Grüetzi, Grüetzi! That's Amoré!: A 2015 Italy/Switzerland Trip Report - Complete!

[mare1203]

Fancy Stresa Dinner

When we arrived back in Stresa, we had the evening to ourselves. The guides offered to make reservations and arrange for transportation to Isola Pescatori for any interested families. Seeing as we had already eaten on the island, we declined. I heard the regular restaurant they make reservations for was closed, so our fellow adventurers ended up going to a restaurant called Belvedere. They said it was awesome. Don’t worry, though, we already had our own plans for a meal.


We started out by going back to Al Buscion for an aperitivo. Al Buscion is right on a busy corner heading into town, so it wasn't surprising that while sitting outside we saw many of our fellow adventurers pass through. I think we saw Stephanie go back and forth about 4 times, haha.


Luckily, by time number 3 we actually had some wine in our glasses and not just air.


The wine shop also provided a small tapas appetizer with the drinks.


This time around I was also successful in snapping a picture of the cute bill holder.

Before getting a table at our dinner destination, we stopped into the wine shop from the day before to buy a couple items. We ended up with a couple bottles of crema, a bottle of sweet wine, and 2 bags of Italian spices. The spices made my clothes smell like garlic and other Italian spices the rest of the trip, haha! No one said anything though, so it must not have been that strong (just kidding, but it did make my bag smell extra good!).


For dinner we ate at a restaurant called Lo Stornello. This came highly recommended from Trip Advisor, and after looking at the menu, we were in. Kathy and I have had the turbot at Victoria and Alberts in the past. Well, we saw turbot on the menu, and knew exactly what we would be ordering!




Sadly, we just missed the last patio table and had to eat inside. We were right by the windows though, so it wasn't too bad. The service was wonderful and the waiters here were very nice.


Like the first night, we started with a Barbera, but this time a d'Asti rather than a d'Alba. I'm not sure what the difference is, so I'll have to look it up because it's not sparkling.


Cheers to our last night in Italy!


If you have allergies, this place is quite helpful. There were more symbols than I could imagine, but very nice if that's something you have to worry about when traveling.


My dad and I both decided to start with a primi piati. I went with a rice dish. This was rice creamed with tomatoes and flavored with basil and cheese. It was incredible! One of my favorite dishes of the entire trip. It was fresh and creamy and I would 100% recommend.


Bob decided on the ravioli. This was a fresh ravioli filled with perch and served on top of peas with curry and toasted almonds. The flavors worked well together and he loved the dish.


As I mentioned, Kathy and I both ordered the turbot for our main course. It was lightly fried and covered in this delicious cream sauce. It was a light and flavorful course and we both loved it. There was a ton of couscous on the side!


My dad went with a ribeye steak. He loved his steak and raved about it more than once. It was served traditional style with potatoes. Italy is more well known for steak than Switzerland, so if you are in the market for a steak while on this trip it would be in your best interest to get it here in Italy.


You may have noticed that Kathy didn't order a starter. Well, that's because she was already planning ahead for dessert. She ordered the panna cotta, which she loved.


And the mark of a good end to any top notch meal in Italy is some complementary limoncello!

This was my favorite meal of the entire trip and I am very glad we stopped in. I would definitely go back to TripAdvisor as a source for meal ideas. It was also great to sit down to a nicer meal while in town. If you're in the market for a nice meal with good service and a fresh, seasonal menu then this should be on your list to check out.




Although my dad and I were both full from dinner, it didn't stop us from getting some final night gelato. Remember, it just fills in the cracks and crevices!




Funny enough, we both had different favorite gelato spots, so we each went to our favorites to order.

We also managed to leave with just 2.50 Euro, sooo, score! We then headed back to the hotel for our last sleep before Switzerland!!​

 

[FoodieFriend]

loving your trip report! i've never considered an ABD trip until recently & seeing all your wonderful pics, i'm all IN! hopefully i can convince the family. our main concern was always going as a group of 3, but seeing the ABD accommodations may be the WOW factor!

 

[mare1203]

loving your trip report! i've never considered an ABD trip until recently & seeing all your wonderful pics, i'm all IN! hopefully i can convince the family. our main concern was always going as a group of 3, but seeing the ABD accommodations may be the WOW factor!

