Just Because

With my mood not being so splendid today for no apparent reason, I figured at least I'd celebrate by coloring my post with pictures that make me smile and feel wonderful inside. I came across these two pics while I was trying to go through all of my Swiss pics and pick out everything great that I had taken from France.

With such remarkable weather last weekend in Vancouver, I was really happy to get in a few shots of the beauty outside. I think this weekend might be reserved to a bit of reading and learning via the Nikon E-book.

I was a bit hesitant on posting this photograph but upon second look at it, I thought just maybe it's good enough to post. The pink colors are my favs when the sun sets like that...

Shopping on Sunday?

If you have ever been to Switzerland, then you know that shopping on Sunday is quite hard to do. You won't find normal shops open at all and what little you will find is basically just from a gas station or large train stations such as Zurich.

Now the trading debate is going to be up for vote on November 27 once again. This is in reaction to a fair amount of people who are against Sunday Shopping. If the vote succeeds, then shops in major railway stations and airports with sales of more than SFr20 million ($15.5 million) would be allowed to open on Sunday. Presently there are already 7 railway stations which already provide these services.

Personally, I think this is what makes Europe/Switzerland so unique. I enjoy not being able to shop on Sundays and do think people only have to schedule their weeks a bit more catered towards getting your shopping done before Sunday. It's really not that hard, but you do have to get used to it.

Dusty The Fire Investigator

When I read this story, I knew I had to share it. For all of you animal lovers, here is a great Swiss Info story to read.

The city of Neuchetel has a new fire investigator, of the 4 legged kind. A for year old springer spaniel named Dusty is on the job investigating fires in Switzerland these days. Dusty's photo courtesy of keystone.

Dusty is a well needed addition to the fire force at this time because he has the ability to detect fire accelerants such as gasoline more accurately and quicker than what the latest technologies can do today.

The popularity has grown enough to introduce fire investigation dogs in other cantons as well. Currently Soluthurn and Schwyz now have fire dogs and Bern and Vaud have two in training.

A Good Change

Tonight while I was browsing a few blogs, I came across an new bloggers page that I just loved. So I decided to investigate and sure enough, I was able to change my template to something different and what I think is really cool. Thanks Marisa from apt2024 for pointing out where you got your new template.

I'm still changing a few things, but thankfully I got my comments back up and everything else seems to be working now..

If you'd like to change your template, here are the steps to do so.

Rain and Static Electricity

This rainy morning I found two great things about Expats and other countries. Given the rain, it inspired me to find some type of Swiss Photo or rain from my walks outside during this time of the year. This particular photo is out looking towards Evian Les Bains on the Lake Leman just outside of my house.

Maybe if you are an expat, there are a few places who actually want you! Check it out if you'd like...

I also read about an Australian man who had enough static electricity to cause a rug to catch on fire as he walked into the building. As autumn and winter comes around, make sure you don't wear a synthetic nylon jacket and a woollen shirt at the same time as that could just happen to you. I'm sure it's just pure luck that this happened. So strange - Make sure you check out the odd story.

How to Win a Beauty Contest

When most people think of a beauty contest, they normally think of a woman who is young and vibrant and beautiful with life. But a beauty contest of this sort in Switzerland isn't exactly what was up for grabs in this years 2005 historical "beauty contest". The heritage prize is awarded by the Swiss branch for the International Council on Monuments and Sites. The 450-year-old restaurant in canton of Appenzell, Urwaldhaus restaurant, won this year's top heritage "beauty" prize in tourism.

The Appenzell restaurant was built as a farmhouse back in 1550 but was eventually transformed into a restaurant in 1805. Last year extensive renovation and restoration took place to make sure it withheld it's 450 year old luster. I'd imagine there is a lot of beauty, networking and work that goes into winning a Swiss prize like this, just like a normal beauty contest.

Free Trade For US and Swiss?

According to a report by Swiss Info, the Swiss government has its eyes on talks with Washington on a free-trade agreement. The two countries will decide whether or not to enter into negotiations for a free-trade agreement in early 2006.

The report in short states an extremely valuable deal for both sides would be had. Industries which would profit the most from a free-trade agreement with the US would be the Swiss watch industry as well as the pharma- and chemicals industries.

One basic problem is with Swiss farmers who fear an open the domestic market could lead to cheap imports of US cereals, maize or rice. On the flip side the US is quite critical of Swiss agricultural subsidies. I'm sure there's more considering the way they have treated Canada with it's cattle.

Sunset

Sunset
Originally uploaded by thnkfst.

Now only if I had a view like this every night.. This was something of what we got to see over the weekend. I saw something like this view as well while we were on our plane ride to Switzerland. The colors were unbelievable. Only if I could have had a tripod in the plane that day...

Missing Biking Trails

With the abundance of cars here in Vancouver, it really makes me a bit scared riding my bike around the flood of traffic. There are a few areas that veer from the car fumes but nothing like it was like in Switzerland.

