A Conference and Ice Hockey Match (10/30-31/1982)

Saturday, October 30, 1982

Marsha C and I left at 6:45 to walk down to the train station, passing through Burgplatz where they were setting up the market. We arrived at the Bahnhof/train station at 7:10 where we were to meet Hetty D at 7:15. She arrived about 5 minutes late, picking us up in the taxi loop. We zoomed off to Lyss to pick up Elisabeth J at 7:30. It was really foggy when we headed towards Bern to get on the Autobahn to go to Zürich. We had meant to arrive in Zürich in plenty of time to find the place, park, check in, etc. before the 9:00 start of the conference. But now it looked like we might make it to Zürich by 9:00. But Hetty drove at 120 kph/72 mph and we circled into Zürich at 8:50. We were trying to reach the Uetlihof conference center and were unable to make a planned left turn. I was trying to follow our route on a map, and found it just as Hetty pulled off the road. The car behind us pulled off as well, and the driver came to Hetty’s window. It turned out to be an acquaintance of Hetty’s who was also lost. We then quickly found our way to the center and ended up parking on the sidewalk in front. It was a few minutes after 9:00 when we entered with other groups of latecomers.

Conference name tag

Marsha and I paid 40 CHF/$20 as non-members of the Swiss CP Association and entered a modern theater-like conference room. The conference was on Assessment and Treatment of Severe CP and Overall Management for Cerebral Palsy. Joan Mohr and Renee Leimgruber, both well-known American NDT therapists, demonstrated with two kids, speaking in English. A lady was to translate, but she did a poor job and gave up after the first half. I then tried to translate for Elisabeth. Many of the Swiss therapists walked out, because they couldn’t understand? There was a half-hour orange juice break. The conference was done at 13:00 and Hetty drove us into the city and dropped me and Marsha off. We walked up Bahnhofstrasse to the Mövenpick restaurant for lunch. I had a salad plate with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and croutons with a “French sauce,” as well as curried rice, three bean salad, potato salad, carrots, green beans, and cauliflower. Marsha had Geschnetzeltes Kalbfleisch Züricher style/veal in a mushroom cream sauce with Rösti/Swiss poatato pancake. Our waitress spoke English and had pinkish purplish tints in her hair! We continued up Bahnhofstrasse/Train Station Street, past Iranians protesting the Khomeini, people selling honey to collect money for hungry children, crowds of shoppers and tourists, etc. But we did not pass the main Sprüngli confiserie! We went in to be overwhelmed by the candy and chocolate selections. Went to the Heimatwerk/local crafts shop and out to the flea market, full of interesting items and people. A fellow in a black hat and overcoat with white shoes and gloves, and a cane. All kinds of fashion styles from punk to elegant. Kids on drugs, hippies, leather jackets, cowboys, etc. We walked back down Bahnhofstrasse, taking a right towards Lindenhof/Linden Court with its piles of leaves and chess players. At the train station we purchased 100 g/3.5 ounces of Sprüngli truffles (dark chocolate) for 5.20 CHF/$2.60 and our half-price tickets for Biel at 12.50 CHF/$6.25. We took the 16:04 train, arriving in Biel at 17:30.

That evening, we went to the hospital lobby at 19:00 to meet the receptionist, Barbara S and her friend Ilise. We hopped in Barbara’s car for a careening ride down to the Eisstadion/ice arena. Barbara had gotten us 10 CHF/$5 Stehplatz/standing room only tickets.

Ice hockey match program cover

Ice hockey match program line-ups

We joined the crowds entering and found not much standing room left. We took places on the second tier of concrete next to the entrance, yet more people crowded in. At the start of the match, there was a literal crush of people. Some big fellows barged through and some people were knocked down. Not down, but off their feet and they were held upright by the press of people. I was having trouble breathing! But it eased up and the ice hockey match of Biel vs. Arosa began at 20:00. Biel scored a couple quick ones, and the large contingent of Arosa fans were upset. Arosa responded with a goal, but the match ended 7-1 in favor of Biel. At the between periods time and near the end of the match, there were more crushes of people. People drank beer from plastic bottles and the smoke in the air was heavy. After the match, we had a hamburger (sausage patty) and French fries. Then we drove around the old town looking for a place to park and go for a drink, ending up near the library. We walked over to the “English Pub” that looked like an English pub, but there were no seats left. We returned to the car and drove to Legnau to stop at a Stübli/pub which was full of Arosa fans. Barbara and Marsha had large beers, Ilise a white wine, and I had a Café HAG/decaffeinated coffee. An acquaintance, Doris, came to sit with us. Later an older man joined our table and ordered a round of drinks for everyone, including a Café HAG for me. Ugh! I just sipped at it. Then he ordered another, but Ilise ended up drinking that one. We left to walk up the hill to a Bar-Dancing place. We used the restrooms before entering. A band was playing German songs and popular tunes. Several couples were ballroom dancing. We had drinks, Ilise a Pepsi, Barbara and I had lemon sodas, and Marsha had a beer. Petza and Paul were playing music and making dirty comments to us sitting at the table next to them. Marsha asked for a song in English, and something disco. We drank our expensive drinks (6 CHF/$3 each) and listened.

