Derrick keeps his word. At 9 am he calls to say that our car is just being unloaded in front of the hotel – with the new tyre he organised this morning. He really is a sweetheart, and loves that he was able to help us and that we can now start the journey home. And so we do.

After an hour and a half drive, we reach the Eurotunnel, where everything goes smoothly. After checking in and going through passport control, it takes less than five minutes before we can board the train. After a 35-minute ride, we arrive in France and are soon on the motorway heading for Switzerland.

The journey is unspectacular so far. The sun is shining, there’s not much traffic, and the Bip&Go device for the toll booths magically opens every barrier. We notice, however, that we have not only lost an hour on the way to France, but another hour due to the changeover to winter time: it is already getting dark at 5 pm, which makes the remaining journey more exhausting.

At 9:30 pm we finally arrive in Bern. And we are happy to be home again. Now a quick shower, improvise a little supper and for dessert the Halloween donuts we brought with us, and then it’s off to bed.