Sweet Home Locarno

Over and Out

2009-07-30T13:09:00.001-07:00

My stint in Switzerland is now over. Many things that I liked and many things that drove me nutso.
I think in a few months I might make a list of the bests and worsts. For now I am just too tired to think about it.

A night in Genova

2009-06-01T01:24:00.000-07:00

On my way to the French Riviera, I decided to stop over and spend the first night in Genova. Genova is fantastically connected for transportation, ala planes trains and automobiles....in this case including ferries as well. Unfortunately there were not any ferries going in the direction that I wanted to go, but sometime I would love to take one of the Genova to Barcelona ferries.

I did not have high expectations for Genova. It is, and always has been a major port town. I figured that the modern interpretation of this would be a busy, dirty harbor. This was not the case. Genova is not a wonderland, but it has a lot to offer. It is one of the few cities that I have been to in Italy that really has a modern Italian vibe the way that an outsider would expect to see it. The city seamlessly combines modern demands with old world charm and behavior.

Genova is mostly known to us westerners as the bithplace of Christopher Columbus and the place that Marco Polo was hung. There are some truly fantastic buildings in the old port section and walking around at night transports to another era as perhaps only Florence can compete to do. It is very charming.

Socializing

2009-04-07T00:28:00.001-07:00

Italy is relatively small, but just like the US, there are several different types of culture based upon region. Everyone knows that there is a difference between Sicilians and Lombardy, but there are so many other variants in between. As part of my program, I have the opportunity to talk to all these different people. One of the main things I have learned from that so far, is that there is no way I am ever going to remember all of the regional classifications. For example, Tuscany as the area in which Dante is from and therefore the foundations of the Italian language, is considered a highly cultured area and are supposedly very prideful… but as I have heard, not altogether unfounded. For the most part, my Italian peers are from Milan and the general Lombard area since that is just over the border.

Socializing with the people here is sort of half and half. The people within my age group are all very friendly and approachable. Then the older generations are also very gentile, but are less approachable because they do not know any English and whenever I try to communicate something in Italian they scrunch up their faces trying to understand me, with such agony that I give up quickly.

I am still surprised by how few people from the general populous know English. When in Germany, at least the northern/ middle parts, it seemed to me that more people knew English. More often than not, if I was speaking in poor German the other person would just speak to me in English. I suppose the upside to all of this is that I will be forced to learn Italian.

Ready or Not

2009-03-12T11:39:00.001-07:00

As part of tying up the loose ends of Basel we went back to see the landlord one last time and collect the remaining belongings. Part of the moving out process is doing a once-over-cleaning…which makes perfect sense. The bigger surprise is that after our cleaning a hired cleaning person comes in to thoroughly clean the apartment so that it is ready of the next tenants…at our expense! That last bit is the part that threw me. In the states, it is the landlord's burden to make sure the apartment is up to par for the next tenants. Oh wait, wait, the shock doesn't end there. The cost of said cleaning is --- $500 CHF!!! Geeeez. I am hoping that this isn't usual and that maybe our case was not standard because we were leaving before the yearly contract had completed. Either way I'm still reeling at that whopper. So just be prepared fellow Expats, there is a chance that you may be seeing unsightly cleaning bills before your move is through.

Yummy in the cucina

2009-03-11T03:41:00.001-07:00

Mushroom Eggplant Sauce for Pasta

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounce) package rigatoni pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 or 2 large onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (8 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, chopped to varying degrees
1 eggplant, cut into cubes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes in puree
1/2 cup chicken broth
¼ cup milk
Splash red wine
1 teaspoons basil
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Directions:

Heat olive oil to a pan over medium low heat.

Sauté onions and garlic until translucent.

Increase heat to medium high and add mushrooms simmer for 5 minutes or until browned

Add Eggplant and also simmer for 5 minutes

Stir in tomatoes, basil and chicken broth

Bring to a boil

Remove from heat and add milk and wine

Serves 6

Welcome to Locarno...

2009-03-08T07:53:00.000-07:00

...the sunniest city in Switzerland.
Things that I've learned about Locarno in the past two weeks: the official language is Italian (oooh yeah, new language to learn)
the city houses a castle that is thought to have been designed by Leonardo Da Vinci,
although it is still much farther north of Washington DC while I've been here the average temp is 60 degrees,
they hold an international film festival here in August,
the area is also known for its fragrant foliage--oleander, camelias, and magnolias,
and a large music festival called Moon and Stars in held every July.

The Move

2009-02-24T10:48:00.001-08:00

Finally made it to Lugano…or rather Locarno. Finding a place in Lugano that met our standards and allowed dogs was pretty much impossible. Instead we found a place in the nearby (about half an hour) Locarno. From what I have seen this past week it may be even better than Lugano. Lugano has a nice metropolitan feel, but Locarno has the cute feel of wide piazzas with cafes and shaded sidewalks. A bit more of a rustic feel. The weather here has been wonderful so far with days in the 60s. I can’t wait for the end of this coming month when the Camilia festival is held. Apparently the whole town explodes in blooms.

Sorry, that's all for now. Due to the move I have unreliable internet again!