Thanks for reading along! I'm glad I can be a small part in convincing you to do an ABD trip. Parties of 3 are certainly the most complicated, accommodation-wise, but we haven't seen it as a real problem at all and Disney is aware of the issues. The nice thing is that you really spend very little time in the hotels, so you're only there to sleep. Or, at least that's been the case for both our trips.

 

[mare1203]

Simplon Pass

Tuesday morning we woke up for our last breakfast in Italy; we’re headed to Switzerland today! We did not need to be up super early for this day, but earlier than in days past.




After breakfast, we met up with the group and boarded the bus. Our bus was Italian, and thus the wi-fi only worked while we were still in Italy.




Our morning journey was to take us about 3 hours through the Simplon Pass. The Simplon Pass is a high mountain pass that connects Italy to Switzerland. The road was constructed during the Napoleonic occupation. It has been in use since 1805 and can be used year round. It is one of the most beautiful roads in the world.




The night before, the guides had reminded us to have our passports handy in case of any trouble crossing over into Switzerland. They said the Italians are pretty laid back about the whole thing, but the Swiss...not as much.


Happily, we did not have any trouble getting through and no passports were needed. Welcome to Switzerland, friends!




A first glimpse at the beautiful Alps








Everything is so green. I miss green in the desert.
















The views were beautiful throughout our journey.


Along the way we saw the Stone Eagle of Erwin Friedrich Baumann. It is a reminder of WWII.​

 

[mare1203]

Alpine Rest Stop


About 2 hours into our trip we stopped at a rest stop.


They gave us about 30 minutes to stretch our legs, take pictures, and grab some snacks.






The stop featured an Alpine Spring Water “fountain” where we could fill our bottles. The water was super cold.






The weather, as you can see, was gorgeous. We were incredibly lucky with our Swiss weather from a sky perspective. We all dressed for a chill. There was a bit of one, compared to the 90's of Italy, but it wasn't chilly in any sense of the word.



Up until the break, the guides had let us basically do our own thing, but after they started giving us more information about Switzerland. It is officially known as the Swiss Confederation, or the Confederatio Helvetica, which is why you will see the abbreviation CH on cars, etc. Like America and our states, Switzerland is divided into cantons. There are 26 in total, and we were heading to Valais. There are 4 official languages in Switzerland: German, which is the most widely spoken (our guides were excited about this!), Italian, French, and Romansh. The Swiss are a very proud people and you will often see the flag of both the Swiss and the Cantons flying, again, much like the US where you’ll see both the US flag and the flag of the State. Cars registered will also be marked with their Canton.



Switzerland is not a part of the European Union, thus the use of Swiss Francs rather than the Euro. It is not only very difficult to get citizenship in Switzerland, but also very difficult to become accepted if you want to live in the country. Jessica lived in Switzerland for 5 years and said she didn’t have anyone she would be comfortable calling to stay with if she was in town.


There is a high cost of living in Switzerland and they are paid very well for the work they do. The guides told us to just get over the prices now because there was nothing you could do about it and it would just be expensive. Touche. The Swiss must hire a Swiss person for a job, and if they don’t, they have to show irrefutable proof they were unable to fill the position with a Swiss. Wow! Although Switzerland is known as a hiding place for money, the government is really cracking down on this, and it’s no longer a top destination. Now, many people are putting their money in Liechtenstein, but most believe that won’t last too long, either.


Jessica also recommended some popular Swiss foods to try. We would be having fondue for lunch, even though it’s more popular in France than in Switzerland. They wanted us to have the experience of fondue. Jessica also recommended we try a couple of dishes: the raclette, which is an appetizer of basically delicious melty cheese with a couple of accompaniments, rosti, which is sort of a hash brown pancake with a variety of popular toppings, and of course, chocolate. The guides told us there were a number of chocolate shops in Zermatt: Bachmann, Laderach, and Lindt being the most popular. They did not recommend we do the Lindt, because it’s obviously available here in the U.S., though the Swiss version is made in Switzerland and the U.S. made in New Jersey, so it is a little different.


We arrived at the train station and were told that Tinkerbell and the luggage fairies would be going to transport the luggage, while we headed onto the train to Zermatt.


