Zermatt: In photos

Destination: Zermatt. Claim to fame: the original Matterhorn (sorry, the one at Disneyland is not quite the same). Allotted time: about 18 hours. Enough time to snap some photos, discover the little ski town, make some new friends, and get a taste of the après-ski scene. I'll admit, it was a charming little village. But Verbier, you'll always have my heart. And perhaps a shred of my dignity as well.

Posing with our new friend the Matterhorn before nearly freezing to death en route to our hostel, which of course was up one steep snowy hill. However, the view from our window and of the glorious Matterhorn made the trek worth every slippery step.

Ugg love!

After dropping our stuff off at the hostel, we went for a long walk around the residential area near our hostel.

Then we got bored and found the only frozen playground in Zermatt.

Baby steps. . . Baby steps. Then the nice man still holding his skis and poles expertly skated down the hill between us. On his ski boots. We are so not from around here.

Freezing, yes. And beautiful? Uh, yeah. I guess so.

And one final note. . . Zermatt was definitely worth the trip if only to see the Matterhorn and the charming, car-free town. (Fact: there are literally no cars allowed in Zermatt--only small, golf cart-like things that the locals use as taxis or for maintenance purposes.) And get this: on the ski mountain, 60% of the runs are covered in fake snow (!!!). So apart from its cute wooden chalets and village-like feel, Zermatt lacks a certain Swiss authenticity that other mountain towns have. The heavy flow of tourism is undoubtedly at fault (yes, I consider myself a guilty contributor), but I understand the appeal. With a mountain as impressive and famous as the Matterhorn (thank you Disney), who would pass up the chance to stare as such a Swiss icon?