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Happy Easter

2016-03-21T12:02:08+01:00

Easter is a happy holiday. For weeks before this public holiday the shops already start selling chocolate Easter rabbits. They come in all sorts of shapes and flavours. You get the normal milk chocolate as well as black and white chocolate Easter rabbits. Some kids keep their chocolate rabbits for months resisting all temptations. Those sweet beasts are still quite fine after many months….

There is an Easter tradition that the families celebrate together with this kids. After a generous brunch the parents will hide some of the sweet goodies outside in the garden or around the home and then let the excited kids search and discover them.

On Easter Sunday people also like to eat hard boiled eggs with colored shells. Some of those eggs are turned into quite some artwork.

Easter is a long weekend off work. People are off work from Good Friday until Easter Monday. Some also use the opportunity for a brief holiday abroad.

Easter is early this year (already on Sunday, March 27, 2016). In the Western church (in contrast with the Eastern church) the date is set on the first Sunday following the full moon after March 20. Easter is in correlation with the Jewish Passover festival during which Christ was crucified and then three days later rose from the dead.

In many churches there are special services remembering Christ’s death on the cross (Good Friday) and his resurrection (Easter). Often these services are accompanied by great classical or sacred music.

Happy Easter2016-03-21T12:02:08+01:00

The Canton of Zürich

2016-03-14T17:42:40+01:00

On the car registration plates as always the flag of the Canton is on the right (blue and white) and the Swiss flag on the left.

This canton is not one of the biggest but the most populated. It covers basically the city of Zürich with agglomeration. It’s population reaches 1.4 Mio.

It is located in the eastern part of Switzerland. Folks from that Canton are probably the most sophisticated in terms of fashion and trends. The people from Zürich speak Swiss German with their particular Zürich dialect. The standing joke is, that they are fast moving and rapid speakers, especially in comparison with the slow folks from the canton of Berne. In the canton of Berne people think that those from Zürich are somewhat big mouthed.

The canton is seat to many international companies of Swiss origin (ABB, Credit Suisse, Helsana, Migros, Sulzer, Swiss Life, UBS etc) or foreign origin (Bayer, BMW, Esso, GE, GM, Microsoft, Sony etc). This canton is the economic power house of Switzerland.

The university of Zürich and the ETH rank among the world’s top places of education.

The lake of Zürich and a few smaller lakes are part of the Canton, adding to its beauty.

The Canton of Zürich2016-03-14T17:42:40+01:00

Official Languages in Switzerland

2016-03-07T13:25:24+01:00

All products (such as the ready-made-sauce in the picture) are labelled in the three main languages: German, French and Italian. Official publications are issued in three or four languages. Switzerland doesn’t have one common language that all have to speak.

The country has four official languages that are spoken in specific geographical areas. Swiss German is spoken by almost 2/3 of the Swiss. In 17 of the 26 Cantons Swiss German is the main language. In three cantons (Berne, Fribourg and the Wallis) both languages, Swiss German and French, are spoken, depending on the area.

Swiss German is spoken with different dialects with really quite some variations. The Swiss German speaking kids have to study high German and learn to express themselves in this language. However talking to a German they are often reluctant to talk in proper high German. Maybe because the Germans speak a very polished German while the Swiss tend to have a very broad Swiss German accent which immediately gives them away as Swiss German speakers.

23% of the Swiss, called “les Romands” speak French as their mother tongue. French is spoken in the Western part of Switzerland (bordering France). The French they speak also has some smaller variations. The French of the Canton of Neuchâtel is the most beautiful French spoken in our country.

About 6% speak Italian. This area is in the South of the country, bordering Italy. Their Italian is also particular to this area.

A very small pocket (only 0.6%) speaks Rätoromanisch living in the South-East (or the Canton Graubünden). They are usually really bilingual, speaking Rätoromanisch and Swiss German as their mother tongues.

In all schools the kids study their own language plus one other official language. However many of the kids hardly get a good handle on the 2nd language. Many speak some basic French or German. English is often more attractive, which is their 3rd language.

Official Languages in Switzerland2016-03-07T13:25:24+01:00

Le Lac de Joux – The Watch Valley

2016-04-23T12:09:30+02:00

The lake Joux is on an altitude of 1004m in the northwest of Switzerland. It is one of the bigger lakes (9km long) in the hills of the Jura.

La vallée de Joux (the Joux valley) is in the French speaking part of Switzerland and belongs to the canton of Vaud. During winter often the surface of the lake freezes up and becomes a natural ice skating range. There is a modest skiing area too. In summer this spot is also nice to visit for the beauty of it. Some great fish restaurants are easily located.

