Over the weekend, our former host-daughter Isabel came from Basel and offered to stay with the kids so Joe and I could get away for a night. It also happened to be Joe’s 35th birthday weekend, so I said he could choose where we should go. On a recommendation from a colleague, he selected a secluded mountain hotel called the Hotel Weisshorn. The hotel is not accessible by car and is a 90 minute hike from the nearest town. It sounded like a fun adventure.
Saturday was a perfect day in every way. The weather was beautiful. It was the first time Joe and I had been out alone in a really long time. We relaxed immediately into our journey, riding trains to the town of Sierre at the mouth of the Val d’Anniviers (Anniversary Valley). Then, a bus along a scary, winding mountain road to the village of St. Luc. From there we could see the hotel in the distance. We rode a funicular up a little further, but the rest of the hike to the hotel must be done on foot.
It was sunny and warm enough that we took off our jackets for much of the journey. We were surrounded by stunning mountain scenery. We talked and laughed the whole way. It was really beyond words. The pictures we took give a glimpse of the paradise we were in.
It was the perfect choice for our get away because there is no way we could have brought our children to this place. As we walked we were struck by the silence – there was no whining or complaining!
When we got to the hotel, we discovered a building that is mostly unchanged since the 1800’s. It was historic and quaint. We rested up a bit, had a drink with other groups of hikers and skiers in the lounge, and then watched the sunset behind the mountains across the valley. What a day!
The next day started off just as good. A few clouds had rolled in, but it was still beautiful. After breakfast, we got ready to make our way back down the mountain. We had brought our sled for this part of the journey, figuring we could glide down the meandering mountain path. But, from the hotel, there is a fairly steep section initially before it flattens out. It seemed like fun, so we got on the sled with me in front to steer and Joe behind. As we raced down the mountain, snow was flying in our faces so we could barely see where we were going. Suddenly, we hit a dip and the sled stopped, but we kept going. We flew through the air and landed with a thud, Joe bounced on top of my leg before rolling down the hill, and that’s when I felt the “pop.”
My brain immediately went into overdrive. “Oh God!” I thought, “I broke my leg, and now I’m going to be stranded on this mountain!” But fortunately, Joe remained calm, and after a quick diagnostic test, we figured out that I could stand and even walk, sort of. There were no broken bones, so we pressed on. We now know that my MCL (medial collateral ligament) was torn. Surprisingly, an MCL tear of this nature is not terribly painful. It just causes your knee to be unstable, making it difficult to walk. The pain comes in when your knee buckles in ways its not supposed to. So, for most of the rest of the journey, Joe pulled me while I sat on the sled with my legs straight. It was still beautiful. For most of the journey, we didn’t see any other people on the mountain, and occasionally Joe could sit in front and we would glide down long slow paths, just as we had planned – almost.
Toward the end, we had to hike a narrow, downhill trail, so I used the sled as a walker. Then I slid on my butt down an icy road into St. Luc. I limped on and off buses and trains all the way home. It was certainly an adventure, and I’d do it again in a heartbeat (except maybe the steep sledding part!). And though Joe’s actual birthday was on Sunday during our calamitous trip home, we decided that this year, his birthday was a day early.
You can’t begin to know how much fun it is for me to read your blog. I’ve dealt with (and lived with) so many foreign exchange students over the years that reading your posts reveals life abroad from the other end of the lens, as experienced by relatively mature adults (you are, aren’t you? “Who let the Schwabs out?” notwithstanding.) Anyway, love the writing, your little snapshots of life in Switzerland, and gorgeous photos of scenery and kids (both beautiful) to tie it all together. Thanks for sharing! Have fun in March with Grandpa Jeff and Gramma Mary Lou.