Weekend work and Christmas list completed (11/28/1981)

Thursday, November 26, 1981
Sunrise in Biel:

Saturday, November 28, 1981

Train day pass

Left the Personalhaus/staff residence at 8:00 to lug three packages to the post office. Had to fill out 2-3 forms for each of the larger packages. The smallest weighed less than a kilo/2.2 pounds and fit through the letter-window rather than the package-window behind the postal worker (?)

Went to the train station to meet Ermanno B and his mother at 9:00. I was expecting them to come by train from Grenchen, but they came through the front door of the station. They had a friend drive them, and we went out to the car to drive to Nidau. The driver had me ask for directions, and I had a hard time switching from Italian to German! Actually these Italians who live here have picked up enough of the dialect that they could manage better than I could. The orthopedic shoe store was only a couple buildings farther down the street. We met the proprietor/shoe specialist, who wanted to engage in shop talk when he learned I was a therapist from the U.S.

Finally got to Ermanno and decided a shoe insert will be made to better support his feet. The mother then brought up the problem that his teacher wanted him to learn to tie his own shoes. The proprietor said we did not have to cater to the teacher, but I suggested it would help Ermanno and his mother if he could don his shoes independently. How about Velcro straps? The shoe order was made and we drove back to the train station. Mrs. B treated us to drinks; she had coffee, I had tea, the driver had a beer, and Ermanno had hot chocolate.

After goodbyes, I caught the 10:14 train to Bern to finish my Christmas shopping.

Grandma: Bracelet with a flower in which you put a drop of perfume (Inspire, a perfume from Köln/Cologne, W Germany), handkerchief with genuine St Gallen embroidery, a bottle of Neuchâtel wine, Suchard deluxe milk chocolates, Suchard hot chocolate mixes, and a camisole.

The whole family: Cuckoo clock, Suchard deluxe milk chocolates and Suchard hot chocolate mixes, and Tobler chocolate truffles. Also a German Christmas carousel of a Nativity that uses candle heat to turn the whirly-gig on top. I looked for the proper sized candles, but only found the kind they put on their Christmas trees.

Dad: The Munich S-bahn/U-bahn map T-shirt, model of a Swiss Post, Telefon und Telegraph (PTT) bus, and a poster calendar of Swiss scenes (with trains).

Mom: Ceramic cake pan, ceramic candle-holders with a matching pen box, and a camisole.

Terry: Hummel figurine and camisole.

Phil and David: Each a stein from the Oktoberfest and a can of Swiss beer (hope it doesn’t explode enroute!)

Frank and Paul: Each a beer stein and a Swiss knife.

Kathy: A real cow bell, a little wooden carved cow with its own bell, and a Christmas ornament cow bell that plays “Silent Night“ when you wound it up. (The sales lady wound it up to test it, then wrapped it up for me. I put it in my canvas tote and it kept playing while people looked at me strangely. As I walked down the crowded streets of Bern, I could still hear the music! A young boy in front of me kept looking all around for the source.

Returned to Biel on the 13:41 train. At the Personalhaus I found an empty box and managed to pack everything inside. I had just enough wrapping paper, tape and string. I hope the post office accepts such a large and heavy package!

Celebrating Thanksgiving (11/22/1981)

Sunday, November 22, 1981

Photographed the sunrise.

Sunrise from Personalhaus

Went to the old town and an Asian Indian gentleman carrying a briefcase hailed me. Since I already had the experience of businessmen asking me directions to the train station, I obligingly stopped. But this one wanted someone to show him the sights. I was too busy, but then the fellow wanted to meet up with me in the evening and perhaps I knew where to go dancing. I certainly couldn’t help him with that! I doubt that I was the kind of guide he really wanted. He gave me his business card and promised me jewelry made with his company’s machines, and he did get where I worked out of me. (He did call the hospital on Monday asking for me when I had already turned in my beeper, and because he spoke English he was referred to Jan. She could honestly say she did not know of my whereabouts! Hopefully this is the end of that story!)

Business card of Asian Indian

I continued to Confiserie Progin downtown. This confectionary was Biel’s version of Sprüngli where I bought a braided loaf of bread and a gift box of truffles. After lunch I went to Jan and Kirby’s to help prepare our Thanksgiving meal. Kirby had been up since 6:30 to cook the turkey. I helped peel the boiled chestnuts, and read some of the narrative chapters in their book, “The Swiss Cookbook,” about cheese, chocolate, holidays, cantons, trains, etc.

Thanksgiving place card

At about 17:00, Jan & Kirby’s friends arrived; Heidi with dessert and Christian with some bottles of wine. I tried a sip of the sweet Rhine wine. We served ourselves from the platter of turkey and stuffing that was garnished with grapes, peach halves with cream, glazed chestnuts and chestnut paste. There were sweet potatoes (from Long Island) and cranberry sauce (from Upstate New York). The turkey was from Virginia and weighed about 10 k/22 pounds. It cost about $10 per pound!

