Saturday, February 12, 1983
Just before 18:00, Barbara S arrived to take Marsha C and me to
her apartment in Vingelz. We waited while she showered, and the doorbell rang.
Marsha answered and it was Barbara’s friend Stefan. He went into the bathroom
to kiss Barbara hello! He came back out to speak to us in Oxford English. They
were supposed to explain a play to us, but didn’t get past page one. I read
page two of the play in dialect: “Morge früeh wenn d’Sunne lacht/early morning when the sun laughs” I
could understand some of it. We left at 19:00, me with Barbara and Marsha with
Stefan, going through Biel and Nidau, then St Niklaus towards Aarberg, arriving
in Walperswil, a tiny Swiss farming community with its “fresh” air! We entered
a large building with a restaurant on the ground floor. We went up stone stairs
(no railing!) to pay 8 CHF/$4 to get a red wristband and enter a large room
with a makeshift stage and rows of rickety wooden chairs. The ceiling was
painted but now flaking and electrical wiring was exposed on the surfaces of
the walls and ceilings. There was a pot-bellied stove. Most of the seats were
reserved, but we were very early to be sure to get some of the unreserved
seats. The place began filling up with lots of old people!
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| Unterhaltungs Program |
At 20:30, the
Unterhaltungsabend/evening
entertainment program began with the local farmers’ wives choir singing some
local songs. Sometimes sour notes, rarely smiling, and reading from music
sheets. A lady came out to thank the choir, to welcome everyone, to announce
the play, to let us know what came afterwards, and to wish everyone a safe trip
home! The play
Morge früeh
wenn d’Sunne lacht began. It was supposed to be daybreak, but the set
remained dark through the whole first act. It was a so-called mixed-up play,
and we were here because Ruth D, the hospital secretary, had a part.
Afterwards Barbara let Ruth know we would be back, and we hurried to another
restaurant in town. We were a distraction for all the farmers drinking beers.
Barb and Marsha had coffee, I had Schweppes, and Stefan had an
Ovomaltine/Ovaltine and sausage ‘n’ cheese with pickles. We seemed to stay a
long time while Barb chatted with the proprietor. Marsha and Stefan decided to
go to a disco (Frisbee in Neuchâtel), and Barb and I returned to the
entertainment evening. The cast of the play were at a table on the stage behind
a duo playing accordion and clarinet. Now there were rows of tables and chairs,
with an area cleared for dancing. Most people were sitting and eating. Barb
went to talk to her new love, Eric, the stage manager, and I talked with Ruth.
The crazy actor and one of the actresses started a chain dance, and ever after
that, people stayed out on the dance floor. The “dance of the duck” was played,
and by watching others I learned the crazy dance steps.
Sunday, February 13, 1983
Ruth D wanted to leave “early,” so we left at 1:30. Her car
was blocked in, so I scraped the frost off the windows while she went to get
help. Two guys came out to “bounce” a car out of the way! Ruth drove me home,
arriving at 2:00.
Marsha C knocked on my door at 9:15, even though she had come in
at 5:15 and had only slept an hour, she was ready to travel! But we ended up
talking over breakfast before finally leaving and walking down to Progin for
some cookies.
We bought half-price tickets at the train station for 6 CHF/$3
for Neuchâtel, catching the 12:04 train and arriving at 12:25. We walked more
or less straight downhill to Faubourg de l'Hôpital and turned right. We went to
the front gardens of the l'Hôtel du Peyrou/du Peyrou House (1765-1771)
to see the statue of La Baigneuse/the Bather (1948 by André Ramseyer)
covered with ice from the fountain.
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| Ice-covered statue |
We continued to the lakefront where it was
bitter cold. The Art & History Museum was closed. We walked across the
large Place du Post to see the discotheque Frisbee. Over to Place des Halles
(1569) to see the Maison des Halles with
the turret and newly painted coats of arms. Next up to the Château, passing two
newly-painted fountains. Entered the La Collégiale/Collegiate church
(1270-1280), which seemed smaller than it looked. All the pews faced the
pulpit, and where the choir should be, there was a cenotaph/funerary monument
to the glory of Count Louis de Neuchâtel, with several large
statues of knights and nobility representing his family. We went
out through the cloister, passed the Château, and headed
back downhill.
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| Château carved windows and detail |
At Place Pury we bought 80 Rappen/40 cent tickets to catch the
#6 bus to the train station.
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| Neuchâtel bus ticket |
We caught the 14:00 train to Biel, as Marsha was
understandably tired, and cold.
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