anecdotes, C.G. Jung, Celebrations, Funny stories

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part eleven)

By Thursday, June 25th, I was looking forward to going home. I know that’s kind of foolish, given the beautiful surroundings and great food we were enjoying in Switzerland, but I missed the dogs. I also wanted to do laundry. Several days in sweaty conditions can make one’s clothes a bit icky.

Bill had two more days of class to go, so off we went to breakfast. The wait staff was getting to know us. A few folks seemed surprised we were still at the hotel. I don’t think it’s a normal thing for most people to book six nights… except for maybe some people who are going to the Jung Institute.

I didn’t get the sense that there were too many Jung Institute students staying at the Sonne Seehotel. The one exception was at breakfast on Thursday. An American man came in with a younger woman, and Bill said he later saw both of them at the Institute. He said the man was an author of a book he’d read, and also taught at the Institute. The woman was someone on the brink of getting her diploma.

As for breakfast, I decided to go for something conventional. I had scrambled eggs and bacon. (I thought) Bill had the Egg Royal– like Eggs Benedict, but with smoked salmon, avocado, and roe. The Egg Royal is probably my favorite dish at the Pavilion Restaurant during breakfast. But, of course I needed to try as many things as possible. On Thursday, we also got to try the fruit plate, along with the usual etagè and rolls. And that, my friends, is why I have so many rolls. 😁

After breakfast, we went back to the room, hung up the Do Not Disturb sign, and I got to work on my blogging. Bill went off to school. His schedule on Thursday had him attending classes until 5:30 PM. I think he had three that day.

It was another hot day, and once again, I noticed the canvas barrier was up at the lakeside. There would be another event. Actually, Thursday turned out to be a rather obnoxious day for hotel events. But, during the afternoon, I did my usual swimming and sunning under the shady trees. Below are a few artsy pictures I took from our room. There’s always something to see on Lake Zürich, especially during the summer!

*I saw this guy a few times over the week. He is very fit!*

Something funny did happen on Thursday. While I was sitting by the lake, enjoying the cool breezes and fresh air, there was some kind of private event happening on the other side of the canvas barrier. It sounded like maybe it was a work party, or something like that. A man gave a speech in impassioned German, having summoned everyone’s attention by striking a glass with a utensil.

I wasn’t really paying much attention to what the man was saying. I was trying to relax, and wishing I had ear buds. At one point, the speaker on the other side of the barrier said something, and the crowd cheered. At that very same time, a group of school kids– maybe about eleven or twelve years old– were passing by the garden.

Just as the crowd behind the barrier started laughing and cheering, the kids– egged on by one especially naughty boy– also started cheering enthusiastically. It was pretty funny, and the whole group of adults at the luncheon started laughing.

As I was sitting there alone, listening to the laughter, it occurred to me that the luncheon was probably “mandatory fun”. The people were dressed nicely, enjoying lunch on a hot day, next to the very cool and inviting lake. They sort of half listened to a speaker droning on about something, politely applauding at appropriate times. And then, all of a sudden, a cheeky boy broke the tension by letting loose with a hearty cheer.

I observed a lot of kids in large groups, often with adults, heading to the pier so they could catch a ferry. Usually, the kids were really young– kindergarten aged or even younger, wearing orange safety vests, hats, and sunglasses. But sometimes, the kids were older, and traveled in noisy, unruly packs. Such was the case on Thursday, as the funny kids got on a ferry and continued to cheer… trying to prolong the joke. They weren’t quite old enough to realize when a moment had passed. 🤭 I can relate to that!

After the afternoon “mandatory fun” luncheon was over, the participants dispersed, and I got a brief respite from company. But then a family of four showed up. They were clearly Americans, consisting of a mom, a dad, a daughter, and a son. The son appeared to be about 13 or 14, and he’s the only one whose name I caught, because his parents had to keep correcting him.

At one point, the whole family decided to go into the lake. They were all wearing shoes of the Croc variety, which wouldn’t necessarily recommend for swimming. They might protect your feet from rocks, but they don’t let water flow out so easily, because they’re basically clogs.

The mom brought her phone into the lake, and her son said, “Why are you bringing your phone into the water? That’s a STUPID idea!”

The mom ignored the lad, took a few pictures from the water level, and then, maybe a minute or two later, exited the water with her daughter in tow. I think it was too cold for them.

Personally, I have to agree with the young man that taking a phone into the water, unless it’s highly waterproof, isn’t the greatest idea. The rocks at the bottom of the steps are pretty slippery. More than once, I almost fell down from a combination of slippery rocks, lack of balance from an awkward stance, and the odd strong current. Of course, it was none of my business, so I just observed in silence.

The boy soon grew bored with the lake and said he wanted to leave. He was clambering around near the rocks when the dad admonished him to be very careful and avoid getting hurt. He said he couldn’t afford for the boy to be injured. I’m sure that’s true in Switzerland, where healthcare is expensive. I don’t know if it’s on par with the United States, though.

The young man finally left, and soon it was just mom, dad, and daughter. The females seemed content to hang out by the lake, while the dad kind of paddled around, much like I did all week. 🤭

***

The day wore on, and finally it was time for Bill to come back from his classes. I was sitting in the hotel room, when a large boat pulled up to the pier. I noticed it, because it was blaring music. There was a sign on the boat that read LS Stäfa Festschiff (party boat).

I could see signs that there were more private events going on. I’m not sure if the people who booked the Festschiff were staying at the Sonne, but the boat turned up at about 4:00 PM and kind of loitered near the pier, sharing its music with everybody. After it departed, the cool looking Stadt Zürich ferry was back.

When Bill arrived later, he said the restaurant was closed, due to a private event. We hadn’t booked a reservation anywhere, and I wasn’t really in the mood to get dressed up… even if it meant putting on makeup that would melt off within minutes. We decided to eat at the hotel’s Biergarten.

I thought it would be good to go there as soon as possible, because I worried there would be nowhere to sit. When we were at the Biergarten on Wednesday afternoon, a woman got very excited when we stood up to leave, implying that she’d been patiently waiting to claim our table. 🙄 I feared something similar would happen Thursday night. But, actually, it wasn’t so bad…

Before we went down to the Biergarten, though, LS Scäfa returned to the pier with its loud music. I got the sense that this was where it was pickup up partygoers, as this time, there was a Tina Turner impersonator singing her hit songs. She wasn’t bad, although I don’t think Tina’s spirit came down to help her out. I could sort of see the woman from the window, and it looked it she wore a short dress and a leonine wig, just like Tina did, back in the 1980s.

It was not surprising to hear Tina Turner’s music blaring from the ship. Tina Turner became a Swiss citizen in 2013, when she married her longtime German boyfriend, Erwin Bach, at their home in Küsnacht, Switzerland. She famously lived at a lakeside estate called Villa Algonquin, and if I’m not mistaken, she couldn’t buy property there unless she became a Swiss citizen. So that’s what she did… and she later sold Villa Algonquin and rented it, with the arrangement that she would be allowed to live there until she died. She passed away in May 2023.

According to an article in People Magazine, Tina also dined at Rico’s cosi, just as Bill and I did on Wednesday, June 24th. And when she walked into the place, people’s jaws and eating utensils dropped! Apparently, she was a regular there, having celebrated her 60th birthday at the restaurant! Lionel Richie was also there, and sang to her. I recently read Lionel’s book about his life, and I think he’s got a Swiss girlfriend now.

I hope Tina got better service at Rico’s than we did. 😏 Apparently, she and Rico were friends, so I’m sure he took good care of her and Erwin.

