December 31, 2004, Crans-Montana, Switzerland: My sister and I headed to the Swiss Alps after France and Belgium. Here is the refreshing view from my balcony. We stayed in a brand new hotel, which used to be a monastery, which used to be leper hospital. On my floor, I admired their ease at putting Kandinsky paintings next to giant wooden crucifixes. Many of my neighbors were nuns; the rest were tourists on skis. We will certainly miss that hotel and its many contrasts.