Parting

Our final ski trip while living in der Schweiz was to Flims-Laax Falera, in the Graubuenden region. That was March, this is October. Clearly you can see where I wish I was and what I wish I was doing as I sit here. I have done a lot of snow blogging. This one will be different. Just one story and just one photo for now. It is about The Longest Descent.

We ended our dwelling in Switzerland by spending a few days skiing, big surprise. One last hurrah before happily heading Back to Real Life. The snow had started to melt and the weather was warm. All very symbolic. We skied long and hard, wined, dined, walked, photographed and saunaed as much as we could before we had to give it all back, just as we had all season, at all the other places. Parting is such sweet sorrow.

On the last day, at lunch, I verbalized it. I had been thinking about it for a while, keeping it to myself. My poor husband was sick and tired and needed bedrest, but was putting up a good front and sticking it out in the snow for me, despite the fever. I knew he was nearing his end for the day. The thought of leaving, Leaving, was just too much for me to bear. So I verbalized it. I was going to ski one final run, which was The Longest Descent. I saw it on the map and it boasted a whopping 17 kilometers in length. And I would do it before I left, alone if need be, because I could.

It was getting late when I verbalized. We were on the gondola, one of several we needed to take to get from the far away Falera back to Flims where we were staying. He looked at me and shook his head in protest. We had already skied so much, it was getting late and dark, I was tired and shouldn't be skiing alone. What if I got lost? He didn't want to lose me, you know. What if I got hurt? It was too far to go to get to the top in time to get to the bottom in time. What if I didn't make it back in time to get the shuttle to the hotel? He would worry about me too much. The list of protests was long. But I could not be swayed. The prospect of skiing one run that was 17 kilometers was enough for me to make it one good last run.

The fact was, I had skied most of the sections that make up The Longest Descent over the course of the past few days, just not all at once. I needed to be able to say I did it. So at the top of the last gondola, I said I was going and would see him back at the hotel, probably in the sauna. But that wasn't good enough. He put up a fight. In the end, it was The Longest Descent in return for me handing over my camera. My precious camera? Nein!!!! It went with me everywhere in the mountains. It was always ready in my coat pocket. I was always stopping or wandering here and there to take photos, sometimes trailing behind. That was like taking away one glove or a ski boot. I would be incomplete without it. And how could I document The Longest Descent then?

But I did it. I gave it up, kissed him goodbye and was off. Basically, I had to make like a bunny clear across the area to get to the top to go back down. It involved going up a lift, then skiing down a portion to another lift that would cross, then repeating this process about 3 times in order to traverse to where I needed to be. I skied hard and fast and skated through the flat spots. I got to the point where I was alone, the only one around. It was so quiet and beautiful. Wish I had my camera.

Finally, I got off the last lift and skated as fast as I could to the final portion. I needed to take the J-bar to the very top of the 17 kilometers, then start The Longest Descent. I crested a small hill, saw the base of the J-bar in the near distance. It was downhill from there. I got into a tuck and cruised over. About 200 feet away, the J-bar stopped moving. Then up went a sign, that I barely even noticed in my rush to get there.

Geschlossen was what the sign read. The little bit of German that I had learned helped me to realize that the J-bar had just closed. What do you mean, Mr. Swiss Lift Man, Geschlossen? How can that be? It was 3:30. Most of the higher up lifts, gondolas and J-bars close at 3:30. NEIN!!!!!!!! My watch said 3:29. But there is no arguing with the Swiss about time or watches. Both of which they seem to have perfected. I was done.

I pouted, huffed, puffed and realized that I missed skiing, in its entirety, The Longest Descent by a matter of minutes. So I just did what I could and skied the rest. I guess I skied 16.5 kilometers all at once. I did it, I had already skied all day, and 2 days before that, and at least every weekend since New Year's. I had logged more ski days this season than I had any other before. I loved it. I was lucky. I had thigh burn, but it was worth it. After all, it was my last ski day in der Schweiz. It was all worth it. I sighed, breathed in the fresh air, unbuckled my helmet and got on the bus to go home, both literally and figuratively.

I look forward to next season, skiing, my friend.....

