Raindrops on roses and whiskers on...bears?

I know I won't be doing the Sound of Music tour for over a week (and I'm so excited for it!) and the movie isn't set in Switzerland, but the songs have been popping into my head everywhere I go.   Today I was in Bern.  I have to admit that, for whatever reason, I did not expect Bern to be anything special.  I was so very wrong.

This town is far older than most places I've ever been, with most of the buildings in the old town sector dating back to the early 1400s.  And one thing is for sure - Bern is obsessed with bears.  The bear pits I read about do exist, but there are bears everywhere in Bern.  The flag and coat of arms feature a bear, there are bear statues everywhere, and I even spotted a bear incorporated into the paintings on the ceiling of the gothic cathedral.  Apparently the duke who founded Bern named it the German word for bear, after the first animal he killed here.  And there have been bears in the pits ever since the early 1500s.  The presence of bears in the town multiplied exponentially with the invention of the modern souvenir shop.

Above the bear pits, up a steep hill, was a beautiful rose garden, which also provided incredible views of old town Bern.

Just a note on steep hills and steps - I have climbed up and down so many in the last few days that my legs already feel like jello.  I'm hoping this compensates for all the delicious Swiss cheeses that keep finding me everywhere I turn.

My hotel is a tiny, no-frills place in the heart of the old town.  The reception desk doubles as the back side of a bar, but the room is fantastic for the price and has a great view, not to mention being really close to the bears.

And although you can't see it in this photo, there is, of course, a giant flag with a bear on it just outside my window.