Tuesday 1 October 2019

All Alone with the Bärengraben/Bear Pit Blues: Tuesday, October 1st!

Growth in wisdom can be measured precisely by decline in bile. -Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, philosopher (1844-1900)





Hi Pat Reservations are made and we can‘t wait to see you tomorrow evening. Tonight i won‘t be able to come by, since my volleyball team wants to see me in the gym :). Hope you‘re having a wonderful time so far! Cheers, Nicole Hi Nicolina! Great that you are still playing volleyball! Probably just as well for usas we had a lovely day wandering around Bern. Looked in on the University Library and were most impressed with the two reference rooms we saw. Lovely ceiling in the upstairs room and the fairly new underground addition is most attractive with its ceiling of skylights. Tried to book a tour of the Parliament but will have to try to do that on-line when we asked at one of the entrances. Gorgeous view from that side of the building. More strolling through the covered arcades and then we enjoyed a delicious lunch at a Thai restaurant. Such a lovely day and we sat outside, although in the shade as sun was quite hot.

Saw one bear, from a distance, from the bridge and pointed out where you had treated me to a tasty lunch last year. Lady Dar didn't like the look of the hill up to the Rosengarten so we parted ways, her to do more window-shopping and more, of course, me to climb to the view point. Was pleased that I did so as the view was spectacular, particularly since it was such a glorious day. Had my picture taken with Alberto as I wanted to show off my new chapeau, bought earlier at one of the market stalls. Took my time meandering back and ended up in the small park near the the Parliament or Munster. [We were very taken with the inside of this late Gothic cathedral as its interior is so spare of ornamentation, [Due to the Protestant Reformation, I understand.], that one's eyes really focus on the stunning, soaring arches, etc.] Another lovely view of the Aare and I happened upon a game of pétanque so I stopped to watch and chat with a couple of the players and another on-looker. After the sole woman on one of the two-players teams made an exceptional shot I wished her Bonne Chance and made for the trin station. Took the elevator up to the University and I was standing behind a young woman holding a maple leaf lolly-pop so I asked her if she was Canadian. She laughed and said she had just returned from Ottawa, having landed in Zurich that morning, doing some research in Canada, I understood. She was taking a few small souvenirs to a colleague. I said her accent didn't seem Swiss and she said she was from the Ukraine so I suggested we were probably related as my grandparents were from there!

One of the reasons I took this route home was I wanted to scope out where you lived. When I came across Migros I knew from looking at the map you sent that I was in the right neck of the woods. Will probably walk closer to your building tomorrow when we are planning to head back into town. Found Lady Dar sitting on the doorstep, people watching, as although I wanted to give her the key for the building/flat, she didn't ant to take it. We both made it home in time to beat the rain as it poured down quite heavily a few minutes ago.

As well, wondering what time we should come knocking on your door? Did you manage to contact Nicolevitch? I haven't heard back from him as of this writing. Just wondering if he plans to come to your place. Anyway, both of us are very much looking forward to tomorrow. Cheers, Patrizzio! Pics: Alberto and Patrizzio!


Hi Pat Sounds like a lovely day! Nicolas just texted me back and will join us for dinner. Annemarie, Ruedi and my father are also coming. Michèle will unfortunately not be able to make it. For my mom, she will probably head to Zurich tomorrow evening since my grandmom is very sick. I suggest you come by at 6 and then we‘ll head down to the old city for a Swiss dinner. Our appartment is right above the pharmacy at the corner of Mittelstrasse and Länggassstrasse. I aready stocked up on wine and cheese :) 

Hi again, Nicolina, et al! Very, very sorry to hear about your grandmother. A difficult time indeed. Sorry to miss seeing your mother but understand completely, of course. Please give her our fond regards and best wishes and to your ailing grandmother as well.

Anyway, sounds great as far as the gathering at your place, [Pleased Nickolevitch will join us at the restaurant so thanks for helping to arrange that!], and then into the old city for a Swiss dinner. I bought my Lederhosen today so I'll be right in character! Lady Dar picked up her outfit in Zurich so we are both set to yodel and sing your national anthem, Val-De-Ri, Val-De-Ra, while we eat Rösti and try to stab each other with our fondue forks! Please ask the management of the restaurant to have The William Tell Overture playing when we arrive on the red carpet! 