Anyway, Tina’s impersonator sounded enough like her that I knew she was going for Tina’s sound. And the fact that I could see her hair from our hotel window tells me that she was also going for her look. I don’t mind Tina’s music at all, so I thought it was cool. In fact, the party boat looked kind of fun, although it appeared that the Tina Turner impersonator was probably hired separately.

***

Bill and I snagged a table in a corner, right by Lake Zürich. It was still very hot outside, but people were all dressed up for the party in the Pavilion Restaurant. They had a woman singing and playing saxophone, and later, there was a DJ. It looked like a classy party from our sweaty spot in the Biergarten. Of course, the partygoers were also sweating, because there was no air conditioning in the restaurant!

For dinner, I had short ribs, and Bill had a sandwich that was advertised as a burger, but was really more like a pulled beef barbecue sandwich. Of course, there were fries and beverages… and later, there was also wine. The ribs were kind of messy, but they tasted good. I think Bill was mostly happy with the “burger”, although he said they didn’t really melt the cheese on it. Bummer.

We hung out at the Biergarten until the sun went down. I got more photos, especially of the ducks, who came by to beg for food. I’m always surprised how the birds in places where tourists and water meet tend to attract waterfowl and songbirds who are almost tame. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised, though…

And the LS Scäla came back to unload some passengers, but the Tina Turner impersonator had apparently retired for the evening.

I do already miss the sunsets on Lake Zürich. What a beautiful place. I can see why Tina was happy there… and why she had no qualms about giving up her US citizenship so she could be Swiss. The older I get, the more appealing that idea sounds to me, too.

adventure, Annoyances, C.G. Jung, Luxury

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part ten)

On Wednesday, June 24th, Bill and I had plans to visit Rico’s cosi, a very nice restaurant in Küsnacht that we didn’t have the chance to try when we visited in October 2025. Rico’s cosi has the look of an artsy place, and reservations are pretty much a must. The chef, Rico, is featured on the restaurant’s Web site, smiling broadly in a red apron. The cuisine is Mediterranean and French-contemporary, and the price per course is $$$$. 😚 Our reservations were for 7:30 PM.

Before our dinner, Bill had class. Bill’s classes for Wednesday allowed for a break from 11:00AM until 2:00 PM. We had a leisurely breakfast, gazing at the lake and enjoying the many wonderful treats offered at the Pavilion Restaurant. I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but for people not staying at the hotel, breakfast at the Pavilion costs 54 Swiss Francs per person. 🫪 The good thing is, you definitely won’t leave there hungry!

On Wednesday morning, I had avocado toast. Bill decided to go with poached eggs and bacon. Of course, we had the rest of the stuff, too… the etagè, bread, coffee, juice, water… and yes, I needed to pee afterwards!

*I love how the food is presented. It’s so pretty!*

After breakfast, Bill went to his morning class, and I did my usual writing. Then, when Bill came back, we visited the Biergarten. It offered a different view of the lake, as well as easy access to beer.

Once Bill went back to class, I decided to go to the lake. On Wednesday, there were two women there… probably twenty years younger than me. One of them, dressed in a black one piece and sitting under an umbrella, talked non-stop for the entire time I was there.

However, in spite of the chatter, I still kind of dozed off. Beer, sun, and the relaxed vibe encouraged restfulness. I interspersed my sleepiness with a few plunges into Lake Zürich. You can see there’s a barrier up. Again, there was a private event hosted on the beach area, which made it harder to separate from the talkative lady.

Later, Bill returned from his class at the Jung Institute. We got dressed for dinner and walked over to Rico’s, which is located very close to the Institute. We didn’t know it when we arrived, but service was in the garden in the back of the restaurant. Still, we got a peek inside of Rico’s, which is a really beautifully decorated place. We also passed a young looking Asian guy sitting in the small parking lot, smoking a pipe. I don’t remember the last time I saw someone smoke a pipe! 🤣

*I wish I’d thought to snap a photo or two of the interior.*

We were a little early for our 7:30 PM reservation, and a little bit overdressed. Most of the people under the tent were dressed in shorts and polos, or something similar. We took a two top just outside of the tent, and the gentleman who seated us said it was a good thing there was shade. 🫪

To be honest, I wasn’t all that impressed with Rico’s… Not because of the food, which was excellent, but more because of the service. When we sat down, we were presented with a menu for a tasting menu– 5 courses at 198 CHF per person.

There were several things on it that I didn’t like. For instance, they were offering foie gras, which I object to for a few reasons– the main one being that I don’t like how it tastes. They also had a veal entree, and while I do think veal tastes good, I prefer not to eat it.

When I demurred about the veal, the waiter said they could make the veal dish with beef, which would have been okay. But I was a little tired of meat and wanted something else. So I asked for an a la carte menu, and the guy looked at me like I had nine heads, or something. Like… why wouldn’t you want to eat five courses for triple digits, even though there are things on the menu that you wouldn’t eat even if the most gifted chef in the world prepared them?

He looked so surprised that I asked, “You do have an a la carte menu, right?” I figured they did, because Bill had already looked at it before we came to the restaurant.

The guy said, “Yes, of course.” He presented to me, and I took the below photo.

I noticed that just about everyone else was having the tasting menu. Maybe the guy was puzzled that I didn’t follow the crowd (kind of a recurrent trend in my life), or maybe it was annoying to him because I was being contrary, and making life harder by ordering something different… not trusting the chef. Or maybe he feared we wouldn’t spend as much as the other folks did (preposterous!).

I’m sure the tasting menu was delightful, and we did order a couple of things that were on it. But I feel like if you’re charging as much as Rico’s cosi does, you shouldn’t be surprised when your guest wants to see the a la carte menu.

In the end, ordering a la carte was a good decision… Behold!

The food was excellent, very fresh, and beautifully presented. We both really enjoyed our fish dishes. However, the service, in my opinion, was a little inconsistent and could use some work. The wait staff, which consisted of all men, was a little casual, and not in a good way. They also held our wine hostage, although to their credit, they never got too weeded to top us up. I will also give props to the friendly guy who used a table crumber to sweep our table after we finished eating. That is a mark of good service.

At one point, a chef practically barked at Bill, who thought he was about to give him the wrong plate. Granted, the chef knows what he’s serving, but he came off as a little temperamental. I can’t blame him for being irritable, since the job is stressful, and likely uncomfortable. But it was still off putting.

Then there was the wine service. We had a champagne aperitif, and then ordered a white wine to go with our dinner. Bill had to stop the server from serving the wine, however, because the staff neglected to change the glasses from which we drank our aperitifs. It probably wouldn’t have made a huge difference in the taste, but again, for a restaurant that charges as much as Rico’s does, one expects much more attentive service than that.

Finally, there’s the vaguely threatening email Rico’s sent before our reservation– if we didn’t show up, they’d charge us 100 CHF! I know some high demand restaurants do that, but they hadn’t even taken Bill’s credit card number. Add that to the Asian lady sitting in the corner with her husband, giving us surreptitious side eyes… That’s not the staff’s fault, but it did kind of lend to the atmosphere of snootiness.

Still, I’ve certainly had much worse meals, and I wouldn’t turn down another visit to Rico’s cosi. I would love to try sitting inside next time.

If you decide to go there yourself, make sure you bring plenty of Swiss Francs or a credit card with a healthy limit. I think our bill came to somewhere around 400 CHF. That’s certainly not the most we’ve ever spent (that would be Cheval Blanc in Basel— just under 1000 CHF, and absolutely worth every cent!), but it was definitely expensive.

