Bern Pictures
August 16, 2004
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| Bern,
Switzerland |
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Bern was the first city in Switzerland, outside of Zug that Erin, Elissa
and I visited.
Bern is the capital of Switzerland, but from their tourist information
you would never know it. Nowhere in the information that we picked up
from the tourism office does it mention this trivial fact. Very strange.
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Like many Swiss towns it is very picturesque.
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They like their clock towers here..
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There are several here... |
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There's one on a church... |
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And if I thought fountains were
common in other Swiss towns... |
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... they ain't got NOTHIN' on
Bern |
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The main street from the train
station to the bear pits is littered with them. |
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"Hey look, dad, is that
a fountain?" |
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"Geez... not another one!" |
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OK... that's about enough fountains...
except my favorite... |
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EVERY town should have a fountain
with a statue of an Ogre eating children. |
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"The most faire City Bern
hath the name of Beares in the Dutch tongue, because Berchtold Duke of Zeringen,
being to build the Citie, and going forth to hunt, thought good to give
it the name of the first beast he should meete and kill". |
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I'm not really liking this Duke
Berchhold guy too much. |
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I can't decide about the Barengraben
(Bear Pits). |
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They're cute...
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But they are captive in these
pits... |
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They are well cared for and their
feeding is controlled (tourists can buy food from the caretakers to feed
them)... |
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But they are reduced to performing
for food. |
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Basically playing "catch"
all day. You'd think it would strain their necks... |
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They are REALLY cute, though. |
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No.. this is NOT me in the morning
before shaving. |
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