Three Lakes Tour (8/30/1981)

Saturday, August 29, 1981

I made big plans for today, having gone to the train station yesterday evening to make my reservation for the glacier hike at Brig. Hetty had loaned me her hiking boots. I looked at the brochure the travel agent gave me and realized the reservation was for a two-day hike from Jungfraujoch across the glacier with an overnight stay in a refuge hut. Sounded interesting and not too difficult. However, they recommended hiking sticks, flashlights, and other items I did not have. I thought about trying to sneak in on the day glacier hike, but decided I might waste my whole day if I was refused. Decided to cancel the reservation and just go to Schilthorn. As it turned out, I did nothing because I vomited up everything in my stomach. Had a headache and was nauseous all day.

Sunday, August 30, 1981

Awoke feeling okay. Went ahead with my plan to take the Three Lakes excursion boat tour. Headed down Jakob-Rosius Strasse outside of the old town, across Mühlebrücke, and along the chestnut tree-lined Schuss promenade. Found the swan colony where Spitalstrasse intersected the promenade. It had an area for all kinds of baby ducks, and along the other side were cages for birds; mostly parrots and parakeets.

There were several tour buses at the boat docks when I arrived, and crowds of people were being squeezed on board. I didn’t feel well enough to handle such crowds, but noticed another boat being loaded for the 3-Seen Fahrt/Three Lakes Trip. People were waving their tickets, so I ran to the ticket office to purchase mine. The minutes ticked towards the 9:30 departure as I waited in line. The French-speaking woman in front of me sent her daughters to find out if she could buy tickets on the boat. She could, so I followed them as they hurried to the boat. We were in the ticket line on the boat as it departed. Then found it was standing room only. Later a uniformed man went by using a clicker to count the passengers. He then pulled out folding wooden chairs and I got one. I sat outside by the boarding gate to get fresh air. That turned out to be a mistake, because every time we docked, I had to fold up the chair and move out of the way as the men handled the ropes. Since we made only half the scheduled stops, it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. Somehow, the other boat made the other half of the stops. We stopped in Tüscherz and Twann. Passed Ligerz with its church (1482) in the vineyards and the funicular going up the mountainside.

Ligerz church and vineyards

Funicular running through vineyards

Stopped in La Neuveville, then headed into the Thielle/Zihl River.

La Neuveville

People were calling it a canal; I guess it has been channelized with a lining of rocks. It took us 45 minutes to go from Lake Biel to Lake Neuchâtel, with a speed limit of 15 km/hr/9 mph. Saw a police boat inspecting a rusty old barge. Plus fishermen, picnickers, and sunbathers along the water’s edge. It was breezy and I was shivering from the cold, but once we turned south on Lake Neuchâtel, I was better. We turned into the Canal de la Broye.

Earlier along the north shore of Lake Biel, I had heard what sounded like gunshots or firecrackers. Now along Broye Canal, I heard them again, and not just the gunshot, but the following “Ziing”! I looked and looked and finally saw a target range near a small wooden building surrounded by parked cars. It seemed that after each shot a spotlight marked where the shot hit.

I couldn’t see, but heard inside our boat, an accordionist who accompanied the passengers in song. Once we entered Lac de Morat/Murtensee/Lake Murten, the smallest of the three lakes, we made a wide turn and entered the Murten harbor. Huge numbers of people poured out of the two boats, like those clown cars in the circus. We arrived at 12:15 and had a 2-1/2 hour stopover.

The other excursion boat at Murten

Band members in red jackets who were on the first boat, met their tour bus which carried their instruments. They began playing in the harbor park, so I had some lunchtime entertainment.

I walked up to Berntor/Bern Gate (1778) to enter the old fortified town of Murten.

Hauptgasse/Main Lane arcades and Berntor/Gate

Hauptgasse/Main Lane arcades and Berntor/Gate

Hauptgasse/Main Lane had arcaded buildings. Returned towards the gate, but turned right just inside the city wall and went behind the Deutsche Kirche/German Church (1713) to find the stairs to the ramparts (13-15C). I climbed the wooden steps and began the leisurely stroll around the old town.

View from ramparts of the German Church

Good views over the rooftops with chimneys, including one "twisted" cement chimney.

Rooftops and "twisted" chimney

All day the long distance view had been hazy, and you still could barely see the mountains.

View towards Lake Murten and Jura Mountains

Ramparts

Climbed up in one of the towers to look down on the ramparts and at the lake.

View down on ramparts

Lake Murten

At the other end of the ramparts you could look down on the Schloss/castle (rebuilt 1755). The shutters here, as in many parts of Switzerland, are painted black or maroon, with a contrasting color painted in diagonal stripes or wiggily stripes.

Castle shutters

Returned down to street level. This was a town Kathy T would have liked. Near the castle, two fellows started following me, right into the courtyard. I stayed rather close to two middle-aged ladies to see the hazy view across the lake to the Jura mountains. When the ladies left, so did I. I went around the outside of the castle to a park where some boys were deliberating over a giant chess game.

Giant chess game

Hauptgasse

I had lost my two followers, so returned to the old town. Passed a house, called Rübenloch (16C), with interesting architecture.

Rübenloch

Went along Hauptgasse/Main Lane and turned left on Kreuzgasse/Cross Lane to find the stairway down through a tower to exit at the lake side. On the lakefront I saw a mini golf course, and watched people launching and bringing in their boats as I sat in the sun. I returned to the boat by 14:15 in order to get a seat, sitting on the same side in order to see the scenery I missed when coming this way. We left at 14:45. The east side of the Broye Canal was flat farmland. Lake Neuchâtel was actually misty, and we couldn’t see the city until we were in the harbor. So we never saw much of Lake Neuchâtel at all on this trip. We arrived in Neuchâtel at 16:10 and wouldn’t leave until 17:00. But it took me 20 minutes to get off the boat (first on, last off!), so I decided to stay in my seat. Other people were also holding on to their seats, while husbands and mothers went off looking for ice cream or sandwiches. Leaving Neuchâtel, we went straight into the Zihl.

I keep my ears open to hear the language people speak. The two old ladies across from me did not contribute to my vocabulary. They were either “schöni heiß/pretty hot” or pointed out the “schöni Maisfelder/pretty cornfields.” We entered Lake Biel and passed Erlach with its causeway to St Petersinsel/St Peter’s Island. The other boat stopped there while we stopped at La Neuveville. Again we alternated stops with the other boat, then both arrived in Biel at 19:00. On my walk home I passed the swan colony again; it was a stinky area!

Thursday, September 3, 1981

I went to the bank to transfer money to my account in the U.S.

In my walks downtown, I usually run into dark unoccupied men trying to step in my way or talk to me. There are individuals selling lottery tickets. The department stores have prize drawings. Once I saw a large man-child chasing and swatting a woman who could have been his mother. The sidewalk chalk drawings have been washed away by rain. Need to photograph the hooks for dog leashes outside certain stores. There are many street musicians; one with a sitar, bells on his ankles, and a dancing puppet. A girl asked in French where one of the shortcuts leads, but I couldn’t tell her. The next person she asked also did not speak French, so I didn’t feel too bad.