Finally, a tangential story because it happened in this leg, but there was no good place to tell it otherwise. It's also a "don't be a dingbat" story. Once we arrived in Switzerland, the wi-fi no longer worked on our bus. Although this rendered my phone basically useless, being the good Millenial I am, I was still fiddling with it nonetheless. While listening to the guides I had my leg up and proceeded to stick the phone my rolled jeans, as shown, rather than making the more adult decision and putting it in its place. Well, you can guess what happened after I got tired of that position and decided to put my foot down. That's right, I totally forgot about said phone and commenced to internally freaking out when I couldn't find it 20 minutes later. My sister and I searched for a good 5 minutes, completely baffled as to where the heck my phone could have landed. I had it with me when I boarded the bus, after all, and there were only so many places it could be. I definitely did that thing where you continually check the same, obvious places for where it could be, during which I offhandedly remarked as a joke 'watch, I'll find it in my pants or something'. Knowing the phone had to be somewhere, we decided to just hang out and listen to the guides until we got to the stop and could check under the seats for the phone. You can imagine Kathy and I's fit of giggles when I changed position yet again, and actually did find the damn phone in my pants leg. I'm such an idiot. And now you know about it.

Also, yes, that is a WDW phone cover, and yes, it is one of my favorite things. ​

 

[sayhello]

Finally, a tangential story because it happened in this leg, but there was no good place to tell it otherwise. It's also a "don't be a dingbat" story. Once we arrived in Switzerland, the wi-fi no longer worked on our bus. Although this rendered my phone basically useless, being the good Millenial I am, I was still fiddling with it nonetheless. While listening to the guides I had my leg up and proceeded to stick the phone my rolled jeans, as shown, rather than making the more adult decision and putting it in its place. Well, you can guess what happened after I got tired of that position and decided to put my foot down. That's right, I totally forgot about said phone and commenced to internally freaking out when I couldn't find it 20 minutes later. My sister and I searched for a good 5 minutes, completely baffled as to where the heck my phone could have landed. I had it with me when I boarded the bus, after all, and there were only so many places it could be. I definitely did that thing where you continually check the same, obvious places for where it could be, during which I offhandedly remarked as a joke 'watch, I'll find it in my pants or something'. Knowing the phone had to be somewhere, we decided to just hang out and listen to the guides until we got to the stop and could check under the seats for the phone. You can imagine Kathy and I's fit of giggles when I changed position yet again, and actually did find the damn phone in my pants leg. I'm such an idiot. And now you know about it.

Also, yes, that is a WDW phone cover, and yes, it is one of my favorite things.

Wow!! That is some rest stop! (It's a lot like the rest stop we made in Alaska, heading to the Kenai Peninsula.) Nice!!

And that phone thing totally sounds like something I would do!

Sayhello

 

[walnut611]

I love the scenery. Rolling green hill, free flowing water,....too bad I live in the dessert LOL.

 

[kanadar]

Hehe!!! The phone story still makes me laugh. It was hilarious.

Yay! We've made it to Switzerland!! I miss it

 

[Cousin Orville]

Looks like a beautiful drive into Switzerland! So, you switched to a train to get the rest of the way to Zermatt? I'm sure that was a beautiful train ride. What time did you get into Zermatt?

 

[mare1203]

Wow!! That is some rest stop! (It's a lot like the rest stop we made in Alaska, heading to the Kenai Peninsula.) Nice!!

And that phone thing totally sounds like something I would do!

Sayhello

Haha, it was so dumb! I bet the scenery in Alaska is also phenomenal. It's on my bucket list, for sure.

I love the scenery. Rolling green hill, free flowing water,....too bad I live in the dessert LOL.

You and me both! I miss green. But, at least it's almost patio weather in the desert!

Hehe!!! The phone story still makes me laugh. It was hilarious.

Yay! We've made it to Switzerland!! I miss it

Aww, I miss it, too!

Looks like a beautiful drive into Switzerland! So, you switched to a train to get the rest of the way to Zermatt? I'm sure that was a beautiful train ride. What time did you get into Zermatt?

We got into Zermatt just before lunch. It's a short ride, maybe 20 minutes at most.

 

[mare1203]

Zermatt Lunch


After having some time to stretch and use the facilities, we met back up with Jessica. She gave us our tickets and we headed toward the train.




