Rebenweg/Vineyard Trail (9/18/1983)

Saturday, September 17, 1983

Woke up with the same terrific headache I went to bed with. Marsha C came to pick me up at 11:40 and drove down to park near the Kongresshaus/convention center. We walked to Christens Hairdressers on Güterstrasse, to have our hair washed and cut. Jean-Claude trimmed Marsha’s hair and assistants dried it and curled it. Jean-Claude returned to brush and style her hair. I had Brigitte who showed me a picture, but I wanted my hair to be short. So she cut my hair at basically none length and let it curl back on its own. Despite not wanting a blow-dry, I got it with a curl brush to train my curls! So it turned out to be a puff with semi-bangs. Marsha thought it looked wonderful, but wait until my curls rebel! The cost was 56 CHF/$28. I am normally too cheap to spend that much on my hair!

New haircut

Sunday, September 18, 1983

It looked like a great day. I got a lot of chores done, and by 14:30 I was at the hospital to wait for Marsha C. We drove to Tüscherz and parked right at the train station. The mountains had disappeared behind a hill, but as we climbed up through the town, the appeared clear against the blue sky. Wispy clouds floated above. We hiked along the Rebenweg/Vineyard Path, as were many other people.

St Petersinsel in the Bielersee/Lake Biel

The sun was very warm and there were thick clusters of grapes on every vine. Dark purple/bluish ones, green ones, light purple/reddish ones. There were vines on poles and vines on wire lattice-work, and a few arbors.

White grapes

And always the Alps beyond the lake with its sailboats.

The Alps 

Bird nets

Rebenweg/Grape Path/Vineyard Trail

Bielersee/Lake Biel

Purple grapes

Grape clusters

Marsha in the vinetard

Grape vine

We passed a small town below us, then the larger town of Twann.

Twann

Looking back at Twann

We took a little detour in the Twannbachschlucht/gorge costing 50 Rappen/25 cents, where we were suddenly plunged into the dark cool woods to see a stream tumbling over lots of picturesque little falls, and down long wide and smooth sluices (made by nature).

Twannbachschlucht/gorge ticket

Twannbachschlucht

Near the beginning was a pool in a cave. The gorge had sheer walls, but they weren’t so high and the little valley was green trees and undergrowth, with moss on the rocks in the stream. We saw little numbered posts of a Waldspfad/forest trail, which we assumed were markers for a nature guide of some sort. We hiked upwards a ways, then it began to level off, so we returned to the Rebenweg. Along the Rebenweg were informational signs explaining the types of grapes, the work needed, the types of harmful diseases and insects, etc. We could see St Petersinsel/island in the Bielersee/Lake Biel below us.

The Alp, St Peterinsel, and Bielersee/Lake Biel

We headed downhill to the church in Ligerz that had a lovely garden and a terrace with a view.

Ligerz church

The church itself was closed for a concert. We stood at the door to listen a bit. We continued into the town of Ligerz, passing under the funicular. We went past the Weinmuseum/Wine Museum and along a really quaint little street to the train station. It was 17:15 and there was no train until 18:03. We checked the boat schedule, and no boat until 18:10. We stopped at the Seegarten for drinks and to split a banana split. We bought our half-price tickets for 70 Rappen/35 cents from a machine and took the 18:03 train to Tüscherz. Marsha drove to her apartment and we hit a traffic jam in Biel. Ruth and Urs were busy preparing their income tax, so I sort of helped Marsha prepare dinner of pork chops with Pepperidge Farm stuffing, and beans and mushrooms in a cream sauce (no Durkee crispy onions on top!). After dinner, Ruth and Urs ran errands and Marsha and I watched some TV. We saw a Bolshoi Ballet performance in Wien/Vienna. They did highlight dances from Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and Spartacus. Ruth brought us dessert of meringue with marrone vermicelli/chestnut “noodles” topped with whipped cream. Marsha drove me home at 22:00.