Distinctive Character Of Swiss Ski Resorts

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30405, 2 April 1964, Page 2

Distinctive Character Of Swiss Ski Resorts

[Specially written for “The Press” by RACHEL McALPINEJ

Since we began living in Geneva, our usual methods of recreation have remained essentially the same—sports, films, concerts, entertaining and visiting, picnics and camping—but with various modifications.

Of the sports open to us now, . ski-ing offers by far the most exciting possibilities. Although Geneva is comparatively far from the greatest Swiss ski resorts, dozens of excellent ski fields in both France and Switzerland are within one or two hours’ drive.

Most of them have three or four ski-tows, chair-lifts or telecabins, so that there is a great variety of descents possible.

Each resort has acquired a distinctive character some are family places, with childdren’s holiday homes In the vicinity, so that a familiar sight is of a dozen little children dressed alike in bright blue ski jackets walking in Indian file, dragging their skis behind them; others have particularly difficult slopes, and are patronised chiefly by experienced skiers —at such a place one is torn between exhilaiation and humiliation. “Snow Bunnies” Perhaps the most amusing, however, are those which are the haunt of the “snow bunnies” those delightfully pretty, madly fashionable young ladies basking in the sun on the terraces of the inevitable restaurant at the top of the slopes. All skiclothes are now gaily coloured and smartly tailored, but here you are confronted with high-fashion ski-wear in every tone from soft pastels to searing orange, pink and purple—occasionally worn together. Looking at these charming creatures, we wondered at first whether there were any among their ranks able to ski. We discovered the answer shortly—7s per cent can’t, but this is regarded as an advantage, for many a trembling bunny has been unearthed and disentangled from snow and skis by a handsome young champion. From any pont of view, ski-

ing is an interesting sport. There are facilities in or near Geneva also for skating, ice hockey, curling, and tobogganing in the winter, and in the summer one can climb, sail, water-ski or—if intrepid —swim. It is one of Switzerland’s paradoxes that the blue Lake Geneva is a rewarding hunting-ground for biologist and micro-biologist. If one were to believe the hair-rais-ing stories of the Genevese, one can contract in its polluted waters any malady from typhoid to housemaid’s knee. However, disregarding these ugly rumours, hundreds spend their -lunch-hour (or, more commonly, lunch two-hours) sunbeathing on a dreadful concrete beach and splashing around in a liquid for which H2O would be far too optimistic a formula. One is rarely at a loss for somewhere to go in the evening, for there are 33 cinemas, five theatres, an opera house, several concert halls, and seven night-clubs in the city. There is usually a good choice of English films, often relegated to the 10.15 p.m. session. Most of the night-clubs are of a low and sleazy standard, but two of them have very good floor shows. Formal Visiting When first we were invited to the homes of Swiss friends, and entertained them in return, we certainly found that these visits were very stiff and formal compared with the New Zealand way of life. It was two years before anyone called on us without having first been invited. How-

ever, now that this initial reserve has broken down, and with the reservation that relationships are nearly always on a distinctly more formal basis, we find that we have made many very good friends, some of whom are just as easy-going and casual as their New Zealand counterparts. Yet our experience seems to be the exception rather than the rule. The Genevese are known among the Swiss as the least friendly people in the country, and apparently this has always been so; but I think that one fact has made them even more withdrawn than they are naturally, namely the presence of so many foreigners in their city—a staggering 27 per cent, not counting the thousands of tourists. As they can barely call their city their own any longer, they prefer their homes to remain inviolate. Whenever we visit a Swiss home, an excellent meal is served with great care. Dinner is served at the civilised hour of about 8.30. The host would die of shame rather than fail to offer at least one wine with the meal, as well as aperitifs before and liqueurs after it. National Dishes

Two national dishes lend themselves particularly to conviviality, fondue, and fondue bourgignonne. The first is the more famous. It provides the solitary occasion on which the proud Swiss male is to be found in the kitchen, for traditionally it is the husband who prepares it. The fondue consists chiefly of cheese and white wine, melted together with the addition of a little kirsch, potato flour, and baking soda, and cloves of garlic. Ask any Swiss how he makes his fondue, and he will give you his secret—of which there are thousands.

A secret method and a certain amount of experience are certainly necessary, for the novice often finds to his horror that instead of a creamy, luscious sauce, he is left with a knot of rubber swimming in oily wine. Some say that it must be stirred in a figure of eight; some heat the wine first, gradually adding the carefully pared cheese, and others swear it is necessary to throw everything in at once.

Others have particular brands and blends of cheese, or a wine guaranteed to work magic. Personally, I believe that some jealous epicurean deity watches over the fonduemaker, guaranteeing success to the Swiss and failure for the foreigners. Fondue is eaten from the earthenware pot in which it was made. Every guest, with a special fork, spears a chunk of bread and dips it into the communal bowl. An important rule of the game is that only white wine or tea may be drunk with fondue, and any infringement is punished with violent indigestion lasting at least 24 hours. As any unwitting guest who drops a piece of bread is morally obliged to provide a new bottle of wine, and given the original ingredients and the usual glass of kirsch when the fondue is half finished, this is invariably a somewhat alcoholic meal which is bound to be fun. Cooking at Table For fondue bourgignonne, guests follow much the same procedure, but it is cubes of steak which are dipped into a pot of boiling oil in the centre of the table. Everybody cooks his meat to the degree which suits him, and then chooses, or concocts, his own sauces. Apart from the special pot and burner, long wooden skewers, or pickle forks are needed. Accompanying the meat are served a variety of sauces—or their ingredients —and good side dishes are salads and potatoes baked in their jackets, as well as bread. Another delicious Swiss speciality Is raclette—best of all when eaten in the mountains. It consists of melted cheese of a particular variety with a high fat content, scraped off the open side of an enormous cheese after it has been heated by an open fire. It’s wonderful to consume plate after plate of this, with potatoes boiled in their skins, pickled onions and gherkins. Luxury Picnics

We had always enjoyed both picnicking and camping, but until we came to Geneva we had no idea that both could be accompanied by complete luxury. At 3 p.m. on any sunny Sunday, a short trip into the country will reveal hundreds of Genevese sitting back happily in their canvas chairs, surveying on a table the tiny remains of a vast chicken and one or two empty wine bottles. Shortly they will settle down to a game of cards. This sight, in the middle of an empty field, never fails to strike us as incongruous. The camping grounds are a riot of colour, with tents of every hue, some in stripes or tartan. Tents with two or three bedrooms are common, and every conceivable laboursaving device is sheltered within their walls. Some of the camping grounds are incredibly luxurious, too. On one occasion we went to Berne (the capital of Switzerland, as few people realise), and discovered a beautiful site with lawns, river, willow trees, hot showers, immaculate amenities for dish-wash-ing, laundry, shaving and applying make-up. On approaching the office, we discovered that the cost for two people, one microscopic car and an even smaller tent, would be 17s 6d for the night.