GO TO BERN! it is officially my favorite place i've visited in europe so far. as i emerged from the train station the first thing i noticed was bikes. everywhere. bikes! they weren't even locked up. were these people not afraid of getting their bikes stolen? don't they know that an abandoned bike will not last 7 minutes unlocked?? oh wait, this isn't chicago....
somebody immediately offered to help us find our hotel, and to help us figure out how to get a bus ticket, and what restaurants had the best deals. these people were so nice and friendly, and coming from france it was a very, very refreshing!
besides the amazing population of bern, the city is beautiful. set in the alps, it provides breathtaking views of the mountains as well as a river through the town. the weather was good, and i felt at home among these friendly bikers and hikers!
the hotel was awesome as well... and really close to the small town. and since i was so
anxious to take advantage of every minute i had in bern, i dropped my bag and grabbed a bike (which was rented to us for free) and went into town for a stroll, a beer, and a snack.
the next day the weather was a little overcast but i was determined to get some hiking in. so i convinced keelin to hike up to gurten with me; it was a short, moderate hike, but really enjoyable - plus there was some really good grafiti art along the way. at the top was a spectacular view of the mountainous city of bern and its surrounding villages.
at night we went for some fondue (we were in switzerland, afterall) and out to check out the night life. while the first few places we went seemed pretty dead, on our way home we went to a bar called Cuba, and although it was a weekday night, Cuba was packed! and open til 3:30! so, naturally, we stayed longer than we had intended. but i had a great time, met some locals, met some fellow travelers, danced a bit, and exchanged some contact info...
the next morning we left for venice early....
but i was so drawn to this small mountain town, that i am considering working it into my trip later on this summer! i really would like to come back and explore for a few more days!
ok... venice updates to come!
ciao!
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I love this, I get to see Europe through your eyes......THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING! I miss you, but your right next to me when I read your thoughts here. This was a great idea and your perspective is as refreshing as ever. Please be careful, I worry about you without your five bodyguards. Be strong and smart and keep in constant contact, love always,
ReplyDeleteAunt Pris ;)
Toss up between Bern and Barcelona as being my personal favorite but definitely between the two. On our train from Paris, we got a sense of the Switzerland area, certainly one I'd like to return to as well. Kerri, if you have an opportunity to get back to Bern try to stop at Neuchatel. Neuchatel was the beautiful mountain city with the lake.
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