When we came to Switzerland we switched professors. Madame B is not nearly as much of a morning person as Dr. B. Because of this, we did not have to be anywhere this morning until 10 o’clock. It was fantastic! I got up, ate a yummy breakfast and packed my bags before leaving to explore the city.
It was pouring down rain! I know, I’m from Seattle, I ought to be used to it. But this was rain so hard, it was as if the heavenly fire hose had been turned on and aimed at my head! In the fifteen minute walk it took to find cover, my pants were completely drenched, and the sweatshirt I wore underneath my rain jacket soaked from where the rain had clung the bottom of my rain jacket. Poor Melissa does not have a hood, and had water clinging to her eye brows and dripping off of her face!
Luckily, the main street in Bern has covered sidewalks, so we soon found safety. Had he weather been nice, we would have happily explored the rose gardens that offer a magnificent view of the city. But, considering the heavy precipitation, we chose to shop instead. At this point in the game we are all utterly exhausted of wearing the same clothes over and over again. Despite my long search, I did not find anything worth the price. Everything in Switzerland seems more expensive than everywhere else.
For lunch we decided to do it grocery store style. I got a baguette and some baby bell cheese. You know, the little red round things with a cow on them. I really love cheese, so I thoroughly enjoyed it.
After a brief stop at the Starbucks we stumbled upon our Professor and her husband, as well as some other members of the class. They pointed out how most of the stone in the area is sand stone. We found a high wall that was covered in loose sand. Melissa and I erupted with laughter at the thought of a conquering army bringing in a hose, melting the wall made of sand, and being victorious over the city. Perhaps that is one of those, “You had to be there” jokes.
We soon clambered aboard the bus once more and struck out for Interlaken. It was once a sort of resort town, but now most of the visitors are backpackers using it as a base camp for their mountain climbing adventures. In other words, there are no museums to go to nor cathedrals to visit for the time we are hear. As much as I enjoy both of those, I am happily anticipating the time we will spend out of doors, climbing mountains.
Upon arriving in the center of the city, a group of us found a chocolate shop. I bought a bar of white chocolate and ate it very quickly. Then we went into a grocery store and found the same chocolate for much cheaper. I intend on buying more chocolate to bring back with me for my loved ones-and perhaps those I only mildly appreciate-to sample.
After orienting ourselves a bit, we hopped back on the bus to find the hostel. It is actually located just outside of Interlaken, but is close enough for me! I have mixed feelings about this particular place. The room is incredibly small, with three sets of bunk beds and a cubby for each bed, we hardy had room for our luggage! In addition, we have very limited internet access, which can occasionally pose a challenge. But, there is a ginormous, beautiful blue lake surrounded by mountains and pretty little towns just outside the back door. And, we have a full-fledged kitchen in the basement. Exhilarated at the prospect of cooking for ourselves, we dashed off to the grocery store and bought meat, taco seasoning, lettuce, a tomato, mozzarella cheese pearls, and tortillas so we could make tacos. I was so excited to make dinner! In two shakes of a lambs tail, I had the meat cooked, the lettuce shredded and tomato chopped, ready to become a delicious meal. Oh man; I’ve never had a taco quite so delicious!
By the time we had finished dinner it was dark outside. As we returned from the grocery store, we noticed several fire pits along the lake behind our hostel. So, naturally, we scrounged around for some fire wood and had ourselves a little bon fire next to the water. Most of the people in our class came. Ruth brought her mandolin and she played while we sang songs. We played games, laughed, told jokes, and were abruptly silenced by the sudden appearance of two police men. Never fear, under normal circumstance the fire would have been completely acceptable; but there is currently a burn ban because-other than today-there have been several weeks without any rain. So, with humble apologizes we stamped out the fire. In our defense, the lady at the hostel told us it would be okay. In addition, we found out that Switzerland has quiet hours after 10pm. So unless you are a screaming baby, you need to keep down the noise. That’s right, the country has quiet hours. It is a very Swiss thing to have such a rule I think.
And so our fun night ended much earlier than we intended. My rain jacket smells like smoke, and I stepped in the lake while putting out the fire. But, I am going on a mountain tomorrow, and I am terrifically excited! To think; I could have been in Seattle doing homework today!
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