A Year Abroad

Apero

2008-12-18T07:54:00.006+01:00

Tonight was my farewell party at the EBK. In Switzerland, it is tradition that the person leaving buys all the food and drinks for everyone (or at least that's what my work colleagues told me!). Anyway, it was a great time. I was surprised at how many people came.

I wanted to thank them for all their generosity and kindness in making our experience here so wonderful. While there is no doubt my language skills did not progress as well as I had hoped (or they had hoped), the were very gracious in making me feel comfortable by speaking English around me. I had the opportunity to work on many interesting and challenging projects, and I wanted to thank them for including me so openly as a member of their team. I also wanted to thank them for all their great travel ideas. No doubt, for anybody who ran into me on Monday morning over the past nine months knows that Pam and I have traveled A LOT! We have criss-crossed Switzerland many times. It is a beautiful country with so much natural beauty.

But, most importantly, I wanted to thank them for not just treating me as a work colleague but as a member of the their extended family. They invited Pam and I into their homes for dinner, they invited us out for a day of hiking, they even invited me for a swim in the Aare. I have formed many lasting friendships here in Switzerland. While I have many fond memories of my experience here, the most lasting will be the great times shared with others.

When people ask me back home what I think about Switzerland, I would say: the only thing more delightful than the Swiss countryside is the Swiss people themselves.

Here are a few pictures from my Apero.

Snow in Bern!

2008-12-12T19:00:00.007+01:00

It has been snowing pretty heavy here in Bern in recent days. I am told this is somewhat unusual for mid-December. I guess Switzerland is leaving us a nice good-bye gift. Anyway, I took the camera along on my way to work this morning. See pictures of the snow.

Looking back through some old blog entries, it struck me to see how much the city and its flora changes through the different seasons. I am so glad we were able to capture it for posterity's sake.

Gstaad - Day 2

2008-12-07T18:08:00.004+01:00

We woke up this morning to a winter wonderland! The view from the balcony off our hotel room was amazing. It looked like the entire village of Gstaad had been dipped in white frosting. After breakfast, we went for a walk around town.

Gstaad is best known for its skiing and spas. While a few slopes were open during our visit, many of the luxury spas were closed (the high season was still a couple weeks away). The Palace Hotel -- perched on a nearby hill, towering over the tiny village like Mad Ludwig's castle -- is one of the Gstaad's most famous spa resorts. We decided to walk up the hill to see if it was open. It wasn't. But the views were still worth the trip.

Pam was getting a little cold, so we walked back down to the village for some hot chocolate and enjoyed what appeared to be a junior hockey tournament being held on one of the outdoor rinks. Hockey is apparently pretty popular in these parts. Anyway, after the hot chocolate it was time to get back on the train to Bern. So long Gstaad...for now! See pictures from Gstaad Day 2.

Video:

"Bye Gstaad"

Train ride back home.

Gstaad

2008-12-06T00:03:00.008+01:00

With only a few weeks left before our adventure in Switzerland ends, we decided to visit Gstaad for an overnight. Gstaad is located in the southern part of the canton of Bern in the Bernese Oberlands (Bernese highlands). Our guide book says it is a "see-and-be-seen spot" and one of Switzerland's most glamorous ski resorts. We just had to check this place out!

We left by train late Saturday morning and headed south via Spiez and Zweisimmen for the two hour ride to Gstaad. As it turns out, Gstaad is located along the "Golden Pass" -- a scenic train ride which links Central Switzerland and Lake Geneva. We snuck into first class at Zweisimmen and enjoyed stunning panaromic views as the train meandered through the snow covered mountain passes.

Once in Gstaad, we checked into our hotel (Hotel Alphorn), and then quickly headed out for some delicious fondue and raclette. Yum! We had only enough energy left for a quick nightcap and a cigar before the cheese-induced coma took full effect. We were soon out for the night. See photos.

Videos:

Heading to Gstaad.

Entering the tunnel.

Exiting the tunnel.

Plowing through the snow.

Liechtenstein

2008-11-30T21:16:00.003+01:00

Pam and I had talked about visiting Liechtenstein since we first arrive, but we never made it -- until now! Honestly, there was not much to see. The country is only slightly bigger than Manhattan, but it actually feels smaller because two thirds is covered by mountains. The country is 5km wide and about 30km long. The Rhine River plain that runs along the western border is really the only inhabitable area.

We took a bus from the Swiss city of Sargans to the capital of Vaduz (no border control). The bus ride itself basically took us through the southern half of the country. We did not see much of interest except a quaint castle in the village of Blazers. So, we decided to spend more time exploring Vaduz. After the obligatory visit to the post office, where we bought some souvenir postage stamps and mailed several post cards, we walked to the Vaduz Castle (a.k.a. Schloss Vaduz).

The castle looms over the capital from the hill above, although it is closed to the public because the royal family is still living there (Liechtenstein is a monarchy). The views from the castle were worth the climb, but we didn't stay long. We were hungry, so after a few pictures, we walked back down to the city for lunch. I discovered a delightful beer from the Liechtensteiner Brauhaus, which proudly displayed the logo: "Eins Land, Eins Bier." Pretty cool. Doubt I'll be able to find that beer back in New York!

After lunch, we got back on the bus and headed north toward the villages of Schaan, Nendeln, and Schellenberg. Nothing compelled us to get off the bus at those places, so we just stayed in our seats until we crossed the border into Austria. When we finally got off the bus in Feldkirch, it was official: we had stepped foot in all five countries bordering Switzerland -- Italy, France, Germany, Liechtenstein, and Austria. We walked around Feldkirch for a little bit and stumbled across a street fair, where I enjoyed some fried dough before we got back on the train and headed back home. See slide show from the day.

Videos:

Schloss Vaduz

Austria!!

Zibelemärit

2008-11-24T22:55:00.004+01:00

While Thanksgiving spirit over here may be lacking, the Bernese have their own traditions to celebrate. Today is "Zibelemärit" (onion market). It is a traditional folk festival where farmers from the surrounding area bring more than 50 tons of onions into the capital to sell. It is only celebrated in Bern. According legend, the Bernese awarded the people from the nearby city of Fribourg the right to sell onions in the city as reward for their aid after a fire destroyed much of Bern in 1405.

I'm told as darkness falls, the streets of central Bern erupt with partying that includes confetti battles, street jesters, and locals in onion costumes. Very strange. I'm thinking I know a few people that might fit right in with this crowd! :) See pictures.

Videos:

Zibelemarit

Berlin Calling

2008-11-16T23:19:00.000+01:00

We got off to a late start on Sunday after our whirlwind tour of Berlin the day before. Leaving Austin behind at the hotel (he was still recovering), Pam and I decided to return to the Riechstag to see if we could visit the dome. The Reichstag dome is an iconic glass dome constructed on top of the Reichstag building. If nothing else, it looked like there might be some nice views of Berlin from up there. We stood in line out in the cold for about 45 minutes before finally getting in. It was getting dark by this time, but I was able to get a few pictures off.

After walking around on the top of the Reichstag for a little bit, we decided to head to a nearby restaurant called Die Eins. The food was ok, but the real attraction was the nice location right along the river. Dorthe and Austin met us at the restaurant afterward.

We crossed into east Berlin and visited the Tacheles -- a squatting artists' paradise. Dorthe explained that artists (illegally) moved into the building after the Berlin Wall came down 19 years ago and turned it into one of the best-known exhibition spaces in the city. To be honest, it kind of felt like squatters had been living there for 19 years. The central stairwell smells of marijuana and urine. The structure is missing its back wall, and what remains of the building is covered in graffiti and peeling posters. It was no doubt an interesting place to visit.

After our tour of Tacheles, we decided to go see a movie at a nearby theater. The movie was called Berlin Calling, an independent german film with english subtitles. It wasn't bad. After the movie, we said goodbye to Dorthe and thanked her for her wonderful hospitality. Then Austin, Pam, and I headed back to our hotel for some rest. We flew back home the next morning -- us to Zurich, Austin to LA via New York. All in all, it was a great weekend.

See photos of second day in Bern.

Videos:

Tour of Tacheles

Austin to Berlin!!

2008-11-15T20:45:00.000+01:00

Pam, Austin, and I hung out in Berlin this weekend. Austin was in Germany to attend some film award show (one of his films had been nominated). Not sure how we decided to meet up in Berlin, since it was a bit out of the way for both of us. But it turned out to be a great weekend.

Pam and I flew in on Friday night. Austin, who arrived earlier that day, met us at the hotel and we spent a few hours catching up before we turned in for the night. We had an ambitious schedule the next day. After breakfast on Saturday, we took the bus to Checkpoint Charlie and then walked to what remains of the Berlin wall (most of the Wall has long since disappeared from the city). We also visited ruins of the gestapo headquarters basement, which has been turned into a tourist destination and memorial.

After the memorial, we made our way to the Brandenburg gate, but not before stopping for some Glühwein (red wine, heated and spiced with cinnamon and sugar) and fried dough at an outdoor festival. It was getting bitterly cold out, but we pressed on. Unfortunately, without a guide book we were pretty much wandering aimlessly. We stumbled across Berlin's Holocaust Memorial and the Reichstag (a.k.a. parliament), then we walked into East Berlin to enjoy a few drinks at a chic bar. After drinks, it was back to the hotel for a quick change and the start of evening festivities.

First stop was a club to meet up with Austin's friend Dorthe who lives in Berlin. The band at the club (Cold War Kids) was just finishing up, so we left and headed to a 1930's theme party sponsored by members of Darthe's dance school. It was a bit awkward showing up out of costume, but we made the best of it. It wasn't long before we were off to our next stop: an improve comedy club to see some of Darthe's friends perform. After the show, everybody headed across the street for an after party.

It was about this time that my body started to seriously break down. I was exhausted. Pam and I decided to leave Austin at the after party. The last I saw of him that night, he was chatting it up with his new "friend" and showed no signs of slowing down. Some things never change...

See photos from first day in Berlin.

Videos:

"One of these is not like the other!"

It's Fall Y'all!!!

2008-11-08T18:07:00.005+01:00

Just a few weeks after the first snowfall in Bern, we are enjoying great running and walking weather. It's still fall...unbelievable!! Is this global warming? I think Al Gore is unto something. Anyway, Brian wanted to go for a walk to get some fresh air. He is a bit under the weather (slight cold) so a walk didn't seem too taxing.

We walked to the zoo and saw some animals. Then to the spot where I sometimes (weather permitting) do my stretches and lunges after a run. We were just enjoying the weather. It was a beautiful day.

See Photos

Videos:

The Aare River

Pam's spot

Gantrisch

2008-10-25T19:28:00.011+02:00

One of my colleagues at work, Oliver, kindly invited Pam and I out for a day of hiking. He suggested the Gantrisch region, which is a beautiful rural mountain area located in the triangle between Bern, Fribourg and Thun. The Gantrish mountain range is actually considered part of the Alpine foothills and it is one of the few areas in Switzerland not easily accessible by train, so Oliver drove.

It was a foggy morning but, as we drove up into the mountains, we crossed through the cloud cover and were treated to some amazing views. The hike itself offered countless other picture taking opportunities. It turned out to be an absolutely gorgeous day. From the summit, we were able to scan across the horizon and see essentially all the famous Alpine peaks -- the Jungfrau to the east, the Matterhorn to the south, and even Mont Blanc off to the west (in France). Oliver even pointed out Bern's own little Mt. Gurten poking out through the cloud cover to the north.

Surprisingly, we had enough energy left after the summit to hike back down to a beautiful nearby lake. Oliver said he remembered the lake from his childhood, but he hadn't been back since. Seeing it for the first time myself, I can understand why it made such an impression on him. It was a special place. But by this point we were pretty hungry, so we found a nice little restaurant with a table outside and enjoyed some delicious traditional Swiss food before heading back home.

See pictures from Gantrisch.

Video:

"Where we came from, where we're going."

"Top of the Gantrisch"

Matterhorn and Mont Blanc

"Walking back down"

Paraglider takes off!

Mt. Pilatus

2008-10-18T17:13:00.000+02:00

I had so much fun climbing Mt. Niesen last week that Pam and I decided to climb Mt. Pilatus (2132 meters) this weekend. The weather forecast promised a nice day. Pilatus is not too far from Luzern. In fact, we were able to see the summit of Pilatus when we strolled through the streets of Luzern back in August with my Dad and Gretchen. At the time, I remember wondering what the view was like from the top. This was our chance to find out!

We didn't have the time -- or the conditioning -- to attempt the full 4-hour hike from the bottom, so we jumped on a gondola at Kriens for the 30-minute ride up to the small hillside resort of Fräkmüntegg (1415 meters). From there, we set out for the summit. It was a moderately steep two hour hike up the rocky mountainside. Fortunately, the path was well marked. Fog rolled in as we neared the top, but it was clear on the other side of the mountain and, when we reached the summit, we were able to enjoy stunning views of Luzern and the lake below (it was far better than I ever imagined!).

Given that it took so much effort to get there, I suspect we enjoyed the view just a little bit more than those tourists who took the gondola ride the whole way up! :)

See photos from Pilatus.

Video:

From the top of Mt. Pilatus.

Hiking Mt. Niesen

2008-10-12T09:35:00.007+02:00

Summer has turned into fall, which means its hiking season in Switzerland! It seems like everybody loves the great outdoors here. In the winter, people ski. In the summer, people boat on the lakes or float down the Aare river. And in the fall, people hike in the mountains. The Swiss take hiking pretty seriously. There is no shortage of hiking options. Switzerland's population even accepted an amendment to the constitution stating that the administration is obliged to support private efforts in creating and maintaining hiking paths.

Marco and Arno invited Pam and I to join them on a hike of Mt. Niesen this weekend. Unfortunately, Pam was unable to go because her friend Arlette was arriving from Amsterdam. But Arno's girlfriend, Bianca, joined us. Niesen is a 2,262m (7,749-ft) mountain overlooking Lake Thun, and its perfect pyramid shape make it a local favorite. We took a morning train from Bern to Mülenen, at the base of Mt. Niesen, and started walking from there. The weather was spectacular. We got a little lost along the way, but eventually made it to the Schwandegg funicular stop about halfway up the mountain. Hungry and a little tired, we decided the train was our best option for the rest way. :)

Once at the top, we enjoyed fantastic views of Lake Thun and Lake Brienz below, and from afar we could see the triumvirate peaks of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau. We relaxed at the outdoor terrace restaurant and enjoyed a delicious lunch before heading back down. Marco, Arno, and I didn't have the patience to stand in line for the cog railway, so we decided to hoof it. There were a few steep, narrow and exposed places along the way (especially near the top), but we managed to make good time. We met up with Bianca back at Schwandegg and took the funicular back down together.