Sunday, October 31, 1982

Finally left the Bar-Dancing place at 2:00 to get home at 2:30. I was too hyper to go to sleep right away!

Porrentruy, St Ursanne, and Delémont Redux (10/24/1982)

Sunday, October 24, 1982

Marsha and I went to the bus stop at 8:45, but discovered the bus had a different schedule on Sunday. So we walked down to Juravorstadt to catch the #1 trolleybus. Saw Frau J with Philippe at the train station.

Train day pass

We took the 9:27 train to Delémont, arriving at 9:55 and changing to the 10:01 train to Porrentruy. Arrived in Porrentruy at 10:30. The town is the focal point of the Ajoie region and does seem to lie in the center of a flat area in the Jura mountains. We walked into the old town, finding the Hôtel de Ville/city hall on Grand Rue, with a fairly modern statue of a boar. We turned to walk past the Hôtel-Dieu/old hospital with its wrought-iron gates and past the Fontaine de la Samaritaine/Samaritan’s Fountain (1564). We walked to the top of Grand Rue to a neat Restaurant du Mouton, and turned right one block. Walked down a street with wrought-iron balconies and ended up in the square with the Fontaine Suisse/Swiss Fountain (1518), with a standard bearer and a boar, Significance of the boar? It is also on the coat of arms. Followed the continuation of Grand Rue, Rue Pierre-Pequignat, and crossed the Le Creugenat “river” to the section of the old town below the huge castle that belonged to the Prince-Bishops of Basle. We walked to the Porte de France/Gate of France (1563) and through it to see the round Tour/Tower Réfous (1271) with the Jura coat-of-arms, the oldest part of the castle complex. We slowly returned to the train station, catching the 11:19 train towards Biel, getting off 10 minutes later in St Ursanne. As we headed into town in the rain, you could look around at the hills with its autumn colors of (pine) green, red, yellow, and rust. Must be a pretty panorama in the sunlight! Behind us was the railroad viaduct and below the Doubs River with the weir running more along the length rather than width for producing more electricity. The town was built around a monastery which replaced the hermitage of St Ursicinus, an Irish monk and follower of St Columban. We passed some “typical” Swiss houses before entering St Ursanne through a gate with gun portals and a tiny painting of a bear holding a crozier/bishop’s staff! Inside the gate is a medieval town of cobblestoned streets, shuttered houses with very small doors, some wrought-iron signs, and stone fountains.

View North on La Ruelle

Rue du 23. Juin towards St Peter's Gate

We wandered around on nearly every street and out the other end through a gate to cross the Doubs. In the middle of the bridge is a statue of St John Nepomuk/Nepomucene, a protector from floods. At the other end of the bridge is a stone cross. The bridge is only one lane and regulated by a traffic light. We looked back at the town’s overhanging wood balconies and onto the town rooftops, up into the autumn foliage covered hills, and tried to determine if the uneven rock above was a natural cliff or the castle ruins alluded to in the guidebook! We returned into the town and walked around the seemingly giant and out of place collegiate church with its Romanesque façade and undecorated single arch doorway. There were no statues to be seen, only a sign saying the church was closed for restoration. We went in a side door and peeked through a glazed window into the chapel of St Anne (the fourth chapel dedicated to St. Anne was built in 1490) which seemed as decorated as any whole church. A Mass was in progress so we were unable to see the church itself, or the crypt, cloister and sarcophagi museum. We left town and slowly hiked up to the train station.

Viaduc de Saint-Ursanne/St Ursanne Viaduct (1929)

St Ursanne and autumn colors

Rock garden at St Ursanne station

Some fellow asked Marsha for directions in French, but he really didn’t look like he needed directions! We had an egg salad sandwich before catching the 12:32 train to Delémont, arriving at 12:50. Delémont is the capital of the Jura canton, but it wasn’t very busy today. We headed uphill into the old town, passing the town hall with its outdoor staircase and Baroque doorway. We walked down Rue de 23. Juin, which has the fountain (Fontaine de la Vierge/Virgin of 1576) in front of the Hôtel de Ville/town hall and two painted fountains along the street (Fontaine du Sauvage/Savage of 1576 and Fontaine de St-Maurice of 1577). All these towns seem to have a Rue 23. Juin, since it was on June 23, 1974 when the Jura became the newest canton in Switzerland, getting its independence from Bern!