Threesome

My perfect threesome? That's simple - the Eiger, Jungfrau and Moench. Three glorious mountains in the Jungfrau region of Switzerland. Another weekend was spent last February skiing and enjoying all the Swiss Alps have to offer.

Grindelwald-Wengen, how do I love thee? With much passion and lust. I miss you. Your skiing is amazing. Your deep valley, dear Lauterbruennen, is beautiful beyond any others I have known. With so many choices, I felt as though I covered the globe on skis, toboggan or zipline when I was with you. You are so good at keeping things fresh and interesting. I love the tiny villages to ski through, the livestock and your architecture. Your people are warm and welcoming. Your lodging is top notch. And you really have perfected the trains. Never before have I had to cross railroad tracks to get to where I was headed to ski, on my skis. You have so much to offer, but selfishly, I wish I didn't have to share you with anyone else. So here are some, not all, of your secrets.

Scott hanging with the locals

May I live here?

This time, we stayed at the luxurious Sunstar Hotel in Wengen (http://www.sunstar.ch). We parked our car and took the train up to Wengen. At the stop, we were graciously fetched by the staff in a fun little electric cart, gear and all, and whisked away to the hotel. At check in, we were offered warm mulled wine which was a pleasant start to a fabulous stay, even though it was still before noon (scandalous!). Sunstar stays cost a bit more, but are worth it. The service and personal attention is incredible. I felt a little like a rock star. Each property is owned by a family, most of which live on site. They treat you as though you are their personal guests. No detail is overlooked.

the view from our room at the Sunstar

Soon we learned that the hotel ski room has heated boot racks, which pretty much guaranteed toasty dry boots in the morning. I LOVE this feature. We spent our early evenings at the pool or sauna or wandering around town. Dinner and breakfast at the hotel were not to be missed. Especially dessert buffet night. Do it, go nuts and don't feel guilty. You can ski it off the next day.

Getting to the slopes was cake. Just walk across the street and there you are at the gondola. Spend your day exploring the area. The conditions are fantastic and varied. And the place is so vast, that you feel like you are the only one there.

the train runs right through the slopes

gratuitous ski porn

followed by more gratuitous ski porn

truly a ski-in village

Lust

At this very moment, I am awaiting the departure of the electricians for the day. I am really hungry for lunch and the kitchen was supposed to be done by now. We don't have far to go, but as I sit here, I can't help but think back to beautiful Zermatt and a lunch to remember, actually I am lusting after it as this moment.....

Chez Vrony, http://www.chezvrony.ch, was recommended to us by my husband's colleague. He said if we visited Zermatt, this was a place we must stop at. He was right, it was amazing and I am here to tell you why.

Findeln is a town far above Zermatt. It is accessible by hiking, the Klein Matterhorn gondola and Sunnegga ski lift. It usually requires a combination of both. I love that the map on their website is hand drawn in black and white and involves elevations and ski lifts! The number of buildings in Findeln can probably be counted on both hands. I think the cows and sheep outnumber the humans and that isn't so bad. From whatever super-engineered Swiss mountain transport system you choose to get you up there, still expect at least a 30 minute walk, up, down and all around. But it is so worth the trip.

Chez Vrony is a site furnishings paradise. As a landscape designer, I geeked out a little about it and took tons of photos. Take a look at the first one above. The important thing to remember about this place is that it is remote, at 2100 meters. There is no Swiss Haus Depot to buy stuff. Everything they need, I mean everything, must be carried in, year round. Toboggans come in handy for cargo in the winter, but you are going to be lugging it all yourself in the non-snow times of the year. Whether a result of necessity or not, the design is rustic. Lots of wood, used in unusual ways, such as stumps for table leg bases. In typical Swiss fashion, they have cozy wool blankets and fur seat covers to ensure that you are comfortable while dining outdoors. The lounge-stylie curved seating is oriented to maximize the views of the Matterhorn and the neighboring animals.

And then there are the food and libations. Just like the Alps, the beers are tall. I normally do not indulge in alcohol while hiking as a result of the resulting need for facilities. But it looked way too tasty to resist. And my husband reassured me that we would be there long enough that I wouldn't spend the afternoon cursing the beer for my full bladder. The Swiss like to linger and dine, so service is usually at an accommodating pace.

