It’s pouring with rain as we set off from Bellinzona. We improvise a breakfast from the supermarket, which we eat in the car, and then drive towards Gotthard. We take the motorway, because in this weather the view from the ‘Grand Tour’ route would not be worth it. It is impressive and also a little frightening to see the water streaming down the mountain slopes on the left and right, sometimes in small or large waterfalls, sometimes just like that.

The rain has already eased off by the time we reach Airolo. We don’t want to drive through the tunnel or along the Gotthard road, but up the old Tremola. Much of the road here is paved with granite stones, which were laid between 1937 and 1941 as a more durable surface. There is almost no traffic here, just a few bicycles and the occasional car. It turns out to be a wonderful drive, and it even stops raining. We drive carefully over the wet cobblestones and arrive safely at the top of the pass. Here, huge wind turbines rise out of the fog, and behind the photo spot, only a white wall can be seen. Okay, the view here has to be more down into the depths of the Tremola’s twists and turns than straight ahead.

The next photo spot is soon reached on the more modern road downhill towards the Furka Pass. It shows the tower of Hospental, which has watched over the valley since the 13th century and was probably used as a prison.

The photo spot on the Furka Pass is covered with various stickers. Oh, we should have brought one with us too! But I’m much more interested in a certain place on the way down: the Glacier Hotel Belvédère. It has become a popular spot for petrolheads to take photos of their vehicles. Why? I’m not exactly sure. It’s probably a combination of the historical significance of the hotel, which also appears in the James Bond film ‘Goldfinger’ and has been closed since 2015, its location on the hairpin bend and the impressive mountain landscape in the background. Or simply because someone started it and everyone else wanted to have (and show!) a photo like that too. In any case, I’m very happy to be here today. And the timing is good, with few cars in the car park and on the road and the sun trying to break through the clouds. LucY shows itself from all its best sides.

After crossing the Furka Pass, we reach the Valais. We drive down the valley and stop at the next photo stop, a Valais barn in Goms. It dates back to the early 17th century. An interesting feature here are the stilts with round stone slabs, which form a cavity between the substructure and the actual storage area, preventing mice and vermin from getting in.

Gabi fancies a burger from McDonald’s. So we soon end up having a late lunch at the branch in Brig. Gabi orders a Crispy Chicken Burger with honey, while Chrige and I eat a Big Mac. And we also feed LucY during a quick charging stop at the fast charger.

Then we quickly drive past the Stockalper Castle photo spot. The three towers with onion domes are named after the three kings – Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. The large 17th-century building was constructed by a wealthy entrepreneur and is an important landmark of the canton of Valais.

But then we want to hurry on to Zermatt. We arrive in Täsch with mixed feelings: from here on, cars are not allowed to continue, as Zermatt is car-free. We have to leave LucY in the large car park and continue by train. We don’t like travelling by train in Switzerland, and our experience here reminds us very clearly why that is: although it has been required by law since 1 January 2024, public transport in Switzerland is not designed for people in wheelchairs, and in Zermatt they are almost completely ignored. We notice this even after we arrive. Car-free is a complete lie. There is heavy traffic here. Hundreds of cars weave dangerously around the tourists, only they are not Audis, BMWs, Volvos and the like, but narrow electric vehicles that all seem to come from the same manufacturer. Craftsmen, suppliers, service providers, post office, taxis: they all drive them. But none (correction on the second day: one) of them can carry people in wheelchairs. While Christine is picked up at the station with our luggage, Gabi and I have to walk to the hotel. Our suite at the Hotel Zermama, which the three of us share, is magnificent. We explore the village, which is dominated by commerce and mass tourism, and drink a hot chocolate before returning to the hotel.

We booked a cheese fondue on the hotel balcony. We should be able to see the Matterhorn from here, but the weather isn’t really playing ball. What a shame. The fondue is delicious and comes with cornichons, pearl onions and pickled carrot pieces. The latter is unusual – at least for us. After dinner, I take a bath and can’t remember the last time I did that… probably when I was a child on holiday. That also explains why the bathtub seems much smaller to me than it did back then, when I could dive from one end to the other.