Day 5 called for our only 5 Star experience of the trip. We didn’t budget for a room at the Hotel Schweizerhof, but we could treat ourselves to breakfast buffet at their Jack’s Brasserie restaurant, setting us up for the day.
The Einsteinhaus, residence of ol’ Bert for 3 years, where he wrote his Annus mirabilis papers, setting the foundation of modern physics.
Perhaps having to ascend and descend these stairs every day is the trick to getting brain in gear.
Bern is gifted with a crystal clear river that horseshoes around its centre. Though fast flowing it is relatively shallow, and residents often use it to swim home from work during the summer months, throwing their belongings in waterproof bags.
We let ourselves be carried along by the current a few times. One occasion I nearly collided with a lady who was diving down to recover discarded bottle caps.
We dried off with a walk to the Bärengraben, a bear “pit” alongside the Nydeggbrücke. Brown bears are the symbol of the city, appearing on its coat of arms. They didn’t have the biggest space to roam, but seemed content enough bathing in the shade.
Our next train journey took us to our final stop in Switzerland - Chur. The birthplace of H.R. Giger, and a second opportunity to experience a bar made in his “image”.
The bar was inexplicably located in an industrial estate on the edge of the town, but the walk out did afford as such sights as the pyramid shaped combo Ibis/McDonalds.
Alien’s blood cocktail. Thankfully not acidic.
The Whitest I Have Ever Looked…
Since We Last Spoke…
- Ten Years since the launch of my first curated exhibition, Cover Versions. I’d love to curate another one some time, but sadly Orbital no longer exists, I’m less connected the comics scene, and I wouldn’t know what the theme would be. Still, never say never.
- Sad Superheroes, unite!
I keep hearing about superhero movie fatigue since Avengers: Endgame put a cap on the Infinity Saga. Personally I feel we just had an unprecedented run of good - to - great films, so when there were a couple of films that were just “ok”, we forgot how shaky the first phase and a bit was. There will be good superhero films, there will be bad ones. you should see ratio when it comes to monthly comic books…
Anyway, Thunderbolts* safely falls into the great category. Nice to have a cape and tights film that’s about something. Co-written by the co-showrunner of The Bear, and it shows.
- With Teeth, the fourth studio Album by Nine Inch Nails turns 20. Its where I came in, and my appreciation for all things Trent Reznor began. I was aware of them, having caught clips of March of the Pigs whenever it was added to rotation on Kerrang TV, but would always change channel. Too noisy. Then The Hand That Feeds appeared. Its slowly building synth line, its pixelated video, its catchy chorus. I was (N)IN.
I saw them a few years later on their “farewell” tour of 2009.
I’ve seen them 4 times since.
I’ll see them again next month.
Take care x