Die cinema

2009-02-08T00:46:00.001-08:00

One of the best things about entertainment in Basel (to me) has to be that the y offer original language movies. When I used to live in the states, if I were to watch a foreign movie, it would be in original language with subtitles. So there is nothing I find more atrocious than dubbed movies. Aiie, the pain, the agony of it! It presupposes that actors are just puppets… that their individual tone and inflection has no contribution to the movie.
So, it was my great pleasure to attend the original language viewing of “The Spirit,” the new Frank Miller movie.
One of the first things that was different with this experience was that you order your tickets at the refreshment counter (what a wonderful marketing ploy! Buybuybuy!!) When you order your tickets you actually choose your seat at that time, in the same way you would for the theater. The seating was stadium seating in a similar fashion to most US mega cinemas, with high-backed, plush comfy chairs…however, they do not recline as some in the US do. Of course, compared with other cinemas that I have been to in Europe, the Swiss version is wonderfully clean. No sticky floors. No rickety seats. No moldy, mildew ceiling tiles. The one thing that it does have in common with the rest of Europe, but not with the US is Intermission. That’s right “Let’s all go to the Lobby!” (No, sadly they did not actually play that) there is a 10 minute intermission in the middle of the movie so that everyone has a chance to use the restrooms and stock up on more snacks (did I mention the excellent marketing?!!) then continue on with the movie. While I may have appreciated this more as a child or even in the twilight of life…currently it doesn’t leave a great impression on me. It isn’t exactly annoying, but it isn’t great when the movie starts up again and the last scene is not still fresh in my mind. I think it would be better if they started the movie again a couple of frames before it stopped. Ya know, kinda like with some TV shows.

The Swiss and Credit

2009-02-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

It is a non-existent relationship. To me, the strangest part is when you order something online. In the states this would definitely be a situation in which you would pay with a credit card. Yet here in Switzerland, instead of automatically charging a credit card, you will be sent an invoice. For example, I bought a curtain for one of the windows from an online Swiss provider. The website did not ask for any billing information. When my curtains arrived there was a bill enclosed in the box. It is not possible to pay the bill by card either. You may return the invoice with a check or go to the local bank/ post office and pay for it in cash there. It is totally baffling to an outsider such as myself. You receive the goods or services BEFORE paying for them. This would never fly in the US, the company would have been put out of business by unpaid invoices a looong time ago.
I suppose this is why the US is in debt and Switzerland is one of the wealthiest countries.

Lugano Again

2009-01-31T13:08:00.000-08:00

Well, we spent the day in Lugano again. This time looking at apartments. I must say that I was NOT impressed. In Basel, we are in a huge apartment just off of the Rhine in the center of town... with a washing machine and dryer, courtyard access, dishwasher and are allowed to have our pup. In Lugano it is a hard enough just to get that last one covered. For a city that is so pro-dog in public, they certainly aren't in private. Only a few places in the immediate city limits allow for dogs. Seriously. We met with an agent who told us of three possibilities...and for one reason of another they all stunk to me. Anyway, I don't want to harp on it.

So. I'm getting used to the drive to Lugano now. The drive to the Gotthard Tunnel doesn't even sketch me out too much anymore. (The roads have pretty big drop offs)
This time I actually counted the tunnels.Well, it turns out I was waaaay off on my first estimate of six or so. (What did I fall asleep?!) We went through 18 tunnels. Mind you, some were short and done in less than a minute but others were quite long. Following the Gotthard Tunnel is one near Interlaken that takes 5 or 10 minutes (though I think we've all learned now that you shouldn't rely on my estimates)

Switzerland has a lot of tunnels…

2009-01-25T08:28:00.000-08:00

…and man are they long! On my drive from Basel to Lugano, I traveled through no less than six tunnels. The longest of which takes nearly fifteen minutes to travel through! This is the St. Gotthard Road Tunnel, it is the third largest tunnel in the world. Believe me, when you are traveling through with staring at the headlights from the opposite flow of traffic, it definitely feels like one of the longest tunnels! When entering the tunnel from the Basel side, there are two separate lanes, one for commercial trucks and another for cars. This is because they only allow a few trucks in the tunnel at one time. They are spaced out because there was a big accident in October of 2001 and 11 people were killed and many injured due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Apparently the trucks are larger contributors to the seriousness of that situation (gee who would have guessed) but in typical Swiss fashion, they are eager to correct their mistakes and make sure the future holds only the best possible scenarios.

St Gotthards Tunnel Official Page

Jim Henson would be jealous

2009-01-20T12:06:00.000-08:00

Once again, strange happenings outside my living room window. By now I have learned that when I hear prolonged piping of fife and drum, I really outta check out the commotion. Today was no exception. There was a big spectacle. Since I didn’t know that anything was planned for today, I was basically clueless as I observed the festivities. So, let’s see if I can piece this together now.

Today was the “Die Drei Ehrengesellschaften Kleinbasels” Basically speaking each house of Klein Basel has a mascot and together they all march through Klein Basel. While marching through the streets they stop to pause and engage in dances. There are also four Ueli (jesters) that jump about shaking beer mugs to entice the onlookers to give them change. In turn, the money is given to charities in Klein Basel. There are lots of other details that you can find here: Vogel Gryff

Overall a very cool and jovial experience... just ask this guy!

