Auslanderausweis

We got a late start today. Had breakfast at a Turkish restaurant around the corner; the omelets were bland (don’t recommend for the future) but the coffee was rich and strong. I love the coffee here. It reminds me of Italy. After breakfast, we searched in vain for a suitable health club, which was followed by a similar fruitless search for the US embassy. Most people we met spoke just enough English to merrily send us off in the wrong direction! We stopped by a bank and tried to open an account, but were told we needed our resident’s permit or “Auslanderausweis” (say that 10 times fast!). We couldn’t even get cell phones without this permit. I vaguely remembered my employer at the EBK telling me we needed to report to the Foreign Police office within eight days of our arrival, but I didn’t realize how critical this was to get anything done here.

After a few phone calls, I tracked down the address for the Foreign Police office in Bern. Like most things here, the office closed early (4PM), so we literally ran to the office and got there just in the nick of time. Nothing like showing up at a police station disheveled and out of breath. True to form, our pictures look like mug shots (think Nick Nolte). But the good news was I got my permit. With permit in hand, we had time to stop by the Swisscom office to order internet and phone service. And then we picked up some groceries before heading back home.

P.S. Later that night -- as we sorted through the charming introductory pamphlets we received from the Foreign Police -- we came across a sealed, nondescript envelope with six tablets in foil packaging inside. The tablets were labeled “potassium iodide” and the accompanying directions read as follows: “In the event of a serious nuclear power plant accident, radioactive iodine may be released into the environment. It enters the human body via the respiratory system and is enriched in the thyroid gland. If taken in good time, potassium iodide tablets will prevent radioactive iodine from being absorbed by the thyroid gland. If you live within a distance of about 20km from a nuclear power plant the relevant authorities will deliver the potassium iodide tablets to your house as a precautionary measure, free of charge.” How comforting….

Switzerland - We Have Arrived

We made it! After an initial struggle checking our bags at JFK – my bag was over the 75lb weight limit and had to be unpacked/repacked into smaller bags right in front of the ticket counter – our trip went surprisingly smoothly otherwise. We had no problems getting ourselves (or Chelsea) through customs. Note: the viscous gashes that Chelsea inflicted on my right hand the day before may have played a small part, as the stunned customs agent seemed to keep a healthy distance and ushered us through as quickly as possible.

We were picked up at the train station in Bern by the man who looks after our building, Rene Hell, and he kindly drove us to our new home. The apartment was as nice as advertised online; fully furnished with a spacious living room that will double nicely as a guest bedroom. It even has a screen for privacy! After a brief nap, Pam and I took a walk around the neighborhood. We strolled along the Aare River into Old Town, where we had dinner at the Kornhaus restaurant. The food was ok, but the real attraction was the ambiance. The Fodor’s guide that Kim and Jeff got us says the Kornhaus actually served as the City’s granary back in the 1700s. It was renovated in 1893. Today is houses a restaurant “where waiters scurry past images of Bernese woman in traditional costumes, Renaissance musicians, and a who’s who of folkloric characters.”

After dinner, we walked back home for some much needed rest – relieved that the journey was behind us and excited about what the future holds…..