Bernard in Bern!
Hi Readers,
Well here I am in my namesake city, Bern in Switzerland!
Jen and I came here back in 2018 and of all the places that we have loved, this place left an indelible mark on us. So much so, that we decided back then that we would come back here for another visit when we retired. So many of the places we have been to we would have loved to visit again, but that's always at the expense of seeing somewhere new.
Bern was the exception to our rule though.
Vulnerability alert, feel free to switch off now!
Apart from being in NYC and meeting up with family, this is the part of the trip I was looking forward to the most, but strangely it has left me feeling somewhat blank and empty today.
For the first few hours this morning as I retraced a long walk we took along the river I was overcome with this huge feeling of guilt and sadness that I just could not control.
It took me a while to figure it out, but I think I just feel so guilty that I have been able to do this trip and revisit the place that we were meant to come back to together.
So what made it so special in the first place?
Hard to put a finger on it, but it is just incredibly beautiful and peaceful here.
As I walked along the riverbank this morning it just brought back so many memories of 7 years ago, talks we had, the snuggling up with each other to fight the cold, the sounds of our jackets brushing together, accidentally tripping each other up, pointing out random sights and taking fantastic and stupid photos of each other.
The 'nothingness' that means just everything. ♥️
And just being together.
We just loved being here and being with each other, it could not have been more perfect.
Maybe in my mind I was expecting to feel the same again, but in effect I felt the opposite.
As I remembered different parts of where we walked it was just like we were doing it all over again, but it was not to be. I remember every bit of it like it was yesterday.
After an hour or two of this I realised I needed to slap myself into a bit of reality and actually make the most of this fantastic opportunity I have been able to experience.
I still feel so guilty that I'm doing this without Jen by my side as she should be, but I've decided to do it as if she still is.
I still have people saying to me "Come on, it's time to get over this", as they are entitled to feel. But until they walk a mile in the shoes of someone else they may never know fully what it feels like to go through what they have witnessed and experienced.
At least by then they will be a mile away, and while they might have my shoes, good luck to them.
So at the moment after a big day of walking around and taking endless photos, I'm sitting on the rooftop bar admiring this incredible scenery. In the distance I'm looking at the snow capped mountains. We don't have mountains in Australia, just hills.
Switzerland has mountains!!!
The snow caps in the distance look so great.
Snow caps in the distance, but enjoying a beer in the sun.
And this is a rare selfie as I hate taking them!!
Not everything has been a rosy start to my stay in Bern though. This morning was emotionally hard, but I think I'm good now, but yesterday had me swearing and cussing at my own stupidity relentlessly.
For each of my stops I have planned to stay close to the main central railway station, a plan that has worked brilliantly, both logistically and financially. Especially as I'm taking the train so much through Poland, Germany and Switzerland.
Until yesterday.
It appears that when I searched for a hotel near the train station in Bern, I chose the wrong railway station. The one I had inadvertently chosen was not the central station (or Bahnhof as we locals now say!!) but a station a bit away from the city.
As I got off the train yesterday my Google Maps said it was a 55 min walk, and straight away the alarm bells were going off. No way would I plan to walk that far from the central station, but trusting my "Superb Planning", I started walking. I did think of getting a taxi, but walking in a city just gives me a greater sense of direction, which you will soon see was definitely lacking!!
And walking..
And walking.
Eventually after traversing through what felt like 2 or 3 time zones, I found myself out in the 'burbs' and facing a building standing alone beside the railway station in an area that I wasn't feeling overly safe in to begin with.
Okay, I might be exaggerating a bit there, but at the time it felt like this!!
Yes, it was close to the train station, but not the one I was planning on. That must have explained the great rates!
I decided to bite the bullet there and then and looked for alternate digs closer to the city centre where I wanted to be, and thankfully I found a reasonable place in next to no time. I quickly read the reviews, saw that it had great comments so checked in.
I didn't even try to enter the original place, I was out of there.
