For The Love Of Bern

To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under Heaven

2008-09-09T16:33:00.000-07:00

Just a reminder for you: to see all the posts in this blog, you must scroll down and click on "Older Posts" whenever you see it at the end of each few entries. Alternatively, just to the right of the entry here, you'll see the Blog Archive catalogued by month and entry titles, so you can click on them individually.

And so, my summer in Europe is coming to a close. In the last three months I have forgotten how to speak English, seen many beautiful places, eaten fabulous food, enjoyed good wine, and met some great people along the way. The universe opened and offered up a wonderful opportunity. Katherine was gone for the summer working at a boy scout camp, and along with the ability to continue my work remotely by computer, first and foremost it was a time for me to be able to give my availability to my sister and her family, to help them get settled in Bern. I enjoyed it immensely, and treasure the opportunity to have been able to spend that much time with Bethany and Bairdy as their auntie. I will miss them thiiiiiiiiiiisssssss much!!! I will not miss my little godson Ethan however; he is coming home with me in my suitcase.

But it was also a season of peacemaking for me as some of you know, with a certain someone, and that has been a very difficult personal journey. It is hard for me to let the past be passed. Especially when it is still so present in my mind. As we can only plant seeds and wait to see if the fruit will grow, so I have planted my seeds of forgiveness and friendship here in Germany and wish to come into a restful and happy heart. I am open to the future and all that it will bring, having practiced these last three months just to live each day as it is and not worry about the next. We can only live in this moment, after all. It is a fruitful exercise indeed-- but I still need more practice:) If you haven't read Eckhart Tolle's "A New Earth," I highly recommend it.

For my friends and relatives in Stuttgart, Trier and Grafenrheinfeld I am so grateful. You have opened your hearts and homes to me and I have truly enjoyed my time with you here. I look forward to the next time we are able to see each other, wherever that may be. My home is always open to you!

Many thanks also to those without whose help this trip would not have been possible: Aunt Christa and Uncle Mike, who literally ran my office for me, you guys are the real heroes of the day. Joachim and Nathan for feeding kitty, watering plants, and taking care of house and pool, you guys rock. Lillian for mail and neighborhood stuff, Brian for help with my car and dearest Katherine for letting your mom go so far away for so long, I don't know how I can ever repay all of you for your kindnesses.

And for those of you who have travelled along with me in mind, spirit, blog and friendship, I thank you. You are all so very special to me. Until the next time!

Deborah

Frau Obst

2008-09-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

I left my sister in Dresden and took the train to Erfurt, two hours away but still in what used to be Eastern Germany, to meet Gunter and his kids, Julian, Lena and Anna. I missed them a lot the last 18 months, and he was kind enough to make arrangements so that we could have a "playdate" together. We visited a Garden Park, with many beautiful settings, including a Japanese Garden, Rose Garden, Cactus Garden, and indoor butterfly garden, just to name a few. There was a nice area for the kids to play, and we had a great day together. The title of this post, "Frau Obst," is just a little inside joke. You'll have to ask Julian. But be sure to pronounce it like a 6 year old would say it: Frau Opscht :) It was a trip highlight for me, to see the children again. Thank you for that, Gunter.

Erfurt is also home to a "Dom," a Cathedral, and I have posted a few of the pictures for you to see.

We travelled from Erfurt to Grafenrheinfeld, and I spent Sunday/Monday with my friends Karin and Claus once more. Sunday night we sat out in our friend Roland's "Radlergarten," along the river. He has a very nice little wood house built there, with heaters so that you can sit long into the cool evenings, drinking beer or Frankenwine, and eating bratwurst. We met our friends Ellen, Dieter and Birgit there, and had a great time together. On Monday night, Karin invited Ellen and Dieter for dinner, and she made a delicious pasta sauce with fresh tomatoes from her and Claus' kleingarten. She also made a different sauce from kohlrabi, which I can't wait to try at home. So we sat together a little late for a Monday evening, but it was all good! Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures for all of you :(

I also visited again with my Uncle Helmut and Tante Hilde--my sister Chris and family had already arrived there as well from Dresden. My aunt and uncle then took me to nearby Wurzburg on Tuesday to catch my train back to Bern. I sit now back in Bern, with one more day to pack my bags before leaving on Thursday. I can't believe the summer is gone already! Schade!!! (sad!)

Dresden

2008-09-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

My sister Christine's husband had a week's work in Dresden, so upon returning from the Glacier Express, we took their rental car from Bern all the way north into Germany, to Dresden. It was a LONG drive....!

Dresden, the capital city of Saxony on the river Elbe, is a very pretty city indeed, but you must remember that it was very heavily bombed during WWII and so even though it looks very old, with black stones and all, what you are actually seeing is only about 20 years old, having been rebuilt mostly with money from Western Europe after the wall finally came down. In fact, west Germans are still paying a few percent each year in their taxes to the East, a bitter pill for many to swallow, as they were promised this would only be for the first few years. Eastern Germany used to have lots of coal plants, so many towns had very poor air quality, and you could smell the bad odor. Lots of villages along the border were abandoned when the wall went up, and you can still see them along some of the railway and autobahn today. However, the smell is gone, and the former beauty of towns like Dresden have been completely restored.

Dresden is home to some fabulous museums, with notable collections, including Rafael's "Sistine Madonna." It was great to be able to see that! There was another museum full of knight's armor, swords and the like from the 15th-17th centuries, and I was very lucky to obtain entry into the Historische Gruener Gewolb, the personal collection of August the Strong. You can't imagine the hundreds of ivory, amber, crystal and shell figurines, in gold and silver, the ornately decorated tableware and housewares of all kinds, etc. , and of course, the jewels. Tickets are limited and sell out very quickly each day. Of course, no pictures in these museums, but trust me when I say, the vast wealth displayed here was simply too much for the eye to take in. It literally boggled my mind.

Meissen, a nearby city to Dresden, is famous for its painted porcelain. On this blog post the last picture you'll see--or the first, depending on which way you're scrolling--is a picture of a wall, yellow in color, with black figures drawn on it. This is just a portion of a very long wall, and entire city block, on which the royal history of Dresden is pictured, completely in Meissen porcelain. It's a wonder to behold.

We stayed in Dresden, ate, shopped and wandered about the rest of the week, and our hotel was very nicely located right in the middle of the "Altstadt," the old city, which made it easy.

The Glacier Express

2008-09-09T12:07:00.000-07:00

After my wonderful get-away in Muerren, I met up with Chris and Nicholas again, and took the Glacier Express from Zermatt to Chur. This is a famous train ride, with huge panoramic windows, from which to see the glacier-topped mountains as the train traverses the highest passes in Europe. As you can see--and I only post these pictures as a comparison to Muerren--the day was cloudy and the view very, very poor. This is why you have such LUCK to get a cloud-free day in the Alps!! For example, we started in Zermatt, which is a famous ski town at the base of the Matterhorn.....of course, we couldn't see the Matterhorn, the entire reason for starting in Zermatt! In any case, some of the valley views were very pretty, and the ride was very relaxing. We overnighted in Chur, the oldest city in Switzerland, also settled in Roman times, before returning to Bern and beginning a day's car journey north to spend a week in Dresden, Germany.