Rico’s cosi used to have at least one Michelin Star, but apparently, they lost it at some point. You can see this referenced in reviews from other guests, a few of whom were also turned off by the service. I notice that they are quick to accept responsibility in their responses to poor reviews, but they also complain about “harsh wording” in review titles. I guess I’ll take that under advisement when I write my Trip Advisor review. 🙄

On our way out of the garden, I was surprised by the sight of a very snazzy looking Ferrari. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen one so up close and personal. But then, perhaps I shouldn’t have been surprised. It was Switzerland, after all…

I noticed Rico was also admiring the car, and we shared a moment staring at it. He actually seemed like a very friendly guy. He came around to the tables and thanked us for coming. It was just a couple of his staff members who came off as less than genuinely nice or service oriented.

As we were walking back to the hotel, I reflected more on the Ferrari and thought about the type of person who typically buys such a vehicle. Some of them are truly car aficionados, who simply love high performance sports cars and don’t mind spending six figures to own one (or more). And some of them are people who are compensating for certain other things that come up short in their lives… 😏🤣

But I can’t deny that the car was very impressive! And the person driving it, probably dines at Rico’s cosi, or places much like it, somewhat often.

Stay tuned for part eleven…

adventure, C.G. Jung, Lakes

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part nine)

On Tuesday, we had plans to visit what I now believe is my favorite restaurant in Küsnacht, Falken. We went there last fall, and they served a soup as an amuse bouche that I couldn’t stop talking about for weeks!

In terms of his classes, Bill told me they would be less intense. He’d be done with them by about 5:30 or so, and then we’d go have dinner at 7:00 PM. Of course, we started our day off with breakfast, where I tried Eggs Benedict, and Bill had something whose name I can’t remember right now… I know I didn’t want it, because I think it had truffles in it. I’ll ask him what it was, later. He said it was his favorite breakfast item. Edited to add: it was called the Amer Ritter— brioche, ham, egg yolks, and truffles.

The photo on the far right is the chilled egg salad we skipped on Monday. I’m glad I got to try it. It was delicious and refreshing. I want to make it at home, now! The three tiered etagé, is also in the photo.

After breakfast, we parted ways. I did some writing, and then headed down to the lakeside for a peaceful afternoon. If I recall correctly, pretty much nobody annoying was in the “beach” area, except for me. But the hotel staff did put up a curtain that blocked off a large portion of the garden. They had a private event.

The one visit I remember, besides the swans that showed up after my brief swim, was the Stadt Zürich steamboat. I made a video for my husband’s daughter. Bill and I took a long lake cruise on her sister, Stadt Rapperswil, last fall! I didn’t see the Stadt Rapperswil last week. Maybe she’s in “dry dock”.

She was built in 1909!

Check out these swans. I hear they mate for life. I tried to get good photos, but I was too lazy to get up and take proper shots…

I worked on reading Entitled all day, sharing some of the most shocking passages with Facebook friends. Former Prince Andrew and his ex wife, Sarah Ferguson, really are pieces of work, even if Andrew Lownie’s book is only half true!

After a few peaceful, idyllic hours spent by the lake, watching birds and fish, I headed up to the room to wait for Bill. Then, once he arrived, we got changed and walked to the restaurant, which is located in the actual town area of Küsnacht. It’s maybe ten minutes away, if you walk slowly, like I do.

We were seated outside. There was a young couple with a very friendly and cool dog. Just after we sat down, an American woman sat near us. She turned out to be a fellow Jung Institute student who had traveled from the Dallas area of Texas. We didn’t speak to her, but Bill later saw her in one of his classes. She spoke of her fears that after the Trump regime ends, there will be a lot of traumatized people, and not enough people to counsel them!

An English speaking Italian couple sat at the table next to ours. They, too, were from the Institute, although I think one of them might have been an instructor. They kept looking over at us curiously. I don’t know if it was because they wondered if we were going to the Jung Institute, or they were just impressed by what we ordered.

In any case, the amuse was once again delicious. This time, it was a soup made with parsnips. I have developed a real fondness for parsnips since I’ve been living in Europe again!

Bill had the special soup, which was made with saffron. I went with a salad that had chopped eggs, bacon, Italian vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese, and Iceberg lettuce. I kind of wish I’d gotten one of the soups on the menu, instead. I don’t usually like salads that much, but I thought I’d prefer something cool. In retrospect, I might have preferred gazpacho, or even the coconut lemongrass soup.

Bill had sea bass (Wolfbarsch) for his main course, while I went with three varieties of ravioli. I almost didn’t choose the ravioli, because one of the varieties was made with veal, and I don’t like to eat veal if I can avoid it. But most of the ravioli was vegetarian, with lime or spinach fillings.

Then, for dessert, we had what we had during our first visit– Crema Catalana for me, and cassata for Bill. The Crema Catalana is a lot like creme brûlée, except it’s lighter and thickened differently. It was delicious! Bill loved the cassata, too. There were other desserts that were appealing, but they were the kinds of things one can get at a lot of restaurants. I haven’t run across many places that have Crema Catalana or cassata.

Then we finished up with a Hennessy brandy for me, and a grappa for Bill… just because we enjoy that restaurant so much!

After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and decided to enjoy another glimpse of the lake… I got a few photos of the walk back. I’m sure it’s not easy for the locals living in Küsnacht, especially at this time of year. The big signs warning against noise and littering cracked me up. They like to discourage the riffraff from acting up!

That about does it for Tuesday, June 23rd. It wasn’t a super exciting day, but I did enjoy the relaxing lake, and the rest I got from hanging out by the lake.

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education, Lakes

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part eight)

Featured photo is another picture I took of the lake at sunset.

Because I still have the rest of the week to get through, and one of our air conditioners is in my office, I figure I might as well finish writing about Monday, June 22nd in Küsnacht, Switzerland. Although it was just six days ago, it almost feels like a month has passed since my first afternoon spent sitting by Lake Zürich. I figure it will be good to keep the momentum going, so I don’t forget any details… You might be surprised by what can happen when you sit by a lake in Switzerland!

As I write this, it’s about ten minutes til two o’clock in the afternoon. It’s about 95 degrees Fahrenheit, and my weather app is warning of “severe conditions”. It was also very hot in Switzerland, but the lake breezes and close proximity to the refreshingly cool water in the lake made sitting outside more appealing than sitting in our hotel room.

If you know what I look like, you know I am a very WHITE person, with fair–very blonde– hair and blue eyes. I no longer tan very well. I feared a sunburn. But, I’m pleased to give credit to the makers of Neutrogena 70 SPF sunblock, because all I got this week were some faint tan lines around my shoulders, rather than an angry burn. I slathered that stuff on faithfully before I ventured out to the private lakeside “beach” at the Sonne Seehotel.

I’m also grateful that I brought two of my own beach towels. The hotel provides robes and slippers, although I’m not sure the little tote bag with spa attire in it also included beach towels. I did notice the bag had a tag on it that read 30 CHF if you wanted to buy it. I’m not sure if that price was just for the bag, or also included the stuff in it. I’m sure most folks wouldn’t want to reuse the slippers, at the very least!

In any case, I anticipated that I’d want the towels, because I like having one on my lounger and another to dry off with, and it didn’t appear to me that the “beach” had anyone offering towels. In fact, there was really no one there working as an attendant. There was a sign warning that swimming is at one’s own risk, and reminding people of when the ferry boats come by to pick up and drop off people. I noticed that they came in twos– one going in either direction.

On Monday, I was lucky enough to score a lounger near the ladder into the lake. It was under one of the nice densely leafed chestnut trees, so there was good shade cover. I plopped down there and started reading a book that I reviewed on my main blog last week. The book was about the extremely entitled behavior of former Prince Andrew and his ex wife, Sarah Ferguson. I was glad I didn’t run into anyone quite as obnoxious at the Sonne Seehotel last week, but there were a couple of contenders for an honorable mention.

