Switzerland- 1 GPS- 0

On Presidents' Day Weekend, we ventured north for our long awaited trip to Switzerland.  I say long awaited for several reasons:

Why would we NOT want to be here?!

1. We have wanted to go to Switzerland for a while now, having heard nothing but good things.
2. We wanted to ski outside Italy.
3. We would be seeing our friends Johnny and Mimi for the last time before they have their baby!
4. Their bulldog Selma would be coming along.
5. Rick Steves raves about a few places in Europe...Cinque Terre (been there), Rothenberg ob de Tauber (Germany- been there) and Gimmelwald, Switzerland (going there).

Passing through Lugano

The ride there took us west through Milan and then north through Lake Como and into Switzerland.  We knew once we got near our destination, we'd have to board a cable car to reach our hotel since it is not accessible by car.  The drive started out well.  It was one of the rare Italian days when you can actually see the mountains from the smog-invested valley we live in.  Heading north into Switzerland, we (well, mostly me as the passenger) caught great views of Lugano and the mountain range around the St. Gotthard Tunnel (which is an amazing 17km long!)

Unfortunately, the drive was not all fun.  Our trusty GPS that has guided us to several tricky European places had an absolute meltdown and nearly got us lost/killed/on an alternative mode of transportation.  Its first debacle occurred in what was suppose to be a scenic gas stop in Lake Como.  Since we needed to get gas before crossing into Switzerland, we hopped off the highway after plugging in a nearby gas station.  As we approached the world famous Lake Como, the GPS told us to take a right up a narrow street.  We drove down the narrow street lined with beautiful villas overlooking the lake and hoped it would come out at our desired gas station- the GPS never lies!  At the end of this "street", the road just ended....and it was impossible to turn around.  My reliable driver put the H1 in reverse and tried to navigate backwards around narrow curves and blind corners.  Needless to say, the gas station was NOT up that road and when we eventually found it, it was, in typical Italian fashion, closed for lunch.  Epic fail.

The second meltdown occurred with about 20k left in our journey when unexpectedly, the GPS told us to board a ferry.  We were in the mountains.  In landlocked Switzerland.  What ferry was this thing talking about?  Still a mystery...

WHAT?!?!?!

We spent the weekend in the quaint town of Gimmelwald.  The town is a traditional farm village with only a few hotels, one restaurant, no supermarkets and more cows than people.  If you ever go, stay at the Pension Gimmelwald.  Aside from it being an adorable old farm house with an honesty shop on the first floor and an amazing view out back, the staff is awesome.  We were quite the motley crew complete with a celiac, a pregnant woman and a dog and they bent over backwards to create gluten free meals, provide pasteurized cheese and space for the dog to roam.  They even hopped right on their computer to help settle our debate about whether or not there is a Hooters in Italy (there obviously isn't one, but there's one in Switzerland!).

Our cute hotel

My favorite picture from Gimmelwald

We spent enjoyable days skiing the Schlithorn under beautiful blue skies and during whiteout snow squalls.  Luckily as we were leaving, the area received much needed snow, as it was quite bare in parts during what I assume is a very mild winter for them.  The ski area was enjoyable, although very steep and narrow near the top.

View from the slopes

Food in Switzerland tends to be very expensive, but we did not have a bad meal the entire weekend.  Highlights included my potato/carrot/hot dog soup, Brenden's teriyaki chicken pizza, traditional Swizz Rosti (a potato and cheese dish) and of course, our lunch from the supermarket in Murren that we ate on the side of the road!

We'll be back!

While we saw this area during the winter, we've heard it's a great summer hiking destination and will perhaps be back to enjoy more of the mountain towns in the Bernese Oberland...but maybe with a new GPS!