Tag Archives: Exclusive Pictures

Switzerland, Zermatt: Hiking, Matterhorn & Gornergrat

The Arrival

Flight-Train-Bus-Train

Dear visitors of Mademoiselle Le K: Blog-Trotter, I missed you! I’m back in the blog and also in the beautiful Swiss Alps: my first time in the canton of Valais more exactly! On the way to Zermatt. The trip was a bit long, due to a technical problem of the express train taken at Zurich airport.

I got on the next train, without checking it was not an express train! Then, there was a bus section between two train stations, because of a significant snowfall. The landscapes are gorgeous and trains very comfortable.

Moreover, I recommend to take the Swiss Pass that allows unlimited train, coach and boat trips, valid for the duration of your stay. And perfect in case of unforeseen.

The Hiking

Breathtaking Views

We are in the highest ski area in the Alps. But I will not ski today. We leave the village for a winter hike through ski slopes and postcard hamlets.

First step: 40 minutes walk crossing the slopes from Sunnegga to Findeln (without any difficulty). We will have lunch at Findeln. Then we will continue until Zermatt: more and less one hour of slope with a good uneven and part in the woods and frozen snow.

The landscape beauty makes me super euphoric, even if I can feel my glute muscles work hard! I am convinced in hiking, walking down always requires more effort (lol)!

    

Feeding The Body And Mind

Panoramic Lunch

on the mountainside at the Findlerhof restaurant. We decided to stay out on the terrace to enjoy the 180 degree view. But the weather is changing.

Time to have my tuna sashimi with green salad (what an idea! Light meal after an evening of fondue orgy!). I’m freezing cold (photos below)! LOL!

  

Magic Gornergrat

An Ocean of Snow

If you like trains, you should definitely try the Gornergrat Bahn. The Gornergrat is the third largest glacier in the Alps.

When we take on the train, the weather is bad in Zermatt. I was afraid that it was also covered, once arrived at destination. But as the train goes up, the sky is more and more blue with a bright sun. 

  

The Famous Matterhorn

A Very Capricious Friend!

The Matterhorn is a real diva! In the early morning we reached the Rothorn to enjoy a direct view of the Matterhorn and the landscape stretching from the peak of the Dufourspitze (the highest peak of the Swiss Alps) to the Weisshorn.

But the clouds decided otherwise, not once I could admire the summit of the Matterhorn. Ditto this afternoon (photos above and below), this time from the Gornergrat to 3100 meters.

  

The Hinterdorf

 

A Walk In Past

I really enjoyed walking in the old Zermatt, the Hinterdorf, with granaries, barns and stables built between the 15th and 19th centuries. The set is quite small, but has a lot of character. 

And for those who need their dose of shopping, do not worry, you will find your happiness in Zermatt!

  

The Cultural Break

The Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis

Small museum in the center of the village, close to the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof (soon an article on the blog and last photo below).

I discovered many things about the Matterhorn and life of the Zermatt inhabitants in previous centuries, including the evolution of materials and technics. Very interesting, without being boring.

To be continued …

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés

Informations  

Zermatt TourismValais, www.MySwitzerland.comSWISSSwiss Travel System (STS)Grand Hotel Zermatterhof, Findlerhof, Matterhorn Museum – Zermatlantis

Related posts : DESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to Zermatt Tourisme, Valais/Wallis promotion, Switzerland Tourism, SWISS et Swiss Travel System (STS) for this beautiful invitation. Thank you to the Grand Hotel Zermatterhof. As always, these are my opinions.

Ski Weekend in Club Med Valmorel

It Snowed the Day Before

  

Fresh Snow!

A great way to start the year! What a pleasure to bring out my ski outfit! Let’s go to the French Alps for a weekend in Valmorel, a small village of the Tarentaise. The coming back after almost a year! I am euphoric in front of the landscape’s beauty. But also a bit perplexed: am I still able to ski?