Quiet Time--Ruhetag

2008-09-09T11:03:00.000-07:00

What does one do and where does one go in Switzerland if you want to get away from the kids and have some grown-up quiet time? Why Muerren, of course! Hang on to your chair, these are the BEST pictures of the entire summer, in my opinion. High above Interlaken lies the car-free town of Muerren. Remember, Interlaken lies at the base of the Alps between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz (see earlier post where I went parasailing). From Interlaken, take a small train back between the mountains, to the Lauterbruennen Valley. Here you can see waterfalls cascading down from high above on all sides. Guest houses here are wonderful too. But let's go higher. So we take a gondola straight up the mountain, and connect with an small cog train that pulls you up even higher to the car-free town of Muerren, which lies at about 6,000 feet elevation, if I remember correctly. (You can also come up the mountain entirely by gondola on the other side of the village, if you prefer)

Now you can see lying just on the other side of the Lauterbruennen Valley the three most famous peaks in all of Europe: The notoriously dangerous and difficult to climb Eiger, the Moench, and the Jungfrau--the highest peak in all of Europe. The air is so crisp and clean, it seems you can reach out and touch them. I arrived late in the evening, so I couldn't see a thing, but my guesthouse room looked out onto these three peaks, so in the morning when I woke up and looked out.....Holy Cow, it was fantastic! I spent the weekend by myself, hiking during the day and reading late into the evenings after a nice dinner. There are plenty of hiking paths for all levels of hiker, from child to very experienced climbing. The path I took one day led to a very nice guesthouse, where I could cool my feet in an alpine stream and sip a cappucino--I mean, now, THAT'S hiking! There were cows with huge bells on them, a guy who blew the traditional alpen horns, and shepherds were bringing sheep down from very high above, as the fall weather was beginning to set in. Down in the village I found a tiny cheese shop, and purchased a few different kinds of cheese, some fruit and some bread, and then hiked up into the forest to find a little bench with a view all to myself for lunch. It was an amazing view of the three glaciered peaks, and the surrounding area. You could even hear the waterfalls thundering from across the valley. After that, I found a very nice meadow off the beaten path with some older wooden huts, which provided good shelter from prying eyes when I decided to do some "european sunbathing"....if you know what I mean :)

When you travel to the Jungfrau region, you never know what kind of weather you are going to get. I met an American couple who now live in Zurich, and this was their fifth attempt in this area, to go to the top of the Jungfrau. (The last time I was in this area in 2001, we also had very cloudy weather, and could not see the mountaintops.) They and I were in luck this weekend, as you can see by the pictures! The Alpine sun is also very strong. You need an excellent sunblock or you can burn very quickly without knowing it. I saw several very unlucky hikers.

All together, this was my very favorite weekend from my entire time here in Europe. I hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I enjoyed taking them. Be sure to post a comment and let me know what you think! Double-click away at these, and right-click to save one as your desktop background!

Avignon

2008-09-03T14:29:00.000-07:00

Next, it was time to head south from Grenoble, just under two hours to Avignon. Another very famous city on the banks of the Rhone, it was the first transalpine province of the Roman Empire. It is home to the Palace of the Popes, having been from 9 March 1309 till 13 January 1377 the seat of the Papacy instead of Rome. What's interesting about Avignon is that it's white....most of the buildings are all from a white stone, that gives a kind of magical look to it. I love the way the cobblestone streets are intersected and criss-crossed by marble stone. Avignon is well-known for its theatre season, beginning in August, and with the courtyard of the Popes Palace as the seating area, as you can see in one of the pictures, it must be so grand to sit and enjoy a play! It certainly takes the Elizabethan Theatre in Ashland up a couple hundred notches--this is the real thing!! Check out the sweet-shop pictures....doesn't your mouth start to water, just looking at all the delectable treats, so neatly stacked and packed???

Tour de France

2008-09-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

Another easy sightseeing journey about an hour and a half drive from Grenoble, is the Alpe d'Huez, a famous Alpine mountain route that has been made even more famous by the Tour de France. Travelling up the steep roads and hairpin turns, you can still see the writing on the road, encouraging the bikers. ("Lance" is still there!) It's thrilling to drive along the same road, and imagine the guts it takes to climb the steep route. At the top you're rewarded with stunning views. In the winter, this area is well-known for its many ski runs, a popular desintation point for families. I took some pictures of the ski chalets here for when we make our next booking with friends--the one with the golden stones is mine, the rest are first-come-first-serve....There are lots of pictures here from along the route, so enjoy the ones you like, and skip the ones you don't:)

Annecy

2008-09-03T13:59:00.000-07:00

About an hour's drive north from Grenoble you'll find the town of Annecy, situated on a very pretty lake. We enjoyed the day, strolling along the lake and eating ice cream.

Vive la France!

2008-09-03T13:50:00.001-07:00

After spending two months with my sister Elizabeth and Co. in Bern, I wanted to have 2 weeks to do some travelling before returning home. My sister Chris, her husband Dave and little boy Nicholas were nearby as Dave had work in Grenoble and Dresden, so I joined them in Grenoble for some official croissant sampling. I mean after all, I couldn't very well leave my sister all alone to explore while her husband worked, could I? Grenoble is a beautiful city on a river, with a charming older quarter, and lies between the mountain peaks which offer some very nice views. I can only imagine what it would look like in springtime, when the snow hasn't yet melted off the mountaintops. Petit de jeuner, or breakfast, was coffee, orange juice, a fresh-baked croissant and some marvelous preserves. By the way, the quiche was fantastic too! That picture is a double-clicker for sure:)

Gewurzkuchen

2008-09-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

Bethany and Bairdy are great helpers in the kitchen, and they love to bake. We made my famous recipe (made famous because all my neighbors love it when I make it at Christmastime and ask me if I might make another batch soon) We gobbled it up!

Just another gorgeous day

2008-09-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

The view from town on a clear day--you MUST double click on this one!

The day the elephants came to town

2008-09-03T13:24:00.000-07:00

When the circus comes to town, the elephants parade. They start at the Barengraben, or bear-pits (yes, real bears on display for tourists, as the town is named for them, after all), all the way down the road to the Zytglogge (the glockenspiel clock tower), and down even further past the Bundesplatz (the parliament buildings), and come to a halt in a tiny space between two buildings where everyone gathers to marvel at their sheer size. As everyone waits for the elephants to arrive, a circus band plays, while jugglers and acrobats entertain the crowd. Think Barnum & Baileys behind the Iron Curtain and you'll get the idea.......no bejeweled elephants like we're used to seeing, costumes made of old felt and worn out in places, and the band an assorted group of musicians who look like they either just got up or hadn't gone to bed from the previous night....but in any case, being THAT close to those huge pachyderms was actually fun!!!

