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Hello from Bern! Andrew and I took it easy this morning, eating the bread, cheese, yogurt and fruit we bought last night at the grocery, then heading out about 0930. We stopped at a neighborhood we saw from the tram, then wandered til we found a cafe for coffee. Once again, we discovered that everything in Bern is really expensive, with a double espresso running $4.50 each. We were extra surprised that drinking the coffee at the cafe was $4.00 more than getting it to go...which we found out AFTER ordering and getting the bill. Lesson learned.
The morning was very cool (a nice change) so we walked toward the center of town. We discovered a chess board on the walkway so stopped for a quick game. After Andrew beat me handily, we walked on to see the sights in Old Town.
Like everything we have seen so far, the beauty and the history of Bern was everywhere. We visited the Federal Palace - Bundeshaus (parliament building), Bern Cathedral, Zyglotte (clock tower), and a number of other places built between 1200 - 1600. One highlight was the tour of Albert Einstein's apartment. Einstein lived in Bern for the first
two of his most productive years, and to see the desk where he first developed his theory of relativity was amazing.
We also went to Bear Park (bears are the symbol of Bern; images of them are everywhere) but it was closed for construction...no bears for us. Great sadness. Next to Bear Park was Tramhaus Altes, the old tram station converted into a restaurant. It was highly recommended by the couple on the train and our hosts, so we stopped. The view of the old town across the river was breathtaking...words fail again. Andrew and I enjoyed giant bowls of spatzli (Swiss pasta, very thick egg noodles) with bacon, onions, and grated cheese. Absolutely delicious!! The bill was as astonishing as the food was tasty. We had a sandwich from the grocery tonight.
Quick observations about Bern: the trams go everywhere in town quickly and safely...every single person in Bern speaks perfect English...life here is really expensive, but everything is top quality, from food to buildings to stuff. From my very limited experience, it appears that life in Bern (Switzerland? Europe?) is more about quality than quantity. I really like this city.
We finished the evening sitting
in perfect weather on the balcony eating cheese, fruit, tomatoes, and nuts with Laura and Olivia, our hosts. We had a lively and fun conversation, learning from them while they learned from us on topics ranging from our respective cultures to world politics to psychology to their interesting Airbnb stories. Olivia is a teacher, and it was great fun listening to her and Andrew discuss education reform. Laura shared stories of her 2014 travels to 26 states in a Jeep Cherokee in less than 30 days (!) followed by trips to India and Nepal...just wow! (Extra appreciation to Laura for letting me use the washer and dryer in her building. It was a life-saver!)
We have spent a total of maybe three hours with them, and we already feel like Laura and Olvia are good friends. In leaving Italy, we felt some sadness in leaving the place. When we leave tomorrow, we will miss the people, too.
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