Heidi and me

The meal was excellent and we switched to a Swiss wine that I did not like at all! There was a lively discussion/demonstration on the proper way to eat seeded grapes. We Americans spit out the seeds and the Swiss swallow them whole. Christian will even swallow the entire grape whole! We saw photos of Jan & Kirby and Heidi’s trip to Ticino. After washing dishes, we had the dessert of a chocolate nut cake and orange-flavored “crème” (like a soft pudding?) During clean up, I mistakenly threw out the turkey juices which were still viable…

Fribourg (11/21/1981)

Saturday, November 21, 1981

Train day pass

Today I took the narrow gauge Biel-Täuffelen-Ins railway train at 10:12.

Biel-Täuffelen-Ins (BTI) part of the train station

Biel-Täuffelen-Ins (BTI) train

You punch your ticket at a vending machine in the ticket honor system. Notices on the train said: “Schwarzfahren - UNFAIR!” “Schwarz” is “black” in German, so I guess black traveling (without paying the fare) is like the black market: illegal!

We went through the city streets of Nidau until we were out in the country, usually following alongside a road. Passed orchards and stopped at plastic bus shelter-type stations. We passed a few stations without stopping, and I realized you had to signal the driver if you needed to get off! The route basically is along the south shore of Bielersee/Lake Biel.

We stopped at a shelter labeled Ins-Dorf/Ins Village, and I wondered it that was the last stop. But the train started up again and wound down around a hill to the end of the line at the Ins train station, arriving at 10:52.

Biel-Täuffelen-Ins (BTI) train in Ins

As I walked past the kiosk, I saw the CP Station Kindergarten bus driver, who seemed very surprised to see me!

Boarded the 11:14 train for Fribourg, and even though it was only 11:00, it started moving! It stopped outside the station, then backed into the station. Next it started heading in the opposite direction and I wondered if I was going to Neuchâtel. Then it zipped back (forward!) to the far end of the station. A while later it backed into the station again. After all this shuttling, we finally left two minutes late!

Arrived in Fribourg at noon, in time to hear all the bells ringing the hour. I walked along Avenue de la Gare/Train Station Avenue to find the top station of a Funiculaire Neuveville-Saint-Pierre/funicular that supposedly runs on sewage water. Somehow they pump water into a tank in the upper car to make it heavy and it gets pulled down while the cable connecting to the other car pulls it up. Then they fill that car that is now on top and reverse the trip. The car on the bottom gets emptied of the waste water. It has been running this way since 1899.

I started walking down the covered wooden stairs next to the funicular track.

Covered stairway

When I heard a bell ring, I ran down to a vantage point to photograph the cable cars.

Funiculaire Neuveville-Saint-Pierre cable car

Covered stairway next to funicular

Looking up at the funicular

Cable cars pass each other in the middle

After galloping all the way down the steps, I followed Rue la Grand-Fontaine, a narrow road that brought me more or less back up the hill again. Its sidewalk kept disappearing. Found the Hôtel de Ville/City Hall (completed in 1522, meant to be a granary) with the covered dual stairway on its façade and a clock tower at one end.

Hôtel de Ville/City Hall

Another block to the Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas/St Nicholas Cathedral (completed in 1430, tower in 1490).

Cathédrale Saint-Nicolas/St Nicholas Cathedral portal

Behind the cathedral I crossed a bridge over a deep valley with sheer cliffs except for a short stretch that was flat farmland.

Looking straight down from the bridge

Looking towards the cathedral

At the other end of the bridge were towers and a wall perpendicular to the Saane/Sarine River. At water level upstream was a covered wooden bridge.

Covered wooden bridge over the Saane/Sarine River

Returned to the cathedral and found the door was open, despite a sign saying they were closed 12 :00-14 :00. Some colorful stained glass windows.
Did some Christmas window shopping until the 14:11 train to Bern. The station was swamped with fellows in military uniforms. It was getting quite warm and people were shedding jackets and sweaters. There wasn’t any snow on the ground around Bern. Arrived at 14:40, did some more shopping, then took the 15:41 back to Biel.

Christmas Shopping and Venison Meal (11/7, 14/1981)

Saturday, November 7, 1981

This was supposed to be an ordinary weekend of doing chores: shopping, cleaning, laundry, sewing repairs, etc. However, I decided to take the 12:52 train into Bern, arriving after 13:00. I tried calling Rosie S who had moved into her own apartment, but she was not at home.

I went Christmas shopping. Found a lot of Christmas cards and spent nearly 50 CHF/$25. They gave me the free ruler even though I didn’t spend the full 50 CHF. I checked out the Loeb department store Christmas window displays. Several St Nicklauses circling around with all sorts of gift ideas.

I tried to call Rosie again, but no answer. Took the 14:41 train back to Biel.

