Easter in Switzerland

Easter is a 4 day holiday in Switzerland and we intended to see as much of this country as we possibly could in those 96 hours.

The Roman amphitheater in Avanches

On Friday we  headed to Avenches (ah-VAHNSH), a small city on a hill about 1 1/2 hours from Geneva. We had traveled some of this road a few weeks ago and I looked forward to the countryside speckled with vineyards and farmland. The fields, now covered with green spouts, attested to the fact that spring was here. Avenches was quiet on Good Friday. As I sat among the ruins of this old Roman city I thought about the many people who had been here before me. The town has been inhabited since 15 BC and was once one of the largest cities in the Roman empire. I felt a deep sense of history as I sat in the amphitheater where gladiators once fought. We went to the museum filled with many Roman artifacts uncovered in the city including gravestones, fishing spears, jewelry, cooking ware, and sculptures. As we walked around the city streets we kept smelling something wonderful. At first I thought it was freshly baked bread but I soon realized it was the Expresso factory I saw in the distance. It smelled delightful, even for a non coffee drinker like me.

We got back in the car and made our way to Murten (MOOR-ten) seven minutes down the road. This medieval town, built in the 1400's, still retained the wall and ramparts that surrounded the old city. As we entered through the stone gate we quickly noticed that we had crossed the linguistic border of Switzerland. All the signs, menus, and conversations changed even though we had not entered another country. The people no longer spoke French but German. We walked around the city streets, visited the Murten castle, enjoyed the view of the lake and visited a small French and large German church. As we climbed the stairs to the ramparts we talked about the battles fought here and the protection provided by the thick walls of the ramparts and tall towers. It made me think about God as my strong tower.

Fountain in Bern of Ogre eating children

I knew many grocery stores would be closed for the holiday so we sat in a cute park and ate the picnic lunch I packed before we continued our drive toward Bern. After we checked into our hotel room we grabbed the tram to Bern, the capital of Switzerland. Around the corner from the train station the bells tolled at the Church of the Holy Ghost and signaled the beginning of Good Friday service. We sat for a bit with other worshipers remembering Jesus' sacrifice for us. As we walked around the old city we loved finding the fountains. There are 11 colorful fountains all over Bern designed in the 16th century; my favorite was the Ogre. Doug said he was just kissing the babies; sure didn't look like that to me.

Bern's Prison Tower

 The cobblestone streets were large and open, lined with the country flag of Switzerland and the canton flag of Bern. We walked under the Prison Tower which was used as a prison until 1897, strolled past Einstein's House where thoughts of E=mc2  began, visited the Bern Cathedral which had a striking depiction of the Last Judgment at the entrance, watched the Aare River as it rushed past us and gazed at the bears searching for grub at the Bear Park. After dinner at the Spaghetti House we were ready to call it a day. 

On Saturday we headed toward Zurich, about an hour and a half drive from Bern. On the way we stopped in the town of Solothurn. We didn't know much about the town other than it was big enough to be on the map. We were delighted at what we found. We parked the car near the city gate and entered to find a large church. It was raining so we went inside and were met with the most harmonious sounds of violins, horns, clarinets, oboes, saxophones, and 4 gifted singers. The cathedral was filled with music as they practiced in anticipation of Easter. We sat and soaked it all in. What a great detour!

An impromptu  Easter concert

Stopping in Solothurn

St. Peter's Church- the oldest church in Zurich

Doug spotted an IKEA before we reached Zurich. We quickly exited for a bit of shopping. As we wandered through the large building we remarked the selection felt even larger than in the US. After checking in at our hotel in Zurich we grabbed a map of the city and took the tram into the heart of the city. We visited three churches in Zurich. My favorite was Fraumunster with its 5 beautiful 30 - foot tall stained-glass windows depicting Elijah and Elisha, Moses and the law, Jacob's ladder, King David and God's plan of salvation through Jesus.
We walked along the Limmat River and then headed back to the train station.

Fraumunster- the building with the spire

I was so excited on Easter Sunday as we attended the Zurich Vineyard. We were welcomed by the kindest people. The service was simutaneously translated in 6 languages and the message on love was both encouraging and challenging. I was moved to tears of joy during the worship and of course the baptisms. What a sweet time!
The day was sunny although still a bit chilly with an occasional snowflake in the air. We went to Lake Zurich in the afternoon and enjoyed a beautiful walk along the promenade where we encountered an opera singer, accordian players and a husband and wife playing the alphorn creating beautiful mellow music.

Listening to the Alphorn in Zurich 

Our lunch view

Monday arrived with beautiful clear blue skies.We began our drive back toward Geneva with a few stops along the way. Luzern (loot-SAIRN) is a charming city with an amazing view of the mountains. After walking through the town, we enjoyed lunch while sitting on a rooftop patio.

On the drive towards Interlaken

As we drove through the mountains towards home I couldn't stop staring out the window. The grandeur. The depth of color. The majestic power. The beauty. The snowcapped mountains. The lush green valleys. The gray tinted glacier waters of the rushing rivers. The clear, deep blue of the lakes. All of it seeming to draw me closer to the Creator.

My eyes could barely take it all in and the camera could only capture a small part of the view. As we reached Geneva we were filled with gratitude for such a great adventure. It has been a great 4 days.