More from Berne

We came across a lovely bakery while walking around Bern. The gingerbreads were fantastic, but slightly expensive. ^_^;

The front of the Swiss parliament buidling

Giant chess in the square in front of the parliament building.

The river Aare runs through Bern. People like jumping into it from low bridges, so I suspect there may not be any giant squid.

Forever catching up

We went for a walk today, to see some of the surrounding area that David's parents had seen before us. The weather forecast - rain after 8:00 pm - was wrong, so we spent a good deal of time sheltering in a barn from the rain.

Migros obviously still thinks Britain is cool.

And naked men and calves sell caramel.

A little lizard sunning itself in the nature reserve in Adliswil.

We stopped off at what looked like an experimental urban gardening area for a cold drink on the way back.

Germany and Switzerland always have these little chocolate bugs around exam time.

Exam prep.

Shop around the corner from the exam venue.

Bread turtles.

I don't think "flavour" is the word you want here.

You wonder when you see this in the loos at the local station.

The classic cars were out in force again for the Albisstrassefest.

Because neither a pizza nor a hamburger and unhealthy enough?

Seriously vintage fire sign in the building I stayed in in London.

Jaffa cakes?

Our classy new neighbourhood, with gnomes in forklifts.

Graffiti on the S-bahn

Kitty is everywhere.

Double rainbow over the fields outside our new place.

Dietlikon welcomes us.

Back in Berne

We made a last-minute decision to get out of Zurich and spend the weekend in Berne! The beutiful botanic garden was a very pleasant way to while away the day, especially as the weather was better than we thought it would be.

And we're in

Very generous moving-in gift from the builders, and more importantly, the keys!

Out and about

I thought I had posted this here, but I think I only posted it somewhere else. Giant inflatable Lindt bunny in the local shopping centre.

The big news is that we have booked the movers and cleaners. We will be moving on June 23, and - drum roll - moving into our new place instead of temporary accommodation. Very grateful to the managers of the current place for letting us extend yet again, which means we'll still be here during my exams. I was dreading having to move out to somewhere as yet undefined before and after them.

We've been enjoying walking down by the river when the weather is in any way good - strange that we didn't do it every day, but that's what leaving a place does, it makes you appreciate it. You can just about make out a heron in the two pics below - by the bank in the first one and stood on the rock poised to strike in the second. I keep forgetting that the camera doesn't see things as up close as I do.

Queen London. Britain is still cool, it seems.

Ad for Swiss caramels, featuring a buff man with a calf chewing his pocket. Not sure how I'm supposed to respond. The slogan translates as "hard or soft?" which doesn't help. Himself's office has the soft ones and he assures me they're the dairy version of crack cocaine.

We headed out by the river again today, picking up some fresh eggs on the way. No duck eggs this time, unfortunately. But we did see two sunbathing lizards, as well as a finch singing its tiny heart out.

When we were nearly back, we noticed the "Imbiss offen" sign on a little patch of unused land that is currently hosting some crates doubling as little allotment gardens. Himself decided we should support the locals so we went in and bought some overpriced Coke Zero and apple juice with fizzy water, but worth it to sit in the sun and enjoy the view.

Bunnies and bears and bratwurst, oh my

Studying has begun. Himself kindly used the colour printer at work for these wonderful charts from Compound Interest which are now up on the wall in the spare room/office.

After a hectic week, we treated ourselves to dinner out on Thursday at one of our favourite places, Nagasui. It's not far from the pet shop where we often stop to look at the rabbits in the front window, and there was an adorably lop-sided one there this time.

Friday was a classic bank holiday downpour, so we stayed in and caught up on various things that had backed up during a hectic previous few weeks. Sunday looked like the best day of the four, so we headed out to our local wildlife park to see what the wildlife was up to. I had a delicious wild pig bratwurst (hard not to photograph the logo of something with all the advertising around). 

Just as we were finishing up, some of the keepers/rangers came along and threw huge cylindrical blocks of ice with food frozen inside into the bear enclosure, sparking serious interest and some fighting among the two adults and three cubs. One adult eventually picked one up and headed off to a secluded corner (behind the concrete wall) while the other continued to be bothered by the cubs.

The park is also fundraising to build a "House for Mouse & Co." which has started construction.

Beautiful views crossing the bridge to the other part of the park (with elk, buffalo, foxes and Prezwalski's horses).

And from the top of the hill inside the park, you can even see the mountains in the distance.

And on the way out, a beautiful wood-tiled building that looks like it's part of the park - the buffalo are in next to it anyway.