September 17, 2010 - Friday - Interlaken/Biel/Nidau

We ate a meager breakfast at the hostel and continued down to Interlaken. We were disappointed to have rain and clouds reduce our views and forced us to change the day’s plans. We wandered around through markets and neighborhoods until it was time for us to leave. We caught a train to Bern and then another on to Biel.

Most of our sleeping arrangements, along with our travel plans, were made one to three days in advance of our arrival to any given location. This allowed for some flexibility to change plans at last minute, and despite the how uncertain it sounds, we always found a place to stay and we always had a train going where we wanted to go.

This method was less functional when it came to seeking hospitality in the home of a real person. Uncle Jim connected us with a friend from his days in Switzerland and he graciously hosted us in his home in Nidau for two nights. His home was exceedingly comfortable and his hospitality was excelsior. He cooked delicious peach and curry chicken meal and we sat talking around the table late into the night. The discussion was provocative and entertaining.

I like to think that, as a young and relatively experienced traveler, I am immune to the comforts of this world and that I flourish when I am roughing it in trains, hostels, and camping grounds. This traveler’s rough exterior shell melted at the chance to sleep in a nice bed again and to eat at a true dinner table.

Descriptions of our host’s quality could fill up more pages than most people would want to read. So this report’s account of him will end here. Ask in person if you want to hear me use more superlatives.