Not that I was handing out awards, or anything. Bill would be in class until about 7:00 PM. Monday was his “long day”. I wanted to give the housekeepers plenty of time to clean the room, so I hung out at the lake all day, taking an occasional dip in the water to cool off. I was surprised that more people weren’t hanging out down there with me, but I guess most other guests were there to actually see Zürich.

I’m sure some went to the Lindt Chocolate Museum/Factory, directly across the lake. Bill and I went there in 2021, and I wouldn’t mind going back, especially now that we don’t have to wear face masks anymore. It was also usually lunchtime when I tended to visit, so some people were probably eating. And some, like Bill, were taking classes or doing business.

Not that much happened on Monday, except for when a group of elderly ladies showed up and started speaking rapid fire Spanish to each other. At one point, one of them addressed me in German. I hadn’t quite understood what she asked me, and said “I’m an American.” 😚

She immediately switched to perfect English! 🫪 The funny thing is, I studied Spanish for six years in school, although I haven’t used it in decades. I’m probably about as good at Spanish as I am at German… although if she’d asked in Armenian, maybe I would have caught it.

The lady had wanted to know if they were bothering me by being too loud. The honest answer is, I probably would have preferred quiet, or even silence, but they had as much right to be at the beach as I did. And of course I wasn’t going to tell them they were annoying me, even if they were. It was nice of her to ask… or maybe I looked bitchy and she was being passive aggressive? I don’t know. But I still got a marvel out of how she spoke at least three languages. Americans really need to do better at learning other tongues… myself included!

On Monday, the hotel had the whole yard open, which meant there was room to spread out. As I would come to learn over the course of last week, that would not always be the case. The other thing I noticed, especially when the whole yard was open, is that from my window, I could see how many people were down there on the loungers, so I could avoid going down there when there were many people.

But the first day was kind of dreamy, and it wasn’t quite so hot. I got some photos and watched a bunch of rowdy, noisy school kids jumping off the pier. At one point, a boat honked at a couple of the kids, because they were in the path of the boat as it approached. The kids– so full of the same endless energy I used to have– bolted from the pier, only to return seconds later, after the boat had departed. In the other direction, more kids were hanging out at an idyllic park, jumping in the water and screaming. It felt a bit like a natural version of the neighborhood pools I used to attend when I was growing up in Virginia.

A few people braved the lake. Some even swam out a ways. I noticed people tended to have interesting reactions to the lake, especially the Americans. As I previously mentioned, the lake floor is a bit rocky. While there area. couple of flat, square shaped slabs on the bottom, perhaps for the ease of hotel guests, the were also kind of slimy and slick. Then the ladder, which had wooden steps most of the way down, had two metal grated steps at the bottom. I’ve always had really tough feet, so I wasn’t bothered by them. Most people reacted to the water as if it was really cold. It was cold, but certainly not frigid. I quickly got used to it and loved it. Unfortunately, I’m not the greatest swimmer these days, so I stuck fairly close to the shore.

When it got later, and more people started venturing toward the lake, I took that as my cue to leave. I packed up my stuff and headed back to the room, where after a shower, I took another nap. It was the only one I took for the rest of the week, which is quite a feat for me these days. Maybe it’s because I didn’t eat lunch.

Since Bill got back to the hotel rather late on Monday, we decided to eat dinner in the Biergarten. The guitar busker guy showed up again. Bill came prepared with spare change, so we could tip him. He’d cue the hat passing by playing a cheeky rendition of the “Pink Panther Theme”, by Henry Mancini.

Bill and I both had fried chicken tenders and potato salad for dinner, along with draft beers. One thing I noticed at the Sonne Hotel is that they don’t offer many Weizens. If you want a Weizen at the Biergarten, you have to buy it in a bottle. It’s also a German beer–Schneider Weisse.

*We both had fried chicken tenders and potato salad for dinner. They came with a garlicky dip.*

Once some people cleared out, I got some more photos of the beautiful lake and sunset… I liked how they put lights in the trees. Also, this year, there wasn’t a huge pile of dog shit left there all week, like there was last year.

After our nightcap by the lake, Bill and I went to bed. I asked how Bill had enjoyed his first day in “school”. He said it was phenomenal. He took a class in Borderline Personality Disorder that was especially interesting… probably because he used to be married to someone who likely has BPD (and NPD, if I’m honest).

Tuesday was also going to be a busy day for him, although he would be getting back to the hotel at a more normal time. More on that in the next post.

adventure, C.G. Jung, Education, Military

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part seven)

The featured photo is of a ferry boat stopping to pick up and let off passengers in Küsnacht. I took it from our fourth floor window.

Thanks to the abundance of sunshine at this time of year in Europe, Bill and I were awake bright and early for breakfast. It was to be Bill’s first day at the C.G. Jung Institute as an actual student, rather than just someone interested in Jungian psychology, or attending the Institute as a student.

Last year, Bill attended the “summer intensive” in Küsnacht, which were in-person lectures available for non-students to audit. The summer intensive course convinced Bill that he wanted to apply for full admission to the program. He did that in the fall, and we took another trip to Switzerland so he could be interviewed by training analysts who would be overseeing his study. After the last interview was finished, Bill was immediately welcomed into the training program. They even let him register for winter block classes and gave him credit for a few of the lectures he attended last summer!

I never expected that my Army officer husband would eventually decide to become a Jungian analyst. However, looking back on our history, I often encouraged him to seek therapy with someone neutral, to talk about his rather unorthodox past. I won’t get into the specifics in this post, except to state that Bill has had quite an interesting cast of characters in his life. Put it this way… as eccentric as I can be, and as many people don’t know how to take my rather outspoken personality, Bill has dealt with folks much weirder than I am, or could ever aspire to be.

I saw a psychologist for a few years when I was in my 20s, and it was very helpful for me. So I figured Bill might similarly benefit from seeking some guidance from a counselor of some sort. Unfortunately, in spite of the lip service the US military pays to its members about asking for psychological help when they need it, there is a genuine risk in actually doing so.

Anyone with a security clearance might be putting their military careers in jeopardy if they need help for mental health conditions. And if they seek help, and it’s on record, they might lose their clearance, or otherwise lose out on professional opportunities. This short-sighted attitude about mental health care has been devastating in some cases. Sometimes, the lack of qualified care leads to suicide. One of Bill’s former co-workers did, in fact, take his own life a couple of years ago.

Military service is demanding, and service members tend to build their lives around that vocation. When they lose momentum in that career, it can truly be catastrophic.

Bill finally decided he wanted to try counseling during the height of the COVID pandemic. He got in touch with Max, an analyst who was in training when they met in 2021. Bill and Max developed a great rapport, and soon Bill was talking to him weekly. He started feeling better about himself, and understanding more about what makes him tick.

My husband eventually told me that I had been right about his need to speak to someone. He became fascinated by Carl Jung. The fact that our dogs, Noyzi and Charlie, were rescued by an Army veteran woman who was also in the program further sealed the deal. It was as if it was meant to be. So here we are… Monday morning, he was really off to school as a student. But… before he could do that, we had to have breakfast.

***

When we stayed at the Sonne Hotel last fall, it was during the main restaurant’s renovation. We ate breakfast in the Stübli, which was a smaller facility near the hotel’s front door.

When we walked down the stairs from our hotel room, we started to head for the Stübli, but then thought to ask where to go. The receptionist started to say we were going the right way, but then corrected himself and said, “Actually, no, breakfast is in the Pavilion now.”

I’m not sure, but I think we might have been among the very first guests to try breakfast in the new restaurant. To be honest, it kind of showed that the system had significantly changed, because they are now doing breakfast very differently than they did last fall. There is no longer a buffet. Instead, they bring you an etagé– three tiers of serving plates with cold cuts on the bottom, cheese in the middle, and smoked salmon and trout on the top.

