A Dream Come True

Let me just preface this by saying that Switzerland was amazing, and no matter how hard I try, words and pictures just won't do it justice. I've said I wanted to ski in the Swiss Alps for years, and I've imagined many possible scenarios of doing so, but I have to say that the actual experience was better than I ever could have imagined. I would go back in a heartbeat, and I know I will someday. In fact, I would consider living in Switzerland if given the chance. I felt so much more at home there than I ever have in Italy. Most people that we encountered there spoke German as their main language and French and English as other languages. Most people were pretty fluent in English once you started to talking to them, which was very nice for a change. Many people there are of German nationality, and I felt very at home. I know it may sound like I'm exaggerating, but I never realized how much my German heritage really has shaped who I am. You would think that it would all just be neutralized after generations in the United States, but I noticed many similarities between the German people and myself and my family. Their intonation and mannerisms are very similar to what I am used to. Unlike Italians, who use flamboyant gestures and sound like they're having a heated argument not matter what they're saying, Germans tend to use lower, softer tones and be more reserved in public. Another similarity is their looks. For the first time since being in Europe, I felt like I blended in. My dishwater-blond hair and hazel eyes did not draw attention at all amongst the Germans. People in Interlaken were also a lot more friendly than they are in Florence. I've heard that the unfriendliness of the Florentines is not common to all Italians, but it sure gets to be annoying after a while. Nobody says "excuse me" when they bump into you, and nobody smiles or says "hi" when they pass you on the street. In Interlaken people greeted us on the street and the store clerks were friendly. Now I know this may not be true for all of Switzerland, but it sure did make for an enjoyable weekend getaway. Interlaken is pretty touristy, since it is one of the biggest adventure sports destinations in the world, so this may be one reason why so many people speak English and such. I kept a journal while I was in Interlaken, and those are the two entries below this one. If you would like to see pictures from my weekend, you can go to: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2025381&id=173301949&l=8c543

02/27/2009

After arriving at our hostel around 4:00 a.m. last night, I woke up at 7:00 a.m. to grab a quick breakfast of bread and jam at the hostel and go rent skis. I must admit, I wasn't too psyched to begin my first day skiing on only three hours of sleep. But I've survived on less before, so I just told myself I wasn't tired, and by the time I hit the slopes I was so amazed by everything I saw that I forgot all about my fatigue. Ever since sixth grade, when I started skiing, I have been reading ski magazines about Switzerland, and in high school I used to go online and look up Swiss ski vacations. Skiing in the Swiss Alps has been my dream for almost as long as I can remember, and today it came true.

Today I skied with a guy named Mike who was also with the Florence for Fun tour group. He is from New Jersey and studying in Florence for the semester as well. We men on the bus to Interlaken, and when we found out that we were both skiing, we decided to meet up in the morning. Our day go off to a bit of a rocky start because Mike could not find his wallet which had his credit card, debit card, and all of his money in it. He thought that it may have fallen out of his pocket on the bus, but the bus driver was sleeping and could not be woken until afternoon. So Mike borrow our tour guide Fabio's credit card in order to rent his skis and buy his lift ticket. The rental skis were very nice--I got a brand new pair of Solomon women's boots and Solomon skis, which are probably the best I've ever ridden.

Actually getting onto the slopes was an experience in itself. We rode a bus to a village just up the mountain from Interlaken, then we rode a train up the mountain to another little village where we changed trains to get up to one of the highest points in the ski area. I really wasn't expected to ride trains while skiing, but this is just the way the Swiss do it. You could "hike" all over the Swiss Alps without doing much walking at all, you could just hop on a series of trains and be at a peak. I will admit that it was confusing where to go at first, as everything is so big that maps can't possible give much detail. We pretty much just played it by ear most of the time, looking for slopes that looked fun and trying them. The design of the slopes is also a lot different than those in the U.S. There is a lot more open space that has not been converted to groomed slopes, and everything is very spread out. Also, one company does not own the entire area. I'm not quite sure how the land ownership works, but there are many private bars that sell beverages and food on the slopes. There are also many ski villages scattered throughout the mountains, and you can ski right through them on your way down. Some people must live in these villages year-round, because on our way down we saw a herd of sheep exiting a barn!

The snow conditions toward the top of the mountain were just amazing! It took me a while to realize that I didn't have to carve as hard here as I do on the icy slopes of Minnesota. it's a good thing I realized this because my legs were about to give out by the end of the day even with my gentler carving. I could literally ski down for miles without stopping if I wanted to, but my legs would get so tired on the way down that I'd have to stop. Throughout the day I just kept wishing that my family and certain friends could be here to experience this with me because I know they'd all love it so much. If I ever have the funds to pay for a group ski vacation to Switzerland, it will definitely be top priority. There is something for every level of skier here too--from miles of never-ending easy runs that snake through pine forests and beautiful vistas to off-piste skiing for the more adventurous.

