Biking in Bern

We had fun getting guided by Maria and the boys for the first 5 km of our ride out of Spiez. We then enjoyed rolling through forested paths to the town of Thun. More well-developed bike trails took us to Bern as we followed the vibrant turquoise waters of the Aare River. Despite the cobblestone streets, we had fun exploring the old city centre by bike and were impressed by all the cyclists and the variety in cargo and kid-carrying bikes. We had organized another Warmshowers stay in Bern, and were thrilled to meet Bubu, Haci and their 3-year old daughter Ronya. Bubu lived in New York for 7 years while in university so she spoke excellent English, while Haci had emigrated from Turkey to Switzerland and only spoke high German - perfect for Karl to get a break and get to talk in English, and Holly to find the German she learned 25 years ago while on exchange in Berlin, tucked away in the back of her head behind the other languages learned since then... With the hot weather, Bubu and Haci took us to an outdoor pool by their appartment, apparently the largest outdoor public swimming pool in Western Europe. And to travel in comfort, Holly got to try their e-bike to pull Claire in a Chariot! Bubu cooked us up a feast of delicious Turkish dishes, the girls tried to escape bedtime (such similar characters!) and we chatted late into the night about bike touring, immigration, languages, and politics - all in all it was a great day!Read more