9 - 11 Dec: Zurich, Flumserberg skiing & Rioja

Fri - Caught 6am flight to Zurich where we were met  by Pascale (the swiss au pair we had in SF 25 years ago) and Andy.  Back to P's for breakfast and to see her delightful children:

 Then onto a viewpoint over Zurich

 and into the old centre where we parked and walked through a street market, seeing a cow with wings on a balcony:

 Xmas posies handmade by a guy who spoke perfect english.  Very confused over how much the conversion rate was, but decided just a little too expensive:

 View across river:

 Then up the hill to the square where birds wanted to be in the picture:

 Lunchtime, and its a game of chess:

 We sample the full Swiss cuisine of gluhwien and brotwurst, yummy

 Cherry spots a leather shop where a very talkative sales guy tells her all about the handbag that Cherry buys

 though she is rather spoilt for choice

Drive up the highway to Flumserberg where we are staying at Andy's families apartment, the view from our bedroom bodes well for tomorrow:

 But first a little red wine - Andy is a Rioja fan so it ends up rather more than a little

 and I end up in first in bed as a result

Sat - Its the first day of opening for the season.  It only snowed a few days ago, and there is just enough.  Cloudy but we walk up to the first chair and get on the slopes

 Lunch stop, and another Swiss tradition of 'special' coffee

 After skiing most of the day, we walk up to a restaurant/cheese farm and buy the fondue

 and walk back via some husky bogs that are being used for sledging.

We all with making the fondue

 ...and eating....

 More red wine, and sleep

Sun - but we manage to get up to a brighter day though there are high clouds

 Lunchtime in the hut at the top with a great view:

This picture captures it all - great company, super rioja, lovely view, sunny weather.  Now all we have to do is ski back down.

Drive back to Zurich, quick coffee at Andy's apartment, then catch 20:25 back to Heathrow where 'due due a mechanical problem with the plane' we wait over an hour for our luggage, but manage to get to bed by midnight.