Christmas Bazaar and Genève Redux (11/26-27/1982)

Friday, November 26, 1982

After work, Marsha C, Jong-Soon and I walked down Schützengasse and the wrong way to the Rudolf Steiner Schule. We had to walk down some stairs to the lower level and over to Bulova to finally find the school. We went to their Christmas bazaar.

Christmas Bazaar brochure 1 of 2

Christmas Bazaar brochure 2 of 2

In the entry was a farmer’s produce stand and kids were selling heisse marroni/roasted chestnuts. Downstairs they had dried flower arrangements, and up past the Kaffeestübli/coffee pub to the other two floors with all kinds of handmade items: cards, batik, pottery, knitted items, teas, jams, breads, Christmas decorations, toys, as well as books and stamps. Marsha bought a really cute pair of knitted baby booties. We went up to the Raclettestübli to have a serving of melted raclette cheese with boiled potato, onions and pickles. I had tea, and Marsha and Jong-Soon had bubbly apple cider. We watched candle-dipping in beeswax. The Glücksfischerei/lucky fishing hole (NB I think it had corks floating on water, and you paid to fish one out and match its number for a prize) was empty by that time. Returned to the Personalhaus/staff residence for hot chocolate.

Saturday, November 27, 1982

Train day pass

Marsha and I caught the 8:04 train to Genève/Genf, arriving about 9:50. We went out the back of the station to catch a bus to Palais des Nations, but everything was a mess due to construction. We went back through the station and to the concourse to purchase a 5.50 CHF/$2.75 ticket for 6 rides on local transportation. In Place de Cornavin, we caught the E bus to the Palais des Nations. At the visitors entrance we bought the 3.50 CHF/$1.75 tickets and hurried to join the English tour group that had already begun.

Palais des Nations tour pin

We started in a conference room in the new building, then headed to the old building after seeing a board showing all the inter-relating parts of the United Nations. We went past the library to the central lobby and into a huge assembly hall behind it. The walls were lined with simple tapestries making it look like patched walls. Down to the Spanish room after viewing the US and USSR gifts of the zodiac sphere and space needle out on the grounds. After the tour we were allowed to explore the grounds. At the main entrance, we caught the F bus back to the train station. There we changed to the #5 bus and went to the shopping district. We bought celery and American bread at Grand Passages, as well as sticky little toy octopi that tumbled down walls and mirrors for 5 CHF/$2.50 each. I also bought a pair of legwarmers for Grandma for only 4 CHF/$2 at a Ramex hosiery shop. We had lunch at Wendy’s at 14:00. We used the pay toilets at the train station before catching the 15:26 train to Biel. Changed in Lausanne and arrived in Biel at 17:20. We readied to go out again, and went to the train station to meet Jong-Soon at track 6 at 19:00. She had wanted to go dancing in Bern, but she never showed up! Instead, Marsha and I went to Rex Cinema to see the hilarious film “Porky’s.

Movie ticket

Lausanne (11/21/1982)

Sunday, November 21, 1982 

Train day pass

When I woke up, it was foggy and there was a note from Marsha saying she got in at 3:50, so instead of waking her at 9:00, I waited until 11:00. We caught the 12:33 train to Lausanne. As we passed Lake Neuchâtel, the fog lifted. In Lausanne it was sunny and clear giving glimpses of the Alps above the rooftops, the first time I have seen the Alps in Lausanne. Arrived about 13:45 and walked across the station to the Metro, buying half-price tickets for 30 Rappeln/15 cents to get to the Centre Ville station. Once there, we took an elevator up to the level of the Grand Pont (1839-44, an arched viaduct 180 m/591’ long). We crossed this bridge, looking down on the streets way below, to a place called Bel Air to see the so-called skyscraper Bel Air Métropole (1931, designed by architect Alphonse Laverrière). It was about 20 stories tall!

We turned right on Rue Haldiman, passing the Église réformée Saint-Laurent/Reformed Church of St Lawrence (1719), with its Baroque façade. Continued to the wide Place de la Riponne dominated by the Palais de Rumine (1898-1906) in Italian Renaissance style.