We turned off to see the Eglise St Marcel/Church of St Marcel (1762-1773), and to get a view from its terrace of the cloud-covered hills beyond the town. Next door was the plain Château de Delémont/castle of the prince-bishops of Basle, with a fountain out front. We went to the Porte/Gate de Porrentruy (rebuilt 1756) with its painted shutters and saw the “junkyard” which is outside the Musée Jurassien d'Art et d'Histoire/Jura Museum of Art and History. Back in the old town we followed Rue de l’Hôpital which has more characteristic medieval buildings. Passed a non-statue fountain (Fontaine de la Boule/Ball of 1592) and came to the Fontaine du Lion (1590) near the Porte au Loup/Wolf’s Gate (rebuilt 1775).

Back at the train station, we caught the 13:56 train to Biel, arriving at about 14:30. We walked down Bahnhofstrasse/Train Station Street, then left up Karl Neuhaus Strasse that ended at Neuengasse, which we took to Zentralstrasse, then to Mühlebrücke where we stopped at a corner restaurant to have hot chocolate for me and coffee for Marsha. We went to Museum Schwab (collection of Friedrich Schwab with archeological artifacts and art, historical objects and scientific specimens), then the Swan Colony, before returning to Mühlebrücke to catch a bus for home, by 16:00.

Tuesday, October 26, 1982

About 20:00, Marsha came by to ask if I wanted to go for a walk. It was a clear, crisp autumn night, although somewhat cool. Moisture in the air prismed the street lights and the half moon. The stars were out and it was just dry enough to scuff in the fallen leaves. Marsha wanted to go to l’Odeon, so we headed to Mühlebrücke, where we ran into Pierre. Marsha asked him to join us. It wasn’t as busy at l’Odeon as on Friday night. We had Café HAG and Pierre had a caffe latte. We were home by 21:30.

Acclimating the New Kid on the Block (10/15-23/1982)

Friday, October 15, 1982

Found a four-leaf clover.

Four-leaf clover

Shortly before 15:00 I was piepsed/beeped to let me know the new physiotherapist, American Marsha C, had arrived already. I went down to escort her to the Personalhaus/staff residence to show her the room (my old one, newly painted) and around the Personalhaus. At about 17:30 we walked down to the old town to Au Vieux Valais for a fondue dinner. The restaurant was crowded but we were shown to a table to share with another couple. We had Nüsslisalat/lamb’s leaf lettuce/mache salad, a fondue with onions, potatoes, and garlic in it, and tea. We didn’t finish eating all the bread pieces, but we took care of all the cheese. Paid the 30 CHF/$15 bill and headed back through the lighted old town to the Personalhaus. Marsha had brought chocolate chip cookies from home! Yum! We planned for the next day and I let Marsha get to bed.

Marsha came from Charleston, SC, but grew up in Massachusetts. She studied German to take this job. She seems to want to do some traveling, so I may have a weekend traveling companion. It will be nice to have someone to “hang around” with.

Saturday, October 16, 1982

Marsha C was ready to go at 9:45, and we took the bus from in front of the Kinderspital. It was the first time I took the bus in that direction, which took us first up to Beaumont and then down past Rolex, since the bus passes the Kinderspital/Children’s Hospital in only one direction. We got off at the train station, but went first to the post office. Marsha asked me to buy stamps for her, so I showed her how I do it. I give the clerk a letter for the U.S. and she puts on a stamp, and I ask for a certain number more, bitte! None of these complete sentence questions you have to do in language class! At the train station the ticket man insisted on speaking French to us. We caught the 10:34 train to Bern, arriving at 11:00. I wanted to see if the Bern Loeb had a better selection of clothes to choose from; not really. We wandered down the shopping street all the way to the bear pits. There were three bears in each pit, including three cubs in the back pit. They were all pretty active and the cubs were really frisky, running around, going through a hollow log, wrestling, and climbing the bare tree.

Bern bear pit with vubs

We went to Wendy’s for lunch, then caught the 13:08 train back to Biel and did some shopping. I finally used my gift certificate at Loeb’s for a pair of peasant/prairie (?) blouses. We walked to Mühlebrücke to catch the bus back to the Kinderspital. I am going to miss my only form of exercise of walking to and from the Personalhaus/staff residence!

We had a boil-in-the-bag dinner of veal and Spätzle/soft egg noodles or dumplings, with a salad and chocolate chip cookies. After washing dishes, we went down to watch TV (another first for me!). The only channel that came in was fortunately in German. There was a show in dialect with a folklore band and yodeling group. After a bunch of commercials was the “news.” We were joined by one of the medical interns, who was on call. Marsha told him she wasn’t going to be able to understand him, and he obliged by speaking in English. He was very nice. I left after the news, but Marsha stayed even though she had been tired. The next show was a doctor’s commentary, and I didn’t think she was really interested, or would be able to understand. Were their hands really inching towards each other as she and the intern sat side by side on the couch together? Good night!

