September 7, 2010
After leaving Geneva, the train stopped at Bern on its way to Basel. I couldn't pass up the chance to make a pitstop at this capital city, so I jumped off the train, stored my luggage, and took off with a tourist map in hand. The historic center (Altstadt), an UNESCO World Heritage site, of Bern was really easy to navigate and I spent most of my time looking left and right, admiring all the beautiful architecture, including Albert Einstein's House. The fountains that dotted the main intersections were a managerie of masterpieces in themselves, each with a distinct artistic touch and an ornamental pinnacle atop.
As recommended by my guidebook, I headed toward the highest point across the bridge to the rose garden, Rosengarten, and witnessed the panoramic beauty. Coming back down, I crossed over to Barengraben, the bear pits, where the city's namesake played in their open home next to the river. After another hundreds of pictures later, I went back through the Aldstadt, just in time to see the Zytglogge, a 12th century clocktower chimed at noon. Tourists stared upward with their cameras and videos trying to capture the moment when the golden man strike the golden bell.
I hopped on the next train to Basel. The hostel I stayed at included a transportation pass for the duration of my stay, so I learned the tram system quite quickly. After Bern, Basel was a bit disappointeing. There was some nice buidings but overall it wasn't much to keep me interested. I did manage to find the Bank of International Settlement (BIS) the last day just before I left. It turned out to be the huge building right next to the train station which I thought was a hotel at first. BIS was the birthplace of the Basel Accord, Basel II and the upcoming Basel III, the international banking regulations where most domestic banking regulators adopt. I spent most of my last three years incorporating Basel II at the bank, and to finally witness where all my headaches came from was the closure I needed.
The next day, I took a day trip into Lucern and saw for myself what the Kapellbrucke, the wooden-roofed bridge, was all about. The day started out a bit dark and cloudy, hence I opted to hike the medieval castle wall, the Museggmauer, first before the sun came back out. The view on top was amazing. Coming down through the Aldstadt, I grabbed a quick lunch amidst the frescoed houses before heading back to the bridge for the one picture I needed. The sun broke through and the Kapellbrucke did not disappoint, with its Swiss historical scenes adorned on the inside. Further down the river another bridge, the Spreuerbrucke, was adorned by Kaspar Meglinger's eerie Totentanz (Dance of the Death) paintings.
On the bridge, two ladies approached me and asked me whether I spoke Chinese. After a few exchanges, I realized they spent sometime in Taiwan and were on a mission. Yes, in my vulnerable state I got the Watch Tower magazines in Chinese shoved into my hands. Ironically, one of the magazine talked about how to deal with being unemployed!!! Were they trying to tell me something? Hahaha...
That afternoon, I stopped at Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland with the fourth largest stock exchange in the world, for a visit. Perhaps I should look for a job at Paradeplatz, the banking centre of Zurich, and hope that I woud not get single out anymore by any other religious groups.
The Limmat River split the city down the middle on its way to Zurichsee (Lake Zurich). Walking along the main shopping street of Bahnhofstrasse, wealth permeated throughout the shop windows and bankers in their Armanis hurried by while closing their deals on their Blackberry.
I climbed one of the twin towers at Grossmunster for a great view of the Aldstadt. Afterward, I took a public ferry around Zurichsee without getting off any stops. It was just like a boat tour except it was cheaper and without the audio commentary. That night, I went back to Basel and got ready to move on the next day.
All in all, I visited 4 cities in 2 days, which was great because I got to see everything I needed to see. As a last minute traveller moving from place to place, staying longer without early reservation and planning would truly break your bank because one thing I did not mention was how expensive everything was in Switzerland, unless of course you have a Swiss account!
1. On the train leaving Basel
2. Frankfurt, Germany
3. The breakfast at Basel hostel.
4. I would go back to see more of the countryside and the Swiss Alps, but I would have to save some money first and double my budget.
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