Ten things I learned in Bern and Küsnacht…

Featured photo is of the train as we left Bern…

Now that I’ve finished writing my exhaustive and detailed blow by blow of our trip to Switzerland, it’s time to write my usual ten things I learned post. I like to make these posts for those who just want a quick summary of our trips. They’re also kind of fun to write, and a nice way to sum up our travels. So, here goes…

10. If there is a heat wave threatening, reconsider traveling by train!

We got home last Saturday by the grace of God! A week ago, temperatures were north of 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Fortunately, our train was only about 12 or 13 minutes delayed. Other travelers were not as lucky. We’ve heard stories of people in East Germany and outside of Paris who were stranded for hours. Extreme heat affects train travel, and can turn your ride home into a nightmare. It turned out fine for us this time, but it could have been a real disaster. It’s best to leave in the coolness of the morning hours, if you must travel by train when it’s very hot.

9. Bern has an astronomical clock that was influenced by Prague’s astronomical clock!

Bern’s astronomical clock, located on the Zytglogge, is a centerpiece in the city. Prague’s clock, Orloj, is a bit older, as it dates from 1410. However, the clock in Bern has a mechanical system that still functions as it did in 1530.

8. You can easily go swimming in Swiss lakes and rivers!

Switzerland is very friendly to those who like taking a dip. We visited Lake Zürich and the Aare River, and we noticed both bodies of water hosted eager swimmers who sought to cool off from the blazing sun. I waded into the Aare River, wishing I had a swimsuit on. When we went to Lake Zürich, I enjoyed the lake every day! There are some areas that are privately owned and offer facilities, but I also noticed plenty of public areas, especially at the lake! You don’t have to pay at the public areas, but there also aren’t any facilities like changing rooms or lockers.

7. Tina Turner was a big fan of Rico’s cosi, and was a regular patron there, when she was still alive.

Bill and I dined at Rico’s cosi when we visited Küsnacht. The next day, I heard a woman covering Tina Turner, and remembered that Tina lived in Küsnacht for years. I ran across an article in People Magazine, and the owner of Rico’s was quoted. He said she was a friend, lived about 100 yards from the restaurant, and used to dine there all the time!

6. This cool Parmesan grinder is apparently only available in Switzerland… bummer. 🙁

*I hope to buy one on a future trip to Die Schweiz.*

5. Bern has a special relationship with bears. They even have cute little almond flavored cakes shaped like them!

*This one was a parting gift from our hotel, when we checked out.*

4. The Sonne Seehotel is NOT air conditioned. In fact, air conditioning is very rare in Switzerland.

This is actually not something I necessarily learned on this trip. I knew air conditioning was rare there before we went to Switzerland. However, air conditioning is especially uncommon in Switzerland, even though it is not outright banned. You can read about why by clicking this link to an article about the politics of air conditioning in Switzerland. Personally, I think they are soon going to have to change their ways. The hot weather is getting more severe every summer. Fortunately, the lakes and rivers are nice and cold.

3. I really like fregola sarda. I also like Risoni.

When we visited Zimmermania for my birthday, I chose a fish dish that offered fregola sarda as a side. I didn’t know what fregola sarda was until two weeks ago. I now know it’s a type of semolina pasta from Sardinia. It looks like large, pearl-like couscous, although I enjoyed it a lot more than couscous. The pasta has a nutty flavor that marries well with fish!

I also tried Risoni with my perlhühn dish at the Pavilion Restaurant at the Sonne Seehotel. Risoni is the Italian name for orzo pasta. It looks like grains of rice. In the United States, the pasta is called “orzo”, but in Italy, it’s called Risoni, which means barley.

I’m going to have to see if I can buy some of both of these pastas. I really loved them… especially the fregola sarda.

