My Journey to Zermatt – Episode 3

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MY FIRST EVENING AT THE HOTEL ARC-EN-CIEL in Gstaad kicked off in style.

Weary from travel I devoured a litre of Swiss beer and two Pear Schnapps for starters. Veal sausages, onion and Rosti for food. It is standard fare in the mountains, and I felt I deserved it!

I spent a very enjoyable week in Gstaad with Nibby and his girlfriend Abbie. They have a lovely apartment above the town at Schönried with stunning views of the alps. The gondola from Gstaad up to Eggli – a terraced ‘Gastrochalet’ – at 1557 meters is spectacular. And although other chairlifts take you higher, it is a perfect place for lunch. The fact that a small bowl of gastronomique parsley soup costs £25, is well worth it for the spectacular scenery.

On the last day, we had coffee at Charly’s on the Promenade in the centre of Gstaad. This rather chic tea house come patisserie was made famous by celebrities such as Julie Andrews and Blake Edwards back in the day. And like the famous Palace Hotel has an ambience of class and style. Nibby and I said adieu at Gstaad Railway Station, and I caught the train back up to Zweisimmen for the closing stages of my adventure.