Bern overnight

This post is days late, partly due to limited internet access and partly due to limited gumption to do anything but laze about. Switzerland was a must on our agenda, but we hadn't made any firm plan on what city to visit on our trip south to Italy. We finally picked Bern because the Bernese like to cool down on hot summer days by hiking upstream and then swimming back down the river, which winds through the heart of the city. That sounded like some good clean fun, but it was not to be. By the time we had arrived at our hotel and checked in, we needed to find food and put the swimming on hold and by the time we were done eating it was dusk and the river was empty of locals. The kids were good sports and didn't voice their disappointment when we decided not to swim in the dark, alone and unfamiliar.

Bern is the Swiss capital, terraced into the hills surrounding the Arne river, fed by the Alps which stand to the south. Old, austere and solid; dwellings, hotels and bridges stack together neatly, shaded by trees and interspersed with parks. In the angled light of evening, the scene was like a painters fantasy.

We easily found our way to the hotel and then set out in search of dinner which we found in a wide plaza next to the massive state house. We dined al fresco, on fondue, of course, which came with small potatoes and bread. We shared a pot rather than paying 25 euro's each for an even larger pot. It was delicious! We followed the cheese with Rosti (missing an umlout here). Rosti is baked in a cast iron dish, made of shredded potatoes and cheese and topped with a choice of items like bacon, eggs, macaroni and cheese, ham, etc... According to the menu, this is a quintessential Bernese dish but the portions were quite American. We couldn't finish our half orders.

By now it was truly night but the city was busy with people enjoying the cooler temperatures. We found a high terrace with a view and a pair of tiled chess boards with two foot high wooden pieces. Izzy and I challenged Jordan and Deirdre, and, to my surprise, prevailed. Jordan usually wins at chess. We headed back to the hotel and slept soundly, in spite of loud revelry outside that lasted well into the wee hours of the next morning.