Palais de Rumine

It houses the university library and several museums. We entered to find ourselves at the bottom of a staircase. We walked up past offices, past the level of the library, to the Fine Arts Museum, which was closed while they set up a new exhibit. On the next level we turned right into the Archeological & History Museum, containing all sorts of bones and fossils, and seashells. Many of the fossils were painted, large ones in black to highlight the impression, and many smaller ones in several primary colors to show various levels, or to indicate separate entities. In a further room there were excavated prehistoric relics, as well as relics from the Burgundian and Roman eras. The golden bust of Marcus Aurelius is a copy, like the one in Avenches. On the left side of the building was the geological museum with its stones and relief models of various mountains in Switzerland. There were more fossils and seashells, and an exhibit of mammoth bones found in the Jura. Up the stairs to yet another level with the zoological museum filled with taxidermied animals of every type, a collection to be envied by most zoos! A smaller room at one end showcased local animals and at the other end was a comparative anatomy room of animal skeletons, dissections, fetuses, etc. Leaving the museum we passed the chess and checkers players to walk down Rue Madelaine. At Place de la Palud, we came upon the Hôtel de Ville/City Hall (15-17C) with its Renaissance façade decorated with flowerboxes.

Hôtel de Ville/City Hall

The narrow and cobblestoned streets were decorated with evergreen garlands and trees. In the square was a Fontaine de la Justice/Fountain of Justice, and it appeared people were standing and waiting.

Place de la Palud Fontaine de la Justice

Above a commercial store was a scene and clock done in metal plates. At 15:00, silently two rows of soldiers and statesmen figures filed by, then a ring of dancers circled five times. That was it.

Mechanical clock

We climbed the Escaliers du Marché/Market Stairway, roofed over with tiles, up and up and up until we reached Cathédrale Notre Dame Cathedral (1175-1275).

Escaliers du Marché/Market Stairway

We sat outside to admire the Montfalcon portal with numerous sculptures, then entered the narthex with rounded lateral apses. The sculptures and mural of the life of Mary seemed to be under renovation. We entered the main church, and to the right was supposed to be the muniment room, a sort of strong room to keep valuable documents. We found a niche with a white vase, and behind it was the door to a room where souvenirs were sold. We walked down the south aisle, passing rare wooden carved stalls with “fine” (tall and skinny) figures on the arm rests. Along the way we noted stout columns alternated with groups of varied-sized pillars. In the south transept was a rose window titled “Imago Mundi/image of the world” showing the elements, seasons, months, and signs of the zodiac. It was colorful but very difficult to pick out the various themes. We ambulated around the ambulatory to see tombs and peek into the choir stalls. On the left of the choir was a sarcophagi tomb of Otto of Grandson (Switzerland) who made it big in England. Back at the beginning of the north aisle was the Chapel of Maccabees in which were intricately carved stalls of the Flamboyant style. Outside we circled the cathedral to the Apostles or Painted Portal, and it was devoid of any decoration. At the terrace overlooking the city, we could see mountains showing between the buildings. We went down the stairs past a small garden to the Museum of History of the Ancient Bishop’s Palace, in the tower of the Episcopal castle. This housed the Cathedral Museum including a treasury with reliquaries, lots of chalices/goblets, vestments, processional crosses, etc. There were exhibits on different architectural styles, a video about stained glass windows, and a model of a metalworker’s studio. Finally back on the first floor, we saw a few of the sculptures from the Apostles portal and a photo showing how it should look with the prophets on the left and the Evangelists with Sts Peter and Paul on the right. At the top were reliefs of the death and resurrection of Mary, and in the tympanum was the coronation of Mary, unique in that Christ is readying to crown her. We walked north of the cathedral to see the Château St Maire with its Florence-like architecture.

Château St Maire

An artist was sketching it. We then walked down Rue Cité Derriere with all its wrought-iron signs.

Rue Cité Derriere

View of the Alps

From in front of the cathedral we saw the mountains above the city rooftops. We walked across Pont/Bridge Bessières and down to a small park that had a limited view, next to the Place St François with the Église St-François/Church of St Francis (1272). Took the rack railroad Métro all the way down to Ouchy for 50 Rappel/centimes/25 cents.

