A little more than a year ago Helena, Cecilia and Anders and I made a journey back to one of our family's favourite places on earth, Zermatt. Our grandfather discover the small but glamorous ski town at the foot of Matterhorn in Switzerland in the sixties, and we spent many very special holidays there growing up.
We had only been a couple of times in the past few years, but when Helena suggested we go back in February last year we all knew it was a must. We packed our ski clothes and fancy dinner outfits and flew in from three different continents to come together in this magical town.
Just like when we were kids us three girls shared a double room at the beautiful Hotel Monte Rosa, with me on the extra cot. We weren't quite the same size anymore so it was a little tight, but it wouldn't have been right any other way.
We unpacked and stepped right into our childhood routine, getting up early and rushing off to the lifts, skiing up and down the amazing slopes, and finding a chalet to replenish us with sausages, rosti, and sparkling apple juice for lunch.
Helena skied with her usual combination of elegance and speed, while Cecilia and I struggled to keep up and marvelled at her strength. She felt so good and grateful for her tarceva medication that coined a little expression for herself: "look at tarceva go!"And go she really did.
In the afternoon we would relish in the hotel's afternoon tea, spend some time in the sauna and outdoor pool, and head off to one of our favourite childhood shops to buy lollipops or browse the porcelain dolls. In the evening we would crowd around the mirror, getting dolled up, and then head downstairs to the charming dinning room.
With radiant and eager smiles we would sit down for the hotel's superb five course dinners, and Anders would order wine and grumble that it wasn't the same price as back in the eighties. The pianist would play his dulcet tunes and we would delight in each other's company.
We felt sophisticated and thankful, but most of all happy. Happy to be back in this very special place together, happy that Helena was strong, and happy to escape our very trying reality.
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| Helena with her grandparents on her first trip to Zermatt |
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| Helena, Anne and Cecilia waiting for the train to Zermatt |
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| With Grandma, Anders, and Cecilia outside Hotel Monte Rosa |
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| Already a ski bunny |
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| At the bar in our dinner outfits at Hotel Monte Rosa |
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| Helena and the Matternhorn |
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| A classic christmas card |
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| Back in 2007 |
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| Posing before dinner in 2007 |
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| Back on the slopes February 2010 |
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| Enjoying Afternoon Tea |
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| Ready for our sausage and rosti |
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| Three very happy sisters |
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