Chapter 4 – Bern.
Their train slowing down, they gathered up their belongings and stood in the vestibule, watching the river move away beneath them. A large ornate building with a central courtyard could be seen a short distance away to the right. Just before it disappeared from sight, Titty saw a group of uniformed older children file out of a gateway, behind an adult who seemed to be some kind of teacher. But it was no ordinary class – they were all on horseback….
"Is that a riding school, in the middle of a city?" she asked, fascinated. Looking quickly, Susan said, "I don't know, but it could be?"
The train swayed and swung through points, then drew alongside a long, curved platform, and stopped. Getting out, they realized Bern station did not have an overall roof, so the platform was much warmer than either Olten or Basel had been. Nancy leading, as she usually did, they headed for the underpass, and headed to the right, looking for the main hall, and the departure board. After a short walk, they climbed back out onto Gleis 1 and through a pair of open double doors. In the main hall, they looked at the departure board.
"Gleis 5, Thun, Spiez, Interlaken West, Interlaken Ost, leaves at 15:04," announced John. "We shouldn't arrive too early," said Susan, "so that should be a good one to get. And we need to feed these foc'sle hands." "And Captains and Mates…..!" said Nancy and Peggy together, Dick and Dorothea nodded in agreement, since he and she were now those as well.
"We could eat in the station, but that won't occupy us for 3 hours?" Dorothea said, "Why don't we explore the city?" "Newly arrived in the mysterious city, the 8 explorers searched desperately for food," murmured Titty dreamily. "Why not, we're all hungry," Nancy agreed. "How do we get out?" Peggy asked, looking around for the way out. "Over there?" said John, seeing another big pair of double doors with bright sunlight streaming through them. Suitcase in hand, they followed him to them, then headed out into the street.
They found themselves in a large, busy, open square, with a large ornate-looking building to the right and a church to the left. Wondering where to go, they wandered out towards it, crossing tram tracks and avoiding cars and horse-drawn vehicles which were passing both in front and around it.
Weaving through people, they reached the church walls which they saw were encircled by another tram track, which linked-up to a big set of tracks running along a street past the far side of the church. Susan spotted a name on the corner of a building opposite, 'Spital Gasse.'
"Shall we follow this?" she asked everyone. "Why not, it looks important, so there should be eating places on it?" Peggy answered. "Let's go," said Nancy, leading the way. They turned left past the church, and saw a wide cobbled street, flanked by 3-4 story rendered stone buildings. All had one distinctive feature – arcades, they projected out over the pavements, with the main thoroughfare part of the street out in the open. Exchanging surprised looks, they headed along the pavement and into the nearest arcade. Shops lined the inner wall, which was occasionally punctured by gloomy, narrow alleyways running off at right angles. Some had shops on them as well.
It was nice and cool under here, apart from in the wide shafts of sunlight pouring through the arches. Suddenly, a bell rang out in the street – but not a church bell. "What was that?" asked Dorothea, puzzled, as they looked out through the nearest arch. No obvious source could be seen, then they heard a low rumbling sound…..
A tram, but not like the ones at home. Smaller, single-decked, and pulling a trailer car. In a beautiful two-tone green livery, with a red and yellow crest on the sides. Dick and Roger watched, fascinated, as it passed close by them, then continued on its way, swerving as the track wound around a big fountain in the middle of the street. And the track – it was narrower than at home…..
"Buck-up, you fo'csle hands, I thought you were hungry?!" said Nancy as the others moved on. Quickly, they caught up. The arcade continued, then stopped; they'd reached a wider street which crossed it on a gentle curve. Seeing nowhere obvious to eat, they decided to head straight-on, towards a small clock tower with an archway through it – the street clearly carrying-on on the other side. Another tram emerged through the arch and passed them, heading for the station.
Minutes later, they reached another street crossing, but this time the tram tracks divided and turned away from theirs, which continued on through the most ornate clock tower any of them had ever seen!
