Die Schweiz war super!

(Joe and I just returned from a weekend in Switzerland. Since I also want to tell you my version of our trip, I'll post his update first and mine separately later).

Betsy & I had a lot of fun this past weekend in Switzerland.  Despite the weather was cold (highs in -10sC, lows in -20sC; or in English units highs in +10sF, lows in -10sF), we did a lot of skiing.  Betsy did mostly telemark skiing on the groomed slopes (Betsy interjects: I most certainly did not ski corduroy the whole time!) at a very expansive resort called Lenzerheide.  Because of last year's ankle twisting mishap, I stuck entirely to cross-country.  While the main draw to this part of Switzerland is the downhill skiing, the cross country trails were perfectly groomed every morning.  I managed to ski a total of over 80km (50miles) in 3 days, including a full marathon in distance on Saturday.  While I was checking out the valley, Betsy and some of her lab-mates were cutting up the slopes.  They were adventurous enough to take a gondola to the very peak.  Up there they took a few pictures of the spectacular view, before quickly descending out of the wind.  They also stopped into several ski chalets for warm drinks and a chance to get out of the wind.  Betsy even tried the “Scheymli-Pfleymli” which is a Swiss favorite while skiing; it is weak coffee, with plum schnapps, topped with whipped cream.

After the skiing, Betsy & I hung out with her lab group and a collaborating lab group from Zürich.  There were some games, lots of talking, and several crates of beer for the 35 or so folks.  Meals were prepared by the other group, and the much smaller Tübingen group did the clean-up –although a number of us helped with Pizza on Saturday night.

This morning Betsy & I got up relatively early, and packed our things quickly so we could go cross country skiing together.  The weather was very cold, I estimate it was around -15F before the sun finally came into the valley around 10am.  We were the first people out and skied over 10km on freshly & perfectly groomed trails.  The landscape was very picturesque --snow covering cute little Swiss houses standing next to 70' tall pine trees, and all surrounded by massive snow covered peaks.

 

We are now warming up in quiet Tübingen after warm showers, hot drinks (tea & chocolate) and waiting for dinner which includes bread baking in the oven.  …speaking of  which, I must go to tend.