Farewell to Fribourg

Today the plan was to train to Lausanne, meet up with Dave from Geneva, have lunch and take the boat across Lake Geneva to Evian to drink some of their damned water. And so we did. The end. Wait. You don't get off that easy.

The Bern contingent didn't get off and running on time. We were awake but missed the 10 AM train and almost blew off the 10:30 one. We arrived one train late in Lausanne and Dave had patiently waited for the second train figuring we were lazy doofi (plural of doofus) and he was right. We walked down to the lake front, which is actually a different town from Lausanne, a small burg called Ouchy. We were obviously walking into some kind of event because the roads were barricaded and crowds were congregating at what appeared to be a Start/Finish line. And sure enough, we had come on the day of their Triathalon. So we found a nice outdoor cafe to eat our lunch and we watched those poor fit running bastards drag themselves to the tape while we noshed pasta, croissants and ravioli, swigging our beer. Delightful!

We found the boat to Evian, which was close by as it turned out, after having walked a few thousand miles in the wrong direction, and we crossed Lac Leman, enjoying the delightful breeze in the sun. The French Alps had a mist on them that kept us from seeing Mt. Blanc, but our walking tour of Evian was really very enjoyable. The view back across to Lausanne and down to Montreux was one from a postcard and we walked up to the high vantage point in the city to take advantage of it. We opted not to go to the bottling plant 4 kilometres out of town (surprise) and instead drank some of their damned water from the spigot coming out of the mountain. The lab results should be back next week to help us figure the correct treatment for whatever we got in that water.

The vague idea was to find a place to eat dinner either there or in Lausanne, but Bree our Food Guru came up with the idea to go back to Fribourg again for a "Last Supper" and show Dave what all the fuss I had made all these years was about. So we crossed back across the lake, found a bus to take us back up the hill to Lausanne Gare (for free!) where we went off to Fribourg for fondue at Cafe du Midi and a vista view of Fribourg for the last time in a while.

Perfectly timing our departure, we arrived on the platform within 5 minutes of both trains to Geneve and Berne leaving. We said our goodbyes to Dave and arrived back at the apartment just as the last light of the day was fading. Coming from the station, I swore I saw lightning over the Alps to the southeast, but no one else did. Brian wouldn't believe God would do that to me and actually possibly rain while in Switzerland! We were tired, of course, and, as Brian correctly noted, "We squeezed all the sunlight out of this day, too!" See slide show of Lausanne/Evian.

(Note: As I type this the morning after, we suffered through one Hellacious Thunderstorm last night! I DID see lightning over the Alps!!)

Videos:

See video of boat ride to Evian.

See video of boat ride back to Lausanne.

See SILENT (yeah!) video of Terry saying farewell to Fribourg.

Geneva

After the appropriate emails on Thursday to set up our rendezvous with my ex-stepson, Dave, who arrived in Geneva this morning for a week-long UN conference he is attending, we set out for Geneva on the 9:04 train. The day was hazy but warm and full of promise. We arrived, and made our connection with Dave by phone who met us on the waterfront where we made our way into Old Town. After a delightful lunch, we toured the cathedral and returned to Dave's hotel (the Kempinski - tres posh, merci beaucoup!) so he could get his travel pass and we set off to the UN for a tour.

Getting off the tram at the entrance to the UN, I had just taken a picture of that famous chair with the broken leg erected by the anti-land mine people and was checking the outcome in the camera when this renegade curb leapt out of nowhere and pulled the street right out from under me. As the curb cackled with glee (I distinctly remember that!), I proceeded to execute what would later be described as a near-perfect face plant on the public thoroughfare, landing on top of my camera then rolling like a landing parachutist, jetisoning non-essentials like shoes, glasses, camera batteries and the like until coming to a rest about 10 feet from the initial point of impact. I'm told it was a sight that evoked moans of sympathy and averted glances from the Swiss passersby who are unused to witnessing such carnage in their streets. I was fine but for a minor abrasion on my elbow and we proceeded up the hill to the guest entrance for our tour of the place.

We were told that we could only take a guided tour and that wasn't starting until 4 (now being 2:50). Dave was disappointed because he could have shown us where he was working this week without the tour structure, but we nonetheless decided to keep walking up the hill to find the gardens to kill some time before the tour.

The walk took us past the permanent delegations of Russia and the United States assigned to the UN. Each delegation is akin to an armed outpost stationed in a hostile land. Walled, gated and guarded, Dave told us not to take any pictures of the Russian delegation lest they react negatively. As it turned out, when Brian took a picture of the US delegation, a Filipino mercenary guard I'll call "Pedro" started calling Brian an "***hole" (verbatim quote! And I always wondered what "***" sounded like with a Filipino accent. ) and waving his arms at him as we continued walking past on the sidewalk in front of the compound. Not finding the gardens on top of the hill, alas, we had to return to the UN along the same route bringing to life our friend Pedro again, who apparently couldn't excite his fellow guards to kill Brian for his transgression.