It was a great day. The experience definitely opened my eyes to all the hiking possibilities in Switzerland. Can't wait to get back out there with Pam next weekend!!

See hiking photos from Mt. Niesen

Videos:

Are we there yet?!

"It's absolutely beautiful from up here!"

View of Lake Thun from the top of Niesen

Look Mom: Narrow ledge, no safety net.

Michelle blogging from Switzerland

2008-10-07T21:44:00.019+02:00

(MMC aka BklynGem blogging from Switzerland)

Ah, so it is Tuesday, Oct 7, our last day in Bern. Let me try to recount the past week in this one post without boring you too much.

In my opinion, Switzerland appears and acts much larger than it actually is...who knows what gives it so much character, I might say ballsy even. With the many mountains, lakes, castles, and rich history, I guess there's reason to be. So needless to say, we didn't get to do everything we wanted to (no trips to Zermatt to see the Matterhorn for example) or maybe we were subconsciously planning a return trip to finish the sightseeing ;-)

What we did do can be found in the many, many photos we took. Nadine and I are a bit of a nightmare with the camera. Love those candid shots. Sorry Brian and Pam.

Highlights include:
- Neuchatel (see photos): it's been noted that the yellow buildings appear to have been carved out of butter.
- Milan (see photos): Gucci, Prada...like a beacon calling us home ;-). Also, the possibility of a husband (seriously that was his first question before even trying to sell his silly bracelets). The panhandlers were a bit aggressive here. I noticed that the train system was very much like Boston's...color train lines and charlie ticket type system, more likely vice versa, since the Pine Street Inn tower (here) is supposedly a replica of this one in Italy. I wonder what else Boston copied from Italy?
- Fribourg (see photos): FONDUE. Enough. Said.
- Lake Geneva a la Montreux (see photos): This might have been the closest we got to France. The lake, the mountains...just MAGNIFIQUE!!! Even the train ride is a sight to behold with the vineyards on one side and the lake on the other. Here, I was the lone nerd who wanted to go into the 12th century Chateau de Chillon to see where Lord Byron scribbled his name on a pillar in support of Francois Bonivard, prisoner of the Duke of Savoy. There's a famous poem and some history there, or something ;-). It was pretty cool, though, and I got some video in one of the crypts (note the ominous sound of my boots purposely done for effect-lol), and some great views from the watchtower.

There was also a brief jaunt for lunch in Sion where I was somehow left standing on the platform while everyone waved from the train...hmmmm. But I was not complaining, the train system in Schweiz is excellent and runs frequently. I was on the next train within the hour. And I had my trusty iPhone (ha, knew I was gonna plug at some point) to let the others know I was just fine.

I should also mention the lots of walking around in and around Bern (see photos) where we visited with Pedro in the Bearpit, the Rosengarten, Kornhaus, and of course there was CHOCOLATE.

In summation, let's put it this way: Flight to Suisse - $1,000+, RailPass - $800+, Fondue Moitie-moitie - $25+, spending time with family - PRICELESS.

SMOOCHES!!

Videos:

"They are obsessed with Ovaltine!"

Welcome to Fribourg!

The Fribourg Strangler

Watch the "Amazing" video in Fribourg

Entering the Watchtower in Chillon.

Video in the Dungeon of Chillion.

Last Day in London

2008-09-14T23:31:00.008+02:00

Today was our last day in London with Pet and Claude. After breakfast, we drove to Epping forest for a leisurely walk and Sunday brunch. Along the way, we passed West Ham stadium for a quick photo op. Claude grew up near West Ham, and he remains a passionate fan of his hometown football (a.k.a. soccer) club. In fact, I would say Claude is as passionate about West Ham as I am about my beloved Patriots. Sadly, major news broke over the weekend that the team's primary sponsor -- XL Airways -- suddenly shut down and immediately ceased all operations. Wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that XL Airway's logo is so prominantly displayed across the front of the team's jersey. On the bright side, I guess that makes it a collectors item now.

Anyway, Epping forest was beautiful. It is a large woodland (6,000 acres) between north-east Greater London and the county of Essex -- not too far from where Pet and Claude live. It was a great day for a walk through the woods. Afterward, we enjoyed a "proper" English brunch before heading off to London City Airport for the flight back to Switzerland.

It was a great visit with Pet and Claude. They were such great hosts. Thank you guys!! Look forward to seeing you again soon! In the meantime, enjoy the slide show of our last day in London.

Stonehenge and the City of Bath

2008-09-13T21:17:00.000+02:00

Pet, Claude, Pam, and I took a bus tour to stonehenge and the city of Bath (of Canterbury Tales fame) on Saturday. It was nice to get outside the City and see the beautiful English countryside. Some people have dismissively referred to Stonehenge as a "just bunch of rocks in an open field." Others consider it the "eighth wonder" of the world. I guess I fall somewhere in between. I must admit I am a little intrigued by its mysterious origins. But the cynical side of me can't help but wonder if it is all just a scam carried out by some local farmers looking to boost tourism. Remember the famous crop circles - those mysterious huge circular patterns that first started appearing in wheat fields in southern England in the 1960s -- which were later proven to be an elaborate hoax? Well, I kept wondering while I was looking at stonehenge if it might be something like that. Who knows. See slide show of stonehenge.

After stonehenge, we walked back to our crowded tour bus and patiently waited for an hour while our guide frantically searched for a couple that had gone missing from our group. Given that we were at stonehenge, I suspect they may have been abducted by aliens. :) Anyway, we didn't stick around to find out. We eventually left for Bath without them. Hey, we had a schedule to keep!

Bath is a charming city with a lot of history. We drove by Jane Austen's former house, the Royal Crescent building, and a circle of Georgian townhouses known as the "Circus." The Circus is a pretty posh area of town; Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt all apparently own townhouses there. After the short bus ride through town, we got off and toured the famous Roman baths. That was amazing, if not a bit smelly (sulfur). Afterward, the four of us picked up some sandwiches and scones and headed to a gorgeous park along the river. A little shopping for delicious fudge afterward and then it was back to the bus for the 100-mile ride back to London. It was another great day. See slide show of Bath.

Videos:

"I think I'll go for a swim."

The Roman baths

"It's hot down here!"

Video of lunch in the park.

St. Paul's Cathedral

2008-09-12T23:51:00.001+02:00

Today we decided to go to St. Paul's Cathedral for the tour. It's the church Diana and Prince Charles were married in so I saw it on TV decades ago. Once again, I did not see this on my last trip as we went to Westminister's Abbey then. St. Paul's an enormous church with great views from the top (I climbed the 500 plus steps). After the tour, we decided to head to Canary Wharf where Brian was having his meetings. We sat outdoors for drinks with his co-workers then we headed back to Pet's house then headed out to dinner at Rodizio Rico for some Brazilian bbq where we stuffed our faces with meat and more meat then waddled home. See slide show.

Video:

From the top of St. Paul's

Arrive in London

2008-09-11T19:16:00.003+02:00

(Pam) Brian and I arrived in London last night to stay through Sunday. Brian is here for work, but we decided to stay through Sunday to spend some time with my cousin Pet and her family. Pet took Thursday and Friday off from work so I was really happy and it was so good to be around family. We decided to go to the London Eye as it did not exist the last time I was in London. Even though it was cloudy there were some really good views. It took all of 30 mins on the eye itself so there was not enough time to get dizzy. I guess it only does a half rotation.

After the London Eye, I wanted to hit some shops on Oxford St. I got a great jacket at this new store, Primark which is like H&M (discount shopping!!). When we got on the tube there were Primark bags everywhere. I was exhausted though, Oxford St. reminded me of NYC - hectic! After being in Switzerland it was a nice change though. We headed back to Pet's place for some dinner and then I left to meet up with Brian. I spent about an hour on the underground because I got lost but all ended well and Brian and I had a drink at a bar near the Victoria station. It was a relief to ask directions and not have to worry if the person speaks English as is usually not the case in Switzerland. See slide show here.

Blathering and other Thoughts

2008-09-03T21:10:00.002+02:00

We've been through the routine several times, but it doesn't get any easier seeing visitors head home. We had such a wonderful time with Terry, Sherry, and Bree. They were so eager to explore and experience this wonderful country. We were just happy to be along for the ride. Terry did an amazing job with the blogs. His posts were a perfect mixture of description, humor, and sentimentality. Who knew "Mr. Fussy-Pants" was such a talented writer?

I won't attempt to rehash all our journeys, but one of the highlights for me personally was accompanying Terry back to Fribourg after 40 years. Surprisingly, he didn't collapse into a pathetic heap of tears like we all expected/hoped. But his calm demeanor and stiff upper lip belied a flood of emotions bubbling up on the inside (or was that the fondue I heard rumbling?). Anyway, his semi-delirious mental state became plainly evident the moment he opened his mouth. He started spewing a series of non sequiturs. The "blathering" continued as we walked passed the administration building at his old college dorm. Fortunately, I just happened to have my video camera rolling (sorry, Terry). See video of Terry blathering. The "chief monk" line cracks me up every time.

All laughs aside, I have so many great memories from their visit: floating down the Aare with Bree, riding a zip line over the Aletsch Glacier, peering down on lake Lake Thun from atop Berchtold's castle. How can I choose just one?

Reflecting further, I am reminded of a quote from Lord Byron, who said: to have joy one must share it. And so too I have come to realize that what makes all these moments special for me is not where I was, or what I was looking at, but who I was with. Sharing the dream with those that mean the most to you makes it so much more rewarding.

So, thank you Terry, Sherry, and Bree for coming to Switzerland. Thank you for sharing in this wonderful experience with us.

Look forward to seeing you on the "other side"....

Videos:

See "hand it over" video.

See video of Terry, Sherry, and Bree saying "goodbye."

So Long, Farewell...

2008-09-02T15:04:00.012+02:00

While tomorrow would technically be our last day in Switzerland, we left Bern today to head to Zurich where we would stay overnight for a morning flight out. With that, we considered this our last day here.

You know how Father Time is always yanking living experiences from us and shoving in our hands those ever-fading receipts with “Memory” stamped on them. I understand that those exchanges are not always to be rued, but giving up this Swiss experience for a “Memory Receipt” was going to be painful, and we knew it.

We began the day with our last trip to that delightful bakery around the corner from Pam/Brian’s apartment. We packed like we were under water - deliberate-like slow-motion - until we could put off the train no longer. Brian had started work early so he could join us for dinner in Zurich and Pam was left to deal with our sullen (in my case, probably surly) mood.

The hour train ride to the airport, the shuttle to the hotel to check in, confirmation of the flights the next day and a short walk to the Rumlang train station nearby to return to Zurich had us eating a small bite in the early afternoon at the city Bahnhof.

After that we set off on a small walking tour (any other kind in this place?) of the Bahnhofquai and the city. We went to Fraumunster cathedral with its stunning stained glass windows by Marc Chagall and across the river to Grossmunster where Zwigli reigned in the Reformation. (No pictures allowed inside so they could charge for their postcards.) The Swiss have no shortage of history but this was another beautiful day and we were by the river that had its sidewalk cafes calling us to enjoy their contributions to Swiss culture as well. We succumbed to sit and watch the idyllic scene until we started walking back to meet Brian for dinner. Again, we found an outdoor restaurant and we feasted. To be honest, I’m not sure what we talked about. The end was near. We all walked back to the station, Brian wanting to come with us back to our McHotel (not a joke - it really was!), we saying no, we had to try to get some sleep for the ordeal the next day.

And like that, Brian and Pam were gone. Twelve hours later, so were we.

For all these months - even years, I looked forward to returning to “The Place” I had come to love. My expectations were exceeded, and further enhanced because I could show off my past to Sherry so she could understand why I am, in part, as I am, and to Bree, so she can come back without us and finish this place off right! Even Dave got to be a part of the Act!

But I learned, as travel often teaches, that the highlight of my trip “home” was watching the adventure unfold through the eyes of others - especially Brian and Pam. Their appetite to experience everything this wonderful country has to offer is contagious. And for those out there who have not yet experienced their hospitality in Bern, you may rest assured that you wouldn’t remember so much how gracious they were (though they are) nor how funny they were (though they are) nor how accommodating they were (and, OH, they ARE!) You’d take away the sense that they truly want you to feel the excitement of this special time they are having. They want to Share!

To you, Brian and Pam, we can only say, “Thank you from the bottoms of our hearts!” We offer the following as token remembrances, to make reading that fading print on the “Memory Receipt” easier in the future:

Blathering
Chief Monk
More Cow Bell!
Water Slides for Mice
Swiss Killer Swans
5-10 minutes. . . MAX!
Blinders

Lock and Load!
“At least you don’t snore!”
“They don’t give me responsibility.”

Thank you both so much.

See slide show of last day in Switzerland.

Basel & Last Night in Bern

2008-09-01T23:13:00.014+02:00

Being a non-Labor Day work day, Brian came up with some lame excuse to bail out of our activities for the day - Work! But he cheerfully threw Pam under the bus to commit her to accompany us on our trip to Basel. We were going in spite of the iffy weather forecast to just see what trouble we could get into. We arrived around noon and Pam led us to the tram that took us directly to the Marktplatz, the central square that holds all the city's festivals. In fact, it was the very square that held the Fastnacht celebration in 1971, which a contingent of Fribourgois and I attended. Hard to believe, to be sure, but the Platz was recognizable to these 40-year-older eyes. It was a party that lasted all night and through the day for us. For the Swiss, it is a Three Day Binge that allows them to keep their austere exteriors for the remainder of the year without snapping from the stress of being Swiss.

We had lunch at an airy cafe on the Platz and just as we were beginning our walking tour of the Rathaus and old town, the skies opened up, forcing us to slog our way dutifully around the prescribed route to the Munster cathedral, basking in our grit, if not the sun. After we came out of Munster, the skies had dried up but I think we were drained. Foreswearing the zoo and the art museum, we meandered our way back to the Bahnhof to return to Bern so Pam could go to her class. See slide show of Basel.

Had it been earlier in the week, I truly believe we would have forged ahead, but with only 2 days to go to return home, neither the legs or the spirit were willing. It worked out that Brian could join us as Pam was starting into class (like our being alone would violate our alien permit or something) and we shopped for different things on the way home to await Pam's arrival.

