Zermatt, Switzerland

The village of Zermatt is reached only by train or foot.  You "check" your cars in the village just down the way. 

Electric-powered cars, vans, and buses, however, abound!  Strolling is, of course, the best option of all.

A touching sight.  I'm thinking this gentleman is just returning from a loved one's grave.  His water can suggests he added a little water to the flowers he probably planted earlier.  I would have liked to interview him.

A graveyard (and accompanying church) dedicated to fallen climbing heroes.

17 years old?  I'll bet he had a mother who was dead set against that choice.

Irmgard and Victor--from Freiburg.  She was 26, and he was 55.  A German and a Brasilien.  What's their story?????

Jasmine, Michelle, and Nuanda who were performing on a bench outside our hostel.  Their elementary English and my pre-school German were a workable match!  We could discuss school, dogs, and favorite foods easily.

For rent.  No place to sit, so I'm surmising these are scooters?  Mountain scooters?  Those wheels suggest one heck of a ride!!!!

The library!

Ahh...home sweet home.  NOT!!!!  A dive!!!!!!!  Warning:  Back away from the hostel! 

The redeeming quality of our hovel quarters was this view from just outside

And this if you squinted (or zoomed).  The Matterhorn is not as readily apparent in Zermatt as you might have suspected from every photo you've seen.  You had to be standing in just the right places with your tongue held just so.  We also had misty clouds conspiring against us.  It was a sort of a cat and mouse game.

Had we more time we might have hopped aboard for a trek up.

Year round skiing for one and all!

NO skiing for us, but an early morning breakfast on the trail and a hike up and out of Zermatt to catch a more intimate glimpse of the Matterhorn.

Peek-a-boo!  I see you!  Have you seen that Spencer Tracy movie, "The Mountain"?  I read the book.

"...Every morning you greet me.  Small and white, clean and bright--you look happy to meet me!"

 

Paco and I parted ways here.  Remember what I said about Week 3?  I got 40 minutes to climb up further.  Experiencing an unusual amount of stamina and adrenalin, I wish I'd bargained for 3 hours.  I WILL RETURN!! 

 

A passing St. Bernard.  I wonder if he's on summer vacation.  A word about Zermatt here--wildly expensive, wildly.  Even the grocery store prices took our breath away.

The residue of a Japanese tour group that bustled by me while I awaited Paco in front of the Bahnhof

An electric van!!  The only thing that could pry me out of Zermatt was the lure of Interlaken!!!!!!