Recently, Peter and I went to the circus. We didn’t take a grandchild or the little kids from the apartment upstairs—we went with friends our own age, and the four of us had a terrific time. Circus Monti is a one-ring family circus that holds performances in a tent seating 750 people. On the weeknightContinue reading “Never Too Old for the Circus”
Category Archives: Switzerland
How Much Freedom Is Too Much?
Switzerland’s equivalent of the Fourth of July is August 1; it commemorates a thirteenth-century pact of mutual defense against the Habsburg army among three future Swiss cantons. (See an earlier post about Switzerland’s Independence Day: https://wordpress.com/post/kimhaysbern.com/561). Like the Fourth of July, August 1 has traditionally involved parades and speeches, bonfires on hilltops, outdoor suppers, andContinue reading “How Much Freedom Is Too Much?”
Weddings Past and Present
I recently attended the Manhattan wedding of the daughter of a close American friend—it was a joyous occasion, and I enjoyed every minute of it. I was delighted to be invited, but also surprised because here in Switzerland, I’ve learned not to expect an invitation when our friends’ children get married. This is no reasonContinue reading “Weddings Past and Present”
In Praise of Midwives
When I moved to Switzerland thirty-six years ago, I didn’t know anyone still practiced midwifery—I thought the profession had gone the way of blacksmithing. Five years later, I walked into Bern’s teaching hospital to give birth to my son and met my first midwife. She was with me during and after the birth and madeContinue reading “In Praise of Midwives”
“Please, Sir, We Want Some More”
On March 3, almost 60% of Swiss voters said yes to an initiative proposing that people aged sixty-five and over should receive an extra month’s social security payment every year for the rest of their lives. As a result, starting in 2026, Switzerland’s 2,500,000 retirees will get between $1400 and $2800 more a year, whetherContinue reading ““Please, Sir, We Want Some More””
Switzerland’s Junkyard Playgrounds
When I was eight, we lived in a neighborhood that was still being built. Our narrow suburban street had families living on either side in small concrete houses with carports and tidy front yards. But only a few blocks away, there were half-built homes and vacant lots. We children—mostly boys, but I wasn’t the onlyContinue reading “Switzerland’s Junkyard Playgrounds”
Trials Reconsidered
Until I watched a man in Bern being tried for attempted murder, I assumed trials required juries. But Switzerland doesn’t use juries; instead, it holds bench trials, where judges alone decide if defendants are innocent or guilty. I did some research to find out more about trials in Bern. I learned that juries generally existContinue reading “Trials Reconsidered”
‘Tis the Season
This year, Bern’s Christmas season started on December 3, the first day of Advent. The official purpose of Advent is to celebrate the coming of Christ with four Sunday services before December 25, but since few Swiss attend church, it’s a time for feeling festive and getting a head start on baking the many sortsContinue reading “‘Tis the Season”
The Small Miracle of Switzerland’s Federal Council
These days, when I feel brave enough to contemplate the state of the world, I worry about the integrity (and, in some cases, the sanity) of many national leaders. Even democracies, supposedly built with checks and balances, don’t seem to be able to stop their heads of state from making truly disastrous decisions. That’s whyContinue reading “The Small Miracle of Switzerland’s Federal Council”
Bern Learns to Eat Pumpkins
Countless things, big and small, serious and frivolous, have changed since I moved to Bern thirty-five years ago. The people filling the city’s streets are no longer 98% white, and grocery stores now offer shelves full of Thai, Chinese, Indian, and Mexican food. There are many popular East- and South-Asian restaurants and even one Ethiopian place;Continue reading “Bern Learns to Eat Pumpkins”
Kim Hays 