Kilometres Walked : 5.9 ( not many😳)

Wednesday 28th June, 2023.

Feeling especially spoilt with our personal tour guide and friend Catherine we delighted in getting to try some of the local delicacies. Catherine who is my mother’s very good friends niece who lives here in Dijon very kindly offered to pick us up and take us out into the Burgandy country side for the day. Our destination was Beaune, a very quaint village about 40 minutes south of Dijon. Beaune is well known for the Hotel Dieu – Hospices de Beaune, a 15th century hospital with it’s famous multi coloured roof tiles and gothic architecture that’s now open to the public as a museum which is a must visit. Patriarchs Pere et Fils is also a another must visit as the owners of the biggest and largest wine cellars in Burgandy that was established in 1796 in a former ladies convent. With over five kilometres of underground cellars/tunnels it is completely mind blowing. And the wine tasted lovely as well 🍷

After a wonderful and fascinating visit to Patriarche it was time to try some of the wonderful local dishes on offer. Settling on a lovely little cafe we all ordered the three course set menu. Jason had the escargot for entree and Catherine and I both ordered the terrine. For the main we had the Beef Bourguignon and a lovely cassis mousse for dessert. Everything was delicious and yes I even tried the snails, they weren’t to bad. We also tried a Kir for an aperitif which is a mixture of crème de cassis, a dark blackcurrant liqueur and dry white wine. Again very delicious.

After a lovely chat with our neighbouring table ( a couple from the Netherlands ) and coffee we headed off to the Hospices de Beaune. Surprisingly the hospital was still active until as recently as 1955.

Beaune was such a beautiful and interesting town, with more old French buildings, flowers and cafes. It was such a treat to be taken out for the day by Catherine. On the journey back to Dijon we detoured through the thousands of acres of vineyards and little French villages that dotted the roadside throughout. It was so picturesque with flower boxes, old stone cottages, colourful shutters, little narrow winding roads, wine cellars and cafes. We’ve never seen so many vineyards before, it was quite unbelievable.

We are ever so grateful that Catherine was so generous in taking us out for the day whilst here in Dijon. It was a fabulous experience and we have also gained a new friend. What a special day indeed.

Kilometres Walked : 9

Tuesday June 27th, 2023.

Stalls and stalls of fresh fruit and vegetables as far as the eye could see. Les Halles Market located in the heart of the historic district is an absolute must visit. The beautiful ironwork framed building that houses many of the stalls is a work of art in itself, and then bordering it outside and down many alleyways are even more stalls with fresh produce, clothing, antiques, cheese, meat, seafood, fresh bread, olives and other delicacies. Our mouths were literally watering as we wandered around trying to decide who to purchase from. We picked up some delicious fresh produce to make a ratatouille for dinner (yes so French I know) and fresh bread and organic yogurt for breakfast. Mmm, looking forward to tasting all of it I might add. We also finally had a decent cappuccino at this cute little coffee/wine bar right in the middle of the markets where we also met a lovely Irish couple who we sat with and had a great chat to. Ironically one of them turned out to be a Keleher (Jason’s mum’s maiden name) but with an extra L so maybe he is a 4th or 5th cousin😁

After filling our bags with lots of goodies we headed back to the apartment for lunch, and I can tell you the bread was amazing. The afternoon was spent going for a stroll through the streets once again looking at the beautiful architecture and trying to find some op shops. Everywhere you turn there is another beautiful old building and then another really cute timber one and then another shop selling gingerbread which just smells so amazing you have to really stop yourself from buying yet another packet! What a foodie delight Dijon is and not just at the markets.

Yes we found a couple of op shops. One was a little on the expensive side and one was closed but then we found one just near our apartment and both managed to find a new shirt each. Winners!

Kilometres Walked : Saturday 8.9, Sunday 6.2, Monday 10.5.

Monday June 26th, 2023.

Saturday was spent wandering around the Botanical Gardens in Bern, then a lovely walk along the Aare River, with some much needed rest in the afternoon. (Had to give the legs a rest!) We did pop out for a little late afternoon stroll to watch the famous clock with it’s dancing bears but ended up being a little disappointed at the performance. Possibly the best show is only at 12pm? We never did find out. So with that in mind we went for a last walk to see the real live bear’s across the river. Perfect timing for us as all three of them were in the bear pit lolling about in their little pool trying to cool off.