The Kleingartens

2008-09-03T13:13:00.000-07:00

In most of Europe, it is common that on the outskirts of town, land is leased very cheaply to those city dwellers wishing to have their own gardens. In Bern, these "little gardens," or kleingartens cost about $80/year. That's for the land only, and then the people make their own garden. The cute thing about it is that people then put a little shed up in these gardens and then make wonderful displays of their fruits and vegetables. All in neat rows with stands of flowers inbetween or pruned to perfection, it's a feast for the eye to see. The little sheds can be anything from something practical to hold your gardening gear, or more prevalently you'll instead see these cute little dollhouse-like structures, complete with outdoor stove , table, chairs, and sometimes sleeping room, so that the weekend can be spend outdoors in the garden. The kids can then play there when the parents are working in the garden, they learn where food comes from, and to help with the work, and it is an enjoyable place to spend a warm summer evening. When I was little I called them zwerg-hausele, or "little Dwarf houses" for that's just the exact size a forest dwarf would need to live comfortably!! I want my own Kleingarten, that's for sure.

Exchange Students

2008-09-03T12:59:00.000-07:00

One of the most satisfying aspects of hosting exchange students over the years is that the real exchange begins after the student has left. That is to say, when you can remain in close contact and visit each other through the years, as anyone else who has hosted students will tell you, this is the real cultural exchange that takes place, building enduring friendships, and is ultimately the great reward. On my way back from Trier, I trained it to Stuttgart to visit my friends, the Fuchses. Ina was an exchange student with my Rotary club, and over the last few years, we've made visits back and forth to each other. Her brother Daniel was recently in the states, and so we also had the chance to get to know him. Their older sister Julia is in Koln. I met her last year when the two girls and their father Charlie stayed with me in the states, so it's kind of like an old homecoming at this point:) Anyway, it was great to see Charlie, Daniel and Ina again! We spent a day at the zoo, which is a very beautiful place with impressive grounds, and in the evening, Daniel made us a "Kase Abend," simply an evening with cheese, one of my favorite foods! After this, Daniel gave us a slideshow of this past summer in San Diego, and we all had a great time together.

Trier, contd

2008-09-03T12:55:00.001-07:00

The model train display I told you my cousin Kurt is building. It's incredible!!! After I don't know how many years of working on it, it is still very much a work in progress, as you can see. Kurt has also designed the computer program that runs the entire display, from the trains, to the track switches, to the town lights, etc. It is indeed a lifelong hobby!

Trier, contd

2008-09-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

In the surrounding villages you can always find something picturesque and charming, whether it be an old fountain, gas lamplights, or a little guesthouse and restaurant with a romantic garden. In one particular village outside of Trier, I saw a very old farmhouse, totally run down and abandoned. The living quarters of poor people were often on the floor above the ground, while their animals stayed in the ground level. The poorest sometimes even live on the same level as the animals, with a crude wooden door to separate them. In one such door I saw a cut out heart. It was a sweet romantic touch to what seemed to me an otherwise inhospitable situation.

Just across the street I saw my dream house. This is where I would live if I could!

Trier, contd

2008-09-03T11:56:00.000-07:00

More pictures of the city, Roman ruins, the Bishops Palace and gardens and my cousins Kurt and Rita!

Trier, cont'd

2008-09-03T09:34:00.000-07:00

Views from the marketplace and cathedral. For those of you who may have recently read Ken Follet's Pillars of the Earth, just looking at the inside dimensions brings the book out of fiction and smack into real life!

Trier, cont'd

2008-09-03T09:31:00.001-07:00

There's a story that goes like this: the sculptor of the fountain that you see here upon presenting it to the city when it was completed, was denied payment for a work of "inferior quality." To retaliate, the sculptor promptly re-fashioned one of the monkeys in the design. Take a closer look and see what this bad little monkey is doing!

Trier, cont'd

2008-09-03T09:24:00.001-07:00

The house with the door way above ground; some "Fachtwerk" houses, the woodwork denoting the name, and the Porta Nigra, the only remaining entrance to the city from Roman times and the best preserved gate north of the Alps. It was incredible to walk up to it, and realize how very long ago it was that people hand-formed bricks from clay to build these monumental cities.

Trier, cont'd

2008-09-03T09:23:00.000-07:00

The gal on the right is the one from Fresno that I met on the train to Trier!

Trier

2008-09-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

Trier is the oldest city in Germany, founded over 2,000 years ago, and for a time was the seat of the Holy Roman Empire. I never knew that. Roman ruins still stand, a piece of the old wall for example, roman baths, and perhaps most importantly in the Christian world, it is home to the garment said to be worn by Jesus just before he was crucified. Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great had it brought back to Trier, where it has remained to this day. It is not on display to the general public, but on the last day I was there I met a man who for many years studied theology and said that with the "right connections" one could view it. Of course he had the connections, but we had not time. So it's a story for a return to this marvelous city. It is both fascinating and beautiful, with so many medieval buildings. Stories abound, and I wish I could have been there longer to hear them all. In one picture you will see a house, with a door standing way above the ground. I found out that the wealthy lived this way, to make it difficult for thieves to enter. One had to climb up a ladder to get in and out, which was easily removed in times of danger. I would think an enterprising young thief might bring his own ladder....but such is the architecture of history!

I visited Trier to see my cousin and his wife who live nearby. His hobby is model trains, and he has built an elaborate display that is so big, the camera couldn't take it all in, in one shot. It takes up an entire room, is completely computer controlled, and is built down to the last detail. It's always a work in progress, for, as he says, "If one is finished with his hobby, what ever would he do next???"

On a side note: On the last leg of the train ride into Trier, a connection from a small village, I overheard two girls speaking English, so I asked them where they were from. You won't believe this------- One girl was actually from FRESNO!!! Her dad is a well-known allergist there. It really IS a small, small world after all....

You really should google this very interesting city to learn more about it. I can't wait to go back.

I'm going to put pictures in several different posts immediately following this one, so I can put appropriate comments with them.

Catch up time

2008-09-03T08:58:00.000-07:00

Oy vey, it's been two weeks since my last post! Shame on me! But the time is so rapidly flying by here, that there has simply been no more time to tell about what's going on here. You should all be travelling with me, then I wouldn't have to repeat it :)

To start, when Liz and Baird want a "date night," I take the kids for our own date night! This one was at a little Italian trattoria, streetside. It's all so very proper and all--we pretend we are all grownups, and we have real conversations about our day, and about what we like and don't like. Of course there are also lots of make-believe stories thrown in there too....

