Switzerland and Germany Day 6

Start of day: Zermatt, Switzerland
End of day: Zermatt, Switzerland

Our friends Joshua and Max headed back to Geneva this morning.

In the morning Rowan and I were lazy, recovering from activities the day before.

Morning view of Matterhorn peak from Zermatt street with traditional chalets, canal, and clear blue sky

Mid-afternoon we took the train up to Gornergrat, a site above 10,000 feet adjacent to the Matterhorn.¹ It felt like another planet, surrounded by rocks, glaciers, and the Matterhorn itself in the distance. Rowan and I even made a little bird friend.

Small alpine bird perched on person's knee at Gornergrat viewing platform

Here’s a short video about our afternoon visit to Gornergrat: YouTube short

Young man in gray hoodie sitting at Gornergrat viewing platform with Matterhorn peak and glacier in background

There are several stations along the Gornergrat rail where you can stop and hike up or down. I considered having us do a downward hike between stations, even doing the Riffelalp to Zermatt hike I did last year but after yesterday’s hike I didn’t want to push it. We took the train all the way down.

In the evening we both needed a break so we settled for McDonald’s near the train station. It was aggressively mediocre. Not like in the States. The fries were almost tasteless. The chicken sandwich was somehow TOO crunchy. And it cost the two of us US$30. At McDonalds. Ha ha! Zermatt.

Tomorrow: a long day of trains as we start to make our way towards Bavaria.

Footnotes:

Remember: if you’re traveling on a Swiss Half Fare card (and you probably should be, but do the math), don’t forget to use it here. The automated ticket machine had some issues with my card and I had to have a staff person help me, but it’s worth the hassle ($$$!). ↩

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