Not with a bang but a Whymper

Is the Matterhorn really worth seeing ? Well if you look at the panoramic videos (eg at http://ski-zermatt.com/mattnet/features/panoramas/gornergrat_winter_sm.htm you can see that it is just a blip on a wide mountain range. Those panoramas of the Matterhorn in the film “Third Man on the Mountain” (Michael Rennie, 1959) must have been fake. When we got to Zermat all we could see was a tiny blip that may have been it. Disappointing. But next morning – a phenomenal mountain had appeared from nowhere. A huge rock stretching about 4500 feet into the sky. Pictures and videos are a waste of time, (as they are with the statue of David in Florence) – they cannot portray the panorama. An absolute must see. Edward Whymper – the first person to climb it certainly chose his mountain (but not his ropes – one snapped on the way down and 4 people were killed). Oh well Zermat town has open cemeteries to the dead climbers.

Anyway to rewind.

Tues 20 We are still in Italy (Cinqua Terre). Kitty decides we should walk 10 km north around the coast to Levanto. Maureen and Noel head south. However our first few hours are not on the coast and are spent walking up very steep hills in very hot sticky weather. Eventually get to Levanto – a pleasant-enough, very cheap, non-touristy seaside town. We immediately eat lunch and the others decide to go home. I stay to have a swim and look at the 13^th century medieaval city walls and the small castle. Interrupted by SMS saying come home immediately we may have to leave Monterosso ASAP (train strike). Start coming back and get another SMS – don’t bother cannot get a train. (Italy loves strikes). Go back and get near home at 5:00pm when notice a boat trip down the coast – so dive aboard – with 30 seconds to spare. Boat trip gives views of the Cinqua Terre villages and is OK but missable. As was the last stop (Riomaggore). I find the boat is going another 10-15 km to Portovenere – another mediaeval town. Portovenere looks stunning with a huge castle above it and great port. I would recommend staying there rather than the Cinqua Terre. As I am working out how to get home (no map again, little money) the boat announces it is going further south (futher away) to La Spezia. But at least I know a train goes thru there. Get to La Spezia and ask a bus driver the way to the station. He says he does not know then looks me in the eye and says go ‘that way’ (further south). I don’t believe him (most Italians try to help with directions via a vague wave of direction – never a distance, or street detail – but too often a tourist-hating Italian will deliberately point you in the opposite direction). Anyway La Spezia looked a very nice real Italian town. It suddenly occurred to me that we had not really seen anything but ‘top tourist’ traps to date. Got home just in time for dinner.

Wed 21 Time to get out of Italy – across the Alps. Just like Hannibal but with me as the key elephant. Noel and Maureen are left stranded in Monterosso – no trains the Trenitalia (Italian train system – Judy tends to call it the Jenny Taylor !) claim. We pick up a jet-lagged Jenny in Milan (no Mark – not the above one) and head north for our first class train. (PS If anyone is going to Italy do NOT use a Eurail pass for here – it just aint worth the money). Off North past Lake Maggiore and into the mountains – through deep valleys and eventually a tunnel to Switzerland. We are OUT of Italy at last – with our trip almost half way through. From Brig in Switzerland we catch the rack-railway to Zermatt. Expensive (36 Sw Francs) but a good trip. Our Zermatt accommodation (Matterhorngrosse) is fantastic. New and even free wireless internet in our apartment.

Thurs 22 We go to Gornergrat – in two groups of three (Boy - decisions are x100 easier with three than 6). Gornergrat is about 10,000 feet up and gives views of 29 peaks above 4000 m. (which is MOST of the 35 ? Swiss peaks above 4000 m.). The panoramic web-site at the top of this episode is good but as stated gives no real indication of the breath-taking panorama. You have to be here. The Sheard triad walked up most of the way whilst the conservative Scarlett triad took a rack-train to the top. A few tired bodies tonight – but the views must equal anything we would see on Mont Blanc. Maybe we don’t have to go there …………………..