We passed by without evil consequences and proceeded to hook up with the guided tour, brought to us by the friendly female German Guide who undoubtedly had a day job of a professor teaching corpses how to sleep (BORING!). Sucking the life's blood from our already tired bodies, Dave at least could give us a side commentary as we walked along the halls, though we could not roam the grounds due to "security concerns." Where in God's name do they get the idea we could care what the hell they do there?!

Leaving the UN, we hopped the tram back to the Gare where we stopped at a micro-brewer across the street and then found a delightful restaurant around the corner to cap off the night. A long train ride back to Bern ended the day with the prospect of France awaiting us tomorrow! See slide show of Geneva

Videos:

See "Welcome to Geneva!" video.

See "Haul your happy ass away" video.

PS:  The following picture -- taken at the moment of impact --  is believed to be only known record of Terry's infamous face plant.  View it here.

Rest Day, for Real!

Today, finally, was the rest day we so rightfully deserved. Waking late, doing nothing with absolutely no schedule to complete, I worked on blogging, everyone else worked on waking up, rearranging packing, etc. until Brian and Pam took us to lunch at a nice little restaurant in Dahlholzi. With that, the ladies went shopping while Brian and I returned home and I started blogging again while he tended to home duties like food shopping. When the girls returned (late afternoon), it was time for Brian and Bree to take their turn in the Aare Float Down, so we followed along to record the event for posterity. I do believe that swim was one of Bree's highlights on this trip! It certainly looked like she was having fun!  See slide show of swim down the Aare.

We returned to a wonderful dinner of roasted chicken that Brian prepared and we sat on the balcony afterwards, smoking cigars and curing the woes of our world until the persistent Elves of the Night tugged our hands to lead us down to their World of Sleep, whispering promises of Dreams and New Life. Bern is a delightful city.

Videos:

See "Wack-a-Mole" video.

See video of kids jumping off bridge.

See another video of kids jumping off bridge.

See video of Bree and Brian taking the plunge.

See video of Bree and Brian taking another plunge.

Zermatt and the Matterhorn

Once again, a look to the live computer weather cam of the Matterhorn in the morning, and we were off to our prearranged destination: Zermatt!! I had already lost and found my passport in my room before getting dressed so I was already drained! Again, this was a train ride. . .this time to Visp. That meant riding toward Interlaken where we had debarked for our ride up to the Jungfrau. Shortly after passing through Spiez, however, we entered a lonnnng tunnel that lasted for 20 minutes or so and came out on the other side of the Berner Oberland and in the the Canton of Valais. 

An hour after leaving Bern, we reached Visp and changed to a cog railway for the ride up the valley to Zermatt. The ride up the valley to Zermatt in the morning was unbelievable! We got off the train and started walking up the main drag and something was wrong. . .There were taxis running up and down, garbage trucks. . .and then. . .DUH!! They were all electric golf carts. We were in Munchkinland!

Walking up the street, Sherry kept on saying, "Every day is prettier and prettier!" I wasn't quite getting on board until I saw "It." Between the the chalets, gleaming in the morning sun, looking at us from God's perspective. . .there It was!! Matterhorn!! Pam and Brian had been there to climb the Breithorn in June, so they knew the drill. On our way to lunch, they showed us the cemetery where the climbers of the region who didn't make the "final cut" were buried, including the ones who, in 1865, being the first to successfully reach the top, died on the way down. Once again, Darwin having his way.

We ate lunch on the veranda of the hotel where Pam and Brian stayed in June when they came down to climb the Breithorn, munching away with the Matterhorn looming over us, patiently waiting. After lunch, we headed up to the cable car and took it in the direction of Kleine Matterhorn, stopping at the stop just below the summit to get the better view of the Matterhorn and avoid the snow line.  

The pictures sum up the rest of the trip pretty much (see slide show of Zermatt) except that when we got back to Bern, Brian and Pam took us to a delightful restaurant in Mazili by the Aare so we could dine to the rhythm of bobbing heads coming down the river.

And then we ended our day.

Videos:

See "We are at the mouth of hell!"  video.

See video of cable car arrival.

See video of cable car ride up to Trockener Station.

See video of Matterhorn from cable car.

See panoramic video of Matterhorn from the top. 

See video of clouds slowly enveloping Matterhorn.  

