Staubbachfall  in Lauterbrunnen

Today Doris, my guide, and I began our hike from Lauterbrunnen, a town of a hundred waterfalls, the most renown of which is Trummelbach Falls. The valley floor is quite narrow and the walls of rock rise steeply. Water tumbles down in a raging torrent, especially after the deep, late winter of this year.

Dorothy and Doris on the trail

The Wengernalp restaurant with views to the mountains

We took the cable car to Allmend, one stop beyond the town of  Wengen. From there we climbed on a trail with exceptional views of the valley, through Mettenalp to Wengernalp. In Wengernalp we took a break, treating ourselves to a rich brew of coffee and slices of carrot cake and rhubarb pie made that morning by the local innkeeper. It felt especially decadent to be enjoying such things in the middle of this extraordinary environment.

View of the train from Jungfraujoch to Kleine Scheidegg

Afterwards I took the train to Kleine Scheidegg, the junction that meets the train coming from Jungfraujoch, the top of Europe, at 11,300 feet.  Here there is a transfer to another train that circles back to Grindelwald, my lovely base camp.

Heading up to Wengernalp

Alas, the journey ends as I’m off to Zurich airport in the morning and return to reality. Thanks for joining me on this trip to the Venice Biennale, the Basel Art Fair and a few days hiking in the Alps. I would be delighted to hear from you with any feedback or thoughts. If you missed any posts, they are on the Dorothy Goldeen Art Advisory Facebook page and as well as archived on the Blog.

On the trail from Isenfluh to Lobhornhutte

Today’s adventure began with a short train ride from Grindelwald to Lauterbrunner. Doris picked me up at the station and we drove to Isenfluh where we left the car. We took the gondola up to Sulweid and began hiking into a gorgeous forest. We were taking a trail predominately frequented by the locals that is not marked on the tourist maps.

Lunch stop at the Lobhornhutte

The Lobhorn above the patches of snow

The trail was steep and I was very glad to be using light-weight, carbon walking sticks that greatly facilitate the hike. After a couple of hours we reached the Lobhornhutte, our stop for lunch. This is a charming inn that offers meals as well as housing for about twelve people.  The views are spectacular and totally different in each direction. The Lobhorn peak looks like a rooster’s comb and is a favorite destination for climbers who often stay at the hut.

View from the trail to Doris’ mountain chalet

Dorothy with three new friends

After lunch and our descent, Doris took me to her family’s special mountain chalet. This is a place accessible only by foot that is tucked into the mountainside. There is no electricity, but fresh water runs from a spring and Doris has installed a gas stove. On the way to the house, we ran into some friends who were so kind to offer us a cold beer, which we happily drank on the porch of the house.

Early morning view of the Wetterhorn

Since Grindelwald is also a ski area in Winter, trains, buses, gondolas and funiculars make access to the most remote areas possible and with delightful Swiss efficiency. Trails are immaculate and well-marked, with benches in the middle of nowhere just when you might want one, and little chalets or restaurants just when you feel like a snack or a meal.

View of the valley and the mountains

Doris enjoying a chocolate break

Today was a moderate warm-up hike from Unter Lauchbuhl to Bort with my Swiss-born guide, Doris, who I met last year and adored. Doris is not only a major outdoorswoman, having hiked in Nepal earlier this year, she is steeped in the history of the area. Today she recounted the evolution of the Grindelwald glaciers, the technologically advanced pollution detectors located at the top of the Jungfrau and the effects of global warming on weather patterns in Switzerland. She reminisced about the ways farming and cheese production have changed, how the mountain huts are maintained by farmers and how the owls and other damaged birds are brought back to health in a nearby mountain clinic.

View of the Grindelwald glacier

We ambled along the trail as clouds danced around the peaks and each view was more spectacular than the next. Cows grazed the hillsides with their bells tinkling in the breeze. A wild goat nibbled on the wet, green grasses and the crack of the glaciers fractured the silence of the meadows.