*The little round balls are fregola sarda.*

2. Sometimes less expensive restaurants offer much better dining experiences…

Dining at moderately priced Falken, and then dining at expensive Rico’s cosi, makes me realize that one doesn’t have to spend a lot of money for great service and good food. While Falken isn’t a cheap restaurant at all, we’ve been there twice and, both times, left there very satisfied. And it was significantly cheaper than Rico’s cosi, which is much vaunted, and priced accordingly. I didn’t necessarily learn this truism just on this trip… but it was definitely driven home by our different experiences at these two restaurants.

And finally, 1. It pays to double check a city’s event schedule when you decide to visit.

In Bern, there was a city party going on over the weekend of my birthday. I love a good party, but the city fest kept us awake at night. If I had known that event was going on, I think I would have chosen to go somewhere else and saved Bern for a different time.

Of course, this isn’t the first time something like that has happened to us. In 2019, Bill and I decided to go to Inverness, Scotland to meet a cruise. We stopped in Edinburgh, on the way… completely unaware that we booked during their annual Fringe celebration. The city was a total madhouse. The Fringe made our hotel very expensive and uncomfortable. I would definitely not want to do that again, even though the Fringe was interesting. Moral of the story– ALWAYS check to see what’s “on” in a city you’re visiting. I like a good party as much as anyone does, but I also like to sleep at night.

So that about does it for our latest visit to Switzerland. I will be writing another post later about last night’s wine stand!

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 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!

C.G. Jung, Celebrations, Education

Older and wiser in Die Schweiz… (part one)

I took the featured photo in Bern, Switzerland on June 20, my 54th birthday.

Several months ago, my husband Bill was accepted to the C.G. Jung Institute in Küsnacht, Switzerland. He is now in training to become a Jungian psychoanalyst.

The decision to become an analyst is one that has been a few years in the making. I remember for Christmas 2010, Bill specifically requested that I purchase a copy of The Red Book, by Jung, because he wanted to learn more about analyzing dreams.

Then, we adopted our dog, Noyzi, from Meg, a woman who was studying at the Jung Institute. Bill talked to her about her studies, and we planned our first trip to Zürich, in the summer of 2021. We visited Carl Jung’s house, right on Lake Zürich. Bill later told Meg about a dream he had about rescuing dogs, which she used in her final paper. Meg will be graduating from the Jung Institute next week. We also adopted our other dog, Charlie, from Meg.

Then, later in 2021, Bill started seeing Max, an American Jungian analyst living in Berlin, online. Max was nearing the end of his training, and he helped Bill learn more about himself. Bill, in turn, provided Max with some material for one of his lectures. He and Bill had a great rapport. Bill eventually decided he was interested in learning how to be an analyst, himself.

Last summer, Bill and I visited Zürich, so Bill could take the summer intensive course. This is a program that helps prospective students determine whether or not they want to study at the Jung Institute, and gives matriculated students a chance to pick up some credit hours.

Last year, Bill had a very positive experience there, while I watched life go by as I sat by Lake Zürich. A few months after our 2025 visit, he applied to become a student at the Jung Institute. After six interviews, a few of which he did in person in Switzerland, he was accepted.

It is now June again, and, once again, time for the summer intensive course, as well as the summer block. Bill has to do some courses in person, so we needed to visit Küsnacht again. The courses happened to be going on in time for my 54th birthday, so this year, we decided to plan our usual birthday trip for Switzerland.

We started with two nights in Switzerland’s capital city of Bern. Neither Bill nor I had ever been there before, so we were curious about it. Then, we moved on to Küsnacht, where I managed to book six nights in a junior suite at the Sonne Hotel. We also stayed at this hotel last fall, although we had a different room.

The Sonne Hotel’s restaurant has undergone a massive renovation project. It wasn’t open when we were here in the fall, but as of right now, it’s newly reopened to the public. In fact, this morning, Bill and I were the first to have breakfast in the newly renovated restaurant. We had lunch there yesterday, and the waiter told us it had only just reopened days prior.

