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Last day on the Wengen slopes: Feels like the first time

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(Wengen, Switzerland)

After the poor visibility that plagued our first three days of skiing in the Kleine Scheidegg and Männlichen areas around Wengen, we were pleased to see the sun rise for our last day of skiing in Wengen. Maybe we would be able to properly see what we were skiing?

Getting ready for the descent from the top of the Honegg lift, just above Kleine Scheidegg

And just like the old Foreigner song…when we emerged from the cable car at Männlichen, it was like we were seeing and skiing these slopes for the very first time! We could indeed see everything, including the mighty Eiger!

Looking down from the top of the Black Rock piste, with the impending “cliff” straight ahead and the rock itself coming up on the right

The photos tell the story. But I’d like to comment on a couple of special elements of this special day. The first was being able to properly ski my favourite Wengen piste: the Black Rock (now known more generically as Piste #32). Part of this black-rated piste’s appeal is the steep slope that demands precision. But, most of all, it’s the natural beauty of the slope.

This is where the “cliff” (and the fun, and the Black Rock itself) begins!

The first part is not very challenging, although in the distance you can see that the piste appears to fall off a cliff. And then when you get to that cliff, you have to balance skiing smartly with enjoying the spectacular view of the Lauterbrunnen valley on one side and a massive nearly-black rock formation on the other.

Looking back from near the end of the Black Rock piste – it’s hard to describe just how massive that rock really is.

Once you get past the massive rock formation, the piste’s incline eases considerably and it’s a little safer to fully enjoy the beauty of your surroundings. On a sunny day like today, I find myself saying that there is no other place I’d rather be. And that’s about the time that “Right Here, Right Now” (the 1991 song by Jesus Jones) implants itself in my head.

Speaking of massive rocks: this is the Eiger. And the steep part straight ahead is an unbelievable 2 km tall (the entire Eiger itself tops out at nearly 4 km in elevation)

For our final run of the day (and week, and year), we decided to go out with a bang. We would ski the famous Lauberhornrennen, the oldest and longest World Cup downhill race in the world. Check out this video from about 10 years ago to see exactly why the Lauberhorn race is so difficult and so special.

The wedding party (bride in white dress in the centre) at the top of the Lauberhorn piste

Before starting the Lauberhorn run, we saw a group of unusually dressed skiers (one in a white dress) near the starting gate. Yes, a skiing couple from Australia was actually getting married on the slopes! Instead of a “destination” wedding on a beach, they invited their skiing friends to celebrate with them in Switzerland.

I took this photo in the starting gate of the Lauberhorn run. What a way to end the week of skiing at Wengen!

The Lauberhorn run was a demanding but great way to end our week of skiing. But if you liked the spectacular photos from the last two posts, fear not! There is lots more to come from this amazing part of the world!

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Here Comes The Sun: A Glorious Day on the Schilthorn

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(Mürren, Switzerland)

OK, so the tough weather might have been getting to me a little bit. My last two posts were a little despondent. But the weather experts were right: they said Day 4 of our ski week in Wengen would be great for skiing. And it sure was!

This view, on a piste beside the Kandahar lift, is one of my favourites. Yes, we ski through that narrow chasm to get to Mürren! And those mountains in the background just happen to be the famous Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau peaks!

We decided to travel across the Lauterbrunnen valley to the slopes above Mürren. The views from the top of the Schilthorn promised to be stunning. But rather than race to the summit of the Schilthorn, at an elevation of nearly 3000 metres, we decided to enjoy the slopes along the way. And so we took our time exploring the pistes accessible by lifts such as Winteregg, Allmiboden, Schiltgrat, and Gimmeln.

The Schilthornhütte restaurant, with the Schilthorn looming in the back centre-right. We ate at one of these outdoor tables.

The conditions were sublime. Shimmering sunshine, with nary a cloud in the sky. The snow accumulations from the previous 48 hours meant that we weren’t skiing on an icy base. And we could see! With all of those favourable factors, it only made sense to have lunch outside at the rustic Schilthornhütte, within sight of the peak we would finally ascend that afternoon.

My lunch at the Schilthornhütte: Käsesuppe und Rauchwurst.

