BERN and a short excursion to the Swiss Alps

[The Dear Leader]

Bern is the capital of a heavily federalized Swiss state - in a sense not surprising then that the place may not have the grandeur of many other European capitals in the traditional sense (large avenues, palaces). Most people probably have a better idea of the bigger cities like Zurich (largest city in the German-speaking part of the country), Geneva (largest city in the French-speaking part of the country) or Basel (home to a lot of chemical and pharmaceutical industrial powerhouses).

Bern is located more or less in the heart of the country and has an incredibly well-preserved old town. So if you're ever in Switzerland I do suggest spending a day or two there.



It was incredibly hot and plenty of people enjoyed swimming in the river that practically turns the old town into a bit of a peninsula. Has that lovely teal color that you find in a lot of Alpine/mountain streams:



The Swiss parliament:









The major street that cuts through Bern's old town. In the distance you can see the Zytglogge clock tower:



People enjoying the balmy evening temps:



Swiss Alps:

The town of Lauterbrunnen is surrounded by massive cliffs on both sides:





Eiger and Mönch...unusually warm as it was around 20°C at 2300m







More to come...

[The Dear Leader]

Back to Bern:







Bern Minster:



Pano time:

[Crawford]

Nice pics! Bern is easily the best looking major Swiss city, with the fantastic old town.

Also like the Lauterbrunnen Valley shots.

[xzmattzx]

Nice pictures! I've heard about getting in the river and being able to walk back to your belongings when you reach the other side of the riverbend.

[hauntedheadnc]

Not a single picture of the baby eater fountain?

Tsk... For shame.

Meanwhile, inquiring minds want to know: Exactly how well does the Super NES SimCity version of Bern stack up to the real thing? I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess the real version is considerably less pixelated.

[The Dear Leader]

I'm sure I may dig up a shot of it eventually.

In the meantime, here's another fountain (I assume):

[Nightsky]

Bern might not be grandiose as Paris, but very beautiful! And the mountains are really grandiose.

[mousquet]

Well, I would move there in a heartbeat if I could afford it, though.
What a lovely place to find some quiet peaceful life.

Of course the Swiss ain't perfect, but I admire how civic minded they can be.
They may even be a bit too strict. Some undisciplined French jerks that have no respect for public realm would call them annoying.
But they're not wrong to be a bit arrogant to us, cause our economic fabric isn't as flexible or effective as theirs.

A role model. Their federal system is utterly interesting too.
Like I always say, the EU should be a giant Switzerland, with the same standards of living all over.
That would be paradise.

[The Dear Leader]

Aare river:











More Alpine shots:

[hauntedheadnc]

Originally Posted by The Dear Leader

Swiss cows are my friends...

• Video Link

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc

Swiss cows are my friends...

I know the Alps by heart, either in summer or in winter.
It's the region of Europe I know the best outside Paris.

Winter = skiing and snowboarding. Pretty obvious.
Summer = rafting, kayaking, biking or even paragliding if you can afford it, but it's expensive...

And then, in the summer, there are cows and goats wandering the mountain...
I've always liked animals too, but man, their smell and their everything are scary to a sissy kid from Paris.

[Centropolis]

bern is a wonderful place, and once you've seen the swiss alps, which are spectacular around lauterbrunnen and up into mürren, the rocky mountains just don't seem the same...

[The Dear Leader]

You could be forgiven for thinking the cows were just put there to entertain the tourists. Walking up the trail, the entire area was filled with the sounds of cowbells, making for a genuine Swiss experience.

[mousquet]

Bah, it's just the same to the Italian and French sides of the Alps when it comes to agriculture and all.
Cows and their massive dungs are just common over there.
Why do you think there are legendary cheeses and delicatessens from all over the region?
A major ingredient of Swiss fondue is actually produced in France.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beaufort_cheese

That's utter quality cheese.
Warning you, it stinks when you melt it, but it's yummy anyway.
You just have to open windows for a couple of hours afterwards, otherwise your neighbors will complain about the smell.
Hé hé hé. Heck, it's delicious in the cold winter.

I never went up to Austria, but I bet they're quite some part of it too.
The mountain doesn't care much about borders in Europe.
It's a whole mindset and lifestyle for real out there.
It easily crosses official borders.

[The Dear Leader]

A major ingredient of Swiss fondue is actually produced in France.

Those Swiss bastards have been lying to us for centuries?

[pip]

Just wow. Fantastic!

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by The Dear Leader

Those Swiss bastards have been lying to us for centuries?

There are several variants of the dish. More accurately, Beaufort cheese is an ingredient of "fondue savoyarde".
But on this North American forum, they would probably call it "Swiss fondue" anyway.

[The Dear Leader]

Some guy that has just gone for a swim in the river:





Swiss parliament:



More stuff for the people who come to this forum for shots of cows:

[mousquet]

Originally Posted by The Dear Leader

Some guy that has just gone for a swim in the river

Did you try that? You should as a little challenge next time you go.
Water must hardly get over 15°C, and is probably colder than that, coming down from some glacier somewhere in the mountain.

While the air temp is often above 30°. Lol, it's wicked. You struggle to breathe in water cause it's so cold.
Feels like something that would flay your entire body.
But they force you to get used to it for kayaking, and just for their nasty fun to torture you.
Ah man, it's something... Most often better than beaches!

[James Bond Agent 007]

I feel an urge to yodel.