Although Zurich was our destination in Switzerland, we made a side trip to Bern, the capital, to pay a courtesy call on our Philippine Ambassador, His Excellency Bernard Faustino Dy. Rain was pouring heavily, coupled with typhoon-like wind that made it very difficult for us to move around. In fact, since we were not prepared for such wet and gusty weather, we ended up slightly soaked as we zigzagged across covered sidewalks on our way to the Embassy.
We had a warm and cordial meeting with the ambassador, who used to be the Mayor of Cauayan, Isabela, before his appointment to the Diplomatic Corps, a designation that also includes an overseeing function on the Principality of Liechtenstein.
We exchanged ideas and committed to collaborate on several activities to maximize awareness of our Special Resident Retirees Visa among the Swiss and Liechtenstein nationals.
After the meeting, the ambassador suggested that since we were already in Bern, we might as well visit some popular tourist spots near the embassy. As it was still raining, he made it easy for us to do so by instructing his personal driver to drop us off right in the center of the city’s Old Town, where many of the tourist attractions are. He even gave each of us an umbrella.
The first stop was the Zytglogge, or Clock Tower, a medieval landmark in the capital city. Built in the early 13th century, it has Baroque and Gothic elements and has been used as a guard tower, a prison, a memorial, and the center of urban life. In fact, this is the oldest monument of the city and is the first stop for any tourist visiting the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
What makes this landmark famous is its astrolabe, an elaborate analog that calculates astronomical positions precisely. Adding to the clock’s appeal is the musical mechanism it runs on.
On our way to the house of Albert Einstein, which is along the Old Town’s main street, we passed by some beautiful fountains, which are tourist attractions on their own. There is the Zahringer Fountain, a memorial to the founder of the city of Bern, Berchtold von Zahringer. It has a statue of a bear in full armor, with a cub at its feet. According to history, Berchtold shot a bear as he was searching for a site to build the city.
Inching our way in the rain, over puddles along cobblestone streets, we finally reached the house of Albert Einstein. He lived in the apartment on the second and third floors of the building together with his first wife and their son. His Theory of Relativity, which has become a very important component of modern physics, was written in this residence. The apartment is now a museum showing all the original furniture and facilities used by the family, including his life’s works and his biography, which are all available for viewing. On the ground floor is a souvenir shop selling all Einstein-related memorabilia.
We passed by the big and beautiful Church of the Holy Ghost, which I thought was a Catholic church. Of course, we went in to pray, but I noticed something strange as we settled ourselves in the pews. Nowhere inside the church were there statues or images of Jesus Christ, the Blessed Mother, or the saints. I then approached a gentleman who looked like a lay minister of the church and asked him about it. He explained to me that the church belongs to Reformed Christianity, or Calvinism. It is part of Protestantism that emphasizes simplicity in worship; thus, images or statues are not commonly seen inside it.
A few steps away from the church was Hotel Schweizerhof, which holds historical significance for us Filipinos. This hotel was where Jose Rizal stayed when he decided to spend his birthday in Switzerland in 1887 and visited Bern together with his best friend, Dr. Maximo Viola, another revolutionary leader, propagandist, and writer who was from Bulacan. The hotel now has a brass plaque beside its main entrance announcing Rizal’s stay.
Before we knew it, we had to dash toward the station to catch our train back to Zurich. The hour-and-a-half return trip was very relaxing as we sped smoothly through the countryside, enjoying the unparalleled vistas along the way that only Europe can provide. It was also time to save up our energy and get ready for the following day’s Expo in Zurich.
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