More snow fun en Suisse

Sunday, January 29 & Saturday, February 4 - Sunday, February 5 2012

One of the biggest reasons that Switzerland is our favorite country in Europe is because it is bursting at the seams with outdoor activities.  If you’ve been following our blog for a while you’ll know that some of our favorite trips have been our summer hikes in the Alps with our friend Andre.  It had been too long since we had seen him so we asked if he’d like to join us for some snow shoeing the last weekend in January.  We toyed with an overnight adventure (which unfortunately didn’t work out – dang!), but settled on a day trip. 

We rented a car Sunday morning and were off toward the southeast tip of Lake Geneva, specifically to the small mountain village of Morgins.  As we drove, we were immediately concerned with our chances of good visibility when we saw nothing but clouds and fog in the vicinity of the Alps – but we carried on, hoping for the best.  As we turned off the freeway and up toward the mountain pass, the clouds thinned enough that we agreed to give it a shot.  

This was our first time snowshoeing in Switzerland so we were really excited to give it a whirl.  Unfortunately the path we chose was a little too ambitious for our gear.  The trail was to take us up about 800 meters (about 2,600 feet) to Pointe de Bellevue, a beautiful outlook over lake Geneva and the Alps (of course the name of the point also influenced our decision). :)  The two of us had purchased snowshoes not really understanding that there are different types for different purposes: flat/rolling terrain snowshoes and mountain/steep terrain snow shoes.  When we looked at the underside of our snowshoes we saw only a few spikes, primarily towards the ball of the foot – and then looked at Andre’s, his had spikes, jagged edges, you name it.  The result of this difference was the two of us struggling up and sliding all over the steep hill while Andre walked with relative ease (or maybe he’s just that much better than us, a very realistic possibility). :)  

Seeing that we were almost a couple hours into our hike and only about 1/3 of the way up in altitude, we abandoned the idea of reaching Bellevue and made the more level loop back toward where we parked.  This was a great decision as the trail took us through virtually untouched trails, under snow-blanketed trees, and past deserted cabins which gave us the amazing feeling of remoteness that you hope to get when out in nature.  In fact, we only passed one other hiker the entire 4 hours we were out and about.  Regardless of missing the mark on Bellevue, this proved to be a great warm-up for the next weekend…

The first weekend in February... 

We had purchased a Groupon deal for an overnight stay in the small Swiss town of Le Pont, combined with a cross-country ski rental voucher.  Ang had never been cross-country skiing and Dave had been only once with his Grandma Gen way back in the day, so it was something we were both eager to try out. 

We set out for Le Pont Saturday morning via train and, unlike our previous weekend trip, there wasn’t a cloud in the sky and the views of the snowy tundra were captivating.  We use the word “tundra” because it was cold.  Actually, for the previous week (and a couple weeks after that weekend), there was an artic blast that hit most of Europe.  The coldest day in Geneva was Friday when the high was 16 degrees Fahrenheit and even colder with the relentless wind chill coming off the lake.  Needless to say a trip up into the Jura Mountains during an icy Siberian winter blast was a little crazy, but we were too excited to pass it up.

We arrived to Le Pont around noon and were delighted at the sight of this tiny village set in between two lakes – Lac de Joux to the south and Lac Brenet to the north (see map below).  We checked into our hotel and changed into our snow gear.   

 

The ski rental place was a 30-minute walk around the south side of Lac de Joux to the next town of L’Abbaye.  Unfortunately when we arrived the shop was closed for the lunch hour, so we had to wait for another 30 minutes.  That was ok as it gave us some time to return to our youth and enjoy a nearby snow-covered playground including slide, zip-line, and swings.  Afterward we did as the Europeans do and grabbed a pre-ski treat at the local restaurant – for us this was chocolat chaud (hot chocolate). 

