Schussing in Switzerland

Nick and I spent a few magical days skiing with friends in the Bernese Oberland region of western Switzerland. Our driving route took us north from Aix to Lyon, east to Geneva, farther east along the northern contours of Lake Geneva and then onto smaller routes up into the mountains. Thankfully, we made the trip in under the 7 hours predicted by Via Michelin.



Our destination was Rougemont(992m), a small, quaint village between Chateau d'Oex and Gstaad. There, our Swiss hosts, Andre and Mary-Claire, had just completed the construction of a lovely chalet they fondly call the "Love Palace"; named after their first home in Rougemont, the cabin next door, called the "Love Nest"! Our dear American friends, Fifi and Peter and Debbie and Chris were there visiting for two weeks and it was a treat to join them for a few days. It was a really a reunion of sorts as the 8 of us have enjoyed an annual October reunion at Fifi's house in New Hammpshire for many years and the 4 Amercians friends also go way back to our former home town of Piedmont, California.


It was a wonderful visit!! We spent 4 nights and 3 days together skiing, eating and laughing. Nick and I found we had to make a quick adjustment to a their VERY relaxed time schedule which included a long, leisurely breakfast at the chalet between 9 and 10:30AM, the daily goal to be on the slopes by 11!! That allowed the sun to soften up the slopes and we still got in plenty of fantastic skiing as there were NO lift lines-just kilometer after kilometer of beautiful open mountain skiing! It was heavenly!




Andre, nicknamed "Mother Duck", was our fearless leader everyday. Where Andre went, we followed. It was a treat not to need a trail map!



Mary-Claire should have been nicknamed "Downhill Racer Duck"! She was quick!


After several hours of strenuous skiing, we always stopped at precisely 2 o'clock for a sit down lunch at a mountain-side chalet restaurant. Andre has loads of friends in the valley and even if they weren't skiing with us, they would frequently join us for lunch...

Andre and Mary-Claire enjoying the moment...


Needless to say, after these lunches there wasn't much left of the afternoon skiing, but it was still superb. Here, Nick, Fifi, Peter, Susie and Chris pause for a group photo...





Then, there is always the risk of the "last run of the day" fall. But when you do it like Andre, standing still, it's funny not painful!

At the end of each day, Nick and I were treated to a gorgeous sunset from our hotel window.... In moments like this, it was good to stop and stare and let yourself imagine, even if only for a brief moment, that all is well with the world.....

Every evening we went over to the chalet where we all enjoyed a relaxing evening by the fire and shared a delicious meal. One night Andre and Mary-Claire's friend, Dang, from Thailand, who was staying with them, made a fantastic Thai dinner for 12 of us!


Debbie and Chris relaxing by the fire before dinner....


Andre's sweet Irish Black and Tan Jack Russell Terrior, Kyra, always joined the party...



It was Balloon Week in Chateau d'Oex while we were there, so everyday we saw brightly colored hot air balloons in the blue skies above the mountains. Andre and Mary-Claire's British friend, Brian Jones, was in town for the occasion. He and another Swiss man were the first to circumvent the globe in 1999. He and his wife joined us for Dang's Thai dinner. Here are Andre, Mary-CLaire, Dang and Brian....


A la prochaine, tous le monde!

If a picture tells a 1000 words, and you haven't had enough of this trip, feel free to 'read' the "rest of the story" on our web album at http://picasaweb.google.com/susiebates/SwitzerlandJanuary2008?authkey=pe4wfqkDijU