Since there are no motorized cars allowed in Zermatt, nearly everyone arrives via the Zermatt shuttle. It’s a relatively short journey and soon enough we had arrived at our destination. ​

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There are actually 2 options for the Zermatt days; a change from the past. One of the 2 days will offer an afternoon on your own, while the other day takes you on the Gornergrat. Whether you do the Gornergrat on day 1 or day 2 is completely up to the weather. They used to do the Gornergrat on one specific day, but someone finally asked if they could make it variable and ABD's response was, of course! It works with the schedule and actually makes a lot of sense, so that has been the experience this year. I think it’s a great change because that way there is more of a chance to get a good view of the Matterhorn and doesn’t tie the guides to one day.​

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Upon our arrival in Zermatt we were greeted by this guy! ​

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We also got our first glimpse at the Matterhorn. Too bad the weather was awful while we were in town. Fun fact, the weather app is NEVER right for Zermatt. When we arrived, my weather app said it was 65 and raining while it was actually about 87 and perfectly sunny.​

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This year is the 150th anniversary of the first successful summit of the Matterhorn. We were there about 2 weeks before the true anniversary and preparations were well underway in anticipation of the celebration.




The small alpine village is picturesque and seems right out of a movie. Obviously, in the winter this is a popular skiing destination, but it is also quite popular in the summer for hiking. We saw a ton of people in hiking gear heading out or in from the various trails. Due to the active nature of Zermatt, this is a relatively casual city. T-shirts and jeans are common.


We walked the main road to our lunch destination.


The lunch spot was closed down just for us and we sat at long tables.




There was a menu in front of us, reminding us what the options had been. Also, bc it never really gets hot here, there isn't AC and the windows open. I love this.


Kathy and I both got a popular Swiss soft drink for the meal called Rivella. It tastes similar to ginger ale and was quite refreshing. We got more of these throughout the trip.

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The first course was cheese fondue. It was creamy and super yummy.

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Some fondue pics! Beautiful, I know ​

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For our second course we all had the pork chop and fries. The fries were good but not phenomenal as advertised. I am attributing that to my love of French fries and knowing of a couple amazing fry places and not that they weren't that good.



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Our final course was chocolate fondue. Eh, haha. No, it was very good. I just prefer cheese to chocolate.​

We enjoyed our lunch here and I thought it a good choice for the group. It was a nice way to be welcomed to Switzerland and it was served at a nice, leisurely pace. In both of our ABD's we have thought the pacing of the group meals has always been nice.
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[mare1203]

The Zermatterhof Hotel




After lunch we walked down to the hotel. Our hotel for the next few days was the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, which has been a landmark in town since 1879.


Like the Regina, this was a beautiful hotel. Unlike the Regina, the Zermatterhof is not air conditioned. It generally doesn’t need to be as Zermatt has generally mild weather in the summer months.


This chandelier was in the lobby and not in our room ​

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When we arrived, we were led to the back patio for a drink while the guides checked us in and got our keys to us.




We were also greeted by another guest for some pictures.


After receiving our room key, we made our way to our home. Everyone has rooms with balcony’s facing the Matterhorn. Like, are they serious with this view? Come. On.






The room was a nice size. One of the chairs pictured folded out to make the 3rd bed. With the chair open it was a little tight, but not too bad otherwise. While in the room we spent most of the time on the balcony or sleeping anyway.​

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There was a nice big closet to store our luggage, which was actually quite helpful to make space.
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And the bathroom had double sinks. ​

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The only word for the Matterhorn that does it any justice is “enchanting.” The mountain shines out above everything, a lone peak surrounding the Alps, just beckoning to be photographed. You (or perhaps just me, but I don’t think so) are continually pulled to take another shot, trying to capture the essence, convincing yourself that this picture is somehow different from the other 75 you've just shot. It’s of no surprise, then, that Walt Disney was so drawn to the mountain during one of his visits to Zermatt that he decided it needed a place in Disneyland.

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Since it was absolutely gorgeous out, the guides decided there was no way we weren’t taking advantage and scheduled the Gornergrat for later that afternoon. We were to meet at the Gornergrat station just after 4:00 p.m., giving us some time to explore the area. ​

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We did some ducking into shops on our way to the train. You should be warned that, unlike Italy, shops close early here, so shop in the afternoon when you have time.
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[Cousin Orville]

Amazing view from your room! I'd love to see the Matterhorn. I'm sure it's absolutely beautiful in person. Having seen Third Man on the Mountain not too long ago (when TCM aired it) your pictures make me think of that movie.

