This
time last weekend I was on a break from my ‘telecommade’,
spending four nights in Verbier, Switzerland, thanks to an invite from Monsieur
X. Before he told me about this place,
the only thing I knew about Verbier was the rich and famous go there. So what’s
good enough for Prince Harry and Richard Branson it’s good enough for
me…however not having the same bank balance as them how could I visit Verbier
with only £400 in my holiday fund?
1. I can’t ski (learning to snowboard is on my
bucket list), so no ski pass, extra baggage charges or ski rentals.
2. No need to take out a
mortgage to stay at a 5 star hotel as I was staying at Maison de X.
I
flew out on Easyjet’s last winter flight from Birmingham and returned to
Manchester five days later. The flight was only £150 and I booked it two weeks
before departure. For once my flight was on time (yes I was shocked too),
giving me an hour to pop in my contact lenses, sort out my hair and hope I looked
at least 7 out of 10 for when I met Monsieur X.
The train station was connected to Geneva airport and the credit card ticket
machines were easy to use after I called him to find out what train station I
was going to – Le Châble changing at Martigny. And if I had an extra 30 minutes after the mini
make –over I would have hit the shops in the station instead of standing in front
of a mirror.
My
train was on time (living in England I’m not used to this luxury), but I did
stress a little as the information board didn’t mention Martigny, no one on
the platform to ask and a long queue at the information office. I don’t think I
started to relax until after Geneva station when the train conductor said ‘changer
à Martigny’. A return train ticket from Geneva Airport to
La Chable cost 104CHF, it would have
been cheaper booking the ticket on the Internet but I didn’t trust my plane to
land on time never mind early. Even thou
the two and half hour train journey was expensive the views of Lake Geneva was
worth every Franc. The journey from the
airport to Lausanne could have been any city out to any countryside, views of
factories, apartment blocks and fields but there were little glimpses of the Lake.
The future away from Geneva the more of the Lake and mountains I could see.
Then after Lausanne the views are amazing and relaxing passing though Montreux
on the way. The closer I got to Verbier my stress levels reduced – screw work
and my problems; I’m surrounded by a beautiful lake and its surroundings.
not the best photo on a moving train
Looking
at the train timetable it looked like a tight change over at Martigny, I only had five minutes to change
platforms from getting off at platform 2 and catching a local train to Le
Chable at platform 50! Stress level went up again however there are only 5 platforms
at Martigny 1,2,3,4 and 50.
Pheww!!!! Another 20 minutes going up to Le Châble
and Monsieur X. I was getting nervous as I haven’t seen my best friend for 18
months and a lot of water had gone under our bridge.
I
didn’t have to worry, he was happy to see me, as I was happy to see him and
relieved I had no more travelling to do for a few days…apart from going up to
Verbier. From Le Châble station up to
Verbier can be reached by bus or cable car and we opted to travel by cable car
(11CHF). More amazing views of the mountains and at this time of year there was
more green than white.
For a non-skier Verbier is very small, majority
of the bars, restaurants and shops in walking distance from the ‘place centrale’ roundabout. With my own personal Holiday Rep and
translator, the first bar I experienced was the Central T Bar complete with Sky
TV, and enjoyed my first beer of the weekend.
The average cost of a small beer in Verbier was around 4CHF, a coffee 3.50CHF
and a hot chocolate 4CHF. For dinner we
went to Borsalino Pizzeria nearby, sharing pizza and a pasta dish. It was one
of the best pasta dishes I have had since working in Sicily. The meals and a
bottle of wine cost around 60CHF. We
ended the evening with a night cap at Le Cosy Bar, (http://www.phenix-verbier.com/verbier/cosybar_francais.html) a small, quiet and yes –cosy bar next to the bus
station.
While Monsieur X when to work, I spend the majority of Friday morning dying on a sofa (hangover, tiredness or Altitude sickness - who knows) in the Medran bar, trying not to get my bad head kicked in by children on the nearly rock climbing wall. My plan was to sleep off my sickness at Mansion de X, but the steep peaceful walk down to Médières helped my headache. Fresh air is the best medicine but I did feel like I was having a heart attack half way back up thou.
Médières
My
appetite was back and fondue was on (every) menu. Fondue Fromage at Le Caveau, Place Centrale
was plat de jour and the strong cheese smell drew us into this popular
restaurant and making me feel more hungry.
Le Caveau friendly staff made us feel very welcome and served up an
amazing meal of Fondue, plate of meats and a bottle of wine (101CHF). Before
heading back to Médières a visit to Nelson’s bar opposite the bus
station, a English looking bar with live music (or a DJ) and a nightcap at the
Loft bar next door.
Saturday
the plan was to visit the museum ‘musee aplin’ however it was closed. Please
note it opens at 2pm. The quiet (and I think empty) Centre Culturel du Hameau
complex surrounding the museum would be amazing if the rich would invest in a
few new bar and restaurant business venues.
At this present time only the ducks was taking advantage of the scenery.
On the way back down to ‘Place Centrale’ we stopped off at Le Adrian Hotel for
a drink. We only saw the reception and the bar of this 5* star hotel, but I could
live this type of life. It was back to reality and I was hungry again, no
100CHF fondue this time just fish and chips at the sandwich bar near the bus
station. 10CHF for a cone of chips and fish ‘nuggets’ thrown in.
The
evening started in le Cosy Bar for a quiet one, before playing pool in the Big
Ben pub and watching how the ‘other half’ party in Le Casita. Monsieur X was
working at a birthday party and I sat at the bar drooling over the wasted food
as it went back to the kitchen bins. We
did manage to have a piece of birthday cake and a free beer. Another nightcap
in Nelson’s bar finishing off the night falling asleep in the smoking bar.
Sunday
we headed down to Le Châble for a bit of cow fighting ‘combats
de reines’ very popular but with an entrance fee of 15CHF which was the
same price as three small beers. We opted for the drinks at Le Châble’s Restaurant de Gietroz
and Le Chat Bleu (the food menu looked amazing I hate being poor). My last
evening in Switzerland was started in the Medran bar; Monsieur X said there was
a rock concert there. I would say it was a pub band that played at the Nelson
the night before. Bon Jovi is a rock concert.
After the ‘concert’ it was the Le Fer a Cheval for more drinks and Chez Martin (www.chezmartin.ch) for pizza. Very
tasty but I think Borsalino just beat it.
So
time to price it up, did I still to my budget.
Flight: £160
Train: 105 CHF
(Geneva – La Châble standard return ticket) = £80
Drinks: 70CHF
ish(beaucoup small beers and hot chocolates) = £50 ish
Food:
90CHF(pizza, pasta and fish and chips Monsieur X paid for the Fondue) = £70
Buses and cable
car: 35CHF (one way cable car 11CHF, one way bus ticket 3CHF – 4.20CHF) =
£27
TOTAL= £390
It can be done…just! You just need
your only Monsuier X and no intention to ski.
It
maybe not be part of my TV travel bucket list, but it was an excellent trip
with excellent views, excellent food and of course an excellent friend.
The
only negative part of my trip was at the UK passport control at Manchester
Airport…they let me back into the country. Back to reality, back to redundantly
and back to 70% of Sky box memory to watch.
