The Bernard Files.: Gap Year Day 5

Hi Readers

Well Readers

We left Singapore after just a day of exploring but saw so much in just one day. We have another day there on the way home in a few weeks so we still have time to plan what to do there on our next visit. At the pace we are already going at, we may just want to book a room at the hotel at Changi Airport for a few hours and just sleep!
9ur next flight was just over 12 hours and we landed in.....

Milan!!

We have spent a few days here before, so today was only just for a few hours before we boarded a train to take us to Bern, the capital city of Switzerland.
The trip was really nice and the scenery just amazing. So many small towns and villages perched on the edges of mountains, with massive snow capped peaks as backdrops.
I must confess that I dozed for a bit of the trip which was a shame as I missed a fair bit of some of the best scenery.

Just a few shots along the way from Milan to Bern. One thing that really struck us at the railway station in Milan was how many people smoke over here. The platform was continually enveloped in a haze of smoke which just did our heads in, as we are both ardent non smokers.

Two days in Bern was just not enough. This is just one of the most beautiful cities we have visited for sure, and would not hesitate to come back again to see it in more detail.

We spent yesterday exploring the streets and markets, and were just amazed at how much

there is to see in this city.

There are a number of cities in Europe that have historical clocks that draw crowds by the hundreds when they chime at different parts of the day, and Bern was no exception.

This particular clock was partly influenced by Albert Einstein, who lived here for quite a while.

We did the obligatory viewing and were not let down, and then managed to find a particular Indian restaurant that my wife had found out about that served really good gluten free meals, which she needs to eat. We were both famished and ordered with gusto. It was only after my first few mouthfuls that I remembered how I react to spicy foods. While I really love them, I always break out in big

sweats whenever I eat en the mildest spicy foods. Today was no different, and we could see the couple on the table next to us glancing sideways to check me out as I was trying to subtly wipe the

sweat from my face and forehead while at the same time trying to pretend that all was normal!!

After a great day wandering Bern we were up early this morning and onto a train to Zurich.What really surprised us today was that in Switzerland, everything is closed on a Sunday, and I mean everything! I must admit, by lunchtime a few places were open serving food, but that was it. We couldn’t even head out for tea, so did the room service tonight.

I did find it odd however that one of the few places open near us was a gym that runs in conjunction with the hotel we are staying at, so at least I was able to get a workout squeezed in, something that I was hanging out for for sure.

So, tomorrow is New Years Eve, and from what we have been told it is huge here. A big fireworks display is planned at midnight, and last year they had more than 200 000 people around the big lake that is here for it. As our hotel is walking distance to the lake, we are in a prime position.

Tomorrow is a Tuk Tuk tour of Zurich which should be interesting. The last time we were in a Tuk Tuk in Lisbon, we nearly choked on the fumes, whereas these ones look like they run on electricity.

Totally quiet!

A few more snaps from today of this beautiful city, there is so much to love about Switzerland!