Notes from the Glacier Express 🇨🇭
A note on slow travel, mountain air, and the beauty of unexpected encounters.
I’ve been quiet for a while. But some journeys deserve to be written.
I wanted a weekend escape to Switzerland shaped by movement, landscapes, and atmosphere.
That’s how I ended up on the Glacier Express.
I arrived in Zermatt while it was snowing.
In May, it felt almost unreal.
The next morning, the sky turned bright blue above the mountains, sunlight reflecting softly on the snow still resting on the peaks. I hadn’t seen much snow this year, and somehow it felt good to be back in that atmosphere again. Slow mornings, mountain air, spa afternoons, little walks through the village without much direction.
Before boarding the Glacier Express, I wandered through the streets of Zermatt, picking up chocolates for friends and family and a light grey cashmere piece from ESTHĒME that I immediately loved.
I boarded the train expecting something quiet and cinematic. Books resting on tables, long silences, landscapes unfolding slowly behind panoramic windows.
When I arrived at my seat, I noticed the guest sitting across from me almost immediately.
For a second, I assumed we would politely keep to ourselves for the next eight hours.
At first, I was convinced he would be quiet too. Maybe because I had romanticised the idea of a silent panoramic train journey a little too much.
Instead, we ended up speaking for almost the entire ride.
His name was Saturo. Japanese, living in Paris after moving there through a company exchange programme, while the rest of his family remained in Japan. While living in Europe, he wanted to experience something special and different for a few days — which is how he ended up on the same train journey.
Sometimes, the people we meet along the way become just as memorable as the places themselves.
Somewhere between the mountains, the gourmet lunch, and the endless panoramic views, the conversation unfolded naturally.
Travel, life, Japan, work, spirituality.
Around us, the atmosphere slowly shifted too.
An Australian couple from Melbourne sharing stories from past travels. Guests from Texas laughing a few rows behind us. The Italian crew moving through the wagon with warmth and humour that made the entire experience feel relaxed rather than formal.
I expected the landscapes to be beautiful — and they were.
What I didn’t expect was how alive the journey would feel.
By the time we crossed the higher mountain passes, I had completely lost track of time.
Outside, the landscapes shifted between snow-covered villages, forests, frozen rivers, and impossibly bright light reflecting on the mountains.
Inside, the atmosphere had become warm and familiar.
At some point, I realised I had barely touched the book I originally brought for the journey.
And somehow, that became the luxury of the experience.
Not only the panoramic carriage or the curated details, but the feeling itself. Relaxed, playful, easy.
Then, little by little, everyone disappeared back into their own direction. The Australian couple. The laughter from a few rows behind. The soft atmosphere that had formed inside the carriage throughout the day.
And suddenly, we had arrived in St. Moritz.
A destination that also quietly exceeded my expectations.
Before coming, I imagined St. Moritz mostly through the lens people usually associate with it — luxury hotels, designer boutiques, polished winter glamour.
And yes, those things exist.
But what stayed with me most was something much simpler.
The light on the mountains in the morning. The silence around the lake. Fresh air through open windows. Coffee slowly turning into long conversations. Walking without rushing anywhere.
The real luxury was nature.
At least for me.
And the way certain places make you feel more present without even trying.
——-
If I had to extend this journey
To watch
Perfect Days — for the beauty hidden inside ordinary moments and quiet routines.
The Darjeeling Limited — because somehow the Glacier Express ended up feeling less like a silent luxury train and more like a joyful moving little world where strangers unexpectedly connect.
To wear
Soft layers, cashmere, comfortable leggings, oversized sunglasses.
ESTHĒME Cachemire.
Where to stay
Hotel Unique Post — central, lively, and effortlessly cosy.
A place to linger
Café Belmont — slow mornings, late coffees, glasses of wine, and the kind of atmosphere that quietly makes you stay longer than planned.
Whatever journey finds you next, I hope it arrives with beautiful surprises and unexpected encounters along the way.
A SWEET DISCOVERY
ORFÈVE Genève — exceptional Swiss chocolate, refined, rich, and honestly some of the best I’ve had in a long time.
xx 🤍