Horilibrau:Bierfäscht

Fischenthal Brewing Hörnlibräu had its annual party, Bierfäscht on August 21st. Ruth and I joined our friends for a real treat. Mario and Manual brewed six of the tastiest beers we had in Switzerland. They roasted a cow, had tents, and a special bar made for the event. They also played a game called Nägelhauen (pictured below), a common bar game where you try to hammer nails into a stump with a pointy hammer (?). Most of the town seemed to show up. We will miss our friends and good times they shared with us. P.S. Congratulations T and M.

New / Old Gate

Mountain biking and hiking in Switzerland you get use to go through fenced in areas. Turnstyles, metal, and wooden gates are all used. Many of them are spring loaded. This system of boards and slats was unique though. Hikers can swing their legs over it when it is closed. With a dog or bike you just slide the boards back making an opening (as shown above).

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The board of acres steps for hikers tons climb more over them.

Shooting Range Visit

After wondering about what goes on in a Swiss shooting range all year, we finally just went and asked what was going on. The gun club was having a competition and were kind enough to let us go in and see for ourselves. Shot guns and ominous looking assault-style rifles were being used to shoot at targets 300 meters away. Automatic recorders tallied the score with 10 rounds. A bull's-eye was 10 points. If someone shot an 84 (total points), they got a round of local cheese. In an attached tent, members sipped on wine and talked around tables while waiting for their turn.

I am glad we asked . . . I could get interested in any sport that gave cheesey prizes! When telling this story, one Swiss friend added that all men of military age were required to practice shooting. Once they shot 84 they were done. Every community has a range to make it easy to practice. I must admit, I like a country that wants all their gunmen to have a 'B', before they pass.

Bergweg

The red and white strips show you the way in the high mountains. The colors remains you were you are... Switzerland.

Sounen

In the drier parts of Switzerland, Suonen (channels) were built to capture water from drainage and bring the water to another watershed.  Some (not this one) are hundreds of years old.

Oh boy, Cutting on a slope

It is grass cutting season in the mountains now. I learned that all farmers seem to use the same equipment. These walk-behinds seem to be the favorite. This farmer added a steel spiked attachment to the wheels (on the high side) to keep his traction on the steep hillside.

Swiss Photovoltaics

It is pretty common to see solar panels on roof tops here. This company strung up a series from cables (so they can be positioned toward the sun) above thier storage lot.

New Hydro

Small hydro, geothermal, and solar power are all gaining popularity here in Switzerland. This new shop/house has a metal waterwheel installed to make electricity. The owner was very proud, he designed it himself. Unterwasser, SG.

House wrapped in fire wood.

Nehe Unterwasser, Ein haus in Cheminholz geklopt . . Schone!

TV - Synchronized Roller Blading

Italian TV, available here in Switzerland, Is always worth taking a look. So often, I say, "I can't believe people do this", and "How did they get a national TV company to show it?". Things like synchronized roller blading or dogs racing through obstacle races...

Kyburg WyStubi: Making Friends

Just about every town in the Zurich Oberland has a small public building, close to the town square. At one time the one pictured here housed the communal milk house, as was typical. This building was fixed up and made into a wine tasting room. Michel and his wife put out a bench once a month and allow the public to try their Lac Leman wines. It made a great stop on our local bicycle ride.

I Don't Understand: Attention Frogs

Is there a problem with cars sliding on frogs and getting into accidents? (sorry I couldn't help it). What do you when you see frogs? Do all Swiss know what to do? I am glad to say no frogs have been injured by the Sofields in Switzerland.

Fancy Swiss Salad

Whole leaves, separated veggies and dressed is what I am told is the norm.

Bomb Shelter now Wine storage.

Every house/apartment built between1968-2001 in Switzerland has a bomb shelter able to withstand a blast from a 50 megatonne explosion at a distance of 700 meters. I have read the Swiss have the highest ratio of shelter space to national population of any country.

With the cold war over and the added cost of constructing and stocking a bomb shelter, the rule was repealed. Now most bomb shelters have been converted to new spaces. Our apartment building has one (pictured). Wooden storage lockers were constructed inside (one for each tenant) - and serve dual purposes. For emergencies, ours has the emergency blankets for all of the building. They also make nice ski lockers and storage bins for Swiss who have gone 'ubershopping' at a Costco-like store across the border in Germany. I personally think that a wine cellar makes the most sense for new uses.

It has it's place, Fiona

On the right, the omnipresent green Robidog dog waste collection box. The Swiss have an effective campaign going, where dog waste is collected in the green boxes separately from other waste. Bags for collecting the "deposits" are free and dispensed from a pouch on the side of the Robidog. If you ever need one I have at least two in my pocket ready to use. Can I be considered a Swiss Dog owner yet?

There are about 30k of these boxes around Switzerland, the bag, and poo goes to power-generating incinerators, where they are mixed with other wastes and burnt.

To the left, a ToiToi (Honey Bucket) out on the trail in case you had to much Gluhwein. It is dressed up to Davos-style standards.

Black Gold:

Peat based soil found in the Swiss Mittelands, is used for growing salat and this (winter nussli). However it a geotechical nightmare to build rail lines and roads on.

Old Fire house:

Built before fire hydrants and fire companies.  Two built the built to house a pump and canvas hoses. The fountain (with reservoir basin) in front is to draw water from.

