A Little Life in the Alps

Lizee left on Sunday morning, and we’d planned to spend the rest of the day cleaning up the house and getting ready for our next guests. But first, we had an important job to do: as the official cheering squad for Sabine, we needed to make our way to Lutry (another beautiful lakeside village) to cheer her on in her 20k trail run.

I have to say — I’m much more comfortable on the cheer squad than doing the actual running. The course winds up the hillside, through vineyards, and then back down to the lake. Watching the finishers pass us by, exhausted and sweat-streaked, was tiring enough. I couldn’t imagine actually running the thing.

I could see the wheels turning in Sheila’s head when she found out it’s the only trail race in Europe that runs through vineyards. The harvest is still a few months away, but I’m not sure how wine tasting and racing pair. I’ve seen her taste wine — most recently in Epesses — and I’d back my wife to medal in a wine tasting competition any day. Maybe less so in the trail running part.

After cheering Sabine across the finish line, we headed back home to get our little apartment ready for the next arrivals — Sheila’s parents, Dave and Biba, flying in from Portugal the next day.

Cedar, like his mom, loves to play host. He’s been excited to share “his” Switzerland, especially Chernex. He’s pretty cute on the phone with Po Po, Ng Ng, his cousins, or Nana and Poppa — excitedly explaining, “We’re really here! In Switzerland! We had to take a plane! And when it’s morning here, it’s night time back home!” Every time I hear him say it, it makes me smile. I feel the same way. We really are here. We actually did it!

But FaceTime isn’t the same as in-person visits. Cedar was amped to play tour guide for his Nana and Poppa.

First stop: Geneva airport — again! Our second trip there in as many days. Dave and Biba flew in from Lisbon, trading the Algarve’s sunshine for the somewhat cloudier skies in Montreux. Not that I’m complaining — we’ve had amazing weather, but the forecast was calling for rain. Luckily, we weren’t staying put. We were headed to Saas Fee for a few nights. But first, we gave them the tour of our home base.

After a quick lunch, we caught the train back to Chernex. Cedar, thrilled to have English-speaking companions who weren’t his parents, kept up a running monologue the entire ride — telling them everything he’d done in the past one and half months

Once home and settled in, we had an apéro dinner and made plans to head down to Montreux the next day.

It’s early June, but already the waterfront is starting to come alive. More tourists arrive daily, and prep has begun for the world-famous Montreux Jazz Festival, which kicks off in early July.

Midweek, though, things are still very enjoyable — perfect for a gentle stroll along the lakeside promenade and a proper introduction to the city. The plan was to walk from Montreux to Territet, take the funicular up to Glion, visit Sabine at the Hotel Victoria, and head back home from there.

It seemed like a great idea — until I found out that Dave and heights are not a great mix.

For the uninitiated: a funicular is essentially two train cars permanently attached to opposite ends of a cable that runs through a pulley system at the top of a steep slope. As one car goes up, the other comes down. Technically not a Swiss invention (credit to the Austrians in the 1500s), but the Swiss, in classic fashion, perfected them — adding automation (no drivers) and advanced braking systems. Nothing to worry about. Right, Dave?

Unbeknownst to me, Sheila did know about her dad’s fear of heights, which may explain why she was suspiciously quiet when laying out the plan. When we arrived in Territet, I did my best to reassure him, while everyone else made fun of him. Dave, this funicular is basically new. It was built in 1883, no big deal. No driver, totally fine. A 57% grade straight up? That’s basically flat in Switzerland.”

Luckily, Cedar — now a funicular veteran — stepped in. He held Poppa’s hand, explained how it all worked, and got him through the ride. What a pro!

At the top, we arrived in Glion — a picture-perfect village perched above Montreux. Sabine works at the stunning Hotel Victoria, and the views from the terrace are some of the best you can find. The hotel itself — built around 1869 and now part of the Relais & Châteaux family — is a Belle Époque survivor. (For those who, like me before this trip, don’t know what Belle Époque means: it’s French for “the Beautiful Era,” a golden age of peace, optimism, and cultural flourishing in Europe before WWI.

For Switzerland, the Belle Époque opened up the stunning lakeside towns and mountain villages like Montreux, Vevey, and Glion to the well-heeled European tourists in search of luxury, and fresh alpine air. Think lavish Art Nouveau architecture, over-the-top ornamentation, cabarets, grand hotels, opera houses, and world fairs. A time of elegance, optimism, and peace — honestly, doesn’t sound so bad right about now given all the nonsense in the world.

Sabine met us in the lobby looking very sharp and very professional in her blazer — I on the other hand have embraced what I call – tourist chic. AKA the same scruffy travel t-shirt and shorts I have worn since arriving, and my ball cap (the fancy one) I did my best to roll in with enough swagger to look like I belong in a five star hotel, but likely it would have warranted a polite escort back out the front door by security If not for our swiss friend. To be fair, we weren’t aiming for the full 14-point Gault & Millau Restaurant experience anyway. I mean, I guess the prawn and avocado cocktail with Aurora sauce, followed by Chateaubriand carved tableside and drizzled in Béarnaise from a silver sauceboat sounded acceptable. But our price point was more along the lines of “complimentary snack nuts, with a side of beer” while we politely enjoy the million dollar views and then leave. Thanks to Sabine, that’s exactly what we got!

While the others relaxed and enjoyed the terrace, I snuck inside for a quick look around. The hotel’s interiors are like stepping into a luxury time capsule — original artwork, ornate art nouveau furniture, chandeliers, everything looks like it’s seen a century’s worth of stories. Very cool.

After our apéritif, we said our goodbyes and headed back to the funicular. I’m sure Dave was wishing he’d had another drink or three before descending — even I’ll admit the ride down is undeniably freakier than the ride up — but with Cedar by his side, we made it without incident.

After the obligatory photo stop with the Freddie Mercury statue, we headed home for lunch and an early evening packing session before our next adventure: a trip to Saas Fee.