I just returned from a peaceful and enjoyable weekend in the Berner Mitteland, three hours from our place in Lausanne. We visited Brienz and Bern, walked through the Open Air Museum, Ballenberg, outside of Brienz, and were able to sit in a German church service in Munster Cathedral in Bern among other things, but I’ll just share one story from our weekend (although there were many more, this one is my favorite). Bern was interesting, and its old town, especially from the Aare riverbank, is much more preserved and unique than I would have thought. But, my story is from our first stop in a village by the lake.
A friend of mine (Kim) and I set out on Friday morning for Brienz, Switzerland, a small town on Brienzsee (or Lake Brienz), the place where her relatives once lived. We were on an ancestry quest of sorts, looking for hints of her great-grandparents’ names, or possibly some records in the area. Although we were unsuccessful in those efforts, we deemed our trip to Brienz quite lovely, filled with unforgettable accommodations, and a unique experience.
Since we didn’t reserve a place to sleep on Friday night, it proved to be quite a tossup as far as who would take us in, because we wanted just a bed, not anything too fancy or big. It added a challenge to our trip, and a pinch of spontaneity, perhaps, to find a room day-of. Anyway, we started by inquiring at places right along the lake, which were all equally appealing because of proximity to the train station and city, but not so favorable in price range and availability. Nevertheless, we walked on, exploring and enjoying this quaint town as we ventured into the neighborhoods of the Brienz residents, and marveled at the beautiful lake 
that they look out on each morning, and the Alps behind that loom over the entire landscape and seem to envelop the lake and the town with cliffs and tree-covered slopes that extend right into the water. Equipped with a list of a couple more places to try, possible hotels and rooms to rent, we continued up the hillside in search of a bed. It became hard to determine which places were homes, and which were businesses, but, after being turned away at a hotel high above the middle of town, we glanced over to see a B&B sign in front of a traditional Swiss home. The side door was closed, so we walked around the deck to find a couple folding sheets in their living room. With hesitation, since we didn’t practice much German before our excursion, we inquired about a room, and they graciously showed us a little chalet nearby that was cute, but not what we were looking for. We explained that we were looking simply for a cheap bed, and after thanking her for her help, we were set on heading to the hostel outside of town. But as we were about to turn back down the hill, she beckoned us into her home and to the back patio, above which sat a small playhouse-looking chalet. It was 7 feet by 10 feet at most, and just what we wanted: a simple bunk bed. She mentioned that normally they don’t rent out this room, simply because of the size and the fact that we would be sharing the bathroom with them, but it was perfect for us. The little window looked out onto the patio and had a gorgeous view of Brienzsee, and Kim and I looked at each other and immediately took the offer. 
A chance to be hosted by a friendly Swiss German couple in a humble lakeside village! Our stay there was wonderful, and it was a real treat to relax on the patio, listen to Marcel (her husband) play the piano, and smell Irene’s bread baking in the oven that we just couldn’t wait to eat in the morning for breakfast. We were also able to have some time to talk with Irene and Marcel, and see what living in on a small Swiss lake is like from that side. They were so hospitable, and if I ever return Brienz someday, I would enjoy staying with the Jobins again.
My photos are also updated: see the right-hand column on this page!
A friend of mine (Kim) and I set out on Friday morning for Brienz, Switzerland, a small town on Brienzsee (or Lake Brienz), the place where her relatives once lived. We were on an ancestry quest of sorts, looking for hints of her great-grandparents’ names, or possibly some records in the area. Although we were unsuccessful in those efforts, we deemed our trip to Brienz quite lovely, filled with unforgettable accommodations, and a unique experience.
Since we didn’t reserve a place to sleep on Friday night, it proved to be quite a tossup as far as who would take us in, because we wanted just a bed, not anything too fancy or big. It added a challenge to our trip, and a pinch of spontaneity, perhaps, to find a room day-of. Anyway, we started by inquiring at places right along the lake, which were all equally appealing because of proximity to the train station and city, but not so favorable in price range and availability. Nevertheless, we walked on, exploring and enjoying this quaint town as we ventured into the neighborhoods of the Brienz residents, and marveled at the beautiful lake 
that they look out on each morning, and the Alps behind that loom over the entire landscape and seem to envelop the lake and the town with cliffs and tree-covered slopes that extend right into the water. Equipped with a list of a couple more places to try, possible hotels and rooms to rent, we continued up the hillside in search of a bed. It became hard to determine which places were homes, and which were businesses, but, after being turned away at a hotel high above the middle of town, we glanced over to see a B&B sign in front of a traditional Swiss home. The side door was closed, so we walked around the deck to find a couple folding sheets in their living room. With hesitation, since we didn’t practice much German before our excursion, we inquired about a room, and they graciously showed us a little chalet nearby that was cute, but not what we were looking for. We explained that we were looking simply for a cheap bed, and after thanking her for her help, we were set on heading to the hostel outside of town. But as we were about to turn back down the hill, she beckoned us into her home and to the back patio, above which sat a small playhouse-looking chalet. It was 7 feet by 10 feet at most, and just what we wanted: a simple bunk bed. She mentioned that normally they don’t rent out this room, simply because of the size and the fact that we would be sharing the bathroom with them, but it was perfect for us. The little window looked out onto the patio and had a gorgeous view of Brienzsee, and Kim and I looked at each other and immediately took the offer. 
A chance to be hosted by a friendly Swiss German couple in a humble lakeside village! Our stay there was wonderful, and it was a real treat to relax on the patio, listen to Marcel (her husband) play the piano, and smell Irene’s bread baking in the oven that we just couldn’t wait to eat in the morning for breakfast. We were also able to have some time to talk with Irene and Marcel, and see what living in on a small Swiss lake is like from that side. They were so hospitable, and if I ever return Brienz someday, I would enjoy staying with the Jobins again.My photos are also updated: see the right-hand column on this page!
1 comment:
Hey Jo: What fun!! It's so amazing you have the opportunity to hang out, life is tough over there we can see. Sure is fun to see the world through your eyes, thanks for sharing.
We enjoyed our time in Zermatt, the weather was perfect, great rest.
We love you, Debbie and Hank
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