Landing in Zurich, the memories flooded back. Walking through the airport and towards the rental car desk, it was as though we had never left and were instead on our way back to our house. The second stop of our trip was to Châtel, France – a sleepy mountain village that is actually just 5 minutes over the boarder from Switzerland.
We met up with some of our dear friends from our time living in Zurich to ring in the New Year together. The chalet we rented was absolutely perfect and had stunning views of the mountains from the terrace. The inside was all “woodsy” and within walking distance of ice skating, restaurants and ski lifts.
The most remarkable part of this trip was the backdrop and just being together. Some people wanted to ski, some wanted to rest (me), and some wanted to ice skate. We enjoyed the company and the beautiful winter weather. My absolute favorite thing to do at the chalet besides eat, was to sit on the terrace with my book and a glass of prosecco. The heat from the sun was warm enough to omit the need for a coat.
Now I am admittedly not much of an “outdoors” person. Some may think my 8 years in Switzerland was wasted on me in that I don’t ski, hike, or like to swim in lakes. But I adore basking in the sun that reflects off the white snow; I love the cool breeze from the lakes that smells of grass in the summer; I appreciate the beauty of the land made up of mountains and valleys. When coupled with a yummy cocktail, this is pretty close to paradise in my opinion. I may not ski, but I après really well.
Getting the men together was a treat for them as they all participate in the same fantasy football league each year. There were clearly still games going on during the holidays, so that mean they were prime for babysitting while the moms went out.
The bars were in FULL APRÈS mode – no one was taking early dinner reservations, no one had space. We went to about 10 different restaurants and ended up just squeezing into a small space at a bar for a couple drinks. The après gods were smiling down on us, though, and soon a table vacated that we snagged. We ordered semi-edible burgers and enjoyed catching up for the first time in a loooong time.
During the day on New Year’s Eve, we all rode the gondola to the mountain top to have lunch. While some of my friends went skiing, Tony and I immediately dove into après drinks and cheesy meals.
Both the ride up and back down was so fun, but being on the mountain top was the best part. The sun was so gorgeous and made the snow glisten like Taylor Swift dumped a ton of glitter everywhere.
To celebrate the New Year, we brought out the Swiss calvary – a full raclette and grilled meat spread. I was so happy. The melted cheese perfection was something I had been longing for. I ate until I could no longer move. It was the best way to start a new year – being fat, warm, and happy.
Fireworks were being set off by locals all night long, so I didn’t feel so bad going to sleep by 10:00PM. It was funny watching the local police chase down the offenders from the safety of our own terrace.
A very happy New Year to one and to all – we rang it in the best way possible, with family and friends! Happy 2025!
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