Swiss National Day

Today is Swiss National Day. Swiss people are a bit strange, you know. We are proud of our country but for some reason we do not really want to show it. I thought to give you a little oversight of what I truly love about Switzerland I share some quotes out of posts of mine with you:

About winter in Switzerland:

I remember those full moon nights, when I was outside, maybe on a walk with the dog or on my way back from work or from a ride out with my horse. A full moon in the mountains in winter is something amazing. The way the snow sparkles in the moonlight… it makes you feel you are walking on thousands and thousands of diamonds.

About spring in Switzerland:

The days the snow finally was gone and the mud had dried up. We were finally able to ride our horses to almost every corner of the different valleys again, although some of them only became accessible early summer due to the massive amount of snow up there. And the sun was just something else. The birds were singing again, the butterflies and ladybugs appeared again and the air smelled so fresh. It was a mixture between new, green grass, fresh damp soil. I remember sitting on a log in the paddock with the horses, just chilling while they were standing there relaxing and enjoying the warm sun, slowly shedding their fur.

About summer in Switzerland:

When I think back on how summer used to be in Switzerland I think of green fields, blue sky, green mountain tops. I think of being outside all day, enjoying the sun, maybe go for a swim in a nearby lake or in the public swimming pool.

For me it was also the time of getting much earlier and taking the horses to their pasture, to then be able to go for a ride before it got too warm. It was the days we finally could take off our sweaters and put on shorts or skirts, we could go for bike rides or just for hikes and spend time outside until way after sunset, not only enjoying eating outside, having barbecues but also a refreshing drink.

About fall, my favorite season, in Switzerland:

It’s like a scene in a movie: I can feel the slightly chilly air on my cheeks and remember the long shades while on my way back from a beautiful ride out with my horse. I can actually smell my horse, feel it moving under me, hear the dry leaves crunch under the hooves, maybe even a very thin layer of ice on a puddle or in the morning the crunch of the morning frost. Although the sun still feels warm on my skin I know that it soon won’t be so strong anymore. It’s already time to dress up much warmer, with way more layers than only a couple of weeks ago and although you might still sweat a little you get cold quite easily. Summer quickly turns into fall in Switzerland.

So while we celebrate here with some typical Swiss dishes and some home made decoration, in Switzerland they would have fireworks and typical decorations on the houses. And they would have my most favorite 1. August tradition: The bonfires on top of the mountains.

You might think I feel a little bit homesick. I don’t want to disappoint you but I really don’t. I still don’t miss Switzerland. That doesn’t mean I don’t like to think back to the beautiful sides my home country has to offer. As we Australian’s like to say: Switzerland is a beauty.

Happy Birthday, Switzerland 🙂