Métro ticket

The sun had set, but you could still see the snow-covered mountains across Lac Leman/Lake Geneva. In the other direction were the pink, rose, and salmon backlighted silhouettes of smaller mountains. We saw the Château d’Ouchy and took the Métro back up to la Gare/train station. We checked out menus of restaurants near the station, but they were too expensive. So we went to the train station’s first class “Buffet.” Marsha had Coq au Cognac and I had chicken and rice with a white sauce. Marsha’s coq came with potatoes (cooked with ham bits) and cannelloni beans. We stayed in the warm restaurant until 18:50 and then caught the 19:10 train to Biel, arriving at 20:20.

Wednesday, November 24, 1982

Biel sunrise

Basel (11/14/1982)

Sunday, November 14, 1982 

Train day pass

Although the sky was clear with a few fluffy clouds above, the horizon was lined with clouds, so since the weatherman insisted it was going to rain, we went ahead to catch the 9:51 train to Basel. The train was from Germany, heading to Hamburg, and we sat in coach with the seats facing each other over a table. Everything seemed bigger and brighter through the huge windows, and the seats even reclined! In the Jura, we could see the second layer of mountain tops with snow on them. After going through the tunnel to Moutier, it was cloudier, but it was cold, crisp and fairly sunny in Basel when we arrived about 11:00. We bought an 11-trip tram ticket for 6 CHF/$3 at the bus/tram stop and boarded the #2 tram to Kirschgarten. We walked the one block to the large stone mansion housing the Kirschgarten Museum where we had to hang up our backpacks in the garderobe. There was no admission fee although they asked for donations. Many of the rooms were closed, as was the pavilion in the “backyard.” The ground floors were set up as a ceramics museum, including porcelain stoves/heaters. There was more porcelain/fine china/ceramics in the basement, some wrought-iron railings, signs, etc. as well as old trunks and huge wine barrels, one holding 10,000 liters/2642 gallons! The first floor (U.S. second floor) had period rooms. The boudoir contained a porcelain bowl “toilet,” and there were a couple salons and a music room. One room was lined with Aubusson tapestries. The next floor was closed, so we missed the toy collection and kitchen. We left the museum at 11:45, and all the museums would close at noon. Looking down Steinenbergstrasse, we could see a McDonald’s. We walked down Freiestrasse and down alleys to our left we could see a large church. It turned out to be Barfüsserkirche/Barefoot Church, now a historical museum. We followed a curving cobblestoned street and came upon a dark red double-towered Münster/cathedral.

Münster/cathedral

Münster/cathedral spires

It was on a large square surrounded by neat old buildings. Near the alley, we saw an older timbered building.

Timbered building

The government buildings near it had large wooden doors. Marsha’s guidebook gave us the particulars of the Münster’s carved stone façade, pointing out the snakes and toads on the back of the dallying prince, the church foundry, and the huge statues of St George (lancing a small dragon) and St Martin. We walked around the left side to the St Gall portal to see Christ in Judgment, the Evangelists, virgins on the lintel, and the wheel of fortune around the rose window. In the back, arches ended over carved semi-capitals called amusing modillions/brackets. Here in the rear was a terrace, the only remains of the bishop’s palace, overlooking the Rhein River, and the more industrialized areas of Basel across it. We continued around to the double cloister full of tombstones from over five centuries. We confess we had difficulty with some of the Roman numeral dates!

Returned to Barfüsserplatz, and in trying to figure out which tram to take, we missed two of them. Fortunately, they came frequently and we had options, so we caught the next #4 tram on the circular route. Once on the tram I discovered you were supposed to punch the ticket at the stop! We rode up Steinenbergstrasse, past the modern theater complex and its fountain of twirling and revolving pieces of wrought-iron. Passed the train station and the large plain Markthalle/Market Hall. We got off at the next stop and walked down to the Zoologischer Garten/zoo. We were surprised to see the 7 CHF/$3.50 entrance fee, but went ahead and paid.

