This was by far my most memorable experience from the trip. In Pontresina we took an hour-long open-air horse carriage ride through the Roseg Valley up to a restaurant with views of the Roseg Glacier. I cannot emphasize how crisp and fresh was the air; a welcome change from the tour bus and completely exhilarating.

Our route followed the beautiful stream that originates at the glacier, and we saw a lot of alpine walkers and cows. Each cow wore a large bell and the sound of the herds carried throughout the valley. At the top we had a beautiful view of the Roseg Glacier and ate heartily at the restaurant/lodge.

After a relaxing ride down the mountain we drove on to St. Moritz and checked into our ritzy hotel. We took the afternoon to walk down to the lake and watch the sailboats. We looked in the expensive shops, saw a line of Rolls Royces, and I bought myself a birthday present – a Swatch with cherry blossoms on the strap. Then we had a few glasses of wine in the lounge before dinner, as was our custom on this trip!