I had Käsesuppe (cheese soup) and Rauchwurst (smoked sausage) with some Swiss mustard (senf). It hit the spot perfectly. But even better was the view. Check out the picture at the very top of this post: this is where we ate! It was so nice on this sunny shelf that it wasn’t easy to move on. But we had a mission: to experience one of the most iconic views in the Alps.

Looking north from the top of the Schilthorn. The city of Thun is visible near the top centre of the photo.

I described my most recent visit to the Schilthorn in this post from 2018. All that still applies, although I’m pleased to report that some of the ickier aspects (most notably the “Bondgirls” sign at the women’s washroom) have been replaced. And as you can see from the photos here, the weather conditions were much better this time around. Waiting until the afternoon didn’t cause any problems at all – in fact, the Schilthorn was almost abandoned by that time of day.

Now, to ski down from the Schilthorn…we have to get from the building at right to the run-out slope you see at the lower centre-left of this photo!

After taking many, many pictures of the surrounding mountains, it was time to ski down from the top. But there’s only one way down. It’s a black-rated piste (the most difficult rating). Normally, this is not a problem. But the steepness of the slope, together with a lot of snowfall and a lot of morning traffic, left us with a particularly difficult descent. Large moguls alternated with pockets of deep snow and “scraped” icy patches. This would be a challenge!

OK, first let’s take a cheesy Swiss tourist photo at the Schilthorn!

But sensible challenges are one of the reasons we ski. And so, four of us decided to tackle the dreaded “Piste 10” leading down from the majestic Schilthorn. It certainly wasn’t my most elegant descent. Nonetheless, we still felt a sense of accomplishment when we made it down intact.

We’re at the very top of Piste 10, the only way down from the Schilthorn. After the first turn, it gets very steep!

We still had some enjoyable pistes that afternoon around the Kandahar and Muttleren lifts. But all too soon, we had to start making our way towards Winteregg so that we could get back to Wengen without a long uphill walk in ski boots. We caught the crucial last lift at Maulerhubel with precisely two minutes to spare!

Looking back at what we just did: that’s the Schilthorn in the background, with the rest of my posse enjoying an easy cruising slope after the challenge of Piste 10.

I often nominate a particular piste as the week’s Traumpiste (“dream run”). But every once in a while, the entire day is wonderful. I’d have to say that was the case today. And we were all able to enjoy it together, after some tough conditions over the previous three days. So, let’s call it a Traumtag!

Looking from Maulerhubel towards Wengen (on the other side of the valley), as the sun begins to disappear behind the high peaks at 4:30 p.m. These were some of the only clouds we saw today.

After such a great day on the Schilthorn, could our last day on the Wengen slopes possibly compare? Stay tuned and see!

Posts from the road

Skiing in suboptimal conditions, Part 3: the snowy depths of despair

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(Wengen, Switzerland)

The forecast for Day 2 was 25 cm of new snow, and we received at least that much. But I think we received even more on Day 3. So, let’s say “a couple of feet” of new snow in little more than 24 hours. That would normally be awesome. But we also couldn’t see anything!

Being swallowed up by the snow, and also not knowing where it is, near the top of the Männlichen ski area above Grindelwald and Wengen, Switzerland

As you can see from some of the on-slope photos here, the light was so “flat” that we couldn’t see the slope even if we could see other objects (which we frequently couldn’t).

We had lunch here, at the Chalet Restaurant on Day 3 (Kleine Scheidegg, Switzerland). You wouldn’t know that the massive Eiger was looming behind it!

I have to admit that 3 days in a row of poor visibility can be quite demoralizing, especially when the day before that was cancelled altogether because of stormy weather. We tried moving around from area to area, but any improvement was strictly temporary.

Lots of room on this usually heavily-used piste down to the Wixi lift (Wengen, Switzerland). This was probably the best visibility we had on Day 3, even though it was still hard to see changes in the slope.

I did my best to dwell on the positives, as outlined in this post and that post about suboptimal skiing conditions. But I also found that I was experiencing cumulative exhaustion. I’d be physically and mentally exhausted at the end of each day, and it was harder to recharge enough to face new (or even familiar) challenges by the next morning.

What once was green, is now white! This is just above Wengen (which is obscured by fog)

The only plus was that the slopes were virtually empty. And while I knew that the conditions would probably be amazing when the storm ended, it was becoming less and less clear when this might actually happen. What if the poor weather never left?