Zoo ticket

First a modern building with lizards and snakes, fishes and penguins. Next bears, flamingoes, zebras, an aviary, elephants, a hippo, and free roaming peacocks. Also leopards and a lion posing on a fallen tree. A tiger turned his hind end towards us and squirted, barely missing us! Monkeys, antelopes, mountain goats, bison, camels, goats, rhinoceroses, giraffes, and more bears. After having seen the entire zoo, we sat on a bench to have our sandwiches, with a couple begging ducks in attendance. We took the #1 tram back to Barfüsserplatz and entered the historical museum in the bright and airy church. It was a free day today! Finely carved choir stalls and period furniture. Over the windows hung stained glass. Down the two sides were old fountain statues. There was a military tent, drums, glass cases containing the tools of various craftsmen. There were shades pulled down where tapestries used to hang (they have been removed for restoration). There was a huge collection of religious art, paintings and sculptures, in the chancel, and bits of artwork in the choir area. There were a few church treasures, but the main treasures were in the sacristy, including a reliquary bust of St Ursula containing her relics and those of the 10,000 virgins massacred with her by the Huns. We climbed to the gallery overlooking the chancel to look at the chancel to one side and the nave to the other. Went down to the crypt to see several period rooms, a couple with fantastic woodwork all over (including the ceilings). There was a large coin collection, more craftsmen artifacts, arms and uniforms, and I found a couple articles belonging to Erasmus. Plus we saw the huge clock contraption with a crowned head whose eyes and tongue moved with the seconds. We walked over to the Münster which was supposed to be open 13:00-17:00. It was only 16:00, but all the doors were locked. We headed to Marktplatz/Market Square to be overwhelmed by the bright red Rathaus/City Hall, with painted frescoes, gilded towers, and wrought-iron gates.

Rathaus/City Hall

We caught the #4 tram back to the train station to catch the 17:18 train to Biel, arriving at 18:30. The sky was perfectly clear!

Monday, November 15, 1982

It snowed and hailed a little this morning. We heard it was so clear in Biel yesterday, they had the most fantastic view of the Alps! C’est la vie!

Tuesday, November 16, 1982

First frost of the season.

I have had to change rooms, since they say they need my therapy room for patients’ beds. Now my therapy room is on the administration floor with the director, secretaries, bookkeeper, billing office, etc. Should be interesting!

Luzern Redux (11/13/1982)

Saturday, November 13, 1982

Train day pass

Marsha C and I walked through the market with its fresh produce and meat, including whole skinned rabbits with intact feet (get your lucky rabbit’s foot x4!). Caught the 8:23 train to Olten, arriving at 9:10, going to the heated waiting room to wait for the 9:35 train to Luzern. Arrived in Luzern about 10:16 and walked to the Kapellebrücke. On the station side of the Reuss river, between this bridge and the Seebrücke was sort of a duck zoo I had never noticed before. There were man-made jutting rocks and bird houses (not for seagulls?). There were several types of swans. The Kapellebrücke has 120 paintings in the triangular area formed by the roof beams, that tell the history of Luzern in picture and verse. Walked to Kapellplatz with a closed souvenir shop and a large shop with embroidered items and Icelandic sweaters. Passed the Kapellplatz fountain on the way up Kapellgasse to the huge souvenir store. They had a poor selection: only one Christmas carousel of wooden figures, no candle carousels, and unappealing Hummel figurines. We wandered in the rain to Kornmarkt to see the Rathaus/City Hall with the clock tower. There was an art exhibit (colorful geometric designs) in the old city hall. We looked out a window at the wrought-iron bridge below and the Jesuitkirche/Jesuit Church across the river. Checked out the façade of Zum Pfistern. Stopped at another souvenir store near Weinmarkt with its stone fountain and painted façades. Across the square was a McCheaper fast food place! We walked over the Reussbrücke/Reuss Bridge and down to the Jesuitkirche/Jesuit Church. Entered the church to ooh and aah over the lovely interior of pink, white, and gold. The altar and organ were massive pieces of porphyry. Rococo-inspired but “simple.” Nearby a building had an old wood-beamed overhanging second story and an arcade.

Back over Reussbrücke to Mühlenplatz to cross the Spreuerbrücke, another covered wooden bridge. It also had the triangular paintings under the roof beams. Along one side of the river was a busy chapel (busy as in full or ornamentation). From the bridge you could see downriver to a tower that was attached to the town wall climbing the hill. There were a series of towers as the wall extended quite a ways. On the other side of the bridge we saw the medieval arsenal, and across the street was a wood-beamed building.

