thar' she blows...

so we woke up staring at this beauty (and there are at least 8 distinct vantage points from Chalet Ulysse where you can enjoy a view like this on a day like today - we picked the right spot to stay for our week in Zermatt...)

only to realize there may be no skiing today!  High winds lead to lift closures lead to avalanche risks etc etc - and so we've been reconciling the contrast of the beautiful scenery with the dangers present, all leading to "no skiing for us" today... and then we remember we're in Zermatt, Switzerland - so we quickly get over any feelings of self-pity.  One look at the Matterhorn - and it's hard to feel sorry about anything.  Not to mention the luxury of the chalet we chose, the character of this village, and the company we're able to enjoy this week.  How lucky we are!  But here is the map at the gondola that started all of our emotional adjustments....

I don't think you can see this very well, but lot of red X's, in fact red X's on nearly everything.  And the message board on top tells you how fast the wind is blowing - 140 km/hour at the worst location!  So we're going to maximize the day in Zermatt.  It's funny - but I think we kind of felt guilty telling our masterful guide Andres that we weren't going to at least try something on the slopes today!