Bear Filled Bern #1

The March

This wonderful trip started after a gloriously mind-numbing thirteen-hour trip in a Flixbus from Paris to Bern. Why wasn’t I prudent enough to book a flight you may ask? I wanted to travel my EuroTrip through bus and train for a more authentic feel. This method might be long but it’s a great time to read, write, contact old mates or simply enjoy the European countryside.

The bus dropped us off early in the morning at a very quiet parking lot about a twenty-five minutes’ walk outside the city. I was a bit surprised how all the cafes and restaurants were closed in the area. I shrugged, grabbed my backpack and walked to the city. I was tempted to take the bus but (as mentioned in my Parisian experience) I prefer walking to get a feel of the area.

So, I started marching on a beautiful sunny day. The neighborhoods were beautiful. The streets were lined with pine trees towering high above the European styled houses. The streets, however, were very quiet with an occasional cyclist or the sound of a few children laughing in a backyard somewhere near.

As I got closer, I found a neighborhood that looked pretty run down with several kids playing football. The graffiti art was very intrinsic. I was almost positive they were commissioned by the town. Less than five minutes later I reach an intersection, this is where things start to come to life.

First thing I hear when crossing the intersection were fireworks. Some bloke or group was letting off several fireworks. I found this strange as, I imagined Switzerland had strict rules on recreational fireworks for safety reason. Then I hear a loud thrumming building up to a deep shriek of engines. I swing around and quickly spot a titanium colored Lamborghini ripping up the road. I couldn’t catch the model type, but was it pretty. I had forgotten I was in Switzerland until that very moment.

After the last several moments of walking, sweating and sore from the ride, I finally reached the first signs of a living city, the Bahnhof Bern. Situated right next to the inner city, the Bern railway station was a hotspot of locals and tourists alike. I entered the station to buy some water, a map and a snack.

I grabbed the essentials, including three different types of cheese with crackers (might as well enjoy the local tastes) which brands I couldn’t pronounce and set down for a quick brekkie. Most places are better to discover, but I only had the day to explore before moving on to my next city.

I heard more fireworks in the distance. A lady started commenting about them to her mates in French. My Français was a little rusty at the time, but I understood that there was a celebration going on. I looked up the day and realized, I just stumbled on Swiss national day! August the first. Excited with the news, I packed up my cheese and made my way straight into the city.

The first thing I noticed were all the different regional flags. Zurich, Bern, Geneva, Swiss and many other flags peppered the wide streets of Bern. I also noticed the large figures of dogs, about a meter high found in many areas around the station.

I kept on walking. The old city maintained the name well. With the traditional stone roads that used to pepper much of Medieval Europe to the architecture of the houses around. Along the streets you could spot several cellars here and there. Some looked as though they haven’t been touched in years. Some others led to fashion shops. One very well decorated cellar entrance was also a candy shop. I couldn’t help chuckling at the idea of this cellar being the perfect trap for passing kids. Like Hansel and Gretel and the Witch’s sweet house.

The deeper I went into the old city, the busier it got. The streets began narrowing down and more cafes and restaurants started popping up. Screaming kids, chatty voices speaking in languages ranging from Spanish to Mandarin, it started feeling more and more touristy. Luckily, I never really cared if a place felt too touristy. I wouldn’t allow that to get in the way of my travel experience.

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The cultural tent

I decided to get off the main streets to explore more of the architecture and the less polished side of the old city. I stumbled upon a large white tent. It sounded like there was a lot of bustle going on inside. So, I decided to make my way in.

I didn’t realise how large in fact the tent was. When I entered I was amazed of the amount of activity going on. There stood four long tables that spanned several meters through the tent. The tables were flanked by benches and many smiling and red-faced patrons. They were predominantly speaking German and I quickly realized that the majority of them were Swiss. On one of the long sides of the tent were tables set almost as long as the main ones. A group of predominantly blonde men and women served the different types of alcohol and foods on the menu. At the end of the four tables there stood a large stage. Adjacent to the stage I saw a group of ladies were traditional Swiss attire. Hanging from one pole to another and in every flowerpot on the table were mini Swiss flags.

Excited and finally feeling the celebratory spirit, I decided to take a break here and sit down for a bite in the busy venue. I grabbed a large Bratwurst hotdog and charged the sauce station. After that I grabbed a large decorative Swiss stein, I grabbed an empty seat next to an English family and dug in.