As here in Vancouver, we have the Sea Wall to ride around with only pedestrians and roller bladers. This is much like it is in Switzerland. As you can see from my bike being near the rocks, I had to stop to take a few pics with the boats around. The particular trail I was on is from Clarens, CH to Villeneuve. From there you go to the Rhone Trail which actually goes quite far possibly to Brig. Usually my bike ride would take me about 37 km for my round trip ride. It was so lovely and scenic and best of all most of the time I was on a biking trail without cars.

Since I've become more of a fair weather person, I'm probably not going to be biking until next year when I figure out a few better trails that are car free here in Vancouver. Yeah I know funny since I'm close to the mountains, Grouse and Lynn Valley...

On This Day...

Well after having a lovely weekend of picture taking and practicing, I'm ready to post a few photos of what I was doing back on this exact day in 2002. My photos of the weekend were all right. But I'd still say they were below par for what I am looking for. Our weekend was full of visits to parks and the beach and just sunny and lovely weather. Really I've got to either take a class with my new camera to really learn how to use it or buy an ebook which supposedly has incredible reviews from the Nikon fans.

On this day back in 2002, I was still living in Montreux. It was a rather rainy morning with a dusting of snow on the tips of the mountains. Fall weather was definitely in the air. The first photo is what I'd see stepping out of my door.

As we set off for our daily walk, there was a bit of sun peaking through. This is a view from one of the mountain quai's which we walked down almost daily to get to the waterfront. It's quite a steep walk and adorable littleman always ahead of me...

After a 25 or so minute walk to this point, this is the pure beauty on a relatively rainy day of what you get to see. It's pure paradise in my eyes any way you look at it. I think the fact that you can walk quietly without being disturbed is part of the perk that makes it all that.

This photo is a zoom in of the light dust from the night before. The area in the background is just a bit above Glion.

Photo Tour

I practiced some photography this weekend and was able to catch this bird eating. The next photo I captured my favorite type of plant. It's one that feels all fuzz and makes you wish you could just feel it all day long...

I'll post a few more photos on flickr.

Why I miss Basel

At times photos are all what you need to explain why my time in and near Switzerland I miss so much. The first photo is the view at sunset from my house in Village Neuf, France. It's about 5 minutes drive to Switzerland from there.


This next photo is the view from my appartment. Look how far it took me to go for a run or a walk. I'd say about 2 seconds!

All of the beauty just a mere walk away..

The beautiful village of Huningue

Swiss Vote Yes to EU Accord

Switzerland voted this Sunday whether or not to extend a labour accord with the European Union to the ten new EU member states. The French and German areas of Switzerland voted "yes" while the Italian area voted against. There were only 7 cantons who were not in favor.

So what does this all mean for the future of Switzerland?

A labour accord between Switzerland and the new EU member states will be gradually extended to eastern Europe. The new EU members include the three Baltic republics (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia), Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Malta and Cyprus.

Many Swiss fear there could be a flood of immigrants as a result of economic growth brought on by this "yes" vote. The reason why the Swiss agreed is because it is thought that instead, the "yes" vote will only strengthen Switzerland as a country for the future. One of the reasons for this confidence may be in part because the Swiss parliament also approved a series of measures to prevent salary dumping and an undercutting of labour standards.

Certainly, the Swiss will be watching out for wage dumpings as this has already happened with the case of Schumacher just recently.

Will Real Estate Ever Go South

I finally got to reading one of my favorite only magazines this morning : Escape Artist Quarterly Real Estate Issue. If you only read it for the entertainment, it's well worth a few laughs to say the least. They usually have at least 1 or 2 articles worth reading. The articles of interest to me were from Antibes and housing real estate in the US.

Here are some shocking facts.

You can buy a mobile home in Malibu California for 1 million dollars, and that doesn't even get you the ownership of the land. Antibes is a great place to visit but if you don't speak a lot of french, well you might just be in trouble. Supposedly the government offers 200 free hours of french lessons for integration. Why wasn't I ever given that option????

As well, only 50% of people in the US can afford a house. That number jumps to only 17% if you live in California! Maybe that's one reason why I don't live there!

While the prices of houses have risen a whopping 40% last year, the increase of wages has only gone up 10.4%. I'd like to know why salaries haven't kept up with housing costs!

With an average price of more than 800,000 in Switzerland, I'd still say it's a toss up between California and Switzerland for high prices of housing. Well that might be out done by Singapore or Japan...

Makes me think I should get running onto other things for the day....

Swiss Guards Celebrate 500 years

January 2006 will mark 500 years of guarding the Vatican for Switzerland and the Swiss Guards who have stood loyal to their duties. Lucerne is currently celebrating the mark of the 500th anniversary already. Roughly every two years, a change of guards takes place and the following stipulations have to be met to even become a guard at the Vatican.

Swiss Guards
Originally uploaded by garden2day.

There are a maximum of 110 Swiss Guards who guard the Pope.

1. Candidates have to be Swiss, Catholic, under 30 and at least 174cm tall.
2. Recruits must be single but can marry later.
3. Payment is SFr1,800 per month, which is much lower than what the cost of living really permits.
4. Guards must serve at least two years.

Luckily they do get to play certain games such as European football, do a bit of running and are encouraged to get involved with other activities. Surely, if they weren't aloud to do any of this, I'm not sure how any of them would survive a 2 year span of duties....

