Most recently, I went to the Valais region of Switzerland, often known as a destination for great skiing and vineyards. A friend of mine had a family vacation home in the mountains of Anzere. We stayed there and did some hiking up the mountain/ski slopes. From high up, we could see the entire valley and some of the famous peaks of Switzerland. There was also a “cow fight” competition (but little action occurred).

Earlier in the week was the Swiss National Day. Early in the day, I did some sailing. For the evening, travel plans with friends fell through, so I ended up staying in Lausanne and watching the fireworks along the lake. It was really spectacular as all the towns along the lake had shows, in addition to people setting off their own fireworks. In every direction, there were explosions in the sky :)

The previous weekend, my friends and I went hiking in Lauterbrunnen - the valley of 72 waterfalls. I definitely lost count early on. Trummelbachfalle is a glacier waterfall inside the rock. Of the many cascades, my favorite was the “corkscrew,” which spun the water in a circle, shooting the droplets into the air at the end. We took the cable car up to the top of the valley, ate lunch, and hiked back down. It took longer than we anticipated because one of the trails were closed, but we got down safely.

And the weekend before I went to Lugano/Lucarno, in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland. The gelato was soooooo delicious. As you might have guessed, we did some hiking there as well. There are a plethora of scenic points, or “Kodak moments” as a friend calls them.

Originally posted on halfwayaroundtheworld.studentsgoneglobal.com.