Some appealing chalets that we would ski by on our return to Wengen each day.

As for the pictures, I turned my attention to things I saw every day: chalets on the Talabfahrt (late afternoon valley run) and around our Hotel Bellevue home base (which you can now see with snow at the very top of this post). My ski posse referred often to a “winter wonderland”, so I tried to embrace that aspect of what I was seeing. And it was fascinating to see the transformation from green and brown to deep, deep white. Even the lowest pistes now had snow on the sides as well.

A quaint rustic chalet right beside our hotel in Wengen

Two of us decided to visit a different part of Wengen one day after skiing through the blinding snow. We stopped by the Chalet Alpenblick, which hosted the Auslandschweizer (Swiss Abroad) ski camps I attended for many years. I stayed in this house more than once, so it used to be quite familiar to me.

Nostalgic visit to the Chalet Alpenblick in Wengen

While we were looking at the Alpenblick, we were actually invited in to take a look around! This week’s occupants (a high school group from Biel, Switzerland) found our story fascinating. It was amazing how little had changed in 15-20 years. The same teapots, chairs, tables, Foosball game…it really could have been 2005 all over again.

This beautifully-situated Wengen church overlooks the Lauterbrunnen valley

With that unexpected nostalgia trip behind us, we were reassured by the ski rental shop that Day 4 would really be a great ski day. We really wanted to believe this. Was it true?

Posts from the road

Skiing in suboptimal conditions – Part 2

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(Wengen, Switzerland)

After skiing in suboptimal conditions for a day last week, and then having the resort shut down on my first scheduled day of skiing here, you’d think that all the iffy weather stuff would be behind me. But you would be wrong!

Restaurant Brandegg, near Grindelwald – we lunched here on day one and had the famous apple doughnuts for dessert

My first two “real” days of skiing here were plagued by poor visibility (fog), marginal snow conditions, and eventually precipitation that ranged from rain to sleet to heavy snow. We had to make do with minor victories, and keep looking ahead to the promised sunny skies on days four and five. Fortunately, the food at the Hotel Bellevue in Wengen (see photo at the top of this post) continued to impress. And there were no lift lines at all!

Great visibility, but poor snow conditions on day one at the (relatively) low altitude slopes leading to Wengen.

The poor visibility is particularly frustrating. It certainly interferes with skiing (making even seasoned skiers look like absolute beginners), but it is especially unfortunate in this part of Switzerland. One member of our ski group had never been to Wengen before and we had to assure her that the legendary and massive Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau mountains were really looming far overhead.

The Eiger appears at the end of day one! With a weird horizontal cloud formation below the peak!

At 4:30 p.m. on the first day, Mother Nature teased us a little. All of a sudden, the clouds parted, the sun emerged, and the cloud level was actually below us. We had a brief but dramatic view of the Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau…with a strange horizontal cloud formation just below (see above photo). It was amazing! I think my camera was overwhelmed by the sunlight, though, as all of my frantically snapped photos came out rather blurry.

The iffy visibility here (at Grindelwald First) was standard over the first couple of days, although it was frequently much worse.

Alas, day two was just more of the same fog, with rain at the lower altitudes and increasing snow at the higher altitudes. Our lunches took on increased importance, as they offered a respite from the poor weather. But some restaurants were closed (including one in Grindelwald that was a real hit in 2018) because of the low numbers on the slopes…or because the pistes leading to them were not open.

This rustic house at the end of the Talabfahrt was quite visible near low-altitude Grindelwald on day two. However, it was also quite wet!

Looking on the bright side, suboptimal skiing weather does have some benefits. It makes skiing incredibly easy once the weather improves. It is a great workout, because “skiing blind” places heavy physical demands on you. And it develops concentration skills, as assessing the snow and piste conditions by feel demands nothing less than 100% focus. Your senses are certainly heightened: on the second day, we spotted a huge herd of roughly 50 chamois as we rode the Oberjoch chairlift high above Grindelwald.

Stay tuned for my report on the third day of skiing in the Wengen-Grindelwald area!

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What to do when the ski resort shuts down?

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(Wengen, Switzerland)

I’m now staying in Wengen, a beautiful mountain village perched on a cliff overlooking the Lauterbrunnen Valley.  You’ve probably seen this valley in many photos before (see above photo), even if the name doesn’t sound familiar. It’s one of the most photographed valleys in the world. But I’m here to ski, not just to marvel at the stunning valley landscape.