Thanks for the precise details on your address. Great to have your own pharmacopoeia right below your pad! Must come in quite handy when you have an "overhang", [Much of the time, I presume, given your behaviour when you were out Host Daughter!], and you can just bang on the pipes for a delivery to relieve your pounding headache! Must away to pour Lady Dar another glass of quite a decent, though young, 2017, Alvaro Malbec Reserva, Valle de Uco, 14.5%. [Not the standard experienced, unfortunately, I regret to say, in Dietikon, however, Stefano, or at Verdi, Heinz! Sincere messages of thanks to follow when I have finished vacuuming Fiona's appartamento and swabbing the questionable floors! Already complete fridge management, and, more importantly, alcohol Kontrol, so place should be in reasonable shape when you return from Italy, Severino and Fiona!] We'll bring a bottle and come at 5:00 pm to polish it off before the other guests arrive! Hee Hee! Trust volleyball went well. Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: Designer Swiss outfits in Zurich, with Maryam, Stefano's wife. [He was a boarder with us when we lived in Kitsilano, well before the invasion of the Lymann/Wyss Troublemakers took control of The Island Inn!] She owns the store so Lady Dar received an incredible discount! Even so I had to pay as she studiously avoided any ATMs we encountered! Today, as soon as Lady Dar approached the door of the Swiss National Bank it opened on its own and she was immediately ushered in, with complementary Champagne, to be taken her to private safety deposit box! Unfortunately she wouldn't share any of her gelt so I had to sell most of my clothes to pay for the expensive wine she ordered me to buy on my way home! Now I'm as blue as a Blue Tomato! To add insult to injury, she's drinking most of it as I scribe! Still, I must tip my new hat to her as she is beyond compare, even when she is down and out on the sidewalk, collecting the odd coin in her tin cup! I truly believe her designer sneakers lead people to think she is a phony so they don't give as much as they otherwise might well do! For my part I just love the bear!

It a very good thing you are drinking lots of wine while you are over there. I am doing the same, however it's your wine so no matter what kind it is delicious. Last night required 2 glasses as i arrived home to "down" all over your house. The bedroom, the kitchen, the family room. It must have put up one hell of a fight. It took me an hour to gather all the feathers, however under your bed and in a few other places I have been unable to destroy the evidence. Needless to say I didn't strangle Etta, it those big eyes of her looking up at me.

Duke now has another new collar. i think he sells them on the street corner. Neil and Colin were here at 6:30 this morning with Tim's for me and they scoured the establishment for a corpse. None was to be found.
Weather has turned very cold, however today turned out to be nice and sunny and 16 degrees. I may have to replenish your wine before you get back. But don't worry I will leave you some to inbibe on when you hit the Bistro on the 12th.

Colin and Chloe have connected and are getting together on Thursday. I have one last wedding on October 13th. It just came down the pipe last week.
Glad to hear that you are still having a wonderful time. Can't wait to see you both in your new clothes. remember, you do have to get it back home. I am off to California on the 18th and think I should take an empty suitcase. LOl to all
your faithful housesitter


Hello Keeper of the Feathers and New Cat Collars, et al! Thank you, Feather Duster Woman, for the wonderfully descriptive note! [I encountered much the same situation, mainly in the Rumpus Room, where mangled corpse remained, a few months ago, now!] As well, thank you for depleting both wine fridge and malt cabinet as I'm only drinking Schnapps now! If I wasn't I'd need to take proceeds from Duke's sale of his collars to replenish pilferage!

As things have turned out, although we regret Eveline's poor health, [Originally, we were to stay with her and Heinz, parents of two of our former ESL boarders, but due to some medical issues they couldn't host us.], we are certainly extremely well situated in one of their nieces' apartment. [Fiona is the eldest daughter of Max, our second Swiss boarder when Chloë was about two-and-a-half, way, way back in 1978/79.] Here we can walk into the old town in about fifteen minutes. Last two days were simply gorgeous so our sight-seeing was made even better. We will be busy this evening, and on Thursday as well, invited for dinner, both nights, by former boarders and then Nadia's parents. Unfortunately, we won't see her as she is still travelling in Scandinavia. Friday will give us a chance to rest and organize for the train ride on Saturday. On Monday we booked our train passage, to leave around noon, to arrive in Geneva around 2:00 pm, so we will have plenty of time to make the connection for Valence, leaving around 4:00 pm.

Nicole has very kindly arranged to have a gathering at her place, tomorrow, only about ten minutes from Fiona's apartment, and then out to dinner afterwards. Fiona left for Italy on Tuesday morning and her roommate is still on holidays so we have the comfortable apartment all to ourselves!

Must away as I want make my Café Turk! [Thanks for java you bought in Ljubljana, Sarge!] Again, we regret your difficult feline charges but hope you will continue to enjoy your stay at Burns Street Bistro. [Perhaps you could fashion a warm cloak out of the feathers to keep you cosy in the chilly weather.] Fondestos from Lady Dar to you and Kevin and Colin, [Pleased he and Chloë have connected.], and Neil and El Diablo and The Huntress with big eyes! Imagine you are counting down the days until your last wedding on October 13th. Stay well and Buona Fortuna with your feather cloak! Cheers, Patrizzio!

Pics: La Dolce Vita in Bern: Verdi, Elevator with a view! [Heinz bumped into a friend when we came out of the lift.] Charging station on way back to Fiona's apartment. We'll bring our eKona next time and we can drive all over Europe for nothing! [We spit on rentals!] Lady Dar's hors d'oeuvres before farewell dinner with Fiona!












No comments:

Post a Comment