Hello again. It’s been a long time since I last wrote anything on here, four years to be exact. A lot has happened in those four years (moving twice, global pandemic, becoming an actual adult), but nothing that particularly inspired me to write – until now. Now I find myself with ten days in Switzerland and the itch to be writing again.
I’ve never been truly alone when travelling – sure I’ve had to fly alone and spend a couple hours at a foreign airport waiting to meet up with someone but never completely on my own. Four years ago, not only would I have not wanted to do it, I never would have thought myself capable of it, but at (almost) 25 it doesn’t seem so scary. In fact, the uninterrupted time with myself is welcome.
So here it is, the chronicle of my first, truly, solo trip.
Day 1:
After lucking into a full row to myself on my flight over, I landed in Zurich feeling somewhat decent for a seven hour plane ride and six hour time difference. The first city on my itinerary was Zermatt – which meant running through the airport to make it on the first of three trains that would take me 200 kilometers south of the airport.
Known best for the iconic mountain that looms over the town, the Matterhorn, Zermatt’s rich history stretches back to the 13th century. The town welcomes many skiers and mountaineers eager to make the ascent – and in recent times, readers who liken its scenic beauty at the foot of the mountain to that of “the city of starlight.”
After two trains, a bus, and a short walk up a cobblestone hill, I arrived at my hotel for the next two nights. I also was reminded why I hate travelling with a wheeling suitcase, but the necessity of steel toe boots (for the work part of this trip) meant my trusty backpack was not an option. In an attempt, key word attempt, to not let my jet lag get the best of me, I dropped my luggage, made a quick outfit change, and headed out to explore the mountain town of Zermatt.
Immediately after leaving my hotel, I was greeted by the rich and brassy sounds of local Alphorn players setting the soundtrack for those walking through the town. Originally made of a singular piece of wood, the local lore suggests that these massive horns were used to signal between various alpine towns. Now, they are constructed out of many pieces for ease of transport and are played to serenade tourists and locals alike.
On the walk back to the hotel, I snagged a smoked salmon crepe and some chocolate – the greatest jet lag dinner ever invented.
One of the reasons I had chosen a hotel a bit out of the heart of the city was because it had a rooftop terrace. As I made my way up to said rooftop terrace, I realized that there was one key element that had not been advertised – there was a major building being built right next door that put a crane and a construction site right in the way of the Matterhorn. Nevertheless, the bits of the mountain peeking out over the sleepy town felt right out of a book and served as the perfect last glimpse of Switzerland for the day as I headed back downstairs to finally succumb to the day of travel.
Day 2:
Anyone who knows me knows I like to plan, and so my second day in Zermatt was to be filled with a walk in the Gorner Gorge and then a hike up to a mountain side restaurant for lunch. When I had made this plan all the websites had said that the final day of the 2023 fall season would be October 23. Perfect! I would be there on the 18th. However, when I woke up on the morning of the 18th, I found that ,to my dismay, everything had closed early. My first backup plan had been to take a gondola all the way up the Matterhorn, however those were fully booked for the day. Planless and a little disappointed, I ventured out into Zermatt to see what I could find.
I started with a loop around the south part of Zermatt – checking out the ravine that flows through the town and even meeting a feline friend. As my path took me back to the heart of the city I popped into a couple shops, picking up some trinkets for family and friends, and snacks for my train ride tomorrow. With nothing but time on my hands I took myself to a local place – Restaurant du Pont. It was full of the Swiss dishes I had been dreaming about, and gave off some serious log cabin vibes. I settled on the Rosti with egg, ham, and cheese. Pleasantly full, I wandered to a local café to grab some tea and cozy up in a corner for a bit of afternoon reading, that quickly turned into running back to my hotel for a brief pre dinner nap.
One of the things that used to scare me the most about travelling alone was not having anyone to eat with. As someone who loves good food, the idea of constantly having a hotel room picnic or McDonalds was very unappealing, but sitting at a table hyperaware of myself and my surroundings was also a recipe for disaster. I stumbled onto the perfect solution about two years ago – my kindle. Loaded up with hours and hours of books, I can always find one that suits my mood, but it is small enough to tuck in beside my camera in my everyday purse. The enjoyment of getting lost in a book also means that I’m in no rush to finish my meal, sometimes even taking longer than I would with someone across the table from me. Which is exactly what happened during my dinner at The Brown Cow – my meal had been finished but I was so engrossed in the chapter that I found myself ordering a second glass of wine and sitting there for another 30 minutes before I forced myself to head back to my hotel.
While my time in Zermatt may not have gone entirely to plan, it was still a lovely way to kickstart my return to Europe. Next up on my speed run of Switzerland – Bern.