Biel/Bienne (2/25/2013)

Monday, February 25, 2013
Kent has meetings today, so I am taking a field trip to one of my old hangouts. Took the commuter train to the Zürich main train station, bought a round-trip ticket and boarded an inter-city train to Biel/Bienne, an official bilingual city in Switzerland. Place names will be interchangeably in German and French.
The trip was about an hour and 15 minutes. Arrived at the Biel/Bienne Hauptbahnhof:

A block farther along the Bahnhofstrasse, you see the Volkshaus/People's House (1932) on one corner:

And the Hotel Elite (1930) on the other corner:

Bahnhofstrasse/Train Station Street is limited to pedestrians and public transit vehicles:

Place Centrale fountain:

Jordi-Kocher building (1895):

The Old Town:

Stadttheater/City Theater:

It's twin, the Rathaus/City Hall (1534):

A residential building in Rathausplatz:

Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen/Fountain of Justice (1714):

Restaurant Bourg sign:

Typical building in Biel/Bienne:

Notice board:

Shortcut to the Old Town:

Restaurant Pfauen/Peacock:

Three towers:

From the left: the Alte Krone/Old Crown (1582), Waldleute Zunft/Guild of Foresters (1561), and Stadtkirche/City Church (tower 1551).
Vennerbrunnen/Banner Bearer Fountain:

Waldleute Zunft/Guild of Foresters:

The same toy shop?

Old Town windowsill:

Engelsbrunnen/Angel Fountain:

Zur Krone/Crown Inn:

Goethe stayed here in 1779.
Climbing the hill behind the Old Town, a glassworks shop:

View from Hohegasse/High Lane:

Former Rolex production site:

Beginning of Kloosweg:

View of the shortcut stairs:

Swiss chalet:

Former Kinderspital Wildermeth/Wildermeth Children's Hospital:

Tamiko worked here 1981-1983.
The animal puzzle statues are still here:

The former nurses' dorm where Tamiko lived:

The original hospital:

View of the city from the hospital:

Heading back down, past the Church of St. Maria Immaculata:

Tamiko attended Mass in French here.
Back in he Old Town:

Untergasse/Lower Lane:

Below the City Church:

Wandering in the city, found another old haunt: the Stadtbibliotek/City Library:

The plaza for Carnevale carnivals:

Stadtpark/City Park:

Omega Watch Headquarters:

Significance at Omega??

Swatch is also headquartered in Biel/Bienne:

Zihl/Thielle River:

It's freezing!

The inter-city train:

Back to the Park Inn.