After cocktail hour we moved to the Red Restaurant for dinner. We were greeted by an extremely polite and attentive swiss waitress, who served us plate after plate of delicious and artistic foods. Melon and prosciutto was a sweet and savory favorite! Dinner was followed by an excellent Latte Machiatto, and then we were off to explore the town at night.
Walking down into the main square we came across a mass of people surrounding a large brass band. It turns out we were in town for Swiss Day, a sort of 4th of July for the country. It was fun to see their customs and the lights around the square were pretty.
We headed home and turned in for the evening, excited for the upcoming day.
The Therme Vals Hotel was redesigned by Peter Zumthor to create a modern refuge set in the natural beauty of Switzerland. We made sure to reserve one of the unique Selva Stucco rooms designed by Zumthor, which each have a unique Stucco-Lustro color scheme. Ours was a bright green, and it was the most beautiful room I’ve ever stayed in.
The stucco is very smooth to the touch, and reflects the brilliant mountain light during the day, and warm incandescents at night. I love the contrast of the bright green walls with the dark chocolate wood floors. The floor of the bathroom is smooth ground limestone which runs seamlessly from the bedroom through the shower. There is a very slight grade, which causes the shower water run towards the wall, where a small crack carries it to a hidden drain.
We spent a little time enjoying the room and some fresh air on the balcony, and then headed to the hotel lobby for the welcoming happy hour, where we were served drinks and appetizers before the restaurant opened.
We caught the train from Salzburg into Chur, Switzerland. In Chur we changed to a small mountain train to Ilanz. It followed a beautiful river as it wound its way turn by turn up the alps.
Next we caught a bus from Ilanz up to Vals. This was one of those typical “hey, look at the beautiful mountain landsca-oh my god we’re going to die!” bus trips, with buses that are just a little bit to big for roads that just a little bit too small.
Finally, we hauled our luggage up the steep driveway to the hotel, feeling the cool, damp alpine air refresh us as we walked.
We wanted some photos to hang on the bare walls of our apartment, so I let Chloe roll around in the grass outside of ILM in San Francisco while I snapped some characteristic detail photos of her. Below are a sampling of my favorites.
We wandered through the streets and came upon a church courtyard. The courtyard is apparently the site of a farmers market, which was packing up for the day when we arrived. I think the locals enjoyed making as big of a ruckus as they could as tourists attempt to stroll in peace.
As we entered the cathedral I was surprised by the aural contrast, as it became instantly silent just a few steps inside. No cheap drywall in here.
After walking around the cathedral we walked to the edge of the city and followed a road which ran along the bottom of the cliffs. We passed a neat statue which caught my eye. I couldn’t figure out who exactly it was supposed to represent, but I was impressed by the great character design.
We worked our way back down into the center of old town, and came across Mozart’s birthplace. I’m not sure how we caught it, as it is a very non-descript yellow house with just a plaque marking the location. We also noted how sometimes German is so similar to English that it looks made-up.
…and of course more window shopping.
