Today we were treated to a relaxing day exploring Bern with Esther. We had a relaxing late start and breakfast and then walked into the city from Esther’s flat. This is the view as you cross the bridge into the city.

We had a look at the Saturday morning markets and the Parliament buildings. Then we climbed to the top of the Bern Minster (Cathedral) tower for a magic panoramic view of the city.

         

 

      

Bern has a beautiful location, with the bright green-blue river Aare snaking around it. It is ringed by mountains, including some snow covered Alps in the distance. We could see people playing Saturday morning football, and a number of groups on rubber rafts, going down the river.

There is some quirky art in the city. This modern sculpture.

And this “child eater” fountain from the 16th century.

 

           

Next we went to the Bern “home mountain” – Gurten. This involved first catching a tram, and then a cable car. There is a park, with a fun children’s playground, miniature railway and lots of families having picnics on top of the mountain.

    

We walked around and enjoyed the view. We also climbed to the top of an observation tower to enjoy views of the entire surrounding countryside. We could see the Alps 30km away and look far in each direction and it felt like we were observing a fantasy world.

      

That evening Esther treated us to a meal in the city centre, at one of many restaurants with outdoor seating. We enjoyed a beautiful French meal, with wine, while watching the world go by.