Get Away From The Grind On Grinda

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Schwingen In Switzerland

Grinda is a smaller, traffic-free island in Stockholm’s archipelago (a little over an hour from Stockholm). We got there by taking a ferry from Vauxholm. At just over a mile long, it’s not huge but that’s part of the attraction. It’s small enough to be car free. I love cities, but some of the most relaxing trips we’ve had have been to car-free destinations (Zermatt, Saas-Fee, Megeve, Les Baux de Provence, Aix-en-Provence, Vence, St. Paul-de-Vence, Eze, Les Baux de Provence, Courmayeur, Avignon, Gimmelwald, Gruyeres). I don’t know whether it is the lack of noise so you can hear the birds or just being able to walk in peace, but somehow without cars stress seems to melt away. It’s idyllic.

The tomography reminded me of Maine‘s coast. Like Maine, there’s plenty of wilderness. Grinda has nature reserve.

Although there are several gorgeous swimming beaches, we rented a sauna. When we started to melt, we jumped off the dock out front into the Baltic Sea (Östersjön in Swedish). I was expecting it to be salty like the Atlantic Ocean; it wasn’t. The Baltic is brackish and not very salty. It’s not warm either, but that’s no surprise. We listened to the waves lap against the coastline. It made for a wonderfully relaxing and peaceful afternoon.

The trip there takes just over an hour from Stockholm on the Cinderella boats. If you happen to go, the welcome center/commerce cabin (near the ferry dock) rents rooms at the hostel, cabins, campsites, saunas, kayaks and fun thinks like lawn games and kites. Since Sweden would probably cease functioning without coffee, they also have it there.

Grinda has a general store that sells the necessities, candy and fancy homemade baked goods. Come to think of it, those are actually necessities on vacation. There’s a harbor side restaurant with a deck near the marina.

It’s hard to tell from the picture below, but the tables were crowded. The food and drink there was surprisingly cosmopolitan.

Walking around the island, we saw sheep and cows. They went to town on the grass and didn’t seem to care that you could get fancy cocktails and smoked salmon just up the road.

Serene, rustic and uber-chill, this is a place where you can’t help but relax. My only regret is that we didn’t stay the night. I’m sure the stars there are amazing.

Cozy Yet Elegant Megève

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

The Rothschild’s developed Megève as an alternative to St. Mortiz in the 1920’s. It’s high end, filled with pretty people, money and stylish places to spend it. The center of the village is medieval, but don’t start thinking Megève is quiet, sleepy and/or antiquated. There are stylish modern boutique hotels and chalets that look like they were decorated by Axel Veervoordt. Gourmet restaurants (many rated in the Michelin Guide), chic watering holes and hip clubs abound. Non-skiers can shop ‘til they drop at upscale boutiques, visit the spa or hit the casino. If you want to take a nap then rip it up apres ski, this is a good place to do it.

A pedestrian friendly atmosphere dominates Megève and the streets practically invite you to stroll through them. You can walk from town to the lifts. Snow melt forms a small river that meanders its way through the village. In its center is the main square with its traditional church belfry.

While we didn’t see any of the famous horse-drawn sleighs, we were able to see signs of them. Ski slopes, chalets and around forty active farms surround Megève, adding both character and fresh culinary delights.

Now We Understand Why Everyone Likes Megève (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)
Another Michelin Guide to France, Another Three-Star Winner (dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com)
Les Contamines (schwingeninswitzerland.wordpress.com)

Now We Understand Why Everyone Likes Megève

Posted on March 9, 2012 by Schwingen In Switzerland

We’d heard wonderful things about Megève and heard of its reputation as the “jewel” of French alpine ski resorts. It’s a major ski resort and there are good reasons for Megève’s popularity. We had a great day skiing there last weekend. The wonderful weather and virtually cloudless skies didn’t hurt.

It offers fantastic skiing, stunning views, lots of restaurants and just about every convenience you can imagine. Its location is idyllic in the “Pays du Mont Blanc”. Many runs have a nice view of Mt. Blanc’s summit. Many of the other resorts in the area, like Les Contamines, are above the tree line. Megève has runs cut through the trees. It was quite busy, there were so many runs that we never felt that it was never crowded.

Megève offers great skiing for all levels. Megève’s slopes are have more easier runs than Chamonix or Courcheval’s. Don’t worry though, there are plenty of red and blacks. While there is plenty for beginners, the upper intermediate skiing terrain predominates and there are opportunities to go off piste. Although, if you read yesterday’s avalanche post and watched the videos, you may not want to.

There are restaurants everywhere. The food, atmosphere and crowds vary. We got a later start on the slopes and just had a waffle (gauffre de Liege) at about 4:00. It was beyond tasty; the wonderful view of Mt. Blanc made it even better.

By the end of the day, the snow at low altitudes was turning to slush. We realized that if this weather keeps up, we wouldn’t have too many more weekends to ski. In fact, I’m posting this at six something on a Saturday morning before we take off to ski. As always, I’ll report back.