The Tale Of A Confused American Travelers In Switzerland
Before I went to the city of Bern for the first time, the Tourism Switzerland people kept telling me about the arcades.
“You have to see the arcades,” they all said. All the promotional brochures they gave me mentioned these arcades. I kept wondering if they had mistaken me for a video game blogger rather than a travel and nightlife blogger, but it was obviously something I needed to see if I were to write about the country’s capital city.
So shortly after arriving at my hotel, I set out after them. I had a map and Bern is a small city, so finding them figured to be no problem.
But I walked up and down the streets and saw no arcades. I did not hear the ding-dinging of pinball machines or the celebration or pained voices of players as they played machines.
What I saw were a lot of concrete arches above elevated and wide sidewalks on either side of the street. This went on about as far as the eye could see.
I walked up to them but there were no arcades. I saw some shops, some restaurants. I even saw where Albert Einstein used to live (there’s a little plaque but nothing else that one would find in tourist areas, such as a souvenir shop selling things like little fuzzy-headed dolls).
Puzzled, I kept walking and searching but found nothing. Later, when my Tourism Switzerland tour guide arrived to show me around the city, the first thing she asked was “did you visit the arcades!?”
“No, I could not find them,” i replied.
She gave me a puzzled look – apparently, this is like not being able to locate the Eiffel Tower while in Paris – and took me down the same street where I had been walking earlier in the day.
“Look at all the arcades,!” she exclaimed. Now it was me with the puzzled look. All I saw was the same concrete arches on elevated sidewalks.
It was about then that I had that “ahhhh” moment so many of us Americans frequently experience when visiting Europe. Those arcades are not arcades as Americans know them – a room full of video and other games, occupied mainly with kids, teenagers and adults who have tilted back a few and are looking for a little silly alcohol-enhanced amusement – but stores.
Shopping!
Okay, I understand now.
As we walked around – which was late afternoon – some shopkeepers were opening up a pair of wooden doors at street level that led down to restaurants. I even discovered one that was a bar and later that night, I was dancing like crazy in that lively bar.
So now when I’m in Europe and hear the word “arcades” I don’t think of game rooms. I think of shops and especially underground restaurants and bars.
Cheers!
Leave a Reply