Bern...

Is your city ranked 10th for the best quality of life?
Unless you live in Bern, Switzerland the answer is no.
That's a pretty amazing title...which has me wondering who is #1.The Zytglogge, (below) in one of the languages spoken in Bern...
Bernese German, meaning "Time Bell".

This is UNESCO World Culture Heritage site is a
huge tourist attraction due to it's 800 years of existence.
Yes, 800 years! (Below)

Countless water fountains with stories as beautiful
as the works of art are scattered throughout the city.

As luck would have it....we were in Bern on a gray rainy
day. Thankfully, this old city also has Europe's longest
covered promenade.

Mama Bear, Papa Bear and two adorable cubs.....
They didn't seem to mind the pouring rain. In fact, it looks like
Papa Bear was as comfy as they come.

Nothing prepares you for the sight of a 15th Century Gothic cathedral.
The Münster of Bern is breathtaking. Years of detail...every step taken.

The Last Judgment is represented here in the main portal...where
the wicked are separated from the righteous.

The righteous are clothed and dressed in white while the wicked
on the left are naked...Justice stands in the middle.

Home to Albert Einstein while writing the Annus Mirabilis papers.
These published articles on space, time and matter have
a direct impact on the foundation of modern physics today.

Show off... hee hee

Bern is the capital of Switzerland.
Click here to read about their government.

The city of Bern or Berne (German: Bern, pronounced [ˈbɛɐn]; French: Berne [bɛʁn]; Italian: Berna [ˈbɛrna]; Romansh: Berna [ˈbɛrnə]; Bernese German: Bärn [b̥æːrn])

What's next....Chocolate and Cheese!

Congratulations to the following winners....

Nancy's Couture won the make-up bag from Simply-Bags
Annies Home won the Novica pearl necklace

$25.00 Safeway Gift Card giveaway!

Give me some Fiber...and a giveaway!

With guilt-free and indulgent choices that now taste even better than before, Fiber One helps make it easier than ever to increase your daily intake while leaving your taste buds jumping for joy.

When hunger strikes and you need to satisfy your sweet tooth, Fiber One has you covered with at least 35% of your daily value of fiber in every serving of their cereals and bars. Check out the great new taste of three Fiber One favorites.

* Fiber One Honey Clusters have a brand new flake! Every one-cup serving is full of tasty honey clusters, antioxidant vitamins A and E, and 13 grams of fiber.

* Fiber One Raisin Bran Clusters now contain crispier, lightly sweetened whole grain flakes. With plump, juicy raisins and crunchy clusters it packs 11 grams of fiber and antioxidant vitamins A and E into every serving.

* With rich chocolate chips and a new and improved taste, Fiber One Oats & Chocolate chewy bars are a good source of calcium and contain 9 grams of fiber in each bar.

Have I made you hungry? How about a giveaway?

How about winning a free box of Fiber One bars and cereal? AND...a $25.00 Safeway gift card!
(also valid at Dominick´s, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons, and Genuardi´s)

Thanks to Safeway and My Blog Spark one of you will win this fabulously tasty giveaway.

One entry: Tell me what you normally eat for breakfast.
One entry: What Fiber One item would you like to try first?
One entry: Follow me...if you already do just let me know in your comment
*Please make sure to add your email address in your comments.

This is a four day only giveaway....
Friday through Monday....that's Friday, November 5th until Monday, November 8th.

Good Luck!

Thank You Switzerland

No really thank you, without effecting the charm of Switzerland they have managed to maintain the BEST public transportation system EVER...

We caught the train with effortless strides.
Chugging along the railway-wide eyed.... North central Switzerland emerged.

With our luggage safely tucked away, we visited the tourist
office and lost our minds when we decided to
take a tour to the top of Pilatus Kulm.

Kriens

Kriens-Krienseregg

Notice the wires holding me in the air. Eeeekkk. Notice the big beautiful mountain that looked
big and beautiful from the ground...where I should have stayed.
(Just kidding, it was a fantastic adventure.)

