After a full summer of visiting friends and family back in Canada, and then surviving the heat wave here in Switzerland upon our return, in finally ready to get back to writing! Before leaving for Canada in June, I started working on a blog post about Jegenstorf, the small village we live in. I never finished it, but I felt like it was a timely post to make now, as the weather will soon be changing to be more Autumn-like. Right now, in the beginning of September, the days are generally still hot, the mosquitos are out, but the daylight is still relatively long, much like when I wrote the following words.
So here is the blog post that had been intended for June, but is now just making its way to the blog:
Recently, I shared a bit about our new home here in Switzerland. I went around the village last week to take some snapshots of our surroundings and I was hit by how badly these pictures reflect our surroundings. And I don’t just mean my lack of photographic skills… a picture is just so limited! It doesn’t describe the smells and the sounds around us.
Today, I want to share some pictures of Jegenstorf. But I also want to share with you a picture painted with words. I’m no poet, but I’ll do my best to describe this beautiful village!
When you walk off the train in Jegenstorf, you’re quite literally greeted by chickens, goats, donkeys, and miniature horses. It really does give Jegenstorf that “small town feel.” The farm by the train station is nestled right beside the Jegenstorf Schloss (this means castle in German). You can hear a small fountain jetting from a large rock and a small stream that runs by the castle grounds. Every 5 minutes or so, you’ll also hear the “ding, ding, ding!” from the railway crossing. Trains pass through this town very regularly! They go to Bern every 5-10 minutes, and to Solothurn at the same intervals.
If you venture past the castle, you will end up in wheat and rapeseed fields, dotted with red poppies. I’m looking forward to exploring more as I start running and biking in our new village!
Once you’ve tuned into the quietness outside the city, you’ll quickly notice the cranes overhead. And no, I don’t mean the construction cranes, although there are many of those around town too. There are many cranes this year who have made their nests by the castle grounds as well as the wooded area beside. They migrate down south at the end of the summer. They are quite a sight to see, with their large wingspan and long necks. When you look up, you will also see many hawks and falcons circling above. I think I might join the many bird-watching millennials during our time in Switzerland! There are so many different varieties to spot.
Jegenstorf has one main stretch that passes through town. It’s always busy with cars and bikes (mostly e-bikes) since it is the main road between all the other small towns, on their way from one city to another. On the main street, if you’re there early enough, you will smell the croissants, breads and pastries wafting in the air from the Grossenbacher bakery. Their artisan loaves are the best around - people drive in from other towns for our bakery! They have been doing many renovations this year to the bakery so that it will be a full Tea House in the spring. We look forward to its opening!
If you keep going North-West from the train station, you’ll get to a favourite spot amongst families: the spielplatz (playground in English)! You can hear the goats screaming across the street from their play area. The children are also screaming from the park as they take turns on the zip line. You can also hear the stream that passes all the way around the park. There is a sandy area with large rocks and pebbles. We could spend hours there - water play is the best kind of play! Side note: their compostable porta-potty is the BEST for families with kids who are potty training!
If you continue past the park, you’ll end up by some fields with sheep and cows. You often hear the sheep bells and cow bells from the park as the kids play.
As in any farming town, there are a few farmer stands and markets around Jegenstorf. I’ve discovered one just a 10 minute walk from our place. It is a self serve barn store with fresh eggs, potatoes, and seasonal fruit from their farm. I love these types of stands that rely on the honesty of people - there is no one there to help weigh your produce. You do it yourself and then send the payment by TWINT or leave cash in their tin can. These types of places give me hope that some people still believe that people can be honest and fair.
So, here you have it! Jegenstorf in a nutshell. It may not be the most exciting place to live in, but I think that is part of its charm - you can live simply and be connected with nature, while still only being minutes away from the bustling city by train! I hope you get the chance to visit it some day!
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