainment on the ice – it was a pretty amazing game.

One of Simone and Micha’s friends in Davos (Ortel from Israel) joined us for his first ever hockey game, so every few minutes I was turning around to explain what off-side was, who got the penalty, and why they only stay on the ice for 45 seconds. Very entertaining. Oh, and Nash scored a goal for me (power of the shirt) for a 5-3 win at home.

We found out that you can wait to creep on the players and ask for autographs. So.... there we were, waiting outside the parking lot as the opposing team fans set off flares and did some chants. Finally they took off and we were free to creep with the other Davos fans. Thankfully we didn’t have to wait long (it was slightly cold) and out came Nash. After he has signed some autographs for the local fans, I walked over with ‘Hi Rick.... I’m from Edmonton.’

He was super nice, very cool guy, and he was sincerely impressed with my t-shirt. He chatted with us for about 15 minutes, asking us lots of questions. Again, I think Rick Nash is a super cool guy.

We chose not to stalk Joe Thornton, heading off for a drink instead. Slightly crazy as all the visiting fans (from the Italian part of Switzerland) – getting hit on by drunken Swiss-Italians is pretty funny.

On Sunday we had a sleep in, said goodbye to Ortel who had been drafted due to the conflict in Israel. Simone and I took a train to Scoul – the far east of Switzerland, for an evening at the baths/hot springs. (No photos – I either brought a new bikini that I bought to small... or I have eaten too much cheese because it would barely stay on!)

The next couple of days we walked around the lake for some beautiful views of Davos, and chilled in the crisp mountain air. Michael came back on Monday night so I got to visit with one of my oldest travel buddies.

I chose not to try skiing in Davos – there was only a few runs open and when I asked around the snow wasn’t great (and mostly fake). I was happy to just chill, go for walks and hang out in a beautiful part of Switzerland.

Scroll down to see more photos from the hockey game and in Davos!

---