Switzerland last Christmas

Last Christmas was the year to spend with Rasila's family and her father Peter talked us into going to Switzerland to ski at Zermatt. It wasn't a tough sell, as you can probably guess.

We flew Delta, which reminds me of why I like to fly non-American airlines overseas. Aside from the fact that we were 45 minutes late leaving the gate in Atlanta for Zurich, we also spent 45 minutes on the runway before the 9 hour flight, in which we had the normal small cramped seats of domestic coach.


Alas, we were the last to arrive in Zurich, but hooked up with everyone easily enough. We bought a first class ticket on the Swiss Train System to Zermatt. We had an 8-minute connection to make in Visp, but made it! We stayed at the Hotel Beau Rivage. We skied 9 days at Zermatt and Cervinia, Italy.

Compared to a North American Resort, it is unimaginable huge. There are 7-100 person trams, 1-train, 1-funicular, and 11-other chairlifts, all high speed. The top to bottom is about 7000 vertical feet. Rasila unfortunately, had a spill on day 5 and separated her shoulder, giving her a ride on Air Zermatt, but no ride around the Matterhorn for our $2000. At least our insurance reimbursed $1500 of it.

The Italian lunches were outstanding, but the snow was only okay. It snowed once while were there and we got some powder on the one glacier you were allowed to ski. They are usually best in February, so next time I want to go later in the Winter to see what it's like then.

We left on January 1, 2008 back to Zurich, where we stayed the night at the Hotel Bristol. We took a walking tour of Zurich and then had dinner and hit the hay. The next morning we got up early and took the train to the airport for the 10 hour flight to Atlanta and the 5 hour flight back to Orange County.

It set us up well for the best ski year we've had as I skied 21 days and Rasila skied 15 days this winter.