Page 73 - WINE DINE AND TRAVEL SUMMER 2019 PORTUGAL

the main shopping street that leads to the train McDonald’s. But people are very good at hospi‐
station. Stores sell mainly what you would ex‐ tality and the core, the root, the spirit of the
pect—outdoor gear and apparel, wine and village is still there.”
cheese, Swiss army knives, luxury timepieces, That spirit is embodied by the iconic Matter‐
etc. But Davis is different. Yes, it sells watches horn, and the day before we depart, we’re de‐
and clocks, but the shop windows also tempt lighted that she deigns to grace us with an
passers-by with gleaming model race cars, appearance. As an unrelenting sun burns away
speedboats, and airplanes; gold and silver jew‐ the mist, the mountain relinquishes her gauzy
elry; and eye-catching gadgets like a limited- veil, and suddenly, there she is, in all her naked
edition Steampunk-style bird with moving glory. I’ve salivated over countless Toblerone
wings—the perfect Christmas gift for the Q in bars emblazoned with those distinctive slopes,
your life. and the sight of her silhouette against a bright
Robin Ceha, whose father, Peter, opened this blue sky leaves me breathless.
store 30 years ago, has seen a big increase in At the end of the day, you only live twice. So,
international visitors over the decades. “Zer‐ if you’re looking for a view to a thrill, head to
matt, I think, for tourists feels like Disneyland,” Zermatt. Bond baddies may come and go, but
he says, “but it doesn’t mean that things are the Matterhorn is forever.
fake. Yes, there are big businesses. There is a

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