I expect this series about our combined birthday/Jung Institute trip will be full of fresh stories. Every trip, even to places we haven’t been before, generates new memories and experiences. Last summer, we stayed in a self-catering apartment in the Seefeld district of Zürich. It was a very nice and convenient place to stay, but it didn’t offer views like this one…

*Of course, there’s a price to be paid for such a stunning view…*

I feel like many events have conspired to lead us to where we are today. It’s almost as if fate prescribed it. I didn’t know about Meg’s time at the Jung Institute when we met. I was just looking for a new dog. Well… I got two new dogs, and a lot more… So did Bill!

Anyway, since I’m basically killing time while Bill goes to class, I think I’ll begin my series now, instead of waiting until we go home to Germany. So, if you’re interested, watch this space for fresh, honest to God, travel posts about our trip to Switzerland! So far, it’s been a real blast!

adventure, short breaks

Bernese Birthday…

Featured photo is of the little chocolate mousse cake I was presented at breakfast this morning!

We are here in Bern, Switzerland until tomorrow. We happened to get here just in time for the Bern Stadt Fest (city fest), which is a city wide party. Last night, there were huge sound systems and DJs in the streets, blaring pulsating music until the wee hours of the morning. My German friend tells me that Bern is otherwise pretty “sleepy.”

It made me a little grumpy last night, because after the four hour train ride, I was ready for quiet. But now that I’ve had some time to rest, I’m kind of delighted that there’s a city wide party going on today. It’s my birthday, after all!

I think we’ll take a long walk today and see what’s in Bern. Then tomorrow, we’ll head to somewhat quieter Küsnacht for six more nights.

I’ll try to lighten up… in more ways than one!

Champagne Bucket trips, churches, former Soviet Union, Lithuania

The Vilnius Series… Tales from the Crypt, and my rainy 53rd birthday… (part four)

While Bill and I were in the hotel room, digesting our fabulous French lunch, the skies turned cloudy and grim. It started to rain. I looked out the window at the cathedral. We were supposed to meet the guide at 4:00 PM for our hourlong guided tour of the crypt. But the rain was coming down steadily and showed no signs of stopping.

I realized that the rainy weather would also put the kibosh on my tentative plans to go hear the US Air Force play with with Lithuanians in the town square. That concert, set for 6:30 PM, seemed like it was going to be doomed with bad weather.

Bill glanced out the window and said, “Hey, there’s a guy out there in a bright red Cadillac Coupe d’Ville, stranded on the street. There’s something you don’t see every day! The guy was on the phone. I felt sorry for the car trapped by the big red land yacht. But it was soon back on its way, and the road was no longer blocked by the striking car.

I said, “Are you really wedded to going to the crypt?” I really didn’t feel like braving the elements.

Bill responded, “Not really.”

I gave some thought to skipping the tour, as my muscles were getting sorer by the minute and I didn’t really want to sprint to the church in the rain. But Bill said that Thursday would be our one and only chance to take the tour in English, so ultimately, we decided to go. I’m really glad we did. It turned out to be a fascinating activity, led by an engaging, witty, and very intelligent guide who told us she’d worked at the Cathedral as an anthropologist for nine years.

I couldn’t help but remember my days at Longwood University, which, at least when I was a student, boasted a really excellent anthropology and archaeology program. I wish I’d taken at least one anthropology class there, as when I was a student, there was a very well known professor there, Dr. James W. Jordan, who was kind of a legendary for his ghost stories. He’s now retired.

In any case, a group of us tourists gathered in the rain and hustled into the church, where the guide took us to a locked grated door. She unlocked the door; we walked down a flight of steps, and she started telling us the fascinating story of the crypts. It started out as a place where only the wealthiest people could be buried… people who had donated land and/or built a church, plus had people who had promised to pray for them forever. As time went on, the people buried there were less wealthy and celebrated.

The church went through several incarnations, all of which were fashionable at the time. I got a kick out of the guide explaining how the cathedral had once had two beautiful towers, but one of them collapsed, and killed people. The people were divided in what they should do… Rebuild the towers? Or redesign the church? It turned out the people with more money were in the camp that the towers should go. So that’s why the Vilnius cathedral looks the way it does now!