The procession begins with children
carrying colorful lanterns

then, flag bearers from the three
houses of Klein Basel

The mascots are close behind.
Here you can just see "Greifen"
and Rebhaus is in the foreground.

followed by the music: first Fife players, then the drums.

Lastly, for everyone who made it this far.... a video of the action! (BTW: The video is more for the music ...since lighting was pretty poor)

Getting away from the cold

2009-01-20T00:13:00.000-08:00

It happens that on Friday, we both had reason to go to Lugano for appointments. Me for school, he for work. Anyway, the drive from Basel to Lugano is about three hours and our meetings were late in the day, so we decided to spend the night and get to know Lugano a little bit better.
The foremost in obvious differences between Basel and Lugano on this trip was the temperature. When we left Basel it was 20 degrees. In Lugano (by then mid day) it was 50 degrees. Which is the difference between freezing and walking around comfortably.
Due to the temperature change, the foliage is different too… palms, bougainvillea , etc. Lugano has much more of a Mediterranean feel in part because of the architecture also. This is because Lugano is in the Italian portion of Switzerland.
The Italian-ness is not merely symbolic or old vestiges. The city is really a blending of typical Swiss and Typical Italian, but not entirely one or the other. This can be seen in the architecture, the buildings are light and airy with tall ceilings and brightly colored buildings with elaborate cornices. The food and language are obviously also Italian and so, the greatest area of Swiss-Italian blending is in cultural attitudes.
For example, the interactions that people there had with our dog Mo were quite different and much friendlier. In Basel, everyone we meet is concerned with Mo’s sex. As if that quality pre-determines everything about his character. They emphasize that he is just a domesticated WILD ANIMAL. Therefore there is an underlying feeling that he may attach people or other animals at any time. This could not possibly be further from Mo’s character and needs. He’s really gone through withdrawn with the inability to socialize with other dogs… particularly other males. There seems to be a greater aptitude to be flexible. A Swiss-Italian will find it just as bizarre that someone may want to eat lunch at 1:30 but they will not stop you. This “insight” is just the overall feeling that I got after one weekend, so who knows how truly correct I am about it. I am hopeful that the situation will work out such that I can learn more soon.

You can see some of my photos here: Photo Krieger

Fife and Drum

2009-01-14T07:24:00.000-08:00

It just so happens that there is a music school about two blocks away from my place. Occasionally at night, between 8 and 10pm I hear this strange sound in the distance becoming louder. By the time it is outside my windows I can tell that it is a fife and drum marching band. I'm pretty sure that this is the school is the starting place of many a late night (perhaps somewhat intoxicated) march.
However, I can't be too sure, because just the other day and without any known reason I also saw an impromptu marching band walking Clara Platz...one of the major shopping streets.... busy with trams...and apparently fife and drum marching bands. In moments like these I am not sure if I will ever become "adjusted" to the Swiss way of life. Either way, I'm pretty sure that I'll enjoy my time standing on the sidelines in wonder and disbelief.
In fact, it is the wonder and disbelief that keeps me from becoming annoyed when they are marching around at night. I always think "this cannot be happening, there is just no way this is happening... it's not the 18th century or something... I must be hearing things..." Yet now I am sure when I begin to hear the distant music of exactly what is to come, though I still can't believe it is actually happening.

Here's what Drum and Fife UK has to say about it:
Fifes were adopted as a military tool by the Swiss in the 14th century. The shrill tones could cut through the noise of battle to relay messages to troops spread over a wide area. A fife is extremely portable and yet it can be heard over a distance of several miles. Use of the fife as a military instrument was probably spread by Swiss mercenaries who traveled and fought in battles throughout Europe. Dutch armies would have used fifes in the 1600s, although the British army didn’t adopt the use of military music until the beginning of the 18th century. Historians have uncovered fife and drum calls for all aspects of a soldier’s day, from reveille to lights out, and everything in between, but it was also used on long marches to relieve boredom, to motivate and to bring thoughts of home.

A cheap find in Basel

2009-01-12T07:44:00.000-08:00

Cheap in Switzerland? Am I hallucinating?
Manor has an outlet store, similar to Nordstrom rack, Filenes Basement…etc in the US. Now Manor Outlet doesn’t really compare since it is much much smaller, but either way, low prices in Switzerland are refreshing no matter what! Today was the first time that I ventured in and I walked out with two pairs of shoes and some kitchen supplies for under $30 CHF. --- which by the way is about the same as a meal at the corner bar.

Quick Thoughts -Shopping for wine

2009-01-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

Only in Europe is it possible to get an awesome (and by awesome I mean moderately good, but insanely inexpensive, thus upgrading the taste to wonderful) bottle of wine.

Right before my return to Switzerland, I was in Germany, looking around a supermarket trying to find a bottle of wine to give as thanks to some friends who put us up. I found a red bubbly from Italy called Lambrusco for 3Euro. Now, I couldn't get a 3Euro bottle for some friends when I had absolutely no idea what it tastes like. So I looked around some more for and found a Rojo for them----then bought that Lambrusco for myself! :p

It is a delicious red sparkling wine with it's roots in the Etruscans...apparently they were the first to decide to use the remaining portion of the grape.
It is definitely an easy drinking wine though, and doesn't require a refined palate to enjoy.

