Short stories

Gstaad

The row over Indonesian ‘hobbits’ has split this beautiful alpine village in half. Alas, it began when I wrote something about the Olden, one of Gstaad’s oldest and most beautiful inns and its owner Bernie Ecclestone, of Formula I fame. The Olden had orginally been owned by the Mullener family, since the turn of the last century, and was run by Heidi Mullener for close to 50 years. Her cousin Rudy instructed the greatest Greek skier ever, and, while he was at it, he also turned Sir Roger Moore into an Alberto Tomba double. Now for the hobbits. When Heidi sold the Olden to Bernie Ecclestone ten years or so ago, the consensus of opinion was that he would keep the place as it was, which was perfect. There were two large public rooms in the front where the local farmers congregated, smoked their pipes and drank the local wine and spirits, one great room in the back done in the local style where the swells dined, and a cave below where the jet-set drank and danced throughout the night.