Zermatt Part three, Switzerland

The weather reports were calling for rain all day but when I got out of bed and leisurely walked onto the terrace, I was greeted with this stunning view.

After a lightening fast breakfast we ran to the gondola station which was very close to the hotel.

We got off at the Schwartzsee stop with the plan to hike down to Zermatt.

Unfortunately, this was the best of Matterhorn for us, that cloud stayed there the entire day.

The path was clearly marked for the most part, only once did we feel that we were not on it. The hiking path is either a dirt road, rocky at times or a paved road for a bit.

We heard these cows 15 minutes prior to seeing them, their bells accompanied us as we walked and were the only sound to break the silence of the area.

About two hours after beginning our hike we stopped for lunch at Zum See, a great mountain restaurant run by a husband and wife team for the last 30 years. The restaurant is in a rustic 16th Century wooden house.

A glimpse of Zermatt

Along the way there are wooden crosses, some with written information about those who perished, reminders of how dangerous this beautiful area can be. In Zermatt there is a mountaineer's cemetery, a sad resting place for those who lost their lives pursuing their passion.

Back to Zermatt. All in all, this was a wonderful and exhilarating hike, but I found out just how painful going downhill for three hours can be. Our legs really hurt and immersing ourselves in that wonderful outdoor hot tub felt amazing, until the thunderstorm started.

Goodbye Switzerland,
Joanna

Comments

Bordier Butter - The Best Butter in France

France is in the midst of a butter shortage! Due to a decrease in milk production and a substantial demand for French pastries all over the world (mainly China and the Middle East), the price of butter has increased by 60% in one year. The French are stocking up and thus creating shortages. French newspapers are publishing articles titled "A guide to cooking without butter". So, with hopes that the shortages are temporary, here is my ode to the best butter in the world. I'm not kidding. The. Best. Butter. In. The. World. Mr. Bordier, a grandson and a son of cheese mongers, became a butter artisan in 1985. He acquired a creamery originally founded in 1927. The supreme taste of the Bordier butter was first recognized by a chef from the Plaza Athenee while vacationing in Brittany, a beautiful region in northwestern France. Bordier is the lone butter master to still use the old method of kneading the butter according to the 19th century t...

Indian Accent, NYC

Often when a question arises as to what to eat for dinner, I think of Indian food. I am a very happy gal with chicken makhani, basmati rice, an onion kulcha or a nan laid out in front of me. I have heard some very good things about Indian Accent, a relatively new restaurant in midtown Manhattan, adjacent to the Parker Hotel. The décor here is unlike most Indian restaurants I have visited; no boldly colored fabrics, beautiful tapestries, intricately carved wood, or lanterns. Indian Accent restaurant looks like something that Daniel Boulud would envision. There are about fifteen wooden tables and a few small booths, fabric covered modern chairs, a lit bar with glass shelves and golden accents throughout, and large glass vases filled with flowering branches. The menu is complicated, however, our terrific waiter took his time and explained each dish and even made some wonderful suggestions. Actually, everyone at the restaurant was really professiona...

A. Lacroix Patisserie, Paris

My visits to Paris are usually carefully planned out; practically every meal is decided far in advance, and same goes for pastries, ice cream and macaron. While I have not visited every pastry shop in Paris, that would be almost impossible given their numbers, I am aware of most of them. Imagine my happiness when I came across a brand new patisserie, one that is barely a year old! A. Lacroix is a lovely tea room/patisserie opened by an American woman and a Parisian pastry chef. Jackie, the founder, is originally from Ohio but has been living in Paris for nine years. She left her job in the telecom industry in order to pursue a dream of opening a tea salon. I'm so glad she did! This is a charming patisserie/tea salon with beautiful stone walls, wooden beams, plenty of seating space, and location that just can't be beat. One side of the place looks at the Notre-Dame Cathedral! A. Lacroix is not just a pastry sho...

A Fork And A Suitcase

Search This Blog