Midwesterners head up North to Wisconsin to escape. The Swiss just head up. Second home Swiss chalets tucked in alpine meadows are so common that there is a great migration upward every weekend. So when Cathy, a colleague, invited us to her chalet in the Vaudoises Alps, we couldn’t wait for Sunday.
meadows in the mountains
The adventure begins with the drive to Les Ormonts, a village 1,200 meter high between Leysin, Les Diablerets, and Villars. We wind around hairpin curves carved into a mountainside, where hardy grapevines cling to the porous soil and cows appear to stand on two legs grazing on the sheer slopes.
Cathy and Jan’s chalet was tucked on a ledge in Les Vöettes, a hamlet of chocolate-colored cubes spill across the verdant valley like tossed dice. My friends bought the chalet in late 90s, but it dates back to 1755 when it was a herder’s shed sheltering livestock brought up for the summer. A historical landmark, like most of chalets in the area, any alteration must be approved by the Swiss government.
In the 1950s, the chalet was restored, renovated and expanded, yet retaining the original wood. The facade facing south across the valley from Leysin was a darker brown toasted by the sun. The faded red shutters, nearly 3 centuries old, were as light as cork and like the mushroom clinging under window ledge had turned to petrified wood. In pots lining the balcony, red geraniums swayed in the late summer breeze.
geraniums on the front porch
Ducking into their front door was like stepping into a museum especially with Cathy’s antique decor. Three wood burning stoves heated the two-floor chalet in the winter. Even in summer the thick walls with small windows, maintained a temperature ten degrees below the one found outside. A cowbell, old farm implements, an ancient clock, and other antiques hung from the chalet walls. A four-poster bed, armoire, rocking chair like my grandma’s, and other family heirlooms, made me feel like I stepped back in time.
dining room
At a height of only 5’8, the doorways were made for the small statured people of yesteryear and only Cathy could enter the room without ducking. Both of our husbands had to stoop in the dining room.
On the veranda overlooking the valley, we enjoyed the picnic lunch that Cathy purchased in the village that morning. We savored the regional specialties: freshly baked, brown pull-apart rolls, sliced ham, aged sausage and cheeses, Tomme Vaudoise, a soft creamy cheese stuffed with garlic and a year old Etivaz, and a tangier 3 year old version. Dessert was a thick, creamy yogurt mixed with fresh raspberries.
From their chalet, we hiked up another 500 meters along a winding path. The woods opened up to green pastures where cows grazed savoring their last weekend in the mountains before the traditional désalpe, migration to lower lands. Back at the chalet, Cathy served apple struddle and Jan poured unpasteurized milk, compliments of the neighbor’s cows, from a silver milk jug of yesteryear.
hiking with friends
The fresh cream, milk and cheeses were as good as those from his Normandy region, Gérald confessed, « But don’t tell anyone. The French maintain strict loyalty to their home regions. »
Then, as the sun began to sink behind the mountain, we bid farewell to Heidi land and followed the caravan of cars snaking down the mountainside toward modern civilization in the cities of Lausanne and Geneva.
What an exquisite scenic tour of the Swiss Alps, Pat. The pictures are breathtaking,like a chapter out of Heidi. I love these weekly adventures! Thanks for sharing.
Yes, Kath, I always think of Heidi when I am up there. Unfortunately even though I live so close to paradise, I rarely get there as the hum drum daily life, workload keeps me grounded to the lowlands.
Thanks for sharing! It brought back memories of my trip to the Alps way back in 1985. It was fun to go down memory lane!
Oh Barb, I am so glad you had the opportunity to the Alps. It is an unforgettable experience.
Beautiful! A child would love to roll down those meadow in the mountain hills- scratch that, I’d love to tumble a bit:)
Thanks Pat!
Oh yes, whenever I get up in the alps, I feel like a kid and break into to song and dance and yodel away!
Pat, another great piece and gorgeous photos,too, thanks to Gerald.
I can almost smell the wonderful, fresh mountain air!
Leysin, Les Diablerets; I remember those names from a holiday with my parents in the seventies! That is a beautiful area.
Wow, Laurent, you have a good memory…of course that area of the Alps is unforgettable.
Wow, thanks again for bringing Switzerland into my English home Pat. I never got up to the Alps often enough either when I lived in Gingins… I started out so keen and walked and skiied almost every weekend that was possible, but then working life took over. It seems that you struggle to get up there too. Hope you can manage a few more trips again soon so that we can all benefit from your visual and verbal sweetmeats. Hugs, Rach xx
Rach, working life was not the only thing taking over our lives…there were also the babies! Oh but what would our lives be like without our dear children! Hopefully, I will be escaping to the Alps again soon. Bisou!
Your posts are always so beautiful, with your descriptions and photos, and it’s all so different from what I’m used to. For the several minutes it takes to read them, I’m transported. Going to share on FB and Twitter. Other peeps should enjoy also!
Thanks for sharing, Lynne. Even though I can see mountains from my window, I don’t go up them very often and when I do, I feel like yodeling…words truly cannot adequately describe the view.
Oh, it all looks so beautiful! We visited Switzerland a few years ago, but we didn’t make it up to the mountains. I would love to go back! x
Oh Abby, If you ever visit Switzerland again, put a trip to the Alps on the top of your to do list. Thanks for stopping by.
How stunning, Pat. You lucky duck. I’ll return there one day ☺. Thanks so much for linking up with the POTMC. J x
Thanks Jane. Glad to have found you through POTMC.