OtR: Geneva to Bern

OtR = On the Road … basically, moving day … sometimes with sightseeing if opportunities present themselves.

We woke up to rain on our last morning in Geneva. By the time we were finished with breakfast and ready to check out around 9:00a, the sun was out … and stayed out all day.

Using the underground passage, we walked to the train station with our bags in tow. Perfect timing … within a minute of arriving on the platform, a train heading to the airport pulled up. Five minutes later, we were getting off the train and making our way to the Alamo/Enterprise counter in the arrivals hall at GVA to complete the paperwork for our rental car. A short shuttle ride to Parking 51 to pick up our assigned car — a Peugeot 2008 (small SUV) — completed the process.

Getting out of the airport was easy. Finding our planned route to leave the city … well, not so much. Between the construction detours and the confusing turns, it took us two tries before we were on our way to Versoix. But finally we were on our way.

Our stop in Versoix was for logistics purposes. Mui had found a Migros Supermarket Center with plenty of parking … the perfect place to stock up on foodstuff now that we have a car. It was noon by the time we were finished shopping. A quick lunch followed — very tasty sandwiches and a piece of artisanal chocolate to share at a chocolatier called Martel at the Migros Center. And then we were on our way to Bern.

Our back-roads-route was longer than taking the freeway. But it took us through charming villages and towns that had us itching to do some sightseeing. Alas, not on the agenda today. Instead, I had to make do with drive-by shooting … excuse the color cast on some of the photos as it wasn’t possible to roll down the windshield 🤪. At times, we found ourselves in rural settings … complete with cows grazing on lush, green grass; vineyards of all sizes; fields of sunflowers. With roundabouts a-plenty, I don’t recall hitting any traffic lights until we arrived in Lausanne … miserable traffic there. Once through the big city — the skyline dominated by the cathedral — it was once again smooth sailing.

For our stay in Bern, we opted for a VRBO apartment in the suburbs of the city … a one-stop train ride from the Bern Wankdorf Station to the Bern Bahnhof. We found the general location of the apartment easily enough. However, with no building numbers visible, finding the actual building took a bit of time. All I can say is thank goodness for our cell phones … and the two-month SimOptions eSims we downloaded and activated before setting off for Geneva. I don’t know how we would have otherwise been able to access the Stay Kooook property as everything — including keys to the building, the apartment, the transportation passes, and more are all electronic.

Anyway, we are very pleased with the apartment … which is a family studio that can actually sleep 6 people. We opted for it not for the number of beds, but because it has a kitchenette and in-apartment laundry facilities. As well, there is public parking at a rate that is cheaper than what one might find in Bern proper.

Now to get some rest so that we can explore Old Town Bern tomorrow. Methinks there will be a lot of walking involved!Les mer