"Rest Day"

Wednesday! Finally, a rest day!! After the trek to the Jungfrau yesterday, we were, frankly, BEAT! So we had decided that today was a "kick back" kind of day. No alarms; wake up whenever and see what happens. So, of course, we woke up to beautiful sunshine and we knew this was not a day to be wasted. Still, like a big lumbering airplane, we began our movements in a slow, deliberate manner. Sherry and I trundled across the street to the Bakery, where, as we turned the corner from the end of the apartment complex, the aroma assaulted our noses like a lion after wounded prey. Lions: 1, Wounded Prey: 0. We returned with arms laden with indescribable (at least in English) goodies which we leisurely devoured in 10 minutes or so. It would have taken less time but we had to stop to sip the wonderful coffee Pam and Brian make here!!

We decided that Thun was the first destination. This was a day to be handled in shifts: Pam had to return by 4 to attend her German class and Brian had to stay in the morning to finish downloading the pictures for his stupid blog he's making me write for him. So Pam led Bree, Sherry and me off to the train for the 20 minute ride to Thun with Brian to follow in a half hour or so. We arrived as predicted (the trains are punctual here!) and walked along the streets looking for an appropriate lunch spot. We knew we were going to head to the Schloss Thun but we were close to lunch and we had to scout out the "perfect" luncheon spot for Brian (he's become quite fussy.)

Thun is a small city sitting at the end of Lake Thunersee where the Aare again becomes the fast-flowing river that streams through Bern thirty miles downstream. Delightful in its architecture, we spotted a wonderful cafe next to a group of beautiful swans elegantly cruising their stately forms on the charming river. There were even a few black swans that let you know this was the perfect place to enjoy the noon repast. Brian indeed joined us right after we sat down and had ordered our drinks and we proceeded to eat and talk and laugh in the ambiance of the perfect Swiss backdrop until Bree spoke: "Look at that swan!" We turned in unison to witness one of those once magnificent birds viciously, deliberately, and "with much malice aforethought", struggle to devour what looked like a poor, defenseless baby bird. Perhaps it was the proximity - it was as if the bird had pulled up a chair to our table to dine with us. Maybe the incongruous juxtaposition of grace and savagery. WHATEVER! We left for the castle. Orc Swan Horde: 1, Sweet Baby Bird, 0.

To get there, we passed through downtown Thun, having a two-storied unique shopping street with mostly upscale shops. At the Rathaus (City Hall), we turned to start climbing the (seemingly) unending staircase to the castle at the top of the city. This WAS supposed to be a day of rest, remember. We arrived at the castle, shirt tails out, sweat pouring from us, to pay the admission fee and start climbing the stairs to get to the INSIDE of the castle. Once inside the castle in the common meeting room, we had to climb. . .ready?. . .MORE STAIRS to get to the views in the turrets. When we arrived at the top, I must admit, all thoughts of fatigue disappeared. The views were absolutely breathtaking! I submit, the countryside around Lake Thunersee never presented itself better than when were looking at it at that precise moment.

The time had come for Pam to return to Bern for her class, so we all walked back to the train station where we parted company as she went to do the responsible thing and learn the language of her host country, while Brian blithely bounced ahead of us, leading us to the steam ship to cruise around Lake Thunersee and see what we could see. Once on the ship, we learned that the closing times for any castles we would want to see was 5PM and the last useful ship departure time back home was about the same. Bree had found a brochure for some HingleFinger Schloss-something that looked close. It was the stop right before Schloss Oberhofen, perhaps the most famous castle in Switzerland because of its unique "tower in-water" design. Of course, we got off at the "Hinglefinger" stop, with Brian's assurances that we could "easily walk to Oberhofen" in "5-10 minutes - max!"

We debarked at, seriously now, Hilterfinger's castle, Schloss Hunegg, built in 1861 and furnished over the years with a Jugendstil and Art Nouveau style, unchanged since 1900. It was a residence that we all agreed would suffice if a fire somehow fatefully managed to destroy where we lived now, for some reason. . .like suspicious arson. Finishing the tour around 4PM, I asked the cashier lady how long it would take to walk to Schloss Oberhofen, to which she replied, "Using the upper road, 15 to 20 minutes. Faster than the lower road next to the lake." Wanting to be sure we arrived at the boat stop in time to see some of the castle and get on back to Thun, we opted for the upper road which, leaving HingleFinger's place, required us to climb. . .here we go. . .MORE STEPS!

