
Day 10: Bears in Bern

Food of the Day
Omelettes
Practicalities
Cities: Lauterbrunnen
Bern
Chamonix
Weather: Rainy off and on
Hotel: Gourmets et Italy
Sights: Bern
Can you spot the bear in this photo?
This morning we actually get to enjoy Hotel Oberland's breakfast before heading back to the bus. By 8:30 we are on the road again. The weather is pretty iffy again today, and Rick announces a stop in Bern instead of an early arrival in Chamonix. We arrive in Bern about 9:30, and take copies of the Bern City Walk printed out from the Switzerland guide book and maps of Bern. We have three hours to enjoy Bern, pick up lunch, and meet at the bear pit by the river. We start off on the walk and are quickly amusing ourselves with bear spotting, the ubiquitous bear being the symbol of Bern.


Map
Bear tarts in a shop window


Bears on a fountain
Bear flag
I never associate Switzerland with cities, but Bern is actually a really pleasant place to while away an overcast day. There are lots of fountains, including a famous one of an ogre eating children, pretty gardens, and an attractive river front (with a bear statue naturally). If you're looking for the bear in the river photo at the top look at the dam on the river in the center of the photo.


Finally we arrive at the bear pit on the river and purchase sandwiches for lunch before observing the bears cavorting in the rain.



A glimpse of Château de Chillon from the road

Pay facilities
Hilde picks us up at the bear pit with the bus, and we continue on to Chamonix, passing beautiful Lake Geneva and hills covered in vineyards. On arrival in Chamonix we say goodbye to Hilde, check into Hotel Gourmets et Italy and then meet for an orientation walk. We take a second goofy group photo of all of us pointing to Mont Blanc in the rain.


View from Hotel Gourmets et Italy
Group photo by Trish Feaster
Next Trish walks us up to the ticket booth to buy Aiguille du Midi tickets for tomorrow, but the ticket sellers will not sell us the tickets. The weather forecast is not good for tomorrow; come back in the morning and see. Bill and I hit a brasserie for dinner omelettes and return to the hotel.