Being our last night in Bern, we went to the Kornhaus -- a huge subterranean palace of a restaurant with a 600-year history we won't go into. It was a festival of gourmet delights! We walked home a new way, down the steps of the big bridge, and made it back in time to collapse and think of the morrow. Zurich is awaiting us in the morning as we get ready to leave this fairy land. See slide show of last night in Bern.

Farewell to Fribourg

2008-08-31T22:36:00.005+02:00

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

2008-08-30T20:18:00.006+02:00

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!

2008-08-29T22:02:00.012+02:00

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

2008-08-28T21:07:00.015+02:00

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"

2008-08-27T17:14:00.002+02:00

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

2008-08-26T10:47:00.016+02:00

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

2008-08-25T21:21:00.001+02:00

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

2008-08-25T10:58:00.006+02:00

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!!

2008-08-24T22:45:00.008+02:00

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

2008-08-09T13:11:00.000+02:00

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

2008-08-08T21:40:00.006+02:00

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

2008-08-07T21:39:00.016+02:00

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

2008-08-06T20:43:00.010+02:00

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

2008-08-05T14:21:00.010+02:00

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

2008-08-04T11:57:00.009+02:00

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.

Rain in Ticino

2008-07-13T20:30:00.002+02:00

Marco had plans to take us to Lugano today but the weather did not cooperate. The five of us -- Marco, Pam, William, Mary Anne, and myself -- sat at the breakfast table at our hotel for several hours talking and watching the rain fall. It was actually quite relaxing, and not entirely unwelcome after the busy day before. The showers were so heavy they closed the highway between Bellinzona and Lugano due to floooding. Lugano would have to wait for another day.

Marco decided to take us to visit his parents instead. They were so nice and friendly (now we know where Marco gets it from)! They don't speak much English (and we don't speak Italian), so poor Marco had to interpret for all us. But it all worked out. Marco's mother made us coffee and his dad pulled out a bottle of homemade grappa for us all to enjoy. It was delicious. When I mentioned how much I like the grappa, his dad disappeared for a few minutes and then came back with a bottle for each of us to take home. It was such a nice gesture. Wish we had gift in return. It was a short but lovely visit. Afterwards, Marco drove us back to the station where we caught the train back to Bern. Overall, it was another great weekend! Here are some pictures from Sunday.

Again, Thank you Marco!

Guided Tour of Ticino

2008-07-12T14:30:00.006+02:00

My dear friend (and work colleague), Marco, invited us to visit his home in Ticinio this weekend. He had two friends visiting from South Africa -- William and Mary Anne -- and he offered to show us all around. We gladly accepted!

Ticino is in southern Switzerland but, as we found out, radically different from the rest of the country in almost every way. This might be because Ticino is geographically separated from the rest of Switzerland by the Alps. Honestly, it felt more like Italy than Switzerland. The language, the architecture, the culture....all very Italian.

Ticino's two largest and most recognizable cities are Lugano and Lucarno, but the cantonal capital is actually Bellinzona. Pam and I arrived in Bellinzona on Friday night and met William and Mary Anne at our hotel on Saturday morning. We hit it off right away. Mary Anne is an economist at the central bank of South Africa. Her husband William also works at the central bank in the bank supervision area. To Pam's dismay, William and I quickly became absorbed in a thrilling conversation about bank regulatory structures across national jurisdictions. Fortunately, Marco arrived just in time to save the day.

Marco proposed that we start by walking around Bellinzona for a little bit. Bellinzona is strategically positioned along a valley in the foothills of the Alps and was once considered the main gateway between Italy and Switzerland. The city's bygone glory is still evident from the three castles and a series of fortifications that run across the valley floor. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We walked through town and outdoor market before Marco took us up to the castle of Castelgrande, which looks over the entire Ticino valley. It was beautiful. Here are some pictures.

After Bellinzona, Marco drove us to Valle Verzasca for lunch. Verzasca is a relatively remote, but popular valley not far from Locarno. It is lined with several picturesque stone villages and has a beautiful emerald green river flowing through it. We stopped for pictures at an old double-arched bridge. Very nice. Then Marco took us to one of his favorite restaurants where we enjoyed several bottles of local wine and dined plates of meat and cheese. It was fantastic. It started to rain, but the storms passed by the time we finished eating. On the way back down we stopped by Verzasca dam, where I filmed some maniacs bungy jumping of the dam wall. Interesting tidbit: a jump from the Verzasca Dam was the opening scene of James Bond's "Golden Eye." Here are some pictures of Verzasca and the surrounding area. Video 1 and Video 2.

Following Verzasca we went to Swiss resort of Locarno. Locarno is a popular vacation destination for the Swiss located on the northern tip of Lake Maggiore across from Italy. I am told it enjoys the most hours of sunshine anywhere in Switzerland. I can believe it. We visited the Madonna del Sasso Sanctuary on the hillside above Locarno where we enjoyed great views of the city and Lake Maggiore below. Then we headed down to the palm-lined lakefront and walked to the famous Piazza Grande, a busy square surrounded by charming old houses.

We left Locarno after a couple of hours and drove to Ascona, which lies just a little further south along Lake Maggorie. It boasts a beautiful lake promenade. Marco had to leave, but William, Mary Anne, Pam, and I stayed in Ascona for dinner. It was a great meal. We had a fascinating conversation about life in South Africa and the changes that have occurred there over the last decade or more. It was amazing to get perspective from people who live there. They kindly invited us to visit them sometime, which we may seriously consider. After dinner, the four of us took the train back to Bellinzona for some much needed rest. Pictures of Locarno and Ascona.

It was such a great day. We experienced so much and Marco was such a great host. It was so nice of him to show us around. While Ticino and the rest of Switzerland may be different in many ways, in some ways we found them to be the same: the people are kind and the land is beautiful.

Thank you, Marco!!!!

Montreux Jazz Festival

2008-07-05T22:13:00.001+02:00

We went to the Montreux Jazz Festival today, which is the best-known music festival in Switzerland. It is held annually every July in Montreux along the shores of Lake Geneva. We had thought about buying tickets online beforehand. But we procrastinated (of course) and the tickets for Sheryl Crow -- who was the headliner that night -- sold out. There were many other performances going on, some of which were free, so we decided to head to Montreux anyway to check it out.

It was an absolutely beautiful day. We enjoyed gorgeous views of Lake Geneva and the surrounding region as we approached Montreux on the train. From the station, we just followed the sound of music until we arrived at Parc Vernex where there was an outdoor stage with a Big Band playing cover tunes. We spread our blanket out on the lawn and relaxed in the sun for a little bit. We noticed in the program that a "Jazz Boat" was scheduled to depart at 3PM, which sounded like fun, but we had to hurry if we were going to make it. We also had to deal with the issue of how to get tickets. As we impatiently pushed our way through the meandering crowds along the lake shore drive, we couldn't help but smell the aroma of flavors from all the food stalls. My mouth began to water. But we didn't have time to stop.

We arrived at the pier and were immediately put off by the large crowd of people pushing and shoving each, jostling for position to get on the boat. It was getting hot, and my mind turned wistfully back to all those food stalls. But just then a scalper approached and offered two tickets at a discount. Alarm bells were going off in my head. But we forked over the cash, grabbed the tickets, and pushed our way onto the boat. Fortunately, the tickets were valid. In hindsight, I am so glad we didn't turn around on the pier because the 3 hour boat tour on Lake Geneva was incredible. The scenery was spectacular, of course. But it was also some of the best live Blues and Jazz music I've ever heard -- on par with anything I've experienced in New Orleans, New York, or St. Louis (maybe better). I nearly filled up the memory card on our camera taking videos!

After the boat arrived back in Montreux, we ordered paella from one of those food stalls and then we made our way back to Parc Vernex, where we listened to cool band from Senegal named Les Freres Sambe. It was getting late, so we started to walk back to the train station. On our way, we ran back into the scalper who sold us tickets to the Jazz Boat. I think he was following us! He just happened to have two extra tickets to Sheryl Crow.... :)

Here are some pictures from throughout the day.

Swimming in the Aare

2008-07-02T22:55:00.001+02:00

The weather turned nice and warm this week. Quite a few Bernese have headed over to "Marzili Beach" across the street from our apartment to swim and lay out. From our balcony, we noticed hundreds of bikes piling up in the parking lot. The warm weather is the first real opportunity for many people to go swimming in the Aare River -- something I've been wanting to do myself since we first arrived in March. Back then the water temperature was a chilly 10 C (50 F), but it has since warmed to a comfortable 19 C (66 F). So, after work today I rushed home to change then headed over to Marzili Beach to check it all out.

It was quite a spectacle to see hundreds of people wearing only bathing suits walk unabashedly upstream along the footpaths until they found a spot to jump in and float back to where they started. After a few pictures, Pam and I followed the crowd upstream. I eventually found a spot to jump in...and off I went (Pam opted not to join me)!!

It was exhilarating! I dipped my head below water and heard the coarse sound of pebbles rushing by rocks on the riverbed floor. The current was so strong; I just let myself be carried downstream by the river. I spread my arms and floated on my back as I looked up at the sky. I felt like I was on a different planet. As I came around the last bend before the exit I caught a spectacular view of the Federal Parliament building up on a hill overlooking the river. Never seen it from that angle before! It was pretty cool. Can't wait to do it again!! Here are some pictures Pam took from the shore. Pam also took a video of me jumping in.

Wadlopen

2008-06-29T23:07:00.001+02:00

We woke up at 7am to catch an 8:20 bus from Groningen station to Lauwersoog. Alma delivered our breakfast of eggs, ham, cheese and bread at 7:15. We left with Jack at 8am for the short ride to the station. It was very nice of him to give us a ride and we felt lucky to have found such nice hosts (on the internet no doubt). The bus arrived promptly at 8:20 and we were off on our 45 min ride to catch the ferry.

Once we got to Lauwersoog, it was not really clear which was the right ferry. So, we basically started walking around asking if anyone knew where we were supposed to go. We found another group who were going off for a 5 hour mud hike, and they invited us to go along with them if we didn't find our group. There was no way we were going with them. I was already beginning to doubt going on a 3 hour mud hike and adding 2 hours was definitely not in the plans. They did direct us in the direction that they thought our ferry would be so we set off there.

After walking about another 10 minutes we spotted the only ferry with activity around it and were just hoping that it was the one since there was nothing else going on around the dock. We were in luck, it was our boat. There were only 4 people on at the time but it quickly began to fill up and soon there were about 20 of us ready to set off on the hike. The ferry took an hour to actually get to the dry sand bed so we could begin the walk. We were getting anxious but soon enough we were wading in waist-deep water off the boat to get to the sand bed.

Once we got off the boat, each guide paired up with the hikers and we got a very enthusiastic guide (Johann) all to ourselves. Johann was clearly into Arlette and invited her on a night hike even before we got off the ferry. Johann led the way as we traversed over the dikes and were knee deep in mud at times. Three hours actually went by faster than I imagined. Many times I had to hush the voice in my head going, why are we doing this again!!?? I imagined a different experience - one where I would stand marvelling at the sight of the North Sea in the distance while walking on what would normally be the bottom of the ocean in high tide.

It was pretty awesome once we were finished but for a couple hours there it was just mud , more mud, and us sinking deeper into mud. At one point, Arlette told Johann that we can't swim and of course he responded that we didn't need to unless high tide came back before the scheduled time. After 3 hours of mud walking we climbed back on the ferry which then took us to Schiermonnikoog (One of the Wadden Islands). Then, we boarded a bus that took us to the center of town and we followed Johann and the other guides to one of the local restaurants. We feasted on the local seafood and for dessert the Dutch pancake dish with Apple filing (Pannekoeken). It was delicious!

After our meal, Johann and the guides said they were heading off to a lighthouse on the island to visit a friend. The lighthouse was not open for visitors but they invited us along so we headed off with them. Some of the other hikers were at the restaurant with us but they declined the lighthouse trip. There were some great views from the lighthouse and it was pretty neat after we found out that it is only one of two working lighthouses in all of Holland! After the lighthouse we went our own way back to the center of town to wait for the bus to take us back to the ferry and then begin our journey back to Amsterdam. We arrived back in Amsterdam at 11:30pm and basically just showered then fell into bed. It was a great day. Here are some pictures.

Groningen

2008-06-28T22:36:00.003+02:00

We ate breakfast at a lovely outdoor restaurant about 20 minutes from Arlette's flat. Once back home, we made plans to go on a mud walking tour (or "wadlopen") for the following day. Arlette had described it to me and it sounded exciting, although I was still a little unsure of the details. She said it was a walk in the Wadden Sea. During low-tide, the ocean recedes to create a land bridge between the mainland and several islands in the Wadden Sea. The hikers have to sometimes fight their way through layers of mud, surrounded by nothing else but sea, sand and birds. All groups are accompanied by experienced guides. It sounded like fun.

In order to get to the start of the walk we needed to take a 2 hour train to Groningen and then a 45 minute bus ride to town called Lauwersoog. From there, a ferry would then take us to the one of the dikes along the sea where the walk would begin. The tour left at 10am Sunday, so we decided to best to head out Saturday and stay at a Bed & Breakfast for the night. Unfortunately, there was a motorcycle grand prix going in the area and there was nothing available. We tried calling hotels but the price was now at 190 Euros a night (with exchange rate $300 US) - ridiculous!

We finally came across a B&B that promised a room with 2 beads, separate bath and breakfast for 70 Euros. The owner also said he could pick us up at the station. There were no pictures of the place online, so we were a bit skeptical. But our options were limited, so made the reservation and took the 8PM train to Groningen. We arrived two hour later. Jack, the owner, met us at the station and drove us to his home. We were relieved to find a lovely room in the attic. It was perfect.

The owner's wife, Alma, invited us to the block party that was going on on their block. It was the last day of school for the kids and every year ten houses on the block threw a party before everyone headed out to summer vacation. We went to our room to change and then immediately headed over to the block party and met the neighbours. They were all nice, but after a glass of wine we left to see what the rest of Groningen was like.

Jack recommended a great bar with live music. The band was really good. We enjoyed the music for a little while then left about 11:30 since we had to get up at 7am to make a 8am bus to the ferry. While walking back to the house, we happened upon a street party with DJ on a platform and dancers in the street. It was really good dance music so we stayed for 1/2 hour before heading back to the B&B to get some sleep.

Off to Amsterdam!!