View from my hotel, over the Lauterbrunnen valley

Alas, at breakfast on what was supposed to be my first day (of six) of skiing here, we learned that the entire lift system was shut down due to high winds. Parts of the railway system were shut down too. We had to find another way to spend the day.

View of another hotel, also overlooking the Lauterbrunnen valley

I’d like to say that this was unprecedented. But it isn’t: in 2017, at Madonna di Campiglio (Italy), we were unable to ski because the entire lift system was shut down…also due to high winds.

Having a chat with some Irish hikers we met on the way down to Lauterbrunnen

Anyway, we decided to start with a hike down from cliff-top Wengen to the village of Lauterbrunnen on the valley floor.  The vertical drop is about 500 metres, but it took less than an hour because it is almost straight down. It turned out to be an excellent warm-up for our remaining days of skiing.

Two goats in Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland

From Lauterbrunnen, I suggested hiking to the small village of Stechelberg, located at the end of the valley. I figured we could have lunch at the Hotel/Restaurant Stechelberg, an old-fashioned establishment I visited about 15 years ago. This was ambitious, given the distance…and the fact that this was the only restaurant in Stechelberg. It could have ended in heartbreak. But we went ahead anyway.

One of many waterfalls in the Lauterbrunnen valley, as seen from downtown Lauterbrunnen

Just like the descent from Wengen, the walk to Stechelberg was beautiful. The alleged high winds were barely noticeable this far down from the mountains. We encountered the usual assortment of cows, goats, and donkeys. We even passed a cheese vending machine, like the one I saw in Lenk in 2018.

A fun vending machine featuring…cheese. It’s between Stechelberg and Lauterbrunnen.

We had the foresight to reserve a table at the Stechelberg restaurant, so we were able to walk right into a rustic lunch.  Nothing appeared to have changed in the last 15 years. In fact, it looked like the local Swiss restaurants I saw as a child in the late 1970s.

More goats, and other creatures in the background, this time in Stechelberg, Switzerland

Most of us walked back to Lauterbrunnen after lunch, making it a total of around 20 km of walking if you include the walking we also did in Wengen itself.

View from Stechelberg – looking towards Wengen, which you can see in the distance on a ledge high above the valley floor.

OK, so we didn’t come to Wengen to hike in March. But we still had a nice day outside and gained a new perspective on the amazing natural setting of Wengen and the valley far below.

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Skiing in suboptimal conditions

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(Zweisimmen, Switzerland)

After a stellar “biathlon” the previous day (see above for a photo from the previous day!), it wasn’t fair to expect another wholly amazing day in Zweisimmen. And while it had some fun parts, it’s not going on my all-time Traumtag list.

Complete strangers overlooking Hornfluh (the day before)

In the valley, it rained all day. It changed to snow once I got above 1300 m elevation, but most of it was very wet and heavy snow. And visibility was quite poor for most of the day. With wet goggles, seeing properly was even harder.

More strangers at the Gstaad ski area (the day before, mind you)

With that dim introduction, you might think it was a terrible day. But there were still some highlights. People weren’t skiing on the Rinderberg in the morning for some reason, so I was basically able to make first tracks in the fresh foot of snow that had fallen since the day before. And I kept doing that for at least 5 more “laps” of the upper Rinderberg pistes. The visibility wasn’t great, but it was good enough that I could focus on skiing through the fresh stuff.

Looking out from Parwengesattel towards St. Stephan (the previous day)

Eventually, however, the ski schools arrived en masse and I no longer had the mountain to myself. I figured I would return to the St. Stephan slopes where I had so much fun the day before. Alas, the conditions were terrible. The top half was OK, but there is only one lift…so you must ski the bottom half too. The bottom half featured muddy snow that felt like sand…and stopped your skis dead in their tracks. It was grim. I only did the one run there – life is too short for skiing in mud. I couldn’t return to the Rinderberg without doing multiple lifts and low-elevation pistes, so I moved on to the Saanenmöser slopes.

Parking lot for skis at the mountaintop Hotel Restaurant Hornfluh

Saanenmöser was better than St. Stephan, but even there I had to adapt. While there wasn’t any muddy snow, the warm temperatures meant that skiing anywhere “fresh and untouched” in the middle and lower sections would also bring your skis to a sudden stop. So I could only ski where other people had skied before. This goes against my skiing instincts, but the alternative was worse. And even then there were some invisible slow spots.