If you are a meat-eater, this place may provide you with nirvana. They cure their own meats, all different kinds of meats. And make their own Bergkaese, or mountain cheese, too. They even grow their own organic produce up there too.

We started by sharing a bowl of pumpkin curry cream soup. The texture was so light and the drizzle of oil on top was perfect. I had the typical Swiss staple of raclette, served with potatoes, gherkins and onions. Always a satisfying choice. Scott had on e of the dried meat entrees that Chez Vrony is famous for. It really was enough for several people. I helped a little. He enjoyed it a lot.

Then we proceeded from our table in the shade to a sunny spot near the edge of the deck, to take in the amazing views of the Matterhorn and the nice sheep next door. We lingered for a while with our Alp-sized beers and when we were comfortably warmed by the sun, we headed back up, down and all around. We could not have asked for a better way to spend a few hours one afternoon in the mountains.

Paradise

You are going to think I am a little crazy, and perhaps even more crazy for what I am about to tell you. Know that I have no regrets. It is my favorite mode of transport, and perfect for the landscape architect. It is green and mean. The views are great and the 'road' is ever-changing. No static scenery to get bored with here. My favorite method of transportation: Tobogganing.


Yes, I have talked about and shown you tobogganing before. But I finally made it to the mother of all toboggan runs. THE LONGEST TOBOGGAN RUN IN THE WORLD. Yup, I did it and I loved it and I will go back and do it again. I now have tobogganing cred. I can run with the big dogs. February was a great month.

We took a trip to my beloved Jungfrau Region to do the Faulhorn-Bussalp Grindelwad toboggan run. Not for the wimpy, as it has a pretty good hike to get to the top. You start by taking the various gondolas and chairlifts up to the top. Then you proceed to hike with your sled up another 3 hours or so. This hike takes you through quiet, pristine snowy wonderland, with the exception of the few others doing exactly what you are. The groups tend to be pretty fun, stopping for sausage cookouts and drinks along the way. The hike is strenuous, as it is mostly uphill at a high altitude. But it is so worth it when you make it to the start of the toboggan run. You are about to embark on 15 km of pure, unadulterated snowy tobogganing bliss.


I felt a little like a kid in a candy store. At the top we were so hot and tired from hiking, despite the fact that my handy zipper thermometer said it was 10 degrees Fahrenheit. It was pretty windy and you don't want to stay at the top long. The only thing marking the trail was a simple fence and the knowledge of the others who had done this before. The boys were quickly off, at warp speed.


I tend to really appreciate working limbs and an uncracked head, as well as the views that surround me. So I go a little slower, savoring each view and noticing lots along the way. I periodically jump off and take photos, only to be distracted by even more stuff to photograph. The weather was great that day, so lots of photographs were taken. Eventually, I catch up with the boys and we keep moving.


I was so tempted to take some video along the way. But I wimped out a bit and decided against it. There are no guardrails and lots of curves mean lots of chances to run a muck in the snowbanks. Something that doesn't do good things for electronics.


One curve was particularly interesting. I found the guys waiting for me, expecting me to crash. It was a particularly long steep section with a big curve and a fairly friendly run-away lane. And I did just that. I am always happy to amuse. Then I had to climb back up and you can see in this photo how deep I sunk in the snow, right to my knees.


At one point, around a big curve, we came across an alpenhut, seemingly unavailable to anyone but tobogganers. I suppose it is open for hikers in summer, too, but no skiers were making it here. Many were enjoying sausages and cold beer or warm Gluewein. There was even a DJ. But we weren't there for DJ's, we were on the LONGEST TOBOGGAN RUN IN EUROPE! So on we pressed.


I was overtaken by the urge to take photos again and stopped for a bit to do so. Guess it was longer than expected. I continued down and realized that the trail split. Still didn't see the guys. Hmmm. I asked a fellow tobogganer who also was looking for her mates whether the trails ended up in the same spot. Negative. Hmmm. She politely suggested to just call them to find out which way they went. Have I mentioned that I was the only person in Switzerland without a cell phone? Hmmm. So I decided to think like a guy and see which way I would go if I was them. This worked and I found them. The funny part was that they had been waiting a while and the person I spoke to came by and told them I went the other way and would meet them in town. Apparently my husband didn't think that was so funny and relegated me to the front, so as not to lose me again. But that didn't last too long and I was happily snapping photos in the back again.