2008-06-27T22:31:00.001+02:00

I boarded a 12:25 flight to Amsterdam to visit Arlette today. I was very excited since we haven't seen each other for a year and half and it would be the first time that I am visiting her in Amsterdam. The only time we met up in Europe was in 2001 when she met Brian and I in Brussels.

Arlette met me at the airport and after grabbing a cappucino we headed off to her flat. She lives fairly close to the airport, so we were there in 1/2 hr. The plan was for us to go to the bike rental shop and rent a bike for my stay. At 10 Euros a day, it is the more economical way to see the city and get around. We were so engrossed in our conversation that we almost missed the 5:30 closing time of the rental shop. Once we got our bikes, Arlette led the way to the canals and to the trendy part of town. We parked at one of the outdoor cafes (not a regular coffee shop) for a drink before heading to dinner at a lovely restaurant where I had a delicious lamb shank dish. Arlette knew of a great place for dessert, but when we rode over there it was too crowded with diners waiting outside so we just headed back to her flat. We chatted and chatted then eventually fell asleep. I don't know what time. Here are a few pictures from the first day in Amsterdam.

Breithorn

2008-06-22T00:06:00.009+02:00

We eagerly gathered at 7:45 AM at the base station of the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise (formerly Klein Matterhorn) . We were greeted by our guide, Thomas, and the four other hikers in our group -- Anna, Michael, Phil, and Jason. We made quick introductions before boarding the cable car for the 40 minute ride up the mountain. Anna and Michael were a couple, both temporarily working at the UN in Geneva. Phil was a glaciologist from England. Jason was a geologist from Wales.

Jason's back story was the most interesting. He nearly died from a heart attack about a year ago. The experience forced him to re-prioritze his life; he had read about the Breithorn and decided to set a new goal: to someday climb the mountain and see the world from the summit 4,000 meters above sea level. He completely changed his lifestyle, started working out, and lost 40 pounds in the process. His wife and kids traveled to Switzerland with him to show their support. It was a really inspiring story. I didn't have the heart (no pun intended) to tell him we had spontaneously signed up the day before after checking the weather report online.

Anyway the cable car did most of the work for us, taking us 3,870 meters up the 4,164 meter mountain. The ride up offered exceptional views of the Matterhorn and vast glacier fields below. From the top, we could see over much of Switzerland, deep into Italy and even to France (with Mont Blanc 68km away). It was spectacular.

After taking in the view for a couple of minutes, we quickly refocused on the task at hand. We fastened our climbing harnesses, tied ourselves to a rope line, and headed off on our four hour tour. We walked along a flat ridge line before beginning the slow ascent. Found out later that the ridge crossed over several covered crevasses -- thus the need for the safety line. After about an hour, we stopped to put our crampons on and then we started the 35 degree climb up the snow covered mountain. Climbing at that angle at sea level might not be a problem, but factor in the altitude and the ice and it becomes quite a workout! My chest was burning. But Pam seemed unfazed. I was stunned to see how strong she was. She just marched up the mountain with her head down, dragging me and the rest of the group along with her. In our defense, we were all wearing a back-packs (she was not). But I don't think that made much of a difference. She was in peak form.

It was a beautiful day, if it weren't for the fact that the summit was covered with clouds. But not being able to see the summit had its advantages; it might have been a bit demoralizing to see how much further we had to go. The altitude was really starting to hit me. Just then, Thomas exclaimed "we made it!" It was hard to tell because the visibility was so low. But the wind was strong, and it wasn't long before a break in the clouds provided a clear opportunity to look down on the world below. It was truly exhilarating. Indescribable. We stayed on the summit for about 20 minutes before Thomas turned us around and marched us back down the mountain.

As much trouble as I had getting up, the trek back down was worse for me. I didn't have proper mountain boots, so I was stumbling all over the place (as Pam would describe it later: I was a "hot mess"). To make matters worse, one of my crampons came loose. Pam had to literally guide me back down at one point. But we made it without incident. I was completely exhausted. Back at Klein Matterhorn, I had barely enough energy left to climb panoramic viewing platform to take pictures.

We all met up for a celebratory drink before heading our separate ways. For us, that meant back to the hotel for our bags, a quick bite to eat, and then the train station for the trip back to Bern. Overall, it turned out to be one of the best experiences we've had so far. The sense of anxiety from the night before was gone. But the memories from this day will last a lifetime. See pictures or See video.

Zermatt

2008-06-21T00:03:00.001+02:00

We left Bern this morning on the 9:07 AM train to Zermatt (via Visp). The leg between Visp and Zermatt actually forms part of Glacier Express route. But we had never seen this part because we took the Glacier Express heading East from Visp toward St. Moritz. In any case, the hour train ride between Visp and Zermatt is said to be one of the most beautiful in all of Switzerland. We can't argue with that. See pictures.

We arrived in Zermatt around 11AM and immediately went to the Alpine Center to book our guided tour of the Breithorn for the next day. Then we headed to a sporting goods store to rent the necessary hiking equipment (i.e., crampons, a climbing harness, mountaineering boots, and ski poles) before finally checking into our room at Hotel Couronne. We were so preoccupied we never really got a good look at the Matterhorn until we opened the doors to our balcony in our hotel room. It was absolutely awe-inspiring to see it in person for the first time. Except for muttering an occasional "wow," Pam and I sat there for some time in stunned silence admiring every detail. See more pictures or see video.

Our grumbling stomachs finally motivated us to get something to eat. We found a cute little outdoor restaurant serving traditional Swiss cuisine. We sat at a table with a great view of, what else, the Matterhorn. After lunch, we took the cogwheel train up to Gornergrat (3090m). See video. Our guidebook said it is the "highest open-air rail system in Europe." The observation terrace at the top offered wide open views of all great Alpine mountains in Switzerland's Valais region (there are a lot of them). Being surrounded by all those massifs was a bit dizzying, but that could have just been altitude sickness taking effect.

From our vantage point at Gornergrat we could also see the summit of Breithorn. I nearly s**t my pants. Breithorn is supposed to be one of the most easily climbed 4,000 meter Alpine peak, but it is still a 4,000 meter tall mountain. And from our angle there didn't look anything "easy" about it. We were both a little rattled. I was starting to wonder if maybe we had gotten in over our heads. Passing a cemetery on our way back to our hotel with a gravestone of a climber who died climbing the Breithorn didn't help matters. Coincidentally, the climber was from New York City. See even more pictures.

We had an early start the next morning, so Pam and I went to bed early. Our heads were filled with a mixture excitement, suspense, and fear as we laid there trying to fall asleep. It promised to be an exciting day ahead....

Weekend Plans

2008-06-20T22:43:00.006+02:00

It was a rough week. I came down with a bad cold (or something) last weekend and was essentially out of commission for three days. The aches, sore throat, headache, stuffy nose, and chest cough finally started to relent on Monday, just in time for my birthday. Many thanks for the birthday greetings everyone. But there was little time to celebrate -- my eye became infected and I was back to being miserable. It was a mess. I decided to stop by a medical clinic on Tuesday for some eye drops, and that helped ease the pain.

Now I'm finally starting to like my old self again....just in time for the weekend. :) The forecast calls for nice weather, so we've decided to go to Zermatt. We leave tomorrow morning. It is Alpine week, which means lots of activities and discounts on guided mountain tours!! If all goes well, Pam and I plan to tour the Briethorn (4,164) on Sunday. The ascent to the summit is one of the easiest in the region. Better yet, the route takes us over a glacial plateau! We packed winter clothes just in case. We are both very excited and hope the weather holds. Hope to come back in one piece to share pictures. Stay tuned....

Happy Birthday, Brian!!!

2008-06-16T13:14:00.003+02:00

It will be a very low key celebration this year (dinner at home) as Brian fell victim to the Euro 2008 celebrations and is now recovering from the flu. We spent the weekend watching the Keeping up with the Kardashians marathon...fun!!!

Bike Rides and Beer Baths

2008-06-09T22:27:00.006+02:00

We had been so focused on soccer since Cathy and Lori arrived, I thought it might be nice to do something different. I proposed we rent bikes and head to Interlaken to see a little bit of the beautiful Swiss countryside. It was supposed to be a great day for it. There was a 12:35 PM train from Bern, but we had to hurry if we were going to catch it. I rushed ahead to buy tickets at the station, while Pam, Cathy, and Lori went to the bike rental shop. The plan was to meet on the train platform. I arrived first with just minutes to spare, but there was no sign of them. I stood there in agony as the doors closed and the train slowly pulled out of the station. Wouldn't you figure...as soon as the last car disappear around the corner I saw Pam, Cathy, and Lori walking their bikes up the ramp to the platform. Arrrgh, so close! No worries though. Another train was departing at 1:04 PM. So we patiently waited 30 minutes only to find out that train didn't allow bikes on board. As Lori would say: "Vas da Fuk!!"

We finally gave up and decided to take the 1:23 PM train to Spiez instead. Spiez is located about halfway between Bern and Interlaken along Lake Thunersee. Pam and I had been there before (see 5/11/08 post) and thought it would be a great setting for a leisurely bike ride. Turned out be be anything but! We had trouble finding a suitable bike path outside the station. We ended up perilously navigating along the shoulder of a highway before plunging down a steep hill with sharp switch backs. Lori wisely decided to ignore my lead. She got off her bike and walked it down hill. Needless to say, the day was not going as I had imagined it would.

After some searching we eventually found a nice, flat bike path along the water. I thought things were finally starting to look up, only to find out later that the path veered a little too close to the Lake for Cathy's liking. I felt terrible about dragging Cathy and Lori along for what was turning out to be the Swiss bike tour from hell. Frustrated and sweaty, we just decided head back home for some burgers and beer. See pictures.

The day was not a complete loss, however. We made it back to Bern in time to head over to the Fan Zone in the Bundesplatz to watch Holland vs. Italy. The Fan Zone was packed with fans from the Netherlands; it was like a sea of orange. Pam found an intrepid stranger with a few too many drinks in him. He eagerly agreed push his way forward through the crowd so we could get closer to the screen. We were fully "in the Zone" by the time the game started. It was a great match. Holland demolished Italy 3-0. The fans were passionate, but respectful. Every time Holland scored, the crowd erupted with joy and beer went flying everywhere. It was fun.

I was able to focus solely on the game. But Cathy and Lori seemed to be getting a lot of attention and had to fend off several suitors. Maybe it was just me....but they didn't seem to mind too much. :) Anyway, after the game we went to a bar with a group of fans we met at the Fan Zone before eventually heading back home. It was great ending to what started out as a rough day. :) See pictures.

Lausanne

2008-06-08T22:02:00.003+02:00

After heartily celebrating the first night of Euro 2008 last night, I woke up a little disoriented. I was in a random hotel room with three people sound asleep on beds scattered around the room. It took me a second to realize I was not in a hostel. I was in Geneva -- Pam and I had crashed in Cathy and Lori's hotel room after the game. We had ordered an extra cot and Pam and I split a twin-sized bed. Half my body was still numb from sleeping on my side all night. With my head still ringing I wasn't sure if I should go eat something, go back to sleep, or throw up. I decided to head downstairs for some much needed coffee and what I thought was a "free" buffet. Found out later that breakfast cost an outrageous $56 per person. ouch! No worries though, the bill was automatically charged to the room under the name Caldeira. :) Pam joined me about an hour later, just as they were putting away the food. Cathy and Lori.... well, they made it just in time to check out, pay the bill, and catch our 1PM train back home.

On the way back to Bern, we decided to get off the train at Lausanne. Pam and I had been through the city several times before on our way to other destinations but we never actually got out to explore. Lausanne is a little less than half way between Geneva and Bern along the northern shore of Lac Leman (a.k.a. Lake Geneva). I could try to describe the city's beauty in words, but it would be no match for those of Victor Hugo: "Lausanne is a block of picturesque houses, spilling over two or three gorges, which spread from the same central knot, and are crowned by a cathedral like a tiara....I saw the lake over the roofs, the mountains over the lake, clouds over the mountains, and stars over the clouds." Yeah, ditto. From the train station in Lausanne we walked (uphill) to the Cathedrale Notre-Dame. The views from the top of the church tower were breathtaking. If Victor didn't do it for you, here are some pictures to fill in your imagination. Or see this video.

Anyway, after about an hour we decided to head back. It was Sunday, so most of the stores were closed. But on our way down we stumbled across a little bar called "The Great Escape." It was perfect. We watched the French Open final between Federer and Nadal while sucking down chicken fingers, french fries, and beer. The tennis match wasn't competitive. But we had fun anyway. We eventually made it back to Bern in time to catch the game between German vs. Poland. I made a healthy serving of nachos (as if we hadn't gorged ourselves enough), we enjoyed a few more beers, and I ended the day the same way I had started it....disoriented.

Bern/Geneva

2008-06-07T23:27:00.001+02:00

[Cathy, reporting from Switzerland]

OMG!!! Cannot believe I'm actually here! It is so cool and of course everything is beautiful! :)

Like Brian was saying about the 'Bailey's'..that was the coolest gift so we enjoyed that on Thursday and checked out Bern. On Friday, we headed off to Geneva so that we could check into our hotel and see the city sights... the city was all prepared for the Euro so that was awesome!! The fountain where they have the fussball is sooo cool!! The Swiss clock in the shape of the fussball is also cool!! Of course everything is cool!!! :) Here are some pictures from Friday.

Needless to say, Geneva is a blast! Our hotel was 'verry nice' as Borat would say.. We went into Old Town and saw the Cathedral St. Pierre on Saturday then went to pick up our tickets for the match. The city was getting geared up for the Euro and we had tickets to (Portugal/Turkey)

OMG!!! It was the best game ever since Portugal scored 2 and Turkey nil! We were seated in the Portuguese area so that worked out. They are soo crazy! :) I picked up some Portuguese gear before so we participated in the chants and even took a few photos w/ some compadres..

Before the game, we were at the 'Fan Zone' in Geneva which was crazy but awesome!!!

Switzerland gave it a solid shot but Czech Republic scored 1 so that was a bit disheartening but that's just one game so we'll keep a close watch on La Suisse.

After the game, we came back to meet Pam & Brian at the bar across the street from the hotel, 'Lord Jim's Bar'

Sunday we just woke up and headed back out to Bern. Au revoir Geneva! :( It was fun!! :)

Visitors!!!

2008-06-05T19:50:00.001+02:00

Cathy and Lori arrived today from New York!! We were so excited to see them. They are here for a week, splitting time between Bern and Geneva. Coincidentally (or not!), the Euro 2008 soccer championships start this week. In fact, Cathy and Lori have tickets for the Portugal vs. Turkey game in Geneva on Saturday night. But more on that in another post...

