Alles Richtig Gemacht.

It`s quite difficult to properly describe the last week.

It has been filled with a joy that certainly matches the trouble that I experienced throughout the fall. And it truly proves that we need darkness in order to appreciate the light.

During the past week I spent a great deal of my time smiling - feeling truly incredulous about all of the blessings in my life.

On Tuesday I ate breakfast by a glacier lake with Thorsten.

And then I had pizza for lunch.

In Italy.

Unbelievable.

In the afternooon I met up with Lucia in Bad Tolz... we then headed to Munich for dinner and an incredible jazz tango show with Joachim, Tobias, Corrinne and Nick.

The wonder of it all continued with a lovely stay at Corrinne and Nick`s apartment, and then of course a German sauna.

German saunas are completely different from Canadian saunas and they don`t involve bathing suits.

And then of course, we had to have a candlelight swim, complete with an outdoor pool and champagne in the middle of Alps.

Life is beautiful.

On Thursday I headed to Zurich and met up with a colleague who quickly became a friend.

My last year of high school I headed to New York City with my friend Stephanie. We toured the United Nations and met a lovely young man from Switzerland.

He and I kept in touch over the last few years, he translated my German and Italian songs and I tried to keep him updated on life in Canada.

Of course, I`m not someone to miss out on a chance to visit someone in Zurich...

So, Manuel engineered a brilliant plan to try to ensure that I saw as much of Switzerland as possible.

Zurich, Lucern, Interlaken, Wengen, Bern...mountains and lakes, traditional Swiss food and Swiss banking...

But I think that perhaps I enjoyed the company the most!

Oh yes...the breathtaking moment for Friday goes to Jungfrau, the highest peak in Europe.

Friday evening I met up with Anna. She kept me up until very late watching a rock concert.

Today we toured Basel, happened upon a rehearsal for a choral concert, stood in 3 different countries at once and ate at the Blinde Kuh.

Unbelievable. All of the servers are blind and you eat in total darkness. I think that it will take me a little more time to reflect on such an experience. For now, all that I can say is unbelievable.

As has been the case throughout my travels, my welcome in Switzerland has been incredibly warm and I will be sorry to leave. I`m so thankful for the opportunity to visit and get a taste of where other people `come from`.

And tonight I`ve kept Anna up late so that I can post to my blog and post pictures to webshots (webshots.com, search for haleystravels).

Tomorrow. Retreat.

Guten Nacht.

Haley.