On Saturday evening, we finally arrived in Switzerland. Kevin drove two insane mountain passes (see earlier post) and we stopped to check out some amazing views. Remember how I said earlier that the Alps just sort of rise out of nowhere? Well, it gets even crazier in Switzerland when you suddenly realize that you are driving above the tree-line, are surrounded by small glaciers and the air is so crisp that you need long-sleeves and a jacket. The quick environmental transition surprised me. We suddenly entered a new type of beautiful, an awe-inspiring natural masterpiece.
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| The road below is the crazy switchback that Kevin posted about |
I think one of the things I love about mountains so much is how humble they make me feel. It's so easy for me to get caught up in life, become bossy and demanding, and forget about the reality of how limited our time is in this world. When I'm in the mountains, all of that goes away. I don't know if its the high peaks, the sharp and cold rocks, or just the lack of oxygen in the high-altitude that makes me realize just how big the world is, but I love the way it takes away all of my stress.
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Enjoying the view.
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| The famous Matterhorn |
We were only in Zermatt, Switzerland for one day and the Matterhorn is infamous for hiding in the clouds, so we were worried that we wouldn't get to see it. Lucky for us, the weather was on our side. Not only did we get to see the famous Matterhorn, but we got to hike for several hours while looking at its glorious peak, more than 14,000 feet high.
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| View from our hike above Zermatt |
The trail we did was called the 5-Seenweg, or 5 Lakes Path. It was supposed to take only 2 hours, but between being inexperienced mountain hikers and constantly stopping to enjoy the views and take photos, it took us several hours to complete. And let me tell you, our poor Florida legs have no idea how to handle mountains.
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| Hiking the 5-Seenweg |
If the Matterhorn looks familiar to you, it's probably because the peak is featured in numerous movies and works of art, which, of course, brings in the crowds.
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| Kevin's gorgeous photo of the Matterhorn |
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| It's amazing how the clouds quickly come and go |
You can only access Zermatt by train or by hiking in. We chose to leave our rental car parked overnight at the train station in the town of Tasch and rode the train up to our hotel in Zermatt.
Zermatt itself is a very tourism driven town. There is a main street packed with restaurants, hotels and shops. It is filled with a mixture of authentic Swiss culture and Americanized consumerism. Basically, it allows one to check everything off of the "Swiss bucket list." You can go skiing (yes, even in August,) you can eat fondue and raclette, listen to traditional alpine music, hike around a famous mountain, buy chocolate and watches, or just about anything else you can think of. You can even eat at McDonalds if that's what makes you happy. Also, only speaking English is not a problem here.
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| Don't stay in town. Get out and see this gorgeous view! |
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| Today's selfie taken from one of the lakes with a Matterhorn view |
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