I don’t usually think about bucket lists. Anywhere I am, is a worthy travel adventure as long as it is out of my ordinary. However, Zermatt and its wonderful Matterhorn have been on my wish list for decades. It seems unreal that we are on our way this morning. The road over the Simpson pass is winding and I am in the backseat with my sister in laws. It is cozy enough until my head hits the side of the car as we round another sharp corner.

The scenery through Northern Italy is incredible and continues to grow even more beautiful by the mile. We are so taken with the scenery that we don’t notice we are leaving Italy until we see two guards standing in the road. They wave at us and smile .

Another mile and we are at the Swiss border. A border control booth is in the middle of the road but closed. No one is in sight. I dream of a world of open borders. I guess some already live the dream and today we do to.

We park to stretch and make sure we don’t need to show passports to someone, but there is no one around. We visit the gas station instead to buy the required “vignette”, a sticker for your car that allows you to drive in Switzerland. They didn’t have any and told us to keep driving to the next town.

So we drive and drive some more over mountains and rivers. Along the way, we see the Swiss army waving guns at a rest stop. A base is at the bottom of the mountain so we assume they are training?

We cross the Simplon Pass amid high Alpine peaks and steep valleys. The bridges are stacked on the highest pylons I have ever seen. The tower like supports are so tall, I can’t actually see the ground below. It is a little freaky.

Eventually we get to Brig, however there are no gas stations along the route as promised. We drive on down the mountainside. Eventually we find a well stocked travel plaza. We buy our sticker for the car windshield and are finally street legal. We also buy pastries and coffee. There is excessive excitement over Diet Coke and the coffee machine with sugar free options. Neither have been seen in many days. But my favorite is a pretzel man complete with a stick of chocolate.

A short while later, after passing Swiss cows with bells and Valois sheep with bells, we arrive in Tasch. It is a town of services and parking garages. We must park our car and take the cog railway from here. Our timing is good. I buy tickets and we are on our way with no wait time.

We get to the train station in Zermatt and cross the street to the Gornergrat express train that will take us up the mountains. The tickets are not cheap, but it is why I came, so no matter. It is a bucket list item.

We window shop for awhile until our departure time and then board the gornergrat train. The views are stunning as we climb higher and higher.

A Swiss family strikes up a conversation and then thinks I am filming them because I am holding my phone. I am not. I just don’t want to miss the view. The larch trees are turning a glorious yellow. Monte Rosa, the Matterhorn and several other peaks surround us. I am in heaven.

We pass alpine lakes and pine forests. Just when I think it can’t get more stunning, I am stunned anew. It starts to snow as we disembark at Gornergrat glacier. There is a large viewing platform at what seems like the top of the world. We make our way up and then up some more. The air is thin. My husband really felt the altitude. So we took our time. Well he took his time. I raced ahead and didn’t know he was struggling until he finally caught up as I was taking photos.

There is a winter wonderland of glaciers and alpine peaks. Monte Rosa, Gornergrat, Matterhorn…..every way I turn is breathtaking. Honestly, I could have stayed forever.

It is long past lunch and most of the restaurants on the mountain are closed for the off-season between summer crowds and ski season. But we find a restaurant that will seat us. It is very hot inside, which is a shock to the system after the snow. And the menu consists of cheese….lots of cheese. When my sister in law says she is lactose intolerant, the waiters drolly responds “well you have certainly come to the right restaurant haven’t you?”

I order raclette, a traditional Swiss dish of melted cheese. We share a platter of runny cheese, pickled onions, pickled mini corn, actual mini pickles and boiled potatoes. A strange combination but uniquely Swiss.

After dinner, we visit a small museum with virtual hang gliding. Then we visit more viewing platforms. The clouds that threaten snow begin to clear, leaving glorious views of the mountains. A few stops down the mountain we decide to visit the alpine garden and the blue lake. Barely over the first terrace, my heel catches on a slate rock and I begin to fall. I know I can not regain my balance without potentially breaking an ankle or my face. So I immediately put my body into a ball. My sister in law frantically tries to grab my coat so I don’t keep rolling down the mountain. Once I am on the ground, I grab a rock to stop my descent.

I have a sore ankle, a sore knee, and a bruised ego but no real damage is done. And now I can tell the story of how I rolled down the Alps.

Deciding to walk the Alps in the mud and snow without boots and walking sticks probably wasn’t the smartest thing we have ever done, so we reluctantly board the train to take us back down the mountain.

Once in Zermatt, we wander its streets. Luxury and specialty shops line the main road. You can buy watches that cost more than my car, skin care products made with marmot oil, wooden figures, and chocolate. While I don’t like chocolate, I am surrounded by chocoholic hordes. The chocolate is beautiful, each piece stamped in gold to identify the seller.

While my crew shops for chocolate, I leave in search of a cow bell. I am in love with the delicate little bells they put on livestock. I will use mine for Christmas decorations.

Somehow Zermatt is more commercial than I hoped. It is charming yet inauthentic. An upscale mall pretending to be a small Swiss town. Expensive and intriguing. Yet somehow not reality….at least for me. I prefer the tiny town on the other side of Monta Rosa, Macanugna.

After a very full day, we head back to Lesa. The mountain passes are dramatic in the twilight. Storm clouds backlit by moonlight track our progress. You can’t see the steep drops on either side of the car, but I know they are there. Several sections of highway have construction with one lane traffic. Impatient drivers pass in highly questionable circumstances. But eventually we arrive safely at home. Exhausted and happy.