Bonjour friends! Today is my last full day in Switzerland. It is a bittersweet moment for sure. I will prepare a separate post to try to wrap up the past four years (not sure when I will actually get to that since I'm handing in my laptop today!), but before I reflect back on my time as an expat, let's reflect back on my final few days in Switzerland.
At the end of last summer, I realised that I hadn't spent any time exploring Switzerland, so I really wanted to make sure to do that this summer. This summer in Switzerland is a bit short for me due to the move, but I spent a few days last week exploring!
The next day, Mallory and I headed over to Kandersteg to hike up to Lake Oeschinensee. The hike was about 90 minutes, and while terrain wasn't terrible, there wasn't very much tree cover, so it was really hot! However, it was incredibly beautiful, and it was a really nice way to spend the day.
One thing that I find humorous is the other people I encounter while hiking in Switzerland. When I hike, I am dressed in full kit - hiking pants, Icebreaker top, sun hat, hiking shoes, Camelbak, etc. I sweat. I struggle. Usually, I will also see some old Swiss people, just casually out for a stroll in trainers and jeans. Maybe they are carrying a canvas backpack, but maybe they are just carrying a small water bottle. They are lightly perspiring. They are not struggling. I admire them!
Back in Kandersteg, Mallory and I parted ways, as she headed back towards Zurich. I stopped in Bern to dine on some rosti, and then went back to Geneva for a day to take care of some admin.
My final Swiss adventure was a trip to Zermatt. This is a place that I have loved skiing in during the winter, but this was my first trip during summer! Based on some recommendations from friends, I decided to do the 5 Lakes hike when I arrived. I was a bit disappointed at first because there was a lot of cloud cover, but I started to get a bit more optimistic when it seemed like they were burning off. Unfortunately, they never totally went away, so even though I could see blue sky and sunshine, the views of the Matterhorn were obstructed by clouds pretty much the entire time I was in Zermatt. But no worries - I enjoyed some beautiful hiking, some delicious food, and of course, some time in the spa! It was a great way to cap off my time in Switzerland before heading back to Geneva for my final wrap up with work and my apartment.
At the end of last summer, I realised that I hadn't spent any time exploring Switzerland, so I really wanted to make sure to do that this summer. This summer in Switzerland is a bit short for me due to the move, but I spent a few days last week exploring!
I met Mallory in beautiful Lucerne for a day
The lake here is so beautiful, and the Old Town is really charming.
We visited this lion statue - it was a lot bigger than I thought it would be!
We climbed above the city walls to look below
From Lucerne, we headed over to Brunnen - the lake was super beautiful!
The reason we went to Brunnen was to assemble our own Swiss Army knives!
Afterwards, we took the train back to Zurich and had a lakeside picnic on a beautiful summer night
The next day, Mallory and I headed over to Kandersteg to hike up to Lake Oeschinensee. The hike was about 90 minutes, and while terrain wasn't terrible, there wasn't very much tree cover, so it was really hot! However, it was incredibly beautiful, and it was a really nice way to spend the day.
One thing that I find humorous is the other people I encounter while hiking in Switzerland. When I hike, I am dressed in full kit - hiking pants, Icebreaker top, sun hat, hiking shoes, Camelbak, etc. I sweat. I struggle. Usually, I will also see some old Swiss people, just casually out for a stroll in trainers and jeans. Maybe they are carrying a canvas backpack, but maybe they are just carrying a small water bottle. They are lightly perspiring. They are not struggling. I admire them!
Finally, we reached the lake!
Rewards!
Back in Kandersteg, Mallory and I parted ways, as she headed back towards Zurich. I stopped in Bern to dine on some rosti, and then went back to Geneva for a day to take care of some admin.
Indulging in mountain foods while I can - even though it's summer!
Beautiful day for a run along the lake!
My final Swiss adventure was a trip to Zermatt. This is a place that I have loved skiing in during the winter, but this was my first trip during summer! Based on some recommendations from friends, I decided to do the 5 Lakes hike when I arrived. I was a bit disappointed at first because there was a lot of cloud cover, but I started to get a bit more optimistic when it seemed like they were burning off. Unfortunately, they never totally went away, so even though I could see blue sky and sunshine, the views of the Matterhorn were obstructed by clouds pretty much the entire time I was in Zermatt. But no worries - I enjoyed some beautiful hiking, some delicious food, and of course, some time in the spa! It was a great way to cap off my time in Switzerland before heading back to Geneva for my final wrap up with work and my apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment