Success in Wengen!

Here I am at Wengen-Grindelwald, on a bright, sunny Thursday afternoon! It snowed all day Tuesday and visibility was minimal, but the powder accumulated. Wednesday was perfect--the sun came out and there was plenty of room for "first tracks" throughout the day. And, I could see the slopes I had skied the day before! Thursday brought even more sunshine, and there was still a bit of untouched powder. All in all, it was a very satisfying ski trip. This photo comes from a free service--the photographer shows up on a slope, advertising that any photos he takes can be downloaded from the service's website. He hangs around for a couple of hours and snaps photos of whoever skis by. The photos are posted on the website in half-hour "bins," so it's pretty simple to figure out whether the photographer caught you "in the act." In the U.S., I could pay for an 8" x 10" glossy--I already did that in the pre-digital age! Anyway, Wengen was suggested to me as a skiing destination by friends of my sister, Judi. The village is in a quintessential alpine setting, or maybe it's my mind's stereotype of a quintessential alpine setting. No private cars are allowed, but several taxis and electric carts roam around. The final 15-20 minutes of the ride to Wengen is on a cog railway. The aerial tram to the ski slopes is literally a few steps from the railroad station. I continue to marvel at the convenience of public transportation for skiers.

I managed to get a ski partner only for about an hour and a half on the first afternoon--a computer science professor on holiday from Dresden. Unfortunately, I tired him out before I was ready to quit for the afternoon! However, during my three days of skiing, I struck up conversations with various folks who shared the chairlifts with me, usually starting with "Sprechen Sie Englisch?" I worked on my French and German when I didn't end up with one of the many Brits who take their ski vacations here. The professor from Dresden was pleased to hear that I bothered to learn some German, commenting that doing so was unlike so many other Americans who assume that everyone else speaks English.

A few more observations from my skiing experience:
1. Yes, some ski areas have trees between the slopes, but virtually everyone stays away from them. The powder was great among the trees, but I don't recommend skiing there when you can't see where you will end up or you don't see ski tracks from someone skiing there before you! I tried that once, and ended up having to climb out of a ravine!
2. Don't share a T-bar with someone who is a lot taller than you. I ended up on a T-bar with a rather tall ski instructor, and by the end of lift, my hip was killing me!
3. Be very careful using a slopeside port-a-potty while wearing ski boots--the floor can be very slippery! (Yes, I managed to keep my balance, but it was difficult!)
4. Order tagesuppe (soup of the day) for lunch--it comes with fresh bread that tastes even better when dipped in the soup!

While I was skiing, Henry was traveling to Sussex, England to give a talk and meet with a former post-doc. Upon our return, we were both ready for a bit of warm, sunny weather, and we found it in Locarno over the weekend. We left the snow behind in Zurich, and when we reached the south side the St. Gotthard pass, the sun was shining. We strolled along the waterfront of Lake Maggiore, and dined outside! It was so warm, I had to remove my jacket. What a concept! Locarno did not have as much hustle and bustle as Lugano (a plus for us), and the waterfront was delightful.

No skiing this week--our stream of visitors begins with Henry's sister, Janice, and her husband, Neil, and continues over the weekend, with Alan, Henry's sister Alice's husband. Henry insists we don't have to clean the apartment, but guests give me the impetus!