I met Cathy and Lori at the Bern train station around 11:30AM. They both looked a little weary from the flight, but they were eager to hang out. I had just come from a business trip in London, where I had purchased some gifts at the duty free shop in the airport -- a bottle of Baley's for Cathy and a bottle of Jameson for Lori. They apparently had the same thought, as they gave us a bottle of Bailey's. Great minds think alike, I guess. :) With so much goodwill going around, we decided to relax at the apartment and enjoy our new "gifts" before heading out to an Italian restaurant in Old Town for dinner. It was delicious. Cathy and Lori are so much fun to hang out with. It has been a long time since I've laughed that hard. Looking forward to a great week ahead. Here are pictures from the first day.

Bike Ride Around Mt. Gurten

2008-06-01T09:52:00.003+02:00

I was anxious to get an early start this morning. The weather in Interlaken was supposed to be nice and I was eagerly looking forward to going back there. The last time we were in Interlaken it rained (see 5/17/08 post), so we never made it to the Jungfraujoch -- Europe's highest altitude railway station (3454 meters). On a nice day, the views from Jungfraujoch reportedly extend as far as the summits of the Vosges Mountains in France and the Black Forest in Germany. You can also visit the Aeltsch Glacer, which means year-round snow and skiing.

Unfortunately, Pam was not feeling that well and wanted to sleep in. Junfraujoch would have to wait for another day. But I was still restless. I decided to jump on the bike and go to Mt. Gurten by myself. At a mere 864 meters, Gurten doesn't offer the same views as Jungraujoch. But it is close to Bern and any views of Switzerland -- no matter how high up -- are still pretty amazing. I didn't actually peddle the bike up the mountain. I opted to save energy and take the train. :) That gave me more time to ride around taking pictures of Bern and the surrounding area. I saw a lot of grazing cows, a few meadows, and (of course) the beautiful countryside with the Alps off in the distance. Here are some pictures.

Pam called me from home just as I started to head back down. We decided to meet for a late brunch at a nice little restaurant along the Aare River not far from our apartment. We had both wanted to go there since we pass it all the time when we go running. I decided to take the long way down the mountain, which provided the opportunity to take more pictures of the Aare River, the running path, and the wooden bridge where we turn around during our runs.

Unfortunately, I didn't realize the Frauenlauf was being held in Bern today. The Frauenlauf is an annual woman's race with almost 13,000 participants. It is conducted in several disciplines, including nordic walking (i.e., walking with ski poles). Using ski poles to walk looks a little odd to me, but I guess it is supposed to be great exercise if done properly. Anyway, I ended up trying to maneuver my bike through a stream of angry woman on my way back to the restaurant to meet Pam. I heard a lot of German being mumbled as I slowly meandered my way past the nordic walkers. It was not a lot of fun. I was a little fearful they would turn their ski poles on me! But alas, I made it safely to the restaurant where Pam had been waiting for me. We enjoyed a nice brunch. Then we headed back home to prepare for the start of another week. Here are some more pictures.

Bruschetta in Bern

2008-05-31T07:56:00.005+02:00

The weather forecast today called for light rain. That was ok with us, as we were looking forward to a relaxing day at home anyway. After a morning run, we went to the store and picked up the ingredients for bruschetta -- bread, tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, and fresh basil. It is a pretty easy recipe. We used our new grill to toast the bread, rubbed it with garlic, diced up the basil and tomatoes, drizzled it with a little olive oil, and...viola. Delicious!

We sat out under the canopy on our balcony and enjoyed the fruits of our labor. It looked so nice even Chelsea came out to join us. Just when we thought it couldn't get any better, Pam noticed a rainbow over the Aare River. It was a great ending to a nice, relaxing day. Here are some pictures.

Happy Birthday, Mich!!!

2008-05-27T21:58:00.005+02:00

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Michelle, happy birthday to you!!!

Hope you have a wonderful day. ENJOY!!!

Smoke on the Water

2008-05-25T23:37:00.000+02:00

We finally made a day trip to Montreux today. I say finally because every time we considered a trip to Montreux it seemed like bad weather would thwart our plans. Montreux is a resort town located along the southeast corner of Lake Geneva (a.k.a. Lac Leman). It is considered the "jewel of the Swiss Riviera," according to our guidebook, and is best known for its annual Jazz festival in July. In fact, when Frank Zappa played at the festival in 1971, a rocket flare from the show set off a fire at the Montreux casino and cast a pall of smoke over Lake Geneva. The scene inspired Deep Purple to write the famous rock classic, Smoke on the Water. Montreux was also the second home of Freddie Mercury, who died there in 1991.

But we didn't go to Montreux for the music (this time). No, we went to check out the Chateu de Chillon. Chillon is one of Switzerland's most recognizable sights, right up there with the Matterhorn. The stunningly picturesque castle is set on a rocky island a short walk south along the coast from Montreux. We purchased the audio guide tour and spent two hours exploring, visiting just about every tower and medieval chamber the place had to offer. We learned the dungeon was once used as a prison. The most famous prisoner was Francois de Bonivard, who spent six lonely years in captivity chained to one of the columns. The story was immortalized by Lord Byron in his famous poem 'The Prisoner of Chillon" in 1816. Legend has it that Byron was so moved by his visit to Chillon that he actually carved his name into the column to which de Bonivard was chained. Not sure if that is true, but I took a picture of the graffiti just in case. Pam also took a picture of me imagining myself as poor Francois.

Anyway, after our tour of Chateu de Chillon, we took the short ferry ride back to Montreux for dinner. Montreux is a beautiful city built into the steep hillside along the waterfront, with wonderful views across the lake of Savoy (France) and the Alps. We enjoyed a short, relaxing walk along the shore after dinner and then caught the 8:30PM train back to Bern. All in all, Montreux was definitely worth the wait. Here are some pictures from our day in Montreux/Chillon.

Tourist Attraction

2008-05-24T22:24:00.001+02:00

Today we went to the Bundesplatz in Bern's Old Town, where they have an outdoor market every Tuesday and Saturday morning. We picked out some flowers and potted plants for our balcony, then headed to the store to buy an outdoor grill. It was a great day for a BBQ!

After much debate, we finally decided on the deluxe Elektrogrill 4071 -- 1500W of pure grilling power for the ultimate outdoor barbecuing experience! Unfortunately, amid all the excitement, I didn't give much consideration to how I was going to get the 100 lb. box back home. I ended up dragging the @%$& thing right down Marketgasse (past all the gawking tourists). I'm sure there's an unflattering picture out there of me heaving and dripping with sweat on someone else's blog by now. Nice.

Anyway, I finally got the grill home and fired it up. Well, technically there was no fire...but you know what I mean. It was delicious all the same. We ate hamburgers and sausages, with rice and corn on the side. Afterward, I enjoyed a nice cigar while Chelsea proceeded to destroy our new flowers. :) It was a great day. Here are some pictures.

It's a wrap...

2008-05-23T19:12:00.001+02:00

(Pam) Today was my last day in German class. Overall, it was worthwhile. I am satisfied with how I did, since I had no exposure to the language before (besides the standard "Guten Tag" and "Gute Nacht"). Now, menus and ordering are much easier. I also don't have to hold up my fingers to say how many products I need when I am buying anything. Although, some pronunciations like "zwei" for the number 2 is still a challenge. I also met a few people -- like Carmin and Tony. Carmin invited me to her son's birthday part next Friday. At the end, there were only four others left in the class. The rest were much more advanced and departed for the next level.

I do plan to take the next level so I can be somewhat conversational but, I am taking a few weeks off to relax after such a strenuous class! Actually, I plan to use the next couple weeks to search for some volunteer work. There are not many charitable organizations in Bern as the government takes care of this.

Ballenberg

2008-05-18T23:17:00.002+02:00

We woke up Sunday morning in Interlaken and gazed at the fog hanging over the nearby Jungfrau mountain. The cloud plumes made it look as if the mountain was burning. The weather was starting to clear, so Pam and I decided to visit Ballenberg (a coworker had recommended it to me). We took the train from Interlaken to Brienz, then a bus to Ballenberg.

Ballenberg is a so called "open air museum" where there are over 100 centuries-old houses from almost every region in Switzerland. It kind of reminded me of Sturbridge Village. We walked around looking at demonstrations of old Swiss handicrats and trades: from a historical pharmacy and sausage smoking to wood-carving and basket-weaving. There was also a pottery exhibit. See video. We didn't actually see the wine making exhibit, but we certainly enjoyed the final product at one of the outdoor cafes.

We were having a great time. But the weather was starting to turn, so we decided to head back to Bern a little early. All in all, it was another great weekend.

Interlaken

2008-05-17T22:35:00.001+02:00

The entire country of Switzerland seemed to have rain in the forecast this weekend. But that didn't deter us from planning a weekend trip. We decided to take care of some unfinished business: Interlaken. In hindsight, probably not the best weekend for it. Interlaken is best known for its many outdoor activities -- hiking, river rafting, canyon-jumping, ice-climbing, sky diving, etc. -- so visiting on a rainy, foggy weekend really limited our options.

As a regional gateway, Interlaken itself possess few attractions. But we made the best of it. We had some great views from our hotel room balcony, and enjoyed a nice fondue dinner Saturday night at a beautiful little restaurant overlooking the Aare River (same river that flows through Bern). We also walked down the city's main promenade, the Hoheweg, and stopped by the ritzy Grand Hotel Vitctoria-Jungrau (rooms start at $600 per night) to inquire about a massage at their world famous spa. Turns out the spa treatments cost a lot too! Here are some pictures of Interlaken.

The Happiest Place on Earth

2008-05-14T21:54:00.002+02:00

Sorry to rub it in but.....I came across a great article on msnbc.com and I couldn't resist sharing.

The "World Database of Happiness" came out with their latest ranking of 95 nations on a happiness scale. Give you one guess where Switzerland ranks..... :)

Here is a little excerpt: "The Swiss are efficient and punctual, comparatively wealthy and face hardly any unemployment. Their streets, air and tap water are squeaky clean and chocolate is a national obsession."

Watchdog Takes a Bite out of Credit Suisse

2008-05-13T12:09:00.002+02:00

My soccer team at work played Credit Suisse today. We won 6-5! I'm on the team, technically. I say technically because I had no goals, no assists, and barely touched the ball. I felt a little silly out there at times, but the game was no joke. We had uniforms and all. I actually didn't realize we were supposed to wear uniforms (I'm sure this was explained to me in German at some point), so I brought my own clothes and and changed into them before the game. I was about to walk out onto the field when I realized the error of my ways. It was a little embarrassing, but fortunately someone had an extra shirt and shorts for me.

Anyway, it was a beautiful day and the game was pretty competitive. In fact, I was yelled at by one teammate for being out of position at one point. But I didn't take offense. Most of my teammates were very understanding. The level of play was also very high - much higher than what I had seen during practice. Some of the players were semi-pro. If I had known this beforehand, I never would have taken the field. But we won, and there were no injuries. That's all that matters.

Although I had fun, I was a lot more comfortable taking pictures on the sideline after I came out of the game. The coach of our team spotted me with the camera and asked if I would mind writing up a summary of the game for posting to the corporate intranet site. I gladly accepted. I had a lot of fun with it. My headline: "Watchdog Takes a Bite out of Credit Suisse."

After the game, the two teams came together for a nice outdoor barbecue, where they served wine and beer. They call it the "third half" in soccer, which is very similar to the 19th hole in golf. :) It was a lot of fun. I met a lot of people and everybody had a great time all around. And the teammate who yelled at me...he and I were all smiles and toasting each other by the end of the night!

Bike Ride Around Bern

2008-05-12T23:06:00.001+02:00

Monday was a holiday here in Switzerland -- don't ask me which one, all I know is I didn't have to go to work and Pam was off from class. With all the traveling we have done recently we both decided it would be nice to spend the day in Bern for a change. We had read somewhere that the city provides free bike rentals at the train station during the summer, so we decided to check it out. Sure enough, all we needed was a $20 refundable deposit and a photo ID and we were on our way. Such a great deal!

We rode our bikes from the station to Bern's Gothic cathedral in Old Town. We have been there before, but this time we decided to go inside and take a tour. I'm glad we did; it was so pristine. I have been seen many European cathedrals in my day, but there was something special about this one. I'm not sure why, but it truly felt like a sanctuary to me. We learned from our audio guide that Bern was a rapid convert to the Reformation and most of the church's treasures were destroyed in the 16th century, although some notable pieces survived such as the spectacular portal sculpture of the Last Judgement, choir stalls, and several gorgeous stained-glass windows. Construction on the cathedral started in 1421 and lasted until 1893, if you can believe that! The company in charge of construction must be the same one that handled our internet connection. :)

Anyway, after the audio tour we climbed the cathedral tower -- reportedly the highest in Switzerland -- for some spectacular views over Old Town, and what felt like the rest of the country. (See video). We could see storm clouds rolling in off in the distance, so we quickly descended and headed for the Altes Tramdepot microbrewery to wait out the storm. My friend Marco had recommended the place, which is located right next to the bear pits. The food was delicious, and the views overlooking the river across from Old Town were great.

The rain stopped just as we left the restaurant. Great timing. We headed out of the city to the south, through TierPark, and then looped back around to the station where we returned the bikes. The whole trip took only about four hours, but we covered a lot of ground and saw a lot. We will have to do the free bike thing again with visitors. It was so much fun!

Lake Thunersee

2008-05-11T22:45:00.002+02:00

We had originally planned to visit Interlaken today, but a late start forced us to reconsider. With a little guidance from the ticket agent at the train station, we decided to take the 2:35PM train from Bern to the lakeside town of Thun (pronounced toon). From Thun, we took a ferry to the small town of Faulensee and then walked along the lake shore to the town of Spiez.

The Bernese Alps provided a picturesque backdrop as ferry crisscrossed the blue waters of Thunersee (Lake Thun) on the way to Faulensee. We also saw several castles along the way, including the idyllic Shloss Oberhofen. (See video). Our pleasant walk from Faulensee to Spiez was almost interrupted by rain, but fortunately the storm clouds held off. We didn't stay long in Spiez although the town has a nice marina and an enormous waterfront castle. It also set beautifully between Thunersee and the giant pyramidal mountain of Niesen (2362m).