Knowing that we had no clue as to our destination, our arrival time, or if we'd ever see home again, we were bookin'! But I must admit that we were walking along very quaint lanes lined with picturesque homes and, apparently condos, overlooking the Thunersee that would not turn off its charm. We arrived at Oberhofen in time to take our pictures, stroll the manicured grounds, get back to the boat stop, order and drink our water and board the side-paddlewheeler "Blumlisalp" (Flower of the Alps) back to Thun.  See video of Blumlisalp.    On our way back, one Swiss gentleman tried to explain to Brian in German something that only sounded like, "Jesus Christ had a villa along here." Figuring we had nowhere to go but down, I offered that I might understand if he spoke French. Whereupon, he began describing in French a flood from the lake about 38 years ago that washed boats down the river in Thun and caused a great deal of havoc. Not sure why we got that history lesson, unless Brian paid him to start talking so he could get a video or something.  See video of Terry speaking "Franglais."

We arrived back in Bern after the hot, crowded train ride, shirt tails out, sweat pouring from us (again), just in time for Pam (just out of class) to show us where we wanted to eat, and we had raclette, fondue, weinerschnizel and had a wonderful dinner in the outdoors we've come to love. We must be turning into Swiss! See slide show of Thunersee area.

Jungfrau Region

We woke up this morning, checked the live weather cam on the Jungfrau Joch and, seeing it was clear, we were on a mission, leaving Bern at O'Dark Thirty to head off to Interlaken. It was on this part of the trip that the conductor noticed that our Swiss Rail Pass had not been validated and he was threatening to charge us another CHF 80 apiece! I explained to him that my boneheaded nephew ("Sitting right THERE!") told us that the conductor was capable of validating the pass on the train and that we didn't need to have it done beforehand. After one look at Brian, the conductor relented, leading us through the Interlaken station to the ticket counter to have the station attendant validate it. He left us with a "Good Luck!" (leaving unspoken: Stupid American!) and disappeared. We boarded the train to Lauterbrunnen with our Wonderfully Validated Pass and from there, we got on a cog railway to head up toward our ultimate destination of the Jungfrau Joch.

The Bernese Oberland is a mountainous region in central Switzerland dominated by the 3 mountains, the Jungfrau, the Monch, and the Eiger. They got their names from some fairy tale about a young maiden (JungFrau) being protected by a monk (Monch) from an ogre (Eiger). The entire region is criss-crossed by hiking trails, quaint hamlets, and glacier-fed streams. We were on the alert to spot Heidi jumping out from behind any chalet to bid us welcome. On the ridge between the Jungfrau and the Monch, the Swiss constructed an ice station for research and tourism (over 100 years ago!) called the Jungfrau Joch. This was our destination.

The whole transportation process is not an easy task, as it turns out. Getting on the cog railway at Lauterbrunnen, we had to change to another cog train at Kleine Scheidegg, a remote outpost above the tree line. While waiting for the final train up, we were treated to a herd of Swiss cows ambling by with their cow bells tinkling in the thin mountain air, making the most of their now limited time in the high pastures before wintertime brings them down the mountain. See "more cow bell!" video.  I swear the last cow passing was holding out a pan for tips, but she got no takers from our group. When the train arrived, we started up the mountains again with a 4 mile stretch INSIDE the Eiger (see "Eiger" video) to emerge on the other side and cross below the crest of the Monch to reach the Joch. Unbelievable!

Four hours after our journey's start in Bern, we stepped off the train on the Top of Europe! We stepped outside to do the mandatory picture-taking routine of Europe's longest glacier. (Iceland claims "Europe's Biggest Glacier." The difference? Dunno!) As we walked around the ice station, we kept discovering new views, locations, and activities. We were right under the Jungfrau and as we walked around, the Monch emerged. See "Top of Europe!" video or "Top of Europe II! video.  And then we saw the observation tower another 300 feet above us. See video from Sphinx observation tower.  Went to that and saw the play area below us and went to that. This is where Brian and Bree did their Zip-Line routine - Bree screaming like a girl until landing ass-first in the snow, Brian not realizing he did it until it was over. Nice videos, though!  See Brian's Zip-Line video.  See Bree's Zip-Line video.

Not content with all this activity, we entered the Ice Palace, a cave with a winding tunnel the Swiss carved out of the ice near the ice station which holds some nice ice sculptures, touristy photo-ops, and opportunities for those with limited mental abilities to stick their tongues to the walls.  See "It's cold!" video.  

The last train down the mountain was at 3 so we took off and started our descent, using a different route near the bottom to get back to Interlaken.  See video of descent.  We found a lovely outdoor restaurant where we had raclette, fondue, and rosti while people watching the downtown Interlaken routine. Looking at the parasailers crossing the Thunersee from their mountainous jumping point to land in a park just down the street from our restaurant, we decided that we were tired and it was time to head back to Bern. Another successful day!! See slide show.