View from the restaurant at Bort

We stopped at Bort for a late lunch. By this time the sun was out and the rushing water coming off the high peaks suddenly increased with the snow melt.  Our soup and salad were delicious and sustained us for the trip down the mountain.

Lake Thun  on the way to Grindelwald

The Venice Biennale and the Basel Art Fair were so fabulous, and now the magic of the mountains begins!  I first encountered the Lauterbrunnen Valley in the Swiss Alps about 15 years ago. I was totally spellbound by the Jungfrau region and thought the views from the cliffside town of Murren where the closest thing to heaven I had ever seen.

Arriving by train to Grindelwald, my pink castle awaits me

Last September I returned to the area for a hiking trip in Grindelwald. Once again I was completely enchanted by the mountains and everything about the Swiss experience of enjoying nature. With Zurich only three hours from this wonderland, how could I resist a few days on the trail before returning home.

View of the Eiger from the terrace

So here I am and just pinch me!  Since I am now in sharing mania with you, having written about Venice and Basel for the last six days, I can’t stop now.  By the way, if you missed any of those posts, they are archived  for your reference.  Tomorrow we hike!

David Smith, installation view, Galerie Gmurzynska, Art Basel

Art Basel now has two VIP days before the public opening tomorrow.  Many people completed their visit in one day so today was less crowded but no less intense. I scoured the booths I missed yesterday and made return visits to others I had already seen. Despite the most thorough viewing, it is not possible to see everything. Reports for business are strong and much activity is still anticipated.

Ethnographic installation (detail), Museum for Culture, Basel

After departing the fair, I was looking forward to two museums visits, the Kunstmuseum and the Museum of Cultures (Museum der Kulturen).  Specializing in ethnographic collections of artifacts from Europe, the South Pacific, Mesoamerica, Tibet and Bali, the Museum of Culture is one of my favorite places in Basel. The current exhibition focuses on material from the Amazon, addressing the relationship between permanent collection holdings and historical events in the Amazon region. The Museum has one of the most comprehensive Amazon collections in Europe, with an emphasis on the period between 1950-2010.

Picasso painting at Kunstmuseum, Basel

The Kunstmuseum is presenting a significant Picasso retrospective drawn exclusively from institutional and private collections in Basel, including paintings, drawings, prints and a few sculptures. While the selection of work is very fine, even more impressive is the fact that such extensive holdings are drawn from within the community. Having just come from the Culture Museum, Picasso’s ethnographic influence was in high relief for me.

Thomas Schutte, bronze sculpture, Zurich

I headed to the train station and popped on the IC to Zurich, a 53 minute trip from Basel. The day had turned warm and whenever the weather is lovely, it seems all of Zurich heads to the outdoor cafes and the lakefront. As I strolled the tree-lined promenade, I discovered a powerful Thomas Schutte sculpture installation. Courtesy of the Beyeler Foundation, who supports outdoor sculpture around the city, Schutte will be featured in an exhibition at the Foundation opening shortly.

Jorge Pardo lamp installation, at Neugerreimschneidger, Art Basel

Leon Golub, painting, at Anthony Reynolds, Art Basel

Despite the proliferation of fairs around the globe, Art Basel in Switzerland remains the best and brightest. The top galleries in the field are all present with their highest quality artworks. The audience is the most sophisticated and discerning. The surrounding venues are world-class with the Kunstmuseum, the Beyeler Foundation and over two dozen other museums in Basel and the Kunsthaus in Zurich one hour away.

Valentin Carron, sculpture, at Eva Presenhuber

As a visitor, one can spend hours in a visual delirium of wonder and awe at what is on view and can be purchased. But purchasing is not just a matter of funds. It is now routine for galleries to email to their special clients or to their entire client base the images of what they will be exhibiting. Consequently, many works are presold or on hold when the fair opens. If there was no preannouncement and the work is significant, a feeding frenzy ensues. In either case, time is of the essence so there is no possibility for measured deliberation. If a hold is granted at the fair, it is often for an hour or two. Commit or move on.

Kai Altoff, installation, at Gladstone Gallery, Art Basel

Increasingly the fair is becoming a locus of research and exposure as much as a buying format for me. Meeting new colleagues, learning about artists, gathering information, seeing friends and clients all provide powerful fuel for future dealings. If I haven’t prearranged a viewing or know the artist and see exactly the right piece, I don’t want to make a snap decision. If I find a new young artist at an attractive price, I might go for it. And of course, one must necessarily remain flexible if the correct opportunity arises. But mainly I prefer to enjoy the experience of buying in a more thoughtful manner away from the crowd. This stance requires major discipline as the seduction of buying amidst the hyper energy of the fair, surrounded by other people making purchases, is a siren call indeed.

Roy LIchtenstein, paintings & sculpture, at Edward Nahem, Art Basel

It would not be an exaggeration to say that every booth has work of merit. In some booths, every wall is a knockout. The fair is on two floors and one cannot get through them both in an entire day. Today I managed to see just over half the fair and I was moving quickly. In addition to the work on view, the galleries each have closets with additional pieces and images of all the work that is available in their resident galleries. The fair is as dense an experience as the time one has to devote to it.

Beyeler Foundation, Basel, Switzerland

The first stop in my three day conquest of Basel began this morning at the esteemed Beyeler Foundation. Designed by Renzo Piano, it is one of the most sublime museums in the world. The combination of the perfectly attuned architecture and landscaping combined with the extraordinary collection and impeccably curated exhibitions makes every visit a memorable one. The featured exhibition is a rich selection of paintings drawn from the lifetime work of Max Ernst along with an installation by contemporary artist, Maurizio Cattalan. Equally as breathtaking is work from the permanent collection and a truly stunning selection of sculpture by Alexander Calder.

Bashir Mahmood, photographic triptych, at Grey Noise, Liste Fair

Next up was the preview opening of Liste, a satellite fair that features a vetted group of international, dynamic younger galleries. This is a great fair to find new galleries and artists of quality and interest. I was pleased to encounter Grey Noise from Dubai. They had a two person show that included photographs and video by Bashir Mahmood.

Richard Woods & Sebastian Wrong, Galerie Vivid, at Design Miami/Basel

Ingrid Donat at Carpenter’s Workshop, Design Miami/Basel Fair

Design Miami/Basel, the global forum for design, specializes in collectable furniture from historically significant designers as well as presenting work from a vanguard of  new designers. Increasingly, jewelry, lighting, ceramic sculpture and other design manifestations are presented. For instance, Audi is showcasing the gorgeous, new Quattro. W Hotels is sponsoring, “Designers of the Future Awards”. American Express has a lounge for its’ Platinum and Centurion members designed by Vitra. I was pleased to rest and enjoy a complimentary glass of Perrier-Jouet and some five-spiced almonds in the lounge. Everybody wants a piece of the action but hey, it’s all in the service of great design.

Art Unlimited preview opening, Art Basel Fair

Jessica Stockholder, installation, at Art Unlimited, Basel Art Fair

The main Art Basel Fair has several different sections. Today was the opening preview for Art Unlimited, the part of the fair reserved for large-scale artworks, installations and videos. The enthusiasm for the Fair is so intense that even this huge area was jammed with viewers a few minutes after the doors opened.

Mairead O’hEocha, painting, mother’s tankstation, at Art Statements

In addition to the opening of Art Unlimited, it is the first look at Art Statements, a tightly selected group of galleries presenting young, emerging artists. This section allows for discovery of new artists from galleries that may already be established. Gitlen Gallery of New York is showing Jessica Jackson Hutchins, a very unique, ceramic sculptor whose work I also admired at the Venice Biennale. Stevenson Gallery from Cape Town had a complex installation by Kemang Wa Lehulere. mother’s tankstation from Ireland introduced wonderful, small paintings by Mairead O’hEocha. They were all sold within an hour, the anticipated result for many galleries as the gates swing wide and the race begins.