The off-piste skiing was something Mike and I tried today, and I must say that it was the best part of the day, but also one of the most scary experiences of my life. While riding the lift up, we saw a guy skiing down an are that looked like it was covered in fresh powder. there were a few tracks, but not many. This was because no lifts went to the slope, but it looked so nice, we decided we had to try it. In order to get to the area where we wanted to ski we had to walk uphill from the top of a lift. It didn't look too far from where we began, but when we started climbing it sure felt far. After all, we were wearing ski boots and lugging skis and poles up the hill. When we got the the top we both just collapsed into the deep snow and started eating it, then just laid there taking in the scenery for a while. It was really beautiful up there, and the sun had just burned through the clouds, so we could see far. When we finally got up and got our skis on we realized that the slope was a lot steeper than it looked from the lift. The snow was powder, but it was not fresh, so it had some crust on top, which made it hard to maneuver through. Skiing in this type of snow also uses an entirely different skill-set than skiing on ice or even groomed slopes. We got about half-way down the slope, and we realized that it got even steeper. At one point I fell with my body going down hill from my skis, which were pointed across the hill, and I wasn't sure I had the strength to force my body to the uphill side of my skis where I needed to be in order to stand up. I just laid there for a while, not moving. I could tell Mike was a bit concerned, but I knew all along that I would find a way to work things out and get down the hill, because that is just what I do. Finally we got past the steepest part, and things were going better. I decided to let my speed go a bit, and I totally ate snow. I didn't get hurt at all, but one of my skis did come off, which make that the worst wipe out I've had in quite a while.

At the end of that fun I was just shaking from the physical exertion and the adrenaline. Mike was pretty shook up too, so we decided it was time for a break and went to one of the nearby on-piste bars. I was planning on getting water before I did the off-piste run, but after that I decided that a beer would be much better. So that's how we ended up sitting in lounge chairs overlooking the Alps and drinking Swiss beer. This is just what I imagined Switzerland being, skiing and relaxation all rolled into one nice package. I really think today was one of the best days of my life, and I think I've already said that a few times during this trip. I just never thought all those years when I was reading about the Swiss Alps that I would actually get there. Now I am here, and it is just so majestic that I can't describe it!

02/28/2009

Today I got a little bit later start to my skiing than I would have liked to. Mike and I had planned to meet at 10:00 a.m. and go together again, but I saw him at breakfast, and he was debating between skydiving and skiing. He had already renewed his ski rental for the day, but I told him not to let our plans prevent him from skydiving. After all, I am pretty used to navigating ski slopes on my own. So he decided to takes his rentals back and go skydiving. One of the Florence for Fun guides named Alison was going skiing today, and she invited me to join her for the day. She is originally from Australia and has travelled all over the world, so she had many great stories. We also met a girl named Melissa at the bus stop who was from Chicago and is studying in Rome this semester, and she was by herself, so we invited her to join us as well.

We planned our route fro the day and decided to work our way up to the highest peak in the area. This peak is featured in the Jame's Bond movie, Her Majesty's Secret Service, which was made is 1969 with George Lazenby as James Bond. This is the trailer for the movie, and it actually gives you a pretty good feel for the Alps:
At the top of the mountain there is a circular restaurant that is surrounded by windows, and the seating area slowly spins as you eat, so you take in the whole view. This restaurant is where the women in the film trailer are eating.

Today was a beautiful day in Interlaken, so lots of people were making their way to the top. I heard a couple of locals say this is the best weather they've seen in a month. There was literally not a cloud in the sky, and it was around 50 degrees Fahrenheit even near the top of the mountain. It was a bit warm for skiing, and the snow conditions weren't too great, but it was perfect for taking in the scenery.

We decided to do a bit of skiing as we worked our way up the mountain, and I realized that Alison and Melissa did not ski at the same level as me, as they stuck to mostly the easiest runs and snowplowed most of the way down. So we worked out a plan in which I did two or three harder runs while they did one run, then we met at the bottom of the lift. I was okay with taking it a bit easier today because I could definitely feel my legs after yesterday. If I had my choice, I would stay in Switzerland longer and allow for a day of recovery after each day of skiing.

We finally made it to the top peak around 2:00 p.m., after two bus rides, two trains, and three cable cars. People were just flocking to the top because of the nice weather, and the cable cars especially were packed shoulder to shoulder. At the top we walked around the terrace of the restaurant and took lots of pictures. Then we had dessert inside the spinning restaurant. After that Alison and Melissa were both done skiing for the day, but I definitely was not. The only way down from the peak without taking the cable car was a black, so the most difficult, and I knew I would beat myself up later if I didn't at least try it. We had been looking at it on our way up, and it really didn't look that bad. This turned out to be another of those live-and-learn moments that I keep having. The hill didn't look so bad from the lift, but once again it ended up being much longer and steeper than I thought it was. Imagine the toughest double black diamond with moguls you've ever seen in Minnesota, and multiply the distance by about 20, then subtract the ice and add some powder, and the result is this slope. I did almost the whole hill on the edges of my skis, inching my way down bit-by-bit sideways. You see, I have this irrational fear of letting my speed or control go even a little bit on steep long hills, and this fear is derived from my experiences on the icy slopes of Minnesota. Skiers of less ability than me were taking the hill just fine. Yes, it was steep, and yes, there were lots of moguls, but the snow was very soft, so it would have been easy to regain control. My mind just won't let me go though, and this can get very frustrating at times, especially when four-year-olds are whizzing by me. It took me about an hour to get down that entire hill, and once I go to the bottom, the lifts were beginning to close, as it was after 4:00 p.m. My energy was completely drained, and I still had to work my way to the bottom using the buses, trains, and cable cars. Everyone was heading down at the same time, so, once again, things were completely packed.

As I headed back to the hostel, I couldn't help but wish that I had more time here. I know I will come back someday. This may sound like something I just say but will never do, but I really mean it. I don't care what it takes, I am going to ski in the Swiss Alps again. Honestly, this weekend has been like a dream come true!