After two months of being with the Radford family, Liz has pretty much whipped things into shape, and the kids are ready to start school. I am taking my last 2 1/2 weeks to travel around a bit, to visit friends, to be by myself, and to spend time with another sister who's also here on vacation. Next stop--Trier!

Family Circle

2008-08-12T07:07:00.000-07:00

What Time is it? Time to go Cuckoo in the Black Forest!

2008-08-12T06:24:00.001-07:00

The title of this post was the theme of our motorbiking trip to the Black Forest a few years ago. I have such fond memories of it still!! The Black Forest in southern Germany is a very beautiful mountain area, with lots of quaint villages and small streets. There are always a lot of motorbikes touring through. I was so jealous to see them again now!!! The Black Forest is famous for three things that I can think of: Black Forest Cherry Cake (Schwarzwalderkirsch Torte), Black Forest Ham, and Cuckoo Clocks--thus our theme that I had printed on t-shirts for all of us!

This last weekend, we returned to the Black Forest (about 2 hours drive) to meet up with my cousin and his wife, along with my aunt and uncle. I had not remembered the name of the town we were going to, but as we came upon it, I remembered two of the landmarks: A beautiful waterfall, and a glassblower's workshop/showroom. We had stopped in the exact same place a few years ago!! This brought back all the memories for me, and also made me sad, because the year following our tour we lost one beloved member of our "biker gang." So Gene, this one's for you, with love. I can't remember a better time in my life than this week spent on the motorbikes with all of you.

What I didn't know is that the town of Todtnau also has a Rodelbahn---a kind of bobsled on tracks, if you will, that careens down the hill. We decided instead of taking the gondola to the top of the mountain, we would take a nice liesurely walk. There was, after all, a Kinderweg--a children's way.....well......this was NO CHILDREN'S WAY. It took us three hours to get to the top!!! They just stuck some wooden animals and fairy tale creatures along the path, as well as a small play area at the halfway point, and then they could call it a children's way....but the paths were steep, narrow, and LONG. But miracle of miracles, the children DID walk all the way up. Unbelievable.

Getting to the top awarded us with beautiful views, and a little "hutte" that served us lunch and a well deserved drink. Afterwards we took the rodelbahn all the way down the mountain. This was a complete blast. We hurtled down the track, spiral after spiral, curve after curve, as if we were olympic bobsledders. Bethany rode in front of me, and she couldn't go fast enough. We laughed all the way down.

Our Gasthouse where we stayed was very comfortable and friendly. You can always count on clean fresh featherbeds, and a delicious dinner in the evening. The air is clean and crisp, and the sunrise and sunset views are incredible.

"And we went down to the river...." B. Springsteen

2008-08-12T06:14:00.000-07:00

Ahhh....the Aare.
What can I say? IT'S COLD. Friday I met up with Dan and Steve again one last time (they flew back to the States Sunday) to finally float the river. The day was not too warm, but we had run out of time and it was today or never. We put our bags and towels down at a schwimmbad along the river and walked about 1 mile upstream to a bridge. It sure looked easier when I was watching other people do that....we climbed over the side, counted to three, and all jumped in. Yowza! The drop was about 15 feet, into very cold, fast moving water. We surfaced laughing and shouting--don't know if it was from the thrill or the temerature--and we floated along nicely downstream at a good clip until we reached the swimming place again. After "warming up" in the swimming pool--quite laughable actually, because the Swiss keep their swimming pool water cold by our standards, but after a river dip, it was actually toasty--we decided to go another round, so off we walked to jump in again. This time it had begun to rain, and we were freezing. Too bad I left my umbrella on the lawn; it would have looked great to float downstream holding a colorful umbrella aloft in the rain.....
No pictures of this event, so you'll just have to take my word for it, and look at the older posts of others jumping from the same bridge! :)

Thursday Nights

2008-08-12T05:58:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, Thursday is the regular gathering of the English Speaking Club of Berne. I grabbed Dan and Steve, and we headed over for the evening. It's a cute little pub, just for them. The only rule as you'll remember, is that you have to speak English.....this is getting difficult for me!! After almost two months here, I find myself thinking in German first, English second!

We played a resounding round of darts (the game was called cricket?), and even though I tried my best to thwart him (as you see in the picture) Dan won, in the final round of bullseyes.

All that work made us hungry, so we tripped in to the local McDonald's for a snack before saying our goodbyes for the evening. Check out the menu prices and remember, 1 swiss franc = 1 us dollar!!!

On the way to Montreau and all that jazz

2008-08-04T13:17:00.000-07:00

See the previous post for details! :)

Ooh la la Lausanne

2008-08-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

After the socializing was over for the evening, Dan and I agreed to meet the next morning and go to Lausanne, on the shore of Lake Geneva. We took the train from Bern, which took a little over an hour. The weather was perfect! The view was stunning from the train, as we approached the lake and rode alongside for half its length into Lausanne. Being so close to the border of France, everyone here speaks French. I don't. It was amusing.

Lausanne is a beautiful city; its masterpiece the Cathedral de Notre Dame. Perched high on a hill, it is the centerpiece of the "old city." The view of the lakeside from there was incredible. Another beautiful building was the old University, which now houses a terrific museum, each floor dedicated to a different science. The architecture was amazing, and the inside featured an atrium with a balcony on all sides of the second floor. You could just imagine the scholars back in medieval times in their long robes walking around this interior balcony and discussing the various topics of the day.

Lakeside: That's where everyone was on this hot day. All the shops are closed on Sunday in Europe; only the coffeehouses and restaurants are open. We found ourselves a bratwurst stand and together with pommes frites (french fries) had the perfect lunch. If you haven't had the french fries here in Europe, you haven't had a french fry. There was a band playing rock and roll, and various vendors selling crepes, glacees, and of course, the requisite beer and wine. What's a glacee you say??--think slushee and you'll be close. They come in various fruit flavors and are a fun way to quench your thirst. Don't worry, they don't turn your tongue purple or green:)

We then bought tickets on a steamer boat that cruised the Swiss side of the lake (the other side of the lake runs along the border of France) to Montreaux, a liesurely hour and a half ride. The countryside along the lake is a wine-growing region; all the hills were perfectly terraced with row upon row of grapevines. Montreaux is a beautiful village, flowers blooming everywhere, amongst tropical foliage and palm trees, although the people watching is surely almost more interesting than the other scenery:) Montreaux is, of course, world famous for its jazz festival, held every year in July, and outside the pavilion stands a statue of Freddy Mercury, to mark the famous spot. Tickets for the festival are very expensive: just for one music venue you can expect to pay about $180. Imagine listening to several events over the course of a weekend!

