The first Sunday of a Dutch Work Party is usually spent getting (re)acquainted with the other participating scouts, and a simple hike in the area. Considering the recent snowfall, we decided we wanted to go snowshoeing.
After waking up in the white Alps, having breakfast and preparing a packed lunch, we started looking into the different options for the day.
The view from my room the first morning.The breakfast buffet.The breakfast buffet.
Plans and mountain conditions don’t always go well together though, and our first choice—going up with the Sunnbuël gondola lift and follow a snowshoeing trail from the top station—fell through: the trail was closed because of the high avalanche risk. The alternative we then picked, was a lower trail starting in the valley.
After strapping the snowshoes to our backpack, the five of us headed off. The trail started out snow free, but sure it would be covered higher up? It wasn’t… We reached the viewpoint—the highest point of our trail—without ever needing to put on our snowshoes.
Ready for a day of snowshoeing!Not quite enough snow for snowshoeing…
Back in the centre of Kandersteg, we rewarded ourselves with some pastry at the Marmotte tea room, and a beer in the bar of Hotel des Alpes, affectionately called “Dessie’s” by KISC staff and regulars.
Pastry and coffee break at MarmotteAnd a beer at ‘Dessie’s’ (Hotel des Alpes) of course…
While we were there and on our way back to KISC, it didn’t stop snowing, so by the end of the day, there probably was enough snow on the trail to use snowshoes…
A familiar sight to anyone who has ever been to KISC.Some newer additions…Some newer additions…And home again!
For the first time in a little over ten years, I’m off volunteering at the Kandersteg International Scout Centre again! I joined the Dutch Work Party for this four times before—spring 2008, autumn 2008, spring 2010, and autumn 2013—but studies, work, relationships, and just bad timing kept me from returning… until now. As the only participant from Belgium, I offered to travel to Kandersteg by myself by train. This conveniently also enabled me to plan a extended stop in Bern for some beers…
As usual for trips to the east, the first leg of the trip was an ICE to Köln. You’d say by now I know how to get in Brussels Midi station on time, but thanks to the Brussels public transport company, this turned out to be quite a challenge: the metro broke down four stops before the train station, so when it still wasn’t moving after five minutes, I decided to call an Uber for the last bit. With only a minute to spare, I eventually made it onto my ICE…
Back on an ICE to Köln! This time with my Deuter backpack as well…My ICE after arrival in Köln Hbf.Breakfast at Heberer in Köln Hbf.The special but wrong train I almost got on…
After grabbing some breakfast in Köln station—it was only a quarter past eight by then—I boarded the EuroCity 7, going straight to Bern. No solo seats on an EC, but the passenger who was to sit across from me from Koblenz, never showed up! My seat was all the way back in the last carriage, so I noticed the door with a view to the back, giving me the opportunity to do film from it, like train vloggers do!
Since this train also had a dining car, and I would be travelling until well after lunchtime, I decided to take full advantage of it and already get a taste of Swiss cuisine with some Ghackets mit Hörnli and a Möhl Shorley.
The train I actually needed, the EC 7.My spot on the EC 7 for the next six hours…The dining car on the EC 7.Not very busy in my carriage…Ghackets mit Hörnli for lunch, in the dining car of the EC 7.
Due to accumulating delays however, my comfortable EC 7 was terminated at Basel, so I had to change onto an Intercity for the remainder of the trip to Bern.
Unplanned change at Basel SBB.And off we go again, another hour until Bern…Arrival in Bern
After eventually arriving in Bern and putting my bag in a locker, I headed to VERSA for a proper coffee! The delay meant I didn’t have to spend a lot of time there killing time until the bars would open, and playing tourist was reduced to a minimum as well.
No need to lug around my bags…Sightseeing in BernSightseeing in rainy BernCoffee at VERSACoffee at VERSA
The first bar on my list was OnTap. They had quite an interesting list of beers from all over the world, but I of course had to start with something local: A Slice of Red by Riot Act Brewing, a brewery in Zollikofen, a suburb of the city of Bern.
OnTapA local beer in OnTapOnTapOnTapOnTapOnTap
Next up was Biercafe au Trappiste. As you can imagine, they do like Belgian beers here, and it was actually the only Swiss location to celebrate Cantillon’sZwanze Day, today! Unfortunately the event would only start at nine in the evening, and even flashing my tattoo didn’t help to get an early taste of the Zwanze 2024… Still, I had to drink a Cantillon as well!
Biercafe au TrappisteBiercafe au TrappisteBiercafe au TrappisteBiercafe au TrappisteBiercafe au Trappiste. Thomas didn’t mind I was sitting there…Biercafe au Trappiste. You have to drink a Cantillon beer on Zwanze Day…Biercafe au Trappiste.