With a nice quiet early night we packed up and headed off to a new country on Sunday morning. Viva la France. Our first destination for this leg of France is Dijon. The first thing that hit us once we arrived was the heat. Wow it felt like we were back in Brisbane in the middle of Summer. With a perfect blue sky it certainly made it just that little bit warmer with all the heat just radiating off all the old stone buildings. What made it worse is that we were both wearing jeans and hiking boots with backpacks on. (First world problem I know) After a lovely lunch next door to our apartment we stripped off even more layers and headed out for a little walk. We didn’t last long at that time of the afternoon when it is definitely hottest. After finally finding a supermarket that sells alcohol on a Sunday Afternoon (yes you read that correctly, the large supermarket didn’t) we locked ourselves in the apartment with a cold beer and the aircon cranked.

Today we headed out early to explore the streets and all the beautiful old buildings. Famous for Mustard and Gingerbread, Dijon is the gateway to the country’s principal wine making area, Burgandy. The city is filled with beautiful, historic buildings, cobbled streets, half timbered houses and narrow alleyways which make it the perfect place for a flaner. (The French term for wandering and just soaking it all in) We spent the morning wandering around and then visited the The Musee Des Beaux Arts De Dijon after lunch. The Museum of fine arts is situated in the Palace of the Dukes and Estates of Burgandy and is one of the oldest and richest museums in France. Being that it is also right in the heart of the city it meant we didn’t have to walk to many kilometres today which gave our legs and feet a nice reprieve. Our bodies are definitely starting to feel all the walking and hiking. We are struggling to do even 10 kilometres at the moment, so I think this week there will be a few afternoon siestas. (We may have to lay off the cheese now🤪)

We have yet to purchase any mustard but I did cave and buy some gingerbread today which was very yummy with our afternoon coffee. Bonne nuit!

Kilometres Walked : 16

Flights Climbed : 37

Friday June 23rd 2023.

Do you remember when we all used to wear a watch? It was unheard of not to have one. I know my favourite brand was the Swatch. Yes all those bright fun colours at a very affordable price. Then there are the more exclusive brands like Omega and Rolex, which are all designed and made right here in the land of watches and clocks. I’ve never encountered so many watch boutiques in my life. They are literally on every corner tempting you to walk in and browse around a little. Every Swiss person still wears a watch. Well what was I to do but join the crowd and purchase a watch for myself. Well two actually but considering I chose Swatch they were both very reasonably priced! I grew up wearing them and absolutely loved the uniqueness and bold and colourful designs. Then of course Mobile phones took over our need to wear a watch and I stopped wearing them. Time to leave the phone in the bag and start wearing a watch again I think. Don’t worry Jason purchased two for himself as well. Anyway what a beautiful old city Bern is. The unique green sandstone that dominates most of the buildings particularly in the old town is just stunning. With it’s late Baroque architecture and original cellars in the streets that were once used to store wine and grain that are now used for shops with direct access from the street, it’s a really easy walkable city.

The route took us right through the old town with it’s six kilometres of undercover arcades and across the Aare up to the colourful and fragrant Rose Garden with expansive views over the city. Once again we were stunned at the colour of the inner city river. We then passed the Bear Pit. The city of Bern has had a close relationship with the bear since it’s foundation. The bear appears on fountains, buildings and flags and visitors can see the three resident bears in the public Bear Park. Mumma, Pappa and baby bear reside in an area of about one and a half acres alongside the Aare River with naturalistic surroundings and tunnels for winter naps, plenty of trees to climb and an open area to the river where they can swim and catch fish. Whilst I definitely don’t agree with animals being in enclosure’s, they did seem to have a reasonable amount of space.

Roses, Bears, Swatches, Sandstone, Fountains, Flags, Clocks, Bridges, and beautiful architecture. Loving Bern.

Kilometres Walked : 7.6.

Flights Climbed : 11

Thursday 22nd June 2023.

Yes it was time to squash all of our belongings into the bags again and move on to the next city. We somehow seem to have accumulated more items! Zermatt has definitely been a big highlight of our trip. The character and beauty of the place is just unbelievable. It is everything you imagine Switzerland to be and more. The old town which we spent some time wandering around in on our much needed rest day was so insanely cute and blends in to the modern town seamlessly. The residents have so much pride in their beautiful town and keep it so neat and tidy with an abundance of flower pots on display throughout the place. The high altitude certainly took some getting used to. We seemed to be quite good with it in St Moritz but we definitely felt it more in Zermatt with some fatigue and shortness of breath on our hikes. I can now understand why athletes live and train in high altitude areas. We said goodbye to Zermatt this morning and hopped on the train to the city of Bern. Bern is the capital of Switzerland and has successfully retained it’s historic features. The medieval air of this city with it’s many fountains, sandstone facades and narrow streets is quite unique and let’s not forget the pristine Aare river that flows through the city which is an amazing arctic ice blue colour.

