Wiped the face off my skull....

 


bern was GREEN! thats all you really need to know about it. all the buildings in the downtown were a uniform mossy green stone. this picture is kind of ironic, haven't seen many green scooters (although there are scooters everywhere in europe, it will be so strange to not have any or many in the states)... but the emptyness and greeness were definately things i'll remember about bern.

the OTHER thing i'll definately remember is a lot more personal and not so architectural... i had taken off from the train station in the wrong direction (i protest that it's the maps fault, but i had been pretty bad about finding my way correctly the last week or so, switzerland screwed up my metal) having got a fair way walking with the heavy pack, i thought "well if i skate back it'll be really fast and i won't be silly having heavy wheels hanging off my back but still plodding. probably a bad idea, eh?" ha the bad idea was definately a part of the thought... wasn't too bad for a fair ways, but europeans don't necessarily value smooth pavement, even when it's not cobblestone.... so yeah i went down, stupid gap in the pavement, wouldn't have been a problem normally, but the weight of the pack pushed me over just that little bit more... and made me land a little harder then normal... and then slid up and pushed my head into the pavement.... ugh. hahaha.... i did actually just put my head down for a sedcond instead of popping up and laughing as is the normal response.... but i did have to laugh.... STUPID beth...

wandered for two or three hours after that (sans skates). didn't want to acknowledge hurt, draped my hair over my forehead and back in a wierd hairstyle that mostly hid the GAPING OPEN WOUNDS IN MY SKULL (oh wait they were just raspberries, still rather moist and nast though, matched by smaller ones on my knee and hand). did stop at on of the nice public fountains to clean it. didn't hurt much, just stung, and definately colored my experience. gave up walking after the sun set, got wound tended by a disarmingly kind woman at the apothocary (apparently they're free first aide as well as pharmacy there) and hung out with the drunk teenagers (common phenomenon) reading and writing in the train station until my train came in. ha what a day.... ronchamp was amazing, bern was embarassing... i'll remember both...