Beneath a huge pointed spire – broken by an open-sided cupola holding a large bell and the gold statue of a man – were 2 clock faces. The bigger one obviously told the time, in Roman numerals with 2 big gold hands – the minute hand having a sun cast into the outer end. But below that, a smaller clock face – if it was a clock. They'd seen nothing like it anywhere. It had 2 bands – Roman numerals on the black outer one, but way too many for only 12 hours, a series of gold diamonds around the next red one, then curved gold bands heading inwards on the blue centre circle. At least, they assumed they headed inwards – it was hard to tell for projecting out in front of it was a strange pink iron structure, and a blue ring – gold-rimmed – with 12 gold pictographs of animals in compartments…..
"Any ideas Professor?" Nancy asked Dick, who was staring at it intently. He shook his head, his brain clearly working hard on the matter. "He'll figure it out," his sister stated, as she led him on after the others.
This street – 'Kram Gasse' a sign told them – had no arcades so they were a lot warmer! But another unusual feature – the pavements were on a higher level, with the traffic down below. And they weren't level, they rose upwards along the way. Intrigued, and delighted by how unusual the street looked, they climbed the steps up onto one of the terraces, and strolled along it, enjoying the warm sunshine. But there was still nowhere obvious to eat…
The terrace pavements ended when another broad street, 'Postgasshalde,' joined from the left, turning theirs into 'Nydegggasse.' Now, on one side, the buildings quickly dropped away below them, then they disappeared from the other side as well. A row of trees flanked both sides of the street, leading to a pair of small, identical buildings. In the distance they could see a 2nd pair of such buildings, with low walls connecting both pairs.
It was a bridge.
And a high one! "Giminy!" said Nancy, as she peered over wall. Far below them was a street, then a row of buildings (all of which had distinctive, red-tiled roofs – unlike the purple-blue slates they saw at home), then the river they'd crossed on the train. It's colour – blue-green! "That's nothing like the river's at home!" Peggy said, astounded. "No, they're usually clear, silty or a dark muddy-brown!" Even Dick was at a loss, he couldn't explain it. Fascinated, they crossed the bridge, the river below giving way to gardens before they reached the far side. Then at last, they found somewhere to eat! A small Brasserie, with outdoor seating, another thing they'd never seen at home.
"Shall we?" asked Nancy, starving. "Let's!" replied Peggy, John, Susan, Dick, Dorothea, Titty and of course Roger together. Famished after the long city walk, they took 2 adjoining tables and sat down wearily. "What shall we have? I fancy a sandwich?" Peggy asked, her stomach grumbling. "Shall we go and see what's on the board?" Susan asked, "and report back?" Peggy and Dorothea both nodded, and the 3 mates headed inside…
"It's warmer than I expected…!" John said to Nancy, Dick and the 2 able-seamen as he loosened a button on his collar, then removed his tie and stuffed it into his suitcase. "Hmm, more than the Lake at this time of year," Nancy agreed, "I hope it's cooler in Murren, or we'll be sweating at night in the tents…!" She made a face, not thrilled by that thought….. The 3 mates returned. "They don't offer sandwiches, but filled Baguettes," Susan informed them, "and you choose what you want to have in them." "Cheeses, Meats, Greens, condiments, but no pickles," Dorothea said. "Mustard?" asked John. "only Dijon," she told him, "and they do Lemonade as well!" "We'd better order 4 at a time, it's a bit cramped in there," said Susan, "and we don't want to leave the suitcases unattended." "Swallows first then," John decided, "Amazons and D's next." "Right-o Commodore," Nancy stated, "and please don't be too long?!."
They returned 10 minutes later, baguettes in paper bags and a jug of lemonade plus glasses on a tray. The other 4 headed inside, and on their return everyone eagerly tucked-in. The food was as good, if not better than their breakfast. Fresh baguettes, filled with cold meat (s), cheese (s) and condiments, all washed down with cool, refreshing Lemonade…..
