A Memorable FOB Reunion in St. Moritz
The St. Moritz/Crans-Montana FOB reunion was held in September 2024. For those of you who could not join our group of 66 alumni and family, we’re sorry you missed one of the best reunions of LR/PF alumni ever. Our reunions are special enough when we gather as an extended family, but to have a host like Thomas Barth, a hotel like the fabulous Hotel Europa, and with the backdrop of the glaciers of St. Moritz – it was almost too much to take in.
Zurich to St. Moritz
The St. Moritz reunion officially kicked off in Zurich on September 11. Thomas arranged for a fabulous tour of the city in a private antique tram (with a wine bar!), followed by a sumptuous meal hosted by Thomas and his wife Béatrice at the third-generation family-owned Spanish restaurant Emilio’s.
The train ride from Zurich to St. Moritz was filled with the same buzz that we felt when we rode from Geneva airport to Bluche more than a generation ago. We marveled at the view from the observation deck with its glass ceiling as we wound our way up the alps, stopping half-way for another fantastic meal at the Tres Amigos Mexican restaurant in Chur. The margaritas and wine flowed as we feasted and toasted our journey before the final leg to St. Moritz.
Hotel Europa in St. Moritz
Thomas’s Hotel Europa has been transformed over the past few years into a world-class venue with luxurious rooms, breath-taking views and gourmet meals. We were well looked after by the entire hotel staff. In the dining room on the last day, we gave a spontaneous standing ovation to the chef and the kitchen staff for their special meals and their presentation. Hotel Europa deserves a 5-star rating on all social media platforms. We hope that all reunion attendees sent a perfect 5-star review of Hotel Europa on TripAdvisor and other platforms as an appreciation for Thomas’s hospitality.
St. Moritz – Fun and Adventure
Some of us remembered the last winter reunion Thomas hosted in St. Moritz a decade earlier and we knew he would be pulling out all the stops just like he did back then. We were not disappointed – Thomas truly outdid himself. Was it the horse drawn carriages taking us up to a lunch at Rosegg Restaurant for Swiss Engadine specialties with curated wines from Thomas’s private stock, followed by the “promenade obligatoire” back along the glacial river bank? Was it the Woodstock-themed soiree and fondue dinner? Was it the crazy games we played each day and the trivia nights that followed? Was it the spectacular helicopter ride amid the glaciers? Or was it the funicular ride up to Muottas Muragl for a 360-degree panoramic of St. Moritz and the 5 lakes? Maybe it was the last evening’s Bavarian Oktoberfest celebration with Spanferkel (whole roast pig), Weisswurst and beer mugs requiring both hands. Did we actually all sing in German?
St. Moritz – Mellow Times Among Friends
Carmen Lamoureux serenaded us with her sublime music and played along with our trivia game that put many of us on the spot to remember the music of the old days. She wrote a special song of remembrance dedicated to classmates Jana and Heather who passed away recently and many of us shed a tear. The remembrances were not just for the lost loved ones but of the happy times we had as teenagers together and the long journey we each took to arrive at this point in our lives – lucky to be among old friends and lucky to experience this bond and to renew our commitments to be with each other as we age, some gracefully and some kicking and screaming.
The next generation of FOB alumni – Callum, Abby, Mary, Isabel, Brynna – were well represented and offered a hope that this whole reunion thing could well be continued by our kids!
Thank You, Thomas!
Many thanks to Thomas Barth for and hosting us and creating such fond memories. He spent many months putting together the wonderful reunion itinerary. A big thank you also to Margareta Engström, Thomas’s hotel business partner. She joined us for all the activities and became such an integral part of our group, we now consider her an honorary FOB member!
An Extended Reunion Visit to Crans-Montana
On the last day of the St Moritz reunion on September 16, some of us were not done! A group of us decided to keep the party going with an extended reunion in Crans-Montana, organized by Irène Neveu. Thirteen FOBers travelled on a private minibus for a dramatically-scenic drive to Crans-Montana. We stopped for a lakeside lunch in Ascona, in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland, and then took a shortcut through Italy to complete our journey.
A Visit to Bluche
We then spent two full days in our old stomping grounds. On the first day we hiked down from Montana to Bluche and visited Ecole des Roches (now called Les Roches), where we were hosted by Sally Mayor. She is an EDR alumna (‘65-‘66) and still works at the school as a liaison. It is so impressive to see the world-class hotelier college it has become, bustling with well-groomed and impeccably dressed young adults. Our splendid day there featured an in-depth tour, fun workshops in napkin-folding and cocktail-making, and an exquisitely elegant lunch with guest-of-honor Francis Clivaz. The 91-year-old brother of Marcel Clivaz spoke eloquently about the transformation of the school, which this year is celebrating its 70th anniversary.
Crans-Montana Sights
On day two we ventured up into the mountains to Colombire le Hameau for an outdoor lunch, hiking and a guided tour of the old buildings (Mayens) the locals used up until the 1950’s for their seasonal migrations between the villages and the alpine pastures. We capped off our visit with a feast of fondue and raclette at Le Mayen restaurant in Crans-Montana. We expressed our heartfelt thanks to Irène for all the work she put into making this reunion extension happen!
Log on to see more pictures
Here you can find more pictures from this reunion when you are logged on.
Until the Next Reunion!
This was one of the top reunions we’ve ever had because we were a great group that got along so well, and mostly because of Thomas’s amazing hospitality. If you were not able to join us this time, rather than regretting missing this reunion, please make sure to be at the next one in The Bahamas in November 2025. Our hosts will be Brendan and Rosie Foulkes.
Brendan, it will be tough to top the St Moritz reunion, but you and Rosie have that special magic, which some of us were lucky enough to experience with you at our very first FoB reunion 35 years ago in The Bahamas. We hope to see you all there!
Your 2024 Reunion team
Thomas Barth, Irène Neveu, Sharon Baumann, Mikael Bengtson, Katy Cantor, Thierry Coche, Pradeep Kapadia, Susan Reaper, Tom Ventser and Marie Philips Wirth.
Feel free to contact the Reunion Team if you have any questions!