Sunday, October 17, 1982

It was pouring rain this morning, but it let up at noon and Marsha C was willing to walk around Biel a bit. We first headed down Zentralstrasse to the Fremdenpolizei/immigration police to check the hours, then up to Zentralplatz to check out the banks. Down Nidaugasse to the local post office and library. It sprinkled rain as we went into the Kongresshaus/Convention Center to see the swimming pool. It stopped raining by the time we passed the train station and headed to the lakefront. Back along Seevorstadt where someone asked in French where the regional hospital was located. Hmm, was that hospital in Beaumont/Vogelsang the regional hospital? We couldn’t help him. At Mühlebrücke someone asked in German for the Stadttheater/City Theater. That I could point out. We continued to Migros and back up to the Kinderspital/Children’s Hospital from there. A leisurely two-hour walk.

We visited with Christel later in the afternoon, and I found out she speaks English! I also found out the medical intern was heading for the pass and his name is Pierre. After dinner, Marsha went down to the TV room and later Marsha went for a walk with Pierre! I had gone out to see if a prospective running route was lighted for night runs, but it was not.

Tuesday, October 19, 1982

Jan drove over to pick up Marsha C and me, and then went to their house to pick up Kirby. We drove to Meinisberg in hopes of going to a restaurant for their “wild” specialties, but they were closed. We went back through Biel to Aarberg, and on top of a hill we stopped at the Waldschenke restaurant that had a Wild-Spezialität/specialties menu. We ordered a Rehrücke platter to share among us. It was excellent! Tender deer meat, oh, I mean venison, with a whole lot of garnishing: canned pear and peach halves, grapes, glazed chestnuts, marroni/chestnut cream, chopped red cabbage, brussel sprouts, mushrooms, and we ordered Rösti/Swiss potato pancake. Plus a couple different gravies and cranberry sauce. The second helping came with Spätzle/soft egg noodles or dumplings, which Kirby brought to the attention of the waitress just to make sure we weren’t eating someone else’s meal, but the waitress went and got us more Rösti, too! We topped that off with Café HAG/decaffeinated coffee and chocolates from Progin that Kirby and Marsha had bought during an afternoon walk downtown. Kirby paid the 150 CHF/$75 bill, claiming it was his birthday!

Friday, October 22, 1982

After dinner, Marsha C and I walked downtown, first stopping at the library where Marsha got a card. We checked out some books, and continued down the main drag past a couple closed tearooms. Marsha wanted to treat me to a tearoom experience, because I was so nice to her during her first week in Switzerland. Well, of course! I know what it’s like!

We ended up at the l’Odeon next to Progin Confectionary. We expected to be able to get pastries, but no! I had tea and Marsha had coffee. The milk and cream came in tiny pitchers. The décor was dark red and black with dark wood furniture. There were back-to-back benches, newspapers on racks, and magazine in plastic covers. There were crowds of people and tables were shared. Most people talked, some didn’t, and Marsha and I just watched. I was facing the room and Marsha was facing the wall, but fortunately there were mirrors so she could also see what was going on. The waitress and barmen were all Italian, shouting out the orders. The tabs were rung up on a burgundy register and the register tape got longer and longer. On the tables were little baskets with nut and pretzel packages. Smoke and the buzz of conversation filled the air. A people-watching paradise! We decided to try another tearoom, the Savoy up on the first floor above the closed pub, and this one had pastries. The outdoor balcony was closed, and there were only a few people. I had a spiked chocolate mousse and Marsha had a slice of Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte/Black Forest Cherry Cake with a Henniez Mineralwasser/mineral water that she loves. We then took a walk along the Quai up to the dark city park, then over to the post office and up the mountainside to the Personalhaus/staff residence by 21:30.

Saturday, October 23, 1982

This morning I went to the travel agency at the train station to get flight cost information for New York and India. Returned home through the Zweibelmarkt/onion market, a fruit and vegetable market in Neumarktplatz. Back at the Personalhaus/staff residence, Marsha C wanted to go downtown about 13:00. The Zweibelmarkt was cleared out in the afternoon. Since it was raining, we did some shopping, making our way to the train station. Marsha wanted some pastries, so I coached her in order to have her go in the shop to ask for them herself. At the train station I coached her so she could purchase a half-price train pass, and we got some additional day passes. We bought 100 grams/3.5 ounces of roasted chestnuts for 2 CHF/$1 as we waited for the bus back to the Personalhaus/staff residence. Decided not to go to the 16:30 soccer game in the pouring rain.