My lunch at the Hotel Restaurant Hornfluh: Älplermagronen with a Suure Moscht

Lunch was a much-needed escape from all the rain and snow. I ate at the Hotel Restaurant Hornfluh. I ordered Älplermagronen und Suure Moscht: this is Swiss-German for macaroni and cheese (deluxe, with ham, two cheeses, and fried onions) and an apple cider. Once again, lots of carbs to get me through the demanding ski conditions!

More of the ski rack at Hornfluh, along with an alarming cow

By the end of the day, I was exhausted and soaked. Plus, my water bottle leaked in my backpack. As a result, my dry extra clothes were even wetter than the damp ones I was wearing. It wasn’t a very glamorous way to end the day. Nonetheless, I decided to focus on a sense of accomplishment for adapting to the many challenges I faced throughout the day. And nothing can take away those dreamy first runs in the morning when I had the slopes to myself!

Next: my return to Wengen!

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In 12 hours, I did the ultimate Gstaad biathlon!

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(Gstaad, Switzerland)

It doesn’t get much better than this. The sun was shining, the slopes in the Gstaad ski region weren’t busy…what better way to start the morning than by heading to the Zweisimmen ski gondola station? No line-up: I walked right into a waiting gondola and began my ascent up the Rinderberg.

View from my Zweisimmen hotel

The top of the Rinderberg is around 2011 metres (about 6600 feet) high, so it’s not an especially high mountain. But it is still high enough to have a lot of snow cover even though the snow is gone in the valley. I started with some very enjoyable pistes on the back side at Parwengesattel, high above the village of St. Stephan. There was a lot of room on the slopes, so I could focus on my technique a little bit too.

View from Saanerslochgrat

And the good conditions continued, at least on the higher parts of the various linked resorts. Things got a bit wet and slushy on the lower elevations, but my ski posse knows that I usually thrive in those conditions.

View from Parwengesattel, high above St. Stephan

For lunch, I stumbled on a rare opportunity: I could eat al fresco (in the sun) at a restaurant right beside the lower part of the slope leading to Oeschseite. So I grabbed a table, ordered a panaché and some pasta, and enjoyed my slopeside meal without my jacket on. Now this is what being on holiday is all about!

I ate my lunch outside here at Restaurant Träumli, near Oeschseite. My table near the front is still empty.

I spent most of the afternoon on the slopes above Saanenmöser, before heading back to the Rinderberg for my last pistes at the end of the day. Considering this was my first day of skiing in two years, I was really happy with how it all turned out. My boots still felt good despite the passage of two years, and the Swiss skis I rented (it was too much hassle to bring mine from Canada) were just right too.

This is the piste leading to the Restaurant Träumli at Oeschseite. The restaurant is on the right side of the trail, just before it veers left. The snow was actually not too bad, despite the very warm temperatures

So what could possibly make the day even better? How about adding another sport in the evening and turning it into an extended 12-hour biathlon? Well, believe it or not, I was able to go lawn bowling in the evening in Gstaad! I know – it’s winter. But there is an indoor tennis club in Gstaad where they can roll out some special carpets to permit indoor lawn bowling.

Looking in the other direction at Parwengesattel

On top of that, I was able to play in a pairs match with the current Swiss Indoor Singles champion against the current Swiss pairs champions. They were wearing a lot of Swiss national team gear. I hadn’t played in 5 months, but they found a set of bowls in my size and I was able to find my groove very quickly. We bowled for nearly three hours.

An easy slope in the Gstaad ski region

It is remarkable how universal sports can be. We had really competitive games but we also had a lot of fun. And in addition to the guys who played, I met several other members of the club who came to watch or met us afterwards.

Like every Swiss railway station, the Zweisimmen train station has a Mondaine clock like this. I have the same clock (and watch) too!

To cap off an amazing day, we adjourned to the curling club’s pub and enjoyed some pizza and beverages! It was great to talk about our common sports passions. They were fascinated by a Canadian lawn bowler who originates from the very same mountain valley that they are from. And I never thought I would meet fellow Swiss who played the sport too. All in all, a remarkable day!