Baby Eaters

Bree: The Swiss love their fountains and will put one anywhere they can. The fountains in Bern have statues on top that represent various fairy tales.  This picture is my favorite so far. I have no idea what fairy tale he is supposed to represent, but I'm sure it's good. (Hint: Look at what he's eating and what's under his arm to eat later!)

Fribourg: Returning Home

Terry again, here, doing Brian's blogging job . . .AGAIN! We woke up this morning to an overcast sky and the realization that we've become quite captivated with Bern after yesterday's exposure. Sherry was simply amazed at the beautiful color of the river - a "seafoam aquamarine" suitable for the Caribbean - and Bree liked the Bear and the shopping street. So we decided that we would begin the day's adventures in Bern. So off we went to the Einstein Museum - his old apartment where he came up with the Special Theory of Relativity. I was hoping intelligence would somehow imbue into me from some type of posthumous osmosis, and it did!

From there we went to the Cathedral which was amazingly similar to the Fribourg St. Nicholas cathedral, only barer since it suffered from the destruction of the Reformation. Brian was able to find some early evidence of Swiss graffitti by finding the date "1566" crudely etched into the stone inside one of the nooks of the church. There was a date "1830" also carved into the wood close by! Damned Protestant rabble-rousers! See slide show of Bern.  When we came out of the cathedral, the sky had cleared and we were facing a sunny day that immediately put the thought into our heads: Fribourg!!  

Ah, Fribourg. The 20-minute train ride for me was filled with a bit of trepidation. For those who don't know, I spent my 20th year in Fribourg attending the University, living in an international student house with students from all over the world whom I could never have met in a non-neutral country. It was here where many of my life principles were formed: People are generally good and usually try to do the right thing even if we make mistakes. We thrive better together than we ever could alone. . .that sort of thing.

So here was my first return to the cradle of my budding personality in 38 years, and Brian insisted on being an irritating little snot by videoing EVERYTHING he could think of. It's amazing the end-of-day clips weren't shot through the outward-facing restricted view of his anal aperture.

In any event, we got off the train and started walking down the what was supposed to be familiar main street. Wow! The street layout was the same, but there has been and there still is a lot of reconstruction in downtown. See video: "Don't have a clue!" The Rue du Romont is now pedestrian-only with delightful cafes spilling their tables into the the street. Being lunch time, we stopped at Cafe du Midi, our favorite stomping ground of yore, so we could have the world famous moitie-moitie fondue. Made with the 2 Fribourgeois cheeses of Gruyeres and Vecherin, everyone agreed that it really (in Bill's words) did not suck.

From there, it was time to return to my old haunts at the University. Walking up the Rue de l'Hopital, I could see that new construction was sitting where the driveway to my old dorm, Foyer St. Justin, used to be. See video: "I never left."   Cresting the hill and standing by the railroad tracks, I could see that the old dorm was still there, just behind the new building (Relief!) We walked (I could have been running, I don't know) down into the complex, now called Cite St. Justin, and I proceeded to blather on about what I did 38 years ago, where all this fascinating behavior occurred, who I was with, etc. See video: "Guitar".  And in talking to one of the maintenance men, I learned it was still an international dorm complex that had simply grown bigger, not been replaced! (Again, Relief!) Everyone was dutifully respectful to let me drone on. And crossing the street to the University itself, the building looks amazingly similar, with a few new pieces to it. This city, to my mind, exists because of the University so it was a gratifying to see that it was still going strong.

That out of the way, it was time to descend to the basse-ville. Back down past the Gare (train station), to the high overlook. We walked down towards the Cathedral St. Nicholas, looking over the River Sarine winding below us. This church is where I used to sit on Sundays looking at the wonderful blue stained glass windows, listening to the finest church organ in Switzerland with an organist who loved to play Bach as the people filed out of Mass, filling the entire cathedral with the "Voice of God." Springing for the opportunity to be closer to God, we climbed the 368 steps to the top of the cathedral to come upon one of the most spectacular views (to me) in the world. After the appropriate rest and oxygen administration, we came down and continued our journey down to the basse-ville, impressing Brian with my knowledge of the stairway shortcut. Impressing me was the new addition of the funiculair back up to the main town, which was the only way this excursion avoided becoming known as the "Infamous Fribourg Death March."

Getting directions from the funiculair conductor as to the best place in town now to have dinner (we ignored it because I think it belonged to his brother-in-law), we went back to one of the outdoor cafes on Rue du Romont to have pizza and refreshing adult beverages under the late afternoon sun. I don't know what the menu actually said about the dessert entrees, but Bree read something that said "Monstrous Chocolate Thingie Made Specially for Bree Albright" and ordered it. Those were her last words for the day. See "cheers" video.  After that, she just purred and slept on the way home.  See slide show of Fribourg.  

