I was bored yesterday, on account of having to fast all day (all will become clear). To relieve the tedium, I thought I’d do a beer run. Beer runs emerged during lockdown. All the bars were closed, so if we wanted beer we had to buy it from one of Wengen’s two supermarkets. It seemed expensive, but we’re used to that, as beer is heavy and it has to come up on the train.

Eventually however, our need for cheaper beer got the better of us. With all the sports shops, ski schools, bars and restaurants closed, no-one was earning any money. We soon discovered that by trawling around the supermarkets in Interlaken, we could find beer at less than half what we’d been paying in Wengen. We have the recent arrival of Aldi and Lidl to thank for this – there’s genuine competition in Interlaken now, and you can always find a bargain.

Yesterday I didn’t have to go any further than the Co-op to find my treasure trove. 24 cans of my favourite Franziskaner, all the way from Bavaria, for 29.95.

Anyhow, about that fasting. I won’t go into any details about the procedure I was preparing for, as you may be having dinner, but I had to follow up my 24 hour starvation diet with 2 litres of a powerful laxative. Not fun. I had the procedure this morning. It was nice to see the Swiss sense of humour very much in evidence at the hospital.

The caption reads, ‘Why not even take your trousers down’? ‘For a good cause!’. The joke, of course, was entirely on me. At least tonight I can make a start on that beer.

P.S. For the avoidance of doubt, I am perfectly well.