I was lucky to arrive at the time I did. The performance began about five minutes just after I sat down. The performance had four parts and lasted about thirty minutes, long after I finished my drink. The spokeswoman of the event came to the podium after the performance and welcomed tourists and locals alike. She explained in English the concise history of the capital of Switzerland, its role and many other bits which I decided to miss so I can keep enjoying the rest of my trip. I was very glad I had stumbled upon that event. It helped me better understand the place I was visiting and feel more in touch with the locals as I shared a beer to a traditional performance.

The riverside

I decided to walk to the southern point of the old city to get a glimpse of the famed pure waters. I was shocked. The gushing rivers were the very definition of turquoise. Like grabbing a beautiful clear river and tossing hundreds of thousands of emeralds into the water. I had never really seen anything like it before although it was the most beautiful water I have ever seen (if water could be even called beautiful). From my vantage point I was several dozen meters above the water. I managed to snap a magnificent photo of the water with the mountains and some precariously placed Swiss-styled houses in the background.

After some time soaking in the view, I decided, as stupid as it sounds, to touch the water. I didn’t expect anything different besides the cold embrace of mountain water, but I had to do it, my mind was made up. I sat up from one of the benches on the viewing platform, threw my trusty backpack onto my shoulders and followed the nearby path to see if I could get down there from here.

Easily enough, I found the path after a few minutes walking. A downwards zig zag path through a narrow forest that reached all the way down to the river. I took a gamble for comfort. I tossed my backpack somewhere hidden from passers-by and made my way down the empty path. Breathing in the air and smells of this small forest, I realized how more in-tune with nature this area was. The surrounding land of the city was filled with clean forests, rivers, blue skies and fresh air. Something out of a green utopian society.

I finally made it to the bottom were the river loudly gushed away. Most of the river was divided from the road by steel-reinforced fences to stop cars veering into the cold waters of the river. Luckily there was a gate that allowed for a closer access to the river for joggers and sunbathers alike. Quite a few locals were sitting down by the sun, enjoying their national day in style with shorts, t-shirts and sandals. I made my way to the riverside and reached in.

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Cold, like a mate refusing you the last slice of pizza. I took off my shirt, grabbed cups of water with my hand and ran it down my hair and overheating chest. I quickly put on my shirt to avoid making a show and started my way up. I was tempted to just sunbathe for a while, but my backpack with all my clothes and other useful commodities were lying in wait.

Back to the city

Feeling a bit more reinvigorated, I sped up the forest, grabbed my trust backpack and continued back to the old city. Once I reached the edge of the old city, I walked back to the main road and continued my touristic activities.

I walked up to some commotion and instruments. A local marching band were playing some tunes. They were pretty modern, playing songs such as Hey Jude, Crazy even Uptown Funk. I enjoyed the show for a couple of more songs then decided to keep on going.

I reached a noble’s home I couldn’t recall the name for the life of me. It was free entrance, so I decided to enter and check it out for myself. Groups of people were lined around the different objects and furniture of the house. They allowed access to the back gardens. Then it hit me how wealthy this individual really was. The garden was a magnificent piece of art. Different flowers, trees and roses of all types. It was not particularly big, although it was absolutely gorgeous. It also allowed a wide view of the mountains and the river below. Any excuse to soak in the view and sun was an excuse well taken. I found a nearby bench, set down my pack and enjoyed the view for several minutes.

After my mini siesta, I picked up my backpack and made my way back to the street. I was at the edge of the eastern part of the old city. I was keen to check out the Garden of Roses higher up the mountain for spectacular scenery. Firstly, I decided to hit one of the souvenir shops to grab a fridge magnet for mom and a thimble for grandma.

The souvenir shop was very stereotypical with Swiss watches and cowbells along with the usual trinkets and such found in any souvenir shop. However, something caught my eye in one section. I walked over and saw row after row of hand crafted wine and beer mugs of all shapes and sizes. I decided, what better souvenir for the future home than a beer mug hand-crafted in the land of the Swiss. Like many things in Switzerland, the souvenirs were on the dear side. That didn’t matter as the sentimental value behind them were much higher in value.