Taking the 20 minute ride back home - note how every place in this country is "home" - reflecting on what has changed and what has stayed the same, it was comforting to realize that Fribourg, after all this time, is thriving here in Switzerland - and here in me.

Terry, Sherry, and Bree Arrive!!

Well, the day is finally here after all this time! Terry here and I'm here with Sherry and Bree. The flight over was pretty uneventful - the usual Faustian Gerber Baby Convention within a 10' radius of my seat, - 8, count them, EIGHT!! - the plane seat suitable only for suppository use, but an arrival time 15 minutes early! Brian came to make sure I didn't wander about Zurich airport like a robotic pool cleaner, and he was quite a help. He found the sign for the train back to Bern, and with Bree's help, found track 3 to get us there!

We arrived in Bern around 9:30 in the morning, and Pam greeted us with wonderful pastries, coffee, exfoliating ear cleaners, the works! and we decided that we were awake enough to do a walk around Bern. And so we did! We did a very nice recon that provided a wonderful overview of the city and finished just off the main square with an outside lunch, watching the old men play chess with their blow-up dolls and basking in the wonderful sunshine that decided to appear around 10:30.

After coming back, and taking a 2-3 hour nap, Brian and Pam were throwing wine and cheese at us on there balcony until we got bored and demanded food. With that, they prepared a wonderful steak dinner and we finished the evening walking along the Aare in the sunset/twilight and smoking cigars. Life is simply no better!! See slide show of Bern.

Tomorrow, Fribourg!! The anticipation is palpable!!

Still Living the Dream

We were sad to see Dad and Gretchen leave today. It was such a great week. They were eager to see Switzerland and we were eager to share it with them. We revisited some familiar places (Vevey, Fribourg, St. Moritz) and even saw some new ones (Luzern and Davos). The weather was absolutely perfect. Most importantly, though, it was nice to see and spend time with family. My Dad did a great job blogging our adventures throughout the week, so I won't rehash the details.

We woke up Saturday morning to another gorgeous day. Dad and Gretchen had a 5:30PM flight from Zurich, so we decided to take a morning train into the city and check their bags early at the airport. That gave us time to walk around Zurich for a little bit before they left. Turns out there was an annual street parade going on. We stepped off the train to the thumping beat of techo music. It was a little odd for me because I have come to know Zurich as a fairly staid center for banking and finance; it was anything but that today! We saw people in outrageous costumes, open DJs pumping sounds, and dancing -- lots of dancing -- in the streets. There were thousands of people. It was blissful pandemonium.

We walked along the Limmat River past the famous Grossmunster Church to the mouth of Lake Zurich. It was more than a little ironic that a clearly intoxicated, half naked man with a purple afro stumbled by us while I was explaining how a strict form of Protestantism was preached from the pulpit of the Grossmunster by Ulrich Zwingli during the Reformation. As Gretchen would say: "Nicht!!!" (double fist, pelvic thrust, leg kick) -- sorry, inside joke. Anyway I could see that my history lesson was going nowhere, so we joined the crowd for a little dancing (see video) before having lunch at a beautiful restaurant along the river. Dad and I ate a delicious dish of veal rosti, while Gretchen enjoyed the local perch, and Pam dined on veal ravioli in a mouth-watering cream sauce. It was exquisite.

After lunch, we swung by Credit Suisse's world headquarters in Paradeplatz for a few photo ops. Sadly, time was starting to run short. We walked back along Bahnhofstrasse to the train station, and then on to the airport.  See slide show of Dad and Gretchen's last day.

As we hugged and kissed each other goodbye, I actually started to feel a little sad that we were not going back with them. But reflecting further on all the wonderful experiences we have had -- and the adventures that still lie ahead -- I became keenly aware of one thing...we're still living the dream.

Last Full Day in Switzerland

Today was our last full day in Switzerland (sob, sniff). We decided to rest from the excessive stimuli from the previous few days. Breakfast was served sharply at ten. Brian finally figured out their new coffee maker, just in time for us to leave. I was forced to spend most of the day typing up blog entries for our vacation. Reflecting back, it is amazing how far we have traveled and how much we have been able to accomplish in such a short time.

We took a break from blogging in the afternoon for Brian and me to take an exhilarating float down the Aare River. It was quite a rush, and we could hear the water hissing over the stones on the bottom when we ducked our heads. What an experience! After we clambered out of the river, we walked downstream to the waterfall just below our float trip. I'm glad I didn't see what would have been in store for us if we hadn't managed to grab onto the stairway and pull ourselves out.  Here are some pictures from the day.  And here is a video of us jumping in the Aare. 

