Imagine sipping a 1999 Perrier-jouet Champagne while basking in the sun, looking out over the Aare River valley and marveling at a horizon dominated by towering white mountains and dominating the scene – the Jungfrau, commanding the center of this glorious scene. Well, I had to imagine this view because the famous European fog clung to the valley during my recent trip to Bern. Not once did the haze fade.

Not once did I catch a glimpse of those beautiful mountains except on the postcard racks placed at every tourist venue. Still, I fell in love with Bern. The question is not whether I will return, only when will I return.

I spent my first day in Bern learning to buy trolley tickets from the sidewalk automat and discovering my way around the city. Although Bern is the capital of Switzerland, it is much different than Berlin, which I visited in July. Bern only has 140,000 inhabitants and I spent most of my time exploring the old town with its sixteenth century buildings. Day one I took the usual tourist photos, fascinated by modern sculptures and artwork integrated with the medieval architecture.

Bern is famous for its fountains which are scattered throughout the city. The most famous is the child eater fountain.

I walked by the Anna Seiler Fountain every day on the way to the old town.