The train through Austria
Is water supposed to be this color? Many of the rivers in Austria looked like this
Liechtenstein!
I went into the train stop at about 6 pm and asked where I could buy souvenirs. The woman at the counter was amazed and exclaimed, "Another tourist?!" She didn't have anything but gave me her pen, a box of matches, and a DVD of Liech. as souvenirs. I asked if there was anywhere in the country still open with souvenirs. She made one phone call and told me no. I then went to a post office, which was just closing. They let me buy a few postcards and stamps, though. They use both Swiss francs and euros there, so fortunately I had an emergency supply of euros. I then left on a small commuter train to Switzerland, where I bought another train ticket to Zurich. Liech. and Switz. are not part of the European Union, but are part of the Schengen area, which means passport-free travel across (virtually non-existent) borders. I had arranged to couchsurf that night. Couchsurfing is an online thing where people have profiles and basically say they have a place for travelers to stay for free (usually on their couch). I stayed with a group of 20somethings in a nice apartment.
Fortunately, I had brought along some bread to eat because Switzerland was very expensive. The Swiss franc is trading about 1.1 francs to the dollar. However, the prices were outrageous. The cheapest meal combo at BK or McD's was 12 francs. McDonald's cheeseburgers are my scale in telling how expensive a country is and they cost $2.50 there. Souvenirs and Swiss chocolate were also very expensive.
Finally, I visited Einstein's house, where he lived from 1903-1905 and where he wrote his Theory of Relativity. I left Bern that night and headed back to Austria, staying the night in Innsbruck, where it wasn't foggy. Pictures of that will be coming later, as I am actually doing homework and writing several papers. All in all, I was a bit disappointed in Switzerland. Had I seen the mountains, it would have been a lot better. This way, though, if/when I come to Europe again, I can bypass these parts and see the rest of beautiful Switzerland.
The next day, I traveled through Zurich. I was disappointed as it was very foggy and I couldn't see the Alps. Zurich isn't so much a tourist city. It is the center of Swiss banking and finance. The churches are its main tourist attractions, including the Grossmünster Cathedral, completed in 1220. I climbed to the top of one of its towers, which on clear days offers views of the surrounding Alps. I took a train and cable car up to Uetliberg, on a mountaintop near Zurich. Continuing a common theme, no Alps were visible (in fact, Zurich wasn't really either). I climbed to the top of a viewing platform as the fog almost began to clear, but I went back down when it started sleeting/hailing. Of course, once I got back into Zurich and went to train station to leave, the sun came out, which probably would have been great for photos from where I had just been.
Grossmünster in Zurich
Zurich
A Swiss bank--now where are the guards and rich people?
Zurich
Zurich!!
Sun finally coming out...as I'm leaving
The train ride to Bern, Switzerland, the capital city, took a little over an hour. My hostel in Bern was located right below the Swiss Capitol--literally, if the capitol had fallen down the hillside, it would have killed us.
The Swiss Capitol...with a market in front
The capitol again
The capitol with my hostel below
Fortunately, I had brought along some bread to eat because Switzerland was very expensive. The Swiss franc is trading about 1.1 francs to the dollar. However, the prices were outrageous. The cheapest meal combo at BK or McD's was 12 francs. McDonald's cheeseburgers are my scale in telling how expensive a country is and they cost $2.50 there. Souvenirs and Swiss chocolate were also very expensive.
The Swiss Capitol was closed on Saturdays for tours and had a market going on in front of it. Bern is famous for its "bear pit," which is just that, a pit where bears live. Legend has it that the founder of the city said he would name the city in honor of the first animal he killed there, which was a bear. The city's name comes from the German "bär" and its coat of arms features a bear. The bear pit is really small, so they are finally building a bear park for the poor bears, (the pit was very small and the bears are vegetarian, so I felt really sorry for them).
The Bern bear pit
I took another cable car ride up a mountainside to the Gurten area to look over Bern. There are webcams of parts of the city and a view from the Gurten. It was still foggy, but it improved a bit, so I was able to get some pictures. Back in Bern, I wandered around the old town area and saw the Zeitglockenturm, or "clock tower." It was part of Bern's first city gate around 1200.
The mostly medieval city center has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Münster is Bern's 15th century cathedral and it also has a view of the city from atop its tower. There was a small chocolate festival going on in front of the cathedral, celebrating 100 years of Toblerone. They had several activities and some free chocolate.
The clock tower
The mostly medieval city center has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Münster is Bern's 15th century cathedral and it also has a view of the city from atop its tower. There was a small chocolate festival going on in front of the cathedral, celebrating 100 years of Toblerone. They had several activities and some free chocolate.
Some Swiss houses in Bern
The Münster
Above the door to the Münster
Bern from the Münster's Tower
Finally, I visited Einstein's house, where he lived from 1903-1905 and where he wrote his Theory of Relativity. I left Bern that night and headed back to Austria, staying the night in Innsbruck, where it wasn't foggy. Pictures of that will be coming later, as I am actually doing homework and writing several papers. All in all, I was a bit disappointed in Switzerland. Had I seen the mountains, it would have been a lot better. This way, though, if/when I come to Europe again, I can bypass these parts and see the rest of beautiful Switzerland.
Is this heaven? No, it's Iow...Switzerland
My plans for the rest of my weekends include going to Vienna tomorrow, East Bohemia the next week, hopefully Berlin the following, then London and Dublin in Nov., followed by Auschwitz and Krakow, and Budapest in December.
Zurich from Grossmünster
Zurich
Bern
2 comments:
So, the water you were so amazed about? I totally was too. When Andy and I were in Berchtesgaden, the stream running through the town was that exact same color - I would have sworn it was chlorinated, lol. I have a picture of it on facebook. Also, that's cool that you did couchsurfing! I'd read an article about that on CNN or something, once - was it awkward or anything? Oh, and I'm glad you included the price of a cheeseburger. Andy told me once about a study where the price of a Big Mac in all of these different countries is listed, which basically tells you a lot about their economy. Anyway, looks like you're having fun!
David,
Your dad reminded me tonite at choir practice that you are blogging your expereinces in Europe. Sorry for not responding sooner. The pictures are terrific. I enjoyed the info on European grading system. Yeah, it seems like a goofy idea to put an educational opportunity in the middle of Europe! How's a guy supposed to find any time to study? All the travel on a train seems like heaven to me. The locals certainly are used to it, probably even bored, but for a guy who remembers the passenger trains of my youth, it is so alluring for me. And the comment about the water color - is there a high copper content in the water? Or any other contaminants? Have a blast and I'll visit again next week. Mark K.
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