Krienseregg-Frakmuntegg

(Above) Klimsenhorn Kapelle (chapel) - Switzerland
In the year 1856 they remarked in the small town hergiswil that always more people come to walk to the pilatus. Then they decided to make a street to this place to build a kapelle/church and a hotel there also if it was very risky to build something on this high lever! The weather/storm and rain, made the kapelle/church old and they should renovate it a lot of time! The last time they renovated was summer 1975 and it cost 180000Fr.. but the street didn't exist anymore so they should bring all the stuff for the renovation with the helicopter there. The name of this church is : Klimsenhorn Kapelle ( chapel) and it's 1907m high! Sometime they have a priest there and some people go for visit; mostly one or two times per year!

7,000 ft Pilatus Kulm
Legends speaks of the well-meaning dragon and spirits who
haunt the tops of this mountain. One ghostly figure is said to be
Roman governor Pontius Pilate. Hummmm.......

We dined and danced upon the mountain top. O.k. we really only dined,
but I did do a little seat dancing. You know...when you wiggle in the chair a bit.
(Can you believe there are restaurants and hotels up there? Can you imagine going to
work everyday in a tin can...thousands of feet in the air....swaying back and forth.)
My sister mid sip.
The actual reason for the photo is the tubular meat on her plate.
Yum Yum, true Swiss style lunch.

The descend upon the world's steepest cogwheel railway would have
offered amazing views had I not been closing my eyes for half of it
..... 48% gradient people.
It didn't help that I was sitting next to a couple who decided to
make-out the entire ride down (slight moaning included).

Kapellbrücke (below) Chapel Bridge in German.
Considered to be one of Switzerland's main tourist attractions this
670 ft covered bridge was constructed in 1333.

Window drooling...I mean shopping.

Lucerne (pronounced /ˌluːˈsɜrn/; German: Luzern, [luˈtsɛɐn]; French: Lucerne, [lysɛʁn]; Italian: Lucerna, [luˈtʃerna]; Romansh: Lucerna; Lucerne German: Lozärn)

Beautiful. Breath-taking.
Next stop Bern.

Good Morning Switzerland

One moment I closed my eyes only to have them
open above the lush green land of Switzerland.

Zurich....

Traveling through the night prepared my sister and I for a day sightseeing.

With the faint sounds of the morning metropolis stretching their arms
and twisting their limbs to prepare for the day we took to the streets.
Slowly we began to rub elbows.


The smell of roasted chestnuts filled the city sidewalks
leaving our mouths watering and with curiosity to seek out the satisfaction
that had so many standing in line.
It's was a strangely delicious warm nutty treat.

Lingering hymnals danced through the streets and whispered in my ears.

Above...Fraumunster Evangelical Protest Church

Zurich is dotted with historic places of worship.
Not one could boost more than the other, the beauty was undeniable.
The community of the faithful stands erect with pride.

We boarded a floating vessel to explore the depths of Lake Zurich,
to greet the Alps in style and to
take in the city and it's surroundings.

Above/Below...Fraumunster Evangelical Protestant Church

Above...Grossmunster Evangelical Church
This structure dates back to 1100.

Above... St. Peter Evangelical Protestant Church
The largest clock-face in Europe also the oldest parish tracing back to 800.

No photos....The Kunsthaus Zurich, the museum of fine art in Zurich
with a collection of over 4000 paintings, sculptures and installations.
On exhibit... Pablo Picasso.

We stood face to face with seventy pieces by the one and only.

English narrations walked us through each painting. Sexual tension...passive aggressive
strokes (that one was for you Sis) we starred in awe of the master pieces.
Humbly we strolled through the rest of the museum.

Surrealism-Dali
French Impressionist-Monet
Dutch post Impressionist-van Gogh

It was overwhelming..amazing..breath taking..

Pieces I only dreamed of were there right before my eyes.
You could pinch me, but I wasn't dreaming.
I loved every minute of it.
Knowing that I might not ever have such an
experience again I left with heavy feet.
Having the memory of those grand moments are locked away in a special place.

Next stop....Lucerne