With a balmy Summers day greeting us in Bern, we just had a little stroll around to familiarise ourselves with the main area. If it gets any warmer we may just brave a swim in the Aare!

Kilometres Walked : 20

Flights Climbed : 180

Are we walking through a fairytale? Do Fairies live under those rocks? Will we have to pay the Troll to cross the bridge? These were the thoughts going through our minds as we hiked up through the pine forest today. Every fairytale book we read as children came flooding back to us as we traversed through the tall pine trees with abandoned old huts dotted throughout and wildflowers lining the path. We really were walking through another land altogether. Starting from our Studio and heading straight into the forest up behind us we ascended for about 2 hours through a very magical place. We were extremely lucky to spot one red deer on the way. Our destination was to reach at least one of five lakes on the five lakes route. Most people just catch the chairlift up and walk to all the lakes and then catch the chairlift back down, but we opted to walk up hence we only made it to three of the lakes. But what a magical walk it turned out to be, with deer, squirrel’s, fairie’s😜, and the one thing we wanted to see the most, the famous black faced sheep. What a treat that was indeed. They are so fluffy and cute and we had a small group come right down to us on the track.

After our very unexpected and exciting encounter with the sheep we came to a group of hamlets called Findeln. With beautiful mountain top restaurants, old huts and the cutest little chalets we once again felt like we were in the middle of a fairytale. And let’s not forget our favourite furry creatures the Marmots. They are definitely the most entertaining little cuties.

We made it to Moosjisee lake, Grindjisee lake and Grunsee lake. All three were beautiful in different ways. Moosjisee lake was the most amazing artic blue colour and Grunsee lake was a swimming lake. And yes we witnessed one brave chap jump in. Once we had reached Grindjisee lake the crowds started to filter through. We discovered it is definitely a popular walk. Wildflowers were out in abundance as were our little friends the Marmots. Finding a quiet spot away from the humans we enjoyed our lunch with a view of the small waterfall. Starting to feel it in the legs we then opted to start heading back down to Zermatt.

Walking through a fairytale for our last hike in Switzerland was absolutely beautiful. Zermatt is an incredible place that really does just look like the postcards.

Kilometres Walked : 15km

We excitedly boarded the Gornergrat Bahn at 8am for our journey to 3100 metres above sea level. The cog railway has been operating for 125 years now and once aboard you have a constant view of The Matterhorn. (When there aren’t any clouds about that is) Once we arrived at the top we stepped out to a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. Whilst not as high as we were on the Matterhorn Glacier Palace we had a completely different perspective of the scenery before us, with a fabulous view of the Gorner Glacier. With a length of about 12.9 kms the Gorner Glacier is the third longest glacier in Switzerland. We spent quite a bit of time just sitting and taking it all in. It was just truly beautiful.

We were hoping to walk straight back down from Gornergrat but noticing how much snow was still about we opted to jump back on the train and get off at Rotenboden the next stop on the way down. And after watching several other hikers battling through the snow on the way back down, we knew we had definitely made the right decision. After sharing a seat and snack with a lovely fellow Aussie lady we met back up on Gornergrat we headed off on the trail to Zermatt. Joan the Australian was going to go down to next station and hike down from there as she was feeling the effects of the high altitude. The altitude definitely does take some getting used to, at times you can feel a little light headed and you really need to just take your time hiking so your body can adjust. The Mighty Matterhorn didn’t really show her peak again as the clouds rolled in but the views surrounding us on the hike down were as always stunning. Lots of funny marmots entertaining us again and of course more beautiful wildflowers and plenty of little waterfalls cascading down. Once we reached the pine forest the fresh scent of cut timber was heavy in the air again reminding us of the Norsca ad. (Must try to find some at the shops)

With extremely sore knees and legs we waddled back to our studio for a much appreciated cold beer. Another beautiful hike in a very special part of the world.

Kilometres Walked : 16 km

At 4,478 Metres above sea level and it’s almost perfect pyramid shape it is perhaps one of the most famous mountains in Europe if not the world. And of course who doesn’t remember the Toblerone ad. Blessed with a big blue sky nice and early this morning we caught the Gondola up to The Matterhorn Glacier Paradise, the highest cable car station in Europe. (3,383 metres above sea level) We had to journey on a series of gondolas today which was an engineering feat in itself. Soaring high above the village of Zermatt first then over the mountains was absolutely amazing. It’s quite unbelievable how they even built it.