Also, all you wine drinkers out there may find this site interesting: Smooth

Basel, the city of water

2009-01-07T08:39:00.000-08:00

You might have deduced from my title that today I’m going to talk about the Rhine River. Well, save that thought for another day.

One of the things that I find so charming about Basel is that there are fountains everywhere. Everywhere! Nearly every street in Basel Stadt seems to have a fountain on it. The word on the street is that the water (unfiltered) in these fountains is so clean that people drink from them. Even though this is in Switzerland, probably one of the cleanest countries in the world, I was still a bit skeptical. About a month ago I saw a woman filling a water bottle from a fountain, and then yesterday a jogger paused for a sip. (As a side--- yes, a jogger in 25 degree weather with a layer of ice on the ground!!!) Coming from an extremely dirty city in America, this is simply amazing!

There are many styles for the fountains, some modern, some sculpture, some just functional. One of the fountains closest to my place has a little area for doggies to drink from also.

The most famous fountains are the Tingley Fountains, one in Gross Basel and one on the Klein side.

Tingley fountain
Originally uploaded by bearfont

Jean Tingley Museum Fountain
Originally uploaded by claire_hallinan

This definitely isn't apple pie!

2009-01-07T01:04:00.000-08:00

I’ve never been much of a fan of good ole American apple pie. As a matter of fact it is one of my least favorite desserts. However, the people here really know how to do wondrous things with apple… and it doesn’t stop at streusel.

At one of the restaurants that line the Rhine in Basel, Spillman, they serve “Apfel Küchli.” This is a battered and fried apple dessert similar to a stuffed doughnut. The most appealing part to me is that the apples are not cooked entirely (as in the US, they are often mushy when in desserts) so the apples are tart and tangy. Wonderful! As with any other good apple treat in this Germanic region, it is served with a vanilla sauce that will have you wondering what the big deal is with chocolate sauce. Typically after eating my dessert I continue spooning up the remainder of the vanilla sauce—it is that good!

Well, hellloooo again

2009-01-04T02:53:00.000-08:00

Sorry friends, I only now realize that I was MIA for most of the month. It's been a crazy time. I went stateside for Christmas and was busy running around visiting just about everyone that I could.
Both on the way there and return from the states I spent 24hours in transit. Aiiie. There was a big snowstorm at Newark airport and I was lucky to get outta there at 1am and land at Ft. Lauderdale by 4am. The return trip was equally tiresome and I just returned to Basel last night in the middle of the night.
This afternoon we are going to the ever beautiful Freiburg to spend time with more family!! I am looking forward to the cozy comforts of their hospitality. Hopefully this trip I can make time to take some pictures. It really is a pretty town.

It is officially winter here in CH and that part is quite noticable. Today's high is 33 and tommorow it is supposed to snow. I am hoping we can make a day trip to one of the nearby Jura slopes to ski. ---The slopes here are supposed to be pretty gentle as far as Swiss standards go and I'd like to learn before my big ski trip in March.

Quick thoughts - Shopping

2008-12-10T07:40:00.000-08:00

Stop and Smell the Cheese.... no really, just do it!

Yesterday I was grocery shopping at the local Migros (the Swiss do not pronounce the S) and saw of all things a special cheese sale. There was a marked off section and at least 12 different types of cheese on display.
I had something in mind that I wanted to make that required a semi hard cheese. So, I just grabbed the cheese that met these requirements. When I got home and opened the cheese packaging I almost gagged. Whhhhhew smelly cheese. Fortunately I wanted the cheese for a meat dish that worked fine with a strong smelly cheese. The big problem is what to do with the rest of the cheese? It certainly can't hang around the fridge smelling up the whole kitchen. aiie, so now looking for other things to make with a strong smelly cheese.

I think I've learned my lesson on this one though. Stop and smell the cheese and don't worry about what the locals think of this strange American smelling the cheese in the supermarket.

City Living in Basel - catching Christmas cheer

2008-12-09T04:49:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I like the most about my new Swiss life is living in the middle of everything. It makes me feel like I won't miss any thing, and since I am trying to see as much of Swiss culture as possible, this is very important.... as I may not be aware of what to expect.
For example, the other day water-skiing Santas were cruising the Mittlerebrucke. They were only doing this for about 15-20 minutes... evenso by the time I found out, they were gone.... maybe that was a contradictory example. In all fairness, water skiing Santas don't make a lot of noise.
However last night I did manage to catch fife pipers and a Christmas horse and carriage. The pic isn't great, but I think that it helps illustrate that this was happening RIGHT outside of my flat...even though it is an extremely small one way street. Since this was at about 19:00hr it was a nice addition to all of the festiveness of Basel. I'm not sure how I'll feel once Fasnacht rolls around and I'm awoken at 2 or 3 am on a Monday. :)

Colmar's Marchés de Noel

2008-12-09T02:11:00.001-08:00

Sunday is always a pretty quiet day around here. In Basel, as with most of Europe, all work places are closed. This includes any cultural interests such as museums and entertainment as well as shopping.
As one with a sparsely furnished apartment, I never really know what to do on a Sunday. If I try to lounge around and read I invariably get bored or too stiff (the "couch" is really a single bed with pillows) and the TV that a friend gave us is very small with about 30 channels (40% in High German, 20% Swiss German, 30% French and 10% English) so that doesn't occupy me too long either. Although as a side note I am now watching programs that I would never-ever would have watched in the US simply because are in English with German subtitles... to try to spruce up my German.

