Lunch was a little different today.

The quickest route from the Annecy to our next destination near Strasbourg passed through Switzerland, specifically through familiar territory in Bern. Though keeping options open, the weather ended up dictating we stop over so Teko can finally say he’s been to Switzerland. Given my experience I couldn’t have made a better decision myself. Just the drive from the border with France was a stunning introduction.

Bern is still lovely the second time around. I would say lovelier but there’s scaffolding everywhere – on the Rathaus, on the Postgasse, but most importantly the Clock Tower. Since I’d been there before, I wanted to show Teko the city I got acquainted with last year, especially the highlights given the limited time we had, and seeing the Clock Tower completely covered was a downer. The weather cooperated all throughout though and our walk from the Bahnhof to old town was completely pleasant.

As for lunch, it was deja vu all over again when I showed Teko where we had lunch the previous time – and he decided that Kornhaus Keller would do just as fine. Apart from an invasion of Asian tourists who occupied the long table in the middle of the room and then some, the business lunch menu proved a good option, from start to finish. It was nice to be back in a familiar setting where I had a great meal with old and new friends, and Kornhaus Keller proved me right this second time.

Bern doesn’t suffer the same troubles as other cities with homelessness, graffiti, and overcrowding, and typical of other Swiss cities it’s an ideal place to live and work. Given the amount and quality of the surrounding nature, Switzerland is one of the few places in the world that I’d feel lucky to consider home – if I ever get that winning lotto ticket.