By the time we got our gear we had a little over 4 hours of daylight left – plenty of time to test out our cross-country skills… and we quickly found that we had very few!  We had high hopes considering how unexpectedly comfortable the rental boots were (we joked about buying a pair just to wear casually), but those hopes were dashed within the first few minutes as Ang had a few painful falls onto her ski edges and Dave got crossed up several times.

The best word to describe the first couple of hours was “clumsy”.  This could have been the result of a few different things.  First, we had no idea what we were doing, so within minutes of starting we pulled out YouTube on our phone and typed in “how to cross-country ski”.  It’s amazing what you can learn online. :)  Feeling slightly more confident after our 2-minute pep talk, we set forth and then realized the second possible reason for our clumsiness – the trail conditions kind of sucked.  The setting itself alongside the lake was excellent (see photos below), but the wind was blowing hard and snow was building up in drifts.  One minute we would be in a grove, and the next we were either skidding along concrete or buried in a couple feet of drift snow.  The third reason, and most likely, is that we just needed practice, because by the end of our journey we were feeling much more comfortable (moving quicker and falling at a much lower rate).  We just did our best to keep our bodies moving so that we didn’t freeze—it was so unbelievably cold.

A couple more comments on our route – in the middle of this frozen tundra, we were surprised to see the most vibrant red berries growing along the entire path.  They looked so delicious we wanted to eat them… but we also didn’t want to die so we overcame those urges. :)   

 

 

Another cool thing was to see periodic signs with bible verse inscriptions (in French of course) and challenging questions to those that read them.  This one is from Luke 6, and the follow up question is “and you, what fruit are you bearing?”.

All in all, we had a great first attempt at cross-country skiing and the scenery couldn't have been better.  We turned in our skis and trudged back to Le Pont through the snow-covered hiking path.  When we arrived, we were greeted with a gorgeous sunset over the horizon and light reflecting beautifully off the charming lakeside village.  Feeling daring we crept out onto the iced-over lake (at least the limited portion that was iced-over) for a photo op.  While you laugh at our first attempt (when after racing from behind the camera, Dave fell as soon as he reached Ang), take note of that water you can see over our left shoulders in the background…

That evening we enjoyed a nice dinner in the hotel’s café, sipped on some wine, and watched the first leg of The Godfather trilogy.

Did we mention it was cold outside?  Remember the bay we photographed on Saturday evening?  On Sunday we woke to find it was completely iced over, thousands of feet further out than the day before. Another telltale sign of the cold was how our Camelbak water packs reacted.  They proved ineffective as our well tubes eventually froze over if we didn’t keep the water moving every few minutes.  At one point Ang’s tube was leaking onto her jacket and pants, unknown to her.  Within mere minutes she found icicles frozen to her clothes.  Yep, it was cold.

Although we were tired from a long day on Saturday, we decided to do a little snowshoeing and explore more of the lake on Sunday.  This time we walked around the north side of Lac de Joux and climbed to some stunning views of the surrounding area.  We were amazed to see how many people were out on the ice as the day progressed, easily 100 or so (where did they all come from in this sleepy town?).

After tooling around for a couple of hours we caught the train back home.  What a fun time and another example of how a small, unassuming Swiss town and countryside can provide such an outstanding weekend!

We got home with enough time to watch The Godfather Parts II & III—marathon indeed!  Did anybody ever notice how depressing those movies are?  We finished in time to watch the Super Bowl (getting into bed around 4am)… Patriots suck!

Peculiar Art

Saturday, January 28 2012

When we spent a day in Lausanne back in November 2010, we had intended to hit up an unusual art museum that we had read about.  Our guidebook stated that it remained open until fairly late in the evening.  Unfortunately, it must have been a misprint or bad research on their part, because the museum closed that evening before we could get there…

Fast forward to January 2012 where we found ourselves with a good excuse to make it back to Lausanne and an opportunity to experience our bizarre museum (more on that later).  We found out a couple weekends ago that our beloved Olympic Museum was to be closing for 2 years for a complete renovation.  We found out just in time, as it was the last weekend it remained open and it was free of charge to enter.  Because we loved it so much the first time, we decided to head back and spend a bit more time there before its closing.  After a couple hours poking around and learning more about famous Olympic athletes, memorable events and intriguing history—we said goodbye and looked forward to visiting the renovated Olympic Museum on a future visit back to Switzerland.