After the "stress" of such a beautiful train ride and steamer cruise, Dan and I decided it was time to go swimming, so we found ourselves a spot along the lake, stripped down to our skivvies and jumped in. This in my opinion was the best part of the whole day. Swimming in a lake, surrounded by picturesque villages with towering mountain peaks in the background....WOW!!!

We found a great little outdoor cafe on the promenade and had pizza for dinner, before heading back to Lausanne and Bern. We took a regional train from Montreaux to Lausanne, so it ran alongside the lake and stopped in each little village. They were all very picturesque and charming, as the sun was lowering itself below the mountains. Home in bed about 11:30 pm. Another fantastic day. Both Dan and Steve head back to the States this weekend. I will really miss their company!

The Night Life

2008-08-04T11:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday night late I ventured into the city to see what was going on. I figured there would be some bands playing outside or something, in celebration of the holiday weekend. As I was walking around the city, I went into the train station to look at schedules for the next day, because I wanted to get out of town. There, to my surprise, I saw my drop-dead-gorgeous friend Dan (who I also met at the Marine House), returning from a day swimming at the river, with another American girl he had just met. Her name was Sarah, she was 21 and cute as a button. Apparently Dan was walking around with nothing to do in the afternoon, and had wandered a bit from the city. He came upon a bedraggled and sweaty Sarah, who explained that she was bicycling/backpacking her way through Europe for the summer and had gotten a little lost. Ever the good tour guide and host, Dan suggested they then spend the afternoon swimming the river. When I caught up with them, Sarah was heading back to Geneva by train. We sent her off with a wink and a nod, then set upon the city to find some good "drinking establishments."

In one bar, we met a group of guys having a bachelor party. They were all wearing a kind of sailor hat, with the word "Marines" stenciled on it....I just had to ask....apparently all the guys have themes here for their bachelor parties, how cute is that?? This guys pilots a tourist boat, so they all wore those silly hats, and made him "pilot" a rubber raft about 30 km down the river to Bern. Then he had to put on goggles, fins and a mask, and swim around in one of the public fountains in the square. Too funny!!! A lot of the people you meet here are very interesting to talk to--they are either not native to Switzerland, or have jobs that require them to travel. They are very well spoken, and their English is quite good. It is easy to connect with new people, as everyone seems interested in the other's exploits. It has been such a great experience to meet some of these people, and share stories of their travels all around the world. One guy we met on a train for example, was an ex-Marine, about my age, his parents are Swiss and live in Interlaken, but he spent most of his years in the US. He speaks 4 languages. He was just returning from a trip to South America. We learned so much about how to travel there just from listening to how he did it and hearing about his own adventures! Everyone here is happy to exchange information and email addresses.

The Swiss National Holiday

2008-08-04T11:04:00.000-07:00

August 1st is Switzerland's national holiday. That means all the bakeries bake special breads with flags stuck in them, all the government buildings dress up with special banners, the parliament building flies flags from all of the cantons, even dogs were wearing the national symbol of the white cross on a red background! In the morning, the traditional thing to to is "Brunch on the Bauernhof"--Breakfast at the farm. Everyone goes out to a local farmhouse for homegrown and produced breakfast....the traditional Roesti--basically our hash browns, with bacon, fried eggs, homemade cheeses, yogurts, milk, cream, wursts, salamis, bread, fruit, you name it. There's a music group playing their accordions, and each farmouse accommodates a few hundred people or more. Just when you've filled up on breakfast, it's time for homemade cake and ice cream. For the men, of course there is plenty of beer--cooled in the cow trough, no less, where fresh water continually flows in from a nearby stream. The animals are on "display" for the children to see, our farmhouse even had a hay mound with maze underneath for the kids to get lost in, and everyone enjoys themselves until it's time to go home for an afternoon nap. In the evening, first the children gather at dusk (that's 9pm here) to walk with beautiful lighted lanterns all the way from the Bear pits to the Zytglogge (clocktower). Then as it gets darker, fireworks are on display just about everywhere you look. at 10:30pm Bern had a very nice display from a mountaintop so everyone below could see--the place to gather was on the bridge to the city--the trams stopped, the lights went out, and thousands of us oohed and ahhed to the spectacular display. Fireworks are also legal to buy here though....so bottle rockets and other assorted very loud fireworks went on all night in the surrounding neighboorhoods!

Once you get connected....

2008-08-04T10:58:00.000-07:00

The name of the game is network,network, network....because of my newfound friendships with Americans associated with the Embassy, I was able to "score" some American foodstuffs not available here, to please the kids. Cheerios and chocolate chip cookie mix are just some of the things that can be had at their commissary...I'm sweet-talking another friend into bringing me with him the next time he goes, so that I can get pancake mix and syrup and other goodies. I need more Cheerios too, the first box has been gobbled up!

On the way to Grindelwald and the view from there

2008-07-27T07:32:00.001-07:00

Dreams of Flying

2008-07-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

Have you ever had dreams of flying? I have, and yesterday my dreams finally came true. In the late morning after the party at the Marine house we met up again, and I was cooked a wonderful American breakfast--ham and eggs, hash browns, the works! I had been invited to go to Interlaken to go parasailing. How could I possibly refuse? After arriving in Interlaken, about an hour's train ride from Bern, it began to rain, but I just knew the stars would be in alignment for me this day, and sure enough, about an hour later, the sun came out and gave us the perfect opportunity to FLY!! I flew tandem with an instructor, don't worry....I can't tell you what it felt like to run downhill and just lift off like a bird...sailing through the sky on wings of air...the cares of the world left behind and nothing but silence, and the most beautiful view you can possibly imagine. The pictures you see from up above are ones I took during the flight. Interlaken (which means "between the lakes") sits inbetween Lake Brienz and Lake Thun, at the base of the Jungfraujoch (the highest mountain in all of Europe). What a complete thrill. My new friend Steve who you see in the pictures is a contractor from New Hampshire who has been in Bern the last year working on construction of the new Embassy building. After the flight, we took a little train to Grindelwald, a cute little village up the mountain towards the Jungfraujoch. Dinner was on a veranda overlooking the glaciers of this beautiful mountain. It only began to rain again once we had finished our coffee and were ready to make our way once again back down the mountain. What a great day. Absolutely perfect!

Friday night, part 2

2008-07-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

On the way home from the river adventure, we met a woman getting off the tram with us when she noticed that I spoke english. She was also American, and looking for an address. Apparently the Marines had moved from their place at the Embassy, and relocated to our neighborhood. There was an open house party there. I directed her to the right spot, and she invited me to come. So after getting the kids bathed and back in mom and dad's hands, I headed off to meet some new friends. I was a little late in getting there, but met some very nice strapping young men (doesn't hurt to look, right?) and assorted others connected with Embassy life. Afterwards, we walked into town and spent the rest of the early morning hours "fraternizing"....:) I told Elizabeth she should knock on this door whenever she needed any handywork done around the house, I'm sure those cute, capable young men would be happy to help her out!