Some parts of the trail follow the road, so you must share the road with buses. Yikes. But I quickly learned that toboggans go faster on these roads than buses. And I am sure it is entertaining for the driver, following a good distance behind you, to watch you crash and burn on the icy curves of the road.


The trail ended by passing through a few villages. Unfortunately for us, the lower snow had nearly melted, so we had to walk a little at the end. But I got to see some adorable alpine architecture along the way. All in all, it took about an hour to toboggan 15 km. Not bad. Well worth the semi-painful hike up. I would do it all again tomorrow if I could. And if I could get a job where I could toboggan to work daily, I would do it in a heartbeat.


Oh, I failed to mention what we did before this toboggan trip. After arriving in Grindelwald, we looked up the First Flieger or First Flyer. First is the name of a town. The Flieger is a seated zip line type of contraption. It is 45 m up in the air, parallel to a gondola. The run is about 800 m long and goes a max speed of 84 km/52 mph! It was really cloudy when we did it, so you couldn't see too much except the gondola and an occasional tree top below. It lasts about 45 seconds. I believe that the First Flieger is the only of its kind in Europe to date. And it was created by some crazy Americans. Awesome.


I am so going to miss all the snowy fun that Switzerland has to offer.

They Were Part of the Mountain Landscape

I went to Interlaken to look for my family. My ancestors that is, two of my father's grandparents were from Switzerland. My grandmother's parents. Yes, I know they are long deceased and physically looking for them will not help. But the search persists, regardless.

Just the fact that I took the car was Field Trip material enough. I don't drive here. Scott does. I bike and take public transportation, because the Swiss make it way too easy not to. At least around town anyway. I grabbed my camera, the GPS, forgot my scarf and headed out.

I have spent some time looking for info on my great grandparents online since I have been here. Some lovely family member of mine has done much of the work, so it was pretty easy to find the simple details, like who, when and how. The where part is the tricky part. The records from US Immigration are very clear. But the Swiss heritage part is not. I know that my great grandmother, GGM, came from Bern. Whether that is the Canton or the City, who knows. And I know that she lived in Interlaken and possibly Spiez. I only know this because of a 40 year old travel journal from my GM's trip to Switzerland. It says that a cousin took her to see the house her mother lived in in Interlaken. That is pretty clear. But, of course, there was no address or photo.

I know even less about my GGF. Could have been Bern, could have been Zurich, maybe both. Either way, we think that they were farmers and the family name originates in the Emmenthal region, so this all sounds right. But I know not their Heimatrecht. This is the needle in the proverbial haystack, that would potentially solve the mysteries. Or not.

As for all the random cousins mentioned in my GM's travel journal, I have no idea who they are. Yet. My days here are numbered, this time at least, so in the spirit of getting on with things, I just decided to stop looking for a needle in a haystack and just go on a Field Trip.

I have sort of done some shadowing in my GM's footsteps. I have seen some of what she visited, been some of the same places. But this particular route is where she spent a lot of time. We have been going skiing in the Bernese Oberland the last few weeks and the drive takes me past towns that sound familiar. They are mentioned in her journal.

A few weeks ago, after skiing, we stopped in Spiez. It was early evening and kind of cloudy. But I was able to snap a few photos of the town, lake and castle. Thanks Scott. I know you were tired and sore from a long weekend on the snow.

My trip to Interlaken was solo. I had time to really wander. I saw the Aare River, Interlaken Castle, churches and lots of mountains. It is a bit touristy, but still a charming town, nestled in a valley, between two lakes. I wandered up and down streets, in and out of shops, in and out of historic places. All the while I was taking photos and freezing because I forgot that scarf.