Then, they bring out filled croissants, and a basket of breads. You can order a cooked dish– eggs, pancakes, waffles, crepes, or French toast– or you can have cereal and yogurt. There are also other things offered… they had delightful chilled egg salad on a couple of mornings, fruit plates, and one day, we even got the power shot smoothies, that I got used to in the fall. Of course there’s also juice, water, coffee, and tea.

The service was a bit confused/confusing on the first day, as the wait staff seemed to be trying to figure out how breakfast was going to go. By the time we left yesterday, they had pretty much gotten it down to a science. Below are some photos from our first breakfast. I had Egg Royal (smoked salmon, roe, avocado, and a poached egg on brioche). Bill had avocado toast with a poached egg. I love the presentation on these treats!

Egg Royal

Avocado toast

I noticed for most of the week, the juice came from little plastic bottles. However, yesterday morning, the juice tasted better, as if it wasn’t prepackaged. So, I expect that if and when we stay at the Sonne Hotel again, breakfast service will be totally smooth sailing.

I also noticed on the first morning, the music they were playing was light jazz stuff. I distinctly remember hearing a lot of Norah Jones playing, and the manager sort of humming along. But as the week wore on, they switched the music to something more pop oriented, with less famous musicians.

In fact, yesterday I Shazamed one song and was amused when I saw it was a song by Muse Petal called “half a plan”, which came from an album called Morning Chill. 🤣 I guess there is now a market for bland background music that is meant to set a certain mood. Yeah, I’ve heard of Muzak, which was created for that purpose, but Muzak isn’t like the more pop oriented schlock that is played in restaurants and hotels nowadays. The newer stuff is only marginally less annoying than Muzak is.

I guess I can understand why they’d use that crappy mood music, though. We’re all at a hotel where many people are vacationing, so we want pleasant background music that people will enjoy, but won’t actually know, or be tempted to sing along to (which might annoy others)… and will put them in a “chilled out” mood, so they won’t complain about dried out or overly runny scrambled eggs. 😂

Yikes… I don’t think this is an improvement over Norah Jones… But it’s bland and “AI perfect”. Yuck. It sounds like the lyrics were composed by Chat GPT. Just dreadful!

Also, I’m sure playing this kind of boring music is also financially motivated. In some places, one has to buy a license to play music, in order to comply with intellectual property laws. That’s especially true in Switzerland, as I have come to find out this morning. It probably costs more to play music by Norah Jones than Muse Petal. It’s a shame, though, because I’ve found some really great music in bars and restaurants, and it almost always leads to my decision to buy the albums for my own personal use at home.

After breakfast, Bill and I went back to the room. I slipped back into my nightie and hung the “Do Not Disturb” sign. He grabbed his stuff and walked to the Institute, and I started blogging. I know a lot of people don’t think the blogs are that important. I am level-headed enough to know that for the vast majority of people, my writing isn’t important. But blogging gives me something constructive to do, helps me preserve memories, and satisfies a few folks who do like reading my thoughts. A few people have even told me that sometimes I present perspectives they’ve never considered. So, that alone, means that my efforts mean something to someone.

By about 11:00 AM, I was finished writing, and decided to head down to the lake. Since this post is getting long, I will continue with that in part eight!

adventure, C.G. Jung, Celebrations

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part six)

The featured photo is just one of many majestic sunset pictures I took on this trip to Switzerland.

On Sunday morning, June 21st, we went back down to Jack’s Brasserie for breakfast. Philippe, the cool waiter, served us a hearty meal. I decided to have Belgian waffles that day, and a side of bacon. I don’t remember what Bill had… I think it might have been scrambled eggs. If it had been something interesting, I would have taken a photo!

After breakfast, we bid farewell to Philippe, picked up our luggage in our room, and headed down to the front desk to check out. As we were leaving the Schweizerhof, the receptionist gave us Bern Bears, little cakes that taste like almond and vanilla, which I guess is a thing in Bern.

The bears came in handy during the week, because I don’t like eating in restaurants alone. The breakfasts at the newly renovated restaurant the Sonne Seehotel were so huge that I really didn’t need to eat lunch. But small snacks were handy for tiding me over until dinner.

Then, Bill and I headed the short way to the Bern train station. We didn’t know it when we arrived in the rain on Friday, but the train station is literally just across the street from the hotel. We had read it was that close, but came out of the wrong side of the station to see it for ourselves.

We had first class tickets for a brief journey from Bern to Zürich Hauptbahnhof. I think it took about an hour. The train was a bit older than the Deutsche Bahn train we took on the way down to Switzerland and back to Germany. I amused myself by taking pictures, especially of the really chill Labrador Retriever in the front row. And I also took a few other photos, reminding me of how pretty Switzerland is.

We arrived in Zürich at a little after 1:00 PM. Then we got on a regional train that would take us to Küsnacht. I think that train ride lasted maybe twenty minutes or so. It was pretty painless.

The Romantik Sonne Seehotel is also VERY close to the train station, although maybe not as close as the Schweizerhof is. To get to it, you have to walk down a hill and under a bridge, once you get off the train platform. Thankfully, there was an elevator there. I don’t even think the Bern station had an elevator for our platform. We had to walk up a ramp.

The lady who checked us in at the Sonne Hotel informed us that our room, which turned out to be 410, was not ready for us when we arrived. Since it was lunch time, we decided to try out the hotel’s brand new restaurant, Pavilion. We were told it just opened last week. As of this week, they were just starting to serve breakfast. It was interesting to see how the service evolved over the course of the week.

The gentleman who served us lunch bore a striking resemblance to Prince William, Britain’s Prince of Wales. We later found out that he’s from Mannheim, though, and he’s likely a bit younger than William is. We decided to go all out for lunch and then, maybe, have some snacks at dinner time if we were hungry.

Below are some photos from that delightful first meal. I had a wonderful starter called “Scampi” (shrimp, lobster, roe, avocado, and a delightful sauce, surrounded by endive. Bill had melon and prosciutto. For our main courses, I went for the Perlhühn (Guinea fowl), while Bill had “crispy fish”— hake. Naturally, there was also Swiss wine, sparkling water, and fresh bread.

*The “Scampi” was absolutely delightful!*

For dessert, I decided to stick with the cooling theme. I had a scoop of lemon sorbet with champagne, candied lemons, and verbena. Bill had a blackberry tart with sour cream ice cream. I really enjoyed the sorbet, on such a HOT day! But it wasn’t even the hottest day of the week.

When we were finished with lunch (about 300 Swiss Francs! 🫪), we went up to our room. I booked and prepaid for a junior suite, which is the class of room we stayed in last fall. This time, we got the room above the one we were in last time.

It was a very “cool” room… but it was also a very hot room. Like most buildings in Switzerland, the Sonne Hotel does not have air conditioning, and rudimentary science knowledge will remind you that heat rises. The room also doesn’t have the large windows that room 310 has. They did provide a fan, though, and the views were still awesome, in spite of the heat.

The stairs you see above lead into the room. The other suites are also located halfway between floors. To get to room 310 or 210, you have to up or go down half a flight of stairs. To get to the bedroom part of 410, you have to navigate these stylish glass steps. Thankfully, neither of us fell down the steps, although I did hit my head on the ceiling/floor as I was going down one time. Obviously, that room would not be a good choice for anyone with mobility issues.

This room has a closet, a mini bar, a desk, TV, phone, and high ceilings that remind you that the hotel is OLD. We were in the top of the tower that overlooks the lake. The bathroom is open, but it has a stall for the toilet and an enclosed, walk in shower, as well as a bath tub. The bed was comfortable, except for the heat.

