It’s Sunday and it’s time for a bit of glorious Switzerland. Time to finish our 2015 journey to the Gornergrat. Last week it ended with the family at the top of the 10000ft rocky ridge looking at the panoramic view of the Alps.

I remember stood by the small stone Gornergrat Chapel and tried to think of a reason to light a small candle. Nothing came to mind. Life was pretty good. Little did I know that if you fast forwarded a year my mums funeral would have just been held and that my soul partner would be just a couple of weeks away from leaving this world as well. Yet here she was stood next to me full of the joys of life. With hindsight I should have opted for the chapels complete stock of candles.

Just minutes away from doing our last big walk together as a family of three.

But you know what I can’t think of a better walk to go out on.

I’m a seasoned hill walker in the UK but I have to say in the mighty Alps – it’s much better to be going downhill. So we started from the ridges highest point and descended. My almost perfect streamlined aerodynamic body shape – think Homer Simpson rather than Usain Bolt – gave me plenty of downward momentum.

The views just kept being astonishing.

We headed towards the Lake of Riffelsee. A place featured on millions of screensavers world wide. A place high up (so to speak) on our family bucket list. Would it be that good in reality. YOU BET and MORE. A small tranquil lake which perfectly frames the reflection of the Matterhorn. Yes it rightly deserves it place on the worlds greatest natural spectacles top table.

Eventually our son convinced us to save his little legs from further punishment and make the rest of the journey by train. A truly unforgettable experience.

63 thoughts on “Switzerland”

  4. Wow! Lake Riffelsee, is it? You’re right. Seen it so many times. Thanks to you, I know its name. It has a haunting quality to its beauty. A place of stillness and secrets.

    It’s so unfair that you’re doing all this marvellous work for the Swiss Tourism Board and not getting paid for it.

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  9. Hard to write about (and recall to mind) such a bittersweet experience, but i’m very thankful you shared the beauty of it with us and hope the positive memories it brings back are at least a little form of compensation.

    The Matterhorn is just an awesome act of Nature. Your reflection in Rifflesee is perfection.

    You’re right – there could be few other places, if any, to beat that walk.

    🙏 🙏 🙏

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      1. Heard today that Google street view is mapping my state’s great reef so that in a few months time you’ll be able to follow the 1200 km drive from my house, walk the 300m from the car park to the beach then follow a scuba trail around the reef, all without ever leaving home!

        Keeping the memory alive! 😉

        Liked by 1 person

      5. Now there’s a money making scheme!!!

        Charge people to provide a custom-designed virtual garden for their home and they could save a fortune on acquiring and maintaining plants/lawns their gardens and just have sets of VR goggles!

        You in??

        Liked by 1 person

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