Day 9: Gornergrat, Zermatt, Switzerland

It's our last full day and I'm running on fumes, but I sucked it up and got up early this morning so we could do one more remarkable thing while we were here, which was to go to Zermatt and attempt to see the Matterhorn. From this mountain peak, you can see Italy, France, and Switzerland...at least I think I recall reading that somewhere...(it's over 14,500 feet high). So this morning, we took a train from Lucerne to Bern, Bern to Visp, and then Visp to Zermatt (we're getting really good at navigating the Swiss railway system!) Our train from Bern to Visp was delayed by 4 minutes (which NEVER happens, all trains are on time almost to the second. It's impressive.) So when our train got to Visp, we had to locate platform 3 and SPRINT because we literally had less than a minute to make it. We DID make it because we are Swiss railway CHAMPS now (btw, if you ever go to Switzerland, buy a Swiss Pass: best money you'll ever spend here.) Once we made it to Zermatt, we rode a cogwheel through the mountains all the way up 10,000+ ft. to Gornergrat in hopes of seeing the Matterhorn up close and personal. But the clouds would not cooperate, instead draping themselves around the Matterhorn and giving us nothing more than an Amish peep show (nothing above the shins.) So instead, we ran around in the wicked, freezing wind until it hurt, and took pics of the rest of the amazing views, then grabbed drinks inside and watched the clouds from inside the restaurant...waiting impatiently and hoping they'd grow tired of the tease, and finally give us a peep...but nope. No dice. So an hour later, we left. But instead of taking the cogwheel all the way back down to Zermatt, we jumped on a gondola in Riffelberg and glided over the world, down through the mountains and over all the colorful little skiers, to Furi where we found a cute little Swiss chalet-looking place to have dinner. Then we hopped on another gondola and floated the rest of the way down the mountains and began our 3 hour train(s) ride back "home" to Lucerne. Usually by the end of a long vacation, I am ready to go home. This time, it's not the case. Perhaps because I still haven't had my Fraulein Maria moment...this is a horrible realization I just had! Missed opportunities in Visnau shall haunt me now...who wants to come back with me!?!? I have unfinished business with the hills!!!

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