The guide also told us about how medieval crowns and scepters were very recently found (as in months ago) in the crypt. Experts knew the trove existed, as it was stashed away after World War II. However, they had not been able to find it in the decades that passed since the war ended. The guide said that next year, they will be available to be seen in the museum, once they are prepared.

We also saw a very old painting of Mary, done by an artist who wasn’t Catholic and had dressed her in red, instead of blue. And we saw the tombs of royalty from hundreds of years ago, and heard the fascinating stories behind their lives and deaths. The guide also invited us to whisper into the corners of the crypt and listen for whispers from a partner. Bill and I tried it, with success!

Lithuania is the last European country to accept Christianity (1387 AD). By contrast, Armenia, where I spent two years, is the first country in the world to accept Christianity as its state religion (in 301 AD). And yet, both were once Soviet countries, where people from Moscow were telling them what to do and demanding that they give up their cultural identities.

It was very poignant to hear the guide talk about things that happened in the Soviet times. Soviet leaders had wanted to turn that cathedral into a warehouse. Fortunately, wiser people determined it was better suited as a concert hall and picture gallery. Also, people who worked in the crypts were wise enough to hide things from Soviet leaders, who would have confiscated the items and taken them to Moscow, never to be seen again.

Below are some photos from the tour:

*A pump that was put in during the Soviet era.*

When the crypt tour was over, I was really glad we decided to go. Not only was the tour interesting and informative, the guide was very entertaining and personable. It was well worth the time and euros to attend, even if I was getting sorer by the minute and we got a little wet.

Unfortunately, the weather was still pretty stormy and dismal after the tour. We decided to have a couple of beers at the hotel bar and, alas, skip the free concert in the town square. As I looked out the windows in the bar, the wind picked up, the sky darkened, and the rain fell harder.

Check out the rain!

I felt sorry for the musicians who had planned for a summer concert, only to be rained on. I’m sure the show went on anyway, but it was still kind of sad. I really was looking forward to attending, but not enough to walk to the square in the rain and possibly have to stand in the weather while my muscles screamed in pain. I thought of my dad, an Air Force veteran and music lover, when he used to encourage my sisters and me to join the Air Force and be in the “Singing Sergeants”. I have to agree, it’s probably a pretty sweet gig, except for when the weather turns to shit and the show is outside.

Still, it was nice to have a couple of beers in the hotel bar. They didn’t have a big selection. We were still kind of full from our French lunch at Balzac, so we ate nuts and cheese (or Bill ate cheese), and then went back to the room, where we watched classic MTV. We made it an early evening.

The next morning was, of course, my birthday… and we woke up to… MORE RAIN! Seriously, it was pouring. We got up and went to breakfast, and a friendly waitress asked us how we were doing. I mentioned it was my birthday– just making conversation. She later brought me a surprise!

*A lovely little cake with a candle. Yes, I made a wish!*

After breakfast, we went back to the room, which was already made up! I made a video…

My parody video “The Things They Do For Trump” was racking up lots of hits and earning me lots of new subscribers. So I made a video from our hotel room…

Then… we decided to do some reading, to see if maybe the rain would let up. It didn’t let up, which honestly was a blessing, because I really needed to rest my sore muscles. I took some Advil, which helped a bit, before we went to lunch at Dionysos, a Greek restaurant right next to the hotel. The friendly waitress who brought me the cake later told us she’d almost worked there, but didn’t like the people running it. We liked the restaurant fine… Bill had three chicken skewers with hummus (that was one too many) and I had ribs with fries, and rose wine made with syrah.

It was still raining cats and dogs after our visit to the Greek place, so we went back to the hotel and read some more. I learned that the Grand Hotel Vilnius used to be a telegraph station, and then served as the treasury building. Now, it’s a five star hotel with 93 rooms. We did like the hotel, for the most part. It was very comfortable. I was grateful for that, as the rain fell on my birthday. I hate to waste a day sitting in the hotel when I travel, but honestly, I’m not sure how well I would have done walking around Vilnius with so much muscle stiffness and soreness!

