Rugby World Cup 2023, France. A visit to Zermatt, Switzerland.

 The next England game was on the 23rd September in Lille, a break of 6 days and we were in no rush to get back to Northern European weather!

We left Nice very early and using the Waze App were soon out of the town heading east towards Genoa, this was an ingesting drive through tunnels and over bridges, all the while seeing Italian green houses clinging to the hill sides. Just before the Porto di Genova we headed inland on the E25. The weather was not very good and it was raining, we were going to Zermatt in Switzerland. 

When we got to Iselle Di Trasquera I was confused as we were at a station where you put the car on the train to get to Brig. We had just missed a train and it was well over an hour to the next one and with the long que of cars no guarantee that we would get on that train. The map showed that you could drive on the E62 mountain pass so we took a chance. The road was great, and it was a shame the weather was so awful, as the mountain scenery was spectacular even in the mist and rain.  

The town of Zermatt is traffic free so you leave your car in the secure car park in Tasch and get the shuttle train.

So it was that we arrived in a very wet Zermatt, very please that I had booked a nice warm hotel, with an indoor pool. We enjoyed a good meal at one of the local restaurants; Chees Fondu had to be done! Then sat by the cosy log fire in the hotel enjoying a good red wine. Hoping for good weather tomorrow.

The next morning, it was a beautiful day. To make the most of it was went straight to  the other end of the village to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. the girl selling the expensive tickets was miserable, but the two gondolas and then a cable car up the mountain and the views made up for it all - spectacular! 

Once down it was a nice walk through the village to the Gornergrat train to go up the other side of the Mountain and great views of the village down below. 

To end the perfect day, we had a traditional meal; Goulash this time,  at one of the small chalet type restaurants in the village. 

The next day, just as we were checking out the Matterhorn could be seen from our hotel balcony.