My trip to Switzerland

So what else is new? I'm behind on my journaling again. Well, how about I tell you all about my trip to Bern, Switzerland to see Anna and Aaron? Well, I arrived a bit late because my TGV (which doesn't really seem all that fast) was some 20 or 30 minutes late leaving Paris. But when I finally arrived, the train door opened and there were Anna and Aaron waiting on the platform. They had just gotten there, so our timing and positioning were spot on. I had a very nice and restful visit. It was good to see some friends from back home. Staying up late talking, eating well (I got to eat horse), getting to use a tub after such a long time(!), it was nice. While I can't in all honesty say that I am eager to return to Houston, I can say that I have been missing certain touches of home. I miss hanging out with friends from school and being with my kitties.

How 'bout some pictures? Well, without further ado, here you go ...


This is Old Town Bern, preserved such throughout the centuries that UNESCO dubbed it a World Heritage Site, incidentally just like the cathedral here in Chartres.


For another cool view of Switzerland's capital city, let's go to the belfry of the Münster Cathedral. It costs 4 Swiss Francs (CHF) and you go very, very high up. In case you didn't know this about me, I am very fascinated by heights, but I'm also scared to death of them. I never fail to imagine myself plummeting to my certain death whenever I'm high up somewhere. My legs actually start shaking. But hights are great, so I will continue to brave them.


I'm a trooper, aren't I. Not one hint of fear. : )

The weather in Bern was gorgeous, pretty much summer weather, and the scenery being equally gorgeous, I was inspired to kick my jogging into high gear. I found a nice little jogging trail along the river Aare. It's a beautiful little river that is just as blue as it appears in pictures. It's also a rather swift river, flowing along at some 30 kilometres/hr. I often saw people swimming in it or doing water sports. At one particular section, guys would tie a long, thick rope to a tree and then they would hold on to the other end while on a surfboard. I'd also see dog owner's playing fetch with their dogs in the river. They would throw a stick into the river, and the dogs would go in after it. As the weather (and the water) warms up, more people venture in to enjoy the Aare.




Here is the Aare flowing under the Nydeggbrücke.


Here is a view if the Aare from the Kornhausbrücke.

Here are some shots of what i saw whenever I went jogging





Notice the spire of the Münster cathedral (which is undergoing repairs) in the background


Another thig you may not have known about me: I like bridges, especially metal ones.


I wouls always pass by the Bärengraben, the bear pits, which, very true to its name, is actually two big pits with bears in them. They are a tourist attraction in Bern, but really, it's just a hole with bears in it. Bears, or their likenesses anyway, you will notice are everywhere in Bern. In fact, the city's name means "bear."

See what I mean?

The Restaurant Zunft zu Webern dresses these bear up according to the season. So is that seated bear wearing a tube top?


You can even spot the Bern bear on the ceiling of the Münster cathedral.

Outside the cathedral is the Münsterplatz, and there you will find a fountain depicting the image of Moses, the Mosesbrunnen.

Notice that he's pointing to the 2nd commandment, the prohibition on making and worshiping graven images. : ) And incidentally, showing a bit more leg then I remember being taught in Sunday school.



Make a 180 degree turn and you'll be facing the Münster cathedral. Walk up to it, and you can see the rather impressive main portal.





In the church, I saw these two guys cleaning a pane of stained glass.


This is the Gurten. It is a "hill." Still, I don't remember any other hill I've ever encountered taking one hour to climb up. In any case, I climbed up it, and it was a good walk. I decided to take a cat nap in the grass when I reached the top.


But in the interest of time and my knees (so I heard) and because I really wanted to ride it, I decided to take the Gurtenbahn down. It was only a three minute ride.




All the physical stuff I did was eventually cancelled out by a night out at the Anker, where Anna and Aaron introduced me to Rösti, as anna described it, "a coronary waiting to happen." And while it probably had like 5 million calories and very probably would cause a heart attack, at least I'd die happy."

We decided to take an afternoon to go to the Rosengarten which overlooks Bern. We quickly found stuff to occupy our time.


me on a slide


Anna on a slide


Aaron on a slide. What can I say? None of us could resist.

Oh, yes it gets better ... or worse, depending on how you look at it.






yeehaw!

On the Saturday that I was there, we decided to talk a day trip to Thun after hitting the farmer's market. Despite the fact that Thun means "tuna," I saw no signs of the stuff there.


Anna and me not long after arriving at Thun


Hier ist keine Hundetoilette, which in Swiss German means, "you bet your sweet ass we're easily amused."


While exploring one of Thun's castles, I got thirsty, so I stopped to have a drink. you see these fountains all over the place (i saw them in Bern and Thun), and the water is cool and drinkable.

I've developed a few travel traditions with the globe-trotting I've been doing since getting to Europe: spelling city names out in human bodies, human pyramids, and these little face cut out things.


I'm the knight, Aaron is the squire, and Anna is the maiden.


I always like to chillax a little whenever I find a stone slab lying about. Later, I am sacrificed by a strange Swiss cult. I am actually writing this from beyond the grave. Boo. No, that "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice!" thing doesn't work on me.


Aaron, Anna, and me along Lake Thun


bunny ears


Mountains along Lake Thun

Well, I'm done with this marathon post. See ya later.