GstaadLife

by Erich Sailer - autumn in Saanenland - our favorite season.

September 12 2011, 20:00

This picture was taken on January 1 2011 by Piaf Goddard - right now only two weeks later it unfortunately looks more like a summer hiking trail.

According to legend there is a treasure hidden at the end of rainbow - well at least now we know why they are digging that honking great hole up at the Alpina... :-)

Photo by Ivan Inäbnit, Schönried

As you know, here at GstaadLife.com we're always up for some good party pictures...even when the party took place a while ago. So with apologies for the wait, we take you back to March of this year at the Grand Hotel Park in the inimitable company of Depy Chandris. On the evening in question, she presented her most recent jewelry creations to the more than fifty invited guests, including Prince and Princess John Radziwill, Count and Countess de Moustier, George Tornaritis, Manuela Vapdinoyiannis, Marion de Picciotto, Maria Embiricos, Ninetta Fix, Alexandre de Musset, Geneviève Dalle and Jean-Claude Jacot, and many more of Gstaad's well familar faces.

Above: Depy Chandris (left) with Princess John Radziwill.

Depy Chandris' jewelry designs are both auspicious and delicate. Her theatrical sense of taste can be appreciated right down to the way she creates her displays. The Marco Polo restaurant was decked out in fine fashion, with sparkling blue butterflies contrasted with bright red velvet tablecloths, with the Chandris' collection displayed in large picture frames, set about small chalkboards. Guests' placement cards showed photos of more of Ms Chandris' work and were signed "Dear Depy love your jewels, Andy Warhol" (who said it's not cool to re-use accessories). Click here for more photos of the evening, and our thanks to Depy Chandris and Antoinette de Scheel.

On the Stalden (overlooking the Gsteig-Gstaad valley), August 1 2007. The lights are individual torches held by people who have walked up for a few hours to reach this vertiginous ledge. At the end of the queue is a huge bonfire casting its glow back down the valley. This is Gstaad life.

Photo by Evelyne Peten (click to enlarge)

Busking is the practice of doing live musical performances in public places to entertain people, usually to solicit donations and tips. Well, they don’t ask for money when they busk on the Promenade in Gstaad, but the impromptu musical performances are no less entertaining...

The change of weather patterns and seasons always makes dramatic mountainscapes of the hills around Gstaad. When these events occur simultaneously, the results can be breath-taking.

Above: the Videmanette peak that towers above Rougemont shakes off the rain clouds of the past few days. Below, is that the Hornberg or Saanenland’s first volcano? The west-facing slope of the Hornberg shot from Le Crêt (between Rougemont and Flendruz). Click photos to enlarge.

By the way, if you haven’t tried it, GstaadLife.com recommends the lesser-known hills above Rougemont for easy family hikes with sweeping panoramic views.

Why we don't mind when it snows in the summer. Above, Saanen as seen from Le Grand Chalet at 10h00 this morning, with the snow caps of the Vanil Noir in the background. This is Gstaad life.