And we’re back in winter sports season, ladies and gents!

Last weekend, we met up with some friends in Zermatt for a day of skiing.  Only a small part of the mountain is actually open at the moment, but anxious to get back out there, we gave it a go.  We were all pleasantly surprised by the conditions – well-maintained slopes and even enough powder in places that some people in our group went off-piste … a luxury enjoyed when skiing on top of a glacier above 12,000 feet.  We realize that these are some real first-world problems, but we are seriously ruined for skiing back in the states.

We couldn’t have asked for better weather, we were surrounded by great friends, Chris broke his speed record (he has a helmet now), Sarah didn’t fall, and at the end of the day, we had a fabulous apres ski (complete with ski boots) at one of our favorite pubs in Switzerland.  The ski season is officially off to a great start.

We’ve been “laying low” in Switzerland the past few weekends, and in doing so, we have neglected our blog.  Sorry, moms.  Here’s a quick recap of our past 3 weekend adventures:

Weekend 1: Oktoberfest  (part II)

Having already purchased the Dirndl and Lederhosen for Munich’s Oktoberfest, we figured we would put them to good use by attending another (though smaller) one in the little Swiss town of Winterthur.  Though the venue and crowd were drastically smaller, the beers were just as big and the crowd was just as rowdy.  We had an absolute blast dancing on tables with the Zurich crew and catching up with Mike and Mary back at their apartment that evening.  Now that it’s November, it time to put away our Oktoberfest gear … until next year.

Weekend 2: Basel Herbstmesse 

For the past 540 years (no, that’s not a typo), Basel has hosted an annual autumn festival which has grown to consume most of the town and now lasts nearly 3 weeks.  Practically every square/park features some aspect of the festival: carnival rides, artisanal booths, homeware vendors, food stalls, you name it.  Our second weekend in Switzerland was spent wandering the town, riding a few carnival rides (mostly Sarah’s idea), eating tasty street food (meat on a stick and lots of cheese), and attending the Weinmessa (wine tasting from vendors far and wide).  We purchased 2 cases of wine which should be delivered right to our front door.  It’s almost too easy.

Weekend 3: Lugano

It is really starting to feel like winter here – it’s cold, it’s rainy, and we haven’t seen the sun in days.  By Thursday, we were both fed up with the weather and decided that a change of scenery was in order.  We literally searched for any towns in Switzerland that would be sunny over the weekend, and we found … only one.  Excited for some sunshine and non-German food, we packed our bags and headed to Lugano (located on the Italian side of Switzerland) on Saturday morning.  We arrived around mid-day and though it wasn’t especially warm, we spent the afternoon walking around the town and enjoying the sunshine in outdoor cafes.  That evening was especially perfect – we bounced between wine bars, found a family run pasta restaurant, and simply enjoyed some quality time together.

Mount Bre (Left) & Lake Lugano

The next day, we decided to take a bus to the top of Mount Bre (just outside of Lugano).  We had a difficult time finding the bus stop which sadly eliminated our time for an actual breakfast.  Instead, we settled on the only thing available from the nearest convenience store – snickers bars (obviously delicious but far from healthy).  The early morning wasn’t quite what we had envisioned, but the views from the top made it all worth it!

The mountains of Switzerland and currently getting buried in snow, so our three weeks of “low-key” adventures were exactly what we needed before ramping up for the ski season.  Finger’s crossed, we will be able to hit the slopes this weekend.