1983 - Snow and the QE2 - Zermatt # 2

Saturday 10 December 1983 – Zermatt

Woke up early this morning although Matt only surfaced at about 07.15. Once it was light enough to see what was going on we realised that we couldn’t go up the Klein Matterhorn on the cable car as we had planned to do as there was a light snow falling – which even obscured the Matterhorn completely.

A view of Zermatt from our hotel

Our original plan had us going on the Glacier Express today to St Moritz but it seemed so nice here that we decided to stay one more day. Unfortunately the Europa could not put us up for another night so we moved across the road to the Belleview – very adequate but not in the same class as the Europa and at f110 only f10 a night cheaper. The breakfast at the Europa was excellent, although neither Rab nor Matt did it full justice as neither felt one hundred percent – both recovered fully during the day, so all was well.

 

The ice on the river fascinated

We moved our luggage across after breakfast and even managed to leave the hotel without paying which caused some concern! The proprietor and his wife were very friendly, jolly people and we would certainly stay there again. We spent the morning drifting around town – I had my films developed and was very pleased with the results – until twelve when the shops all closed. We had a light lunch (me for raclette, Rab goulaschsuppen and Matt hot dog) and then went down to the skating rink.

Matt and Rab were quite keen on giving it a go but it was such a trek to get the boots that they decided against it. I was quite relieved because a broken wrist would not have assisted in the enjoyment of our holiday. It was good fun watching the skaters though. There was one little lad of about eight or nine who was batting to find his balance but who kept falling over every five or six steps. Another was an Italian looking fellow very smart in his cream ski suit and matching hat who seemed a bit hesitant and took a couple of tumbles.

THe sun came out - what a sight.

After watching for an hour or so we went back to the hotel and Rab got a couple of cards off and then it was afternoon tea for us at one of the cafes. We were attended to by a person who appeared to be a deaf simpleton who, as Matt said would not have been able to stop a pig in a passage, having very bandy legs! They tried to overcharge us too – but we got the better of them there.

We went into a jeweller after tea and I tried to persuade Rab to get a beautiful little diamond pendant shaped like a snowflake, but she declined. The snow had been falling gently in minute flakes on and off all day but started coming down a little more heavily in the late afternoon. We just wandered through the shops looking at the sights – and there certainly are some. From full length mink coats with matching hats down to more mundane looking items. The cost of the outfiuts was staggering for us – saw a ski suit trimmed with snake skin for f986 – almost $500 at the current rate of exchange. We got a horse taxi again and rode all the way back to the hotel with Lisa – the horse – jingling away in the dusk.

 

Our pal Lisa.

We ate at the Hotel Julen this evening and who should be the host, but our pal from the Europa. He gave us enormous servings – Kalbschnitzel for Rab and Matt and Venison for me. Excellent grub too