It’s now public knowledge – the ski season is a washout! How could we have foreseen this when we booked our early bird ski pass, house-sitters for Christmas and all of January?
And it is about to turn into a catastrophe…
Tag Archives: Switzerland
A long post-Covid weekend in Champery
The Dents glowing in the evening sunshine
Still exhausted from Covid and lying on the sofa watching Wimbledon, I haul myself off to meet Ross in Champery after his long walk. Heathrow is busy and security has long queues and we are late taking off as there not enough staff to load the plane. This is only the beginning of broken Britain – the worst is yet to come I fear. I go to Switzerland to try and forget about the state we are in….and to admire the Swiss attention to detail as below! Continue reading
The highs and lows of 2021
In a year where there has been little travel and many health issues I am challenged where best to post and how to write this blog! For most of us it has been a year of great uncertainties and lows, with a few highs. On the whole we don’t share our lows as we maintain our oh-so-very-British stiff upper lip. So here goes – my year in review. Continue reading
Les Crosets to Village des Chèvres for lunch and back – on foot (mostly)
Looking down from Les Mosettes beyond the Lac Vert towards Morgins. The GR 5 hut hut is in the foreground, just in front of the Lac Vert
The weather has turned glorious at last. We have been making the most of it and going on various favourite walks (more of those on another blog), but we decide to meet up with some old friends from Heinemann days (yes – that old) and to meet in our favourite ski rdv in France, Le Cremailleure. Continue reading
On lockdown, publishing and green shoots
Lockdown life is different for everyone. I’m the first to admit that my cunning plan of going straight from the Maldives to Switzerland was a good one – no quarantine and a remarkably liberal attitude to social gatherings, restaurant, bar and shop openings up until Christmas, when the shutters come down on all but socialising privately with up to six people – and this is really a blessing. Continue reading
Escape to & from Switzerland – just in time!
Last week it was announced that Brits had to quarantine on return from Switzerland. This quarantine business seems to be peretty arbitrary – for instance I discovered that Romania magically appeared on the list but has never been mentioned in despatches. I can’t help wondering if it’s got anything to do with the fact that the government consider Romanians who live in Britain as EU migrants rather than British holiday-makers, and don’t vote. Anyhow, to continue…here are some photos of the Dents du Midi in all their glory. Continue reading
A Swiss Sunday stroll turns into a snowy scramble
Chez Christine sits under the pass to the Dents du Midi
It’s a beautiful morning in the mountains and our Canadian guests are easily dissuaded from leaving until after a gentle stroll. The chosen route is a steep climb up through the woods to Sous la Dent and then doubling back to Signal de Bonavau and down to Chez Christine’s for lunch. A couple of hours plus lunch should do it, Ross reckons. At first all goes well, gorgeous views down to Champery… Continue reading
The Queen of Queens – cow fights in Switzerland
Switzerland never ceases to surprise! This weekend our friend Tim mentions that there is to be a cow fight in the next-door village of Morgins. Bulls, surely? I ask. No, cows! The Hérens breed which comes only from the Valais are well-known for their female aggression in the spring when they spar for territory. This has become a major tourism attraction and the cows go from valley to valley and fight in five classes for the final title of Queen of the Queens. Continue reading
Escaping reality for Basel Fasnacht again
This year the weather played havoc with both skiing and Fasnacht plans…we abandoned the slopes for the fabulous Kunstmuseum and Chagall. We rise at 3 am to get to the town centre for Morgestraich, the early morning procession that kicks of at 4 am with the lights out and the bells ringing – before a cacophony of cliques set up their rather tuneless caterwauling as they parade around. At 4 am it is a magical and mystical sight, giraffe notwithstanding. Continue reading
Reunions & races on the Swiss ski slopes
The Dents du Midi from the 8-man chair in Les Crosets
It’s January and the annual Queens College ski reunion. This is the 10thyear that old Cambridge friends have gathered in Switzerland, and now France, to remember trips of yore, including the celebrated one to Avoriaz where Ross and I met 40 years ago! Continue reading
vickygoestravelling 