Lunch and travel left us tired and needing to digest. We laid down on the bed, and soon I fell asleep. I woke myself up snoring a couple of times! But I was probably out for an hour or two before lunch was properly dealt with by my digestive system.

After I woke up from my nap, we immediately decided to strip down and put on our bathing suits. After being in Bern and longing to swim in the river, I was more than ready to brave the lake. It was awesome! The water was cold, but not freezing. The only difficulty we had was entering the lake without slipping on the rocks or stepping on something sharp. I soon got good at that… I think the direct lakeside access is one of the things I loved most about the Sonne Seehotel.

I think Bill found the water chillier than I did. He complained of “shrinkage”… 🤣 He only managed one swim, but I spent many hours by the lake. For that reason, the rest of this series will probably be briefer, because sitting by the lake, swimming, reading, and writing, was pretty much all I did all week!

Oh… and I did a lot of eating and drinking… We did stop by the hotel’s newly renovated Biergarten, too. We enjoyed some fries and beer, along with guitar music by a very talented guy who came by every night, playing for spare change. I did also get a few enchanting sunset photos.

So… that about does it for June 21st. I’ll be back tomorrow to continue this series about how I got older, and Bill got wiser, in dear old Switzerland. Watch this space!

adventure, Celebrations

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part five)

Featured photo is of the Aare River mist near the restaurant where we had lunch.

Here’s the promised second part to my birthday post, for those who are interested. I know there are at least a couple of folks reading, so I will continue onward.

After our disappointing look at the Bear Pit, which denied us any views of bears, we decided to continue our walk along the Aare River. That turned out to be a good decision. As one leaves the Bear Pit area, there’s a beautiful shady trail right next to the river. Once we walked under the trees, the temperature dropped noticeably, and there were lovely views of the river.

I didn’t know it at the time, but I totally could have gone swimming. I wished I had worn a bathing suit under my clothes, because the water was very inviting. I saw a lot of people who were enjoying the swift current while riding on tubes or little inflatable boats. Some people swam.

Below are a few artsy photos…

Bill and I chatted as we walked, and we stopped at the convenient benches along the way. We were in no hurry, and just wanted to enjoy the sights and sounds of the water, and the waterfall at the end of the trail.

As we got closer to the end of the trail, we noticed a little island in the water. There were also a couple of restaurants where I was sure cold beer awaited. But first, I wanted to put my feet in the water, so I did… and it felt so good! Luckily, I was wearing my Keen sandals, which are great for walking in rivers where there are a lot of rocks.

Not great photos of me, but I was definitely happy… I love a good swimming hole.

Below is a video that features the very refreshing water. The misty part in the video is where the restaurant was… I don’t know if it was part of the engineering or a natural feature of the river. My guess is that the misty part was manmade.

What an awesome river. I want to go back and swim in it.

After my quick walk in the river, we decided to have lunch. There appeared to be an events facility there, as well as a couple of restaurants. One was away from the river, and looked pretty traditional. The other was built on the river and had several venues to include a formal restaurant, a casual restaurant, and a self-serve Biergarten. We got a table for lunch at the Restaurant Terrasse Schwellenmätteli, and enjoyed some surprisingly good food.

*Schneider Weisse is everywhere we’ve been!*

After lunch, we decided to walk back the way we came, mainly because the other side of the river was not shady and probably would have required climbing stairs. On the shady side by the Bear Pit, there is an elevator that will take visitors to the top of the trail. I need to exercise, but these days, I have to pace myself, especially in the heat of the summer. I ended up having to duck behind a bush to pee… it wasn’t easy, because there’s a steep hill by the trail. But I could easily see I wasn’t the only one who did it. Some people left behind napkins.

I was sorry to leave the cool river, but we needed to get back to the hotel and prepare for dinner at Zimmermania, a French restaurant Bill reserved a table at on the night of my birthday. So we headed back down the main drag, and got caught behind a lot of kids who had little situational awareness… along with their equally inattentive adult minders.

*I thought Bill’s daughter might like to see Swiss pastries, Bern style.*

We enjoyed a short break in the hotel room, cooling off in the rare air conditioning which, while rather special in Switzerland, was still not quite chilly enough. Nevertheless, I pulled out a lightweight, navy blue, Merino wool dress I bought from Bergfreunde, a few years ago. I was dismayed to see a couple of tiny holes made by moths. 🙄 We have since invested in some “wasps” to eat the moths, but I’m still finding clothes that either need repair or retirement. The dress is still wearable, for now. I’ve worn it twice on this trip.

Then we walked through the crowds to Zimmermania, which was located on a quiet cobblestone street. Zimmermania is a well-regarded, but rather no frills establishment. Bill and I enjoyed the food, and probably could have been more casual. I was glad to see fish on the menu, since I was pretty tired of red meat by June 20th.

*I had delightful salmon with spinach, as well as fregola sarda, a pasta from Sardinia I am going to have to find at home! Bill had filet of sole with potatoes allumettes…*

After dinner, we walked back through the crowds reveling in the city fest. I got more photos…

In all, we walked over six miles on June 20th. I was a little tired and sore at the end of it, but delighted by the day. I definitely wish we could have enjoyed one more night in Bern. It’s a lovely city, and we didn’t see nearly enough of it. I hope we’ll have a chance to return someday… especially if there isn’t a city festival happening! Unfortunately, the noise kept me awake on the second night, too.

Oh well…

The next day, we headed to Küsnacht. I will continue with that part of the story in the next post.

adventure, Celebrations

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part four)

Featured photo is on a beautiful wooded trail in Bern, Switzerland.

Saturday, June 20th, was my 54th birthday. I woke up to a birthday greeting from Bill, and two very irreverent cards. For your amusement, I have made a very short video that offers a whiff of our love for each other…

Highbrow humor…

After he presented the above cards, we got dressed and headed down to breakfast, where we met Philippe, a very charming waiter. We enjoyed egg dishes– Eggs Royale for me and Eggs Benedict for Bill. The difference between the two is that Eggs Royale have salmon and spinach and Hollandaise Sauce, and Eggs Benedict has ham or bacon. Of course, we also had our usual coffee and juice, and we took a trip to the buffet, which offered the usual breads, fruits, cheeses, and cold cuts.

As we were finishing our breakfast, Philippe wished me a happy birthday, and then presented me with a “surprise”… a beautiful chocolate mousse cake and a card from the hotel staff! The cake was surprisingly high quality, too… we really enjoyed it over the rest of our stay at the Schweizerhof Hotel.

After breakfast, we decided to take a walk. Bern is a very attractive city, and if you walk down the main shopping drag, you can even do a lot of it covered by a shopping arcade. It was a bit crowded during our visit, but I still managed to get lots of photos…

We soon approached Bern’s famous Zytglogge, a clock tower that dates from the early 13th century. The clower tower has also served as a prison and a guard tower during its long history. It reminds me of the astronomical clock in Prague, and indeed, Bern’s astronomical clock dates from the 15th century. I got lots of pictures.

Since I’m typing this on my laptop, it’s a bit of a pain to select photos… Bear with me!

We encountered another piano busker, named Luke Gajdus. He was playing hypnotic music that was so interesting that I stood in the middle of the street and didn’t hear the oncoming bus. The buses are all electric, anyway, so it’s hard to hear them come up from behind, especially if you’re distracted. Bill had to pull me away from the vehicle’s path. And then we bought one of the busker’s CDs, called In Breath, which I look forward to uploading on my desktop computer at home.

A sample of Luke’s music. I love finding and buying music by buskers. Some of my favorite souvenirs have been CDs I’ve bought while traveling.