Cat walks:

 It is common to see these additions to apartments.

Schwiezer Chicken!

Thursday 28.10.10: Schwiezer Chicken! (imagine the sound track to wonder-woman playing in the background). Watch out KFC, you are being upstaged by one Swiss entrepreneur.  www.natura-gueggeli.ch (natural chicken in schwiezer-deutsche) is selling franchises and has a nifty on-line crime novel-iggi. The teaser for the novel translates to, “Immerse yourself in an exciting adventure with Grill Rooster ™ Agent James and his charming assistant Poulette Rotissario ™. Chicken stock is a continuing crime story. It's about power, money, manipulation, chicken mafia and trying the best quality Swiss chicken.” What else can I say? About the vehicle in the picture... it is a Mercedes-Benz mobile Chicken Roaster with a large Swiss-flag chicken mounted to the top. No translation needed.

September Daily Pics

In September, I started posting pictures on Facebook to share. Eventually, I figured out how to make and post to a blog. Here are the posts I made to Facebook. En Guete!

Welcome: This photo is out of sequence. But it is so cool. Rain and clouds in the Southern Alps could not ruin this sunny day in der Val de Unterschachen, Uri and the light on the waterfall in the midground.

Friday 17.9.10: Brooken Haus. Ruth and I made quick friends with the local 'used store' (think Goodwill) we have an apartment to furnish and the rental car to move items. I used our camera and Ruth's hand signs to remember the sofa options and their price. Fondue Set .. .. Check!

Sunday 9.19.10: Farm Stand. Sunday I went for a road bike ride on one of the national bike routes. Well signed, the routes are popular with bikers and keep to bike paths and quiet backroads. Along the route, farmers have set up stands. This one sold eggs, jams, and fruit syrups. Note to self: bring a bag to carry home the fresh good I find while biking!

Monday 20.9.10: Ruth’s First Trip to work. Fiona and I walk Ruth to the Bahnhof (9 minutes). Fiona was willing to wait right there for Ruth to return. Zurich's commuter rail system is great. 20-25 minutes to Zurich, Ruti, Winterthur. Trains leave every half-hour from our town.

Tuesday 21.9.10: Tuesday Night Ride. I found out about a Tuesday night ride starting 5 minutes from home. Lead by Mac, we had a great ride in the hills west of home, Fehraltorf. Not much single track here.

Wednesday 22.9.10: Local Viewpoint, Scheidegg. With foul weather on the way, I took off for a bike ride. I fed my obsession for climbing hills with this doozy. Roads are steep here in Switzerland 450 meters in 3.8 kms . . ouch. I learned not many people cycle up to the nearby high points. However, you are likely to find a restaurant with plenty of people enjoying the view even on a Wednesday. There were a group of Para-gliders as well. Enjoy the view toward Zurichsee and the Alps.

Thursday 23.9.10: Local Farm. Our new friend Iris, told us about her friend who has a orchard and make great bread. It didn’t take long for us to find it. Yummy Williamsbiren (pears), Rubinolo Apfelds (new type of apple), and Italian plums.

Friday 24.9.10: Functional Sculpture. Plenty of creative people making a living.

Tuesday 28.9.10: Fountains. I just realized there are bunch of Fountains in Fehraltorf (more than most towns).

Saturday: 25.9.10: Southern Escape. With the advice of a new friend Tara, we took the train south to Ticano, Swiss’s Italian speaking Canton on the south side of the alps, to escape some pretty heavy rain on the north side of the Alps. Lots of firsts for Fiona; first train station, escalator, bus, tram, Swiss goats, and mountain hut. It was hard to pick just one picture from this day. But I had to pick this plate of Risotto and Wurst, Malaise style. The wine I hiked/ tramed up from the town Monte Carasso.

Sunday 26.9.10 Mountain Light: Strong winds last night due to the low pressure north of the Alps spilling in to the Southern Alps. I am glad we were in this mountain hut.

Monday 27.9.10 Family Vineyards: The tram provided a unique view of these family wine plots. Bellizona, the city, is in the distance. In this region, middle class families come to these vineyards to relax and enjoy the land. This weekend was harvest time and the whole family seemed to be involved.

Tuesday 28.9.10 Photo from the top of Griggo, 2100 m.

Wednesday 29.9.10 Well maintained yard for everyone to enjoy. Thanks. - Oberholz, Wald, ZH.

Thursday 30.9.10: Urnasher VechSchau. The three us got up early and took a wonderful 2-hour train to Apenzeller with the intent of seeing a cow show. Apenzeller is a region with a strong tie to tradition and we were not let down by the day's festivities. We were in Urnasch, a small town below the the Santis Massif. Everyone was getting ready for the event when we arrived. There was lots of activity in the town when we arrived, wetting the street (cow poop is easier to clean off wet streets), and setting up booths for food and crafts to sell. The town's center was set up with corrals and plenty of fresh hay. Within the hour, the parade began from different farms east and west, all headed to town.

Men and boys, wore traditional knickers,vests, and hats. Girls, handmade dresses. Each participating farm had only small variations to a customary procession that included: 1) a young boy leading the way followed by a herdlet of goats; 2) well dress young men singing and leading the 8-15 best cows; 3) The train ended with an older man (and often his dog) to keep the cows on course.