Switzerland. The Calamity Continues.

Ok so by the last post I assume you get the idea, I’ve been skiing, it was funnier than words can describe etc. The second day skiing was filled with more slopes, Bronwen managed to get a shiny black eye from hitting herself in the face when she fell over, and the go pro came out to play. I’ll try and post the video on here at some point.

The end of the day entailed us skiing a several mile red run, through the trees and around sharp bends, all the way from the top to the bottom of the mountain. At one point we could see a line of people stood at the top of something, looking nervous. Tentatively we creeped (as well as one can creep on skis). They were all stood at the top of an icy, almost un-skiiable drop/halfpipe thing. About eight people lie on the sides at various points in heaps of snow and the few skiers still upright looked hap hazard. With no way of climbing halfway back up the mountain to get the lift down we had to brave it. I ended up in a heap twice, got skiing into and flailed around like duck on an iced over pond. With that out the way and 20 minutes more pleasant skiing we were back at the car! Thank god, I was bloody knackered.

Feeling weary!

The evening was followed by an enormous Chinese feast. The Chatwin’s have a Chinese grandfather, and in celebration of the Chinese New Year there was a homemade feast fit for an Emperor. When I was told that crispy spring rolls, dumplings, and a range of other treats was just the starter I was astonished (yet not phased, I LOVE Chinese). Mains followed with noodles, rice, lemon chicken, beef with black bean sauce and fortune cookies.  Omnomnom.

The night followed with a group of slightly overtired twenty something’s playing board games before an early night again. (How old did I say we were?).

The next day, was the day of departure, I did not want to leave, however we weren’t flying until the late evening, so we had a day in the city ahead of us! We spent the morning leisurely eating breakfast, before heading out to the snowy streets.

Fooling around outside the house

Our first trip was a walk down Lake Zurich to see the Centre Le Corbusier, Le Corbusier's (for those who don't know pretty much the most noted architect ever to live) last ever project. I didn't think I was going to like it, however I loved it! The geometric forms with a large roof structure that spanned everything, and coloured windows looked amazing nestled in the snowy garden, by it's icy pond. Many snaps later and we trundled back up the lake towards the city centre again. 

Centre Le Corbusier

By the lake

A casual Henri Moore 

A hot drink was in order by this point and my feet were very chilly, so we headed to Cafe Odeon, famed for it's Opium den past and once a hangout of Lennin, the interior has a weird 20's opulence and is a bit of a gay hub. You enter through a door then through some thick black curtains, slightly intimidating but once inside people seem pretty casual. We had been told about a drink they like in Switzerland, a plum liqueur type thing called Schuemli Pfumli, it comes warm and is great for snowy weather. Essentially it's like drinking plum scented white spirit, we are promised it tastes better whilst skiing....

Schuemli Pfumli!

A stop at the supermarket for more chocolate to take home with us, and a trip to Sprungli, THE place to get Macaroons, (champagne was my favourite, naturally) and then back to to the house. One last dinner with the family and it was time to say Auf wiedersehen to Zurich and hop back on the plane to London. Such a shame, I was just starting to get settled in the luxury lifestyle!

Thanks Switzerland