Postcards from Europe — Ten Years Later (Part Three: Switzerland and France)
As I reread my Postcards From Europe book for its special tenth anniversary edition, it was fun to consider how the lives of its real-life cast of characters and their hometowns have changed since 1999.
Here’s the latest from Switzerland and France:
Up in Switzerland’s Alps, my favorite village of Gimmelwald has gone through some tough times. The only real restaurant closed, resulting in a big hit to the town’s commercial metabolism. Locals pulled together with creative ways to parlay the products of a humble alpine village into sustenance for visitors, and thankfully, the restaurant seems to have new and energetic owners. Petra’s youth hostel is stronger than ever, and the talents of her handy husband, Wally, complement her own. And Walter is more and more the eccentric and generally lovable old man of the town — with two new hips, he still shuffles around, refusing to retire and still feeding his hungry hikers. Olle and Maria still share the village’s only teaching position. Every time I visit I remember how Gimmelwald was the scene of our Swiss Alps Christmas show for public television. Olle helped heroically — he cranked up the town’s traditional charm, and turned the entire village into bit players as we filmed a traditional Christmas under a delightful blanket of new snow.
In Paris, Rue Cler is more Rue Rick Steves than ever — busy with my readers but still a delight. My friend, Marie-Alice (for whom cheese smells like “zee feet of angels”) is mad at me because I gave her hotel a bad write-up, so we no longer communicate. It’s complicated maintaining objectivity while also trying to maintain friendships for people who — when you get right down to it — sometimes see you more as a source of free advertising than as a friend.
Daniel Roth, my musical hero, still welcomes visitors into his St. Sulpice Cathedral loft to enjoy the finest pipe organ experience in Europe up close and intimate. He performs with an elegance that creates a glorious little interlude just for you, where there is no kitschy, shrill, garish, frustrated, rag-tag, mind-numbing world out there. While in Daniel Roth’s loft, your world is simply ivory keys, inlaid stops, and a timeless heritage of great music powering worship, appreciated by silent and humble pilgrims contained in a Gothic box lovingly carved of stone in centuries past.
Rick, the Christmas show you filmed was one of your best programs ever! I ALWAYS remember the scenes from Gimmelwald; the simplicity and beauty with which the hoilday is celebrated. It makes me sad at how commercial Christmas has become in America. They’ve got it right!
I have to agree with Mike’s comment about your Christmas in the Gimmelwald being one of your best shows ever! My husband purchased the DVD for me for Christmas and I’ve watched it again and again. It just magnifies how out of control we are in this country with Christmas….I have yet to watch that episode and not get a little teary! Love you and love your show — Keep on travellin’!!!
Thanks for commenting on St. Sulpice. I have visited the church several times. I have researched and followed the travels of Daniel A. Payne, the African American clergyman,who comments on the church in his autobiography,Recollections and Seventy Years. He was there in 1867.While I always look at he Delacroix murals there, I hope to listen to the music when I’m in Paris this winter.
In Paris, Rue Cler is more Rue Rick Steves than ever Rick, a new term has entered my travel lexicon, the “blue book sign”. If you walk into a restaurant, and you see the blue book sign, you’ll probably meet more American Rickniks than locals.
Rick True friends always have ups and downs but in the end stay friends and become better friends because they value their friendship………..Your honesty and objectivity is a key part of the value of the services and information you provide………I rely on you and your information heavily while traveling and usually it makes for outstanding and better trips that I would not have otherwise………thanks again……….
Wow…how quickly can I get to Gimmelwald? Sounds wonderful in spite of hard times.
It’s a shame you may have lost a friend over a hotel review. However, I appreciate your professionalness and ability to remain objective for the sake of your readers. Hopefully, your friend will eventually see it as a opportunity to improve her hotel and will thank you for it in the end.