As we waited on the train platform at Spiez, Pam was able to reason me out of going to Interlaken (I was feeling spontaneous). We both ultimately decided to stick to the original plan of taking the train back to Thun for dinner. Thun is located on the northern tip of the bean-shaped Thunersee (closer to Bern), while Interlaken is across the lake to the East.

Though overshadowed by Interlaken, Thun is a beautiful city in its own right with a picturesque castle and a quaint medieval center. The Old Town is crossed by wooden bridges over the river Aare and is renowned for the split-level street of Obere Hauptgasse. After dinner, we walked up a stepped ally to the castle, Schloss Thun, from which were enjoyed impressive views of the town and the Bernese Oberland. By this time it was getting late, so we decided to head back to the station for the train back to Bern. Overall, it was not a bad day given the last minute planning. :)

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2008-05-11T22:30:00.005+02:00

Happy Mother's Day Leona, Gretchen, and Cheryl!

It took awhile, but we made this card just for you!! Enjoy...

Zurich

2008-05-10T00:07:00.003+02:00

We travelled to Zurich today to meet up with one of Pam's former work colleagues, Samartha (a.k.a. Sam), who is now living in Switzerland with her husband Peter. They met us a the Zurich train station at 1 PM and suggested we head to Uetliberg mountain, a 20 minute train ride away and a favored destination of the locals. At 871 meters above sea level, the mountain offered great views of Zurich, its lake, and the scenic Alps in the distance. We enjoyed lunch at the Uto Kulm restaurant -- which is superbly situated on top of the Uetliberg -- then climbed a nearby viewing platform for some more spectacular views. (See video)

After taking a few pictures, we caught the train back down the mountain and explored Zurich by foot. We left the station and walked down the famous Bahnhofstrasse -- Zurich's equivalent to 5th Avenue -- and then strolled along the east bank of the Limmat River. We walked past St. Peters Kirche with its famous clock tower on the way to the Fraumunster (or Woman's Minster), where we saw some impressive stain-glassed windows in the presbetary. After Fraumunster, we crossed over the Limmat and headed to Grossmunster (or Great Minster). The twin towers of the 15th-century Grossmunster still dominate Zurich's skyline to this day. The Grossmunster is also famous for being the church of Ulrich Zwingli, who was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland during the 16th century and a compatriot of Martin Luther's.

Afterward, we stopped for a drink at an outdoor cafe and then walked along the Limmatquai, an attractive riverside boulevard lined with guild houses on the west bank of the Limmat. By this time it was almost 7PM, and Sam and Peter kindly invited us back to their place for a barbeque. They have a very nice apartment in nearby Uster. We had a great time relaxing on their spacious balcony and enjoying their company. Dinner was delicious too!

They were so kind to us. At one point during the evening, we mentioned we were thinking about buying bikes. Peter said they had an old bike they could lend us; we eagerly accepted. It was getting late, so Sam offered to drive Pam and I back to the station. But before we left, Peter pumped up the tires on the bike and rode it to the station for us (we all didn't fit in the car).

It was a long day. But it was nice spending time with Sam and Peter. We plan to invite them over to our place soon and return the hospitality.

Beautiful Week!

2008-05-09T20:18:00.005+02:00

(Pam) My German class is going well. Learning a lot; meeting new people. Three people left the class, leaving us with a group of 5.

Anyway, I decided to take a walk around Bern today. The weather has been great all week -- no rain! My Australian friend from the German class, Tony, suggested I go to the tourist center to see the Bern Show in 3D. The tourist center is located right next to the bear pit. I got a chance to catch the bears enjoying the weather. There were also some great views of Bern from the area. The show was ok - it basically goes through the history of Bern and shows all the major sites.

We are heading to Zurich tomorrow for lunch to meet up with an old work friend of mine (Samartha) and her husband. They live in Uster, just outside of Zurich. On Sunday, we are planning to go to Lake Thun and Interlaken. We have a holiday on Monday, so we may spend the night in Interlaken on Sunday.

Verona

2008-05-04T23:39:00.002+02:00

The train from Genoa to Verona on Sunday arrived around 1PM. It took us some time to find our hotel after we asked directions from someone who pointed us in the wrong direction. We were both tired and frustrated, but it was hard to stay bitter for long in such a beautiful city. Our hotel was not far from Piazza Bra', where there is an impressive coliseum from the 1st Century A.D. that arguably rivals the one in Rome. Actually, it is the third largest Amphitheatre in Europe after the Coliseum in Rome and the Amphitheatre in Campania (but whose counting).

After we checked in, Pam and I went for a walk in down the fashionable via Mazzini to Piazza delle Erbe. We enjoyed an extended lunch in the warm afternoon sun before finally summoning the motivation to walk over to ponte Pietra. The sun, the food, and the three days of traveling were starting to catch up to us. So, we decided to go back to the hotel for a 10 minute nap, which somehow turned into three hours. We woke up at 9PM and headed out to find something to eat. During our afternoon walk, we noticed an adorable little restaurant in the shadow of the arena not more than a block from our hotel. There was a free table outside, so we jumped at it. The setting could not have been better! It was a great way to end the night.

The next morning we walked over to the coliseum and bought tickets to go inside. Operas and plays are still held there, and it looked like they were setting up for a new performance. Pretty cool. (See video). Could you imagine watching Romeo and Juliet in an ancient amphitheatre...in Verona, no less! We will have to check the summer schedule. :)

Anyway, we couldn't get enough of Verona so we decided to explore a bit more before our 2:15PM train back to Bern. I wanted to see Titian's "Assumption" (1530) in the Il Duomo (I actually remembered it from my art history class in college, if you can believe that). But when we walked into the church, we realized they were in the middle of mass! It was a surreal -- some would even say religious -- experience to observe mass in such a beautiful church with its tall vaulted arches and impressive marble pillars. Of course, I couldn't resist taking a little video clip. Shhhhh...don't tell anyone!

After mass, we walked back to Piazza Bra' for a couple of drinks, and then on to the station where the train was waiting to take us home. Overall, Italy was a wonderful experience with so many great memories. And we are so very grateful to have had the opportunity to visit.

Genoa

2008-05-03T22:04:00.001+02:00

With our late arrival in Genoa on Thursday, and a full day to Pisa on Friday, we had little time to actually enjoy Genoa itself during our stay. The city is known for being the birthplace of Christopher Columbus and was once a powerful maritime republic back in the day. But, otherwise, our guidebook offered surprisingly little on Genoa's sites.

Fortunately, much of historic Genoa is concentrated between the two main trains stations. Shuffling back and forth between the stations and our hotel we did manage to snap a few pictures of Piazza de Ferrari (the central square) and the famous Via Garibaldi -- which is lined with historic 16th-century palaces (now museums).

We never made it to Porto Antico, the city's old port, but we did walk along the seaside promenade on our first night and found a wonderful restaurant that served fresh Mediterranean seafood. Pam and I shared a plate of baby mussels with spaghetti in a traditional pesto sauce. It was one of the best meals we've had so far.

We left Genoa and headed to Verona on Saturday, hoping that we might have the opportunity to return someday...

Pisa and Cinque Terre

2008-05-02T23:19:00.009+02:00

Our train from Genoa to Pisa left at 9:47 AM. As we headed south along the coast between Genoa and La Spezia we caught glimpses of the Mediterranean Sea. It looked spectacular. South of La Spezia, the landscape took on a more familiar feel as we entered Tuscany. It brought back fond memories of our family trip to the region last year (thanks again, Dad and Gretchen!).

We headed straight for the Torre Pendante (a.k.a. Leaning Tower) upon our arrival in Pisa, following the hoard of tourists and backpackers. While it is one of Italy's most recognizable monuments it was still a little surreal to see it in person. The nearby cathedral and baptistry are stunning in their own right but it is the tower that dominates the scene. We enjoyed gelatos and walked around the meticulously tended lawns taking pictures.

Pam and I laughed at all the cheezy tourists taking photos of themselves holding up the Tower. That joke is so played out. I finally put an end to all the madness by pulling out my shovel and fixing the problem myself! With that mission accomplished, we decided to head back to the train station.

While the Torre Pendante was impressive, little did we know that the highlight of the trip was yet to come. The guidebook Jason and Tiffany bought us highly recommended a visit to Cinque Terre for views of "some of Italy's most spectacular coastline." Besides, my good friend Nick (last name withheld for obvious reasons) reportedly spent his 21st birthday passed out on one of the beaches there. I just had to see this historic site. Anyway, Cinque Terre is located just North of La Spezia and is named after its five tiny villages (Riomaggiore, Manorola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso). The villages are all linked by the Via dell'Amore (or Lover's Lane), a winding footpath carved into the cliffs along the coast.

We got off the train at Riomaggorie, Cinque Terre's southern most village, and enjoyed lunch at a delightful little restaurant overlooking a tiny cove along the Mediterranean Sea. (See video). We dined on -- what else -- pomodoro e mozzarella. After lunch, we walked along the Via dell'Amore from Riomaggoire to Corniglia, passing through Manarola along the way. The views were simply breathtaking. (See video)

After hiking for 2+ hours we re-boarded the train at Corniglia, just in time for sunset. We arrived back in Genoa by 10PM. It was a long day, but one we won't soon forget....

Milano

2008-05-01T22:14:00.000+02:00

We left Bern at 8:07 AM under the cover of drizzling rain, eagerly looking forward to some Italian Riviera sunshine. The first leg of our trip -- Bern to Visp, then Brig -- actually retraced the route we took one month earlier as part of the Glacier Express. This time, however, we changed trains at Brig and headed south through the Alps into Italy. As we descended from the mountains across the Italian border, we noticed several marble quarries and admired the views of lake Maggiore on our way to Milan.

Our stop-over in Milan was a short four hours, but we tried to make the most of it. From Stazione Centrale, we took the subway to Piazza del Duomo -- the world's largest gothic cathedral (or so we are told). After taking in a full quota of gargoyles, statues, and spires, we left Piazza del Duomo through an impressive iron and glass covered shopping arcade and headed towards Piazza dell Scala. From there, we walked to the so-called "Golden Quad" (the designer shopping district around Via della Spigna, Via Sant'Andrea, Via Napoleane, and Via Manzoni). Alas, it was a holiday in Italy and all the shops were closed. Too bad, so sad. But Pam and I walked around anyway. You know, window shopping for next time. :)

After selecting our outfits, we walked to the nearby Castello Sforzesco, the 15th-century residence of the powerful Sforza family. Pretty nice crib, I must say. Before heading back to Stazione Centrale, we stopped for some Pomodoro e Mozzarella at an outdoor cafe -- delicious! Then back on the train to Genoa and the Italian Riviera....

Veni, Vidi, Vici

2008-04-30T22:59:00.005+02:00

Tomorrow is a holiday here in Switzerland (Ascension Day). I took Friday off from work, and Pam doesn't have class until Monday. The weather should be nice. So, we decided to book a trip to Italy!!

We are taking the morning train to Genoa via Milan tomorrow. We plan to spend Friday touring the Italian Riveria -- Portofino, La Spezia, all the way down to Pisa. On Saturday, we leave for Verona before heading back to Bern on Sunday. Should be a busy weekend, but we are both very excited!

German Bingo

2008-04-29T17:19:00.003+02:00

(Pam) I started my German class yesterday and it is going surprisingly well. I think I'll do fine and may even be interested in going to the next level when this is completed. Maybe...

Everyone seems to be on the same level (can't speak any German). There are 2 students from Ukraine, 2 from Australia, 1 from Pakistan and 1 from Canada. One new person showed up today but I don't know where she is from. She was in the level II class but said it was moving too fast. Today we learned numbers then practiced by playing bingo. I don't think I won, I wasn't sure of some of the numbers that were called. Oh well. The class is for 2 hours (from 8-10am) and it is only a 10 minute walk from the apartment. I do like that it gets me out of the apartment early even though it is tough waking up. I have been sleeping in for the last month and got very used to it!

One Month Anniversary

2008-04-27T19:59:00.008+02:00

Today marks one month since we arrived in Switzerland. It is hard to imagine Pam and I are more than 10% through this adventure or, put a better way, we still have about 90% left! Time is passing so quickly.

My Mom sent pictures from Florida today. She is down there with Barry, Joan, Dale, Dang and my cousin Julie. Looks like Barry tried his luck with that wheeled contraption Dale has. It is just amazing that a "100% disabled" man like Dale is able to get around on that thing. ;) Wish we could have been there. Maybe next year...

In the meantime, Pam and I went for a run along the river this afternoon. It is a route we have done several times before. But today was a beautiful day, and we finally remembered to take the camera along. See map. We cross over the Dalmazibrucke bridge near our apartment and then head south (upstream) along the Aare River on Dalmaziquai, past Stadtischer Tierpark and the village of Muri bei Bern. We pass a zoo and a couple of cute restaurants along the way before crossing back over the river at a covered wooden bridge just past Muri bei Bern. (See video) The path back on the other side of the river is more secluded with woods until we get to the village of Wabern on the outskirts of Bern. Door to door it took us about 1 1/2 hours, but we stopped to take pictures and walked a little bit.

Mount Gurten - Bern

2008-04-26T11:02:00.000+02:00

We decided to keep it local this weekend: a hike up nearby Mt. Gurten. It was a beautiful day for it. Besides, the summit wasn't too high up. In fact, we can see the mountain top from our balcony window. My work colleague, Marco, told me about a nice hiking path we could take. He said Mt. Gurten is a popular spot among the Bernese (that's what they call the locals here), who walk or take the tram ride up the mountain with their families when the weather is nice.

We strolled South along the river Aare for about 15 minutes before climbing the river bank up to the small village of Wabern. There is a tram that runs between Wabern and the summit of Mt. Gurten every 30 minutes (see video), but we felt ambitious and decided to hike up the mountain. There were lots of steps and beautiful views along the way. We also came across a mountain bike path, where we were nearly taken out by a couple of cyclists barreling down the mountain (see video).

Once we reached the the top of the 864-Meter "mountain," we ate lunch and enjoyed views over the countryside and the capital of Bern (See video). Satiated and still a little tired from the 2+ hour hike, we decided to lie down in a nearby meadow and bask in the sun. It reminded me a little bit of Sheep's Meadow in Central Park, but without all the people.

After a brief nap, we headed back down the mountain. Needless to say, the walk down was much more enjoyable. :) We passed a quaint little cottage surrounded by grazing cows on the way down -- it was almost too perfect. I was half expecting Julie Andrews to come running around the corner with bunch of rug rats in tow singing "The hills are alive...." But it wasn't to be; only cows and an occasional hiker. Maybe next time...

