Quick Swiss Trip

Say that three times fast! 😆 Last weekend I hopped in a car with eighteen other women (ok, there were three cars to be exact) and drove a few hours to Bern, Switzerland. We were squeezed in like sardines with sleeping bags, and pillows and overnight bags filling every possible space. We all got to know each other really quickly, and really well which is something I desperately needed.

We’ve lived here just five months now, so I am still learning names and faces, and meeting lots of new people daily. Sometimes it feels exhausting (that’s my deeply rooted introvert heart speaking), but I know I need true and deep relationships. I’ve been so grateful to be surrounded by women with such incredible life experiences and diversity. And we’re all experiencing life in a foreign country, with our families. There is an instant bond with that.

I barely knew this group of women when we left on this adventure to Switzerland together, but I came back feeling so much love for them, and in turn feeling loved. I am so glad I pushed aside my insecurities and went!

Our initial Airbnb fell through but with some quick scrambling Maria, our trip planner extraordinaire, found a Scout Cabin that would hold all of us and since it was just one night we didn’t really care about fancy. We all laughed at seeing daylight through the walls when we arrived and the bare-bones accommodations and wondered if we would get any sleep anyway.

Here we are running in the rain looking for a recommended chocolate shop while we were illegally parked and going to be late for our first appointment.

Just a quick glimpse of downtown Bern.

Our first real stop that evening was to the Bern Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It was beautiful and I was so taken with the incredible artwork and paintings inside. In each temple there are paintings of the local landscape along with many of the Savior and his miracles and blessings. In the Bern Temple the landscape paintings are breathtaking views of the Alps that you would recognize even if you hadn't been to Switzerland before, like the Matterhorn, or the waterfalls in Lauterbrunnen. It was stunning to see such beautiful paintings of this area. The paintings of the Savior were equally stunning and I am trying to find out the artists and see if I can find them anywhere. One painting in the foyer particularly grabbed my attention. It was of a woman dressed in red with a simple white head scarf, kneeling at the door of the ancient tabernacle, in the attitude of praying. Also portrayed from the chest down is a man wearing the ancient priest robe and apron, with stones representing the twelve tribes of Israel. His hand is extended towards the woman and if you look closely you can see a deep scar on his outstretched hand. He is Jesus Christ reaching with great love to this woman.

And here I was, coming to the temple with much on my mind and heart. The Endowment session we attended was in French and I was so happy to be able to understand and speak in a language I learned with a lot of humility and heavenly help over twenty years ago as a missionary in Belgium (you can learn about the Endowment ceremony here and more about what we do in temples here). My heart swelled again as I moved to the celestial room to see it filled with these women I was just getting to know. There was so much love there.

After we left the temple we went to dinner at a restaurant that served all Swiss favorites. The air smacked with the smells of raclette and Gruyere cheeses and we laughed that what we though was a dessert case was actually filled with different kinds of cured meats. We were hungry and the food and company were great.

Back at the cabin, we each had a mattress and it was comfortable enough for the little sleep we got anyway staying up late into the night as we answered the question, “how are you REALLY?” You can imagine how this group of women responded. Honestly, how can you not love someone when you learn about the battles they are fighting and the things that are bringing them joy? I felt so much connection and love for these women who are so brave and resilient, and was struck by knowing how much we all struggle with the same feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, uncertainty, and also great faith and hope.

Several of us got up early the next morning to walk through the countryside in the rain. The clouds were low and misty and you could hear the ringing of cow bells from the herds that were out eating in the fields.

We first went to Gruyere to see how and where the cheese is made and had a great lunch. I love how the different flowers in the fields each year come through in the milk that makes the cheese. Lunch in the cafe there was delicious with this wild mushroom + Gruyere risotto winning the best thing I’ve ever tasted, ever!

The wheels of cheese are stored in a climate-controlled “cave” and are flipped over and brushed with salt water on a schedule to get them to the right strength and flavor.

Everyone really loved the 9 month one best.

The lemon cake with lime sherbet of my dreams.

From Gruyere we stopped at the Cailler chocolate museum and factory. They claim to be the first Swiss chocolatiers, and yes, the chocolate was divine. The museum was put together so well and it’s definitely a place I will come back to with my kids. There was a lot of chocolate to sample and an immersive story of how chocolate first came to Switzerland.

We all had families to get home to, so with bags of chocolate and fully packed cars we headed home. We talked all the way about how we met our spouses and decided to marry. I loved getting to know these women better with so much laughter and love shared. I can’t wait for the next trip together.