We are still on Fall Break (Herbstferien), which is ironic because the weather went from feeling like summer right to winter, skipping fall altogether. Granted, we traveled several hundred meters of vertical altitude, making the transition even more stark. You can see the sudden change clearly in our photo gallery.
Last week (the 2nd week of Fall Break), we stayed home recuperating from our trip to Germany and preparing for our next excursion. 
I unpacked, did a lot of laundry, and hung out with the kids. We spent one day at the Bern Zoo and a gorgeous day at the Gurten, a park at the top of Bern’s biggest hill which you have to take a funicular to get to. The weather was unseasonably warm and sunny, and we did our best to enjoy it.
On Saturday, we packed up again and headed to the Mountains. Zinal in the region of Valais, Switzerland is only 2.5 hours from home, but it took three trains and one of the scariest bus rides I’ve ever been on up a zigzagging mountain road to get here. As we climbed, the rain that had started in Bern turned to snow. 
We arrived in a winter wonderland of snowcapped mountains, frosted trees and wooden Swiss mountain chalets. It is beautiful, but colder than I had anticipated or packed for.
Zinal is in the French speaking area of Switzerland, which has sent my brain into overdrive trying to recall high school French, most of which has been lost or overwritten with German. We are staying at a Feriendorf, or holiday village, that is specifically set up for families. It has an indoor pool, a large playground, some minigolf holes, ping-pong table, and daily activities for kids. Not to mention that it is surrounded by mountains. So, even though Joe had to leave after just one night to go back to work, the kids and I are planning to have a wonderful third (and final) week of Fall Break.