We re-crossed Spreuerbrücke and walked up the commercial Rössligasse, entering Hirschplatz with its ornate wrought-iron signs and painted façade buildings. We did some window shopping. On Hertensteinstrasse, we stopped at a Pizzeria da Tomossa for lunch. The place had tables for six and we took the outer end of one occupied by two businessmen. The place was decorated with old photographs and long, long-necked wine bottles. We ordered calzones with mortadella salami as well as the usual ingredients. It was a lot of food, but good. Afterwards we headed for the Schweizerhofquai and returned to the Schwanenplatz embroidery store, then the train station. Marsha bought some heisse marroni/roasted chestnuts before we boarded the 13:51 train to Bern. Still raining when we arrived at 15:10. Did some shopping and got information on the Glacier Express train before catching the 16:53 train to Biel. Marsha went downstairs to watch the television for the weather report. Since rain was predicted, we decided to go to Basel to do the museums tomorrow.

Chur (11/7/1982)

Sunday, November 7, 1982

Train day pass

Marsha C and I caught the 8:23 train to Zürich, arriving before 10:00, boarding the 10:04 train to Chur. The haze cleared up after Ziegelbrücke, as we passed the crystal green lake of Walensee with its ragged cliffs on the other side, and the rocky mountains loomed closer, some with a sprinkling of snow. Noticed it was very windy, but that didn’t ruffle the many Swiss chocolate cows who looked like their coats were growing longer for the winter. We arrived in Chur at 11:30 and immediately went to the Rhätische Museum that we thought was closing at 12:00. We noticed painted footprints on the sidewalk, but hurried on. We passed the typical Rathaus/City Hall (1465) and a zodiac fountain before reaching Haus Buol/mansion (1675) which houses the museum. It was covered with scaffolding and plastic sheeting, and a large sign indicated the museum was closed! We went up the stairs behind it, going under the Marsöltor/gate (1909) into an old square or court.

Marsöltor/Gate

At one corner was the fancy Baroque façade of the Bischöflicher Hof/Bishops Palace (1732-1733), and in the other corner was the plain face of the Kathedrale Maria Himmelfahrt/Cathedral of the Assumption (1151-1272).

Bischöfliches Schloss/Bishops Palace

Kathedrale Maria Himmelfahrt/Cathedral of the Assumption

Kathedrale Maria Himmelfahrt/
Cathedral of the Assumption portal

Its grey stone, called scalära, is a common building material throughout Graubünden. We could hear hymns being sung inside the church, but I was unable to open the door. We admired the painted vaulting over the door and peeked into the 10-grave cemetery. We backed up to see the domed tower of the belfry and a modern fountain in the center of the courtyard that was full of cars. A couple men wandered around and we speculated they were waiting for wives who were in the church. We walked around behind the cathedral and looked up at the Luziuskirche/Church of St Lucius. We hiked up Arosastrasse to just short of the first hairpin turn where a gazebo was located. Immediately below us were yellowing vineyards with the town below with several belfries.

View of vineyards, cathedral, and Bischöflicher Hof/Bishop's Court

View of Chur

To the left were forested hills, and to the right was a craggy mountain ridge (the Calanda), behind which was a wide valley disappearing into the haze. You could barely perceive a couple snow-covered mountains.

We returned to the cathedral and the service had let out, so we were able to view the highly decorated interior. It had a barely noticeable irregular floor plan and had Gothic vaulting. There were tombs all along the wall, but we didn’t find the one of a certain Swiss patriot, Jürg Jenatsch (b. 1596, murdered 1639). The carved wooden altar appeared modern, and behind it was the raised chancel with intricately carved choir stalls. The highlight was the high altar with its carved and gilded wooden triptych (1492), the three-panel paining above the altar. It is supposedly the largest Gothic triptych in Switzerland and it was indeed admirable. Below the chancel was a crypt and another altar. Beneath this altar were displayed a couple cases of reliquaries decorated with lace and jewels.

