Just passing through Zurich

Since my last posting, Henry returned from Berlin, we traveled to Andermatt for skiing (Henry helped with the avant-ski, but he returned to Zurich before apres-ski), I skied two days and came back to Zurich in time to unpack, do the laundry, and pack again for our 4-day trip to Paris to visit with Sara. In about an hour from now (having done the laundry again yesterday), I'll be off for another ski trip. I'll be staying at the apartment of our Del Mar friend, Rod Franklin, who received kudos in a prior posting. Einsiedeln (where Rod lives, but is rarely there) is a 35-minute bus ride to Hoch-Ybrig, a smallish ski area, but very convenient. Needless to say, the price is right on the accommodations! Many thanks, Rod!!

Andermatt is a delightful little mountain town near the Gotthard Pass. The Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn includes a cog railway system that makes its way over several passes. One of them is the Oberalp Pass, which separates Andermatt from Sedrun, another small mountain town. Taking advantage of the cog railroad, I went back and forth between skiing the Andermatt lifts and skiing the Sedrun lifts. While the first day of skiing brought clouds, wind (the upper cable car and all the chair lifts were closed, but the lower cable car was operating and I experienced T-bar "lifts" for the first time in eons), and snow, I also found someone with whom to ski in the afternoon. I very much appreciated the company--and we both felt more comfortable skiing "off-piste" with a partner. My fellow skier was (and still is) a Brit, a farmer by trade, with family and friends in Switzerland who apparently are fair-weather skiers. I guess that when skiing is in your backyard, you can be choosy about when you head for the slopes. He was extremely interested in U.S. politics, and we joined in an apres-ski beer to continue the conversation. Although I skied alone the second day, the weather was delightful. Unfortunately, the memory in the camera was full--alas, our photographic memories of Andermatt/Sedrun are cloudy (pun intended).

With a sample of one (or maybe two, if I count Sedrun separately), I have the following observations about skiing in Europe:
1. A lot of the slopes are groomed.
2. The snow, though some of it was powdery, is heavier than the fluffy powder at many ski areas in the western United States.
3. Much of the terrain is geared toward beginner and intermediate level skiers.
4. A number of slopes (or pistes) are multi-use slopes. Many people hike, both up and down, on the slopes; and many others bring sleds on the lifts and slide down the easier slopes. Park-type benches dot the slopes, so you don't have to sit on the snow to take some time to enjoy the views.
5. T-bars still exist is significant numbers.
6. More people than I expected wear helmets while skiing or snow-boarding.
7. Eating/drinking establishments are far more prevalent along the slopes than in the United States. One spot had movable lounge chairs--similar to what you might find for sunbathing at Powerhouse Park (next to the beach in Del Mar) or on the beach.
8. "Trails," if one can call them that, are marked by posts that are painted fluorescent orange. Outside the posts is considered "off-piste" (yes, you can find more powder there), but no one particularly cares where you ski around the wide open expanses. There are no trees to speak of (gee, maybe that's because the ski areas are above the tree line), just some fields of bushes through which you can try to get a rhythm (that's "through" the bush fields, and hopefully not "through" the bushes themselves).
9. Even in Switzerland, with its high prices, you can ski at more reasonable prices than in the United States. That's true at least when you account for the cost of getting there and back (by train/bus), the lift tickets, and ski rental. The SBB (Swiss train system) has a great deal that covers travel, ski passes, and a discount on ski rental. Not to worry, you can still spend lots of money at Zermatt, St. Moritz, and other spots.

Gotta go. I leave for the train station in a few minutes. Our trip to Paris will have to wait until my next posting! Suffice it to say, we had a wonderful time with Sara, and she looks great!