That Very Special Place....Gornergrat Switzerland

"My most brilliant achievement was my ability to be able to persuade my wife to marry me"
- Winston S. Churchill

So, at about the time I stopped chronicling my travel adventures, I decided to embark on one of life's biggest adventures.  I decided to ask my long time girlfriend to marry me.  I mention this because I surprised her with "the question" after doing a long training hike from Zermatt to Gornergrat Switzerland.  For those of you not familiar with Gornergrat, it is the most amazing places on earth!  People travel from all over the world to visit Zermatt because of the Matterhorn mountain.  What they don't realize is that the view from Gornergrat of Monta Rosa (second highest alp) and her glaciers is a million times more spectacular than the Matterhorn alone.  I couldn't think of a better place to ask her to marry me.

Panoramic from the restaurant at the top of the Gornergrat cog train.  Unfortunately, from this perspective you can't see all of Monta Rosa put a good representation none the less!

Probably 1/3 of the full vista from Gornergrat.  Missing Monta Rosa to the left and the rest of the glaciers to the right

The central part of the vista.  This is close to the place where she said "yes"!

This past week was the first time that we have travelled back to that place since she said "yes".  What made it even more special was that we were able to do so with our two kids!  My not-so-secret agenda here is to instil in them the same love for the mountains as I have....fingers crossed it's working!

The third part of the vista including the Matterhorn itself.  If views like this can't inspire the children to love the mountains I don't know what will

The trip up from the village of Zermatt to Gornergrat is a very easy 35 minute cog train ride from the centre of town (assuming you're not walking).  Once at the top, you have the option to walk all the way back down or walk part way down and reconnect with the cog train.  What caught me by surprise was how dumbfounded my daughter was with snow.  I realized that she had not experienced snow before. Watching her carefully slip and slide her way down the slope was the cutest and funniest thing I've seen in a while.

My plan might be working!  Looks like she's taking it all in. 

We decided to take a short walk down to the next cog train station.  The views along the route of the Matterhorn and glaciers are spectacular.  Although it's a major tourist destination, Gornergrat is one location that I never hesitate to spend the money to experience.  I still hope to climb Monta Rosa one day, maybe we'll get to do it as a family!

This picture was snapped from the window of the cog train on the way back down.  It's one impressive piece of rock!