Bentornato wonderful readers; and once again, welcome back to my blog! I missed writing for you all last week, but have been beyond excited to share my first ever college Spring Break experience with you! Spring Break was one of many things that students did not get to enjoy last year because of COVID, which is why I am incredibly grateful that we not only had one this year but that myself and other Mount students got to spend it in different places around the world! My friend Hannah went on a mission trip to Guyana, my friend Yelena traveled to Spain with other members of the Mount community, and my friend Drew came right here to Florence, where he got to see all of the beauty and history that he’s been hearing about over the phone for the past six weeks in person! After giving him a guided tour of all of my favorite spots in the city, we made our way north of Italy to another one of our dream destinations. While many people in the study abroad program traveled to warm, sunny beaches in the south, Drew and I spent spring break in Switzerland, where the incredible scenery made up for all of the cold weather we endured!
Only a seven-hour bus ride from Florence, Interlaken is a friendly town in Switzerland whose name derives right from its location, as it sits between two breathtaking lakes. We began our first day there by walking to Lake Brienz, where we sat and soaked in all of the wonderful sights that surrounded us, and ended our second day at Lake Thun, which made for the perfect place to watch the sunset.
While both of these spots were absolutely amazing, to see beautiful landscapes we had to venture no farther than our hotel! Sitting in the center of the town, the views from our balcony gave us an astonishing glimpse of the area, including the marvelous mountains in the distance!
As we admired these massive mountains from the ground, Drew and I both agreed that we would be crazy to leave without attempting to climb to the top of one. 4,000 feet and 2 hours later, we made it to the peak just in time to see the sun go down. As we climbed, we reminisced on all the hikes that we’ve gone on at the Mount and joked about how they prepared us for this very moment!
After a few action-packed days of exploring the wonders of Interlaken, we hopped on a train that took us to see other parts of Switzerland. On Saturday, we spent the day in the country’s capital, where we got to taste delicious Swiss chocolate and visit remarkable museums! On Sunday, we took a trip to the lovely village of Lauterbrunnen, where we walked along a peaceful path paved right through the Alps. Sitting in a valley surrounded by rocky cliffs and roaring waterfalls, Lauterbrunnen was an amazing place to spend the afternoon and easily one of the most magical places I have ever been!
A weekend well-spent in Switzerland made our first Spring Break a huge success! Drew and I hope to continue our Spring Break travels throughout the rest of college and cannot wait to see where we end up next year! Before I begin planning that trip, I will be busy preparing for my next excursion of the semester. Check back in two weeks to find out which European country I plan on visiting next!!