Swiss Pavillion Success in Aichi

There's a great article today in Swiss Info about the Swiss World expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan. I've heard the Swiss Exhibit wasn't the only popular pavillion. The expo was such a success that all targets were completely exceeded.

Some rough points.
The pavillion was shaped in the form of a swiss mountain.
More than 20 million people attended.
And there have been as much as 2 hour waits in the last 2 weeks.

The World Expo will come to a close this weekend in Aichi, Japan. Those people who were able to experience such a great exhibit are beyond lucky.

Work Permits

I've been working on small issues lately on my work permit as it's getting closer to my renewal date, or at least I thought so.... I called the Immigration office and I was treated human like! It was such a relief, it actually got me a bit excited.

I was actually a bit stunned because I'm always treated like an idiot. This is my second great experience with Immigration Canada and such a nice change to all other immigration offices I've EVER had to deal with. Really, I'm so stunned at how nice Canadians are towards my questions which are specific to me and cannot be answered via any website.

So who has treated me so badly - It's not really that hard to figure out.
US Consulate - no surprise here.
French Consulate - I was treated more like every person should know the obvious answer. Just think - it should pop out of your ass soon!

Swiss Consulate - Although my experiences here in Switzerland were much better than all of my other experiences, I've still felt incredibly uncomfortable at all times. I've also heard many horror stories from numerous friends who have had a few issues themselves.

Here are 3 cool pictures to end the day..

The above pic is an August Sunset in Lausanne


Jen Standing Atop Hard Kulm - Interlaken on a Cloudy Day


Terrace view Interlaken

Imagine a Car-Free Day

It's so tough for me to imagine a day without zooming cars everywhere. Not in Switzerland. BUT at least in North America where public transportation is a far cry from "good". I've lived in California for most of my life and if you were to ask anyone what type of transportation they use, I would bet 98% would say their own car (minus San Francisco).

I guess the only way you can really make sure people use public transportation is to force it upon them when parking is practically impossible. Well I guess there are a few places where you just want to use public transport that I know of. That would be San Francisco, Paris, England, the Netherlands and New York City, and by choice in Switzerland..

I'd love to see the world using public transport as much as they do in Switzerland, even if you settle for riding your bike everywhere too. It brings back such great memories with all of my many bike rides from Switzerland to France to Germany or the Netherlands and Belgium.

Tomorrow I'll post a few pics if I can find them from a few of my rides. Ah as fall hits, it gets colder and riding gets all too painful to want to even attempt. I guess I'll be waiting until next year...

Village Clean up Still Exists

As hurricane Rita braces to hit the gulf coast and we keep helping the people affected from hurricane Katrina, Switzerland is still on the mend as well. In the small village of Oey of the Bernese Oberland, these Swiss people are still cleaning up from the dreadfull landslides and torential rains which hit Switzerland on August 22nd.

Just in case you had no idea where the village of Oey is, I've found it via Swiss Maps. Oey is a small little village, near Erlenbach im Simmentall and Diemtigen, and just a bit away from the Lake of Thun and the city itself.

Here's one photo we took just before all of the storms which is overlooking the lake of thun and possibly over towards those villages.

You can read the full article from Swiss Info.

And one final pic which was taken as we were hiking to the top of this hill. As you can see, the Alps are already there. The picture above is the view you got when you eventually got over the hill. Just incredible - the entire Bernese Oberland...

Last Day of Summer

As we celebrate the last day of summer, and my favorite time of year, I decided to take out my mini camera and take a few quick snaps of my favorite tree down the street. Yes summer is my favorite time of the year, especially here in BC where temps don't really get too hot before they start getting quite a bit cooler. The leaves on this tree are just incredible and I've come to wait for those wonderful leaves to appear again this year. What strikes me as well is how early this tree turns colors compared to all other trees in the area.

So here is a photo taken on Sept 20 from this year. Mind you that the sun was in the way of the best view. As well, I just don't know why but I love the sun light. It brings me happiness and joy and a chance to make sure I stay out late and enjoy nature a lot. As this time of year comes to an end, it saddens me a bit. I just don't like that feeling of running in the morning. It reminds me all too much of my early morning swims at 4:30am out in the cold outdoors. I prefer the warmer side of things thus probably why I love running in the early summer hours and don't mind the mild heat days here...

And here is a picture I took on the exact same day in 2004. They aren't the best photos and I still vow to actually get a decent shot, but that just hasn't happened. I think the blend of the red paint on the house just makes the tree look so lovely.

Prostitution on the Rise

If you have ever been on vacation in Europe, then you have probably walked past a few prostitutes especially if you were walking in some "red light district" of the city. Since June 2004, there has been a large increase in the number of prostitutes in Switzerland. This number certainly might rise if vote to open the borders to the ten new eastern European states on September 25 passes...

The "Yes" vote is certainly on everyone's mind right now. Currently dancers in caberet bars can get an L permit for up to 8 months. Prostitution is legal in Switzerland but prostitutes have to register with city authorities and health authorities and get regular health checks.

