Sunshine on my shoulder

Today was sunny. And warm. All day. It made Bern and Interlaken so much more beautiful.

This morning I slept in a little (9:00 finally!) and we walked to the bus stop to ride the bus route that I will be taking to work and back. You can just hop on the bus and ride, but if you get caught without a ticket, you're fined CHF 100. So if you really want to be slick you don't need to get a ticket at the stop, but be sure to stay away from authorities!

After that we went to a different grocery store near my flat. The place is called Migros. I'm not going to lie, I have a hard time adjusting to the name. Anyways, I had to buy some trash bags. CHF 17 for ten 35-liter bags. And you are required to use these. You can buy a smaller size but it's a waste of money. They don't even take Visa either. This country operates on Mastercard. But their prices are a little bit better than the Coop.

So then I bought a flat iron. Now I can survive. No need for a dryer, dishwasher, microwave, TV, living or dining room, but this girl needs her flat iron.

We then drove to the bus/train/tram station to buy my bus pass. At first we couldn't find the office, but luckily an American girl walked up next to us and we asked her. She told us everything and told us where to go. So when we got to the office, they said I needed photos for my pass. So I get in a photo booth, like the ones at the mall, and pay CHF 8 for four black and white photos. So after waiting in line forever, this guy who spoke English amazingly well (and he definitely was from here) tells me I only needed one photo. What the crap??!!

He was nice though. He explained everything to me and made it very simple and clear. So I bought my bus pass for two months. I can also ride the train and tram around the city. It's extra if I want to go outside of Bern.

Finally, we drove back to Interlaken, but only because we loved it so much the first time around. I considered parasailing (it is known as parachuting in the US), but thought that I wouldn't have enough time. I will definitely have to do back and do that. Maybe I'll take the train or bus.

On our way out, we passed Jungfrau, the highest peak in the Alps. It was just covered in snow and in the sunlight, it looked so perfect. I has got to be the best sight I have seen thus far. There's a reason it's considered the top of Europe and now I know why. Words cannot describe and neither can a camera at this point (my dad's camera won't load pictures onto my Mac). I promise to have pictures within the next few days.

Afterwards we came back to the city and met my dad's friend for dinner at an amazing Italian restaurant. We sat on the patio, which is enclosed with four walls of apartment buildings. When you look up, all you see is the sky. Dinner was so fabulous. When I say fabulous, I mean I have never been to a restaurant so upscale. I felt like the place was too classy for me, but you know, it wasn't really a burden. The wine was the best wine I've ever had. Our first course was a very thinly sliced piece of meat. When you squeeze lemon onto it, it makes for a delicious appetizer. Then came salad. Then dinner. I ate gnocchi al pesto. For those of you who don't know what gnocchi is, it's pasta made from potatoes, at least at this restaurant. I couldn't even finish my dinner, I was so full. I couldn't even eat dessert. It felt like I'd just eaten dinner at the Melting Pot, where I stuff myself so full, I don't eat for the next two days.

Before dinner, the guy was showing me where to go shopping. He showed me a store and said this place is a good place to shop. As I turned my head to look, all I saw was 'Gabbana.' All I managed to squeak was "Great!"

I really don't know how people afford to shop here. I came here with enough money to survive a month at home and believe it won't even last me until the end of the month! And that's without shopping. I have a hard time believing that the Swiss live as sparsely as the girls who rent this apartment.

What I learned today:
- It's very dark here at night. Streetlights are rare.
- The Swiss love their potatoes.
- The 55 Euros ring I bought yesterday is considered costume jewelry. To heck with that, I love it anyways!
- It is possible to sweat here.
- If you must, throw it out. If at all possible, you best find another way to dispose because it's going to cost you, my friend.


Love,
Jessica