Lausanne & Yverdon (10/10/1982)

Sunday, October 10, 1982

Train day pass

Hmm, after another 12 hours of sleep, I went to catch the 11:33 train to Lausanne. It was sunny along the Rebenweg/Vineyard Trail, and not all the grapes were picked yet. I saw a couple people harvesting, one woman carried a bucket on her back that she emptied into a larger one. Saw train carloads of sugar beets, it’s that season again. Nearing Lausanne, I saw a bus graveyard. I bought lunch at McDonald’s in Lausanne, and the shake didn’t seem as small, although it was smaller than in the U.S. My reaction to the last one I had in Bern might have been a U.S.- Bern comparison and not a before and after Bern comparison of size. I took the lunch to Montriond Park that had dark shady paths leading to a promontory. I headed in one direction but came up behind a man with a dark complexion wearing a raincoat and checked pants. So I quickly went the other way arriving at the esplanade with its trained trees forming an arbor. After eating lunch, I went to the esplanade where the first “Truce of God” (whatever that is!) was proclaimed in 1037. (NB. A Truce of God suspended warfare from Saturday night to Sunday morning or for a time specified.) You could look down on the Ouchy part of Lausanne and out over Lac Leman/Lake Geneva, and barely see the Alps. I noticed the same guy with the checked pants standing under a cross, but he no longer had the raincoat. He followed me through the park, but not out of it as I left to go to the botanical garden. Continued to the port with boats, people and flowers galore.

Ouchy waterfront

Went to find the Métro station that was in and behind the large fancy building housing the Hôtel du Lac. This was a rack railroad that replaced a funicular (opened in 1877 as Switzerland's first funicular). I purchased a reduced-price ticket and was supposed to sit in the 3rd or 4th sections.

Métro ticket

When the train arrived, it only had two sections, so I sat in no-smoking. We stopped at Jordils and Montriond, and I got off at La Gare.

I took the 14:10 train to Yverdon-les-Bains, arriving at about 14:30 when it began to rain. I walked to the large Château d'Yverdon/Yverdon Castle (1260-1270), basically square with round towers at each corner.

Château d'Yverdon/Yverdon Castle

The chapel side was being renovated. On the street leading from the castle was the finish line of some race. Lots of people of all ages in running shorts. I circled around the castle and found the Hôtel de ville/Town Hall (1768-1773), which supposedly had a Louis XV façade.

Hôtel de ville/Town Hall

There was also Le Temple (1757), a Baroque church on the square, and a statue of Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi (founder of the Yverdon Institute of Education and an institute for blind and poor children) in the center. I continued around the castle looking for the museum, but apparently that was under renovation as well. A canal ran along one side of the castle. I wandered around a beautiful Jardin Japonais/Japanese Garden across from the train station, with a fountain, bandstand, and flowers.

There were no local trains for two hours, so I decided to head back to Biel on the 15:34 train, arriving at 17:00. From the train I saw a line of about 30 cows heading back to the barn, and eight storks in a field.

Wednesday, October 13, 1982

On October 1st, when I was at the Loeb department store, they had a display of numbered photographs, and you could vote for the best one. So I filled out a card, including my name and address, and dropped it in a box. Lo and behold, today I received a letter in French, addressed to Monsieur, informing me that my name was drawn to win a gift certificate of 50 CHF /$25, to be used at any Loeb store! I went downtown to redeem the letter, and now will be able to improve my wardrobe!

Grindelwald (10/9/1982)

Monday, October 4, 1982Found a four-leaf clover.

Four-leaf clover

Tuesday, October 6, 1982They finally turned on the heat in the Personalhaus/staff residence!Saw glimpses of the Alps during breaks in the cloudy weather. Wednesday, October 6, 1982Elisabeth J and I left work at 12:00 to walk down to Bulova to catch the #1 trolleybus. It was pouring rain. I used my bus ticket for only the 7th time! We sat on the seat over the rear wheel and my feet dangled. At the train station I bought a half-price round-trip ticket to Bern for 6.90 CHF/$3.50. We caught the 12:34 train. In Bern we went up the back stairs of the station to Bubenbergplatz to have lunch at Wendy’s, which was a new adventure for Elisabeth! She had a hamburger and tea, and I had chili, fries and a Frosty. At 13:30 we headed to the Inselspital/Island Hospital and its Kinderklinik/Children’s Clinic, a very modern hospital. The CP Beratungsstelle/consultation center was on the 6th floor and we met Jutta S at 14:00, who alerted Rosie S to our presence. We spent 2-1/2 hours with Rosie to get ideas for our therapy groups (4-6 kids). It would have been longer but she had an appointment. I gave her the Ticino hand-printed stationery. Elisabeth and I went to catch the 17:08 train to Biel, and she got off at Lyss. I arrived in Biel about 17:45. Saturday, October 9, 1982

Train day pass

Since I fell asleep at 18:00 yesterday, I made myself get up at 7:15 this morning! I caught the 8:34 train to Bern (saw a couple deer near a cornfield), arriving at 9:00, and went to the Bern tourist office where I found coupons for McDonald’s. Took the 9:27 to Interlaken. Although there was a cloud cover, you could see the snow-powdered Alps were in sunshine. Arrived in Interlaken Ost/East at 10:20 and bought a half-price ticket to Gindelwald and Kleine Scheidegg for 17.80 CHF/$9.