Finally, the rain let up, and we decided to go to a bar that specialized in craft beers. In retrospect, I wish we’d gone out for dinner, but lunch at the Greek place had left us rather sated. I have missed craft beers, too. We do have them in Germany, but they aren’t always easy to find. Like… you can’t necessarily go to the local drink market and find exotic beers in Germany, although you will find excellent German beers. So I was excited to visit Nisha Craft Capital, which was very close to the hotel.

Bill and I spent a couple of hours at this bar, trying all sorts of craft beers and listening to the same loop of excellent classic rock songs. Seriously, though, I think they need to add to their playlist. We heard the same songs at least three times during our first visit (we went back twice more). The other two times we visited, we sat outside in their beer garden.

After our evening of beers, we went back to the hotel for birthday bubbles… I didn’t need the bubbles, but hell, I don’t turn 53 every day. It was fun watching the well dressed people showing off in the bar and restaurant.

Finally, it was time to call it a night, so we did. The next day, we had much better weather, and saw a lot more. I’ll write about that in the next post!

Champagne Bucket trips, former Soviet Union, Lithuania, short breaks

We’re back from Vilnius, Lithuania…

Featured photo is of Frankfurt as we descended into the city this afternoon.

I had a great time turning 53 in Vilnius, Lithuania. This was the fifth former Soviet country I have visited, the others being: Armenia, Georgia, Latvia, and Estonia. Of course, if you’ve followed me for any length of time, you might know that I lived in Armenia for 27 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer from 1995-97. I didn’t get a great look at Georgia, Estonia, or Latvia, as I just passed through Georgia on a bus in 1996 and Bill and I visited Tallin, Estonia twice, and Riga and Liepaja, Latvia once each on cruises.

Our visit to Vilnius was a comprehensive and full five night affair, and boy was I impressed with the place. Lithuania was once a Peace Corps country, as were Latvia and Estonia. Their programs ended in 2002. I could hardly believe how upscale Lithuania felt and appeared. It’s hard to imagine that it once hosted Peace Corps Volunteers! Of course, when I visited Armenia in 2023, I was surprised by how far it’s come, too, although it doesn’t look quite as clean and spiffy as Lithuania does… at least not yet.

Anyway, I will be doing my usual series for our trip, which was fairly busy. We didn’t do much on my birthday, because it was pouring rain all day, and because my muscles were extremely sore from climbing the Cathedral Bell Tower. But it still managed to be a memorable birthday for me, as Bill and I enjoyed lots of beers at a really cool pub.

I think I’ll start the series tomorrow morning. I’m kind of tired from our travel today. But I have lots of pictures and stories to share, so I hope a few readers will tune in… For now, here are a few photos…

One thing I learned is that Lithuanians are people of great faith… and I found their faith hopeful and uplifting in these troubling times. Aside from that, Vilnius is literally a cool city. The weather was actually chilly a couple of days. I had to wear a sweater on my birthday! We also enjoyed a lot of really good food. I was surprised by how fresh and delicious everything was. We even tried the famous “Pink Soup”.

So, hopefully tomorrow, I’ll get started on my latest series, and maybe get it finished before this Saturday, when we head to Zurich/Kusnacht, Switzerland for eight nights! For now, I need to relax for a bit and regroup. Traveling is tiring.

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Really fun wine stand last week…

I didn’t get a chance to write about last Friday’s wine stand, because I was too busy blogging about our big trip up north. It was an unusually fun wine stand, though, so I figure I might as well offer a quick post about it.

Last Friday night (July 7th), it was really hot outside. We got there early, having brought Noyzi with us. I was thinking we’d have a couple of glasses of wine and go home and have some of the cake I baked for Bill’s birthday. We managed to snag a seat under the tent, which was really nice.

After a short while, our landlord’s wife showed up with some friends. We ended up hanging out with them for awhile. I like our landlord’s wife. She’s a very nice person, always friendly and kind, and she refers to us as her neighbors, rather than her tenants.