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From Lebanon to Zweisimmen

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(Lyon, France, and Zweisimmen, Switzerland)

On my last night in Lyon, I went to a Lebanese restaurant called Rose de Damas in the Part-Dieu neighbourhood. The location and appearance didn’t suggest that this was the #6-ranked restaurant (out of more than 2200) in Lyon. And roughly 90 of those restaurants have at least one Michelin star. Rose de Damas doesn’t. But I agree with popular opinion on this one: I thought my meal there was outstanding.

My Menu végétarien at the Rose de Damas

I went for the Menu végétarien, which had an assortment of hot and cold dishes. Check out the above photograph – doesn’t it look spectacular? The cylindrical pastry on top was filled with cheese. And they didn’t try to overwhelm with garlic, as some restaurants seem determined to do. Instead, the dip tasted of sesame. Other interesting flavours included walnut and pomegranate. My photo of the restaurant itself (see below) was taken at night, but I think you can tell that it looks cosy yet unpretentious.

Night view of the Rose de Damas in Lyon

The next morning, I was up bright and early to catch a series of trains from Lyon to Zweisimmen. I had to change trains in Geneva and Montreux, but those stops were very brief…thanks to the incredibly dense network of public transportation in Switzerland. Zweisimmen is in the heart of my ancestral Swiss valley, and is my base for skiing (and more!) for the next three days. The picture at the very top of this post is an overcast view of Zweisimmen taken from the ski gondola.

Waiting for the train to depart Montreux for Zweisimmen. If this is 2nd class, I wonder what 1st class looks like?

The posh resort village of Gstaad is just down the road: check out the 2nd class railway car on this route. The wood panelling and skylights are standard issue. The service was very impressive too.

Hotel Sonnegg – home for my three days in Zweisimmen, Switzerland

I’m staying at the Hotel Sonnegg (above), a very friendly family-run hotel at the top of the town. It can be a demanding uphill walk from the downtown core, but it’s also very peaceful. There are no rowdy late-night disturbances!

Speaking of family, my cousin Catherine happened to be on a brief visit to the nearby village of Mannried. We hadn’t seen each other for a while, so we had an enjoyable catch-up dinner at the Bären Restaurant (see above). This restaurant serves mostly Swiss food, and I had my very first Rösti of the trip! Very good, but also very filling. Perfect for the demanding sports-filled days that lay ahead!

Another chalet in downtown Zweisimmen. The yellow signs point the way to various nearby places and villages…including Weissenbach, where I visited my grandfather as a child.

The uphill walk back to my hotel wasn’t easy, but it’s hard to complain when there are so many typical rustic chalets along the way. It’s so nice to see the real thing. (Don’t get me started on the Canadian restaurant chain called “Swiss Chalet”: it is neither Swiss nor a chalet.).

Above Zweisimmen – a cosy place with a nice view

But what about the skiing, you ask? All those spectacular photos are coming up soon! And I’ll also be telling you about a very special sports experience I had in Gstaad, of all places…

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My first visit to Lyon, France (and the story of my flight upgrade)

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(Lyon, France)

I hadn’t planned to visit Lyon on this trip. But, as you may recall, I found a great flight deal here from Montreal. I suspect that late February is not a particularly high-demand time for that route. And that came in handy a second time!

Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse

Many airlines now allow you to bid for an upgrade to a higher class, if there are empty seats in their premium economy or business classes. I was booked into economy on this trip, although I had selected an exit row seat for the extra leg room. Even so, I still find the ever-shrinking seats in economy class to be very uncomfortable (especially if the flight is full). It’s not just the leg room: shoulder room is scarce too! Add to that the loss of a night’s sleep, and it’s not the best way to start off a European trip…especially one that is going to be very active.

Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse

All this means that I was particularly interested in bidding for an upgrade to business class on this trip. The lie-flat seats can accommodate someone who is 6’6″, so even I can fully stretch out in them. There usually is a minimum bid for such an upgrade, but even that was reduced by 25% on this flight. I figured that was a good sign too. I decided to bid just a tiny bit more than the revised minimum, and was fairly confident I would succeed. And I did!

