Letters from the Lighthouse: Travel Edition: Bern and Gruyere, Switzerland

Brandon decided to take another day off of work and I was thrilled. I have really enjoyed traveling solo, but it is a little more fun to have someone to talk to, interact with, question. The drive to the places we want to see are at least an hour away so it gives us talk time in the car.

I kind of wanted to see Bern, the capital of Switzerland, because of pictures I had seen and I had read about the cathedral with the largest bell in Europe. Brandon was really amenable to doing whatever I wanted to do so off we went. Brandon hadn’t spent any time in Bern either, so it was an adventure for both of us.

It wasn’t difficult to find the Bern Minster Cathedral (just look for a tall spire and scaffolding as almost every old church is going through some kind of restoration). We climbed 254 steps to the first landing, and an additional 90 steps to get as high as we could get. The views of Bern were awesome. I love the old tiled roofs. And the Aare River is lovely flowing through the town. This cathedral tower is the highest tower in Switzerland, and it felt like it when I was climbing it. Brandon had no problem, of course. On the way down there is a small landing where you can actually view the large bell. It was huge. You can’t really get a clear view of it as it is behind wood and bars, but I saw the clanger and it was big! The rest of the cathedral was nice also, especially the outside portal of Judgment Day.

This is a beautiful portal

The pulpit. Beautiful woodwork above.

The views of Bern were incredible.

Beautiful stained-glass

The bears of Bern.

The Aare River

Then we drove a little ways down the road to the town of Gruyere . . . yep, like the cheese. What a charming little town. I wanted to see the chateau since I had seen it from the road when Reagan and I went to the chocolate factory. We were starved so on the little cobblestone walkway up to the chateau were a handful of little hotels and restaurants. It was warm in the sun so we ate outside. The food was divine – cheese, of course. Brandon started with a salad that came with a fried cheese ball right in the middle. Gruyere cheese. When he cut into it, it just oozed out cheese. I had a ham and cheese omelet that was the best omelet I’ve ever had. And as a side dish something I’d been craving for a week – French fries. For dessert we shared the best meringues I’ve ever had, dipped in the most delicious cream – Gruyere cream.

We didn’t have time to go into the chateau, but we walked around it. Someday I’d love to go inside. It’s bigger than Chateau de Chillon. But the hillsides and pastures, mountains and churches were exactly what you’d expect Switzerland to look like. I heard cow bells in the distance and saw sheep on the hillside. Beautiful day in a beautiful country.