Right now the prediction is that some of the women who are already here will register as prostitutes but hopefully word that the market is oversaturated will deter others from coming to Switzerland..

A Bit Off Pace

It seems like today I am doing nothing rather normal. I woke up to find I had to reboot my computer. Quite an annoying process when you really don't know why it behaves the way it decides to behave.

After not getting anything done this morning (yesterday was quite the opposite), I proceeded to go out for a run which lasted about half way until I got a wonderful stomache and decided to just walk instead of suck it up and keep running. Guilt really sets in when I do this. I usually tell myself it's fine to take a break especially since walking is great for your body too and stimulates other areas of your system. At least that is what I have gathered from my current read.

I'm now procrastination about taking some beautiful fall pictures. And why? I really don't know. I've got an awesome camera. But I guess we have our unproductive days at times and although my day hasn't been that bad, I still really haven't done anything I needed to do.

At least I was purely entertained by thisfish.com and her crazy crazy life about dating men. Come to think of it, I think I could relate at some time, but I'm certainly glad I don't have to play that game anymore.

Polish Plumbers

According to an ad (keystone source) in the tourist industry of Poland, Polish plumbers are just hot models waiting for visitors to come and visit Poland and see what the buzz is about. Unfortunately that sterotype is far from the truth. Most plumbers barely scrape by on a salary they earn but they do enjoy their work. Most earn only 1,500 to 2,500 Zlotys per month. It translates to something less than 1000 CHF a month!

Concerns according to the Swiss Info article are that polish plumbers will make their way to switzerland. According to the two plumbers interviewed, they really have no need or want to work in Switzerland. I guess time and a vote will only tell the outcome. I think the vote comes next week to vote in the new EU countries with free movement within Switzerland and the EU.

Lessons I've Learned

Thanks guys for the comments yesterday. I think I gather many of you actually do like the pictures I post, so I will try to post a few pictures from the months we are currently in.

This photo is what you see from the beautiful double doors which go out into the yard and overlook what I like to call the pre-alps and close to Chamonix. Here's a look at what it looks like on a clear day in Montreux.

It was so easy to take photos while I was living in Montreux because I did not have a car and usually took a 2.5 hour stroll every day. I just made sure I'd bring my camera with me during the walks. I found this to be the case because I was always standing with my jaw dropped in awe of the beauty of Montreux.

1. What I learned from having my camera with me and not having the option of using a car was that I started enjoying nature a lot more and noticing the little things that me of all people didn't take notice of. I have an eye for detail and usually see things nobody else sees, so just imagine what happened when I really started noticing the odd differences.

2. What also happened transportation wise, was that I came to love taking the train and bus. I think it was because I lived in California my entire life and well I never was able to really take a train and notice the mountain side or the beautiful flowers along the road. I notice all of this now and along with not really wanting to take the car anywhere except if it's pissing rain.

This particular photo is what I would see if I was sitting down at the table with my back to the lake. We had vines above us and the railway goes between our house and the yellow house you see in this photo. It's not really a big rail, more like an electric pass that gets 2 trains per hour in the day time. It's fun to see sometimes for sure.

Autumn Photos

As the last summer weekend has come to an end, I thought I'd post a few photos that I took during the same month while I was living in Montreux. This particular photos was taken from our back deck which we used heavily during the spring and summer months to dine at and enjoy the incredible views of the surrounding mountains and Lake Leman.

The Next photo was taken a bit later in the afternoon when I saw these incredible rays of light shining in from the clouds. It was truely a beautiful sight to watch.

The final photo was one of the final weeks the major boats are in operation in montreux before low season approaches. We were actually there just about 1 month ago.

Wild Weather Prompting Need for Change

According to a report by Swiss Info, Green Peace Switzerland wants to make sure Switzerland keeps moving forward by taking measures to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide emissions in Switzerland by 30 per cent by 2020 compared with 1990 levels.

According to Green Peace, "The manmade climate change must come at the very top of the list of topics to be discussed."

I'd have to ditto that need to make changes should be hitting people with all of the devastation (hurricanes, natural disasters, and severe weather warnings throughout the globe) which has hit with the last year. I certainly know this has happened while talking with some of my friends who are seeing what man made distruction can do to this world. Here's another good link from the Swiss Environment Agency.

Useful Swiss Maps

I was doing a bit of reading today and came across this useful tool for Swiss maps and other places one might travel to. What's great about the tool is that you can put in the city and the zip and they will give you a "google" satellite type birds eye view of the area. It's quite impressive to say the least.

Here are two examples which work well:

1. Village of Staufen gives me the nearest bus stop. Quite useful if you need to get around without a car. My friend happens to live in this village. You can even see the church from the map. Since I do, all I did was zoom in and there the church was in detail and all.

2. Montreux - I once lived in a little town next to montreux and sure enough, all the train stops where I lived are detailed on the Swiss map.

Impressive tool for any tourist traveling in Switzerland...

I have to add happy birthday to my little bro who turns the big 25 today.. I wonder what you are up to....