Onto the next museum… Collection de l’Art Brut.  This museum houses artwork created by individuals that differ quite a bit from mainstream artists.  Many of them suffer(ed) from mental and emotional illnesses.  Many are/were psychiatric hospital patients, prisoners, outcasts, and just generally peculiar people.  When reading the background on each artist, we noticed a lot of similar patterns: a parent died or the parents split up when the individual was really young, childhood illness that they never fully recovered from, circumstances which left them orphaned, etc.  Most of them were from Switzerland, but many others were from all parts of the world.

What’s unique about these artists is that they don’t create their works for acclamations or recognition.  They designed their works for their own purposes, via their own interpretations, within their own worlds.  And as many of these works were discovered, a collection slowly formed in the 1940s.  The current museum has displayed this artwork since 1971.

The concept of the museum was interesting, without doubt.  Some of the pieces were fairly fascinating to be honest, when considering the background and history of the individual.  Did we find most of the artwork appealing?  Not necessarily.  But we feel that same way about a lot of famous, mainstream artwork that we’ve come across over here. :)

But there did happen to be a temporary exhibit about one Gregory Blackstock that caught our eye… who would have guessed that a small Swiss art museum would showcase the work of a Seattle man??!!  As part of the temporary exhibit, the museum played a short documentary about Blackstock - we sat and watched, absolutely intrigued.  He is a 60-something-year-old man with autism and savant syndrome.  As a result, he has some limitations yet is also gifted in unbelievable ways.  He speaks 12 languages, can pick up just about any musical instrument and play it, and apparently is known for being able to recall events with uncanny precision.  He initially comes across as a little rough, but within minutes we couldn’t help but find him entirely endearing.

He also has some of the most interesting pieces of artwork, which we would admittedly prefer over famous works that we’ve seen in famous museums.  Those from the Seattle area might recognize his style - the basic concept behind his art is detailed classifications of different topics, from the mundane (types of radishes) to the historical (WWII fighter planes) to the bizarre (all “trouble-maker” beetles).  What makes his art so special is that he is so precise in each piece!  The lines, the writing, the details, the completeness of each subject—he covers all bases.  Some of our favorites included titles such as “Insect Pest Classifications Presents: The Major World Troublemaker Beetles”, “Harmful Vegetation Growth Classifications Presents: The Painful Plants”, “The Shoes”, “The Noisemakers” and "40 Memorable Seattle Joys to Go For".  Unfortunately, we weren’t able to take photos within the museum, but a quick google search has enabled us to share some of his pieces with you. :)

While watching the documentary, we discovered that Blackstock is a huge Mariners & Seahawks fan (he was wearing a Mariner’s hat throughout the interview).  We also found out that often times he sits outside the Seattle sports stadiums and plays music on his accordion—we hope to run into him at some point in the near future!  Small world.

A short clip of Blackstock:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IMxt0DjWeA

Zermatt from a different perspective

Friday, January 20 - Sunday, January 22 2012

One of our very first outdoor adventures in Switzerland was our hike to the Hörnli Hut at the base of the Matterhorn in early September 2010 (wow, it’s hard to believe that was nearly a year and a half ago).  Zermatt, however, is more known as a ski village so we vowed to return someday for winter sports.  And after finding out that it is possible to ski down the glacier on the backside of the Matterhorn—that sealed the deal—we knew we had to take the opportunity to do it.  That weekend had finally come when our friends Mike, Michelle, Travers and Megan were all planning a trip to celebrate their friend’s birthday and we were invited to join in on the festivities.

