Twas Christmas Eve and all was in order, the BA strikes had been called off, the ice and snow had thawed sufficently and our presents were packed, We were ready to roll. I finished work at 11.30am after sharing a christmas break up meal of Samosa’s with the factory and office staff. There were plenty of goodbyes and goodlucks for my time in Dundee. Managed to flag a ride to the station with Shaggy. Waited 10 minutes to catch the 78 bus to terminal 5. I was way, way, way to early (like 5 hours!) So I read my book ‘outliers’ and waited for Michelle. Michelle caught the tube from Nottinghill and arrived at 2.30pm. Checked in and dropped off our bags at 3.00pm, the earliest possible and headed through security to do some duty free shopping (grog). We sat down for a rest and I fell alseep, Michelle got a sandwich from eat and discovered our gate was right near where we sat down. Our flight was on time and we boarded just before 5pm. It was a very bumpy flight, we had a few beers and wines and settled into a game of Yatzee, which Michelle won!!! Into Geneva at 19.40 where Dad and Marcus were inside the security area waiting after their mission to find Marcus’s lost luggage. The weather was really bad with some pretty steady rain. It was only 45 minutes on the motorway and we were at Mum and Dad’s in a flash. After introducing Michelle to the family we sat down to Salmon, cucumber, tomatoes for dinner and shared a bottle of warmed Mulled wine.
The big day,Xmas! Unfortunately I forgot to tell Santa I was in Switzerland so there was no santa sack at the end of the bed in the morning. I quickly got over the initial disappointment and went and had a catch up yarn with Gavin. Christmas brekkie was croissants, cheese, proscetto meat and cereal. Quite full, we decided to walk it off. We cut through the Olympic Museum admiring current world records in athletic disciplines and sculptures. Down on Lake Geneva’s edge we turned right and walked past Ouchy, we looked at the old styled boats moored in the marinas. Gavin still thought he was in NZ and wore shorts, this was a bit keen given the temperature! The ducks and swans seemed happy enough though Walked p the hill through the botanic gardens which offered great views back over the lake. Back home it was present time! Woohoo. I was super stoked with my wee haul. A heart rate monitor from Michelle, a dress watch from M+D and a hoody and book from Gav. Christmas Lunch was mini quiches, bread rolls and salmon, yum. Time for a walk, this time we (minus michelle) took Gav’s new tennis racquet and ball. We had some catches in the park then walked along the lake front in the opposite direction from this morning. The high winds turned the lake into a surf beach, with waves breaking on the rocks and splashing up. We walked to the first marina before Lutre then back along the road. Dad Gav and I had a game of quiddler. Michelle woke up and we started ‘happy hour’ With the turkey cooking in the oven we had a few wines. Our christmas meal consisted of tomato soup for entre, stuffed turkey main with winter veg and traditional Christmas pudding and custard for dessert. More quiddler after the meal, this time we played teams with Mum and Dad taking out the game. Late night, bed at midnight.
Slept in, 8pm. Michelle and I went for a run along the lake front to Lutre and had fun with my new heart rate monitor. Quick breakfast , while we were out running Dad booked tickets online for Glacier 3000. We turned Dad’s car into a seven seater and then drove around the northern shore of lake Geneva we saw Nestle’s headquarters and the picturesque town of Vevey. After a brief stop we got back in the car and went further on to Aigles. After Dad found a car park (that looked free) we decided to grab something to eat before getting on the train so we had coffees, quiches and bread rolls. The train trip (12:55) was no ordinary train trip it was a truly alpine experience, we climbed 1500 metres up the valley, past a castle, vinyards, chalets covered in snow and through tunnels. Another thing I noticed was the rugged fences designed to stop rock falls. The train terminated at the snow town of Diabelerets. From there we caught a bus to Col du Pillon. Once the bus stopped it was time for the most extreme gondala I have ever seen, split into two stages it took us from 2000 metres to 3000 metres. Thats 1 km straight up! At the top were ski fields, chair lifts, a restaurant, shops and a view to behold. We climbed to the lookout up the stairs, at the very top with the wind it was soo cold that it hurt to stay up there longer than 5 minutes. We took photo’s before our poor fingers could take no more. From the top we could see the swiss pre-alps and some of the French alps including Mount Blanc (the highest mountain in france). After warming up in the restaurant we took the chairlift up and down a small slope (my first chairlift experience) then packed in the gondala with the other hundred skiers and boarders. The ride down was like a slow motion free fall! At the bottom of the gondola the bus took ages so Gavin and I wrestled to keep warm, the others stamped their feet and whined about the cold. I also talked to a friendly American man about hiring ski/boarding gear. The bus back to diabelerets was nice and warm, before the train left I had a chance to dash into ‘Jacky sports’ to get info on hiring gear. Home by 5pm. Turkey wraps, mousse and icecream for dinner. After dinner the others played 5-crowns while I sorted out our snowboarding and skiing adventure for tomorrow. Bed by 10.30pm.