Missing my Camera

Yesterday was just one of those days when I didn't bring my camera with me that I was wishing I had it. I first set off in a car and started seeing all of the fall leaves on the trees. It was totally driving me nuts.

To make matters worse, when I set out for a walk that night, I saw the most incredible red blue sunset I've seen in a long time. Of course, If I had my camera I could post a picture but since I didn't bring it with me, I couldn't.

While we were walking back home, I notice the full harvest moon of the month. The view was incredible because the moon was so big as it began to rise. I've found a picture that best looked like what I saw.

Speaking of camera's, many of the Railways of Switzerland to me are quite beautiful to photograph. I guess I'm not the only one who thought that was the truth. The Swiss Federal Railway has won the Wakker Prize Award for outstanding architecture as it reaches it's 100 year birthday.

The Above photo was taken in August while we were in Lausanne for vacation. Lausanne is actually one of the most incredible architecture at a railway station.

US Postpones Biometric Passports

The US has given Swiss authorities the go ahead of extending the deadline by an entire year to start the high tech Biometric passports until October 26, 2006. What makes you scratch your head a bit is the fact that any conventional passport which has been issued up until that date will be good for the 10 year span.

My thought is why does everyone but the US and Canada get special treatment and do not have to use the biometric passport, which by the way costs more than double any way you look at it.

Costs:
A. Buy a conventional passport and pay SFr120 which is valid for 10 years
B. Buy the new biometric passport and pay SFr250 which is valid for 5 years.

My thoughts, why should I even visit the US if I have to pay so much just to get into the damn country. On top of that, I have to be treated specially and have to have a digital picture and fingerprints just like criminals do. It does have a considerable impact on society. I just wonder where all of this is headed. How much privacy will we have? OR better yet how much privacy are we going to give up because the US government wants us to.....

Easy Jet Creates 4 New Routes

EasyJet is expanding it's route to and from the Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport. That is certainly some good news for Basel. I'm jumping for joy at least. At one point, I actually lived about 7 minutes away from the airport. I remember in July of 2003 when we ended up using the TGV to head to Paris and then we proceeded to take the night train back home, entering Basel for our first point back into Switzerland. It just takes out a ton of traveling time at an equal or cheaper price.

The new EasyJet routes from Basel:

Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon and Prague

• Daily from from Basel to Amsterdam with fares from CHF39.95 one way
• Daily from Basel to Paris with fares from CHF39.95 one way
• Daily from Basel to Lisbon with fares from CHF39.95 one way
• Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Basel to Prague with fares from CGF39.95 one way
  

Living a Healthy Lifestyle

I've been reading a great book for the past week (4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan) which has really told me I'm not as healthy as I thought. I mean I do live quite a healthy lifestyle including working out every day, but this just isn't enough.

When I had returned from Switzerland, I had a lot of trouble adjusting to the "North American" lifestyle again. There were so many supplies in Europe that I just loved so much more. In the 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan, there are so many examples of what not to eat and lets me know I was really eating better while in Switzerland.

Here are a few examples:
Our bodies are extremely toxic and in order to live a healthy lifestyle, here are a few recommendations which really stood out in the 4-Week book so far.

1. I completely understood why so many north american's are obese at some astounding rate of about 60% compared to about 13% in Switzerland and Europe. One of the main reasons I gather is because north american's want convenience and as a result of convenience you loose that nutritional lifestyle many European choose to live.

2. There is an actual justifications of why we should drink water. I know everyone hears drink 8 to 10 glasses of water each day. BUT WHY? Here's why. By drinking the recommended amount of water daily, you are cleansing your body of the toxins. If you don't drink enough water, those toxins are re-absorbed back into your body and blood. Leaving you with a toxic body and well read the book to find that out.

3. Why drink milk? I don't know...
The answer to it is quite simple, Milk is not a human food. It is designed for baby cows, not humans. No other animal species even drinks milk beyond infancy, so why do we? We are conditioned to drink it. The Milk Producers would be out of jobs so they advertise it. In fact, Milk is not a source of calcium in humans.

So although much of north america does have an influence on the rest of the world, people in Switzerland and Europe in general take the time to slow down and care about what goes into their bodies. Go look at how big their groceries stores are. What is the first thing you see when you walk into a Swiss grocery store? Fruits and Veggies...

Imagine life without all of the pesticides and more fruits and veggies.. We'd all be a bit healthier. As well Lance Armstrong and Maria Shriver will be launching an obesity campaign to tackle this subject in California..

Festivals in Switzerland

Festivals are abundant this time of year in Switzerland, most of them being linked to a famous orchestra or Swiss Heritage. In particular, the Lucern Festival Auditorium is an incredible experience. The Venue is enormous and is definitely something to check out as you stand in awe...

I'm not sure why this time of year is popular for festivals but they are in every part of Switzerland right now and a great way to see what has happened in Swiss History.

• Visit Zermatt
• View Swiss Cultural Scene

Thun in Spotlight

Thanks to the success of FC Thun, the city of Thun is getting noticed. The lake which connects onto Switzerland is more of a blue green color unlike its neighboring lake of Brienzsee. Thun boasts a bit less of the hustle and bustle Interlaken has to offer with tourists as well as a few night clubs which are made from old warehouses.

