Grand-Prix Bern
Saturday 12 May 2012
The Friends of ISBerne Power Walking group took to the streets again in the 4.7km Walk around the beautiful old town of Bern at the annual Grand-Prix von Bern race. Despite the rain we clocked some fast times this year and enjoyed the wonderful atmosphere of the event. The main race of the day is the 10 Mile, there is also a 4.7km run and races for younger children. ISBerne had over 40 students, parents and teachers taking part. It was great to see you all there! For more information about the Grand-Prix event, visit: gpbern.ch
Brocante Shopping in Thun
Saturday 31 March 2012
Friends of ISBerne had another successful bargain-hunting day at the Brocante stores in Thun. The weather was perfect as we relaxed after a busy morning of shopping and enjoyed a leisurely lunch at a riverside restaurant.
Egger Bier Tour
Friday 30 March 2012
Friends of ISBerne had a very enjoyable evening on at Egger Bier in Worb, a traditional, family-run brewery dating back 5 generations. We met at 5PM for a tour of the brewery and learned all about what makes Egger Bier so special. The tour ended with an apéro to sample the beers and we finished off the evening with dinner in the Brauerei Restaurant. Many thanks to Frau Egger for a wonderful tour and for sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm with us.
Quiz Night!
Friday 23 March 2012
Quiz Night soared to new heights this year with the astronomical theme of ‘Space’. Teams had been formed from many sectors of the expat galaxy and we were pleased to welcome them to the ‘ISBerne Space Centre’ for a fun, social evening. We launched off on our space exploration with questions from the solar system and beyond before orbiting the Earth with more questions from around the globe. After a safe landing, the winners were declared as follows:
1st Place: Lost in Space Too – 140 points
2nd Place: Supernovae – 136 points
3rd Place: Strange Quarks – 128 points
Well done to all our teams, we look forward to seeing you again next year!
See more pictures of the day...
Thank You to our Sponsors…
Trip to Thun Brocante Expo
Saturday 11 February 2012
Friends of ISBerne took a trip to the Expo centre in Thun for the annual Brocante exhibition. This event draws many brocante and antique dealers from the region. Many of us were looking for uniquely Swiss items that we can enjoy in our homes here or wherever we are in the world. We were not disappointed and everyone came away with interesting purchases. After a busy morning shopping, we enjoyed a leisurely Italian lunch at the Trattoria Rimini in Thun.
Snowshoeing Group
Friday 3 February 2012
Ski Day 3 was cold and bright - perfect conditions for the Friends of ISBerne snowshoeing outing at Zweisimmen. We started at the bottom of the Rinderberg mountain at an elevation 948m and walked up along the footpaths, fields and woods to middle station at 1450m. It was quite a workout but the good company and fabulous views kept us going to our destination and a well-earned lunch at the Gobeli Mountain Restaurant. Those with extra energy hiked even further up the mountain after lunch whilst the rest were happy to stay for a chat and a drink in the warm. Eventually everyone rode the gondola back down the mountain and returned to the comfort of the ski train for the journey back to Gümligen. Many thanks to our intrepid leader Christine, for organizing the expedition, making sure that we were well equipped and paving the way up the mountain. A special thank you too goes to our 'safety monitor' Renate for keeping the caboose going!
Theatre Outing - The Great Gatsby
Monday 30 January 2012
Friends of ISBerne were transported back to the 1920's with an evening at the theatre to see the American Drama Group Europe's production of F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby". Around 30 of us, including parents and ISBerne high school students, met up at the National Theatre in Bern to enjoy the theatrical performance and a cappella jazz singing by the Tour de Force Theatre Company. Many thanks to Christine and Rhoma for organizing this event!
Beginner Ski Group
Friday 27 January 2012
Our Adult Beginner Ski Group took to the slopes for the first time at Zweisimmen on ISBerne Ski Day 2. They all made great progress and despite a few aching muscles everyone was still smiling at the end of the day. They all plan to continue skiing in the upcoming weeks. We look forward to their company on the ski train and on the mountain for the rest of the season.
Holiday Ski Outing
Saturday 24 December 2011
A group of Friends of ISBerne families travelled to Adelboden on Christmas Eve to ski and socialise. Despite the very snowy weather everyone had a good time and agreed that this was a great outing for those staying in Switzerland over the Winter Break - look out for this trip next year!
Trip to Basel Christmas Market
7 December 2011
Friends of ISBerne took the train to Basel for a fun day out at the largest and most traditional Christmas Market in Switzerland. The market was packed full of festive, wooden stalls selling a wide range of traditional, seasonal and hand-crafted goods. Everyone enjoyed the shopping, the great atmosphere and the gluwein!
Expat Theatre Night & Social
5 November 2011
On 5 November a group from Friends of ISBerne enjoyed an evening watching the play “Suitcases and Sacrifices” at the wonderful Casino Haus in Münsingen. The play touched on all aspects of expat life and was performed in English by two Dutch actors from the theatre group "Plankgas". It was very entertaining and we later enjoyed chatting to other expats at the evening. Thank you to Monique van Ling for organising this event which was a wonderful evening for expats in the community.
Bowling at Marzili
19 September 2011
On Monday 19 September, 30 students and assorted parents descended on Marzilli Bowling Centre in Bern, for a fun afternoon of Bowling. The students ranged in age from ELC to Grade 11 and all seemed to have an enjoyable time. Our highest score was from James at 140, quite respectable, well done James. The event was such a success we hope to go bowling again in the future and look forward to seeing you there.
Swiss Watching with Diccon Bewes
13 September 2011
Friends of ISBerne welcomed author Diccon Bewes to the campus on Tuesday evening, 13 September 2011. His book Swiss Watching is a light-hearted yet revealing journey around Switzerland and was a Financial Times Book of the Year in 2010. Around 50 people attended the event to hear Mr. Bewes share his experiences and observations of life in Switzerland as an English-speaking expat. He read some of his favourite excerpts from the book, explained how the book came about and answered questions from the audience.
He is currently working on the German translation of Swiss Watching and a new book, in English, of Swiss trivia called Swisscellany to be published by Bergli Books in the summer of 2012. All in all it was a most interesting and enjoyable evening.
Thank you Diccon!
Hiking by Power Walking Group: 9 September 2011
Friends of ISBerne Power Walking Group varied their regular schedule with a trip to the Emmenthal on Friday 9 September. 18 walkers and Izzie the dog made up our group - a great turn out! We enjoyed friendship, perfect weather and beautiful scenery as we hiked around 10 kilometers from Konolfingen to Worb, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. Everyone agreed it was a great outing and so we hope to include more such hikes in the future. In the meantime, why not join us on Fridays for 1.5 hours of power walking in and around Bern? We meet at 9:15 at the Brunadernstrasse tram stop, everyone is welcome.