Rick, I hope that before my father dies, I can get him up to the loft in San Sulpice to visit with Daniel Roth. You see, my Dad took up organ building as a hobby back in the early sixties as he spent most of his confirmation classes helping the church Priest work on the pipe organ of St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church in Richardson, Texas where I was baptized. After his retirement from the tech world as a marketing manager, he had a short-lived post-retirement job helping a local organ builder install a couple of pipe organs in area churches–notably 1st Presbyterian Church in Dallas. St. Margaret’s eventually merged with St. Mark’s (and for a short period was know as St. M & M’s) and became Church of the Epiphany where he and my mom still worship today. Considering my Dad had a bad stroke a few years ago, I don’t know HOW I will get him into that loft at St. Sulpice, but I will find a way.
i never felt that you ever give a bad write upon hotels. i always consider that if they are in your book then you are recommending them as good options. you are just honest about the feel of them……which is good to prevent any disappointment.
I’ve watched the x-mas program a few times. It’s very charming.
Rick I also loved the Christmas special, hope it repeats this year, kind of a tradition. It is sad that things change that much. I guess you make it seem like everyone out there is your friend, except it is a business.
I attended Sunday service at St. Sulpice this summer while in Paris. Daniel Roth was such a gracious host as he welcomed visitors to his lofty workplace in this beautiful cathedral. This sense of welcome and openness was also displayed by the priests and assistants who immediately following the service (all now wearing jeans with their clerical shirts) mingled with the congregation and visitors and then joined everyone in the pews to listen to Mr. Roth’s organ concert. Thanks for a wonderful tip, RS.///Two years ago we spent a magical December day in Gimmelwald and Murren. At the end of the day we walked down the snowy path back to Gimmelwald when we heard the quiet swoosh of a sled following us down the mountain. On it was an elderly woman commuting between villages, dressed in a wintercoat and boots, purse in one hand and steering the sled with the other – an image I’ll keep forever! MC/Canada
Thanks for the reminder: I must buy a copy of the Christmas Special before the holidays. The kids would love it and so will I. Was in Gimmelwald last year. From there we had a great 4 hour hike up through the valley. “Fantastic views” doesn’t begin to do it justice. Was surprised at how very close to Murren Gimmelwald is. It is not as gloriously isolated as I thought. Murren has a big hotel now and is apparently very popular with visitors from India. It’s a nice place, but more resort than untouched village.
As I write this the soft sounds of the soundtrack to the Rick Steves Christmas Special fill my workspace. I know we are a distance from Christmas but it never fails to make my day brighter.
Oh, my husband and I loved staying in the Rue Cler in 06! How wonderful that we could walk to the Eiffel Tower. How great it was to watch locals buy bread at about 4PM every day and eat it while walking home! As for Gimmelwald…well, we were going to go to Italy and Switzerland in 09, and then it was 11, and then it was 09, and now it is 11. Sigh. But we’ll probably stay in Murren, but I can hardly wait to hike to Gimmelwald and just take in the beauty and culture of the town. Thanks again Rick Steves!! Julie M
Rick were you in Florence, Italy by any chance on Tuesday, October 7, 2008? If so, I walked by you on the street :) It is a SMALL world, afterall!
Hi Rick, my family and I stayed in Rue Cler at the hotel you highly recommended in 06. It was not only convenient, but the freshness of the fruits and vegetables, I still remember the cherries and strawberries, Mmmmm! Would love to go back again! We spent 3 days in Murran, did the hike on the 4th of July, what a beautiful place to be.
My wife and I got to St. Sulpice in September 2007. There were more people carrying a Rick Steves’ guidebook than people carrying a Bible. And even tho we were in the back of the chancel whilst the service concluded, about 20% of us were making more noise than those attending the service. It seems we are just as rude to the French as we claim the French to be to us. The organ recital was everything you promised. Following the music, those who knew how to get up the steps first clogged the organ pit and would not leave. The church appears to need money. I suggest that Daniel Roth and friends institute a reasonable fee for visiting the organ room and have some church volunteers organize a line and keep it moving so all can see the organ. Ron & Suzy
Hi Rick — I was thrilled to see your Pipes in Paris video podcast about a visit to the grande orgue of St. Sulpice. I attended a recital at St. Sulpice many years ago but did not know about the tradition of visiting the organ gallery. The next time I travel to Paris my dream is to visit the organ gallery and stand beside the console with Daniel Roth playing beautiful, rich and powerful music. I get profound chills just thinking about it.
A year ago, Sunday mass at St. Sulpice and the organ concert following were among the highlights of our trip to Paris. Many thanks for the recommendation!