Blogs from Zermatt, South-West, Switzerland, Europe - page 2

221323SEP2015 So I fell very far behind on my blog. I apologize for my delay. Between traveling, Wi-Fi issues, and sheer laziness...I failed to update the blog daily. Good news is, I am at the Leonardo di Vinci Airport in Rome nearly 9 hours early. So now I have nothing but time to organize photos and update the blog. Along my drive from Zermatt to Rome I made audio notes of topics I planned on talking about. I realized I did not just want to do a day by day play by play (like the rhyming?). I decided to break it down into more. Specific observations, or places. I thought it would make my notes about my trip more dynamic. I need to backlog my adventures in Abu Dhabi and Dubai as well...I have some work ... read more

We arrived at the Crown Jewel of our adventures in Switzerland. Zermatt is everything you've ever believed Switzerland is. Alpine architecture, gondolas, cobblestone streets, flower boxes in every window, and of course stunning mountain tops! Zermatt lies at the foot of the Matterhorn and is a very popular destination for summer tourists and winter skiers alike. In 2012 Barb and I visited here and were excited to come back with Larry & Lisa in tow. The weather, through most of our Swiss trip, was essentially crappy, and our biggest fear was the clouds would obscure all the breathtaking mountain views. True to our expectations, upon our arrival we were met with clouds and rain :( We spent the first day wandering around the town and taking in as much of the local lore as we could, ... read more

Switzerland - Zermatt, July 5-8, 2014 Our train travel from Lutry to Zermatt was not uneventful, because, first, we thought it was unnecessary to reserve seats, but the first leg of the journey was very crowded, so we were kicked out of the seats we chose, and with the enormous suitcases, it was not easy to relocate, and every seat was taken. Also, we had been told to change in Visp, and when the conductor finally came through to see our tickets, he told us that this train did not in fact stop in Visp, and that we should get off in Sion and take the next train that came along to Visp. Fortunately he told us this just before Sion! So it might be wise to reserve seats when traveling second class on popular routes, ... read more

Out of all the countries in Europe that I have visited, Switzerland was the one that I was really looking forward for. Not only because it always look so picturesque in books & online, but also because my road going there is not smooth at all. It took 4 years, literally, but I’m here now. And that’s all that matters. The question now though – where should I go exactly in Switzerland? I’ve always dreamed about staying in mountain village with killer panorama drenched in sunshine and blue sky. But again, which mountain? I can’t decide between Zermatt vs Berner Oberland – so I decided to do both; even though I only have 4 days in Switzerland. It will be fast paced, but based on my calculation & experience – I believe it’s still doable. I ... read more

According to history books The Haute Route was first completed in 1861 when some English members of the Alpine Club trodded their way from Chamonix in France to Zermatt in Switzerland. Since then The Haute Route has become an institution and is now regarded as one of the classic long distance treks in Europe. The Walkers Haute Route is slightly different than the Winter Haute Route and avoids any technical or glacial terrain. It does not really require any mountaineering skillls or experience other than a good stamina and legs which can cope with some long ascents and descents. The 30 metre vertical iron ladder taking you up the final rock face to Pas de Chevres can be a bit scary though . . . From the foot of Mont Blanc to the foot of Matterhorn ... read more