I'm finally getting up some more pictures from our Switzerland trip. You can check out the first and second week of posts.

Sand Castles Everywhere

Yesterday we went to a sand castle contest. It was so cool to see so many unique and incredible sculptures all in one place. Usually you might find one incredible find at a beach, but 25?

I'll leave you with a pondering shot. If you'd like to check out more on Harrison Hot Springs it's well worth the drive.

Swiss Alps

Swiss Alps
Originally uploaded by thnkfst.

We are off to go see some sand castles today and take a few pics along the way, so I will leave you with this picture from our Switzerland vacation.

We are just a bit below the peak of Harder Kulm one mountain over. It's so peaceful and serene up there without any cars or people to bother us. On a beautiful day which we happened to encounter, you can see all of the Alps, including Jungfrau, Lions heads and all the other tallest peaks in Switzerland.

Quite impressive...

A Double Take

Purple Hair
Originally uploaded by thnkfst.

Just after dinner one evening in Lausanne, we were walking back in the shopping district of old town in Lausanne, when I took a triple take. Literally! I didn't want to be rude but this elderly lady that was coming straight at me actually had purple hair!

Wishing to take a few shots of this incredible find, I managed to get one decent shot in the poor light sans the flash. As we followed her, I didn't want to be rude and ask her to pose for a photo shot. She quietly slipped away into her appartment as I was left with only a few good photos of the purple haired lady.

As I pointed this out to Mr. P, I was able to support my theory that most European women have a wild side to them when it comes to dying their hair.

Can anyone help me out on telling me why European women tend to die their hair off the wall colors. In North America, you usually just see people following movie star trends and giving themselves a bit of a highlight or fake blond color...

I wish I knew why....

Look out for Federer

It appears that Swiss Tennis Star might be of a lot of talk lately. I don't want to be one to quickly judge what Federer should or should not say. In fact, I think it is incredible that a Swiss player is on top of the world standings. Only time will tell..

True Gas Savings

Enough said...

Wind and Rain

Apparently last night we had a bit of this and a bit of that, after having a rather unexpected wind storm here in Vancouver. It wasn't all that bad, but the rain definitely didn't look like it was going to happen from the looks of the sunny day yesterday.

Winds did jet up to 50 to 70km/hr and at our house, we had to cover the roof because of construction. Not fun for me since I had decided to doze off and was awaken suddenly...

Aktion by Denner Over Pick Pay

If you have ever been in Switzerland long enough, I am sure you have walked into a Pick Pay or a Denner before to compare discount (Aktion) prices. Denner is set to buy out Pick Pay upon approval. This is ahead of the anticipation that German stores Aldi and Lidl will be coming into the Swiss Market.

Even though I've never come across the chain anywhere other than Germany, Aldi is actually in many US, and British cities. The takeover will more than likely have a benefit from Migros, which does not stock tobacco or alcohol products, and could be bad news for Coop. I personally think you buy certain items at both of these stores because they stock them and do not shop each store because of the money you save.

What does Migros have? Well they have some excellent teas and chocolate marzipan which I totally miss. I'm also a personal fan of their Bio products.

Coop has a fair share of some good wines and different yogurts which I adore. Coop is also known for its shops of electronic store Interdiscount and Import Parfumerie

My personal favorite is this well known Bar in Biel/Bienne which was made out of an old Coop and they named it Pooc....

Friday's Feast

Seeing that I am in a blogging mood and that it is still only Thursday that I am posting on Friday's Feast, here we go...

Appetizer
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?
I think that would have to be my boyfriend... ;-)

Soup
If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?

Ancient City? Well I'm not really sure what consitutes Ancient. If 1200 is late enough, I'd choose Switzerland of course. Any city in Switzerland would be best choice. I love the architecture, the history, the trees, the mountains and how close everything is compared to living in North America where you gotta hop on a plane to visit good old Europe.

Salad
What is the most exciting event you've ever witnessed?

Ever witnessed, I don't want to brag but.... Well the first thing that came to mind was when I was 19 and I had the most incredible swim of my life. It was so fast that I actually got 1st place and had everyone in the stadium cheering and excited for what I had just accomplished...

Main Course
If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?

Why not hook up with a fellow celebrity. Keep them guessing and talking about getting married. My photo would be all over the tabloids for weeks.

Dessert
What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?
Haha...dunno haven't had any yet...

Sushi Anyone

One of the Blogs I read today got me thinking about why I never really talk about my life in Vancouver, BC. Really I don't have an answer for it, except for the fact that I miss Switzerland so much. Maybe it's the fact that I don't feel like I have a home just yet either. I'm still in the process of getting my residency here and I'm nowhere near finished.

It got me thinking about Geant (just outside of Basel in St. Louis, France) and how I could always find great cheap sushi in the store when I wanted to have it. The trick was just to go there in the early hours of the day to pick it up before everyone else bought it. For those who don't know about Geant, it's a large store that's like the Superstore in Canada or Walmart.

