Last months in Switzerland

In a move that still feels unreal, Tanya and Felix and I left Switzerland and moved to Australia in January this year. Tanya and I lived for over seven years in Switzerland and it was a most wonderful experience, but it was time to move closer to family in the southern hemisphere. I plan to write more later about leaving Switzerland, so for now this post is a round-up of what we got up to in our last few months there.

We went a couple of times to Grindelwald to see the mountains of the Bernese Alps.

Wetterhorn (3692 m).

As autumn fell we appreciated anew the autumn colours in the countryside and in Bern.

We went for a last (for now!) trip to the beloved Saas Fee, where Felix saw falling snow for the first time.

Felix and Tanya in Saas Fee.

The view from the top.

Allalinhorn (4027 m).

We went to Lausanne to catch up with friends and see Lac Léman. It was cold and the sky was etched by jet trails.

And we went to Valais for Tanya's birthday weekend, to one of our favourite valleys, Val d'Hérens. There we saw the Dent Blanche riding high above cloud, went up to Arolla to see the Aiguille de la Tsa and the Pigne d'Arolla, and wandered the cold valley for a couple of days. It was with considerable sadness that we left the valley and watched as the tall mountains slid so quickly out of view.

Dent Blanche (4357 m).

Wrapped up warm in the snow.

Valais - "gravé dans mon cœur", as they say.

Felix and Tanya in Les Hauderes, Val d'Hérens.

We also caught up with lots of amazing friends, packed all our stuff, and sent it to Australia. And on a sunny winter day we left our little apartment in Bern and set off for a very long journey to be closer to home.

The view from our balcony in Bern — Mittelhorn, Schreckhorn, Finsteraarhorn, Eiger, Mönch, Jungfrau.