I ended up telling her that I am a singer, and she heard a couple of my songs, including one I did for Bill on the occasion of his 59th birthday. She warned me about the upcoming dust we would be experiencing this week, as all of the windows were replaced in our house.

Indeed, this week was a real challenge. I wrote about it in the main blog, and because it was largely a negative experience, dealing with local craftsmen who were very ill mannered, I’ll leave that part out of this post. But anyway, it was a nice time bonding with our neighbors, all of whom are very nice.

The wine was good and the company was excellent… and best of all, Noyzi had a blast. He’s really getting the hang of the wine stands. Below are some photos of Bill’s favorite– Blackout Cake. I think we still have some left. Maybe I’ll have some while he shops for a new battery for my car. He’s finally getting around to fixing it today.

*Bill LOVES this cake. It’s never failed me.*

And below are a few photos from the wine stand… They’re pretty much the same photos I always seem to take. But not all wine stands are created equally. Last week’s was very good! COVID-19 has made me realize how much we enjoy the community events in our village. We sure did miss the wine stands during the pandemic.

I may not be good for much… but I can bake a mean cake, and sing a nice song. Below is the song I did for Bill’s birthday. He loved it!

I wasn’t expecting to do this song for Bill… learned it on a whim. You can see our old windows. Those have been replaced and are now white. They’re great windows, but I hope I never see those craftsmen again.

It’s kind of overcast today, so I’m not sure if we’ll get out and do anything. I’m just hoping we can get my car running again. Maybe we’ll be able to drive it somewhere. 😉

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Turning 51 in Bergen, Norway…

Well… if I’m honest, I have had better birthdays. Unfortunately, I seem to have picked up a cold, and I spent a good portion of today in bed, sleeping. It was quite disappointing, too, because I had some plans for our time here, and they’re being thwarted by the huge crowds of people and the tiny cold virus that is currently making me feel yucky.

The good news is, I’m not super sick, at least not yet. I have a runny nose and I’m sneezing a bit. I feel tired, and kind of hot. It’s kind of warm here, though, and a bit humid. I also still have my sense of taste, which is a big relief. Hopefully, I’ll feel somewhat better tomorrow. We have one more full day in Bergen. I may spend it resting, or I might try to do some stuff I had planned. I think the odds are, I’ll try to rest. I want to recover as much as possible before Friday, when we are supposed to embark on our cruise.

We did venture out at lunchtime. Because of the crowds and my not wanting to infect others, or be around loud, obnoxious people, we ate at another Chinese place. It appeared to be owned by the same people who owned the restaurant where we had lunch yesterday. I really enjoyed our meal, which was served in peace and quiet and consisted of won ton soup for me, seafood soup for Bill, and deep fried sweet and sour prawns.

Bill made 7 PM dinner reservations at a restaurant called Allmuen for my birthday, so we went back to the hotel, stopping at a souvenir place to get some t-shirts, since it’s so warm. Bill also went to a Norwegian pharmacy and got me some nose spray and lozenges.

We did have dinner at the restaurant tonight, but we didn’t stay as long as we planned. For one thing, it was very loud and a bit crowded. For another, I just wasn’t enjoying it. I did have a wonderful graduate level Belgian beer to go with yet another steak (the menu was a bit limited). The entrecote came out cut in slices, with lots of vegetables, and an interesting spicy seasoning that I might have enjoyed much more yesterday. Unfortunately, it wasn’t very hot when I got it, nor was it cooked medium. I sent it back for some more heat.

Service was also kind and friendly, but very slow. There were only two servers taking care of everyone. I totally empathize with them, and I suspect it has a lot to do with the exodus of people in the service industry post COVID. But the end result was that we were sitting at a table, forced to listen to the very LOUD parties near us, in a dining room with no sound dampening whatsoever. And I just wasn’t feeling up to it tonight. So we paid the check and came back to the hotel. Bill got a bottle of wine, and now I’m writing a bit and thinking about going to sleep… that is, if it gets quiet enough. Bill was brilliant enough to figure out how to let some air into our room… See the photos for that.