But what is funny and what I don't understand is how there are more Sushi Restaurants in Vancouver than Starbucks. I'm sure of it, but I don't have evidence to really back up my statement. But if you ever come to Vancouver, seek out some Sushi because it's practically as cheap as buying a coffee.

Here's some Quick evidence for support:
Where my boyfriend lives, I can count about 5 Sushi Restaurants in a 4 block radius where there is actually only one Starbucks. Take the 2 bubble tea places which are next to each other and across the street, and boy do you have an ugly combination. So there you have it, I could get my Sushi fix back in Switzerland as well as getting it now in Vancouver.

Autumn Photography

After a fun summer of attempting to take a few floral photographs, I'm ready to attempt my efforts on a few autumn colors. Of course, I'm accepting this more than enjoying the loss of summer nights, and staying out until 10 or 11pm without even a sweatshirt on. Can you tell that I just love summer? Switzerland certainly treated us well this summer, as seen in this lovely photo from Yvoire.

Actually my favorite months are spring and summer. I love the anticipation of the end of February when the snow is abundant just waiting for the longer ski days. And with that comes more leaves and trees finally spring up everywhere with longer days and traveling time.

So although I don't mind my wardrobe of winter apparel, I'd trade it for long summer nights any time. Oh well, I guess I'll just enjoy it while it's here and accept what is ahead of me. Really, does anybody enjoy running on ice and freezing weather in the morning as opposed to the fresh summer air.

Life of an Aerial Photographer

Well this headline certainly caught my interest since I love photography. At 77 years old, this Swiss native travels the world in search of adventure and aerial photography. He may be a bit more gutsy than I will ever be in my travels, but his story is certainly something to read about. Since I'm not a pilot, I can't exactly try to take some of the photos Mr. Gerster attempts, but at least I do have a few Swiss Photographs under my belt.

Language Classes in Switzerland

Next year Swiss Authorities will be able to oblige foreigners to take language classes for the purpose of integration in order to obtain a permanent residence permit. I think this is an excellent obligation and absolutely am for Canada and the US to follow suit... Somehow, I don't think this is their top priority... Sad but true...

EasyGroup keeps getting bigger!

Most people who have been to Europe know of the airline company Easyjet.com. Their that highly recognizable orange and white colored company that saves you money without the frills.

Now owner Stelios is adding another company to his bunch, making it 15 in all so far. EasyHotel is his newest venture and it's located in Basel. What is really neat is the price is absolutely cut throat compared to all other hotels in Switzerland. Rates are from 24CHF a night to 54CHF all before adding any additional services you might want such as tv or maid services.

The rates are so low because the sizes of the rooms are small. The biggest room is just 16 square meters. I feel like I'm living in Japan or something. But then again, it's way better than a hostel and centrally located. If you can stand the orange decor and the small rooms, then maybe this is for you. I'm sure it's going to be a huge hit!

Swiss Castles Crumbling

According to a report by Immobilien Magazine, there are about 12 Swiss Castles in need of some new owners, specifically with deep pockets. Of the 1500 castles in Switzerland, about half of them are in private hands. The others, such as the castle of Schloss Leuk in the Valais (shown below) is owned by the city in that area.

The most expensive is the Tarasp Castle in canton Graubünden, which is currently up for sale for SFr30 million.

Upkeep of such castles costs hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Some are turned into hotels or museums. I guess you are in a sticky situation if you change anything. It's a hard thing to manage for sure, but then again when you can afford such a price tag, it shouldn't matter.

Smart Cars of Switzerland

Smart Cars are everywhere in Europe, thus including Switzerland where they actually have 3 choices with all different sorts of styles. In particular what is much different than in Canada is that there is a roadster and a limousine.

This is the Smart Roadster in red. It's been in Switzerland since before I left in March of 2004. Of course here in Canada they are much slower at progress like cars and such.

The is the Smart Limousine. Yes it makes me laugh. If this is a limousine, then what is that thing that people in north america drive when you go to parties such as prom or weddings??? Just a stretch limo?

Now mix this with one of the ugliest cars ever made and you've got a Fiat Multipla! One of the ugliest cars on the planet.

US Requests Aid from Switzerland

The BBC furnished this great pictorial on the locations of many of the damaged areas of New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. As you can see, there is a lot of the area which is totally engulfed in water as a result of being below sea level. The size of the destruction is actually equal to the size of England - astonishing if this is factual...

As well the US has passed a list to the Swiss embassy in Bern, Switzerland of material it requires as it struggles to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The Swiss Foreign ministry said the list was quite long.

Along with the American Red Cross, the ICRC is trying to help those seeking information about relatives who may have been caught up in the disaster. They have a website which provides a list of people who are trying to find lost family members - http://www.familylinks.icrc.org/katrina

Ironically, this is the same type of list which was compiled during the Dec 2004 Sunami which hit Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Thailand and India. As I've seen, there are many blogs out there right now showing links to video feeds of the aftermath.

L'esprit de france

There's just so much good information on BBC's Radio 4 voices.

