Quote of the day: "Eric, our toilet doesn't have a seat on it!" This is what I said when we walked into out bathroom, and then I realized what I was looking at. I've heard of bidets before, but I think it's funny that we are 16 days into our trip and this is the first time we've seen one.
So, here we are in Zermatt. I don't know yet if I hate it or love it. It's just that kind of a crazy place. It didn't help that we left Lausanne, where the weather was nice, only to get up here to the hot, hot humidity (I know - who would expect that in the mountains?) But I've lived in Houston long enough to know that that unbearable heat and humidity equals a big rainstorm coming, and sure enough, just as we literally got off the train, the rain started to pour, freezing cold rain.
Now, the ironic part is this is the time when we didn't have any reservations for a place to stay. This was the time when we were going to be wild and kookey and go with the flow. We didn't know if we would stay in Switzerland or head to Italy early. We just wanted the freedom to do whatever. Apparently, a billion other people felt the same way, because this place is crazy crowded.
But you know me, I'm not a complete free spirit. I am not able to completely turn off the control freak. So we had our Rick Steves' guide in hand, and figured out where we would try to find a room. So we walked in the rain to that hotel, only to discover that they are completely closed until tomorrow! We also discovered that the lifts to the hikes we wanted to do are closed until the day we leave! Oh frustration! had I known this (had I planned) we would have planned our time differently. But, we didn't. Live and learn.
Well, we ended up finding a very cute and affordable place to stay (which is saying a lot, because I think this must be Europe's equivolent of Vail, Colorado.) And we walked around the town - one big long street filled with hundreds of shops. Picture Carmel by the Sea, on its most crowded day, take away all the side streets, and add about a thousand people, and you've got a picture of Zermatt. (So Dad, I don't recommend this place for you). But the mountains are pretty, and we are having fun, none the less.
We are hopeful that the rain will stop and we can do a couple of the smaller hikes tomorrow, which will enable us to see the Matterhorn. If not, we seem to have fun just wandering around the grocery store and looking at all of the different products they sell here.
The other funny thing... so after we checked in and got unpacked, it was about 3 pm and we were starving. We wandered all over this crazy place and NONE of the restaurants were serving food (they stop serving between 2pm and 6:30 pm). Thankfully (at least I hope we won't be unthankful in a few hours) we found a guy on the street corner selling bratwurst. They were the best bratwurst we've ever had (we must have been uber hungry!) No - it wasn't as shady as I'm making it sound - he had a grill and an umbrella, so he must have been legit.
Anyway, the clock is ticking and I'm out of time. Eric is in the room, vegging out. Hope you are all well.
So, here we are in Zermatt. I don't know yet if I hate it or love it. It's just that kind of a crazy place. It didn't help that we left Lausanne, where the weather was nice, only to get up here to the hot, hot humidity (I know - who would expect that in the mountains?) But I've lived in Houston long enough to know that that unbearable heat and humidity equals a big rainstorm coming, and sure enough, just as we literally got off the train, the rain started to pour, freezing cold rain.
Now, the ironic part is this is the time when we didn't have any reservations for a place to stay. This was the time when we were going to be wild and kookey and go with the flow. We didn't know if we would stay in Switzerland or head to Italy early. We just wanted the freedom to do whatever. Apparently, a billion other people felt the same way, because this place is crazy crowded.
But you know me, I'm not a complete free spirit. I am not able to completely turn off the control freak. So we had our Rick Steves' guide in hand, and figured out where we would try to find a room. So we walked in the rain to that hotel, only to discover that they are completely closed until tomorrow! We also discovered that the lifts to the hikes we wanted to do are closed until the day we leave! Oh frustration! had I known this (had I planned) we would have planned our time differently. But, we didn't. Live and learn.
Well, we ended up finding a very cute and affordable place to stay (which is saying a lot, because I think this must be Europe's equivolent of Vail, Colorado.) And we walked around the town - one big long street filled with hundreds of shops. Picture Carmel by the Sea, on its most crowded day, take away all the side streets, and add about a thousand people, and you've got a picture of Zermatt. (So Dad, I don't recommend this place for you). But the mountains are pretty, and we are having fun, none the less.
We are hopeful that the rain will stop and we can do a couple of the smaller hikes tomorrow, which will enable us to see the Matterhorn. If not, we seem to have fun just wandering around the grocery store and looking at all of the different products they sell here.
The other funny thing... so after we checked in and got unpacked, it was about 3 pm and we were starving. We wandered all over this crazy place and NONE of the restaurants were serving food (they stop serving between 2pm and 6:30 pm). Thankfully (at least I hope we won't be unthankful in a few hours) we found a guy on the street corner selling bratwurst. They were the best bratwurst we've ever had (we must have been uber hungry!) No - it wasn't as shady as I'm making it sound - he had a grill and an umbrella, so he must have been legit.
Anyway, the clock is ticking and I'm out of time. Eric is in the room, vegging out. Hope you are all well.
1 comment:
Sis,
I just had to laugh... you are so like your mother! I would HAVE to have had a place all lined up in Zermatt before heading there. Good for you that you at least decided to wing it and it all turned out well. Hope the bratwurst settled nicely as well :-)
Enjoy your stay.
LOVE, MOM
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