The Sweet Swiss Alps..

Welcome to Zermatt, Switzerland...nestled quietly in a valley with wild and rugged mountains surrounding the village. No cars are allowed in the village as there is no road that will take you there, only railroad tracks and ski trails. It is quaint, expensive, yet full of champagne powder (snow), Swiss fondue and glögg wine (mulled wine).

Waking up in the morning was quite a treat, to the left is the view of the Matterhorn from my window in the Zermatt Hostel. The hostel was great; it included a typical Euro breakfast buffet and a 5-course dinner!

Time to go skiing! I rented some HOT Rossi bandits, telemark skis, and was armed and loaded with the Nikon. The conditions were killer and I couldn't ask for better snow.

It takes about 1 hour via gondolas to reach the top of the mountain and it's not without a fair share of queues. Which means pushing and cutting is part of the experience, we're in Europe now! As an American, this was more challenging than my legs screaming at me as I lunged down the mountain, I'm not one to push or cut or elbow or accidentally jab someone with my ski poles...but I did my best to take on the European attitude with queuing; each woman for herself.



After standing and feeling squished like a sardine with 100 other international skiers in the gondola, I was ready to check out the top of the mountain! (It was actually quite a fun ride with breathtaking views.) The way they built these gondolas from one peak to the next is unbelievable!

Here I am at the top of Europe's highest mountain lift; 12,736 ft. (3,883 meters). The refreshing mountain air made me feel at home, even though the wind was enough to knock me over. I was very lucky to have such a clear day for the Nikon to click away.
Time to Ski (and eat)! Zermatt is known for the succulent cuisine on the mountain. Forget pizza and hamburgers, you can order up fondue, raclette, minestrone soup, numerous sausages, and my favorite warm apple fritter with vanilla sauce.

As I disembarked the matterhorn glacier gondola, there were 2 Bernese Mountain dogs waiting for their pictures to be taken.

After 2 days of skiing, many great photo opportunities, a few nights out in the village, I had sucked up the mountain life that I miss everyday. Oh sad, time to go home...a train from Zermatt to Geneva, then an airplane to Porto, a metro and another train and finally I was back in Aveiro. One day here and then I'm off to Oslo!