I realized after a bit that I was really looking for something, but didn't know what. Then it hit me. I was looking for them. Clearly GGF and GGM and all the random cousins, aunts, uncles and others that may still be alive were not going to walk up to me and say, "Hello. You finally made it. You belong to us. Let us fill in all the blanks for you." But I wished for that to happen, just like that.

As I was wandering, Seeing all the sights, I couldn't help but wonder. Was that the house GGM lived in? That farm looks nice and cozy and from the right time period. Maybe that was where GGF worked. Then I would notice names of businesses. Again, some were the same names that were mentioned in my GM's journal. It all gets kind of creepy, but in a good way. But at the same time, it was kind of lonely and a little sad that I don't get to know and See my GGM's house this time around.

Then I began to think about what I might have in common with these ancestors. I know nothing about them, other than their names. Do I look like them, do I have certain traits that they had? Who knows. But I did feel like I look like the people in this part of Switzerland. I saw men that look like my Dad, Santa with a tan face. I see old women that look like my GM. This I noticed the first time we went to this area. So maybe this is where they lived.

But why did they leave Switzerland? I guess I will never know that. I don't know if they lived on an Alp or down in town. I don't know if they had brown hair like me. But hopefully someday I will find some more genealogy answers and come to some conclusions. It would be pretty amazing to visit with living, distant family members here someday. Maybe I will speak better Deutsch by then.

No one jumped out and offered me my ancestry on a silver platter. So it was time to move on. Time to cross another thing off my Swiss List. I love lists. Scott says that is where my Swissness becomes evident. On to Thun, another small mountain and lake town.

GM had been to Thun, too. I was there to see an art exhibit. It was at Kunstmuseum Thun. The translation of the title of the exhibit is "Shifting Landscapes. Works from the Collection." http://www.kunstmuseum-thun.ch/index.php?id=335&L=1 It is sort of an homage to the disappearance of pristine, untouched mountain landscapes. Just like what my ancestors knew Switzerland to be, before infrastructure appeared. It was amazing. Each piece, really, had its own voice, told a different story. I had the place to myself, literally. So I lingered and looked and Saw all I could. My favorites were by Monika Ursina Jaeger and one piece called Matterhorn Project.

This stuff was right up a landscape architect's allee. Pun intended. Just the type of stuff that my eyes wander to, too regularly. The details that no one else notices, that I will spend hours photographing. But, despite the statement, I must admit that I think some infrastructure is beautiful, too. In a different way, it can be sexy.

When I was done with the exhibit, I thought about what to See next. Should I go look around Thun? Then I started getting that nagging feeling of needing to know something concrete about my ancestors again. I realized that what drew me to the Bernese Oberland in the first place, way back when we first arrived in Switzerland, was the mountains. Heck, that's what drew me to this art museum today. They are everywhere and I like that. In fact, it is as if the lake just laps right up on the mountain's feet here. My guess is that my ancestors didn't ski, but they spent lots of time in the mountains, either swimming, tending to the herd, making cheese, or picking crops. They were part of the mountain landscape. So maybe that is where I get my love of all things high and snowy. That would really explain a lot.

Switzerland - The Land of Milk, Money and Snow

Tobogganing again! After a little too much Friday night revelry (Sri Lanken dinner party at a friend's), we got up and started to get ready to go. The car failed to start. Never a good way to begin the weekend. But after a little time, the nice man came and jump started it. We finished getting packed and it failed to start up again. I see a pattern developing. But, our car guy friend decided that all we needed to do was bump start it. This involved pushing the car while the driver pops the clutch to get it to start, or at least that is my translation of what occurred. Off we were to Melchsee-Frutt.

I picked this place, as opposed to the hundreds of other places to go, because they have an 8 km toboggan track! Nice! It was very snowy on the ride up. Thanks, Scott, again, for driving. There was about a foot of new snow and it was still snowing. So we get to the ticket booth and nice ticket lady tells me that all the sleds have already been rented. Grrrrumph. So we go to the rental store to see what nice rental boy has to say. Sure enough, no toboggans for us. But nice rental boy, being a local, tells us of another place to go, half an hour away. He is sure that they will have sleds. So off we go again, this time to Lungern-Schoenbuhl.