So, this past Sunday we decided to try another Weinachts Markt. This one in the nearby French town of Colmar. I've heard a lot of positive things about Colmar. My mum recommended that we make a visit and several of our new Basel acquaintances suggest it also. After looking at the Colmar tourism web page display of "des Marchés de Noël de Colmar en Alsace" I was definitely excited. Even better is that the drive is only about half an hour outside of Basel-Stadt. woohoo!!!

Colmar must have a great reputation as a Christmas destination. There were a lot of tour groups in town, most of which were Italians. Other than those small groups, everyone spoke French. Well, you say, it is in France, what did you expect?!! This is true, but being so close to the border to Germany and Switzerland I was surprised that no one was speaking German. I'm sure that they probably could if they needed to, but everyone spoke French. This creates a really nice ambiance.
One of the main advertisements about Colmar's Weinachts Markt is that there are actually 5 separate markets nestled into different corners of the city center. I'm not entirely sure if we made it to all of the various markets. Some were for knick-nacks and one for clothes, one for childrens things and of course wonderful food available everywhere. There was even an outdoor ice rink somewhere....I never did find that as I have an aversion to maps. The greatest selling point of the market is by far the quaint old fashion feel of the village, which happens to have a lot of cute little canals. Just about every building was decked out in its most festive ornaments.

This cute little gingerbread house
was one of the first to greet us.

View of one of the markets which was separated in half by a canal.

a decorated rooftop market stall.

And of course it wouldn't be a Christmas fair without all of the food and drink. In this case, since the fair is actually called Marchés de Noel, there were all sorts of French goodies. Rather then Glühwein, the drinks were a Vin Chaud in Rouge or Blanc. This is a hot spiced wine, just like Glühwein, but a little less spice, sweeter, since this is sweetened with brown sugar then it also has slices of orange and lemon. Very yummy and very light. The desserts range from standard (although not standard for the US, by any means) cakes and cookies to beignets! Oh, but not just any beignets, Alsace is after all very close to the German/Swiss border, Beignet Bretzels! Yummmm

Weinachts Markt Basel

2008-12-06T08:08:00.000-08:00

you can view the Weinachts Markt in Barfusserplatz here:
Barfusserplatz

Or info about the Christmas Market here:
Weihnachten in Basel

Driving Europe

2008-12-06T06:36:00.000-08:00

Well, just got back from London (again) and don't feel much up to posting about it. Instead I thought that now would be a good time to post on a topic that has been relevant in my travels.
Signage
Everywhere you go, there are signs to point you in the right direction. Depending on whether these directions are helpful or not you can easily find your way to what you want. For example, the signage in Heathrow in London airport is atrocious. This is partly because the airport is undergoing major renovations. My recent travels to London took me through London City Airport- directly in the heart of the city itself. It is a small airport with excellent signage and only a small amount of inconvenience. I highly recommend it if you are traveling intra-continental.
Of other signage note, one of the things that I really like about European road travel are the signs. The frequency of signs are high so that it is less likely you will miss an exit. Also if the exit has any historical or cultural significance then you will also see a brown sign. I love these signs as they actually show you a sketch of what the town has to offer. For example these:

Now, if you are just meandering about on a road trip looking for anything that seems interesting (as I tend to do,) then these brown signs are very helpful in determining a stop. I love it and briefly wondered why you don't see these sketches in the US.... then thought about what some of those signs would look like and understand perfectly why they aren't there.

Munich, Germany

2008-12-01T09:53:00.000-08:00

The little weekend getaway this weekend was to Munich. Our pretense was to spend time with a friend's family for thanksgiving, which we did. I however see any and all trips as an opportunity to see a bit more of Europe. With that in mind, I was really geared up to see Munich. I have heard so much about the city and how beautiful it is. Even more so, I was excited to have authentic tour guides. Our friends have been living there for almost 10 years now.
Of course those plans didn't exactly pan out. They have three kids and are now fully in parenting mode. Their days were completely booked with kid activities ala soccer moms. In the end, we only spent one afternoon in Munich stadt. It's somewhat disappointing, but on the bright side, I'm sure we'll be back again.
Our brief little walking tour was around the Marienplatz area. The town halls were very attractive. It was extra nice this time of year with the Weinachts markt.

Indoor Baseball in Germany

2008-12-01T02:11:00.000-08:00

While visiting friends in Munich, we went to the oldest son's indoor Baseball league. It was a very surprising experience. This all American sport isn't even incredibly popular state-side any more. However, this new variation is huge in Germany. At this all day event there must have been at least two dozen teams playing rounds. Each game only lasts about 45 minutes. The bases are much closer together and so there is only one outfielder. The strangest part though, is that the umpire is the pitcher. They gently lob the ball into the air from their position at home plate. As the pitcher, they are allowed to throw the ball at any time. Thus, if the kid next up is too slow coming to bat, they may throw the ball anyway and "strike" the batter (who is MIA) out! The reverse then is also true. If a batter is ready and so is the ump, then it doesn't matter if all the kids are on the field yet. This keeps the game moving very quickly and the kids motivated to pay attention the entire game. The kids loved it and everyone got a chance to make a play.

