Bern

Bern is a charming city. Sidsel and I went on our day off, we had a bit of cabin fever and did not want to travel too far, but did want to get out of Adelboden.

We chose Bern because it was a short train ride and promised shopping opportunities. We didn't have a plan and just wandered around the city. It's a working city, after all it is the capital. But it didn't stand out too much. Perhaps it was because I didn't look into all it had to offer ahead of time, but just wandering around, it doesn't offer the little discoveries that other places do. There were quite a few large clocks

and fountains, but I felt like I needed a tour book to fully appreciate all that I was looking at. We did have a nice day, despite the crummy weather, and I do want to go back to see Einstein's home there.

As usual in Switzerland, things were covered in beautiful flowers. And there were these wonderful murals on the sides of buildings. There were glimpses of personality here and there.

But then we got to the bear pit. The symbol for the Berner Oberland is the bear, and the bear that's indigenous to the area is all but extinct. So they have a couple they keep in this pit in Bern. It's a bit sad. The bear looked a little miserable. But the tourists loved it. And the postcards are promising.
One of the things I liked about Bern was that there wasn't a lot of traffic. Living in DC for two years, you learn to appreciate that. There were hardly any cars on the street. Just trams and buses. It was very easy just to amble around in the street from shop to shop. And, I got a very cool coat. Only thing is, it was made in Nepal. All the way to Switzerland for a coat made in Nepal.