L'Esprit de France explore the culture and pleasures of our nearest and dearest neighbour - France. You are taken through 6 regions of France that are normally not travelled by the average British tourist. They seem to bypass places like Auvergne, Corsica, Provence and other areas just off the Autoroute that the French know best. Every one of the 6 programs has a theme. Check it out here : L'Esprit de France or check out the route and all of the places that they visited from Ferney Voltaire to Chambery just outside of Geneva on the Jura.

Understanding the Swiss

I came across a great site from the BBC called Listen Again. What I found was a great 30 minute clip on "What's so special about the Swiss?" (RealPlayer) It's a great way to delve into a culture and a great way to understand the Swiss just a bit more. (This may be out of date already.)

The audio is about Swiss identity and political culture. The BBC journalist Paul Henley attempts to understand issues such as direct democracy, bank secracy, and Schwingen treaty. He gets some comments from such figures as Bertrand Piccard, Adolf Ogi, Jean Ziegler, Antonella Notari (the ICRC spokesperson in Geneva) and Christoph Blocher (the only interviewee who chose to answer in German).

New Orleans Relief Not Enough

The disaster response for Hurricane Katrina has been very unacceptable as you know, but I'd still like to put into perspective what has still not taken place. A fellow blogger Nancy has certainly put that into perspective.

If you look at past history, the hurricane of 1900 in Galveston Texas which devastated more than 8,000 lives is much like Hurricane Katrina. Galveston is still the worst weather disaster in American history, as measured in lost lives. However, I think with the aftermath of Katrina, we might be up for a new record.

There are more than 600 Swiss expatriates living in the three states worst affected by hurricane Katrina. Of course there is a deeper question for most, once they are safe in a shelter or with friends, will they ever be able to return home.

The Swiss Expat Andi Hoffman was fortunate enough to get out safely. He has actually been able to post on his website and has left emergency numbers where friends and family can actually contact him. I know he isn't alone on posting on websites to find people. Some people who aren't as fortunate are holding up signs or putting up post ups for people to read.

According to the International Energy Agency, 26 member countries, including Switzerland, would make a total of 60 million barrels of oil available to the market for a period of 30 days. That is some relief for the US. But will it really help with costs???

According to the IEA's news release:

"The IEA countries plus the European Union Commission unanimously support the measure to make available to the market the equivalent of two million barrels per day of oil for an initial period of 30 days"

There are two great links for finding relatives from Hurricane Katrina.

Go to MSNBC and find the "Safe lists" or the "looking for" lists and they can help point you in the right direction.

I can't Afford My gasoline

With Gas prices soaring out of control in the US, I thought a few facts are in order.

Actual Gas price comparisons can be found here: CNN

The Average Prices included:

Switzerland: $4.56 per gal
Germany: $5.29 per gal
Venezula: .14 per gal (no typo!)

1. If you live in the US, you probably still aren't paying as much as you do in the UK.
2. Gas prices are spiking in Canada but they don't even rely on American Oil.
3. Canadian's pay higher Gas prices than the US.
4. The Swiss have high Gas prices too. The August average gas price was about $1.74 per liter.

I ran into a really cute song today called "I can't afford my gasoline", and think it's really appropriate for a time like this...

By the way - If you want to find cheap gasoline, look at GasBuddy.com for updated areas on where to buy. This is good in US and Canada.

Schumacher in spotlight again

A trade union who was involved with the building of Schumacher's new 35 million dolloar villa found that 6 stone masons were severly under paid. Since voters in Switzerland are due to vote whether to open up the labor market to the new EU member states this controversy has a severe affect on Swiss voters. The EU labor deal is looking like it will gain the yes vote it needs to go further.

Schumaker who was planning on building his villa in Eastern Switzerland decided to move to Canton Vaud after he was forced to abondon the project because of environmental opponents to his plan. His new villa will include 2 indoor swimming pools, an underground 19 car garage and at least 8 bedrooms. Talk about luxury!

Katrina to Cost 20 Billion

Just as Switzerland is cleaning up their severe floods, Swiss Reinsurer who is the number two player in the Insurance business says claims for Hurricane Katrina will cost about $500 million...

Since there was severe flooding after the storm, there is definitely a degree of uncertainty that will loom in the clean up process. The price of insurance really does come into use when a catastrophe like Katrina hits.

Katrina has hit more than just Americans. The Swiss foreign ministry said there were at least 600 registered expats who might have been affected by the storm.

What goes around comes around...

There was an overwhelming number of people who came to aid at the US embassy in Bern for the floods in Switzerland. Let's hope this is the same for the Swiss embassies in the US. Katrina is a sad national dissaster that won't be out of the spotlight for some time.

Lego Leaving Switzerland

Who would have known the ever popular Lego toy almost everyone has played with in some time in their life is having financial problems and set backs. As a result, Lego has announced they are pulling out of Switzerland in order to cut costs. Some 500 or so jobs will be moved to the Czech Republic where production costs are cheaper. Read the entire story from Swiss Info.

Here are a few interesting facts about Lego:

• Lego was founded by a privately held Danish family-owned company in 1932 and is the world's fourth-largest maker of toys.
• The name Lego comes from the Danish words "Leg Godt", which means "Play well." In Latin it means "I put together".