Italy & Switzerland 2016

Four long weeks after our Christmas vacation, we were given another week off. Thank you, Qatar Foundation. This time Jake had a conference for work in Dubai for a couple of days, so we headed there first. Jake and a number of other coworkers enjoyed their MYP training, while I enjoyed some time to myself in Dubai. What else do you do besides go to the Mall of the Emirates and see the indoor snow skiing? It unsurprisingly so, was lame and disappointing. I hoped it would be at least a little impressive. I did some shopping, and caught up on some R&R in the hotel, and after two nights, we flew back to Doha. 

The following morning we flew to Milan and met Alex and Rachael at the airport. They had spent the previous couple of days in Milan. It was both of their first trips to Italy...with much of Jake's convincing. Our rental car was a Volvo SUV, which was an entirely different experience than our usual ride. We knew we would be driving through the Swiss and Italian Alps in the middle of winter, so it would be worth our peace of mind to have a durable car. We make the quick drive to Torino, and found our Airbnb downtown. 

Running around on the French border.

We had a fun apartment in the center of Torino, located near the main piazzas. The first night we walked to Charlie Bird, Jake's favorite pizza place from his time in Torino in 2012. It did not disappoint! We each ordered a delicious pizza and after too much red wine, made the walk back to our place, with a stop for gelato on the way. The next day Jake took us on a grand tour...we drove up Col Del Lys, one of his favorite bike routes. Then we attempted to drive to the French Alps, on another bike route of Jakes, but the road was closed for winter. Naturally, we parked the car and started climbing up the mountain through ice and snow, in search of the lake Jake promised us was at the top. We gave up before making it to the lake, but were happy with the stunning views and fresh mountain air. After Doha, these things are not taken for granted.  

Jake with his Italian Family

That evening we had dinner planned with Max and Laura. Jake lived with Max, Laura, and David, for eleven months in 2011- 2012 and I had a chance to meet them then. Neither of us had been back since, so it was lovely to catch up with them over an incredible home style Italian meal. David looks the same, but four years older. It was fun to watch videos of his downhill skiing from this season; He is amazing! We will keep our eyes and ears out for him in future Olympics. 

After spending three nights in Torino, and getting in a quick visit with Tony, Jake's riding partner, we headed for the Swiss Alps, via France. We drove through Chamonix, France, a beautiful little town surrounded by Alps. It was freezing so we found a cute cafe full of colorful macarons and desserts. I had never tried a French macaron in my life; they honestly never looked appealing. Turns out, they're divine. After a quick bite and some tea, we continued the drive to our Switzerland. As we left the cafe and headed to the car, the snow started dropping, heavy and fast. We all got a bit nervous as we headed up and up into the mountains, and the snow continued dumping. We had heard (or hoped!) that all rental cars came with snow chains. After our first scary slide, we got out and checked. Turns out, ours didn't. Luckily, we had seen a car shop a few miles down the mountain so we turned around and headed back. Thank God they sold "snow socks," which are fabric chains. A 'measley' 70 euro later, we were on our way, and feeling much more confident. We continued on a small, two lane road, up and over and between the mountains. We probably only saw five or fewer cars. This was clearly not the most direst route into Switzerland, but I had really wanted to drive through France, and had convinced everyone else it would be worth it. Ha ;) Rachael and I had both never been to France, so we went ahead and crossed that off our list.  

After many more hours than we expected, we arrived in our tiny village of Evolene, and began looking for our chalet. There was fresh snow everywhere, so the parking lot was completely unnoticeable. We wondered if we'd be able to get out in the morning, there was so much fresh snow. We made the trek to the wooden chalet up the path, in about a foot of snow. It was the coziest little place, backed up against the mountains, with incredible views out the front. We were literally snowed in in the middle of the Alps...exactly what I was looking for in this winter vacation. It was stunningly beautiful! I could have stayed forever. The next day we drove down the road and rented ski gear, and then drove about a mile further to a lift that took us up over the valley we were staying in. It was the most effortless skiing experience of my life. We rarely came across anyone else on the runs and there was endless fresh powder. It truly was a lovely and relaxing skiing experience (which typically isn't the case in my experiences skiing)! 

Breakfast: when I decided to stay forever.

Evolene was about two hours from Zermatt, the closest we could get to the Matterhorn. Our Airbnb was only 13 or so kilometers from the Matterhorn, but because of mountain ranges and road access, it was a two hour drive. On Saturday- the day we had a flight out of Milan- we decided to have an adventure and squeeze in a quick stop in Zermatt. I was desperate for a view of the Matterhorn, one of, if not, the most iconic mountain peaks. We were all nervous about spending so much time in the car, and rushing to get to the airport, just to hopefully catch a glimpse of it. The weather was nice, but as we drove into more clouds, I began to get nervous. There was no way I had come this far without attempting to see it though! I have been wanting to see this place for years- bucket list shit. 

We continued driving up the mountain, higher and higher, winding back and forth. Tasch is the closest you can get to Zermatt by car. They don't allow cars to drive into Zermatt, so you park in Tasch and take a train. We were not sure about the train schedule, or where to go when we got there, but we persisted. A screen in the parking garage informed us the next train was departing in seven minutes. We ran and grabbed our tickets and headed towards the train. Apparently that is when Jake thought it was a good idea to go to the bathroom, and I considered leaving him there to get a glimpse of the long awaited view ;) Ha ha! He made it to the train with a minute or two to spare. The train ride into Zermatt was stunning. Snow filled pastures, a rushing river, and jagged mountain peaks shooting into the sky. Unfortunately, the clouds were thick. The anticipation was building! Will we see it or not?! I was the one who more or less forced everyone on this adventure so I was pretty nervous. We arrived in Zermatt, and thankfully found a tourist center that while closed, had free wi fi surrounding it. There was an ipad with live cameras showing the views from all the different lodges around the mountain. There were ten or so options, it seemed, which made me nervous. Which one is the best? Where is it clear? How often are these things update?!

Our little village.

We picked one: Sunnega. We walked to the funicular entrance and after paying a steep fee for the ride up, boarded the funicular. It was completely inside the mountain, so we could see nothing. From the town of Zermatt, though, it wasn't looking good. We couldn't see a thing, looking up. There was complete cloud coverage. Anticipation continued to build with every foot we went up. When the doors opened, we headed (okay maybe I was running) to the exit. I cannot fully describe my shock and awe at hearing an entire band blaring "Timber," by Pitbull and Ke$ha. The skies were blue- crystal clear- and right there directly at eye level was the Matterhorn, as clear as possible. Honestly, it just about took my breath away. It was better than I'd even anticipated! I think we were all in awe for a few minutes, or seconds at least, soaking the scene. It was absolutely stunning. 

The much anticipated Matterhorn.

My life is complete, now that I've seen the Matterhorn ;) Sure, I am being dramatic, but it really was astounding. It was so worth the journey and I am so glad that we carried on and made it all the way there. Now I am just wondering how soon I can get back! Honestly, Switzerland was impressive in so many ways. The food was phenomenal, people were kind and friendly, and the natural beauty was spectacular. It is no wonder Switzerland is restrictive with their citizenship. I have looked into it... ;)

The view at the top.

Naturally, I made everyone jump!