Part Two of Kristy Flannery's Switzerland Travel Diary

Tuesday, August 8 Itinerary (Brig & Saas-Fee)

Thoughts on the Day  

After a long day of travel that consisted of planes, trains, and cable cars, we finally arrived at Aletsch Arena.

Even though Switzerland is only the fourth country I have been to, I am confident it is the most beautiful place on the planet. The landscape will leave you speechless; whether it's the airport or train station, the scenery is breathtaking.

For the first two nights of the trip, we stayed at Hotel Waldhaus, located in the mountain village of Bettmeralp. Perched at the top of the mountain, the hotel boasted incredible mountain views and was more reminiscent of a bed and breakfast than a hotel. It was tranquil, quiet, and the perfect place to recharge, especially after an eleven-hour travel day.

As you can see from the above itinerary, our guides made the most of our time. I had to laugh because as I posted photos and videos on my Instagram page, I received a message asking if I had been there for two weeks. No, no, just a jammed packed four days that left me utterly exhausted, falling asleep at the bus stop by Wednesday afternoon, and yes, there is photographic evidence of this.

Anyway...

Our first morning stop was the Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in the Alps. As I stepped off the gondola, I was met by a dusting of snow at my feet and the sounds of cowbells from the farm animals grazing nearby. In 2001 the area was actually declared a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site.

After soaking in the views of the glacier, I was happy to take the gondola down towards the village, away from the snow. We walked about 10 minutes to Lake Bettmersee, where we rented paddle boats before hiking up the mountain for lunch. At this moment, I realized yoga is not doing me any favors when it comes to everyday life. To say I was struggling to make my way to the restaurant Chüestall is a massive understatement. Right then and there, I decided to remove my exercise bike from Facebook Marketplace and commit to improving my cardio.

After lunch, it was time for mountain carting. Being the overly prepared and anxious woman I am, I looked up what mountain carting was before I left New Jersey. It was described as a real-life Mario Cart experience, which didn't comfort me as I always died within the first five minutes of playing that game.

Now that I've had time to reflect on the experience, mountain carting was one of my favorite trip activities. I had a smile on my face from start to finish, and when my husband and I re-watched the videos from that afternoon, we were laughing so hard we were in tears. 

Now, there were two ways to experience this activity. The first was to race down the mountain as fast as possible, being propelled by adrenaline and the feeling of the wind in your face. The second was to slowly make your way down, going approximately one mile an hour, allowing yourself to safely take in the views of the Alps and the sights and sounds of the cows and sheep grazing on the hills around you. Your girl opted for the second experience, which made my husband concerned that I got lost along the way because there was no way I could go that slow. Seeing me merrily move down the mountain at a snail's pace reminded him of Pepe Le Pew happily hopping along. 

Then it was time to endure more cardio as the group walked to Villa Cassel. It's an old Victorian building built by a wealthy British financier from London who suffered burnout and was sent to the Swiss Alps by his doctor to recover. Since returning to New Jersey, I have made it my mission to find a doctor who will send me to Switzerland to recover from the burnout I will inevitably face at one point or another during the 2023-24 New Jersey Devils season.

After we explored the villa, it was time to return to the hotel and get ready for dinner. At this point, my legs felt like jello, and I could barely keep my eyes open. The group's first day of Swiss exploration was jammed packed, and I realized that I was not physically prepared to be in one of the healthiest countries in the world for the next few days. We all crashed after dinner in our respective rooms and prepared for the next day, which was filming day with Nico Hischier.

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