At the ticket counter, this time, we are told that the toboggan track is closed because of too much snow. Yes, I just said, TOO MUCH SNOW!!!!! I cannot comprehend too much snow. Ich verstehe nicht! But, I did understand that the toboggan won't make it through unless the snow is pretty packed. But, nice ticket booth lady tells us that we can just as nicely use the ski slopes to toboggan on (um, aren't they a little steeper than the track?). Up we go, on the gondola (which only runs when needed, BTW).

At the top, which is really just a bunch of Doppelmeyer lift equipment perched precariously on a steep point, we head to the rental shop to get our toboggans. Up the lift we go.

Very cold, poor visibility and we can't see if the slopes are groomed or not, from the lift. But there aren't many skiers this particular day. Despite the powder, they chose to stay home. The rest of the story involves the guys being guys and the girl being a girl. They proceeded to go down the steep head walls at full speed, crashing, burning and face-planting their way down. I am no wimpy girl when it comes to snow, but I acted with some caution and self-preservation technique. I chose the less-likely-to-bruise method of keeping my feet on the ground in some form of braking most of the time on the steeper head walls.

Trying to maneuver the toboggan through that much powder was very tricky and exhausting, but fun just the same. On flatter parts we had to walk, but the views were great. Most of the time, we were being serenaded by the sounds of helicopters and avalanche control. An occassional big BOOM coming from the shrouded hills above you is a sound I know and love from skiing.

When we got toward the end of the day, we noticed other tobogganers down near the bottom. There was a nice, even head wall that you could go down and hike back up to do it again, instead of taking the freezing cold, long, slow lift. It was here that we found the real experts.

A bunch of teenage boys and a big plastic sheet. Yup, you guessed it. They weren't having no stinkin' picnic on that sheet, but using it to sled down the hill. They put it down, climbed in, luge style, one behind the next, etc. They pulled the front and side flaps up and around themselves. Off they were, like a big, snowy caterpillar, inching its way, but fastly, through the snow. You could tell that they had done this before.

Near the end of the head wall, the veered to the left, into a very deep, untouched snow bank, to stop. This avoided a longer hike back up. Very efficient, these Swiss. But one time they had a little more speed and kept going through the snow bank and into a little gully. They were pretty much buried. But it looked like a blast. We could tell they were natives!

I learned this weekend that there are different types of toboggans. The plain wooden kind, that has cross members that stick out and really bruise the inside of my knees. Been there, done that. There are also the wonky sleds, that just won't go and if it does decide to go, it goes only in one direction. These are in need of allignment. When I got tired of bruises and veering issues, I upgraded to the Rolls Royce of sleds.

I told the rental guy I needed a faster sled. What I got was fast, very, very fast. And it had a nice comfy seat, too. But, you couldn't stop this thing and you couldn't flip it over to bail out. I had to push it out from under me, in front of me, to get myself to stop on some steep stuff. The key is that you have to tie the leash around your wrist so it doesn't fly down the hill without you.

Scott took the last trip down on that little Swiss Rolls Royce. Yes, his toboggan is still underneath him. Seeing is believing!


Here is the view from laying in a snow bank. Remember, all these snowy Field Trips are about people enjoying what nature gave them. Happy tobogganing!

Heidiland and the Moon

Walensee, or Walen Lake in Heidiland

Long weekends are meant for skiing. If I had my way, any old day would be spent skiing. But work impedes on that and sometimes, we need to do other things. So this was a pretty good weekend spent. We headed to Heidiland. I was able to find a good deal on www.mySwitzerland.com. It included 2 days of skiing and 2 nights lodging at Flumserberg. It was the culinary package, so they threw in some amazing dinners as well. And we threw in an extra day of skiing on Friday at Pizol. I want to go back.