Roger finished first, then noticed that they were sitting on the edge of a large, open square, in the centre of it were a throng of people. They seemed to be gathered round something. Titty finished her baguette, and he caught her eye. "What are they doing?" he asked her. She watched them, "I don't know?" "Susan, can we go and see what those natives are doing? They seem to be watching something." "OK, but don't go out of sight," their Mate replied…. The 2 AB's got up and quickly headed over to the native gathering.
Finding a small gap in the throng, Titty looked through, and excitedly shouted "Roger!" He joined her, and they both stood there, open-mouthed.
At a large pit, walled and containing a big rock and leafless trees. And 2 bears….
"Bears?!" the 2 able-seamen exclaimed. Yes, 2 brown bears; one lying down, the other rubbing its back on one of the trees. Stunned, and enthralled, they moved slowly along the wall, watching them. The bears seemed quite unfazed by all the attention, especially the one lying down. "Is it sleeping?" Titty whispered to Roger as they stood opposite it. "I don't know?" he replied, staring at it. A fly wandered across it's nose, and it impatiently swatted at it with its huge front paw. Then, they both jumped – one eye had opened and was looking straight at them. Titty and Roger couldn't move, briefly forgetting that they were well out of its reach…..
"So what's everyone watching then?" Nancy said behind them. They didn't respond. "Oi, don't ig….." she started, then fell silent - when she saw the bears. Wide-eyed, the captain of the Amazon was speechless, a rare event unless the Great Aunt was around (!) Her Mate appeared alongside, then John and Susan, with Dick and Dorothea bringing up the rear. All 8 explorers and pirates stood in a row, avidly watching the bears. The sleepy (?) one held them in its gaze, none of them moved, then it closed its eye again. The other one clearly had a persistent itch, as it's heavy back-rubbing was making the tree visibly tremble.
"London doesn't have bears….." Dorothea said aloud, while her brother broke out his notebook. She glanced at it, he was frantically writing 'Switzerland – saw 2 bears in middle of its capital city, Bern….. ' "You alright Professor?" asked Nancy leaning out to look at him. Dick looked up – at the bears – then down at his notebook, before putting it back in his pocket. "Yes…." He replied, breathlessly. Nancy turned away, suppressing a giggle, which stopped abruptly anyway when Peggy elbowed her in the ribs….
John glanced at his watch. "Goodness, look at the time! It's nearly half-past 2, we'd better be going or we'll miss the train!" "Giminy, you're right skipper!" Nancy cried, looking at hers, "Buck-up everyone, we have to move."
Stealing one last, long look at the first bears any of them had ever seen, they reluctantly turned away and, carrying their suitcases, set-off on the long walk back to the station. They crossed the bridge, and headed back-up the curious 2-level street. Now they were walking uphill, the heat of the day made them feel much warmer from the effort, but luckily the street levelled off as they approached the amazing, fascinating clock tower they'd seen earlier. Dick stared at it, a determined look in his eyes. Then he smiled excitedly, "I've got it!" "What?" Dorothea asked him. "The clock," he said, pointing at it. Everyone halted. "It's an astronomy clock, see - all the different star signs! Aries, Gemini, Scorpio, Taurus and so on, and it even shows the different phases of the moon!" "Golly, he's right!" Peggy said aloud, and she and Susan stared avidly at it. "Come on you two, we've got a train to catch!" John stated impatiently. They carried on, through the arch and across the open street beyond. Trams crossed their path, and they followed their tracks back to the station.
Heading back into the main hall, they saw the clock. It was now 5 to 3. "Quick everyone!" John cried urgently as they sped on into the underpass. Hot and breathless, they reached Gleis 5 and found their train still there. This time, the carriages said 'Bern Lotschberg Simplon' on their sides. They found a 2nd class one with space and climbed aboard. "Jibbooms, bobstays and battleaxes!" Nancy exclaimed, sweating and out of breath, "that was close!"