Gutes glück zu mir (Good luck to me)

2008-04-25T21:43:00.002+02:00

(Pam) - I registered today for an intensive German beginner course. The class will meet M-F for 3 hrs each day for 1 month! I am either going to learn something or go nuts...The class needed 9 people and as of Wednesday had only 7 so I called today to ask if the class is a go. The woman on the phone said she spoke a little English and that my class starts on Monday. I'm fully prepared to come back home on Monday as I'm not sure she understood me. I said to her - did the class get 9 members and she repeated "your class starts on Monday". I'll just have to wait and see.....

Videos

2008-04-24T23:26:00.008+02:00

We finally loaded some old videos off our camera. Thought it would be easier to post them all in one place:

Glacier Express: Video 1 (In the "Land of Castles"), Video 2 (Near Oberalpass), Video 3 ("Its Awesome!"), Video 4 (Bad acting in Disintis)

St. Mortiz: Video 1 ("Heading Back Down"), Video 2 (View from Chantarella)

Fribourg Finacular: Video 1

Fussball!!!

2008-04-23T16:45:00.003+02:00

(Brian) I decided to join the EBK Fussball team (a.k.a. soccer). It is kind of like a corporate softball team back in the States –mostly for fun and people of all skill levels are welcome. Figured it would be a good way to connect with people outside of the small department where I work. A great workout too.

My first practice was today at lunch. I can’t even remember the last time I played soccer, so I felt very much out of my element. But it was fun. I actually had two assists, so that made me feel better. I think the other players were taking it easy on me, but I’ll count the assists anyway!

There are some similarities to basketball – like keeping space between players on offense so that defenders can’t converge on the ball – but the basic footwork skills are a major challenge for me. Fortunately, we have a couple more practice sessions before our first match against Credit Suisse in mid-May. I’ll have to buy a soccer ball, so Chelsea and I can practice at home. :)

Konstanz

2008-04-20T20:57:00.006+02:00

(Pam) It was a late start today. We decided to forgo the $60 breakfast option at our hotel and found nice little outdoor cafe on the boardwalk of Lake Constance (a.k.a. Bodensee). We took our time watching the ferries come and go as the fog slowly lifted off the lake. Silhouettes of the Swiss Alps loomed off in the distance. Pictures just did not do this scene justice -- believe me, Brian tried! After breakfast, we took a short stroll along the lake shore to the point were the Rhine empties out of the Bodensee.

It was great weather, so we decided to take a boat ride to Mainau via Meesburg. There were amazing views of the Alps along the way, but unfortunately they could not be adequately captured on camera. Meesburg was a pleasant surprise however – a charming medieval city with a pedestrian-only cobbled street running through it. We admired the lovely buildings in the square and the numerous outdoor cafes. Unfortunately, we only had 15 minutes before the next ferry to Mainau.

Mainau is a garden island in Lake Constance. It is run by an organization established by the late Prince of Sweden, but is open to the public for a small fee. Besides flowers in the palace gardens, there are great park landscapes with beautiful views of the lake. Upon our arrival, we found a map of the island and went off to find a restaurant. But the crowds were oppressive. Frustrated and in no mood for lovely gardens with the crush of people, we decided to catch the next ferry back to Konstanz. We laughed afterwards about being thrown off by all the crowds – looks like we’re starting to lose our NY “edge” already! We did get some lovely photos before heading back. We also took in a lovely performance by a group of musicians playing Swiss horns. (See video) It was a very picturesque scene with the lake in the background.

Once back in Konstanz, we headed to Old Town to get some food and drink at an outdoor café. Food and drink for me typically involves pomme frites and white wine. Relaxing and enjoying the people walk by, we noticed a disturbing trend among the men (and some women) – mullets!! Unfortunately, we couldn't get a good picture without being too obvious.

After lunch, we walked around and took some pictures of Konstanz before boarding the train back to Bern. Overall, it was a lovely weekend. My first time in Germany. We hope to return to soon, and this time get stamps on our passports. The customs office at the train station in Konstanz it was closed when we arrived – no joke!

Schauffhausen

2008-04-19T19:32:00.003+02:00

We took the 9:02 AM train from Bern to Schauffhausen, which arrived at 10:52 AM. The train ride allowed us time to review the guidebooks and plan the busy day ahead. From the train station we caught the No 1 bus for the 10 minute ride to Rhine falls – the largest waterfall in Europe. Niagra it is not, but the views were stunning nonetheless. Rhine falls is divided by a tall rock, which has a small viewing platform and is accessible by ferry. We admired the view from a distance as we walked along the north bank to Shossli Worth castle. From there, we took the ferry in for a closer inspection. We disembarked right below the falls at the base of the rock and climbed a steep staircase to the small viewing platform. Wow! The sound of the water roaring all around us with the cool mist spraying our faces was truly exhilarating. (See video 1 or See video 2) We stayed for only a few minutes before boarding the ferry to Schloss Laufen – a castle on the southern bank overlooking the falls at close quarters – and then eventually back Shlossli Worth. We ate lunch at a nearby restaurant with panoramic views.

After lunch, we headed back to Schauffhausen for a leisurely walk through the cobbled streets of old town. We are told Schaffhausen is nicknamed Erkerstadt because of its 180 Erkers (ornate bay windows) which the citizens built as a display of their wealth. Many of the houses also had decorative 16th century frescos. We passed Haus zum Ritter and Smiths’ Guild House on our way to the Munot fortress. The steps that lead to the tower are flanked by vineyards. We headed to the rooftop terrace for a drink and views of the city below.

It was then back to station, where we caught the 4:01 PM train to Konstanz. The landscape of northern Switzerland is much flatter than in the south, but no less beautiful. We felt compelled get off the train at Stein-am-Rhine, a small village “straight out of Christian Anderson fairytales” according to our Lonely Planet guide. It was beautiful. We stayed just long enough for a few pictures and a beer, before boarding the 5:27 PM train to Konstanz.

We arrived in Konstanz, Germany shortly after 6:00 PM. We checked into our hotel (conveniently located across from the train station) to freshen up. Then we headed out for a romantic dinner before walking back to the hotel to crash. We were both exhausted, but it was a great day all around.

Weekend Plans

2008-04-18T15:12:00.008+02:00

Pam and I just booked a trip to Schaffhausen and Konstanz for this weekend. Schaffhausen is in northern Switzerland along the German border. One of the main attractions is the nearby Rhine falls, the largest waterfall in Europe. Konstanz is about an hour East of Schaffhausen by train across the rolling countryside. The town of Konstanz is actually in Germany. We are told it has a beautiful cathedral and it is located along a lake that straddles Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Should be fun!

Interesting tidbit: Schaffhausen was the only Swiss town to be bombed by Allied aircraft in World War II, while Konstanz was the only major German town not to be bombed by the Allies. How ironic. Apparently, the crafty citizens of Konstanz left their lights on at night, and thus fooled the bombers into thinking it was actually Switzerland. Just to be safe, Pam and I decided to book our Saturday night stay in Konstanz (not Schaffhausen)!!

Internet Blues

2008-04-17T15:11:00.000+02:00

A technician finally came to install internet today. Yeah! :) But after several hours and lots of hand gestures -- the technician didn’t speak English –- we still didn't have internet. Boo! :(

Something about a signal failure…I don’t know anymore. Starting to lose hope…

Green Acres

2008-04-16T10:27:00.001+02:00

One of the first things I noticed about Bern – besides the stunning view of the Alps – was the fact that many of the flat-roofed buildings had grass growing on them (pictures will be added later). It is not just Bern; green roofs dot the skyline of other Swiss cities as well like Basel and Zurich. I speculated that it may have something to do with insulation, or maybe they were intended as extremely unsafe lawn areas. Couldn’t figure it out….until I saw this article today on msnbc.com.

Turns out the concept is designed to reduce storm water runoff, lower the effects of pollution, and provide insulation. The green landscape is an added visual benefit. The article talks about how this environmentally friendly idea is increasingly being “exported” to the United States. Switzerland is referenced on page 3: “Endangered beetles and spiders have found refuges in Basel, Switzerland, where a city mandate requires green roofs to accompany all new flat-roofed buildings. Endangered rooftop orchids thrive in nearby Zurich.”

It is clear that conservation, recycling, and adopting ecologically friendly policies is a big deal here.

CheapOair

2008-04-15T11:36:00.000+02:00

Noticed some great travel deals to Zurich today. Hint, hint...

“Die Katze schläft”

2008-04-14T23:36:00.000+02:00

Thank you for the comments. We really enjoy reading them!!!

The weekdays are starting to feel a bit more normal around here, albeit with Curling on the German language sports station being the most interesting thing to watch on TV. We have no idea what is going on, but the rabid fans with face paint provide endless amusement. Hmm….wonder if the Swiss feel the same about NFL football fans? Anyway, a technician is finally scheduled to come out on Thursday to hook up our internet connection. That should provide some much needed alternative programming.

Today was a wash out -- cold and raining. With nothing better to do, I loaded the Rosetta Stone language software on our computer after work. Chelsea curled up on the bed near me while I struggled through the first lesson. Coincidently, one of the first phrases I learned: “Die Katze schläft” (i.e., the cat sleeps)!

P.S. I have a couple of interesting addendums to the Fribourg post (4/12). My office mate, Arno, returned to work today. Turns out he lives in Fribourg and commutes to Bern every day. He mentioned the Finacular we rode on Saturday is actually powered by the city’s sewage system (seriously) -- thought I smelled something funky on the way up!

Happy Birthday, Jeff!!!

2008-04-13T17:55:00.012+02:00

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you....

Beautiful Day in Bern

2008-04-13T17:00:00.001+02:00

It was a beautiful day in Bern on Jeff's birthday. Pam and I ate lunch at a restaurant on the river and spent the afternoon walking around enjoying the day.

Fribourg

2008-04-12T17:53:00.004+02:00

After a nice morning run along the river, Pam and I decided to go to nearby Fribourg for lunch. Coincidentally, my Uncle Terry spent a semester studying there when he was in college. He always talked so fondly about this experience, so I was excited to see the city for myself. Fribourg is less than 30 minutes by train from Bern. From the train station in Fribourg, we walked downhill along the pedestrian-only shopping street Rue de Lausanne into the Old Town. Fribourg was founded in 1157 along the River Sarine. Interestingly, Fribourg remained staunchly catholic throughout its history (despite the Reformation) and our guidebook says the bilingual Fribourg University remains the only Catholic university in Switzerland.

Much of Old Town is on the river’s west bank, around Cathederale de St. Nicholas and the elegant Hotel de Ville (town hall). We also saw the famous Tilleul de Morat (Morat Linden Tree) in front of the Hotel de Ville. According to our Fodor’s guide, the Tilleul de Morat marks Fribourg’s “greatest moment in history.” As the story goes, a messenger carrying news that the Swiss had defeated Charles the Bold sprinted from Murten to Fribourg (15km) in 1476 only to drop dead on arrival. “Onlookers, saddened by this tragic twist, took the linden twig from the messenger’s hat and planted it.” Ok. Couple of quick comments. First, 15km is not THAT far. Second, isn’t this story already claimed by the town of Marathon?

Anyway, it was after 2PM and all this talk of running was making us hungry. We searched long and hard for a place to eat, but apparently food is not served between 2PM and 6PM in Fribourg. All the restaurants close so the wait staff can sit around and drink coffee. Eventually, a waitress in one of the restaurants took pity on us and personally walked us to a place where she convinced the chef to open the grill so we could eat. Seriously, I can’t make this stuff up.

After a delightful lunch (We had the local specialty – perch), we continued on to the Basse-Ville or Lower City, which is tucked into a bend in the river. The sights here were spectacular. Sandstone cliffs loom over the lower city. And the network of bridges overlooking the city’s medieval architecture and stone towers provided some great views. We walked over the wooden Pont de Berne, the oldest bridge in Fribourg, before heading to the Funicular for a ride back up the hill. It was a short but memorable visit.

The Shadow

2008-04-10T17:50:00.002+02:00

(Brian): I am settling in at work. Our apartment is only a short walk from the office on Schwanengasse (10 minutes). I pass through a beautiful park at on the way; the trees and fountain provide a daily reminder that I am a long way from New York City.

The atmosphere in the office is great. Everyone has been so nice. They speak English when I am around so that I don’t feel excluded. Never the less, I went ahead and ordered Rosetta Stone German language CDs from Amazon this week, as I want to make more of an effort to learn the language and assimilate. While my coworkers work hard, they also take the time to enjoy the simple things in life. For example, I’m still getting used to the idea of not eating lunch at my desk. They also take short coffee breaks in the morning and after lunch, where they sit discuss the day’s events or world politics. They seem to know as much about the US election process as I do!

I share an office with two other people, Marco and Arno. Arno is away on vacation this week, but I have met him several times before and he seems very nice. Marco and I have gotten along extremely well. Despite his busy workload, he has always made time to answer my questions. He is fluent in Italian, German, French, and English – so I’ve relied on him to help interpret certain documents as well as my computer screen on occasion (see post from 4/8). I sometimes feel like his shadow, following him around everywhere -- meetings, lunch, breaks, etc. But he hasn’t complained…yet!

Hair Adventures

2008-04-09T17:39:00.001+02:00

(Pam): I ventured out again today despite the rain. The city seems to be well prepared for such weather, however. According to our guide book, Albert Eintein (a former resident of Bern) wrote the following in 1902: “Both sides of the road [in Bern] are completely lined by old arcades so that one can stroll from one end of the city to the other in the worst downpour without getting noticeably wet.”

Anyway, I was debating whether or not to keep my hair appointment. But I ultimately decided to try out this place to see if it could be “the one”. I took notice of all the black residents around Bern since I arrived to see what their hair looked like. The majority seemed to be in braids, which I took to mean that there were going to be limited places for me to get my hair done! I showed up for my appt, which I made with a guy that spoke excellent English, only to find that he was not there. Instead, I was taken care of by woman who barely spoke English. After about 3 hours and 80 CHF! my hair was only passable but it was worth a shot. I’ll keep looking for a better and cheaper hairdresser. I guess there are bigger problems going on in the world.

I consoled myself with dinner of the local Rosti (according to guidebooks – crisp, fried, shredded potatoes is German’s Switzerland’s star dish) with Brian.

Off to Work I Go...

