Jet lag is for amateursDick Clark
We had one of the best trips exploring Argentina and Chile during March and within the next 2 months we were ready for our next adventure – Switzerland. This was a trip which has evaded us for long – the last 2 times we planned/booked this trip we had to cancel due to Addy’s accident and Covid. But finally, we were all set to make our way to the LaLa land of 90’s Bollywood movies – Switzerland. Join us and explore our first pitstop – Visit Zermatt with a preschooler kid.
We had an early morning flight from Gatwick with Addy all buzzing about her upcoming vacation – As always it was declared long back in her nursery and almost everyone in our village knew I guess. The one thing I dislike post Brexit is the long queue for borer checks at the immigration and Geneva was no different. While the Omens had always been bad before the trip, on landing in Geneva we picked up a swanky new Audi A5 – well the wheels of fortune were changing. And off we went.
We drove towards Vevey a little town on the banks of Lake Geneva and one of the Gems of the Swiss Riviera. Had a stroll to the shore offering breathtaking views of the Alpine panorama. We walked past the swans on the lake before arriving at a giant fork sticking straight up out of the water and the famous Charlie Chaplin bronze statue – I dint know that Chaplin lived in Vevey for 25 years.
We did some grocery shopping at Aldi, charged Addy up at a McDonalds and off we went further ahead on the road towards Chillon Castle. This medieval castle is located on a rock on the banks of Lake Geneva and is the most visited historic building in Switzerland. There are some limited parking places on the road, but we were lucky to have found one – I’m not sure if this would be the case in Summer. You can walk to the reception/ticket office at the castle where you can get a Parking Disc which then needs to be displayed in the car – it’s quite a bit of walk though.
Addy was expecting a big giant castle, but this was quite small, but the landscape added to its beauty. We spend some time taking in the views and picturising what lay ahead of us for the week. We then started making our way to Grachen – our first pitstop and an ideal one for exploring Zermatt cost effectively. The drive was stunning – giant rock faces and a single road winding up the peaks – stunning views.
Finally we arrived in Grachen, and we had to walk down to our Chalet. The one think which amazed me right away is the effort by the Swiss government to keep many of these little villages “Car-Free” or in other words “Pollution-Free”. We had to park our car near the Co-op and walk all the way to the Chalet to arrive at one of the best places we have ever stayed during our travels. I’m sure Pictures would do some justice.
Addy was quite exhausted by the end of the day as it was quite a long day, but she was quite chirpy and excited as well. As I always say “A Happy child is a Happy vacation”
Next morning we were out early and made our way towards Zermatt. The plan was to explore this mountain resort, take in the views and do some hiking down the Gornegrat. We parked our car at Matterhorn terminal (plenty of car spaces – so needn’t prebook) and took a train ticket to Zermatt, which is essentially car free. This is just a quick 15 mins ride. Once a Zermatt – right opposite the station was the Gornergrat Bahn – The mountain track railways which takes you up the summit of Gornergrat.
While the plan was to do the hike and we had come all prepared to do the hike down, taking in the views at Riffelsee etc – we were shocked when we were told by the officials at the ticket window that the snow was quite thick, and hikes are not allowed. So, the only option was to take a return train down. This was quite a disappointment, but we knew we had a long trip ahead of us and we were covered with stunning peaks all around us – so we were sure there would be more opportunities to hike around.
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Needless to say, Switzerland is expensive – Period! All the train fares, cable cars cost quite a fortune and there are no other means to get to some of these peaks. Finally, we were onboarded the train – which wasn’t a pleasant experience especially with a kid – the train was overcrowded and quite busy with people pushing each other in. Going uphill the left-hand side offers the best views.
Of course the ticket office knew what they were talking about – The hike down wouldn’t have been possible – The peaks and the tracks were completely snowed in. At the summit was a nice little café with washroom and offering hot beverages – much needed as it was freezing outside. Addy found it a little hard at the very start as the breeze and sub-zero temperatures weren’t suiting her. However, she was fine after a while and we were able to take in some amazing views of the Matterhorn and its surroundings.
We spend close to an hour or so building a little snowman and taking in the views before taking the train back down, with a promise to come back again someday to hike the Gornergrat down. While at the Zermatt village we strolled its busy streets – quite touristy, had our packed lunch while chasing Addy everywhere. The village itself is stunning – wooden chalet, towering snow-covered peaks surrounding it – absolutely mesmerising
Addy was quite exhausted, while we wanted to explore more of Grachen on our way back, she just wanted to get home. We made our way back to Grachen and called it a day. Grachen and Zermatt were a perfect start to our Swiss trip – the bad Omens from the past had made way for a perfect start to our Swiss adventure.
This is Aldrin and my partner Amoli. We bring you "Earths Pilgrim" - a unique insight into our travel escapades while leaving life in a cubicle. If you are looking for some inspiration to break the shackles of a regular life, then you are the right place. Read more about us- Click here.