I would be lying terribly if I were to say I came to Gstaad for the fantastic scenery. No, I came to fulfil a dream of seeing the player I've followed for the past decades, Stan Wawrinka, playing, before he finally retires.
I had chosen accommodation outside Gstaad as prices there were way outside my budget. I'm thrilled with my room, which seems huge and luxurious after my cosy little barrel. I love them both, but do appreciate the ensuite most of all.
I arrived mid afternoon, and as buses don't run late, I had to make a tough decision between a very much needed cuppa or a visit to the Lauenensee further up the valley. Knowing I'd be at tennis for next two days, believe it or not, I opted for the lake - an excellent choice.
The road to the lake was quite a surprise as I had certainly not expected a steep, narrow road with sheer drops off it, winding its way up towards glaciers and sheer rock faces.
The 45- minute walk around the lake was fabulous, with spectacular scenery all around, mountain, glaciers, forests and waterfalls. This little corner had it all. I'm so pleased I went.
The vegetation was so lush
And the area so peaceful and uncrowded. It was gorgeous.
I loved this little chalet with its carvings of birds.
I was happy to get back to the last bus on time. It would have been a nightmare walk back!
First day of the Swiss Open tennis. I had time to check out this little town of Gstaad, renowned for its wealthy visitors, an ostentatious town similar to St Moritz but on a smaller scale. The Palace Hotel, perched on the top of a hill, is very impressive.
The tournament was far more relaxed than in Eastbourne and much smaller. Only two courts and people from centre court could go to other court.
No baggage checks or rules regarding food and drink, so most visitors just crossed the road to the supermarket to get food, saving the expense of tournament food.
Everything ran like clockwork, of course. I couldn't get over how brilliant the young ball girls and boys were, and how accurate the linesmen were - 3 wrong calls over two days. Not bad at all when the ball is moving at 200 kmh or more!
What a lucky person I was. On my first day, not only did I get to see Stan, but also another favourite, Matteo Berretini, who beat last year's winner Pedro Cachin.
Wow, they hit that ball so hard. Most winners were around 195 kph. Incredible.
Then, my dreams were realised as Stan Wawrinka walked on to the court.
He and his opponent, a young new player, Klein, gave it everything.
It was a great match and superb atmosphere as the largely Swiss crowd cheered Stan on.
Sadly, it wasn't his day. I got to watch two sets and had to leave for the last bus. Maybe that's why he lost the third set! Anyway, I am glad I wasn't there to see him lose! It had been fantastic to watch this great veteran of tennis right there in front of me.
The second day matches were in general even better than the first. The young Argentinian Echerverry had a fantastic three-setter against a guy from Netherlands.
Then Fabio Fognini played an up-and-coming Peruvian player, who should have won. Fabio is a master of distraction and is somewhat up himself! I didn't like the constant questioning of line calls.
Last up was Stefanos Tsitsipas, the flamboyant Greek, playing a lesser known, but very good player from Serbia. Great match but Stefanos got there in two very exciting sets. I was surprised that he was quite thin and looked as if he needed a good meal and more workouts at the gym, compared to the others!
Anyway, this has been a dream come true, finishing with a simple, yet tasty meal on my balcony, with this beautiful view.
A fabulous farewell evening
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