The holiday season is upon us

2008-12-01T00:20:00.000-08:00

For some reason, even without Thanksgiving as a marker, everywhere in Europe uses the last week (specifically the last Friday of November) as the time to really go gung-ho with Christmas decorations.
Each city that I traveled through this past weekend had Christmas lights, lanterns and trees up. In Basel you will see huge, cut trees on every street corner. Initially that was all, but now the trees have been decorated, each one with a different take. The Rathaus has bright red ornaments, some only have lights and one around the corner from me looks like children decorated it will ornaments of all shapes and sizes. Just today, they also added strange spiky bulbs to the street lights. I'll have to try to take a picture later.
The main shopping areas have lighted arches that have either stars or snowflakes decorating them. The Mittlere Brucke is lighted with long drippy icicles.

No Shame in the Chronic

2008-11-26T02:25:00.000-08:00

People in Switzerland are quite open about smoking marijuana. I don't know if there is anything officially on the law books about it, but people openly smoke.

Which, to an American, is strange in itself. However the even stranger part is that there doesn't seem to be any consistency among who, when or where people smoke. You will easily see both young and old smoking anytime of the day on the Rhine River Banks. Also, at normal, everyday cafes and restaurants, or sometimes on the street, you may smell someone lighting up. The youngest I've seen are teenagers and the oldest in their mid seventies.
So don't be surprised if you smell something funny in the air.

Expensive, or really expensive?

2008-11-25T12:22:00.000-08:00

Today went to the pet store and bought Mo a bag of dog food. It worked out well at Zoo Dunkle and the store actually carries the same exact brand of dog food Mo has been eating for nearly a year now.
The shocker came at the cash register. This same exact dog food that I buy in the US usually runs for about $25, sometimes less if on sale. Today that dog food cost $97CHF... that's about $80... over three times as much.
I was actually really surprised by this. First of all, it's dog food, just dry dog kibble, not pate or anything. Secondly, the rest of the grocery store prices seem generally just marginally more expensive. Sometimes there is a shocker, like $4 for celery (uhhh I guess that is a specialty item) but most of the time supermarket prices seem only a few dollars more.

Maybe dog food should be bought in Germany. hmmm. something to consider.

Weekend visit to Freiburg, Germany

2008-11-24T10:56:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, made plans to see some friends and family in Freiburg Germany. Basel is in such a great location. It took us 5 minutes to get out of Switzerland and over the border to Germany. The whole trip took maybe 45 minutes. The border patrol was a breeze. Maybe it is because I look Swiss/ German enough, or maybe it is because I am still remembering to bring my passport with me! Either way it is wonderful!

Freiburg is such a picturesque town. It looks very fairytale - esque except for a few modern buildings. The city center seems to be very small, although Freiburg itself is in fact larger than Basel. I think this is because the residential areas are very open. Larger streets with plenty of green space.

The day that we went was predicting snow. All over the region snow was quickly accumulating... except Basel and Freiburg. However, the snow was falling and it was cold enough that you needed to bundle up.

The Christmas market or "Weihnachtsmarkt" was not yet set up... that doesn't happen in many places until the last week in November. (This week!!) However, we did go to the standard market which is held near Freiburg's Cathedral Square or "Münsterplatz." The market is bustling with Gemüse (vegetable) stands on one half and fleish (meat) on the other. Interspersed are all kinds of other items for sale.
I tried the Neu Wine which is juice that has just begun the fermenting process. It is very tangy, so be prepared!
Then we were off to a traditional German restaurant.
Overall the city bewitched me. It may have been the NeuWine, or the snowflakes falling while strolling the market, or it could have been the architecture with the lofty hillside hotel watching over. Either way it was lovely and I can't wait to go back again. Next time hopefully I will be able to take some pictures. For now, enjoy these from manuela bacsik complements of Flickr:

Gate of the Shwabs - Schwabentor in Freiburg
Originally uploaded by manuela bacsik

Freiburg Kommerzhaus
Originally uploaded by manuela bacsik

London sights and sounds

2008-11-20T00:04:00.000-08:00

The first day in London was a Monday and boy was it quiet! I wonder if that was because some people made it a long weekend. I'm not complaining, this made it very easy to get around.

First we went to the British Museum, which was very close to the hotel. We decided on the Parthenon exhibit because Maren was recently in Greece and saw the structure. Then we looked at the Middle East exhibit, as I am completely obsessed with the Ottoman empire.
Next -- to the London Eye. Everyone I know suggested we go to the London Eye. It really is a great suggestion. Not only can you view some of the best London sites from the sky, it is also great orientation to the city in general.
For example: I had no idea we were so close to Westminster Abbey until the ride.
So that's where we went next. I was expecting the tour of the Abbey to be about an hour. Well you can choose the inclusive tour or a highlights only tour. The regular tour ran about two hours! It was a very interesting tour, especially if you enjoy UK history. Many historical people are buried under the church, from dignitaries to scientists to poets. One of the funniest to me was that Oliver Cromwell was buried there for only a few years, then dug up, hung and decapitated and hung in Westminster Hall.
Lastly, we went to the Tate Modern Art museum. There is so much to do there that we spent most of the day. I do recommend taking a break at some point and going up to the top floor restaurant. There is a beautiful view overlooking the Thames, and it is a great point to recharge.