Interlaken to Kleine Scheidegg train ticket

Boarded the Berner-Oberland-Bahn (BOB) train that left for Grindelwald at 10:40. At Zweilütschinen the train divided and our half continued up the Lütschinental towards Grindelwald. A couple times we hooked up to a rack with a clunk. We reached the large town of Grindelwald at 11:25. The train leap-frogged with a couple autos heading up the valley, and when I saw them in town, the license plates said “Canada.” The autos were filled with guys and topped with skis. The town looked like any other, except that the snow-covered Alps could be seen above the rooftops of stores and hotels. I walked towards the other end of town and found the First chairlift, getting a half-price ticket for 12 CHF/$6.

Grindelwald to First chairlift ticket

I was comfortable in a sweatjacket and was even warm when the sun was shining directly on me. The chairlift faced sideways and as we headed up, I realized we were going above the snow line!

View up on First chairlft

Looking down you could see Grindelwald was located in a large basin or bowl of a valley. The town buildings were surrounded by pastures, orchards, and farm buildings dotting the hillsides.

Gindelwald Basin

Up behind it all was the rocky face of the Eiger towards the right and the Schreckhorn in front. A sign said to show your ticket at each station, so as we approached the first station (Oberhaus) I was expecting to get off and change to another chairlift. But the chair zigged and zagged, and I found myself on the second leg. The attendant didn’t seem to want to see my ticket. Now I could see patches of snow below me, and it progressed until the ground was completely covered with snow, but the roads and paths were clear. The trees were dripping, making a tinkling sound that was the only thing heard except the whirring of the chairlift cable, and the occasional clicks as you went over the stanchions. I was starting to feel the cold, so pulled out my raincoat. That sufficed, except my hands were still cold. I was ready to show my ticket at the Bort station. Now I was being blinded by the sun on the snow, and the roads and paths were covered. The trees still tinkled.

Still heading up on the First chairlift

I went through the Egg station and arrived at the First station (the last station!). The chairlift is the longest in Europe at 5 km/3.25 miles and rises to an elevation of 2168m/7,610 feet. The snow was at least a foot deep. I followed a beaten path to an overlook. You could see the Alps all around, from the Wetterhorn, Schreckhorn, a ridge called the Fiescherhörner, and the Eiger. Behind the Eiger was the Jungfrau, but it was soon covered by a cloud.

Eiger and part of Jungfrau

Grindelwald Basin

Schreckhorn and chairlift

Eiger and Jungfraujoch

Kids were building snowmen and throwing snowballs. At about 12:10, I headed back downhill. At the far side of the Eiger, you could see the snow shelter tunnels of the Jungfraujochbahn. I noticed that most of the people on the way up on the chairlift were wearing long tan coats, all in the same style, and some were neatly patched. I saw piles of these coats at each station, and at the main station a line of tourists were taking a coat from a pile. What service!Once in Grindelwald, I walked back to the station to catch the 13:10 Wengernalpbahn train to Kleine Scheidegg. We dipped down to the bottom of the Grindelwald Basin to Grund where you can connect to the Männlichenbahn (aerial cable cars eventually leading to Wengen). We climbed up the other side of the Basin, where the snow was already a meter deep, to Kleine Scheidegg with lots and lots of tourists, most of whom appeared to be Japanese.

Grindelwald from Kleine Scheidegg

Wengernalpbahn train in Kleine Scheidegg

Jungfraujoch and Wengernalpbahn train

Jungfraujoch

After taking a few pictures, I went to catch the 13:59 train to Lauterbrunnnen. They must never turn the trains around, because the uphill-facing seats were shallower than the downhill-facing seat, so that you were less likely to slide out of the latter. A wonderful day, so sunny and clear. We dropped into Lauterbrunnen with the Staubbach Falls cascading from way above.

Stabbauch Falls

Switched to the train to Interlaken, arriving in time to catch the 15:24 train to Bern. By the time we got to Bern, it was cloudy and you couldn’t see the Alps anymore. Arrived in Bern at 16:30 and went to McDonald’s to get a free Coke with a Big Mac and fries. Took the 17:08 train to Biel.

Lugano (10/2-3/1982)

Saturday, October 2, 1982

I was still congested, so decided not to take a day trip today. Went downtown to buy film and Loeb was sold out. Bought the last three rolls from ABM, the second-cheapest place. Jelmoli had a Langlauf/cross country ski track set up outside. You could suit up with shoes, skis and poles, and be timed racing around the strange-looking track of bristled grids. The timing equipment was very official with a gate to start the timing and an electric eye at the end. One man tried it and kept slipping off the track and once he fell down. His timing was assuredly terrible, but they let him try again and he did much better.