In la vallée de Joux you will find four famous watch companies: Audemar-Piquet, Blancpain, Breguet and Jaeger-Lecoultre. Also, if you are interested in watches, check out the small watch making museum in Le Sentier.

The border to France is in close proximity. Over 300 years ago many Huguenots (French protestant Christians) escaped a religious persecution in France by slipping across the border into the Jura of Switzerland where they lived in isolation. There some of them continued to develop the art of watch making. Many of today’s famous watch making companies in this area have roots going back to the Huguenots.

Le Lac de Joux – The Watch Valley2016-04-23T12:09:30+02:00

Voting on Referendums / Initiatives

2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00

On the last weekend of February the Swiss are called to cast their ballots on four different issues. The most controversial one pictures the peaceful Swiss (the white sheep) kicking out all foreigners who are criminal offenders (the black sheep).

For many decades Switzerland has experienced a steady influx of foreigners. In the 60ies a wave of Italians arrived who came for construction labour. Later refugees from Vietnam, Tibet, Sri Lanka, the Balkan countries, Africa and other countries applied for asylum. However there are also many Europeans (Germans, French, Italians etc) working in Switzerland (about 2/3 of all foreigners). According to the official statistics the foreign population is around 15% (others even claim 25%).

Foreign tourists are most welcome.

However, nowadays many Swiss are quite sensitive about the growing number of foreigners residing in Switzerland. And now, to make matters worse, scores of refugees are pouring into Europe. Many Swiss are really alarmed. They feel that our small country can’t cope with this huge influx. There are fears that the many Muslims arriving here will not integrate easily and cause trouble. Indeed, 73% of the prison population consists of foreigners. The billboard above reads: “Finally let’s achieve security!” (German: Endlich Sicherheit schaffen).

At the same time many Swiss are genuinely touched by the suffering and misery of the many new refugees seeking shelter in Switzerland.

The major political parties as well as the government are against this initiative. They say that there are enough laws in place to deal with delinquent foreigners and that such a new constitutional law would violate international law.

The Swiss democratic system is very direct! Any citizen can try to bring about a change in the constitutional law with a referendum or bring in a new one through a federal popular initiative. All that is needed are at least 100’000 valid signatures within 1 ½ years for an initiative or 55’000 valid signatures within a hundred days for a referendum. When that target is reached it takes a little while. But then the Swiss are called to cast their ballots on the issue.

For years the Swiss government wanted the country to join the EU. The Swiss have resisted these moves. That is certainly one area where the direct democracy has made a difference. However in reality the Swiss reject most initiatives or referendums.

This democratic process is one of the main reasons for the political stability of Switzerland.

Addendum: The initiative above was rejected by 58.9%.

Voting on Referendums / Initiatives2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00

Berne, the Capital City

2016-11-19T20:08:16+01:00

This city is a hidden gem.

The old city of Berne is surrounded on three sides by the Aare River and thus on a peninsula. It dates back to the 12th century. The river offered a magnificent natural protection from enemies.

We start our tour at the main train station and mostly keep to the main street. After exploring the generous city square with the Bundeshaus (Houses of Parliament on the right) we go back to the main street. The next stop is the Zytglogge (the famous clock tower). The Münster is in a parallel lane on the right (that is the cathedral with stairs leading to the top with a great view of the city). Towards the end of the tour we cross an old stone bridge over the Aare River and hit Berne’s famous bear park on the right. The restaurant there is a microbrewery with the best beer in town. Street musicians add another layer of beauty to this city. Lot’s of interesting shops and restaurants have found their niche in the old city, adding colour to the laid back atmosphere. Many shopkeepers speak German, French and English.

Over the centuries Berne developed along a coherent planning concept and is now an official UNESCO World Heritage Site. It hardly needs to be mentioned that the city has a rich and diverse history.

As the capital city the Houses of Parliament and most state departments as well as the parliament of the canton of Berne are located in this city.

Berne actually is a really tiny place compared to many other capital cities of this world. It is definitely much smaller than the more dynamic Zürich, Geneva or Basel. Only about ½ million people live in Berne and the metropolitan area. During rush hour the traffic tends to jam a bit. When local people complain about those jams they have no idea what jams look like in other parts of the world. On the bicycle it takes me 30 minutes to cross it from one end to the other. Actually bikes are a great way to explore the city. There are several free bike rental stations and bike lanes throughout the city.