We had a delightful last supper at a local Indian restaurant down the street, followed, of course, by the obligatory cigars. This vacation has been all too short, although we can't think of anything we would have wanted to do or see that we missed.  Brian and Pam have been the perfect hosts.  They did a fantastic job of planning our trip for us, and we thoroughly enjoyed every minute we were able to spend together.  We are reluctant to head back home.  

St. Moritz and Davos

St. Moritz is a winter playground for the rich and famous.  According to our guidebook, "very ordinary" people fill the streets in the summer, so we felt right at home.  At this moment, the rich and famous are no doubt lounging in St. Tropez.  With them out of the way, we took a relaxed and leisurely stroll around the town.

Thursday morning, after a delightful breakfast at the hotel, we took a ski tram 150 meters up the mountain to Chantarella, overlooking the town and lake of St. Moritz. By this time in our travels, everything has looked so beautiful that we were almost looking for something ugly to stare at. We all decided that Brian's unkempt shirt would suffice. See video overlooking St. Mortiz. 

After soaking in the beauty of St. Moritz (yawn), we decided to head back home. See video of tram back down.  Gretchen suggested that we take a detour through Davos on our way back. That proved to be a great suggestion. Much of the ride to Davos retraced the spectacular route of the Glacier Express, providing more picture-taking opportunities (just what we needed).  See St. Mortiz slide show. 

At over 5,000 feet, Davos is the highest "city" in Europe. It is also the home of the annual World Economic Forum in January. Davos, though somewhat unheralded compared to St. Moritz, provided great scenery of its own. We took a tram up to Schatzpalz, where we enjoyed lunch on a patio overlooking the city and the Alpine landscape. See video overlooking Davos.  We all dared to take toboggan rides, which only Brian and Gretchen survived unscathed. (Remind me not to try out for the Olympics.) Pam and I nursed our minor wounds and bruised egos as we hobbled our way back to the train home before the rains came. See video of Pam. See video of me.  We enjoyed the restaurant car with cheese and wine on the ride to Bern from Zurich. By this time, we were all pretty tired, so we turned in early for the night.  See Davos slide show.  

Luzern and the Glacier Express

Wednesday we were up at the crack of dawn...we were on our way to Andermatt to pick up the Glacier Express. But first we stopped in Luzern, another trip down memory lane for Gretchen and me. Things have certainly changed in the 21 years since we last saw this quaint little city. See video of Luzern.  The beautiful Chapel Bridge was as dramatic as ever, with very colorful flowers adorning it's entire length. We worked our way up to the medieval fortification wall, which gave a beautiful view of the city of Luzern and the lake.  Gretchen waited below while Brian, Pam and I climbed the tower and scampered along the ramparts. We completed our tour by crossing the quaint Spreuerbrucke covered bridge at the western end of Old Town.  While some things in Luzern seemed familiar to us, there were many more chi chi shops there than before, which were in stark contrast to their medieval surroundings.  See Luzern slide show.

From Luzern we took the train into the Alps to Goschenen, where we transferred to a cog railway up to Andermatt. There we met the famed Glacier Express on its way from Zermatt. A group had left the train at Andermatt, so we were fortunate to get seated together and had a good section of the car to ourselves. The weather was fantastic, and our glass-topped car afforded us spectacular views as we traversed the Oberalppass (the highest point on the Glacier Express at 2033 meters) and wended our way to St. Moritz. 

For details of the sights along the way, check out Brian and Pam's blog from April 4. However, much has changed since their trip in April, when everything was still snow covered. Now, we encountered lush green scenery with only occasional patches of snow on the highest peaks. To try to single out one or two highlights would not do justice to the rest of the trip. The steep climb from Bergen to Preda took us over several viaducts and through numerous switchbacks, as well as U-shaped and spiral tunnels, to climb 400 meters in just 10 km. See video of us going over the Landwasser viaduct (funny ending). Suffice it to say, the four and a half hour trip provided us with enough beautiful scenery to last us a lifetime.  See Glacier Express slide show.
 
Once in St. Moritz, we checked into the Crystal Hotel, in the center of the village. After a leisurely stroll around the village, we treated ourselves to a sumptuous repast of traditional Swiss fondue and raclette. Yummm! Stuffed to the gills with cheese, we relaxed in the hotel lounge with wine and cigars (Cuban of course), and then retired for the night.

