Bern and Mary Plain: part II

I've written about Bern in Switzerland before. For those who came searching for Mary Plain, this is where she would have lived before the Owl Man came to fetch her. Here is my other post, the comments are especially interesting if you enjoyed the Mary Plain books

This bear is looking at the visitors to the zoo and thinking "What strange people you see in zoos!"

Up to the top

These Swiss climbers, making their way to the top of a sérac in 1902 reminded me of a poem:

How to Tell the Top of a Hill
(John Ciardi)

The top of a hill
Is not until
The bottom is below.
And you have to stop
When you reach the top
For there's not more UP to go.
To make it plain
Let me explain:
The one most reason why
You have to stop
When you reach the top - is:
The next step up is sky.

Welcome home Worldman

This little boat is boldly setting off across Lac Léman towards Montreaux. If you look closely you might just be able to make out our globetrotting friend, Peter, on his way home from Sudan to his wife and family. I hope that you’ve had a good trip home, Peter and that you can have a well deserved break and get on with your retirement!

Perhaps you might even run into Bill Gates, Barbara Hendricks or Shania Twain?

A little bird told me

One of the seagulls on this postcard is arriving in Geneva to tell everyone that Peter will soon be arriving home in Switzerland to begin his very busy retirement.

This postcard was posted in Geneva in 1902 and is in excellent condition. I have seen the same card in black and white. I prefer the colouring on this one.

Bern and Mary Plain

If you've come here via Google looking for information on Mary Plain please take time to read the comments. Quite a lot of history and information about Gwynedd Rae has accumulated there.

June 2020:
Three more pictures very kindly sent by Kate Harrison! 

January 2016:
CJB very kindly sent photographs of Gwynedd Rae and has allowed me to include them here (see below)!
 

These two cards are a little out of keeping with my usual choice. They are of the Café-Restaurant Zytglogge in Bern around 1947. Rob chose them and gave them to me to prepare, asking me “Where on earth is Bern?” I know where Bern is. Bern is a very special place to me although I’ve never been there. There used to be bear pits in Bern and a very special bear called Mary Plain lived there until one day the Owl Man took her in his car to live with the Fur Coat Lady. If you know Mary Plain you will know what a svisit is. Mary Plain was written by Gwynedd Rae, the book I read came from my grandmother’s house and I loved it dearly. My mother leant it to someone and we never got it back. The books are out of print today and you have to be very rich, like the Fur Coat Lady, to buy a copy.

I’ve spent a very enjoyable morning looking up Mary Plain thanks to those cards. A question for Peter: Was Mary Plain Swiss? I haven’t been able to find much out about Gwynedd Rae.

Thank you Peter

This is a Swiss card for Peter at Worldman to thank him for writing about this blog in such a lovely way. I know that he comes from Montreux in Switzerland and this one is from Flüelen (Fluela). Now I think I know where the St. Bernard's dogs come from!

This card is semi modern and was posted in 1954. There is a franking on the back: Europäische Fernsehwochen television?