DAY 25 – MONTREUX TO ZERMATT

First view of The Matterhorn from the balcony
of my hotel room, just after sunset.

I awoke early and sat out on the hotel balcony, overlooking the lake for a while. Then, because I skipped dinner last night, I checked out of my hotel and walked along the waterfront, looking for breakfast. I found a cute little street café, and opted for Croque Messier (nowhere near as good as on the Champs Elysees). It’s a quiet Sunday morning, with few people out and about. There’s a drummer on the street corner – and church bells in the distance. And sailboats crisscrossing the lake. It’s the stuff of romance novels – which doesn’t quite fit this traveler flying solo.

            Although the shops are closed, I windowshop. Clothing with colors too vibrant for me, and shoes that are beautiful but do NOT look comfy. There’s an amazing lighting shop, with a centuries-worth of exquisite antique lamps and chandeliers – the window stuffed so full it’s difficult to distinguish individual lamps. The myriad of crystals and strings of tiny beads somehow either magnificently preserved or lovingly restored.

            Another train ride today. Yesterday was about getting near The Alps – their majestic peaks visible through every twist and turn. Today it’s about getting right into the heart of The Alps.

            I change trains at Visp, Switzerland, and there’s a stiff breeze. It’s cooler here – barely 80-degrees at the hottest of the day, which makes sense as all the peaks of the surrounding mountains are still snow-capped, even this late in June.

            I arrive at my destination – Zermatt, Switzerland. It’s literally the end-of-the-line for trains. And because it’s so remote, it even makes unscheduled stops at little one-horse “towns” along the way – for many, their only access to the outside world.

            Zermatt is right at the foot of The Matterhorn. Skiing in the winter, hiking/biking in the summer. It’s cooler here – highs in the mid-60s, lows in the upper-40s. A far cry from the 100+-degrees this time of year at my new home in the Arizona desert.

            And Zermatt will be my vacation spot while on vacation. I’ll stay just over a week. Moving around every few days has been wonderful – and exhausting. And I’ve decided on this beautiful locale for some respite.