Just another weekend in Zermatt with more skiing adventures to report.  Here are the highlights:

Day 1 Skiing: We caught an early train from Basel on Saturday morning, and by 12:30, we were in Zermatt on a gondola to the top of the mountain.  The weather was extremely cold (notice the ice in Sarah’s hair), but we got some really nice views of the Matterhorn.  That afternoon, we actually caught the last lift to the very top, and we skied all the way back to town.  It may have only been a half day out on the slopes, but we ended up skiing about 17 miles!

Icy Hair

Sunset Views of the Matterhorn

That evening, we discovered a new favorite restaurant, and after what felt like a full day of skiing, we didn’t hesitate to treat ourselves to big, juicy steaks.  ‘Tis the season (to be fatties).

Day 2 Skiing: The next day was thankfully much warmer … and much more snowy (this turned out to be both good and bad).  Unfortunately, the weather caused reduced visibility, but on the flip side,  it also resulted in a reduced number of people out on the slopes.  We pretty much had the mountain to ourselves.  For lunch that day, we skied into one of our absolute favorite spots, Chez Vrony (a mid-mountain restaurant recognized in the Michelin Guide), where we had a cozy meal and an impromptu snowball ambush.

The boys preparing to attack

Frozen Faces

Lunch at Chez Vrony

By early afternoon, the snow was really coming down – so much so that our train down the mountain was delayed.  Consequently, we missed a few connections, but we eventually made it home safe and sound (and spent).

It may not officially be winter yet, but boy, does it feel like it!  The mountains have been getting buried in snow (we’ve even had a little here in Basel), and we haven’t seen temperatures above freezing in days.  Some people may see this turn of weather as an excuse to hunker down, but you know us – we can’t sit still.  In spite of (or maybe because of) the cold weather, we decided to head to Engleberg this past weekend for some more skiing adventures.

Early Sunday morning, we met up with our buddy, Nick, at the base of the mountain.  A quick 30-minute gondola ride brought us above the sea of clouds to the peak where it was – brace yourselves –  negative 18 degrees Celcius (about -1 Fahrenheit).  It was quite possibly the coldest temperatures we have experienced while skiing.  Our toes were numb.  Our fingers were frozen.  It was so cold that our teeth hurt and our phones stopped working.   Despite the chilly temperatures, we had a great time out on the slopes.  Even for early December, the conditions were quite good – a fact we hope is a harbinger of a great ski season ahead.

Top of Mount Titlis

Note the cloud line

Thanksgiving

We hope that all of you readers back home had fabulous Thanksgivings.  This year, we were lucky enough to share the holiday with Chris’s parents – a nice change from last year’s celebrations at the Monaco Casino (obviously fun but a bit lacking in tradition).  George and Debbie arrived Thanksgiving morning, and despite some serious jet-lag, they were excited to tour around Basel for general sight-seeing.

Once Chris got off work that day (sadly Switzerland doesn’t recognize the best American holiday), he took his parents to the opening ceremony for the Christmas markets.  There’s nothing quite like a big tree, cold weather, and carols to get one in the mood for the holiday season.  However spirited they felt, there were inclined to re-wind because Sarah insisted on cooking a big, Thanksgiving meal that evening.  Though many of the ingredients were difficult to find and/or crazy expensive (a can of pumpkin ran about $8), we had ourselves a feast and relished in the comfort of family, friends, and tradition.

Favorite Spots: While George and Debbie were on this side of the pond, we wanted to show them some of our favorite spots around beautiful Switzerland:

• Zermatt: Even if you’re not a skier, Zermatt is an impressive destination.  The town itself is rather quaint, and the mountains are simply magnificent.  After a brief lost-luggage-oopsie-daisy on the train, we arrived in Zermatt; we had just enough time for a casual lunch and a quick town “tour” before heading up the mountain.  The sunset, the lighting, the mountains, the snow, all made for some pretty unforgettable views.  That evening progressed to a classic Swiss dinner (complete with fondue) and ended at one of our favorite bars featuring over-priced cocktails, mediocre live music,  and an audience looking to party.
• Chexbres: The next day, we headed to the French side of Switzerland for views of mountains/Lake Geneva and, of course, wine.  We actually went back to a vineyard we have visited many times before (Domaine Bovy), and much to our surprise, we had a totally different experience.  For the first time, we sat with the head winemaker and had a very personal tasting.  We talked about each wine, the history of the vineyard, and their recent harvest.  The real cherry on top, though, was visiting their wine cellar.  Not only were we able to see (and taste) barrels upon barrels of aging wine, but we learned about the history of the family’s wine-making production through the paintings (pictured below). Most of the art was completed by the current winemaker’s great-grandfather, and each one told a unique story of their family business and life. 
  

  
• Mürren: Originally, we had planned to take a short day trip to Interlaken, but upon arrival, we learned that the funicular to the top was closed for the season.  None of us had worn appropriate hiking shoes [Read: we didn’t really want to hike uphill for 2 hours in the snow], so we settled on plan B and headed to the nearby town of Murren.  Plan B added an extra hour each way to our day trip; however, the time was well worth the investment.  Not only did we get some awesome views of the Alps, but we also had the most beautiful train ride through a snowy forest. 
  

  

Final Thoughts: Mama Milne and Papa George were only here for four days, but we really made the most of it.  We visited the famous Matterhorn, tasted wine in the UNESCO World Heritage acclaimed Lavaux Valley, took a train through a winter wonderland, and palled around towns abuzz with the Christmas spirit.  Though they came for Thanksgiving, we really got to celebrate two holidays with their visit – we stuffed ourselves with food on Thursday, and, by Sunday, we were visiting Christmas markets and exchanging gifts.