The views from the top were completely breathtaking. There is still so much snow and apparently people ski all year round up here. Who would have thought hey. Watching the climbers heading up Breithorn was just mesmerising. I really wished we were experienced enough and had the right gear to be able to head up. Sounds like a great excuse for another trip I think. This was just the start of a fabulous day. After having a great chat to a group of Kiwi neighbours we went in search for the Matterhorn Glacier Palace. Hopping in a lift we descended 15 metres underground to tunnels and sculptures carved into the ice. How clever and amazing indeed. They even had a tunnel/slide where all the big kids were having more fun than the little kids. (No we didn’t do it)

On the way back down we stopped at two of the stations to take more photos and have a little wander around. From Schwarzsee you can walk up to the Matterhorn but obviously there is way to much snow at the moment and to reach the peak you need to be a professional climber. We were more than happy to wander around the base for a little while then make our way to Furi where we then opted to walk back down to Zermatt. We were literally walking through the quintessential Switzerland. There was just to much cuteness and to finish off the day we were lucky enough to watch a small herd of absolutely beautiful cows with their big cow bells on move through from one field along our walking track to a nearby barn. What a special treat for us.

Such an amazing day and feeling very grateful we had big blue skies all morning before the clouds came over and covered The Matterhorn. We didn’t really know what to expect here at Zermatt but I can definitely say it’s in our top five of prettiest places we have been to so far.

Kilometres Walked : Friday 9.6 km, Saturday 6.5 km

Saturday 17th June, 2023

If you are ever in Switzerland and have the chance to board the Glacier Express, do it! The Glacier Express starts it’s journey at St Moritz and continues it’s travels over 291 kilometres with 291 bridges and 91 tunnels. At an average speed of 42 kilometres an hour, it is the slowest fastest train ride in the world at 8 hours long. We took out a second mortgage so we could spoil ourselves and travel in excellence class. And I can tell you it was worth every cent. With our armchair seats, 6 course degustation with perfect pairing of wine and first class service for the entire 8 hours we rolled off the train this afternoon.

Now the photos definitely can not do the scenery justice. The 8 hour journey flew by due to the fact that the scenery was completely jaw dropping. Mountain Peaks soaring high in the sky, glacial waters rushing down the valleys, the cutest Swiss timber houses with their quintessential window boxes, rolling green hills and of course thousands of wild flowers dotting the fields. Of course we forgot to take photos of any of the food. I can tell you though it was delicious and all the wine was fantastic.

We didn’t take to many photos as we were just enjoying not only the views but also the food. Arriving at Zermatt we literally rolled off the train into another alpine paradise. With completely different architecture to St Moritz and a completely different atmosphere we are super excited to see The Matterhorn and The Gornegrat and get some hiking in.

Kilometres Walked : 24

Flights Climbed : 190

Thursday 15th June, 2023

Another big day on the trail’s yesterday. Our goal was to climb as high as we could near Piz Nair. We didn’t get all the way to the peak as there was to much snow on the tracks but we were quite proud of the height we reached. At about 2800 metres we felt like we were on top of the world and at the same time on a completely different planet. We decided to actually stop at Heidi’s Hut on the way this time. What a cute little timber hut it was. You can just imagine it surrounded by snow in the winter, and then surrounded by all the crocuses popping up in the springtime.

Then the ascent began just behind the Signal Gondola Station. We slowly wound our way across the hills spotting plenty of the crazy Marmots and stopping regularly to enjoy the expansive views. What hilarious little creatures the Marmots are. They made us giggle on a regular basis along the way.

After winding our way around the side of Piz Nair we came around the final bend and there was Lake Suvretta. Wow, it was still mostly frozen and quite a lot of snow was sitting around on the trails. What a spectacular sight. The rugged peaks surrounding the lake and us were like somewhere on another planet. It was just truly breathtaking. A lot of these tracks are for the Mountain Bikers as well. Talk about extreme sports and extremely fit. It’s certainly not for the faint hearted.

From the lake we started to climb once more in the direction of Piz Nair but didn’t get very far as there was still to much snow over the tracks. But at 2800m (9100 ft) we were very pleased at how far we had come. There was even a ski chair lift at what felt like the middle of nowhere but I guess during ski season it would be very busy. It was hard to believe that everywhere we had been walking would normally be blanketed in metres of snow. What a spectacular sight that would be.

What an incredible place St Moritz is. Even though we didn’t make it to the top of Piz Nair we had a fabulous time hiking. The Gondola that takes you up there is closed until the end of the month so we couldn’t get up there that way either. We had the most amazing time. You just become mesmerised by the scenery and you can’t help but just stop and perch on a rock and stare in wonder at the surroundings. It’s a very magical place. The rugged snow capped mountain peaks, the delicate and beautiful wildflowers, the very funny & cute Marmots, the tall swaying pine trees, the stunning scenery and the beautiful alpine architecture. We felt very grateful to be able to explore the area as much as we did.