Blogs from Berne, North-West, Switzerland, Europe - page 5

This last week has been full of events and trips to the mountain. Tuesday Denise, Dani and I started the day by heading into Bern to do a bit of shopping. It wasn’t long before we got everything we needed and Denise headed home, while Dani and I hopped on the bus to head to the other side of the river that runs through Bern. We stopped at an old ice skating rink and spent about an hour skating around in the snow . At first I was so shaky and bad (I think the last time I ice skated I was in middle school) but after a while I was starting to get the hang of it. About that time though, they had to clear the ice so Dani and I watched some hockey that ... read more

THis is going to be a long one...my interent wasn't working this week. This last week has flown by so fast! Tuesday Katie and I took the metro towards the airport and then I continued on to work. The morning was a normal day of work for me. I spent the first two hours taking the second graders out and preparing them for their English exam. The third hour I had a free period. During the free period something unexpected happened. The Australian auxiliary, Sandy, received a phone call that her grandfather was in the hospital and undergoing surgery. I felt terrible for her. She left for the day to try and get on Skype to talk to her family. It was really sad. For the afternoon I headed to 5th grade where I finished grading ... read more

Before moving to Australia, I decided a trip to Switzerland was in order. Mostly to visit Grossmuetti and the family. :) It doubled as waiting time just in case I didn't get the visa, but finally I was granted my visa the day before I left Montreal. It was my first trip in close to three years, so it was good be back. The first weekend here in Switzerland, I relaxed in Interlaken, helping my aunt and her family do some fall yard work. The weekend included some nice long walks from the house to the town, alongside the lake, visiting some old ruins, and having a Sauser and vermicelle in town (an unfermented grape juice and a chestnut, cream, and meringue-based dessert, both seasonal specialties). The weather wasn't fantastic, but it wasn't too cold and ... read more

On my way to Bern I stopped off in Zurich for a couple of hours to have a look around. The Swiss say Zurich is the worst city in Switzerland, people from Zurich think it's the best, so i was intregrued to see it. I followed the walk on my map and it took me to the river, through the cute winding streets on the edge of the river, and to the lake at the end. The buildings were nice, the weather fine, and the people out and about, so I had no problems enjoying myself in Zurich! Then it started to rain so I had to dodgethe raindrops a bit as I walked though the town on the other side. Even in the rain Zurich isn't such a bad city! I got some dinner and ... read more

GENEVE/BERN Day 33 I arrived in Geneve and was a little disappointed. Yes, the alps are beautiful but there is not much else to this town. It would be great if I had a crap load of money to spend on expensive clothes and watches but I don’t so I only stayed 2 hours on got on the next train to Bern. I did find it really funny the amount of clocks and watches that are EVERYWHERE. I get that Geneve and Switzerland is the mecca for watches but really so many. I made it to Bern and immediately knew it was a better choice to visit. It is a small town but all the buildings are very swiss and the old town is really neat to walk through. You still have a lot of ... read more