When we arrived in Kandersteg in mid-March 2023, it was the end of winter. The mountains all around were still covered with snow. We were amazed when we woke up one morning and it had snowed ten centimeters. A few weeks later it was green all around and the first flowers were blooming in the alpine meadows. Mountain spring was approaching.

Shortly after Pentecost, in the late afternoon, we suddenly heard the ringing of cowbells that were getting closer and closer. We stepped into the garden and saw a large herd of cows being driven through Kandersteg on to the Alp, accompanied by herdsmen. It was a spectacular alpine procession that was watched by tourists and locals.

On September 9th, 2023, shortly before our departure to Namibia, we experienced the departure from the Alp. This was also announced by the tinkling of cowbells. We stood along the road that runs through Kandersteg and watched the colorful spectacle. In contrast to the procession in spring, the cows were now decorated with flowers. We could hardly have wished for a nicer farewell to Kandersteg.

We leave behind the cat who found asylum with us. We hope to see it again in spring 2024 and look forward to the next stay in the Swiss Alps!

PS. If you want to know more about alpine descents in Switzerland, read here.