Davos, Switzerland, a small town, famous for its annual World
Finance Summit and Swiss Alps is unmatched by any ski town I have ever visited,
with a little unexpected extra. That
extra is an exemplary hockey culture.
When my humble Swiss companion Renato, explained to me that
Davos is going to be crazy, I thought to myself, "hmm ... crazy. Well,
I've been to Vegas, Malta, LA, and München and they were pretty crazy, so we'll
see". In response he said, "You don't understand, man". I guess
this one will have to be judged by experience as well.
Davos turns into something totally different when winter and the
tourist season rolls in. Being an elite hockey player and knowing other elite
hockey players in the town is, also, obviously a plus in this place as
well.
So, to start off the evening we enjoy some nice winter
entertainment in the form of a HC Davos hockey game. The place is sold out,
7,000 fans. May not seem like a lot, but trust me in this “barn” (arena) it is
more than rowdy enough. Not to mention, there is a lockout in the NHL so we get
to see stars like, Joe Thornton, Henrik Zetterberg, Louie Eriksson, and Linus
Omark. The game is exhilarating, Swiss hockey is fast and physical, also lucky
for us the home team wins, making things in town even more festive the rest of
the evening.
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| One of few photos we were able to take in the craziness. Valliant Arena, Davos, CH |
We start with postgame drinks and colloquy with some Swiss hockey
legends at the arena VIP lounge considering Renato himself is a legend from his
junior time with the club. A few bottles of wine and countless beers put us in
the right state to move on.
After leaving the hockey arena, we ascend up the road to the
main street, Talstrasse where we seek out Ex
Bar. When you enter the place you think that it’s a cross between a country
bar and a sports bar. Everything is made out of old wood and, literally, covered
in sports memorabilia from floor to ceiling. There are scarves, pictures,
posters, trophies, banners and flags—you name it, it’s everywhere. One of the
oldest bars in Davos, it is the local favorite for athletes, which means its common
to see sports stars that play for Davos or have played, such as Rick Nash. The
drinks at the bar thaw the winter chill and the food is simple but spectacular
in flavor. But what really makes this place a great bar; is the service and
friendliness of the staff. They keep this place running smooth and
enjoyable.
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| Caprizzi |
With a light buzz, two girls by our sides and a 300 meter walk
down an icy street, we arrive at Caprizzi
at about one am. This is the in place to be, during the high season, if you’re
looking for an after ski club. The line? Not too long - about a cigarette’s
wait. However, tonight we were lucky. Usually, the wait at this place can be
treacherous, especially in the middle of winter. Fortunately, we had winter weather
on our side and not too many people made the walk. Caprizzi is an upscale club with a dope dance-floor, loud music, and
quick/witty bartenders. The atmosphere is incredibly festive in a way that only
the Swiss and those tourists savvy enough to ski in Davos can make it.
Feeling no pain at three am, we head back to Ex Bar once again to gather some energy
and snacks. I cannot emphasize enough how great the service is here. Chicken
nuggets on the house, and mind you these are not McDonald’s chicken nuggets,
they are delicious especially after drinking all night. After the quick pit-stop
and an incident involving somebody jumping in front of a snowplow on the street
outside “wink-wink”, we head to Ella
finishing up the night.
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| Ex Bar |
When I look at my timepiece and realize it says, 5:45 am, I ask
Renato, "When do these places close?” I get an unexpected answer in the
form of a question, "Close? Davos is alive all night”. As I start to absorb the true meaning behind
my friend’s initial warnings, he hands me another "Stange" as they
call beer in Switzerland. Note, although German is spoken in Switzerland, do
not order a "Stange" in other German speaking countries, as it means
something completely different.
Ella is a calm
place and great for unwinding after a night of Renato’s infamous “Davos craziness”.
We sit and just lounge for a bit. Where the Ex
Bar was generous with their food, Ella
is generous with the percentiles in the glass.
Finally, Casey a friend of Renato's and me, "kindly
invite" the DJ to take a break so we can take over for a bit (considering
his music sense was slightly off for the hour of night/morning we found
ourselves in). Sunrise at 8:35 am said it was time for us to take a break. We stumble
out into the light and make our way back to the hotel, in good company with many
late night goers.
I'm asked from Renato the following afternoon, “Is this what you
expected?” All I can honestly reply with is, "I don't usually get
hangovers, unless the bar lets you go "ham" for 20 hours straight!”
Renato replies through his chuckles, "Welcome to Davos".
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