We left the cathedral and court, walking down to Martinskirche/St Martin’s Church (1476-91). The only decoration was stained glass windows with those above the altar being traditional in style. The windows on the right were the first great works of Alberto Giacometti after his arrival in Switzerland in 1915. We followed Reichsgasse to city hall, which had a ground-floor courtyard, with all the appeal of an underground parking lot. Continuing through the old town, we came to Regierungsplatz, a square full of weedy looking plants, and in the center was a Cleopatra’s Needle type monument, the Vazerol Monument commemorating the union of three Rhätisch leagues in 1471 (to form the canton?). Behind it was the Graues Haus/Gray House, a government building. Not impressed, we continued to Postplatz. There we noticed a plaque telling about self-guided walking tours; that answered the question about the painted footprints! We didn’t find any evidence of a natural history museum, and the quest for the arboretum turned out to be a gym and tennis courts. After eating sandwiches provided by Marsha, we returned to Postplatz and decided to follow the green footprints. Went down past city hall to Kornplatz, and zigzagged through the old town to a neat old square called Metzgerplatz.

Metzgerplatz

The trail took us across the channeled Plessur River which was at a low level. We walked along the river, then recrossed it to enter Obertor/Upper Gate. Back in the old town, we stopped at a bakery for a slice of Mandelstollen/almond loaf that is available only from this bakery. It was like a pitch black fruit cake. Too rich for me!

We passed Fontanaplatz with its monument to Benedikt Fontana, leader of the men of Grisons in the Battle of the Calven gorge in 1499, and returned to Postplatz. It was 14:00, when the Bündner Kunstmuseum/Cantonal Fine Arts Museum (1874-1876 in Neo-Renaissance style) reopened for the afternoon. We had to deposit our backpacks and pay a 4 CHF/$2 entry fee.

Kunstmuseum/CantonalFine Arts Museum receipt

In the central foyer was a rough outline of a man’s head in black masking tape on the floor. A smaller black painting of the same outline was in the middle, with lumps of clay scattered around. An old television set with closed circuit was aimed down on this art, and a meaningless sound track of voices was playing. We entered the hall with an architect’s design of a bank. The building next door had local artists’ work, some very weird. Saw a beautiful colorful woven rug, statues full of holes, and studied lines. Also some stairs going down, but decided to check that out later. Returned to the foyer and went to the back rooms of more classical art by Barthélemy Menn, Angelica Kauffmann, and Giovanni Segantini. On the other side was more modern art. Upstairs were a variety of works by Augusto and Alberto Giacometti, and their father Giovanni. Plus other modern art of the 1920s. We walked all around the balcony looking down at the outline of the man’s head. Finally we went into the basement to see strange contemporary art. The basement wasn’t connected to the basement of the building next door, so we had to go back to the ground floor, over, and down to see the rest of the local exhibition. More weird things like a closed-off area with broken mirror pieces, tie-dyed scraps of cloth lying around, old sheets tied over the window with projected images of a dance. The walls had swirly paintings of dancers. One wall had a plaque listing people associated with the national parks - a remnant of the natural history museum? We left to head to the train station and out on the street I turned around a sign that was pointing to the street instead of the art gallery. (Hmm, but maybe that way it no longer faced a greater audience?) We followed the tracks towards Arosa, passing houses with balconies that were “walled in” with stained glass that almost looked like Tiffany designs. Seemed to be many Eastern Europeans in town. Walked through the old town and a section of town with some renovated buildings and some abandoned ones. Up past the Graues Haus and old city theater, something had just let out. We followed the crowds of people to the train station and boarded the 16:24 train to Zürich, arriving in time to catch the 18:04 train to Biel. Home by 20:00.

Tuesday, November 9, 1982

Went to Jan & Kirby’s by 19:00 and watched Kirby prepare a superb dinner. A salad of cold green beans and pomodoro e mozzarella a caprese. Rice pilaf and veal in a wine & mushroom sauce with candied carrots. Yum! For dessert Marsha and I brought the contrived makings of s’mores, settling for “waffle-like crackers,” Swiss chocolate, but real marshmallows: a success. Looked at photos, travel brochures, and figured out brain teasers.

