“Because in the end you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain”

— Jack Kerouac

It has been a while, but in September we traveled to Switzerland. We have a lot of family living here, and since our last visit was in 2009, it was definitely time to go again! Sadly, without the firevan, since he can't handle the mountains yet. But roadtripping with my Kangoo was just fine. We drove from the Netherlands to Stefans aunt&uncle in the city centre of Basel, from Basel to his uncle (a shepherd!) in the Jaunpass, from there to my cousin and her family near Zurich and we finished our trip in St Gallen, with another aunt&uncle. Told you, lots of family! And no, Stefan has no Swiss roots, they all moved there. For love and sheep ;)

I still can't get over the amazing views. Also: the green cities, the peace&quiet in the mountains, the Autumn colors.. You can imagine I am dying to show you some photos! They are all shot on iPhone/Samsung (even the stars photos!), because next to my analogue camera I didn't feel like carrying more weight around. Well, enjoy!

After a few days in the city centre of beautiful Basel (and a daytrip to Bern) we drove to the Jaunpass. Stefans uncle Hans is a shepherd and spends his Summers on a mountain. The hike to his cabin was a climb to 1600 meters. Quite a challenge for 2 unexperienced hikers from the Netherlands, but if you ignore the blisters it was definitely worth it. Cliche, but true. We got back to basics in a cabin on a mountain. Sounds like a Pinterest dream right? It was. The views, the sunsets, the epic hikes..

The things you don't really see in the epic pictures: the cold. It was so, so cold. And the washing up in the outdoor 'bathroom', aka the water tank we shared with Selma the donkey, not that comfortable. Also, if you need groceries, you have to walk all the way down again (and back). But if you forget these things, a total dream ;)

My view from the outdoor toilet. At night, it was pitch black with all those eyes lighting up in my flashlight-light. Kinda creepy. Cute, but creepy. Below: the 'bathroom'. Aka the water supply for Selma the donkey. Brrrr. On the bright side, I have never washed my hair with such a stunning view before!

Speaking of stunning views, you must add 'see starry nights on a Alp' to your bucketlist now. Stefan managed to take these photos with his phone (Samsung Galaxy 6). And although there are amazing (especially for a phone), they don't even begin to capture the beauty of this night ♥

We hiked up the Schofenspitz, at 2104 meters, quite an accomplishment for someone without any experience and a light fear of heights. I am really proud I did this and those views.. oh my, so beautiful! Worth every scary moment!

On the road again, next stop: my cousin in Otelfingen. Time to roadtrip and explore Zürich!

And our final address: Stefans aunt&uncle in St Gallen. We hiked up the famous Ebenalp together and ate rosti in the Aescherhutte. And it's true, it is the best rosti in town! A must-visit if you are in the area! There is a cable cart that goes up too, but hiking is better of course :)

Our final day in Switzerland. We decided to go to the Seealpsee, a place we found via our favorite outdoor photographers on instagram. It is so beautiful, I can't even describe it. Mother Nature on her best! One of the highlights of our trip and absolutely a huge recommend!