Bern, baby, Bern

A few weeks after we arrived in Basel, we took a trip to the capital of Switzerland, Bern.  We were busy exploring Basel and nearby cities because our visas had not yet been fully processed so we had to stay in the country.  Bern is a little more than an hour from Basel by train.

This fancy building is a part of the university.

Here is the federal parliament building.  The Swiss federal government does not have much authority, but what little power they have is concentrated here.  Local cantonal government determines most of the law and taxes throughout the country.  Where we live, Basel Stadt, is one of the most expensive place to live tax wise.  In this building, you can get lots of information about Swiss government.  It is a very interesting system, indeed.

Underneath this building is a substantial quantity of gold.  The rest of it is in Zurich.  Don't get any ideas though, they do have a very smart alarm system!

Each canton has its own seal, and they are all displayed along this section of the parliament building.

In Bern, as in almost every Swiss city we have visited thus far, there is giant chess available in the local parks.

This game is also available, but we have no idea what it is or how it is played.  If you know, seriously drop us a line and let us know.  Austin already knows how to play but he refuses to show us.

A river runs through Bern separating the old town from the newer portions.

Most Swiss cities provide fresh drinking water from fountains located throughout town.  Bern is famous for it's fountain decorations.  There are 12 famous fountains throughout the city.  This one is super great because it shows a monster eating babies.  For the others, see the Flikr set.

This is a more modern, ugly fountain that the locals apparently hate.

You might already know that Switzerland is known for it's watches and clocks.  Being punctual is a virtue here.  Bern is especially famous for it's many old clock towers.

This 500-year old device tells the time, date, sign of the zodiac, and phase of the moon.  The mechanism on the right dances around and makes silly noises every hour.  MTV was in its infancy in the 1500's so this was how people amused themselves in Bern.  In England during this time, people were amused by public executions.  Just a fact.

The main street leading from the train station through Bern is lined with many shops.  There are also these old doors that lead down into what used to be the cellar.  These cellars were at one time filled with food and wine, but Napoleon changed all of that when he captured Bern.  He and his soldiers ate all the cheese and drank all the wine.  But they loved dogs, so its all good.  Now, these doors lead down to a plethora of different shops and one even has a little indie movie theater.

Some more medieval entertainment, this time on one of the local cathedrals.  People can come and have a look at what it is like during Armageddon and an eternity in hell.  A nice Sunday activity for the whole family!

The larger Swiss cities also have public toilets available for a small fee (50 rappen).  This one, however, was free.  You can relieve yourself at ease knowing that these commodes are self-cleaning and do so regularly.  Everything is built with Swiss design and efficiency.  It really makes pooping in public fun and easy.

Littering is not taken lightly here!  And apparently, English is the best way to convey that.

We tried for several hours to convince this guy that he had too much to live for...but then we got bored and left.  Hope he didn't jump. 

This fountain illustrates much about Swiss governmental philosophy.  Blind Lady Justice stands atop idols signifying kings and emperors, while her scales wait to judge.  The Swiss did away with their monarchy hundreds of years before the rest of Europe and, in fact, destroyed many of the castles and put parks in their place.

Bern's mascot is the bear, and they even have some bears that live there!  These bears have a new, modern enclosure along the river that even allows them to fish at will.  These bear cubs were very playful while we were watching them.  Austin found their scent very interesting indeed, but we convinced him not to go down and cause troubs.

A misty view of Bern from the park near the Parliament.

Look how good Austin is while Jon has a snack! No begging whatsoever!  Good boy!

'Hey guys!  Wait up!  I promise I won't beg anymore!'

All of the buildings in Bern's old town are made of this green sandstone.  Most of them also have clocks on them.  No excuses for being late!

Heh heh. (This word means 'fat' or 'thick' in German)

Oh course we didn't leave him behind!  Who else is going to eat all that expensive dog food?

Our visit to Bern was very educational and fun.  Switzerland is a fascinating place and it's capital is no different!
 
Check out some more photos here:
Bern Baby Bern Photos


Bis zum nächsten Mal,
The EuroFadoks