Fortunately, no time to procrastinate: I have to pick up my equipment at the Club Med‘s very well organized ski room. Then I join Nicolas, the ESF instructor (with an infinite patience), for an intensive day of skiing. Wow, the weather is fantastic and tracks are empty! My advice, go skiing outside school holidays and / or spring (ideal conditions for beginners)!    

Some of the slopes are lined with fir trees and remind me of Méribel, one of my favorite ski resorts. Here, there is a more intimate vibe as the ski area is smaller. Apart from the sea or ocean, few landscapes can make me as happy as the snow-capped peaks. It’s just b-e-a-u-t-i-f-u-l!

A Tour in Valmorel

Laid Back Après-Ski

In the early evening, we take the Club Med’s shuttle to the pedestrian village of Valmorel. The perfect timing for an aperitif in one of the village bars, the really cool Jimbo Lolo where I drank a hot Caipirinha (photo above).

At the Maryan bakery, I discuss chocolate with the owner and pastry chef of Celine (Dion)’s wedding cake! Below, the roses of the sands. Then back to Club Med, where we had dinner every night (photo below). 

The View From My Room

Picture above: the view from my bed! The kind of view that makes me get up at dawn to contemplate the landscape for hours. My before and apres-ski moments. 

 

Picture below: the view from Club Med’s main terrace on the ski slopes!

 

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations   

Skiing Into Spring, France MontagnesClub Med Valmorel

Related posts : LIFESTYLEDESTINATIONS & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to France Montagnes and Club Med Valmorel for this invitation. As always these are my opinions.

Guimarães Home Fashion Week

A Portuguese Textile Fair

I was invited at the Guimarães Home Fashion Week 2017 last summer. A great opportunity for me to discover some Portuguese textile manufacturers and brands. You know my great interest for textiles, interior design and architecture. 

The trade show was held in the beautiful Pousada Mosteiro de Guimaraes. This heritage monument gave something particular to the event. The brands presented their collection in bedrooms, or in spaces decorated with Ajuleros (stunning ancient tiles).

Check out the pictures of my selection of trends and products I liked. Photomontage above: here are my favorite, the Colma Co smart textiles with ethnic inspiration. Photomontage below: 1, a set of shits and towels with a very fresh palm design by Renaitex. 2, cushions in satin fabrics by Cristina Teixeira.

Faded grey bathrobes (above) and towel set and beautiful colorful bath towels (pictures below) by Domingos de Sousa.

Photomontage above : 1, very nice colorful cushion with owl by JPS Home & Textil. 2 and 3, two beautiful fountains of the Pousada Mosteiro de Guimaraes. 4, In each bedroom, a brand exhibited its latest collection.

The MoreTextile group has the most beautiful exhibition space (photos above and below) with greenery, columns, fountain and azulejos! Amazing!

  

Exciting Visit of The Mundotextil Factory

Discovery of a Modern Production

I really enjoyed my private visit, with a Polish designer friend, at MundoTextil, the manufacturer specialized in towels.

Fascinant de découvrir les différents mode de fabrication du textile! Mes deux précédentes expériences étaient à Kyoto, avec le maître tisseur des étoffes de l’empereur Japon et un atelier de tissage en Thaïlande. 

I was completely fascinated by the different steps of textile manufacture in a modern factory! My previous two experiences were in Kyoto, with the weaver master of outstanding fabrics for the Emperor of Japan and a silk workshop in Thailand.

The Magic Starts With a Thread,

then many (photomontage above). Once woven, the fabrics are washed, “ironed” and cut into towels (photomontage below).

We followed all the different steps, from the showroom (presentation and sale of the collections) to the exciting production spaces and creative studio.

  

Photos : © Mademoiselle Le K – Tous droits réservés.

Informations  

Guimarães Home Fashion Week

Related articles : DESTINATIONS, LIFESTYLE & HOTEL REVIEWS

Many thanks to the Guimarães Home Fashion Week for this invitation and to Mundotextil for the exciting visit of their factory. And many thanks you to Salome too. As always, these are my opinions.