*He plays divinely. Apparently, he’s a music therapist and plays in cities around Europe.*

This shopping drag took us all the way to a bridge that crosses the Aare River. It’s also where the famous Bear Pit is, although we didn’t manage to spot any of the residents during our too brief time in Bern. It was probably too hot for them. I think it was about 90 degrees Fahrenheit during our visit and, as you can see, very sunny.

On the other side of the bridge, there’s a little one room “hotel” where one can book a stay. It’s called “Zollhaus”, and if you rent it, you can “sleep among the bears”. I had seen it advertised the first time I was considering a visit to Bern. Now that I’ve seen where it’s located, I’m not sure I’d want to book it. It’s right in the thick of hordes of tourists! But it is definitely in a picturesque area, and the concept is novel. There were signs nearby advertising it for rent.

Here are a few more photos of the area near the Bear Pit, which is free to visit, or you can pay for a ticket and get a tour at the Bern Zoo, where you’ll see bears and a lot of other animals.

*Lots of donors made the Bear Park a reality…*

I think I will stop at this point and write more about my birthday in a new post. I have lots and lots of pictures, plus my birthday lunch and dinner to write about. Plus, the room needs to be cleaned.

Stay tuned for part five!

Annoyances, Celebrations

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part three)

Featured photo is one I took in Bern on my birthday.

Now it’s time to get down to the business of actual travel. We decided to use trains on this trip to Switzerland. The main reason we decided on train travel is because it’s convenient, especially for our destinations.

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that both of our hotels are within a few minutes’ walk from train stations. While it not feel like they’re that close when you pack as much as I do, they are actually super easy to access. Train travel means not having to deal with traffic, or expensive parking. And it also means Bill can do this…

Bill bought us first class tickets from Frankfurt Airport to Bern. Then he bought first class tickets from Bern to Küsnacht. Finally, we have first class tickets from Küsnacht to Frankfurt Airport. We took a cab to the train station from our house, and we’ll take another cab home on Saturday.

The trains going to and from Switzerland are Deutsche Bahn, while the train between Swiss destinations was SBB (Swiss Federal Railways). This is an important note, given what happened on the way to Bern. I’ll explain that down post.

On Friday, June 19th, we headed to the Frankfurt Airport train station. Our cab driver showed up in a Tesla, and we had to figure out how to open the door. We were a bit early, and I had a headache that turned out to be because I was hungry. We stopped by Burger King, where we saw a man who was the spitting image of our village’s manager. I don’t know if it was him, but it sure looked like him… or maybe his long lost twin! We also saw the cab driver in there!

Below are a few photos from on the platform… It was a hot day!

We managed to get two seats next to each other, going in the correct direction of travel. As I sat down in my first class seat, I realized how much more comfortable train travel is than most airplane travel. We had plenty of legroom, a large window, and a tray table that didn’t poke me in the beer gut.

One thing I didn’t like about our trip down to Bern was the noise in the train car. I like to sit in the quiet cars, but I guess we got one where it was okay to use one’s cellphone. A group of loud French speaking men were on their phones almost the entire four hour trip to Bern. We were also a little bit delayed, on account of something that happened before Bill and I boarded.

I noticed the air in the train was a little stinky. It smelled a little like halitosis. Maybe it was from all of the people talking so loudly. Anyway, I tried not to let it make me grumpy. The beer definitely helped.

*This is an Erdinger beer. Our ex landlady was from Erding. I like the beer a whole lot more than I liked her.*

By the time we got to Basel, Switzerland, we were about eleven minutes late. The Zoll (border patrol) guys came on, got one look at us Euro-looking Americans, and walked on by.

I think the train drivers changed, too, because I noticed a different voice on the intercom. He spoke perfect German, French, and English. And he made a point of telling everyone that we were delayed because of an incident that had occurred in GERMANY. 🤭 The way the driver said it was funny. It was like he was disgusted that we were eleven minutes delayed. I noticed that he also encouraged people with connecting trains to hurry, because the trains were waiting for them. The Swiss take punctuality VERY seriously, especially when it comes to public transportation.

I noticed after we got going in Basel, the train driver started to really haul ass. We we were going noticeably faster, and Bill and I were, at that point, riding backwards. Fortunately, we only had to do that for a short time. Bern isn’t all that far from Basel.

When we arrived in Basel, it was almost 6:00 PM. Rain was falling, and the driver had made up about five minutes of the delay. I noticed the beautiful Aare River, as the train pulled into the busy station. We got off the train and followed the crowd… and wound up exiting the station on the wrong side, which meant we had to walk the long way to the Schweizerhof Hotel.

I also didn’t know that from June 19-21, there was a Stadt Fest going on in Bern. The city was teeming with people, and there were DJs everywhere, blasting music. Although I usually enjoy a good city party, I was kind of hoping for quiet after listening to French business calls for four hours. Nevertheless, we made our way to the hotel, where we were welcomed by a lovely young lady named Lavina, who checked us in and gave us access to Room 516.

I booked a junior suite, which came with two bathrooms. They actually came in handy for Bill.

The bathtub in our suite was pretty fancy. It even had a TV mounted into the wall, and a remote control. We didn’t use it, but I was kind of impressed, nonetheless. The hotel left us bottled water and two green apples, which later came in handy in Küsnacht.

As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, the hotel is a rare property in Switzerland with air conditioning. And unfortunately, the room had chandeliers that we couldn’t turn off, if we wanted to use the lamps. I don’t like overhead lighting, especially when it’s really bright. But we were only there for two nights, so it was no big deal. Naturally, there was also a well stocked minibar, but there was enough room in it to store the lovely chocolate mousse birthday cake I got at our first breakfast.

Below are a few shots of the “party” going on in Bern on June 19th…

Since it was evening when we arrived, we changed clothes and headed out to our first dinner reservation. It was a chain steakhouse called Williams ButchersTable. Bill picked this location before we left Germany, and I probably would have enjoyed it a lot more if not for a few things.

There was a huge DJ setup outside of the restaurant, blaring music so loud we could barely hear each other.
The chairs were not very comfortable, and wouldn’t have been, even if I had a smaller ass.
The restaurant is also a “Metzgerei”, and one of the gimmicks they have is that you go to a meat counter and choose what you want. I felt uncomfortable standing behind a group of several men, picking out their cuts of meat. It was crowded and awkward, and I eventually told Bill to just pick something for me.
I had been eating leftover steak all week, prior to our arrival, and was really sick of red meat.

I know I shouldn’t complain, though. I am very fortunate that we were able to go to such a restaurant for dinner. I probably would have liked it a lot more if not for the loud music outside. I did lighten up a bit as we drank some nice Chianti Classico. And I have to admit, the steaks were good. I also had a dry baked potato, because I prefer potatoes with butter, rather than sour cream. Below are a few photos of the restaurant and food we enjoyed. Bill and I both had Swiss steaks, but his had cheese on it. He also had truffle fries instead of a baked potato. This restaurant does have vegetarian options, but you have to request them. They aren’t listed on the menu.

By the time we finished dinner, we were in a slightly better mood. The music had switched to 70s and 80s dance music, and I was enjoying watching the white people dance. Also, a lot of people were ordering bone marrow, which is apparently a popular specialty at Williams ButchersTable. I watched people holding a big bone to their lips as the wait staff poured vodka down the middle.

We ordered dessert. Bill had stracciatella tiramisu, and I had Ovo Mousse, which turned out to be mousse made from Ovaltine! I used to drink Ovaltine when I was a kid, but it was introduced to me by a former friend of mine. My mom didn’t buy it for me until I tried it at my friend’s house. I guess Ovaltine is popular in Switzerland. I did enjoy the malted dessert made with it!