X-rays, Conference, Soccer Game (11/3-6/1982)

Wednesday, November 3, 1982

X-ray Day! Hospital employees have to be annually checked for tuberculosis, and in Switzerland they use x-rays. It was to begin at 14:30, so I went down at 14:25 to join an already long line. I was then sent to get a card, but Sister Erika was not in her office. When she arrived at her desk, she took the box of cards to the outdoor mobile trailer. I rejoined the line and received my card. Upon passing the heavy blankets hanging as a curtain, it was obvious that I was now to undress. I took off my jacket and blouse, and joined the line of bra-ed women. Handed the card to a lady who made a note on it and handed it back. Upon reaching the x-ray booth, you had to be ready to remove your bra. As I entered the girl asked if I spoke German. Ja. I was told to flatten my chest against a sheet of cold plastic, put my chin in a scoop, and breathe in and hold. The door closed, then opened, and I stepped out of the booth. Got dressed and left. Whew!

Friday, November 5, 1982

When I woke up, I found my eye had swollen half closed. Not again! Yesterday I had diarrhea badly enough that I canceled my afternoon appointments. Actually two of my kids that morning also had diarrhea, but I was fine in the afternoon!

Walked down to the train station to meet Elisabeth J and Hetty D, but instead saw Bernadette DV from the CP station who was going for coffee. Elisabeth arrived at 7:50 and Hetty arrived at 8:05. Hetty drove us to Basel, first going to Solothurn to join the Autobahn. In Basel we went to the Hoffman-LaRoche headquarters to attend the Swiss Institute of Prostheses and Orthoses Conference. When we arrived at the registration desk, the woman exclaimed, “You must be from Wildermeth!” “And you must be Tamiko!” Well, yes…

Conference name tag

Instead of paying the 80 CHF/$40, we only had to pay 50 CHF/$25 each (group rate?). We entered the auditorium at 9:30 in time for the opening remarks (all in German). During the first break there were croissants, coffee and orange juice. For lunch we were given fish and creole rice, a salad, soup, and vermicelli marroni/chestnut paste with a kirsch/cherry liqueur cream under it. The afternoon break had cookies with coffee or tea. The conference was an overview and offered very little that was new. There was a lot of picky criticism and antagonism throughout the day. It was done at 17:30 and Elisabeth went to stay with her brother while Hetty drove me back to Biel. Home about 19:15, and Marsha C had dinner ready for me!

Saturday, November 6, 1982

Walked down to the train station, seeing Barbara S on her way to work.

Train day pass

Caught the 7:27 train to Basel and it was late, arriving at 8:45! Bought a 1 CHF/50 cent tram ticket from a vending machine and waited for the #2 tram.

Basel tram ticket

It let off several passengers and took off before I could get on. It circled around to the other side of the station area, so I ran across to board. Got off at Wettsteinplatz and walked down Grenzacherstrasse to the LaRoche building to arrive just at 9:00 for the second day of the Prostheses and Orthoses Conference. It lasted until 13:00 and we even received certificates of participation! This morning the occupational therapists, Rita I and Vreni S, came with Hetty. Afterwards Rita was staying in Basel, so Elisabeth and I drove back to Biel with Hetty and Vré. Vré was dropped off in Suberg, and Elisabeth and me in Lyss. I caught the 14:35 train to Biel, arriving at 14:45.

At 15:45, Marsha C and I were heading down to Juravorstadt and Dufourstrasse to catch the #2 trolleybus. We had just missed one, so decided to walk to Gurzelen Stadium, to see a soccer game between FC Biel-Bienne and FC Bern, starting at 16:30. We paid 7 CHF/$3.50 just to enter the stadium. It costs another 7 CHF/$3.50 to sit in the Haupttribune/main stand and 4 CHF/$2 to sit in the Vor- or Südtribune/fore- or south stands.

Soccer Program cover

Soccer Program line-ups

We walked around the standee area near the west goal. The place seemed to have only men in attendance and heads swiveled as we walked by! We found a place near the railing as the crowd of men got bigger and bigger. In the end we saw only a handful of women. We heard mostly Italian, and some French, being spoken. They played 45-minute halves with a 15-minute halftime. The halftime score was 2-1, and the final was 4-1. We were getting colder and colder. At 18:15 we walked stiffly to the south entrance to catch the #2 trolleybus and got off at Nidaustrasse. Walked to Mühlebrücke, but the next bus wasn’t for another hour. We walked back to the Personalhaus/staff residence, and climbing the stairs warmed us up.

My bus pass wouldn’t let a 12th ride be punched in; the former punches had gotten off track I guess.