Zermatt is about four hours by train so we left Friday after work and arrived late, around 10:30 pm.  Dave had the pleasure of lugging our wheeled snowboard/ski bag around Geneva that day on our way to work, and then to the train station (no small feat), but when we arrived and saw the streets of Zermatt were covered in a ton of snow we knew that was out of the question (it was an uphill hike to our hotel and in good weather it would take 20 minutes).  What to do?  We hadn’t stood more than a minute considering our options, when a fleet of electronic-mobile taxis came to the rescue! 

Zermatt is known as a car-free village (to protect the views of the Matterhorn from car emission buildup) and these little electronic taxis are more than sufficient.  To the right is a picture of one we saw the next day.  Believe it or not, we were two of 9 people (driver included) crammed into that thing, plus gear (our ski bag sat unstrapped on the roof and we just hoped it would still be there when we arrived at our hotel).  These things shockingly handle the steep, snow-covered hills extremely well!  We are sooooo glad we took the taxi that night as we were to our hotel in less than 15 minutes.  (And after experiencing a couple walks up to our hotel on the fairly steep hill throughout the weekend, we’re pretty sure it would have taken an hour on foot with all of our ski stuff.) 

Our hotel (more of an apartment actually) was perfect!  It was our first time staying in a studio apartment and we got a kick out of the Murphy beds and how creatively they are used to conserve space.  On Sunday morning we were pleasantly surprised when we realized our balcony had a perfect view of the Matterhorn (it was cloudy on Saturday so we didn’t notice it before then).  The apartment even had a fondue pot available, the perfect Swiss touch, so we had a fondue breakfast on Sunday.

Back to Saturday though – this was our big ski day!  Unfortunately the mountain didn’t want to cooperate that day as most of the lifts were shut down due to high winds.  Waiting for the conditions to clear a bit, we spent the morning walking down to, and through, town.  The snow made the already-quaint village pop with charm.  We captured a few pictures below; hopefully you’ll get the idea. 

We also have to mention the entertaining street cleaning crew we watched at work most of the morning, clearing out the snow from the night before.  Ang says she has found her new calling in life. :)

Extremely disappointed that the Matterhorn Glacier Express remained closed that day, we tried to make the most of it and bought a half-day ticket for the few runs that were open.  It actually turned out to be a great day of skiing/snowboarding because there was a bunch of fresh powder from the night before.  By the time we got up there, much of the powder on the main runs was packed down, but it was still good snow.  We did do one run that was barely touched and had powder up to our knees.  At that moment, Ang wished she had brought her snowboard, as it was pretty strenuous to get through on skis—but at least Dave was able to thoroughly enjoy it on his snowboard, especially being his first time experiencing deep powder. 

The visual setting for the skiing was almost perfect – while it was clear and there were mountainous views surrounding us the entire time, we only got a brief peak at the Matterhorn, which was kind of disappointing.  We did see our first (man-made) avalanche though.  As we were riding the chair lift up we started to hear explosions on the hill opposite of us, across the valley.  Then we saw the helicopter and realized they were dropping explosives for avalanche control (coolest job ever?).  It sparked a pretty big one that we all watched in awe as the snow rushed down the mountain.  Unfortunately it was too far away to get it on film, so you’ll just have to trust us. :)

That night we joined the birthday party crew at an Italian restaurant for a relaxing post-ski dinner.  The food and company were great.  We’ll introduce you to our friends - in the pictures below, from left to right: Travers, (Dave), Mike, Michelle, (Ang), and Megan.  And at the other end of the table, a whole group of new friends that we met that evening.

After our fondue breakfast on Sunday morning we decided it was a good time to head back and enjoy a quiet evening at home in Geneva.  Our last treat of the weekend was to enjoy the scenic train ride through the valley from Zermatt to the town of Visp, before transferring trains to Geneva.  Of course now that we’ve seen Zermatt in both lights (summer and winter) it’s impossible to say which is our favorite - and we’re happy to leave it as a tie…