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A Last Look at the Alps & Switzerland
During spring break 1988, I went with other students and parents and my German teacher to four German-speaking countries: Austria, West Germany, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. The following is part of a series of travel journal excerpts. Keep in mind: a teenager wrote this.
April 3, 1988
Well, here I am on Sunday morning, Easter morning.
We’re leaving this morning, and I’ll no longer see Lucerne, or the Swiss Alps, and today I’ll be leaving the land of some of my ancestors.
As we were leaving the inn, Heinz said to take a last look at the Alps, because we would see them no more… and I did take a last look. A spark of sentimentality lit up in me, as the bus rode down the road and I gazed at those mountains. I wondered if I’d ever see them again, and I thought it doubtful. I have so many other countries to visit.
Our first stop was at the formidable Rhine Falls in northern Switzerland. I was gazing out at the water not only when I was standing by the rail, but also while I was sitting down and sipping a cola. I finally purchased a t-shirt for my brother; it’s light blue with the crest of Switzerland in the center and the word “Switzerland” or “Die Schweitz” in four languages around the coat of arms.