I've Run Out of Switzerland

Einstein was here.

Biking from Olympic Park in Munich, I barely made my scheduled bus back to Basel, and the bus in turn barely got me to my layover train. But make it back to Chris's on time I did. And there I sat around for a couple days, waiting for my flight to Japan. In the downtime, I wrote a couple blog posts, swam in the river again, met up with Kasia, and saw the last couple landmarks I needed to hit. See my Basel post for a more thorough history. My parents needed a document signed and notorized, so I arranged a visit to the U.S. embassy in Bern on my second-to-last day in Switzerland, the only available day on which I could make an appointment that overlapped with my time in the country. Then on my last day in Switzerland, I went to Zurich as my flight left from Zurich's airport.

Bern

The Aare river and the Berner Münster cathedral

The first item on the agenda in Bern was to get to the embassy for a notary, but after that I was a free bird, so I made a loop around the city. I got rösti for lunch like I knew I would, Bern's specialty dish. I took a long walk to the Bern patent office, where Albert Einstein had his revolutionary day dreams staring at a clock tower. Boundaries circumscribed the campus of the government offices, so I couldn't get close or see anything noteworthy. Then I went to the Bern soccer stadium but there was nothing picture-worthy there either. The return walk back into the city brought me to the Bear Pit.

The symbol of Bern

Many bears walking around the spacious Bear Pit

Check those grubby paws

The river in Bern is even nicer than the one in Basel. I wanted to swim in it but I didn't prepare for it. The Aare flows through the Biel Lake and becomes the Rhine when it hits the German border.

Some of the bluest water I've ever seen.

People jump off the bridge and get swept away by a relatively strong flow. 

Bundeshaus overlooking the river and trees

The Swiss Parliament Building, Bundeshaus

I went to the Einstein and Bern History Museum next, but it didn't look interesting enough to justify the high entrance fee. I got the impression that Bern didn't have much to show off besides Einstein (don't hate me, Berners). I later got to Einstein's apartment which has been turned into a small and affordable museum, but it was sadly closed for the day when I got there!

Einstein and Bern History Museum

Einstein's apartment

For the rest of the day, I hunted for Bern's various little treasures, such as the baby-eater and main clock tower. Then I did a little hike up the Gurten mountain, perfect for getting gross and sweaty before my train back to Basel for one last night there, going to Zurich in the morning.

The colorful Kindlifresserbrunnen monument depicting a man eating toddler

The Cathedral of Bern

Zytglogge clock tower

Street of Einstein's apartment, featuring a painted Saint Bernard, one of many all over the city

Brown Bears and golden Jumbos all in one city.

A unique street chess set with an unknown game in the background.
Does anybody know what the game in the back is?

Zurich

Zurich's two major churches on either side of the Limmat River

I gave myself too much time in Zurich. To use up some time, I walked a long way out to Zurich's soccer stadium but that one also had nothing worth looking at, like Bern's. Unattractive soccer stadia in this country, nothing photogenic. The FIFA World Football Museum is in this city also; I walked by but never intended to enter.

Sailboats moored on Zurichsee

Zurich Opera House

Grossmünster

Kirche Fraumünster

The only other thing to do in Zurich is walk down Bahnhofstrasse, the main downtown street. Bahnhofstrasse is one of the most expensive areas in the world, both for retail merchandise and for apartment home rent. The list of stores on the street is a who's who among premier luxury retailers.

The most expensive street in Switzerland is unassuming. No golden indicators or nothin'.

Want one of these for Christmas, Steve?

Maybe one day...

With the completion of my visit to Zurich, I have now hit four of Switzerland's five biggest cities. I am missing Geneva, the home of the Large Hadron Collider, to which I could have been sent for research, had I only stayed in grad school for one more semester. The other highlight of Switzerland is the Matterhorn. I recommend going to Switzerland only for the mountains. To climb and to ski. There's not too much else. Outstanding dairy products, I suppose.

The Limmat becomes the Aare in northern Switzerland.

To Tokyo!

Watching my plane be loaded from the observation deck.
Honestly the observation deck with all its tower viewers was my favorite part of Zurich.

I've accounted for all of Europe now. Hope you enjoyed. On to Japan for the grand finale! The posts should be up soon. Won't be up in time for my birthday, but not too much longer. I'm happy with how closely I stuck to my proposed posting schedule. Once the last two posts are done, I will be in full job application mode.

Getting to Japan routed me through Dubai. My layover in Dubai was much too short to even think of doing anything outside of the airport. Dubai would have been an awesome place for a full day layover. Oh well.

The nine hour flight to Dubai and then eleven hours to Tokyo used the biggest planes I've ever been on. The Airbus A380 was completely sold out. There were eighty-eight rows of 3-4-3 seats in the basement economy class, and who knows what on the first class top floor. To pass the time, besides sleeping, I watched the new Beauty and the Beast. Perfect art direction and a mostly outstanding cast with Lumiere and Cogsworth stealing the show. Emma Watson was acceptable and whoever played Gaston was a let down. I also watched a bunch of South Park and Adventure Time, then The Matrix Reloaded and John Wick 2. I guess I was on a Keanu Reeves streak. And I listened to the Gorillaz new-ish album. I haven't been recommending music through Europe, but that's something for ya.

One of the employees noticed me spying on him.