The boys on the train
Mary-Catherine and Julia met us at the station and took us back to their place for a nice lunch. We then checked into our hotel and headed back into the city to see the sights.
Julia, Gregor and Sam inspect Rhys. Kids love kids.
Bern is the capital of Switzerland but is a very modest size, easily walkable and with a population of only 135,000 in the city proper, although the greater Bern area is closer to a half million souls. The city has been around since the 12th century and joined the Old Swiss Confederacy in the mid-14th century. Legend has it that the city's founder, Berchtold V, was a renowned hunter and pledged to name his settlement after his next kill -- which turned out to be a ferocious and conveniently impressive bear. In reality, various unciteable reports and internet blogs imply Berchtold brought down an arthritic bunny but, since Bunnyton was a ridiculous and non-intimidating name in an era that demanded a certain air of toughness, the so-called by me Great Lie was born. In any event, the story caught on and Bern has been linked to bears ever since -- the canton's standard is a black bear on a red and yellow background, and the city has kept live bears for centuries. The bear pit has, thankfully, now (like in the last ten years...) been replaced by a more humane enclosure on a hill bordering the Aar river (so named because ol' Berchy also claimed to have been a famous pirate. This guy was too much...) En tous cas, as they say, the bears marked our first stop.
Sarah and Sam overlooking the Aar, central Bern in the background matey
The Bern Bears: Glum
Sam, Daddy and Julia in front of the old bear pit
After the bears, it was time for a walk through the very picturesque medieval centre of town to a market in a plaza near the famous Munster cathedral. Here we took a much deserved break for ice cream (kids) or beer (daddies) while Mommies checked out the stalls.
Sam and Julia share their ice creams
"Really? I thought Ulysses somewhat overwrought, though obviously Joyce was the classic modernist..."
After a quick stop at a park to splash in the sandbox pool and a quick stroll to admire the city's famous apartment cat ladders (Switzerland, your innovations will NEVER cease to amaze me) we called it a night. Well, actually, we called it a day. Between Sam and Rhys and a single hotel room, we didn't call it a night until about 4:30 am. Ahem.
The next day we headed to the city's famous hilltop Gurten Park. Accessible by cog-wheel train (or for more ambitious visitors, walking) the park is a favourite of locals and tourists alike and features rolling green spaces, hiking trails, restaurants, kiddie cars, model trains and lots and lots of play structures. As this was Mothers Day, there were also a lot of Mother-centric activities (ed.: joke deleted in interest of author's wellbeing).
Gurten's Cog-wheel Railway, Bern in Background
Sam and Mommy Ride the Rails!
"I want one."
Right. As if I wasn't going to ride the toy train...
...or the toy cars.
Traditional Bernese Pirates. Aar.
Gregor gets it done on the tractor.
This was a huge great contraption where the kids put balls into the rails and then have to manipulate the various tools to get the balls from one section to the next. Great for children and dads.
The kids had a great time amusing themselves on the various activities. And frankly, so did the parents. We thoroughly exhausted ourselves and then broke for a late lunch before heading back to Geneva. It was a great experience and convincing introduction to the conveniences of Swiss rail travel. As well as of the many charms of the quaint Swiss capital.
Bern from Gruden
Love in bloom. See you soon!
Thanks MC, Andrew, Julia and Gregor. We had a blast!!
My memories of Bern are of throwing carrots down to the poor bears in the pit, being yelled at in Switzerdeutche for playing on grass, ice cream masterpieces, steak frites that cost as much as a college education, and taking a raft down the Aar (aaarrrr!) and slicing my foot open. Fun times!
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