Happy 35th Wedding Anniversary

Today we celebrate our 35th wedding anniversary.

This morning at breakfast, we received a beautiful bouquet for our 35th anniversary. 

Yes, that is dill in the bouquet. I wish you could smell the dill and the roses. It's such a unique smell.

I can't identify all the flowers but they are beautiful.

Since I wanted a picture of the Matterhorn, we had to check to make sure it wasn't cloudy or raining.

We couldn't decide what to do today so I picked Zermatt, because I wanted to toast with a Lorenzo: fig liqueur, Prosecco, and soda water. 

Our journey began at the Interlaken West station with a switch in Spiez.

We were surprised to see two Kambly trains arrive in Spiez. This isn't the route we usually see the Kambly train on.

The Golden Pass that goes from Interlaken to Montreux came into the Spiez station while we waited for the train to Visp.

On average, it takes around 28 minutes, of which 16 minutes is spent inside the Lötschberg Base Tunnel, 14.612 km (9.079 mi) long railway tunnel to travel from Spiez to Visp by train. You will usually find 27 trains per day running along the 29 miles (46 km) route between these two destinations.

We changed trains in Visp to go to Zermatt. The average journey time by train between Visp and Zermatt is 1 hour and 7 minutes, with around 31 trains per day.

Up, up, up, up, up the mountain the train climbed. Some of the sites along the way.

Notice the stone roof.

Look for the black and white sheep

Cog wheel tracks needed for some steep sections.

Zermatt, at an elevation of around 1,600m (5,315 feet) lies below the iconic, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn peak. Its Main Street, Bahnhofstrasse is lined with boutique shops, hotels and restaurants, and also has a lively après-ski scene. There are public outdoor rinks for ice-skating and curling. 

You will be picked up at the train station by this horse and carriage to be brought to the Grand Hotel Zermatt, if you are staying there.

Flowers and more flowers along the Bahnhofstrasse.

My favorite two homes for flowers. Just about everyone stops to take a few pictures.

Pretty purple plants

A watch to match your favorite sport.

Zermatt is Europe’s highest ski area. Zermatt is the most magical little alpine village imaginable. Surrounded by mountains and overlooked by arguably the most iconic peak in the world - the Matterhorn!

At 14,692ft-high, the Matterhorn is one of the most famous mountains in Switzerland, distinguishable for its pyramid-shaped peak.

The Molino has become our favorite restaurant in Zermatt. We had a late afternoon pizza. Both pizzas started with a Margarita base. I added spicy salami, mushrooms, and buffalo mozzarella. Michael added spicy salami, garlic, and onions. The chef even asked me how I liked the pizza.  It was exceptional with the spicy oil. 

We will celebrate our anniversary dinner when we go to the Old Swiss House in Luzern. 

Tennis lessons

Fall market

Crocuses blooming in the fields. The fields also had yarrow, daisies, and dandelions.  The cows will certainly enjoy eating all the different flowers. Would love to taste that milk. 

I took some pictures of the Matterhorn while resting on the chaise.

The name Matterhorn derives from the German words Matte ("meadow") and Horn ("horn"), and is often translated as "the peak of the meadows".

"The Matterhorn straddles the main watershed and border between Italy and Switzerland. It is a large, near-symmetric pyramidal peak in the extended Monte Rosa area of the Pennine Alps, whose summit is 4,478 meters (14,692 ft) above sea level, making it one of the highest summits in the Alps and Europe. The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points and are split by the Hörnli, Furggen, Leone/Lion, and Zmuttridges. The mountain overlooks the Swiss town of Zermatt, in the canton of Valais, to the northeast; and the Italian town of Breuil-Cervenia in the Aosta Valley to the south. Just east of the Matterhorn is Theodul Pass, the main passage between the two valleys on its north and south sides, which has been a trade route since the Roman era." 

"The first ascent of the Matterhorn was in 1865 from Zermatt by a party led by Edward Whymper, but during the descent, a sudden fall claimed the lives of four of the seven climbers. This disaster, later portrayed in several films, marked the end of the golden age of alpinism. The north face was not climbed until 1931 and is among the three biggest north faces of the Alps, known as "The Trilogy". The west face, the highest of the Matterhorn's four faces, was completely climbed only in 1962. It is estimated that over 500 alpinists have died on the Matterhorn, making it one of the deadliest peaks in the world."

"The Matterhorn has a pyramidal shape with four faces nearly facing the four compass points. Three of them (north, east and west) are on the Swiss side of the border and watershed (Mattertal Valley) and one of them (south) is on the Italian side of the border (Valtournenche Valley)."

"The mountain's current shape is the result of cirque erosion due to multiple glaciers diverging from the peak, such as the Matterhorn Glacier at the base of the north face. Sometimes referred to as the Mountain of Mountains ( Berg der Berge), it has become an indelible emblem of the Alps in general. Since the end of the 19th century, when railways were built in the area, the mountain has attracted increasing numbers of visitors and climbers. Each year, numerous mountaineers try to climb the Matterhorn from the Hörnli Hut via the northeast Hörnli ridge, the most popular route to the summit. Many trekkers also undertake the 10-day-long circuit around the mountain. The Matterhorn has been part of the Swiss Federal Inventory of Natural Monuments since 1983."

The Matterhorn's faces are steep, and only small patches of snow and ice cling to them; regular avalanches send the snow down to accumulate on the glaciers at the base of each face, the largest of which are the Tiefmattengletscher to the west, part of the Zmut Glacier, and the Matterhorn Glacier to the north.

Children out for a hike with their teachers.

Some of the damage from the flood water still hasn't been fixed.

Beautiful homes, apartments, and hotels to stay in.