The final bar before getting back on the train, was the beer minded metal and rock bar Ebrietas.
Sightseeing in BernEbrietasEbrietasEbrietasEbrietasEbrietasSightseeing in Bern
Bag picked up, back on the train—an SBBRegioExpress this time—and an hour later I arrived in a rather cold and very white Kandersteg.
Bern stationReady for the last leg…Views from the RE1: a first glimpse of the Alps!The whole route. Arrival in Kandersteg.
From the station it was then a twenty minute walk to my home for the next week: the New Chalet of KISC.
Views from my walk to KISC.Views from my walk to KISC.Dinner kindly put aside for me, waiting in my room.My room for the coming week.And there it is!
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If you want to read about this trip from start to finish, instead of in reverse order, click here!
Back to Brussels…
And just like that, it was time to go home again.
To keep things simple, I just had breakfast at ibis Berlin Mitte, with a view on wat seemed to be a rooftop apiary. I didn’t try the waffle maker, but I was tempted!
After checking out of the hotel, I took the M2 tram again—the tram with which every day in Berlin started and ended—to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, to take the ICE to Köln.
The ICE arrived almost in time, so I had plenty of time for a coffee at Blooming Coffeebar and Roastery, before a last beer in Germany. I was considering going for a Kölsch, like last time, but when I passed Craftbeer Corner Coeln, still well before its opening tim, there was already some movement inside, and the door was open. When I asked about their 18:00 opening, they took pity on me, and served me some beers already!
From there it was back onto an ICE, for the last stretch to Brussels. That meant the end of another wonderful trip, full of great discoveries, and happy revisits of familiar places!
My last day in Berlin started at Town Mouse Coffee with a delicious—and just spicy enough—”Mouse Trap” sourdough toastie (with Emmental, feta, and the house chutney) and a coffee. Always nice to find places like this near my hotel!
From there I went to the Mitte Museum. I usually make a habit of visiting the ‘local’ museum of any city I visit, but Berlin is so huge, it actually made sense to learn more about the ‘Bezirk’ (borough) I’ve always stayed in. Who knew porcelain was so important for Mitte?
My next stop was at the Museum in der Kulturbrauerei, to learn more about East Germany in its communist years. I had been to a museum with the same theme last year, but this one was definitely less touristy and more educational!
For lunch I went to Burgermeister, apparently an institute in Berlin. Not bad, but definitely not the best burger I’ve had…
After a little break at the hotel to recharge, e went to BrewDog Mitte—just two new beers there—and Mikkeller Berlin. I totally forgot about the Mikkeller Running Club, which had a run right when I was there!
Last time I was there, I didn’t spend enough time in Bräugier Brewpub, so I made up for that this time.
For nostalgia’s sake—I grew up in Limburg after all—for dinner I had a classic veal döner kebap at Kebap House—”Best Döner in Prenzlauer Berg” they say themselves—which is a bit different from the Gemüse Kebap with chicken you often find in Berlin…
My very last beer stop in Berlin was at another place with a banging beer list and great service: Manifest Taproom. The perfect end of my beer journey in Berlin…
Although I managed to squeeze in four awesome bars after the hash yesterday, today was my first full day back in Berlin!
I quite fancied the chicken breast bagel at What Do You Fancy Love?, so that was today’s tasty—and slightly messy—breakfast.
I kept my visit to the Futurium rather short since it was—quite literally—overrun by school children…
In the Hackeschen Höfe I stopped for a coffee and cheesecake with an oriental twist at Ben Rahim.
It might not be typically German, but the collection at the Samurai Museum Berlin was very impressive, overwhelmingly so!
For lunch I thought to go to the newish Croissant Couture, but apparently it has only two modes: sold out, or horribly long queues! I did have a hunch this might be the case, so I had a very Berliner backup ready: currywurst at Cult Curry Mitte!
From there I went to BrewDog Friedrichshain. The last time I was there, it was quite late, and I was already a ‘few’ beers in, so I barely remembered what it looked like… Pretty much standard BrewDog though, and with exactly zero beers on draught I hadn’t had yet!
To keep the drinking speed within reason, I did a last coffee and cake stop at 19grams Boxi. Then, to tie me over until the next bar would open, I had one unplanned beer at Straßenbräu, thereby nullifying the effort of having a coffee…
My next bar—I actually planned to go to—was HOME Bar Berlin. There I had a few beers, before going to Haroun for an oriental dinner.
To finish the evening, I met up with friends for beers at Bräugier Ostkreuz, and some more at Protokoll, of course!
