Chapter 45
Way, way back when Alice and Bear had arrived in Mürren it was like they’d walked into Narnia. In this quiet, magical world they seemed – almost – to be the only inhabitants. A week later, the best neighbours in the world moved in, and life began popping up like snowdrops. A week after that, it almost seemed busy in this little mountain village.
When the skiers, the spectators, the families and the fans of the Inferno arrived in Mürren, Alice realised just howunbusy the last three months had felt.
Visitors from all over the world made their pilgrimage up on the cable car or the train in scores. Fresh snow was walked through, restaurant tables were full, skis filled every rack outside the hotels.
Lola had joined Alice on Bear’s morning walk, and was talking her through the next few days.
‘There’s sort of three races overall. Tonight there’s a cross-country thing where people do laps of Mürren, then tomorrow’s the big slalom. Friday is a chill day where people just rest up or hit the slopes for practice or whatever, but there’s the big crazy procession in the evening which I’m going to have to take you to. Then Saturday is the Big Day.’
A group of men in coordinating ski wear came to a stop in front of Bear and after excitedly cooing something in German that Alice assumed was ‘can we say hello to your dog’, they bent down and took it in turns to ruffle his ears and fawn over him. That was happening a lot on this walk. The more people there were around, the more attention Bear pulled in, and he was loving every second of it.
‘So do you think more people will come over the next couple of days, or is this usually it?’
‘Oh heck, no, this is nothing. They are going to absolutely flood in during today. I reckon the hotels will be full by tonight. But the day tourists will keep coming in, mainly on Saturday.’ Lola glanced at Alice who seemed to be holding Bear’s lead very tightly. ‘You all right, mate? Are crowds a bit of a thing for you, still?’
Alice loosened her grip so Bear could lollop towards an older couple who had stopped to look at him. ‘They’re a little bit of a thing, but I’m really doing so much better. And the atmosphere here seems really nice.’
‘It is a great feel, anybody local looks forward to this every year. We’re a pretty small community, and Inferno weekend is always like having your entire extended family come over for the holidays. In a good way! Lots of familiar faces, everybody is cheering on everybody else. It’s pretty great, I hope you like it.’
‘I’m sure I will.’
Bear turned and beamed up at Lola, sitting his bum in the snow and being a very good boy, and she stroked his cheek with affection. ‘You might want to leave Bear at home for some of it, though. This walk is taking for ever – he’s stealing the show.’
The lead-up to the big day was indeed mesmerising, and as Lola had predicted, the village just got busier and busier. The atmosphere was catching, and every establishment leant good cheer to it. The manager of the Eiger Guesthouse had coaxed Alice in for a free beer and some biscuits for Bear, and Lola and Noah had somehow started an impromptu ski disco for complete beginners on the baby slope.
With lovely powdery slopes, endless blue skies and the buzz of two races behind them in the air, come Friday the next day’s Inferno was all anybody could talk about. Even Vanessa had called to say she couldn’t help herself – she had one day off and was going to travel super early from Zurich on Saturday morning and stay for as much of the race as she could before heading back in the evening.
It was late afternoon and Alice was picking up a few things at the Coop with Marco when David walked through the door, brushing snow out of his hair.
‘David, where have you been putting your head?’ Marco laughed.
David answered him in Swiss German, and to Alice he seemed a little stressed.
The men spoke for a couple of minutes before David left with a quick wave to them both. Marco grabbed a bottle of milk and said to her, ‘Sorry about that. David says the weather is really turning all of a sudden. It can do that in the mountains. I said I would get the milk he wanted so he can head home.’
‘Oh no.’ Alice thought of all the people preparing for the parade right now. The plan was to burn a huge effigy of the devil, because apparently that stopped him meddling in the race, and prevented accidents. It wouldn’t be easy to torch a soggy Satan.
They stepped outside with their shopping and the sky was thick with dark clouds. It covered the mountain peaks opposite, and the gloom it cast made it feel much later than it was.
The snow was falling thick and fast as Alice and Marco rushed back through Mürren village. Snowdrifts were gathering outside the shops and restaurants, with owners standing by the doors looking at the skies. The high number of visitors were standing, a bit lost, or making their way back to hotels, dragging their skis through the powder.
‘People are saying the ski lift is being turned off soon – nobody else can go up but it’s bringing people down,’ Marco explained, eavesdropping as they passed.
‘Wow, so this is quite the sudden snow storm,’ Alice said, one hand in his, the other sheltering her eyes from the wet flakes kissing her lashes and cheeks. She peeped up as best she could at the solid grey sky. ‘I can’t believe we were looking up at blue only twenty minutes ago. Now it’s so dark you’d think it was the evening already. It came on so quick.’
‘Welcome to the mountains,’ said Marco, hurrying them along.
They reached Vanessa’s door and when they were under the shelter of the sloped roof Marco turned back to look at the town, his eyes searching, his expression distracted.
‘Marco? What’s wrong?’
‘This is a lot of snow, very quickly,’ he answered, vaguely. His face moved to the mountain where he could just make out a few stray skiers and snowboarders taking their time coming down.
‘Come on, let’s go inside and get dry.’
Alice put her hand on the door knob and had just turned the key when a siren sounded.
