A WEEKEND IN SWITZERLAND

I'll take a short break from my Amsterdam travelog to give you an update on our weekend here in Switzerland. After 2 days of snowfall, we had blue skies and warmer weather. Of course, warmth is relative to what you have been experiencing. After nearly freezing to death
in Amsterdam :-), the high 50's felt great! Here is a picture I took from the balcony of Mike's chalet:Saturday found us in Bern, searching for some medical supplies that Mike forgot at home. After we found an acceptable substitute for what we needed, we spent the rest of the afternoon touring Bern. We spent quite a lot of time in Bern during our 4 month stay in Switzerland in 2002. It is a really pretty city. This is a photo of the clock tower that is on Kramgasse, in the center of town:Kramgasse is also home to Albert Einstein's house -- and the place where he published his theory of relativity. Mike climbed up to the top of the Münster, which is the large cathedral in the center of Bern. He got some pretty pictures, which I will (of course) post here. This first one looks northwest over the Aare River.This next photo looks south toward the Alps:The Bärengraben (bear pit) is always a popular stop for tourists in Bern. The bear is a symbol of Bern, and is featured in it's coat of arms.

I felt sorry for them...the pit didn't look very well maintained, and they seemed to relish all sorts of unhealthy food (ice cream, popcorn, chips) that the tourists felt like throwing to them.

On Sunday, we decided to drive over the Brünig pass and spend the day in Lucerne, another favorite city from our previous stays. It took about 2 hours to get there, but the scenery was beautiful. This next picture is a view of the Aldstadt (old town), just on the shore of Lake Lucerne.Just behind me (as I took the above picture) is the Kappelbrücke. When we were here in August, 2002, it was covered in beautiful flowers. I guess it is too early in the year for them this time.We visited the Löwendenkmal, or "lion monument". It was scuplted out of a large sandstone cliff in the city center. It was dedicated in honor of the 700 Swiss guards who died defending the Tuileries Palace in Paris.

I think it is one of the saddest sculptures I have ever seen.Lastly, we took a two hour boat ride on Lake Lucerne. We sat outside soaking up the sun while cruising what has to be one of the most beautiful lakes in Switzerland. Mike took this pretty picture of the lake, with the Alps in the background:

On the way back to Kandersteg, we rounded a corner and were faced with this gorgeous view of the Alps, with some hot air balloonists also enjoying the scenery! It is a really pretty drive all the way from Bern back to the Kander Valley, where Mike is living. After we leave the main highway, we have a 28 km drive along the valley floor before we go up, up, up into Kandersteg. The Blumlisalp, Allmenalp,Balmhorn, and Rinderhorn mountains can be seen from the valley road.

Next up: Chapter 2 of our Amsterdam trip!