Friday night, part 1

2008-07-27T06:45:00.000-07:00

A lovelier day was not to be had in the city of Bern this last Friday....sunny and warm, light breeze throughout to keep things pleasant. The kids and I explored the river in the evening. We took our picnic dinner of cold pizza, bratwurst and potato salad, and found a bench alonside the Aare. We watched the swimmers jump from the bridge and float down to make their way towards the open-air swimming area, where everyone gathers to spend the afternoon/evening after work. They even had a giant movie screen set up on the expansive lawn, for evening entertainment. I was pea-green with envy watching the floaters, as there just isn't anything more fun to do in the whole city!!! Bethany skinned her knees after she fell while running, but she was a great sport after I suggested we should still be having fun because we weren't dead yet. She liked that. So I told them to make their worst face for the camera, just so it would look very bad, and we could fool everyone with that:):)

The Swiss Health Care System

2008-07-24T12:50:00.001-07:00

Today after breakfast I took Bethany along with me to visit the hospital and get my shoulder checked out. She "remembers" having her foot x-rayed when she was 3, so I suggested that she could come and give me some good advice:) We took the tram to the Hauptbanhof and then a bus to the hospital. It's nice that because of the socialized system, everyone has health care here, so the emergency rooms are not crowded like ours. The front desk folks were polite and efficient; by the time I walked the 50 meters to the next department, they had my plastic i.d. card and preliminary file already made up. When the doctor came in, I just about fell over in my chair, he was so handsome! What a cutie-pie he was; spoke perfect English, and just returned from 2 years studying in Boston at a Tufts/Harvard partnership university. He wants to specialize in orthopedic medicine. We had a GREAT conversation. From that point on, I didn't care how long it took to get taken care of, I was happy to have his attention--and of course, his physical examination as he checked out my arm functionality, although very painful, was completely fine with me:) At first, he thought I had torn something in my rotator cuff that would require surgery. That was not good news, and I was definitely thinking I didn't want to go through another surgery and all the time it would take to heal after that. But after x-rays and consultation with a specialist, they decided everything looked ok, but that I had some existing calcification that had become inflamed with the injury, and that was causing the severe pain. Will take time to heal, but I now have some good pain medications....now, if only I can get that cute doctor's email address or phone number.....believe me, I will try!

I'm not so young as I look

2008-07-23T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the kids and I went out after breakfast to do our usual exploring. We took our lunch along, and cruised around with the stroller in search of new parks, slides, swings and the like. It's always fun with them, showing them plants and flowers, and animals along the way. We stopped to play on the grass for awhile, and I showed Bethany how to do a cartwheel. She ran up to me afterwards, she was so excited, threw her arms around me and said, "You did it Auntie, you did it!" It was so great, she doesn't give those spontaneous affections too often. Unfortunately, I also did something to my shoulder. I am in a lot of pain, and can't move my arm above my waist at all, flex or rotate it. Possibly damaged my rotator cuff or even fractured something. Advil, ice packs, and restricted movement are my new game. Don't know how long it will take to get use of my right arm again. That's the frustrating part. But it was worth it to get that hug from Bethany! Tomorrow, to the hospital, I think, for an x-ray......

Return to Germany

2008-07-23T05:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I travelled once again to Germany, to visit my friends in the town of Grafenrheinfeld, my mother's home town. The train ride was very beautiful indeed. Was fun to see an entire train of BMW's (mein liebelingsauto) headed from the factory to its final destination....in any case, my friends Karin and Claus hosted me. They have a very charming and cute home on what we know as the 4th floor (in Europe its called the 3rd floor because it's the third floor above the ground. Claus and Karin are both musicians in their spare time, and they play in a band. Klaus plays electric guitar and Karin the bass guitar. They also have a little garden-about 1/2 acre-on the outskirts of town, that Claus had the foresight to buy about 20 years ago. It is a great place not only to grow your fruits, vegetables and flowers, but also to celebrate parties! My aunt and uncle also live in this same village. Friday I did some shopping for all of the German cooking things I love, and in the evening went with my aunt and uncle to Steigerwald, a beautiful forest near the village, to a local wirtschaft (restaurant) for the best bratwurst you can find. They also had a special that evening: Schweinshaxen....delicious!!! This forest, with its narrow winding streets and cobblestone pavements is home to some very charming and romantic villages and restaurants...like stepping back into the past. There is currently discussion to make this area into a national park, because there are concerns that ongoing woodcutting will destroy the area. The local residents are against this, however, because it will bring many more tourists, along with noise and pollution. I have to agree with them! On Saturday evening there was a music fest in Grafenrheinfeld's kirchplatz, or church square, which hosts various musical entertainment throughout the weekend. The weather was not so great, and the fest was very lightly attended. That didn't stop us from hanging out til the wee hours of the morning though! The sun was coming up when I tucked myself into bed. This made it very difficult to get up again for lunch at noon, at my aunt and uncles house:) My aunt made rouladen, with blaukraut and homemade potato dumplings.....simply the best. Sunday evening we gathered in another small restaurant in the nearby village of Sennfeld. It was great to see one old friend in particular, Helmi, whom I had first met 25 years ago when he came on a motorcycle tour of the USA. He is an avid hunter, and a very funny man. He told me a story about an Arabian horse that I will never forget. Remind me to tell you in person about that:) The owner of the wirtschaft is an excellent musician. I have heard him play guitar several times over the last years, and two years ago even played and sang with him! He is so good, I think he could play with any band in the world. And here he lives, in this little village. But the food there is also very good, so I am happy about it:)

All in all, it was so great to see old friends and renew acquaintances. I love Germany!

Variations on a Theme, part 2

2008-07-23T05:22:00.000-07:00

Bern is famous for its Zytglogge, or Zeit Glockenspiel, a large clock tower with a glockenspiel that turns round just a minute before the top of each hour, and chimes to let you know what time it is about to be. There is also a "golden man" with work apron and mallet, that swings and hits the bell the appropriate number of times at the top of each hour.

Home Sweet Home

2008-07-23T05:13:00.000-07:00

"the death march".... that's what Liz calls it....the long driveway to our home, after we've already walked the distance from the train. And with three small children, I can see her point. Just try lugging rolls of toilet paper, milk containers and the like, all the while dragging the tired little ones the last few steps to the door!! But we live in a very nice, modern complex, that is bordered on all sides by many trees, making it a quiet respite from an otherwise busy city life. There is a swingset and play area along with a nice grassy area for the kids to play, and they have already found a few friends to "hang out" with!

In the good ol' summertime

2008-07-23T05:04:00.000-07:00

The city centre of Bern is always interesting....lots of things to see there that you may have missed the first, second or even third time through. A favorite summertime spot is the water feature in the square. Right in front of the State Building and the State Bank, there are 26 fountains that represent the cantons of Switzerland. These fountains are computer controlled, and one knows not which ones will shoot up when, making it a surprising and enjoyable activity for children.