This passage in Lyon was filled with very specialized (and/or very posh) shops

Some things to remember: while you get access to the business lounge before departure (with all the free food and drinks you can handle), they don’t let you in until 3 hours before departure. Also: my flight to Lyon arrived earlier than expected. It was barely 7 hours. That cuts down on sleeping time, as meals are served at the beginning and end of the flight. Business class travel actually makes a longer flight more desirable!

I didn’t ride the Ferris wheel in downtown Lyon…maybe I should have?

Anyway, here I am in Lyon. Given Lyon’s culinary reputation, I stopped by Les Halles de Lyon – Paul Bocuse. It is an indoor food market named after Lyon’s most famous chef, and quite close to my hotel. As you can imagine, the offerings tend to toward the swankier end of the decadence spectrum. And regardless of the product, the displays are spectacular too. Take my word for it – you will know when you are near a cheese vendor.

This very ornate Lyon carousel must be from the 19th century

From there, I crossed the Rhône river to what I’m going to call the “Belle Epoque” part of Lyon. Not the truly ancient Vieux-Lyon, but the prosperous Presqu’île district. It’s full of grand boulevards and grand buildings, with a lot of luxury brands from all over the world. From a shopping perspective, it’s certainly not what I was looking for. But I managed to find a FNAC record shop in a suitably attractive building, and I now have a musical souvenir from the trip!

You don’t see many record shops like this anymore (Lyon, France)

As I really only have one “discretionary” meal here in France’s food capital, I wanted to make it worthwhile. So, I did some research on special options that I could walk to from my hotel. I found something that ticked all the boxes for me: a family-run restaurant that has developed an outstanding reputation for quality food from the “old country”…in this case, Lebanon and Syria. The reviews were gushing, to say the least. Perhaps more importantly, I didn’t see any bad reviews either.

Olfactory extravaganza!

Watch for my next blog, when you’ll find out whether this local favourite lived up to its fabulous reputation!

Posts from Base Camp

Travel Tips: some more things to think about

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(Kingston, Ontario, Canada)

My previous post focused on the packing list. But there are many other things to think about as departure day approaches. Here are some of them…

Inside the walled town of Kotor, with some of fortifications visible above the city.

Every ounce counts when you’re packing. So, if you’re bringing along items such as shampoo or toothpaste, take a container that is already half-empty (but will still last for your entire trip). 

My “hotel” in Kotor – my room is on the third floor (with open shutter)

Depending on where you’re travelling, you might want to consider registering with your home country’s foreign service. In Canada, that would be Global Affairs. You can tell them where you are going and when. This could come in handy if the local situation gets unstable while you’re there.

Lower part of the walls above Kotor, Montenegro

You can also let your credit card company know about your trip, so that any foreign purchases aren’t irrationally declined. However, some credit card companies are now refusing to record such information, as they claim that their algorithms will detect anything suspicious.

Overlooking the Tara River Canyon – northern Montenegro

Speaking of credit cards – consider paying off your balance (and then some) in advance. This might save you money if you should ever require a cash advance on your credit card, because interest gets charged on cash advances right away. But you should always have multiple strategies for dealing with any unexpected expenses.

Climbing the walls above Kotor

Consider getting a little of the local currency before departure. The rates charged at airport exchange booths are usually very unfavourable, and you may not see any other options when you first arrive. Don’t be fooled by boasts of “no commissions” or “no fees”. Those are already built into the exchange rates, even if they aren’t listed separately. If you see a gap of 10% (or more!) between the buy and sell rates, you know that the currency trader is doing very well indeed.

View from my lunch table, overlooking the Bay of Kotor (Dobrota, Montenegro)

Learn your duty/customs limits before you leave on your trip. These are different for every country, and are affected by how long you are away, so don’t rely on others to know which limits apply to you when you return home.

Black Lake, Durmitor National Park (Montenegro)

For overnight flights and/or flights longer than 7 hours, don’t forget to check your airline’s upgrading offers. You can sometimes successfully bid on (or outright buy) an upgrade at a far lower price than you would have paid at the original time of purchase. If your flight is not close to full, and it is not on a route favoured by business travelers, you may well succeed! Paying a little extra for a good night’s sleep can be a great investment, especially when you are going to be very active shortly after arrival.

Durmitor National Park, northern Montenegro

Today’s photos are from my 2014 travels in Montenegro. I have no real reason for that, other than the fact that I hadn’t seen them in a while! It’s a small but very beautiful country.