I was home at 15:30 when there was a knock at the door. It was Jan who I expected to be on her way to Lugano at the start of Jan & Kirby’s two-week vacation. She invited me to go with them to Lugano, but I didn’t want to be a bother. So Kirby was sent up to convince me. I got ready while they went to buy gas coupons to use in Italy. We left at 16:00, after Jan called their hotel to confirm their room and ask if there was another for me. Since there was a wine festival, there were no more rooms, but they got the okay to have me share their room. We headed to Solothurn to get on the superhighway. In places like Luzern, you couldn’t see a thing because you were either in tunnels or in a below grade walled-in channel. I felt light-headed going through a long tunnel along the Vierwaldstättersee/Lake Lucerne because of the car exhaust. We entered the valley towards the Gotthard Tunnel and I saw the church at Wassen from yet another angle. We caught up to and passed a German train heading to Italy. Even though it was foggy, you could still see the tall mountains looming over us on both sides of the valley. We closed the windows well before we entered the 17 km/10.5 mile Gotthard Tunnel, so we didn’t notice the car exhaust. But it got hot and stuffy! On the other side were signs of construction of the Autobahn/autostrada with tunnel holes here and there. As we wound down into the valley, above us were the partially built bridges of the future highway. They first built the tall, tall bridge abutments, then from those they built the roadway out from each to meet in midair!

We were in a line of cars, but the traffic was heavier in the other direction. We arrived in Lugano at 20:00 and Jan was able to direct us to the Albergo Garni Astro. We ended up parking next to the hotel in a business area, but because the next day was Sunday, it was okay. Jan walked up the stairs and met the landlady while Kirby and I tried using the elevator. The door wouldn’t close, so I got out to shut Kirby in and walked up the stairs. We all ended up on the top floor where we were let in to what looked like a private apartment. There was a lobby with a telephone with a lock and someone’s private address book. The door to the right was locked and our room was to the left. There was a shared bathroom at the front. We dropped off our things and went to dinner at Mövenpick al Ciani. I had tagliatelle alla carbonara, and Jan & Kirby each had do-it-yourself salads and shared a tagliatelle alla carbonara. Then Jan had something like a rabbit paté with port jelly and a bun, and Kirby had grilled salmon and French fries. We shared a bottle of Sauser; like grape juice starting to fizz. Kirby finished with ice cream and coffee, while Jan and I decided to wait. Somewhere along the line, friction developed between us and the waiter. I’m not sure how it started, but when it came time to pay, Kirby gave almost the exact amount and demanded the 10 Rappel/5 cents in change. The waiter was disgusted. Jan questioned some things on the bill and was apparently satisfied with the answer. I was just tongue-tied and couldn’t even get into speaking Italian.

We returned to the hotel where Kirby was going to start sleeping off exhaustion from the Kindergarten Lager/camp. Jan and I went back out for a walk, going down to the lakefront. We passed a bar where some old men called out to us, saying they liked the one with the “cappuccino”/hood; Jan was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. The lakefront had shade trees and benches, and 5-6 water spouts lighted up in different colors. Colored lights were strung in the trees and all around a stage where a band was playing. We headed up Via Nassa with its arcaded shops (not as old as Bern but just as neat!) to a square with a large building facing it. I was admiring the stone frames around the windows when Jan said to note the painted façade. Then I noticed the frames were painted on! We went down a tiny alley, passing a cheese shop on the corner. I peeked in the window and was overwhelmed by the ripe cheese aroma. Across the way was a salami shop with giant salamis strung along the arcade arch. We wondered if they were real and that no one had stolen one. We arrived at Piazza della Riforma with a stage in the middle. Medieval-looking flag bearers were waving their colorful flags in patterns in front of a large audience. In a neighboring square past an import gift shop was a band playing to tables full of beer drinkers. One table had all the occupants standing on the benches and swaying to the music. As we walked past a park, a couple asked if the lake was ahead, and it took me a full minute to get out the “si” from behind the “yes,” ja,” and oui.” We decided to get ice cream, but not at the same Mövenpick with the disgruntled waiter. We went to one closer to the hotel, and Jan also had a Café HAG/decaffeinated coffee. It took forever to get someone to take the money for the bill, so it was midnight before we returned to the hotel. The landlady had brought a mattress for me to use, and I also had one of Jan & Kirby’s sleeping bags.

Sunday, October 3, 1982

We had breakfast of rolls and butter, and I had hot chocolate. When paying the hotel bill, we were charged only the usual price for a double of 62 CHF/$31, not anything additional for the mattress and extra breakfast. I gave Jan & Kirby 20 CHF/$10 for the room and gas.

We had a Wine Festival program and city map to figure out where the artisan craft market was being held.

Wine Festival Program 1 & 4

Wine Festival Program 2 & 3

There was a fence stretched across the street of the hotel, and a man said he couldn’t let us through but to go around and ask his colleague. We took a back street to the main road where I asked how we could get to the artisan market. I was told we would have to pay go to the square and to see the market. We didn’t want to pay the 8 CHF/$4 fee, but decided to walk around to see if we could get closer. We found out the squares were outside the fence, as well as the market, so I was given the wrong info all around. We passed a café that displayed a giant bunch of grapes made with purple balloons. In Piazza della Riforma, they were setting up for a concert.