 

[ksromack]

I would have loved to have visited Zermatt and see the Matterhorn! It just sits there so majestically! We only had 2 days in Switzerland and were in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. We went to the top of the Schilthorn, whose only claim to fame was that "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (James Bond movie) was filmed there. Please tell me you enjoyed Rosti at some point? I know, I know.....I'm rushing you!

 

[sayhello]

Wow! That is such an amazing view! I totally understand what you mean about being drawn to take just one more photo, and then just one more... I hope to see the Matterhorn some day; you're really inspiring me to look at this trip again.

Sayhello

 

[mare1203]

Amazing view from your room! I'd love to see the Matterhorn. I'm sure it's absolutely beautiful in person. Having seen Third Man on the Mountain not too long ago (when TCM aired it) your pictures make me think of that movie.

Ah, yes! The guides mentioned this movie along the way! It's way better in person

I would have loved to have visited Zermatt and see the Matterhorn! It just sits there so majestically! We only had 2 days in Switzerland and were in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. We went to the top of the Schilthorn, whose only claim to fame was that "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (James Bond movie) was filmed there. Please tell me you enjoyed Rosti at some point? I know, I know.....I'm rushing you!

I have a feeling I will forever be trying to get back to Zermatt, even though my list of travel wishes is about a mile long.

Don't worry, we take full advantage of trying Swiss foods while here! No copping out and sticking with seemingly 'safe' options for us.

Wow! That is such an amazing view! I totally understand what you mean about being drawn to take just one more photo, and then just one more... I hope to see the Matterhorn some day; you're really inspiring me to look at this trip again.

Sayhello

Oh good! That's my master plan here... It's been hard enough to just go through the pics and decide which ones to include for you all.

 

[mare1203]

'Allo Adventurers!!! Thank you for being so patient with me in these rather erratic updates. I always get annoyed when people say 'I'm so busy, life got in the way' but alas, that's what has happened here. I'm going to try to give you a couple this week, but I'm travelling a bit the next few weeks. The wedding is upon us, y'all! That means I might not get any out the week of 10/10, especially. But, rest assured, I haven't forgotten about you, or the report. Let's just think of it as dragging out the good stuff. The next few updates will be photo heavy because in Switzerland it's all about experiencing the views and nature, and I really don't have much other information to give ya. And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming...

The Gornergrat


Someone is excited to be at the Gornergrat station...and that someone is me!


Upon arrival at the Gornergrat station we were given our tickets. Every time you get on the train you have to scan your ticket, so we were told to be sure to keep track of them.




The Gornergrat is a cog wheel train taking you up to the viewing area.













It is the highest open air train in Europe and the change in altitude from Zermatt to Gornergrat is approximately 1500 meters. You can definitely feel the change in elevation once you step from the train at the final destination.




The area overlooks the Gorner Glacier and offers mountainous views of the Matterhorn.


Once we arrived, it was another uphill walk to the top viewing area. We spent about 30 minutes up here taking pictures and admiring the views.


We brought an Illini flag with us to take a picture with at the top. Seeing as I graduated from Illinois and Bob and Kathy still live in town, I thought it would be fun. Just disregard the fact it's upside down...




Even near the top, it was not that cold. No warm clothes necessary. So sad. Literally the only reason I am in a 3/4 sleeve shirt and scarf is because I planned the outfit and it went together, and damnit I was going to wear it! Jeans, or even shorts, and a t-shirt would have been totally doable.









We stayed up at the viewing area for about 30 minutes. This gave us plenty of time to take family pictures and admire all the beauty around us.






When we got back on the train, we took it just one stop. Stephanie had offered to take us on a hike after taking the Gornergrat train. Our hike was set to begin there and we would hike down to the next stop where we would again grab the train. You can actually hike all the way back to Zermatt, but that would be a long hike.
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[sayhello]

Spectacular!!

Sayhello

 

[linetbo]

So beautifull hotel, I am on day 1, cant wait to see it all!!!

 

[Cousin Orville]

Awesome view!