A Somewhat Productive Sunday

Note: If you're ever trying to avoid kids (like myself), it is wise to stay away from McDonald's - regardless of how hungry you are and how much you're craving American food (or food on a Sunday, when you forgot to go grocery shopping on Saturday).

Friday night, I went to Gurtenpark. There's a lot to do there, that I apparently did not see, but I did eat at a restaurant there. Gurtenpark is an area on top of a small mountain in Bern where you can overlook the city. There's a tram that drops you off at the bottom of the mountain, where you walk to the train that takes you up the mountain. It's called Gurtenbahn. If you're lucky and get a good seat, you can see the view on the way up.

There, I ate at the restaurant Bel Etage. It's a restaurant you bring your special someone to on a special occasion. I figured the 4th of July was special occasion enough, and that I am my special someone. Believe me, I already get stared at enough here, but this must have been the most I've ever been stared at. It definitely makes for an awkward time.

I ate some kind of pork with apples, egg noodes, and a spinach and cheese stuffed tomato. For dessert, I had a Guava shake. If you're not familiar with Guava, I believe it's a Spanish fruit. If you've never tried my Guava pastries, you need to.

Yesterday, I took the train to Lausanne (Loh-zan). It's in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. It was just about a complete waste of time, minus the pistachio ice cream. Everything, except for restaurants, were closed yesterday. I couldn't figure out the bus map either, so there went my chances for trying to get to the lake. Lausanne is next to Lake Geneva, which is another big lake in the CH. When I was walking through the bahnhof (train station), I used the McClean restroom. Never have I ever...paid to use the restroom. Yes, it's 1 S.Fr. to use the urinal and 2 S.Fr. to use a toilet. It was 12 S.Fr. to use the "douche" - I am not sure, but my wildest guess is that it's one of those toilets that spray your parts that should never be seen by the sun.

As I was walking back through the station, I saw two guys getting physical. It's definitely the most aggression I've seen here in Switzerland. One of them must have sprayed pepper spray because after they disappeared, I kept walking and walked through some kind of mist that was still hanging in the air and definitely burned my throat a little.

On the train ride back, I got to ride on the upper level of the train. There are only some trains that have two levels, and the last time I rode one, I wasn't sure if I was allowed to ride on the top.

When I got back to the area near my flat, I saw one of the guys that I work with. He invited me for a beer at an outdoor bar near my house. I met his kid and girlfriend/wife/significant other.

Since I couldn't stand another Sunday doing absolutely nothing, I watched two movies and decided I was going to go into the heart of Bern to see if there was anything to do. Like I suspected, there wasn't, but there were a bunch of tourists there. I guess since it's remotely similar to a ghost town without the tumbleweed, it's a good day for pictures. I walked around for a while and took a few pictures of the Zytglogge tower in Bern. It's a historical clock tower and I'm not really sure what it's famous for but it's a huge tourist attraction. I walked in a different direction, which I previously thought was a direction to nowhere, a ended up on a different bridge that went over another part of the Aare River, the famous river in Bern. On a sunny day this would have been a beautiful view, but I managed to walk to the other side of the bridge and back before the sky opened up.

At which point, I decided it was time to eat and since McDonald's is one of the only places open on a Sunday, it seemed like the plan. I stumbled into a open-air (which is a outdoor concert) where a ton of people were standing under umbrellas listening to this artist. Hardly anywhere in the US would you find an outdoor concert on a rainy day, unless of course it is Bonnaroo.

So I wandered into McDonald's. I definitely didn't get the memo that it was Moms-with-your-multiple-kids-come-to-McDonald's day. I'll let you guess how that went, because if you know me, you'll know how much I loved that.

Oh, now that I am home, it's sunny again.

Besides that, I wanted to update you all on a few things I have learned or noticed:

1. There's a methadone clinic here. Outside is where all the heroin addicts hang and they can get a shot of methadone. The area is heavily patrolled by police because there are usually dealers around. The intent is to take away from the addicts' reliance on dealers (according to my boss).

2. If you don't put your trash in the blue bags that you have to buy for 17 francs, they won't pick it up. Oops.

3. You have to pay for condiments at McDonald's. It doesn't seem to bother the Swiss to have to pay for things we enjoy for free as Americans.

4. Even though Sundays are a day of rest, there are plenty of bars open.

5. Business casual is casual. Halter tops are an appropriate dress for a government job. And if you wear the same thing more than once a week, it's okay.

6. If you don't buy a ticket for the tram or the bus, you are fined up to 100 francs, I believe. I have a pass that allows me to ride both the bus and tram for the month. The only time I've ever been asked for my pass is on a Sunday.

Anyways, I'm off to watch a movie and then head to bed. Back to the daily grind tomorrow. You might have to wait until I get home for pictures if my internet doesn't get fixed. Somehow the ethernet runs a lot slower than the wireless and since it's in my roommate's room, I can't really spend the time uploading. Keep your fingers crossed!


Love,
Jessica

P.S. Happy late 4th of July!