Saying Goodbye to Switzerland

For the last day the shade seems to have been closing over Switzerland. As we prepared to leave and took care of last minute details, the mountains have been shaded in fog. I realized that contemplating the mountains has been one of the main focuses of our stay here. They have been our companions at every turn and their absence while on the lake was noticeable. The physical presence of the mountains deeply affected the writers who experienced this area and, after seeing them myself, I can understand why. The influence of the mountains is present in every activity, every moment of the day.
The mountains overwhelm your view, but they are never old. In each moment the light in the mountains change. The colors and shadows shift and reform as the day passes. Similarly we could see the changes in our thoughts on the literature while here. As we sat on the stones in the dungeon of Chillon and then on top of the mountain at Derborence the literature was put into a different light. We were no long passive readers, but active participants in the moment. Switzerland deepened the understanding that knowledge is like climbing a mountain. As we conquer a peak and feel that we know something, we are shown another higher peak.