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel. We were both kind of tired and cranky. On the way back, I took more photos of the rowdy crowds! All kinds of people were there… including what some might call “Jesus Freaks”. Check out their signs!

*These people were holding up signs about Jesus.*

We were ready for bed, but the rest of Bern wasn’t. The windows in our room were not quite a match for the loud, pulsating music. It went on until the wee hours of the morning. I looked up the schedule of events, and I noticed that something was planned until 5:00 AM! We were told this is NOT the norm for Bern, so we’ll have to visit again on a less rowdy weekend.

Fortunately, I had Advil PM, which helped me doze off at some point… I needed to rest up for my birthday, which I will write about in the next post!

Education, Luxury

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part two)

Featured photo is of our train leaving Bern for Zürich on June 21, 2026. You can see the Aare River from the window.

How I chose our accommodations…

Last June, when Bill went to his first summer course at the Jung Institute, we stayed at the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt, in a really nice self-catering one bedroom apartment in Seefeld, a bustling district in Zürich. There were a lot of things I liked about our stay last year.

The apartment was very convenient and super clean, and renting it allowed for me to do my own thing most of the time. I only had to clear out of the apartment to give the staff time to clean every other day. The lake was two blocks away, while the University of Zürich’s botanical garden was maybe three blocks away. There were also some gardens and museums nearby.

However, the Seefeld area, while very practical, was also a bit noisy. The tram stop was literally steps away from our door, and I was frequently startled by the people in the apartment above us. I think they had a child with them who was playing ball or something. There were a lot of sudden thudding noises from the ceiling that I found unnerving and annoying.

Also, the place did offer one parking spot, which we claimed, but we were blocked in the whole time. So if we’d wanted to drive somewhere, we would have had to get the staff to move their car, so we could leave the parking spot.

In October, we stayed at the Sonne Hotel in Küsnacht, which is popular with students who attend the Jung Institute, because it is within walking distance of institute. Indeed, Carl Jung himself used to like to visit the hotel and drink beer in the Biergarten. During our fall visit, the Biergarten and the main restaurant were closed for extensive renovations, but that didn’t bother us much.

We had a pleasant stay at the Sonne Hotel during the fall, so when I was planning this year’s trip in March, I looked to see what was available at the Sonne Hotel for this week. I seem to remember the only room they had was a junior suite, which was fine. We stayed in a junior suite in the fall, too. Yes, it’s quite expensive, but it offers plenty of space for a lengthy stay, and a wonderful view of the lake.

I had a harder time choosing our Bern hotel. In January 2025, we visited Basel, Switzerland for the first time. I had also been interested in visiting Bern, but I didn’t see any hotels that were particularly appealing. There was a hotel in Basel I wanted to book, and it had a Michelin 3 star restaurant that I knew Bill wanted to try. So we went to Basel, and had a good time… although now that I’ve been to Bern, I think I much prefer Bern (when there isn’t a city wide party going on, that is).

After a lot of deliberating, I ended up choosing two nights in a junior suite at the Hotel Schweizerhof Bern. As expensive as our junior suite at the Sonne Hotel is, the Schweizerhof was even pricier. However, I believe the Bern hotel is a five star establishment, while the Sonne Hotel is rated as a four star superior.

This is a good time to explain the hotel ratings system in Europe, for those who don’t know about it. Hotels are awarded stars based on the facilities they offer. The Schweizerhof has a spa, complete with a pool, steam bath, sauna and whirlpool. It also has an exercise room. We didn’t have time to try out the spa. I wish we’d had one more night in Bern, so I could have seen more of the city and checked out the spa.

The Schweizerhof is also air conditioned, which makes it a rare find in Switzerland. Air conditioning has definitely not caught on in this country!

The Sonne Hotel also has a spa area and exercise room, but it does not have a pool. However, the Sonne Hotel does have a lovely private lakeside area, where hotel guests can sunbathe and directly access Lake Zürich. The Sonne Hotel is not air conditioned.

Both hotels have full scale restaurants and bars. We did not try the Schweizerhof’s restaurant, Jack’s Brasserie, except for when we had breakfast. We opted not to eat there because the menu didn’t really appeal to us. In retrospect, maybe we should have tried it. Our breakfasts at the Schweizerhof were very good, especially given our charming waiter, an older gentleman named Philippe.

Both hotels are very convenient to train stations. The Schweizerhof is literally a two minute walk from Bern’s main station. The Sonne Hotel is maybe a five minute walk from the Küsnacht stop on the regional train. Since we took the train from Frankfurt Airport to Bern, and then from Bern to Küsnacht, that was a definite perk. On Saturday, when we head back to Germany, we will take the train from Küsnacht to Zürich’s main station, and then from Zürich to Frankfurt Airport.

Now that we’ve finished the Bern part of the trip, and are now on our second full day at the Sonne Hotel, I think I can safely say that I prefer the Sonne Hotel. It offers a stunning view of Lake Zürich, and a very laid back vibe. While our room is a bit warm because it’s summer, we do have a fan and windows that open on three sides of the room.

There’s also a great Biergarten right by the lake, and in spite of the occasional horn blasts from passing ferries, it’s a lot quieter at night than the Schweizerhof was. The noise at the Schweizerhof was probably not a normal thing, since it was caused by the city fest that was going on during our stay. Nevertheless, the pulsating music was not stopped by the windows, and I felt like I was back in college, waiting for the frat parties to end so I could fall asleep.

One other thing I prefer at the Sonne Hotel is the lighting in the room. Although a couple of the outlets in the room seem to be hardwired to only work if the main switch is turned on, we don’t have to deal with a really bright overhead light. We are in the top room on a broad tower that faces the lake. So the ceiling in our room at the Sonne is very high. See the above photo.

*There were two of these in our room at the Schweizerhof. They were pretty to look at, but very BRIGHT and harsh!*

Our room at the Schweizerhof had two big chandeliers, which gave off very bright light. It was impossible to just use the lamps in the room. Neither Bill nor I like overhead lighting. We find it too harsh, and we have trouble relaxing when the lighting in a room is too bright.

But when we asked the front desk staff about turning off the chandeliers and simply using the lamps, they didn’t know if it could be done. A technician later confirmed that the chandeliers were programmed to be on, if the lights were turned on. For two nights, it wasn’t a big deal, but I do think for 600 Swiss Francs a night, guests should be able to turn off the overhead lights and just use the lamps if they like.

The light situation and the loud noise (even though it was beyond the hotel staff’s control) would cause me to rate the Schweizerhof lower than I might have. However, Philippe in the restaurant made up for some of my annoyance about the lights and the noise. He was extremely charming, professional, and just plain cool. He even brought out a delicious chocolate mousse cake and a card for my birthday, which Bill and I enjoyed over several sessions!

I know this treatment is probably the standard at the hotel. I think they only knew it was my birthday because when we checked in, the receptionist asked what brought us to Bern and I said we were celebrating my birthday. It was the truth. But they made a note of it and surprised me with this…

So… I probably would consider booking the Schweizerhof again… but I think for our purposes, the Sonne Hotel is a better fit. However, I also liked the self-catering apartment we used last year, the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt, and would not hesitate to recommend it, either. I think it’s difficult to find subpar accommodations in Switzerland!

One last thing… Both hotels this year were booked through Expedia.de. Last year, I used Booking.com for the Apart-Hotel Hugenschmidt.

The Traveling Overeducated Housewife

…the wanderings and ramblings of a boring housewife…

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part eleven)

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part ten)

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part nine)

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part eight)

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part seven)

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part six)

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part five)

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part four)

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part three)

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part two)