Woke up early 6.00 am for my first day on the slopes. Checked the weather, it was clear and good conditions were predicted. Driving this time to Diabelerets it only took us 45 minutes, traffic was light and we arrived at 8.30 am just in time for the equipment hire store to open. Getting all the gears sorted was time intensive and by the end of it I felt weighed down like a deep sea diver. We hit the beginner slopes at 9.10 am. At first going straight was fine but turning was a different ball game and it took me a few wipe outs to get the hang of it. I kept crash landing on the same spot on my body, my left hip and left forearm, by the end of the day they had taken an absolute pummeling and were very bruised and swollen. After a couple of hours of confidence building on the beginner slopes we hit the main piste(s). We took the chair lift up and the view was primo, a crystal clear day, nice powder snow, and happy skiers everywhere. The long chair lift ended and we had to board down a short run to take another chair lift right to the top about 2000 metres up. Every run I was improving. We went to the fields over the back and had some great riding in the bright sunshine. Then I had to negiotiate my first T-bar lift and I kept falling off, because my board had a mind of its own and decided to steer off the track! It was so frustrating I tried twice in the end I gave up and walked up the steepest slope in knee deep snow (other skiers grinned as they watched me clambering up, at least it was good fitness!). It took me 30 minutes to walk up to the top and I was shattered. Gavin was patiently waiting at the top. Michelle didn’t fair much better than me although a kind boarder assisted her up the t-bar lift. After recovering at the top and a drink of water I boarded / bundled my way down some pretty steep slopes. Fortunately my final run was really good, in front of Mum and Dad and a camera. At the bottom Michelle and I rested for lunch (chocolate biscuits/ bananas / rolls and water) while Mum and Dad borrowed our passes and went up to check out the views. Time for one more run, this time it was 200% better and I began to get my balance right and get a feel for the board. The weather was closing in with blizzard conditions up the top of the mountain. So we ended it there, bruised and battered but absolutely elated at the same time. Returned the gear, then boosted home for a hearty meal of Mazetti, vanilla ice cream with fruit and a few stiff whisky’s to ease the pain. Played a duel game of quiddler and 5-crowns to end the night. What a great day!!!
The next day was very low key as our bruised and battered bodies didn’t permit us to do anything too active. The weather was pretty grotty as well, so we decided to go into town to check it out. We walked to the ...... stop on the metro and went a couple of stops into the centre of town. Town was pretty typical for a European city, shops, a square and a cathedral. The Cathedral was very big and had very distinctive (dark) stained glass windows. As well as feeling sore, I was also a bit under the weather with a bit of a head cold/flu. We walked home in the sleaty rain. I caught a few winks then woke up to see Gavin off with his friend Sophie and her boyfriend Manfrid. Manfrid was pretty hard case with stories about living in Switzerland, speeding tickets, working for the national guard, guns and others. We all sat down had dinner then after some Austrian biscuits they took off somewhere in Europe. More quiddler then bed and reading.
Woke up 8.30 a.m. showered then breakfast. After a quick tidy up we all went to Le Olympic Museum. We picked up audio guides and wandered through. Points of interest were:
•The different types of medals.
•The various styles of torch from the games.
•Bob sled weight 630kg
•Memorabilia of the athlete’s, including the speedo’s of the novice swimmer at the Sydney Olympics.
•Stepping through the history of the games from its inception to its reinception to some of the notable events (good and bad) – Munich / Moscow / Berlin / Women’s participation.
•The sculptures outside the Museum (moving abs, man with umbrella) and current world records displayed in the high jump, pole vault and shot put.
Back home for lunch – Salmon Pizza, rolls. Then we had one last game of quiddler for Marcus before he left. At 3.30pm we left for France, stopping at the supermarket on the way for supplies. Crossing the border was easy and we popped into a place called Gex for a strong coffee. Crossed back over the border to drop Marcus of at Geneva Airport. Home by 7 pm. Drunk mulled wine, and chatted away. Mum and I made lamb kebabs, which were so good. Chatted more after dinner then played quiddler until midnight.
Our last day in Switzerland. Slept in until 9 am, then had breakfast together. Michelle and I wandered down to Ouchy in the rain and I found some patches and Michelle was fascinated by the cuckoo clocks. Then back along the waterfront and up through the Olympic museum. Time for another game of quiddler then off to Chillon Castle via the small hill side towns. Highlights of the castle were:
•The dungeon at / below lake level
•Wood panelled ceilings
•Characteristic style of seating by the windows
•The defence systems at the castle
•The toilets
•The views from the keep
•Its strategic position as a toll on goods and traffic between Italy and Europe.
From the castle we drove back to Athletica just outside of Lausanne. It was a massive sports store and I found some snowboarding pants and Michelle some casual shoes. We had a drink in the cafe just outside the store then drove straight to the airport. No drama’s with getting golf clubs on the plane, said our goodbyes then flew out on schedule. A great Christmas in Switzerland.