Biel bus multi-ticket

Brig (10/31/1982)

Sunday, October 31, 1982

Train day pass

Marsha C and I caught the 12:34 train to Bern, arriving at 13:00 and we could see the Alps!

Alps seen from Bern

So we went up to the parking lot terrace for a photo, then went to catch the 13:27 train to Brig.

New Bern Lötschberg Simplon (BLS) train

It was absolutely beautiful out; Thunersee/Lake Thun was more blue than green. There was a sprinkling of snow on the nearby mountains. The Alps were crisp and clear. Leaving Spiez, we had empty seats on both sides of the train for hopping back and forth to see the views.

View East from Kandersteg

At Kandersteg, I noticed a guitarist in the smoking half of the car. As we went into the tunnel, Marsha went to listen to the guitarist, and ended up singing a few songs with the guy. She returned as the train went down the side of the valley to Brig.

View South from Hohtenn

Sunny! Pure, white snow-capped the mountains! Arrived in Brig about 15:00, and headed into town towards the Baroque Stockalperpalast/Stockalper Palace (1658-1678) with the three bulbous-topped towers. Found it going up a narrow cobblestoned street with a snow-covered mountain as a backdrop.

Heading towards Stockalperpalast

I saw a fancy ironwork urinal covered with vines, and Marsha didn’t believe what it was until she looked inside!

Fancy urinal

We passed the palace’s family dwelling, a building done in yellowish tones that was supposedly flanked by a watch tower. Connecting the house to the main building were two tiers of arcaded stone galleries. We passed the main building and entered the courtyard with its surrounding two and three-story galleries, and the three towers at the corners opposite the entrance.

Stockalperpalast arcaded courtyard

At the far end were a couple old postal coaches. We walked out the back into a green park to see the striped shutters on the main building, and the three towers backed by a snow-covered mountain.

Stockalperpalast towers

On this side of the connecting galleries we could see its shadow. A pretty picture.

Connecting galleries

House façade 

We walked up to the Kollegiumskirche zum Heiligen Geist/College Church of the Holy Spirit (1673-1688), a simple but well-decorated church. From its terrace we could look down on the town of Brig, and at the surrounding mountains. We returned to the Stockalperpalast to check all the doors and for opening times. Although tours for today were indicated, there didn’t seem to be anything open today. We wandered through the streets of Brig, ending up at Sebastiansplatz to see the small winged statue commemorating a George Chavez (aviator from Peru) who was the first to fly (in a plane!) over the Alps at Simplon in 1910. We stopped at a bakery for snacks (Kirsch/cherry liqueur soaked slice of cake and cream puff) and wandered through back streets to the train station. Caught the 16:54 train to Bern, arriving at 18:45. There was a beautiful full moon, and between Spiez and Thun we could see it reflected on the lake with twinkling lights on the land. (Happy Halloween!) In Thun a brass band was playing in the station. In Bern we had dinner at McDonald’s, fish sandwich, fries and a shake for me; a Big Mac, fries and a Coke for Marsha. We walked over to the lighted Parliament and around down to the main shopping street. A Salvation Army band was playing in front of Loeb. A pair of guys were videotaping the Zaire display in the Loeb windows, which included a giant rubber tire and a VW safari bus. Some old guy started preaching nearby.

We caught the 19:53 train to Biel. There was a bald man who combed his thin fringe not just over, but up and over! As we walked to the Personalhaus/staff residence, a blonde fellow followed Marsha for a while, mumbling things. I couldn’t hear what he was saying until he gave up and said in Italian, “Won’t talk to me.”

A gorgeous day.

Tuesday, November 2, 1982

Kirby was a half-hour late for the dinner that Marsha C had prepared for us. (Jan was in Chur at an NDT Refresher course with Joan and Renee.) It was 20:00 before we dug into southern fried chicken, potato salad, and cauliflower in a lemon sauce. Also a nutty bread, and for dessert, Kirby brought a pineapple. We dipped chunks of pineapple into sour cream, then into brown sugar for a delicious bite! We cleaned up as a team and gossiped before parting at 22:00.

I didn’t realize how much I enjoy regular company at dinner, and since Marsha loves to cook, we have been having dinner together quite often. So I am eating quite well. It’s a good thing Marsha also has the Richard Simmons exercise tape, so that we have been exercising together, too!