10/27/07 Wunnewil Switzerland
Well, today is my last day in Switzerland with my wonderful hosts, Daniel and Ariane. Oh and I can’t forget the kids, Alani and Lorin. I’ve had so much fun, and everyone has kept me pretty busy. I don’t know who is more exhausted every night, me or the kids.
Today looked kind of overcast but Daniel thought that it would be much better up in the mountains. So, we loaded up the van and headed out again this morning. We drove by the two-room school house where Ariane teaches. She said they are part of a group of five small schools. Last year there were eight, but with costs going up, the smaller schools are being closed. And Daniel was right. We drove right though the cloud-cover to a beautiful sunny day amongst the mountain peaks.
Our destination was Gurnigel which had all sorts of walking trails through out the hills. And because it was Saturday, we were not the only one with the idea to get out of the city and head up into the mountains for some sun and exercise. Actually I was surprised with all the people who drove up for just one reason, to do some walking. Not something I would imagine seeing in America. I was a little taken aback by a sign with a bomb on it. Daniel explained that this used to be a military artillery range so there still might be a few bombs out there.
We walked up and down, letting the kids dictate the pace. We found a good spot to each a bit of lunch, catching more sun in the crisp mountain air. When we went walking again, the kids discovered some snow. Alani probably doesn’t remember last winter, but I reminded her what a snow ball feels like. [laugh] Only, once she remembered, she decided to remind each of us individually what a snow ball feels like.
The day was over too quick. And as we drove back down through the clouds to Bern, all I could think about was how lucky I was to be here with my friends. Tomorrow was going to be a sad parting.
