The joy of the "post-wine downhill" and literal language barriers with Marcelline Kuonen
Marcelline Kuonen worked at Switzerland Tourism for 15 years and was the UK & Ireland Director from 2010 to 2015. She has worked all over Europe to share the stories of Switzerland, originally hailing from the Valais region in the south of the country, before moving to ZĂĽrich, then Berlin, then London.She returned to her homeland in order to join Valais/Wallis Promotion as Head of Tourism, and since 2020 she has been the Director of Canal9, the local TV channel in Valais. Marcelline paints a picture for us of her career with Switzerland Tourism and beyond, and then shares a little about her own journey, moving from Valais to ZĂĽrich to Berlin and then to London, and now back to Valais. She tells host Si Willmore about the cuisine and the culture of the area, and how they are heavily influenced by the confluence of two elements: either French and German traditions, or the modern lifestyle in the towns of the Rhone valley and more traditional ways of life up in the mountains.Marcelline highlights some local experiences that tourists should seek out when they visit Valais and closes by offering some top tips for visitors to the region.In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in the travel industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Climbing the Matterhorn and the tiramisu that everybody loves - with Martin Frankiny
Martin Frankiny is a local guide and destination expert on Zermatt, in the Valais region of southern Switzerland. Working for the NostalChic guide company on the Gornergrat railway, his tours include insider information on local produce and travel experiences around the Gornergrat, including the famous - and miraculous - railway itself. He has extensive hiking experience in the region and has even climbed the Matterhorn, and he regularly shares climbing tips, local history, fun facts and hidden gems.Martin tells host Si WIllmore how he became a NostalChic guide and his former career working on the railway. He also shares information on the NostalChic class and recalls the history of the construction of the Gornergrat railway.Martin shares travel experiences available to visitors to Zermatt and discusses what makes it special - in both winter and summer. He also recounts climbing the magical yet imperious Matterhorn. To close, he offers recommendations to someone who's never visited the Gornergrat.In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in the travel industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Trying to define 'umami' with Master of Wine candidate Johanna Dayer
The only place where you can see Aletsch Glacier in its entirety - for 20% of the price - with Bastian Gaerner
Bastian Gaerner is a hotelier from Germany with worldwide experience in luxury-brand hotels like Jumeirah, Intercontinental and Kempinski. Working mainly in city and beach destinations during his career, he decided to settle down in the car-free mountain village of Aletsch Arena, at 2000 metres above sea level, in the Valais region of southern Switzerland. He tells host Si Willmore about life on the Aletsch Glacier, longest glacier in the Alps and a UNESCO site, and shares what attracted him to life in the mountains after a career spent solely in huge cities such as Bangkok, Dubai, Baku and Tallinn. He discusses the differences between his life then and his life now, comparing the role of managing a hotel in the car-free Aletsch Arena to doing so in the busy global cities he knows so well.Bastian shares his experiences of life working next to the Matterhorn and the town's involvement in the Grand Tour of Switzerland. And he shares some local secrets and insider tips for things to do in Aletsch Arena, including visiting the only place in Switzerland where you can see the Aletsch Glacier in its entirety - for just 20% of the ticket price of similar destinations. Bastian also mentions Villa Cassel, initiated in 1902 by British financier Ernest Cassel, and the home of Winston Churchill while he wrote his memoir.In the JRNY Podcast, Si Willmore talks with pioneers, trailblazers and thought leaders, who are pushing the envelope in the travel industry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The team behind the award-winning JRNY Travel Magazine talk to the travel industry's leading writers and photographers about one destination at a time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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