June 7: Zermatt, Matterhorn, and Lausanne
Dear Friends and Relatives,
Slept badly last night, as I was so keyed up about seeing the Matterhorn. After breakfast, we checked out and our luggage was transported via bus directly to the next hotel, the Hotel des Voyageurs in Lausanne, on Lake Geneva. We took the train to Zermatt, a largely car-free mountain village of cobbled alleyways, barns, and chalets. It was a good day weatherwise, so we took an underground funicular to “Sunegga,” a great vantage point from which to see the Matterhorn, which was mostly to be seen except for the top, which was plagued by clouds which kept dipping in and out and obscured the final peak of the famous iconic mountain.
The Matterhorn straddles the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetrical pyramidal peak whose summit is at 14,692 feet, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. It overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais. Just to the north of it is the Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its N and S sides, and a trade route since the Roman era.
It was cold at Sonegga, but not unbearable, and I watched, transfixed, as clouds swirled amid the mountain’s heights. There were hang-gliders aloft, and the moment was amazingly moving!
After taking the funicular back down, we had a great lunch—a very colorful salad and some magnificent quiche, after which we spread far and wide to follow our interests and pursuits. Cathy and I decided on the Catholic church and its graveyard of alpinistes who had died attempting the summits of mountains in the area, and the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt. Both these venues were on Zermatt’s main thoroughfare, the Bahnhofstrasse. The church is situated on a low ridge and was built as a memorial to those killed on the Matterhorn disaster of 1865. Yet still more lives were claimed by the mountain over the decades that followed, remembered today by plaques in the church and by the inscriptions on the gravestones outside. Across the street from the church is the Matterhorn Museum, which features films and interactive displays on mountaineering, all set around a reconstruction of a 19th c. Alpine village. The most compelling exhibits are those related to Edward Whymper, the English climber who led the first ascent of the Matterhorn on July 14, 1865. However, his rope snapped during the descent, and four of his party of seven went over a precipice.
At about 3:15 we boarded a train to Visp, then boarded another one which took us down the Rhone Valley, Swiss wine country, and through the vineyards on Lake Geneva to Lausanne. We followed the course of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) from the Chateau de Chillon to Montreux, Vevey, and finally Lausanne. I had traveled on Lake Geneva before, all the way to the Chateau de Chillon and back to Geneva, but my roommate Cathy has never been and would like to go—which will of course be wonderful, as everyone who knows me knows that I love to be on the water.
We are currently at our hotel in Lausanne, in a cobbled street teaming with voices and church bells, the sounds of dishes and laughter—the accoutrements of a city’s life. We have just returned from dinner at Les Troix Tourneaux—an excellent salad, curry on rice, and ice cream for dessert. Nice room, with all the amenities. Must go now, as I am beyond tired and need fortification by means of a good night’s sleep. Good night to all! As ever, Sylvia.
Slept badly last night, as I was so keyed up about seeing the Matterhorn. After breakfast, we checked out and our luggage was transported via bus directly to the next hotel, the Hotel des Voyageurs in Lausanne, on Lake Geneva. We took the train to Zermatt, a largely car-free mountain village of cobbled alleyways, barns, and chalets. It was a good day weatherwise, so we took an underground funicular to “Sunegga,” a great vantage point from which to see the Matterhorn, which was mostly to be seen except for the top, which was plagued by clouds which kept dipping in and out and obscured the final peak of the famous iconic mountain.
The Matterhorn straddles the main watershed and border between Switzerland and Italy. It is a large, near-symmetrical pyramidal peak whose summit is at 14,692 feet, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. It overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais. Just to the north of it is the Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its N and S sides, and a trade route since the Roman era.
It was cold at Sonegga, but not unbearable, and I watched, transfixed, as clouds swirled amid the mountain’s heights. There were hang-gliders aloft, and the moment was amazingly moving!
After taking the funicular back down, we had a great lunch—a very colorful salad and some magnificent quiche, after which we spread far and wide to follow our interests and pursuits. Cathy and I decided on the Catholic church and its graveyard of alpinistes who had died attempting the summits of mountains in the area, and the Matterhorn Museum in Zermatt. Both these venues were on Zermatt’s main thoroughfare, the Bahnhofstrasse. The church is situated on a low ridge and was built as a memorial to those killed on the Matterhorn disaster of 1865. Yet still more lives were claimed by the mountain over the decades that followed, remembered today by plaques in the church and by the inscriptions on the gravestones outside. Across the street from the church is the Matterhorn Museum, which features films and interactive displays on mountaineering, all set around a reconstruction of a 19th c. Alpine village. The most compelling exhibits are those related to Edward Whymper, the English climber who led the first ascent of the Matterhorn on July 14, 1865. However, his rope snapped during the descent, and four of his party of seven went over a precipice.
At about 3:15 we boarded a train to Visp, then boarded another one which took us down the Rhone Valley, Swiss wine country, and through the vineyards on Lake Geneva to Lausanne. We followed the course of Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) from the Chateau de Chillon to Montreux, Vevey, and finally Lausanne. I had traveled on Lake Geneva before, all the way to the Chateau de Chillon and back to Geneva, but my roommate Cathy has never been and would like to go—which will of course be wonderful, as everyone who knows me knows that I love to be on the water.
We are currently at our hotel in Lausanne, in a cobbled street teaming with voices and church bells, the sounds of dishes and laughter—the accoutrements of a city’s life. We have just returned from dinner at Les Troix Tourneaux—an excellent salad, curry on rice, and ice cream for dessert. Nice room, with all the amenities. Must go now, as I am beyond tired and need fortification by means of a good night’s sleep. Good night to all! As ever, Sylvia.
Hope I can see the Matterhorn one day myself. Can’t wait to see all your pictures from this day. Bet you got some great ones
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