Hello from New York City! We spent this weekend on an airplane wrapping up our holiday travel and getting re-settled into our life at home, so for this week’s post, I’m backtracking to last weekend and the past week where we spent the New Year in Zurich, Switzerland and the week skiing in Ischgl, Austria.
We arrived in Zurich on New Year’s Eve day.
After a little rest, we ventured out to Zurich’s Kronenhalle, one of Switzerland’s most famed bars for a quick cocktail before getting ready to ring in the New Year.
We had dinner at LaSalle Restaurant, a vast, modern glass-walled restaurant and bar inside a former shipbuilding.
After dinner, we headed to a champagne toast and fireworks at hotel Baur Au Lac.
It was a quick 24 hours in Zurich and then on to a three-hour drive to Ischgl, Austria for skiing. Ischgl is a quaint ski town that boasts scenic mountains, traditional Tyrolian fare (think milk, cheese, bread, veal, sausages) and reckless European skiers- I’m not kidding.
We skied for three days – two of which were sunny with little snow and one of which brought blizzard-like conditions on the slopes.
On the fourth day, the snow was still coming down hard turning the town into a Winter Wonderland so we relaxed, took full advantage of the spa at our hotel, walked around town and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. Having several dietary restrictions was challenging in Austria, but not impossible. I’ll write a separate post on how I navigate healthy eating while traveling, but for now I’ll say, I’m more than grateful for the many restaurants who did their best to accommodate me.
At the end of the week, we drove back to Zurich for one more night where we strolled along the shopping mile, Bahnhoffstrasse.
That evening we dined at Saltz at The Dolder Grand, which may just take the prize for the best meal of the trip.
After dinner, we sipped wine and admired the many pieces of fascinating art situated around the hotel before calling it a night.
We arrived home to a blizzard in New York and spent yesterday unpacking and getting ready for a new week.
One of my favorite things about traveling is the opportunity to learn about different cultures. I’m always fascinated by the people we meet and the rich experiences I have in other countries.
How did you spend the first week of the New Year?
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