Piazza della Riforma

In Piazzetta Maraini there were booths selling all kinds of things from food, knitted items, antiques, pottery, hand-printed stationery, wooden items, etc. We continued down Via Nassa until the booths petered out. We walked back past the salami shop where a burglar alarm was ringing while an employee was re-arranging the hanging sausages. That’s why none are stolen!

Butcher and salami shop on Via Pessina

There were more booths in Piazza Cioccaro with artisans at work carving stone, caning chairs, spinning wool, etc. Huge pots of polenta were being stirred. Each pot had a built-in space for a fire underneath and a chimney.

Pot of polenta

One pot was full of strange looking stuff, tripe and carrots among them. A band was setting up in this square as well. Crowds of people and tourists. Jan & Kirby bought a miniature caned chair. Back at Piazza della Riforma, we parted company. Jan & Kirby returned to their car to head for the south of Italy. I stayed a few minutes in the Piazza to listen to the concert, then headed back to Piazza Cioccaro and beyond to the funicular station to climb the cobblestoned street up to Catedrale di San Lorenzo/Cathedral of St Lawrence, a simple stone affair. The three stone doorways were intricately carved and mostly covered by a protective but ugly screen.

Catedrale di San Lorenzo portal

Catedrale di San Lorenzo bell tower

I didn’t explore inside the cathedral because a Mass was in progress, but did see that it looked like a Renaissance attic. Outside I had a hazy view down on the Lugano rooftops and across the lake to Monte Bré.

View towards Monte Bré

I followed the funicular partway up the hill, but then it went underground. I found my way up to the train station to check the schedule. I returned back past the cathedral and down the cobblestoned street where an old lady asked me in Italian, where the lake was. Now I could respond more smoothly. I walked past the bottom of the funicular, past the painted trompe l’oeil façade building and back to Piazza della Riforma to hear the end of the concert.

Funicolare/Funicular Lugano Stazione

Piazza Cioccaro trompe l’oeil façade

Via Nassa

I walked back along Via Nassa and bought some hand-printed stationery. I noticed a man with a beard and khaki bag was more or less following me by leap-frogging. At the Chiesa Maria degli Angeli/Church of Mary of the Angels, the church was closed and the street was closed off. People were starting to gather on the stairs next to the funicular to peek into the barricaded parade route. I decided not to take the funicular, but headed up the stairs. As I passed the bearded guy, he said “Buon giorno.” I ignored him and hurried up the stairs. I slowed down when I reached an English-speaking couple, in case I needed them for “company.” But when I looked back the bearded fellow was gone. I hurried up the stairs in case he was taking the funicular, and at the top turned south to follow the main streets and signs to the San Salvatore funicular. Passed the Angioli funicular.

Funicolare/Funicular degli Angioli

At the Paradiso funicular station I bought a half-price ticket for 4 CHF/$2 and took the 12:30 funicular with a crowd of people. We went 5 minutes uphill past hotels and residences, crossing over the railroad. We had to transfer to another funicular to take us up through the woods to the top of San Salvatore, where there was the obligatory restaurant. A path took you farther to a viewpoint looking down on Lago/Lake Lugano. You could barely see the city because of rock outcroppings, but you could see Monte Bré and across the lake you could see Monte Generoso.

View towards Monte Bré

View towards Monte Generoso

The lake was cut in half by a causeway for the railroad and highway. On the south side the lake seemed to be split by a peninsula. Although the other side of Monte Generoso is Italy, it was too hazy to really claim you could see Italy, nor to see the Alps. At the viewpoint there was an old chapel where you could get a view from the roof. Inside was a simple altar and pews. I caught the 13:00 funicular and found a space to stand among rowdy middle-aged Germans. After the switch of trains, we arrived at the bottom and I headed to the lakeshore. I paid the 8 CHF/$4 to enter the parade area and walked along a street of palm trees and along the promenade.

Parade ticket

Saw a hazy but typical view back at San Salvatore.

View towards San Salvatore

A young girl asked me in Swiss-German when the parade was to begin. I told her automatically in Swiss-German (“halbi dru”). There were people selling official programs and giving away Parisienne cigarette. A couple of Parisienne cars decorated with flowers drove along the parade route to announce when it would start. I followed the parade route to Parco Civico/Civic Park, which was completely blocked off but appeared to be a beautiful shady spot. Since I wanted to get home at a decent hour, I headed to the train station, walking against the current of the crowds headed to the parade.

Train day pass

Caught the 14:43 train to Zürich and changed to the 18:04 train to Biel. A rowdy bunch of hikers boarded the train and started talking to fellow passengers. They spoke much too quickly for me to completely understand, but I did understood one guy was angry because I wasn’t laughing at his jokes. I was referred to as an iceberg. I pulled out my Newsweek magazine to show that I didn’t necessarily speak their language and they seemed to realize I couldn’t understand them. The man sitting next to me was then very polite. Arrived in Biel at 19:30.