What happens when you get a craving....

2008-07-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

Well, last weekend Baird had to go back to the states, and Liz didn't want to be "stuck" at home--yes, a very boring place to be stuck, here in Bern...and we had a hankerin' for some good Bavarian food, soooooooooo we booked a train to Munich! First stop Zurich, then changed trains for a 3hour or so ride into Germany. Went 'round the Bodensee on the border, which is a very large lake and famous vacation spot.....we passed some very beautiful and picturesque towns. The day was sunny and clear, so the view was wonderful. Once arriving in the train station, we took the U-bahn straight into town--the Marienplatz, and came above ground right in front of the famous church, with the glockenspiel and all. Dinner was at the famous Hofbrauhaus, beer, wine and oom-pah pah music included:) You'll drool at the pictures of the food.....We just happened to be there for St. Christopher's Day as well, which I guess if you're in Munich means.....Gay Pride Day! There was a huge parade; I'm sure you'll enjoy some of the pictures. What a spectacle to be sure! Once a year in the city, the Philharmonic Orchestra gives a free concert, outdoors in the park. We just happened to be there at the right time. It was wonderful!

Lucerne

2008-07-16T06:51:00.000-07:00

So, I find I'm a little behind on posting, and today I'll make the attempt to catch you up:)

Not this last weekend but the Sunday before, we went to Lucerne. Took the train, a very nice ride about one hour from Bern. The day was gray and rainy, but I managed to capture some very nice images of the area. You will see some pictures taken from above; I climbed an old wall tower to take them. In my effort to get to the tallest tower, I noticed two things: inside was a working gear shift, like the inside of a clock, and a bell at the top of the tower. What I missed was that the gearshift was actually working the bell, so I just happened to be right at the top with the bell when it rang.....I definitely don't recommend doing that....

Typical Europe, they were having a music fest right in the train station. Different music groups from surrounding areas each come to play for an hour or so. You'll see a picture of a band playing in front of a little grocery store in the lower level of the Hauptbanhof. What a nice way to be greeted to Lucerne!

Also, in the pictures of the church, something I found interesting...you'll see a painted shield--very old--there were lots of these family crests--markers for the pews.

We found a job for Katie next summer too:) She can play her flute in Europe, along some very nice tourist corridors, and make good money!

And don't forget to click in and look closely at the chocolate shop window:) My favorite pic is the dragon head fountain.
A very picturesque town indeed.

Variations on a Theme

2008-07-16T06:13:00.001-07:00

A few different shots from Bern, from the view of the Alps, to typical city dwellings, the cathedral and such...you MUST spend a moment and click on some of these pictures--the full view is simply not to be missed!

Getting around the Blog

2008-07-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

As you scroll down through the blog, you'll only see the newest posts, and then the very first one. So if you haven't checked in for a few days, about halfway down you'll find "Older Posts" in little writing:) Click on that and ALL the posts will come up on your screen. Happy viewing!

2008-07-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

Don't forget...you can click on any of the images to get a larger view, right click and you can save it to your computer or use it for your desktop background. Also, next to the date of the post, you can click on "Comments" and write something!

What happens if you get lost

2008-07-05T06:56:00.001-07:00

I came upon this marker on my walk yesterday morning...it says "One Hour from Bern"... I'm wondering if that marker is helpful if you get lost in the snow, although if there were that much snow, wouldn't the marker surely be covered up? One might guess it's to inform you of how much farther you need to walk (or travel by horseback?) to get there, especially if it's Friday night after the pub and you've had a few too many and wandered too far....the elementary solution....but the problem is, it doesn't point to which direction one must go for another hour. How much more trouble would it have been to chisel in a simple directional arrow??? Hmmm...

.....more chocolate

2008-07-05T06:51:00.000-07:00

Luckily for me, Bethany chose my favorite cake to share at the bakery: Schwarzwalderkirsch--Black Forest Cherry. It looked so good (and mommy wasn't with us) that we decided to eat it BEFORE lunch! We were very bad....

What's in a name?

2008-07-05T06:48:00.000-07:00

Bettina, now we know how Mom decided on your name when you were born:):) Mustard on your hot dog anyone??? jk!!!

Wild animals do not make good pets

2008-07-05T01:59:00.000-07:00

Playing around with the kids at the zoo.....
Which one of these little animals do you want to take home???

How the mail is delivered!

2008-07-05T01:56:00.000-07:00

Does anyone around here speak English???

2008-07-04T04:32:00.000-07:00

Last night was the weekly meeting of the English Speaking Club of Bern. Anyone can join for a small yearly fee, or you don't have to be a member to go socialize. They have their own bar, complete with a pool table, and Thursday and Friday evenings, the bar is open to everyone, as long as they commit to speaking English. Gotta love that one. I met a friendly and laid back group, from all over the world. Bosnia, London, New Zealand, Columbia, Utah, you name it! It's kind of like Cheers, where everybody knows your name, yeah that theme song is coming back to you right now, isn't it?:) In addition to the weekly bar gatherings, the club members have organized several different things to do throughout the week. If you're available mornings, there are bakery/coffee chats, in the evenings, dinners at various restaurants, and on the weekends, always an outing to a different part of Switzerland. Definitely a fun group of people!

2008-07-01T02:16:00.000-07:00

Europeans are famous for their Schwimmbad's--swimming centers. They have huge pools, with activities for the kids, as well as water slides, etc. Not like our water parks....think high school swimming pool complex with a few other options, and you'll get the picture....you can change inside, or outside--for the world to see, no one really cares too much, but you MUST shower off before entering the pool. In Germany I found the pools heated....here in Switzerland, they were cold!!! oh, right, they are supposed to be healthier for you that way.....yeah right.

Liz went early to get fresh bread from the bakery yesterday, and then decided to stop in the store for a few things since the door was open. She said all the ladies were talking to her and she just assumed they were asking if she needed help, and so she kept saying no thank you.....until after a few minutes she realized they were trying to tell her that she had to leave because she had to wait another 5 minutes until the store officially opened......!!! You learn something new every day:)

Are there really tunafish on Lake Thun?

2008-07-01T01:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday was spent first going to the "Banhof," the BIG train station, and we took a really big, fast train (according to Bairdy) about 20 minutes to the town of Thun. I thought the view of the Alps was great where we live, but in Thun it's even more magnificent. One of my favorite pics below is the overhead train lines with the Alps in the background....

Lake Thun is a very large lake, and in fact you can take a boat all the way up to Interlaken, and into connecting Lake Brienz, if you wish. The whole trip takes you about 2 1/2 hours, at a tourist's crusing pace. We chose to go only about 1 hour, to the lakeside resort town of Spiez. We took a steamboat, which was fun for the kids, to see the powerful hydraulic pistons turn the water paddles.