I realised later on that I should have checked the facilities more closely before opting for these digs, but I was in a panic to find something a bit better than the digs I had just abandoned. Upon getting up to my room, I found that it was no more than just a bed, a desk and a basic bathroom. No kettle/jug, microwave, tea/coffee making at all. Not even a cup or glass. Still good, but I was hoping for a few basics.
I know I'm sounding precious here, but these few days were meant to be the most special part of my trip, and here I was with ultra basic facilities. I had a quick look online, and was more careful this time and found better options elsewhere, so went to the desk and made up a total lie that I just found out that I had to leave for Australia the next day at short notice, so could I get a refund on my next two days?
"No way. Once you are checked in, no refunds!"
Great.
So now to make the best of a bad situation. As every shop here is closed on a Sunday, getting food was a problem. And I couldn't really bring much back as there was no fridge.
Today was worse as there is so much food on offer, but still nowhere to put it.
In my last post I mentioned how I still can't bring myself to sit at a restaurant on my own, so I eventually found a shop that sold sausage roll sort of things and beers, so that made a nice dinner back at my hotel room. They even let me take a paper cup from the foyer up to my room, but I'm not sure how long it will last !!
Readers, let's not forget that I also took a financial hit here as I had already paid for 3 nights at the previous hotel, but just couldn't stay there as I didn't feel safe there anyway.
My fault, and something I will use as future reference for being more meticulous with my planning!
Back to Bern. There are not many places where just about everywhere is a photo opportunity. Canada is one place I'd put here. Switzerland another. Bern is one other place where I am continually blown away by just the simplicity and structure that is everywhere.
There aren't famous landmarks or world renowned structures, but just the streets and scenery captivate me. I suppose it's just what floats your goat.
I foolishly took a map of the city in Frankfurt, then ditched it in a minute in favour of Google Maps. Isn't it a sign of how things have changed so much!
Who remembers using a map???????
A brilliant statue in Bern, not sure if I'd show the Grandsons!
A quiet Sunday afternoon in Bern, but this lady is on a mission!!
While the river looks calm, I could not get over how fast the flow was.
Just another beautiful streetscape by the river.
Are these the shots they make jigsaws from??
2018
2025. The sort of shots I came here for.
The last time we were here I thought this was just a relic from the past. In fact, it is the current exhibit for 3 bears !! I was shocked to see that it was still in action.
2018
2025
One of the bears in its display on the edge of the river.
2018. I always have to touch the water of places I visit.
7 Years later.
Can't take a photo of me touching the water !!😔
2025
2018
2025
Just a photo. Nothing compared to years ago.
The squares were buzzing today!
You just won't see me sitting at a table there yet.
What a view from the rooftop bar!
Cheers from the rooftop bar in Bern 🍺
Some of you might be aware that I have a bit of a problem with my ankles, and I'm booked in for surgery on one of them when I get home that will lay me up for quite a few months. The rough streets for the past two weeks have really given me grief, so for today I have forced myself to utilise the local bus network.
How proud do you think I feel tonight!!! I have navigated timetables in a foreign language (ie Just fanged it and found my way home!!) and now know how to get into the city and back home again. You may see this as purile, but for me it has been a huge own goal !!
This is someone who only learnt how to do banking etc 3 years ago as it was always done for him. So, planning and executing this trip has been a huge challenge, and while I don't appreciate it yet, I might when i get home.
Today has been a very emotional day for me, but I have sort of loved every part of my first full day in Bern. A few tears, a few F&*&S, and few laughs.
Actually, a lot of F&*&S !!
I have been over all the places that made it so special to us all those years ago, and tomorrow will be just a day of wandering the streets, and sitting down and doing some serious people watching. No doubt it will trigger even more memories of what Jen and I did back then.
I think this trip makes me appreciate those memories even more than the ones I'll take from this trip.
And writing about it is also fantastic therapy!!
Tomorrow is another day in Bern, I might even sit at a table in a restaurant and have a coffee or feed!! Living the life of a rebel!
Until my next post,
Cheers 😁