In my recent train rides I have been seeing piles and piles of a harvested root vegetable, a lumpy object, in fields and in railroad flat cars. They are too big to be potatoes and they have greens like a turnip. (I was to later find out these are sugar beets.)

Back in Biel, street vendors sold roasted chestnuts.

Back at the hospital, the flag was flying upside down. A mistake or did someone die?

Saturday, November 14, 1981

I have been here for four months!

Train day pass

Caught the 8:20 train to Zürich where the sun was peeking through the clouds. Arrived about 10:00 and headed down Bahnhofstrasse/Train Station Street to window shop. Thoroughly explored the Globus department store for gift ideas, then Jemoli. Arrived at Sprüngli Confectioners and saw that they had Advent Calendars with a piece of chocolate for each day. Bought one for 34 CHF/$17. It did not fit into my canvas tote, nor into a store bag, so I had to carry it under my arm. There was no flea market today. Checked out the Swiss Handicraft Shop. Returned up the other side of Bahnhofstrasse to window shop. Name brand watches are out of my price range. Stopped at a Sprüngli branch store to buy a 300 g/10-ounce box of truffles for 15.50 CHF/$7.70.

I caught the 11:10 train to Bern. I dozed off and awoke to find the ground was covered with snow! It was coming down in big beautiful flakes. Arrived in Bern at 12:30 and called Rosie S. She had a visitor but took a few minutes to answer some professional questions. Then Christmas shopping in Bern. Bought non-Christmas items at Loeb department store. At the Bastelzentrum I found a cow bell for Kathy. I saw some kids with McDonald’s balloons; I didn’t know there was a McDonald’s in Bern. Went into four more department stores and toy stores. As I headed back to the train station I found the McDonald’s. Had a Big Mac Attack!

Caught the 15:41 train back to Biel.

Tonight I was invited to accompany Jan and Kirby to the S family’s house for dinner. I had worked with Michael and Lucas before Elisabeth came back from her course. But they had originally been Jan’s patients and now she had them back. The boys were initially shy, but then Lucas talked and talked and Michael ate and ate. I gave them the Advent Calendar as a hospitality gift. We had appetizers of salty flaky pastries made by the men of the family. At about 20:00, the kids went to bed and we began dinner. First a salad with a wonderful dressing. A venison stew in a peppery sauce and Spätzle, squiggly doughy egg noodles or dumplings. Also baked apples with currant jelly and cranberry sauce made by Kirby. After dinner we watched the landing of the Columbia Space Shuttle. Then we had pineapple and currants with whipped cream and coffee. At 23:30, Andreas had to go to work at Electro-voice and had to check on the sound engineers covering a jazz convention at Biel’s Kongresshaus. Said our goodbyes and thank-yous to Madelein. A real Swiss dinner! I think this was my first venison; it was pretty good considering I liked the peppery sauce. I loved the “Spätzeli”!

The caffeine in the coffee kept me awake, though.

St Moritz (10/30/1981)

Friday, October 30. 1981

Awoke at 7:30 and went to catch the 9:13 train to Zürich. Slept a lot on the train. Changed to the 11:00 train to Chur, arriving at 13:00. Switched right over to the 13:00 narrow gauge Rhätische Bahn/Rhaetian Railway headed for St Moritz. I stayed awake to admire the scenery as we climbed our way up a steep valley.

The snow got deeper and deeper. Once in a while you could look back on the high arched bridges the train had crossed. We circled around in tunnels to get three views of Bergün. Passed many small villages with a church steeple and mountain backdrops. There were wonderful views straight down into mountain streams dotted with snow covered rocks. We arrived in St Moritz about 15:00. There was about 2 feet of snow, and it was cold and cloudy. In order to get back home before the last train, I took the 15:10 local train back out of St Moritz. Because it went slowly down the valley, I was able to take photographs.

Celerina

Samedan

Bever

Stream near Bever

I spotted three white-tailed deer in the woods. But then it got dark. As we neared Thusis, the conductor told me I should change to an express train heading to Chur. In Thusis got the 17:30 train to Chur, arriving in rain shortly after 18:00. Boarded the 18:18 train for Zürich which I thought only ran on Sundays and holidays. Instead of waiting for the train to Biel, I caught a train to Bern, to catch the 21:43 fast train to Biel. Home by 22:30 and again fell into bed.

Saturday, October 31, 1981

No Halloween here!

Caught the 8:20 train to Olten, arriving about 9:00, and changed to the 9:28 train to Luzern. Arrived at 10:15 and went Christmas shopping. I found all kinds of stores, but only purchased two Wengler Swiss Army knives. I also bought what I thought were chocolate malted balls, but they contained liqueurs! The train to Bern was a local and the conductor who spoke American-like English told me to change to the fast train in Langnau. Arrived in Bern at about 15:30. Some shopping at Loeb department store, but I was getting tired. Took the 15:41 train back to Biel.

My Eurail Pass vacation is over.