01 July 2019

Alps Trip 2019: trip to Zermatt

June 6 is only our second full day in Switzerland, and this is a travel day. We are going across Lake Lucerne on a ferry, up and over a pass on our bus, then on the Glacier Express train to Zermatt.

We get on the ferry about 9 am. Here is a look back at our lovely hotel, the Beau Rivage in Weggis.

Beau Rivage hotel

Our bus will take our bags and catch up with us later. The driver has a longer trip than us, because one pass is closed and he has to go the long way around. The ferry gives us an excellent view of the steep hills around Lake Lucerne. Imagine it as a high mountain range filled in with water - the hills rise steeply and tower over the lake. There are picturesque houses on hills with cows - and everything is so so green.


from Lake Lucerne ferry

from Lake Lucerne ferry

The Swiss like to display the white cross on a red flag everywhere.

from Lake Lucerne ferry

They actually put a "bandaid" on this hill side to prevent it from falling down.

from Lake Lucerne ferry

A look from inside the ferry. It is sort of drippy-rainy.

from Lake Lucerne ferry

A man watches us watch him as we pass.

from Lake Lucerne ferry

The foggy view, with cows.

from Lake Lucerne ferry

A verdant view, with some sort of game.

from Lake Lucerne ferry

We saw lots of waterfalls.

from Lake Lucerne ferry

Our bus picks us up at the end of the ferry ride. Then we go on a scary ride on a steep and winding road, really too small for our tour bus, and we are behind an even slower big truck. It was probably easier on me because it was so foggy I could barely see the sharp drop off.

foggy pass

We stopped in the town of Andermatt. It was raining, and of course we had left our umbrellas in the US. We had “lunch on our own” and most of us ended up at the first restaurant we came to, to get out of the rain. We had ham sandwiches and beer. It stopped raining, so we spent some time touring the town and shopping.

Andermatt

Andermatt

Andermatt

After lunch, we walked to board the Glacier Express train for the ride to Zermatt. Although I took no photos to show, the ride was quite amazing on this train with big windows. Once the pesky fog faded, we found that we were descending a sharp, steep valley, with houses perched on the steep slopes where cows, goats, and sheep grazed.

We get to Zermatt, Switzerland about 5 pm. We walk to our hotel - what are we going to find? At first, all the structures are very old. Then, aaah, a good chalet for us to stay in.

Zermatt is a pedestrian city, but there were still a lot of electric delivery cars and e-bikes and regular bikes, and it was crowded with tourists, so we had to keep an eye out for safety. We stay in an older style hotel, and have a view of the back mountains from our balcony. And for dinner - cheese fondue, very Swiss! (And not very good . . . ) On the way back from the fondue restaurant, John bonked his head on the window glass while trying to read the price on a dress in a store. Gave me the biggest belly laugh I’ve had in ages!


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