Friday 27th August - Zermatt 

After a brief walk around the village this morning, we decided to take a trip to the "Top" - to Matterhorn Glacier Paradise" and which they assured us (jokingly?) was a trip to Italy!!!!

Our first leg was on a Gondola which took us up, via a couple of stops at which we did not alight - to a stop-off called Schwarzsee which was at an altitude of 2,583m.  This was heading much more directly in line with The Matterhorn, and we were again blown away by the scenery.  The weather was okay, but much more cloud about than yesterday.  Wherever we stopped "hikers" in proper gear, headed off in many directions, all to do some very difficult walks - taking into account the altitude. Would have loved to do more, but knew that it was going to kill me (us).   So we did some easy walks, and one down to another lovely lake which was like a mirror, and had dozens of tiny fish swimming about - like our "mosquito fish" - dunno whether they are the same...   Also dunno what they do when the lake freezes over - of course it could be VERY deep and not freeze totally.    We'll never know...

We resumed our journey upwards, and the very fact that this incredible feat of engineering exists was a constant wonder to us....   Up and over mountains, down valleys again, and always climbing so steeply....  Again awe-inspiring scenery in every direction.

Finally we left our Gondola and entered a much larger cable car for the final ascent to the top of the mountain which was called "Matterhorn Glacier Paradise"..

After going a kilometre or so, with our cable car being suspended between enormous steel pylons, we headed out into the abyss, the cars now being supported only by three enormous cables - nothing in between the last pylon and our destination...  It was so far away nobody on board could believe it......

We were travelling over glaciers in every direction - some with lovely clean tops, and others which seemed to have been dusted in dirt, and folded every which way, with large ravines within them.  We kept going up and over more mountains, and finally reached the top, to find hundreds of acres of pristine ski fields, and skiers (although not too many), coming and going all day.  We had seen skiers coming down the mountain carrying their skis, but as we hadn't seen any going up with us, we were totally unprepared for what awaited us.  There was even a tabboggan (sp?) run up there...  And, it was VERY cold at that elevation - 3,383 metres......  It even snowed briefly whilst we were standing outside - taking photo's - what else?  We had lunch inside, sitting at a window gazing at the scenery....

The Matterhorn itself is at an altitude of 4,478m.  SO happy to have seen it, and we were totally overwhelmed by what a stunning, totally unforgettable day we had just experienced.   This was not something which had been on our Agenda when we planned this trip, so it was a wonderful surprise.

We talked to Kirsten and Andrew via Skype this morning, and they and their families are all well.  Little Zoe still not crawling - it will happen!

Going out now for a drink and dinner, and early to bed again - we have an all-day train to catch tomorrow - going to St. Moritz.