Beautiful Fribourg and the Incomparable Alps

On Tuesday morning, we hopped on a train for Lausanne and Vevey on Lake Geneva. Fortunately, this took us through Fribourg, where we stopped for a tour. Omigod! What a gorgeous town! No wonder Terry hasn't stopped talking wistfully of the year he spent here when in college. The River Sarine winds sinuously through Fribourg, exposing picturesque high cliffs carved in the sandstone. Here is where the German and French cultures merge. On one side of the river, they speak German, while the other side is French. The town is dominated by the huge Gothic Cathedral filled with many works of art. Despite the Reformation, Fribourg remained one of the few Catholic towns in Switzerland, and a Catholic University was founded here in 1889, doubtless the one attended by Terry on his year abroad from Georgetown.

Terry, you may not want to read this part, but there is now a memorial where a famous linden tree was recently destroyed by a car. The tree marked the spot were a messenger dropped dead after bringing the news of the Swiss victory over Charles the Bold at the Battle of Murten. However, a new linden tree, taken from a sprig of the original, now grows nearby.

After visiting the Cathedral, we walked to the far side of the Sarine over the Pont de Zaehringen, and down to the picturesque wooden bridge, Pont de Berne. On our return to the train station, we used the funicular to speed our way up to the center of town. This unique funicular is powered by water from the town sewage system, a fact which is emphasized by the wafting odor as one approaches.  See video.  Since we were running late for the next train, we hoped that enough people had flushed to provide a speedy trip to the top (just kidding!).  See Fribourg slide show.

Our next stop was Lausanne on Lake Geneva, where we changed trains for the short trip to Vevey. This is one of the premier wine-growing regions of Switzerland, and every square centimeter of land seemed to be planted with grape vines. In Vevey, we took another funicular (conventionally powered) up to Mont Pellerin, which provided breathtaking views of Lake Geneva with the French Alps as a backdrop.  See video.  Here we had lunch on the patio at the restaurant in the five-star Le Mirador Hotel overlooking the lake.  We soaked in the incomparable panoramic views and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves (until the bill came).  See Vevey slide show.  As we gazed down Lake Geneva past the town of Montreux, we realized that we were facing the chalet where we will be spending Christmas in Nendaz, less than 40 km away.

The trip back to Bern was uneventful, and we able to enjoy yet another relaxing evening on Brian and Pam's patio.

Gretchen and Bill Arrive

This is Bill and Gretchen writing in Brian and Pam's blog. We arrived here in Switzerland after a horrific flight from Boston. It probably wouldn't be fair to bore you with any of the details about our 3 hour delay in Boston until after midnight, or how we almost missed the flight entirely because they put us on a smaller plane, or how we finally ended up in the middle seats of the last row of the plane where the seat backs hardly reclined, or how a 300 pound behemoth of a man got the aisle seat next to me, or how the rows were so close together that the seat back in front almost hit you in the head when it came back, so I won't dwell on any of that. Suffice it to say, it was the worst flight experience we have ever had. No wonder we prostrated ourselves and kissed the ground when we finally got off the plane in Zurich. 

We groggily made our way to Brian and Pam's apartment and collapsed in a stupor on their beautiful balcony. The essence of life was slowly seeping back into our bodies, and life started to become really good again. Brian had thoughtfully scoured Bern to find some cheap American beer that he thought would please my plebian tastes (Miller Genuine Draft).  Thanks Brian...he doesn't realize that I can actually enjoy grownup beer. But then, Chef Brian redeemed himself by cooking up some awesome lamb chops with rosemary. The evening ended wonderfully, as Brian and I topped off the day with Cuban cigars (eat your hearts out!).  We then fell into bed awaiting the adventures of the next day.

Monday was Bern day. We started at Marzili Beach, across the street from Brian and Pam's apartment, where we dipped our feet into the swift currents of the Aare River. See video. We then rode up the funicular and took a walking tour of this beautiful city. It brought back some wonderful memories for Gretchen and me, as we had briefly stopped in Bern during our honeymoon. We recalled the first time we had seen the elaborate Zytglogge (clock tower) and the Bundesplatz overlooked by the Parliament building. Entering the majestic Munster, Bern's Gothic cathedral, we stood in awed silence as Gretchen and I recalled our first visit, when the music of Bach from the pipe organ reverberated throughout the sanctuary. That was one of our special memories from our honeymoon.  

The rest of our Bern visit was new to us. We took an interesting tour of the Einstein House, where Albert Einstein conceived his Special Theory of Relativity in 1905. We worked our way down to the Aare, where we saw one of Bern's brown bears in the Bear Pit. We then worked out way laboriously (speaking for Gretchen and me) up to the beautiful Rosengarten, overlooking the city, where we caught our breath and enjoyed a delicious lunch. After lunch, we took a leisurely walk back along the banks of the Aare. We ended the day relaxing again on Brian and Pam's balcony.  See slide show.