Bern is near the center of Switzerland, a bit north of the Bernese Alps, which you can just make out from certain parts of the city. A number of bridges cross the river at different points and there are some great photo spots.
There are also a ton of fountains - also with drinkable water - all along the main roads.
There is a fabulous clock with moving characters in the center of the old town.
Bern is also associated with the bear - it's mascot. There is a "bear pit" - an area near one part of the river where they kept bears for a long time. There is still one there now...I felt very sorry for him; he looked hot and lonely. I liked the bear on the wire better:
We visited Einstein's apartment from when he lived in the city - very interesting. We didn't make it to the Einstein museum, but a very nice woman at the apartment gave us some background information on his time in Bern. It was apparently both happy and very productive.
Without question, the best part of the day was playing in the river. It was hot - though not as bad as it was in Strasbourg - and the river was very inviting. The first place we jumped in was a bit difficult. The current is very strong and the river flows very quickly. Eventually, we wandered further up and found the local hangout. There is a free pool and hundreds of people - including fairly young kids and a lot of remarkable elderly people - walk up the side of the river, jump in and float down. Many have some sort of flotation devise with them, but many also just hang out. You move very quickly down the river, and it takes some real effort to get out at any of the many exit spots. But it is super fun! Absolutely required activity for visiting. It was the best workout I have had in a long time. We did take some pictures while we were actually in the water, but I don't have those yet. I'll try to post them soon (when I get them). But this will give you an idea.
We took 2 trains and about 2 1/2 hours to get there from Strasbourg - another day of my eurorail pass used, for an excellent cause. We got wine and chocolate from a shop we found that had all sorts of stuff from Italy. My desire to go back there is getting stronger, but I'm still resisting. My only complaint about Switzerland is how expensive it is. It really takes a lot of work to spend any amount of time there for cheap, but I managed okay. Also, how many times am I going to get the chance to take a day trip to Bern? ;) Gotta take advantage of the opportunities when you have them!
It was a very fun day. Today, I am exhausted. I've made it out of the hotel for about an hour so far, but it is hot and humid and yucky and I'm really enjoying a day alone in my hotel room. My roommate went back to the Netherlands for the final world cup match and I am enjoying the room. So far I have managed to do most of my reading for tomorrow, taken at least 2 separate naps and watched 2 episodes of The X-Files (not nearly as cool without Mulder!)
Tomorrow, it's back to class for the final week of the program. Goals for the week: figure out how to ship books home, ask a few more individual questions of Alito, do a bit of souvenir shopping for friends (don't expect much - budget having issues!), probably go on a wine tour, possibly see a chocolate museum and get a few thoughts about classes on here. Wish me luck!
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