The town of Flums overlooks Walensee in eastern Switzerland, also known by tourists as Heidiland. Our hotel, Hotel Schiffahrt, was situated across the street from the lake, so the views were delicious. The package included dinner at the hotel one night and dinner at Sagibeiz in Mols the next. I think the name translates roughly to 'tightrope walker.' It was a funky, rustic old boathouse with fancy wine bar. The food was served on these sculptural, long skinny plates. Quite the presentation and very tasty to boot.

the moon, aka Pizol, aka unbelieveable

The first day at Pizol was like skiing on a snowy moon. There are no trees, but the weather and the hills created crazy shadows on the snow. It was deserted. Nothing like having an entire snowy moon to ourselves. The trails are 'loosly' marked at best, so we skied where we pleased and spent the entire, yes I mean the entire day, in powder. Priceless!

note the marshmellowy peaks in the distance, from Pizol

To get to Flumserberg, all we had to do was drive about 2 minutes down the lake from the hotel, park for free and board a gondala. Piece of cake. The gondola ride provided amazing views of the lake and valley and enough time to get sufficiently bundled up for skiing. Again, for 2 more days, we were blessed with blue skies and great powder. The crowds had grown as it was the weekend, but it was totally manageable. We only went indoors to use the facilities. We took breaks and lunch slopeside, choosing nice snowy perches in the sun to rest and rejuvenate, as needed.

powder, powder powder

The topography at Flumserberg is odd, but good. Just when you think you see a pattern, it changes. You really can ski in just about every direction, up down and across these mountains. If you feel like chasing the sun, you can, but you don't need to to get in great, long runs.

There are two things that struck me about Flums. First, the landscape is full of trees, rock and valleys - never a bad view. Some of the stretches 'in between' can be tough on a boarder. Scott borrowed my poles to get along in many instances. Second, this place is family friendly. There was every age of child here, not necessarily skiing, but hanging out, having fun. They have these cute little goggle-like shades for the babies. Adorable. No one is getting left inside at daycare here.

Scott actually got stuck in the flat, deep snow!

yup, we came from way, way up there...

http://www.flumserberg.ch
http://www.pizol.com/

Busy Celebrating Winter!

Winter is wonderful. Especially here, as I am finding out. Yes, it costs twice as much to go on Field Trips, but it is relatively easy to get around, Switzerland being just a tiny mountain pass of a country. You can get anywhere in less than 4 hours. It is even easier considering my husband drives me all over on the weekends. Thanks dear! I plan it, he drives. Good deal.

Last weekend I planned tobogganing and snowboarding Field Trips. First, we headed to Engelberg to go sledding. This is a serious thing here in der Schweiz. We have done it once before, in Austria and had an amazing time. So much fun. In Austria, it seems as though the kids use it as the primary means of transportation in the winter. I use the term 'winter' lightly. The lovely white stuff is known to stay around until well into springtime here and can show up in the early fall. Nirvana, for me.

Just as we remembered, it was a blast. The track was great and there weren't too many people out. No lines! You take the gondola up and get your toboggan at the top. After the ride down, which lasts about 15 minutes at a good pace, you give them your sled and head back up for another run. The Swiss (and Austrians, too) have this tobogganing thing down to a science. I love it!

I will spare you the snowboarding details for now. Lets just say that I am a skier. I will have a better tale to tell about skiing after this weekend. We are headed out to play in the snow yet again. In fact, my goal is to have a ski or toboggan Field Trip every weekend until we go home.

One of the reasons that I love skiing so much is because of the landscape. All of the senses are engaged up on a mountain or on a chairlift. I like everything about it: altitude and elevation, scenery or lack thereof because of snow and clouds, the smell of trees and snow (yes, I think snow has a very distinct scent), the peaceful sound of woods when you are all alone, the feel of snowflakes on the tiny exposed area of my face, the swishy noise that my skis make in the snow, even the ice. One of my favorite things is to hear the melting water rushing downhill in a stream in the woods near the lift. You may not be able to see it, but you can sure hear it and it is very relaxing.

And now, living in Switzerland, I am surrounded by many people who probably feel the same about winter as me. I have yet to hear any of the natives complain about the weather. So this is another good example of people enjoying the environments that nature gave them, making the best of it all and keeping fit at the same time. Yes, nature is manipulated in the case of skiing, but when I get to design them, they will be sustainable. The Swiss really know how to enjoy snow. I am very thankful for the winter weather and the landscape that surrounds me here.

Off to go plan my next snowy Field Trip! There is hope to live out that ski bum dream yet, even if just for a little while.