London Trip!

2008-11-18T00:47:00.000-08:00

It's a bit strange to be in London. I've been in Europe for only a few weeks, but was still excited to be in the "English" element. Not having to worry about being understood is freeing. However, I think I took for granted that London would be nearly the same as any large American city. It's not. It is still pretty European. Which is nice, but jarring.
There are plenty of things that are different. Obviously the whole driving thing. I thought that only mindless Americans forget that the cars drive on the opposite side of the road, and that anyone with two brain cells could easily adapt to the British way. Well, either that is not the case, or I have the said two brain cells. While I realize that the traffic is different and that I should be careful when crossing the street I still need a few moments to figure out the direction of traffic... particularly if cars are not yet visible.
Two bits that seem distinctly European to me: The restaurants close between lunch and dinner. Again, I took for granted that the attitude would be similar to Americans and that whatever I want would be available whenever I want it. Lastly, and this is the big one to me... the housekeeping staff at the hotel is a bit paternal. In the states, 98% of hotel housekeeping merely cleans the room and makes the bed. Overseas, they want to organize all of your personal effects for you. While superficially this seems nice, I would rather keep my privacy. It's weird to know that someone has been going through your things and moving them around. Particularly toothbrushes. Hey, call me obsessive compulsive, but the unknown and germs and my toothbrush freaks me out. On this visit to London, housekeeping even moved some of my computer items into my bag. weird.

Anyway, I promise the next post will be more about London and site seeing!

Caffé-Restaurant zum Schmale Wurf

2008-11-17T00:20:00.000-08:00

After reading Balehoo's favorable review of Caffé-Restaurant zum Schmale Wurf I decided to try it myself. It certainly doesn't hurt that it is right down the street! I went for lunch, but it looks as though they have one menu for both lunch and dinner. Don't forget to ask for or read the chalkboard for the daily specials... which are pasta dishes that come with either a soup or salad.
The service staff does not speak much English..which is good and forces me to work on my terrible German. After a question about a dish's ingredient that couldn't be answered by the wait staff the chef came out to try to help. At which time we discovered that the chef is from southern Italy. (My dinning partner is fluent in Italian)The concept of the restaurant is for the chef to do dishes that best represent the various regions of Italy and additionally a few dishes that blend Italian and German style pastas.
I was quite pleased and incredibly stuffed. So far, in my Swiss experience, service particularly in bars and restaurants has been pretty poor. The service staff here was an exception. They were quick, friendly and eager to wait on us. Most dishes on the menu were in the $20CHF range with a few specialties up to $35CHF. A great deal considering the size of the portions.

I ordered a German style pasta noodle in a white wine sauce with cherry tomatoes and mushrooms. My guy ordered a spicy spagetti. Both of us also had the tomato soup... and I must say, this 'aint your grandma's tomato soup. Very nice, very rich and certainly as homemade as the pasta!

They also have a large dinning area outside along the Rhine... I can only imagine how lovely it must be in the spring. As it was a sunny Fall day, there were still plenty of locals and tourists mingling outside.

Basler: 1. someone from Basel , 2. heavenly pastry

2008-11-14T02:04:00.000-08:00

Move over Berliner, there is a new specialty pastry in town! I have had Berliners occasionally over the past few years. They are basically the better than average jelly filled doughnut. When walking Mo from the vet this morning, I saw a Backeri that looked particularly good and decided to try a "Basler." You know, the whole when in Rome...
It could have been hard and crunchy and dry, but oh no it was delicious! Pure deliciousness.

It is generally like a long cinnamon bun, with a soft moist center and more well done edges. The inside has a squishy almond paste and the entire thing is topped with roasted sugar rolled almonds. Ah, heaven!
Needless to say, you must like almonds for this pastry, but if you do, then I highly recommend it.

First three days

2008-11-13T04:59:00.000-08:00

Made it to Basel in one piece. The whole process was ridiculously smooth. No problems with customs as we crossed the border. At the apartment, the woman was there on time to hand off the keys. In spite of hearing horror stories about parking in Basel, we were able to easily find parking. We circled around for about 10 minutes and found a "white" parking space without a meter. It was perhaps a five minute walk from our apartment. This also gave us the first opportunity to get to know our immediate community....which is mainly shops. This turns out to be a pretty good thing, as I'll explain sometime later.