Spiez, as you can see, is very picturesque. We happened upon a Triathlon, and were lucky to see the start. It was very exciting! On the boat ride home at the end of the day were a group of teenage boys, all who had had plenty to drink and were now singing. These were German boys, definitely!!! They sang us all the way home on this boat, to the passengers, to the captain, to other ships and sailboats we passed, even upon debarking--they had a song for everything! Thank god they didn't accompany us on the train ride home....
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Close your eyes and make a wish

2008-06-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

Our days seem to be jam-packed! This morning we took the kids to see "The Gurten," a beautiful park up in the hills with a fantastic view of the city below. They had a lot of fun there. While waiting for the train to take us home, we saw a cake shop, with various decorated confections in the window. I've posted a few pictures to show you what "creative" cake toppers were on display there...be sure to check them out!:)

Elizabeth and I took a few hours to shop in the city while Baird took the kids home for a nap. Today in the city center there was a farmer's market with all kinds of fresh produce. Prices are very expensive here; although the Swiss Franc is roughly the same as the dollar, you pay almost twice the price. A simple crepe for example, with tomatoes, ham and cheese was $12.00. I went to the bookstore and purchased two maps and a guidebook of Switzerland: $72.00. Yowza!!

After dinner, the city begged to be discovered once more. Strolling past the Paul Klee Museum close to our home, there was a "Wishing Tree." Anyone is invited to fill out a piece of paper with a wish on it and hang it on the tree. Too good an opportunity to pass up.....Started the city's exploration above it, walked down to river level, saw the bear pits (bears were already sleeping and not out), and found a delightful section of the city on the back side that seems to be a little quieter and more quaint. Nice little restaurants with outdoor seating, and music floating in the air from within. If I were to live here, this neighborhood would be my choice! Lots of the "old" style buildings left here, narrow streets, shuttered windows with geraniums and wrought-iron balconies.

The most difficult thing about being here is having to choose between the bakery, chocolate shops (oh! remind me to tell you about them later) or gelato for the evening's treat.....

FYI: You can click on any of the images below to get a larger look-see:)

My view from above as I walked down to the city

A bit of whimsy hanging from the trees.....
View from The Gurten

A beautiful estate...
This is the school where Bethany and Bairdy will be going, isn't it beautiful?
Bern is truly an international city; here the girl in the blue dress is having a birthday... be sure to click on the image to get full-size, you don't want to miss the look of pure joy on her face!
...and everyone takes part in the celebration!

Soccer Mania

2008-06-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Europeans do love their fussball. Euro Cup has everyone hanging flags out their windows and wearing scarves with their national colors. Bern is an international city, so there are many flags, many colors. The city center is the place to be in the evenings when the games begin. They close the streets and have multiple huge screen TVs placed in the middle. Restaurants place tables and chairs outside, and various street vendors set up shop with fresh grilled bratwurst, various sandwiches, and plenty of beer of course! Shops stay open late. Bands play music to entertain before the game begins, and thousands of people linger in the streets for the evening's festivities. If you hurry you can make it in time to meet me for Sunday's game.

Wednesday, 25 June

2008-06-25T11:29:00.000-07:00

Today was spent downtown at the "Citizens Services Department" getting the family officially registered as new residents. Everyone had to take a picture for their record. This a very serious undertaking indeed. They have flyers posted everywhere--your eyes have to be open (duh), and your face must be straight, directly facing the camera, no smiles allowed. Those Swiss don't kid around. And try buying a car here. Prices are almost double compared to the same vehicle in America. A BMW 540 will cost you over $100,000. A Dodge Grand Caravan about $70,000 US. Now what American do you know that will pay 70 grand for a Dodge?! :) The Swiss discourage driving, as their system of trains and buses is incredibly efficient--that is, until you try lugging three children under the age of 5 down 4 street blocks to catch the bus, not to mention how to hand-carry all the groceries....

Another beautiful day here in the 80's!

What would you like with your breakfast?

2008-06-24T03:55:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, today started out with a bang---nobody got much sleep last night; it's always the 3rd day that jetlag catches up with you. We sat down at the breakfast table with the kids, and Bairdy threw up all over the place. And not only once. Way to wake up in the morning! And of course, just having moved in, we don't have a mop and bucket yet...what a cleanup job.... poor little guy though:) You can all laugh now that even in Bern one can't escape real life!

The key to success

2008-06-23T11:27:00.000-07:00

Today we visited a pre-school possiblity for the children. Interesting to hear the philosophy and activities there. After lunch Liz and I finally made our first trip to the grocery store....loaded that stroller FULL! Funniest thing that happened today: Bethany and Bairdy locked themselves in their room. We figured no big deal, every room had one of those old-fashioned looking keys, so we just got another one to fish them out.....but each key was different! It was kind of a crack up to hear them yelling "Help us! Please help us!" from in there, but we broke a sweat when we saw that the other keys didn't work. Daddy to the rescue. He calmly talked to Bethy from the other side of the door, and walked her through the process of putting the key back in and turning it, along with the handle, to open the door. YEAH Bethany!!! Daddy promptly collected all the keys.....

Dinner was kartoffelsalat, paprikahaenchen, und gruener Salat. Lecker!

Still very warm here, about 90 degrees. Light until almost 10pm. Idyllic.

Finally Made It!

2008-06-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

After all the many days of preparations, the day finally arrived, and I took flight with "Elizabeth and Co." to begin our adventure. The kids did great during the flight, but don't ask Baird about Frankfurt Flughafen:)

The flight in was spectacular. Clear day of flying all the way through. I love the European countryside from the air! Lots of green fields, red-roofed villages with church steeples and forests inbetween. But the piece de resistance? Flying along the Alps into Bern was amazing!!! Arrived Saturday late afternoon to Bern's small airport, and were greeted with an incredible view! The Alps in the distance are absolutely fantastic. (I can hear the church bells ringing up from town right now, it's so great!) We have a spacious flat about 10 minutes away from the city center by tram. Baird had the basic furniture and linens waiting for us, so that we could get a good night's sleep.

Sundays most stores are closed, so we relaxed. The thing to do on the warm summer days is float the Aare river! Get in your swimsuit, walk the distance upstream you wish, and jump in! The swift water carries you easily downstream back to your starting point. How fun!!!

There are walking paths everywhere. Just next to our apartments are huge multimillion dollar mansions. I'm talking BIG. Really big. Fun to walk through that neighborhood! On the other side is an open field, with a very old, original farmhouse, but HUGE, and an architectural marvel. I will post a pic when I return that way. The farmer there now sells potatoes when they're in season....I'll bet they're delicious. When you get past the farmhouse and to the end of the treeline, all you see before you in the distance are the Alps. I'm telling you, it's unbelievable!