The bears

I packed up my new treasures and set back out to the sunlight. I crossed the eastern bridge to leave the city. During the walk I had the view of the bear park. This park is a high sloped piece of landed fenced in, right next to the glistening blue waters of the Aare river. Once you cross the bridge, to your right there’s an open sky pit where you can sometimes see the bears laze about. Most of the bears were on the slope itself. However, most were resting as it was the warmest part of the day at this point. I managed to spot a bear just a couple of metres away from the fence right beside two tree trunks. The bear was just larger than a cub, I doubt it was a full adult due to its size. Regardless I was in awe of this powerful creature. I reckon that may have been the first time I’ve ever seen a bear.

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The habitat looked very comfortable and natural. I was sure the iconic bears were in good hands. Right next to the pit there's a tourist centre and a chocolate shop. I decided to take a quick look at the chocolate shop as I was aware of the reputation of Swiss chocolate.

There were many chocolates of different varieties. The ones that stuck out were gold bar, gold coins and Swiss army knife shaped chocolate bars. Pretty much the three epitomes of Swiss stereotypes. Since most luxury chocolate came in large bars, which wouldn’t survive the warm weather for long, I grabbed a chocolate and coconut flavoured Toblerone. A choice I will always recommend.

The Rosengarten

I continued my path towards the Rose garden. I had just reached the foot of the long climb up when I spotted a small but intrinsically designed fountain. I grabbed my depleted water bottle and filled it with the thankfully frigid cold water. I took a swing and was surprised by how enjoyable drinking the water was. I quickly realised that the reputation for water here is spot on. Refuelled and refreshed with swiss chocolate and water, I marched all the way to the top.

It didn’t occur to me how steep and high up this garden is. With my luck, the weather turned a bit sour and it started raining. Luckily by the time my trial of steep hills has ended (fifteen minutes later) it stopped raining.

I passed the entrance, it felt like entering the garden of Eden. I spent the next twenty minutes slowly walking through different sections of the garden. With beautiful flowers I had never seen before, large aged trees casting a shadow on the ground as the skies steadily cleared. I absorbed all the great smells of the exotic plants. Walking past ponds and beautiful stone ornaments. The garden was not too full luckily. Just enough to feel lively but not enough to impede the serenity of the place.

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At the very edge of the Rosengarten, you get a spectacular view of all of Bern. Looking down you could see almost the whole of the old town with its aged but well-taken care of structures. You could see the glistening turquoise water snaking around the Capital with beautiful tree covered mountains flanking the city. Against a blue sky, this scenic view is something out of a fairy tale. I clicked a few good photos and walked over to the garden’s restaurant.

Nearby the restaurant is the liveliest part of the garden. A large playground filled to the brim with children having the time of their lives. Nearby there was a duo playing the guitar and Cajon. They played many slow songs such as ‘Can’t help falling in love’ by Elvis Presly and ‘Over the Rainbow’ by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole. My backpack felt like it was weighed down by shoulders, so I tossed it onto the grass and used it as a pillow while I listened to these blokes.

Relaxation overwhelmed me, and my eyes were feeling heavy. The thirteen-hour overnight bus hadn’t been the most comfortable and sleep friendly trip. I sat up when the duo concluded and walked over under a group of trees and tossed me backpack under it and took a nap. Awhile later I woke up to darker skies. I noticed people started leaving as I had awoken right before the garden closed. I quickly rose up, grabbed my pack and made my way down to the old city.

The first minute after I reached the old city it started pouring. It was as if the skies above were one great ocean and a giant just ripped the clouds apart. Many people were shouting in excitement and exasperation as they quickly became soaked. I quickly sheltered under the covered walkways of the shops and made my way back to the railway station.

The long way back

On the way back, I stopped by a souvenir shopped which sold medieval attire and weapons. I was welcomed by the bright lights of the room. The first thing I noticed at the end were the large swords and knives with detailed hilts. Some other interesting items were the traditional clothing and the triple barrelled pistol. I inspected the different helmets and plaques before walking off.

The streets were utterly full on the way back. I was surprised the other tourists hadn’t called it a day when the sun set. I passed by a square with a group of covered wagons selling more souvenirs, cheese and chocolates. I decide to grab a pistachio peppered chocolate bar for a rewarding dinner and made my way slowly back to the station.

The railway period was uneventful. I bought my ticket and had an hour to burn. So, I buy a curiously black croissant (which apparently was vegan) and wasted the minutes away. I was glad that it was still only late afternoon, enough time to get a cheeky look around of my next destination. An hour later I board my train and head off to my next Swiss destination: Interlaken.

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