The first day we tried to get a cell phone. There are three providers, Orange, SwissCom and Sunrise. SwissCom as a government outfit was of course the most orderly. When you enter the store you must take a number for service. Talk about Swiss! Since this is government run, it is also the most expensive. Orange also had great service personnel but didn't have a very friendly international plan. In general, an international plan is very important since Switzerland is such a small country. Many of the providers also offered decent rates with Germany. Sunrise has some of the least expensive plans, but i wonder if sales service is the trade off. It doesn't matter right now anyway because to get a cell phone plan, you must show your Swiss visa.... which I don't have yet...since the University hasn't finalized my paperwork.
We will be leaving town almost as soon as we got here. This coming weekend we must go to London for business. Since that is in the UK, we cannot take Mo doggity with us. Quickly we have to find a place to board Mo for the weekend. We asked a woman at the pet store for suggestions. She didn't seem particularly helpful... most likely since she thought we would not be doing business with her. Her suggestion was the Tier Heim--- which turns out to be the same thing as the ASPCA back in the states. Suprisingly, yes, they also board pets. Mo has an appointment to be dropped off on Samstag Abend(Saturday evening) and picked up on Dienstag (Tuesday) We just need to double check that all of his papers are in order. One of the cool things about Switzerland is that there is actually a law that requires all animals to have a certain amount of human contact each day. So I have no fear that Mo will love his stay.
whew. I'm too tired to write anymore today. X's

Quick catch up

2008-11-07T03:01:00.000-08:00

The past few days have been a total whirlwind. Tuesday I voted, finished packing and stayed up late to see who won the election. Yay someone that I voted for actually won! This is the first time since I've been able to vote!
Wednesday was the day we flew out of Dulles. First, we entered the International line at United. An employee showed us to the electronic line...which was pretty long. We waited our turn, but when it was time to sign in using the computer we were unable to check in. Finally I realized that since we were bringing a pet, we had to see a real person who would verify all of the dog's paperwork. aiiie. So --get into line to see a real person. All of Mo's paperwork was fine, which was something that I was definitely worried about. However, as expected, all of our checked bags were massively overweight. If a bag is 50 lbs it considered overweight.
Well, the empty bags were 25lbs, so of COURSE a filled bag was over 50. A bag over 50 but under 70 was an additional $50. In contrast, if the bag was over 70lbs the fee was $300!!!! So all of our bags would cost about $1k. What the holy hell?!!! So we "re-cajiggered" the contents until all of the bags would be under 70lbs each. In the end it was actually kind of funny. I have to take a fair amount of books because I'm traveling to Basel first and foremost to do a literary criticism thesis on Joyce Carol Oates. Therefore it made the most sense to stuff all of the heavy books into my carry-on. "Any one on this plane need any reading material?!!"
Mo was amazing on the plane ride. The trip is about 8 hours and I felt really bad for the poor pup. The airline insists that the dogs must stay entirely in their carrier the whole trip. Mo didn't complain at all. No whimpering or scratching or barking. Just perfect pup.
Customs in Frankfurt was thankfully a breeze. Again, no problems due to Mo. Anything that involves bureaucracy makes me incredibly nervous. Adding to that proclivity for nervousness, is the language barrier. My German still stinks. So, I was sure customs would be a problem but instead it was super fast and without a second glance.
We will be staying in Cologne a few days with friends before driving to Switzerland on Monday. While I am thankful to have a little stop off before feeling thrust into the new world it is also a bit hard to be a house-guest right now. I don't want to worry about being social or if Mo will get into trouble. I'd rather just relax and explore my new world. That said, it is nice to have all the amenities and comforts of a home here (which I will have to gather on my own in CH)and an immediate social life.

Madeismo- Family History

2008-10-01T08:03:00.001-07:00

Un giorno in montagna
Originally uploaded by biosamu

Fazendin/Fatschandin /Faschendin from Isola (Insula) now Madesimo, Italy 1541

News from my Basel friend

2008-08-28T10:42:00.000-07:00

A friend in Basel is going to hook us up with his place. He and his wife were planning on moving because they just had a baby and the current place is too small for them.

This is his description:

In total approximately 100 sq. meters surface
One big dining/living room, 2 bedrooms, 1 office, big kitchen, rather small bathroom. In the center of Klein-Basel (the Messe side of the Rhine), 100 meters to the Rhine, ancient quarter - the house was built in the 16th century (maybe even 15th). The apartment is very charming - but not modern. An own tumbler / washing machine in the kitchen, dishwasher too. Old and very nice parquet in all rooms, unfortunately no balcony. Shopping at 200 m, Cable TV with german, french and some english channels.

Yay! As long as Mo is allowed - then I'm there. It is so close to the Rhine and the central bridge it would be pretty easy to commute to school!

Friends and Family

2007-12-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

It seems highly likely that I'll be moving to Switzerland by the end of the summer. The only potential hang up is finishing my MLA thesis on time. My parents are a bit excited about the whole thing. Both my parents are longing to become expatriates, so they are a bit jealous that I'd be a step closer than they are. My Dad is excited because I would be going to CH to work on my doctorate and would be the first on his side of the family. My Mum is excited since her side of the family is actually from CH... coming from Zug, Teufen, Bern, Winterthur and EndHoni primarily. I'm excited because the Swiss have somehow managed to be something unique and totally unlike any other culture as well as blending in a bit of French, German and Italian. It is also nice that CH is so close to all of the other places that I would like to travel to, making it easy to make weekend trips to see friends in other European countries.