With an inopportune time gap between leaving Lucerne and checking in to Zurich, I decided to make a detour to the western city of Bern (train station lockers are damn convenient, I’ve discovered). Much like my now-former destination, a significant urban area is dedicated to preserving the medieval history in Old Town. Fountains with purportedly-potable drinking water (we’ll find out soon) were plentiful as both markers and decoration of the various historical and mythological figures like Joan of Arc, Moses, and Charlemagne. However, the prime symbol of days gone by has to be the Zytglogge: a massive cuckoo clock tower once marking the western border of the city-state.
My timing was unfortunate as several exhibitions and tours are currently closed, either for the day or the season, so I wasn’t able to get the birds-eye view I wanted. The cathedral of Bern was another lovely with supposedly an amazing spectacle at the top of its tower but it’s mandatory for two non-strangers to go up together in pairs. As for strike three/four, both the famous Bear Pit from whence the city is named and the nearby Rosengarten had hibernating occupants so I made due with the scenery alone.
I finally got a chance to have non-insanely-expensive cheese fondue from a traditional Swiss restaurant as well as grappa – an aperitif alcohol served beside espresso. With time sufficiently berned I headed to the final city of this trip: Zurich. I plan on doing a spa visit which undoubtedly won’t allow cameras (the cathedral interior didn’t either, which is why I don’t have any above) but I’ll just have to describe in sufficiently smug detail instead.
Ice's Travels 