2008-04-08T17:33:00.002+02:00

(Brian): I started work this week. I am on a nine month “exchange program” at the Eidgenössische Bankenkommission (or EBK). The objective is to gain a better understanding of how the EBK operates, and to facilitate better coordination between the EBK and the Federal Reserve on bank supervisory issues. I’ll be working primarily with the group responsible for supervising Credit Suisse and UBS, the two largest Swiss banking institutions. I am told I will be treated as if I am part of the team; working on projects, meeting with bank management, and helping to formulate the team’s risk assessments.

Anyway, my first day was much like any first day at a new job. Spent time going around introducing myself, went to lunch with my new boss, and spent far too much time resolving computer issues. Most annoying computer problem: the IT people loaded my computer with the French version of MS Office. Apparently, they had been tipped off to the fact that I had studied French for four years in college and spent a semester in Brussels, Belgium. They logically assumed I could speak a little French -- but of course I can’t. Worst part was I couldn’t even navigate the toolbar. Little boy genius over here took 15 minutes to figure out how to open an email! Fantastic. There’s nothing like setting the expectations really, really low on your first day. The good part is my new coworkers seem very patient and understanding. And maybe, just maybe, I might pick up a little French over the next nine months… :)

Monday Morning Run

2008-04-07T17:28:00.003+02:00

(Pam): I decided to go for a run this morning. I went a different route from the one last week (mostly hills) -- following instructions from one of Brian’s coworkers who used to live in the area. He told us there was a nice trail heading south along the river toward Belp. It was beautiful and relatively flat. Along the way I noticed a lovely outdoor restaurant by the water, which might be nice to go to when the weather warms up. There was also a zoo where, from the running path, I was able to see buffaloes, rams, and several lovely white swans in a lake. I was really enjoying myself despite the cold (my hands felt frostbitten!). The trail seemed to keep going for miles, tracking the winding river upstream into the Alps. I turned around after only about 1 ½ miles and quickly headed back to home to warm my hands. I am going to need to pick up the pace a bit soon as Brian and I are planning a 10 mile run around Bern next month that is pretty major here. It’s probably second to the big celebrations that we are hearing about in June for the Euro Cup.

After shower and breakfast, I went to an internet café and then spent some time walking through Old Town. I found a post office and checked out a pharmacy to see what brands they carried (seems like everything). I also walked into a hair salon and made an appointment for Wednesday. Despite the cold, it was a really clear day. In fact, I was able to see all the way to the Alps for the first time since we arrived in Bern.

I met Brian after work for a walk and we were able to get some great pictures of the Alps which we would have savored more had we known that it would be cloudy and raining for the rest of the week!

Rest Day

2008-04-06T22:24:00.000+02:00

Today was a rest day. It snowed this morning and rained/drizzled all afternoon. It was a good day to do nothing. We watched some TV. And by that I mean we literally watched the TV; all the programming is in German. We didn’t understand a freaking word. We eventually got bored and ventured outside to see “Into the Wild” at a local movie theatre (German subtitles for the locals). Going to the movies in Switzerland is such a different experience. First of all, the Swiss have a reserved seating system. We actually picked out the row and seat numbers when we purchased the tickets. Second, the concession stand served beer and wine. They also offered free cheese and bread. Seriously, they had a cheese plate right there on the counter. To the horror of the other patrons, I attacked like I had been the one out there starving in Alaska for four months (see the movie if you didn’t catch that). Third, midway through the movie the screen went dark and lights came on. I was about to storm up to the ticket counter to angrily demand a refund, until I realized it was a planned intermission. It was actually perfect timing, since I needed to go to the bathroom anyway – thanks for the genetic defect, Mom. First day of work tomorrow. Should do some more traveling later in the week and get some more pictures on here.

St. Moritz

2008-04-05T17:00:00.004+02:00

It was an early start this morning (7 am). We ate breakfast at the Hotel Lauginella (excellent sausages), and then stopped by a sporting goods store to buy Pam some warm winter gear – we underestimated how cold it was going to be up here in the mountains (2C)! After Pam picked out a lovely matching blue sweater/hat number, we left for Plaza de Scoula to catch the tram up the mountain to Chantarella. The tram to Chantarella is a short 5 minute ride, but we accidentally got on a connecting tram heading further up the mountain on the direction from our non-English speaking tram conductor. Something obviously got lost in translation. Anyway, we ended up going to Carviglio (2,486m), which is about halfway between St. Moritz (1,856m) and the summit of the Piz Noir (3,057m).

When we finally got off the tram, Pam and I realized we were the only ones not wearing ski boots! After a nice cup of hot chocolate, we took some photos of the skiers gracefully weaving their way down the mountain amid the gently falling snow. It was damn cold up there, but amazing nonetheless! Before taking the tram back down to Chantarella (2,005m), I commented to Pam that it would be a dream of mine to come back and actually ski down the mountain from the top of Piz Nair some day.

Chantarella provided some spectacular views overlooking St. Moritz and the frozen lake that shares its name. We took a carriage ride to a nearby restaurant for some coffee before heading to the train station for our journey back to Bern via Chur and Zurich. The ride from St. Moritz to Chur actually retraced the Glacier Express route from the day before. I couldn’t resist taking more pictures and video of the rugged landscape in the Upper Engadine region in southwestern Switzerland. The trek from Chur and Zurich also provided for some scenic views.

Glacier Express

2008-04-04T17:00:00.006+02:00

Brian and I leave today for the Glacier Express, a trip that we have been talking about for months!! The trip promises amazing panoramic views through the Swiss Alps, so we wait in anticipation of something magical on the train from Bern to Visp, where we will pick up the glacier express train.

Our first stop on the way to Visp was Thun (no major views), but at Spiez we saw glimpses of Lake Thun – it was just so beautiful and idyllic. We also caught a brief glimpse of Interlaken before the train disappeared under a tunnel. We emerged to the sight of snow covered mountains. The guidebooks barely mention Visp, but we walk around anyway when we arrive. It is unspectacular by Swiss standards, although there were some nice mountain views and a cute downtown area with cobble stoned streets.

At 11:06 AM, we board our train to St. Moritz and head off for our amazing experience. OMG! It is so beautiful. We are in absolute shock. There is one spectacular view after another as we make our way into the mountains. It’s everything you expect from a Swiss landscape, and more! We are not disappointed. I am so caught up in the scenery I forgot to mention that we immediately ordered champagne and toasted to our journey, actually we toasted to the Fed for giving us this opportunity 

Brian is sulking that there is no anti-glare on the windows. I hope we are getting good pictures as words would definitely not do these views much justice. I’ll hand over the journal to Brian as I drink in the scenery around me.

As we get closer to Andermatt, the glare of the sun reflecting off the snow becomes brighter and brighter. The sun feels warm inside our train car, but outside the snow practically envelops the small houses by the side of the tracks. We slowly wind our way towards Oberalpass, admiring the rugged, snow-swept landscape while dining comfortably on our three course meal. It looks so uninhabitable up here. I notice avalanche barriers protecting the route along the way – but I’m not sure if that makes me feel better or worse!

A little over two hours into our journey, we reach Oberalpass (2,033m) – the highest point of on our trip – at which point we start to descend along the Rhein River towards Chur (585m) in eastern Switzerland. I head to the back of the train to take some pictures and video. Along the way to Chur, we pass the towns of Disentis (1,130m), Trun, and Ilanz. The train stops for 20 minutes at Disentis to change engines, which provides us an opportunity to stretch our legs. I take some pictures in the valley between Trun and Ilanz before we pass through the Rhine Gorge (a.k.a. “Swiss Grand Canyon”) and the town of Reichenau. We finally reach Chur – the oldest town in Switzerland – four and half hours into our journey. We didn’t see much from the train car, but the surrounding region was apparently the inspiration for famous Heidi character.

After Chur, we head south towards Thusis and Tiefencastel, which took as through the “land of castles” and over the Via Mala gorge (the “bad road”). At this point, we had seen so much and traveled so far that our heads started to nod. But even the weariest traveler would awaken for what was in store: the last leg of our journey took us deep into the Alpine mountains of the Oberegadin (Upper Engadine) region, which includes the most photographed attraction on the Glacier Express. This winding, scenic leg of our voyage took us past the mineral spas near Filsur – followed by the picturesque Alpine villages of Burgun and Preda – before finally arriving in St. Moritz. Overall, it was an amazing journey that lived up to its reputation as being the most remarkable and breathtaking railway trips in all of Switzerland, if not the world.

Exhausted and weary from full day of sitting on our ass and eating, we summoned the courage to venture out for a fondue dinner for two at Engiadina after we checked into our hotel. Then we dulled the pain with a few drinks at the hotel bar before retiring for the night.

Book Burning and Tourism in Geneva

2008-04-03T17:00:00.006+02:00

We decided to take a break from all the administrative stuff today and visit Geneva (1 ½ hours by train from Bern)!! Our train stopped in Fribourg -- thought of you Uncle Terry -- and Lausanne, an idyllic small town with spectacular views overlooking Lake Leman (a.k.a. Lake Geneva). The countryside had lots of wide open spaces and the views of the Alps were amazing. There is still a lot of snow on the peaks, but the grass in the valleys was vibrant green. Still not too many leaves on the trees, but we did see a couple of cherry blossoms in Bern. The weather has been mostly overcast this week, but the clouds tend to break by afternoon, letting a little sunlight through. As I was sitting on the train staring out the window, I was struck by the symmetry between the cottages with steep, pitched roofs in the foreground and the sharp, jagged mountains looming in the background. Outside an occasional car or power line, it is the same unspoiled view that existed 100 years ago…or so I imagined.

Upon our arrival in Geneva, we went straight to the Palais de Nations (10 minutes North of Gare de Cornavin), where the European headquarters of the United Nations is located. The visitors entrance to the UN was closed for lunch, but we spent a few minutes walking around. Saw the nearby International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum (did not go in). In the plaza just outside the UN, we also saw a startling sculpture of an oversized chair with one broken leg, which was constructed to motivate countries to sign the anti-land mine treaty.

After the brief excursion to Geneva’s “Diplomatic and Humanitarian” zone, we boarded a tram and went to Geneva’s “Vieille Ville” (Old Town), where we walked around and took in the cobble stoned streets and historic limestone houses. The Old town is located on the south bank of the Rhone River, which divides Geneva and flows away towards France. We stopped for lunch (and a drink) at a cute restaurant in Place du Bourg-de-Four, which was the central square of the city back in the middle ages. After lunch, we toured the Cathedrale St-Pierre, where Jean Calvin preached from 1536 to 1564. We climbed the North tower for a bird’s eye view of the city and Lac Leman. Unfortunately, it was too overcast to see Mont Blanc which “floats above the hills on the far side of the lake like a sugar-dusted meringue,” according to our trusty Fodor’s guide (maybe next time). We consoled ourselves by walking to the Jardin Anglais, where we were greeted at the entrance by a beautiful floral clock. Our time in Geneva was running short, but we still managed to see the impressive Jet d’Eau (Europe’s tallest fountain) and the statue of Jean-Jacques Rousseau located, coincidently, on the Ile Rousseau.

As an aside, I couldn’t help but note the irony: Rousseau left Geneva at the age of 16 and his books were burned by the town’s residents until in 1834 (56 years after his death), when they realized the economic implications of his legacy (i.e., tourism) and promptly built a stature in his honor. Good stuff.

Anyway, after the Ile Rousseau, it was back to the Gare de Cornavin for the 4:20PM train back to Bern, where we are to pick up our tickets for tomorrow’s excursion on the Glacier Express!!

Swiss Efficiency?

2008-04-02T17:00:00.001+02:00

First order of business today was to print out bank statements at a nearby Internet café. It should have only taken a minute, but we ended up sitting there for 1 ½ hours surfing the net, checking account balances, and sending emails! The bank statement was the last piece of paperwork we needed for Pam’s resident permit. On the way to the Foreign Police office we stopped by Swisscom to get an update on our internet. Two days had passed since we had placed the order, and the Swiss “efficiency” we had heard so much about was nowhere in sight: instead of 7 days to complete the order, the time estimate inexplicably doubled to 14 days. Huh?! I sarcastically asked if they were in cahoots with Time Warner Cable, but I don’t think they got the joke. Anyway, we went on our merry way to drop off Pam’s paper work and then did some more shopping for household supplies (the bills are starting to pile up!). Pam continued home, while I met up for a drink – or three – with my future work colleagues at the EBK (Vinzenz, Marco, and Tim). I start work on Monday, but I wanted to thank them for all the hard work they did last week to get my visa rushed through the various government agencies in record time. My appreciation for what they accomplished grows every time Pam and I have to deal with the Foreign Police office.

Settling In - Chelsea's Way

2008-04-01T17:00:00.007+02:00

Tuesday morning got off to a great start: Pam and I went for an invigorating run along the Aare River, across the Nydeggbrucke Bridge on the eastern tip of Old Town, past the famous Zytglogge (clock tower), and over the Kirchenfeldbrucke Bridge on the way back home. We arrived just as the FedEx trucked pulled up with the computer we shipped from NY several days earlier (what timing!). We also met one of our neighbors, Irene, on our way up to our apartment. She was very pleasant and spoke enough English to recommend a swim in the river Aare this summer, “like the locals do” she said with a smile.

Just as we were beginning to savor the thought of a leisurely swim in the river on a nice summer day, we opened the door to our apartment and were greeted with a pungent odor – Chelsea had taken our absence as an opportunity to reliever herself for the first time in three days on the $1000 couch. Our disgust quickly turned to panic as we realized the owner, George, was stopping by in less than two hours to introduce himself and drop off the inventory list for our signature! I quickly ran (uphill, no less) to the local store to pick up air freshener, and anything else that could disguise the smell of cat urine in our apartment while Pam helped sponge down the couch. We managed to get the place in barely passable shape just in time. I’m sure we seemed quite nervous and edgy as George walked through the living room, but he didn’t say anything – phew!!

We spent the rest of the day trying to get the smell out of cushion and taking care of other administrative items like getting Pam’s paperwork in order for her residence permit, buying cell phones, and shopping for a proper litter box -- up until now we had been using a small cardboard box, which might explain why Chelsea preferred the couch. :) The day ended just as it had started – on a good note – as Pam and I polished off some Swiss Gruyere and wine while enjoying the partial view of the sunset over the Aare River from our balcony. Chelsea meanwhile spent the night sulking under the bench in the kitchen.

Auslanderausweis

2008-03-31T17:00:00.005+02:00

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

2008-03-30T17:00:00.010+02:00

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…..