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It was now 7pm. I was exhausted following the ten-hour hitch and getting a bit desperate as car after car passed me, despite the placard I held which read 'FRANCE: £10?' Just as the streetlights began to buzz a van screeched to a halt a couple of hundred metres down the road, I grabbed my impossibly heavy rucksack and lurched after them. "Ten Quid?" he asked, before opening the door of their small van. I was to share the back with several crates of beer that they'd just bought in the duty free...

European Tales: Switzerland 1996, a lengthy tale

Joseph Tame
2006-06-30 17:53:26

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deposited my huge rucksack at the station I began my search for work, knocking on every hotel door. Unfortunately all, without exception, turned me away, either saying that they needed no more staff or they were just looking for women. Totally disillusioned I phoned home, telling my mother that all was lost and I'd probably be returning the UK shortly.

However, during that call I discovered that I was in the very place where my parents had spent their honeymoon, and in fact my grandmother had holidayed in the village too. Clinging onto the thought that the family had a connection with the area I opted to spend the last £20 in my pocket on the rack railway that disappeared into the clouds above Grindelwald. It was a magical journey unlike any other I'd experienced, the track winding its way up and up. The rain gave way to snow, the wind picked up and I found myself steeping off the train into a blizzard at Kleine Scheidegg. A few buildings, a couple of ski lifts, and a railway station - that was it. My first impression was of bleakness and isolation - what an accurate first impression that was! Yet I also felt exhilaration in the challenge between the elements and myself. Turning my thoughts to more pressing matters I headed towards the huge hotel that I could just make out one hundred metres away. I admired how it stood strong in the gale, defying the elements despite its age. Feeling very cold (it had been quite humid down in the valley) I entered the reception thinking, 'Oh well, it's worth a try!' - If I didn't get a job here I'd have to return to England. Two old gentlemen and a lady, all of whom were past retirement age, greeted me. Having introduced myself I asked if they had any jobs going, and to my surprise, instead of a flat "No" the lady replied, "What can you do?" Knowing that my trip depended on this and sensing that she liked me, I replied in a happy, confidant tone, "Anything!" Having told me that she ...