Since this is the capital of Switzerland all the embassies of the world are concentrated in mostly one stately neighbourhood. The city is home to a good university and many fine hospitals. It boasts a soccer and an ice hockey stadium. Berne also has an international school, a British and a French school, an International and an Anglican church, a few ethnic churches and many local churches, a synagogue, a couple of mosques and a Thai temple. Culturally Berne offers quite a few goodies too: a number of great museums, a city theatre and some other smaller theatres, a music hall, countless cinemas and even some night life too.

Berne is well connected to the rest of the country as well as internationally. It has a small international airport connecting it to quite a few destinations in Europe. The fast non-stop train ride to Zürich takes 58 minutes and on to the Zürich airport another 15 minutes. From Berne to Thun the train takes 20 minutes to Interlaken 50 minutes to Lucerne 90 minutes and to Geneva 105 minutes. Public transport within the city and around the country is very convenient and efficient but not cheap.

The quality of life here is one of the world’s highest. It is indeed a very peaceful place. There is hardly any air or water pollution. The green hills around the city invite for hikes out in nature. In summer heaps of local people enjoy swimming in the Aare River.

The locals of Berne are easy going and friendly. I love living here. Come and check us out!

Berne, the Capital City2016-11-19T20:08:16+01:00

Vermicelles, a Delicious Dessert

2016-02-12T13:36:20+01:00

This dessert is a speciality that comes from the Ticino, the Italian speaking part of Switzerland. But nowadays during winter it is enjoyed all over the country.

The word vermicelles is probably derived from the latin vermiculus – small worms. Sweet chestnuts are smashed. Sugar and butter are added. The mass of the pressed chestnut mix is pressed through a form with holes. The result are the delightful “small worms”. The ready made product is found in most supermarkets and sold in smaller blocks.

This winter dessert is completed with cream and meringue. The latter is a very sweet mix of sugar and egg white that gets carefully heated up. It turns into a white brittle material.

A guete! (Swiss German, literally: “Wishing you a good appetite”) Enjoy!

Vermicelles, a Delicious Dessert2016-02-12T13:36:20+01:00

Enjoying a Skibock in Adelboden

2016-02-14T20:19:50+01:00

Switzerland is famous for winter sports. There are many areas in the alps dedicated to winter sports, some with hundreds of kilometres of ski slopes of various degrees of difficulties. Usually there is an amazing infrastructure built around those. Skiing and snowboarding are possible in a few high up areas on 365 days a year.

Mostly in February schools all over Switzerland have one week off, called the sports week. During this week most kids would join the school for a camp where they would continue to develop their skiing or snowboarding skills.

For a few years snow boarding was the big hype. In recent years however ski carving has gained a lot of popularity and most people on the slopes go down with their carving skis.

Last weekend with a group of friends we tried out something new called skibock. Especially in Adelboden, the skibock (a sawn-down ski with a simple seat) has become quite popular. It is a lot easier than skiing or snow boarding and quite some fun too. So even if people have no experience with skiing, why not try a skibock?

Enjoying a Skibock in Adelboden2016-02-14T20:19:50+01:00

The Canton of Berne

2016-06-12T20:38:41+02:00

All cars that are registered in Switzerland have to display the typical Swiss license plates. The license plate shows that the car is Swiss (watch out for the Swiss flag on the left hand side) and the flag of the canton (on the right). This car here is from the canton of Berne (BE).

The canton of Berne is the second largest of the 26 cantons in terms of population with just a little over 1 mio inhabitants. It is also the second largest in terms of surface (just barely 6’000m2). Car license numbers go up to just under 1 Mio. Lower number plates (under 100’000) are perceived as more prestigious. Low numbers can be especially purchased. The lower and ‘nicer’ the number the more expensive it tends to be.

The Canton of Berne is bilingual. About 85% speak Swiss German (a more melodious Swiss German dialect) and about 15% are French speaking Swiss. However around 15% of the population of the canton consists of residential foreigners without a Swiss passport, speaking many different languages. The canton is rather a protestant area.

A bear is the in the flag of the canton. The story goes that at the beginning days of the city of Berne, by 1191 the founder Berthold von Zähringen killed a bear on his first hunt in the area.

The canton of Berne joined the Swiss Federation in 1353. The canton has a colorful history with a roman period, the middle ages, the Burgundian wars in (15C), the reformation and a Napoleonic period (19C).

The canton of Berne has a very varied topography with the alps (quite an impressive mountain range up to 4000m), several lakes surrounded by fruitful farmland, rolling hills (the Emmental) and the Jura (a lower mountain range in the North). There are countless beautiful spots within a very small area that most foreign tourists would never get to see.

The capital of Switzerland is the city of Berne. The canton connects the German and the French speaking areas of Switzerland. Quite a few famous watch companies along with other high tech brands are located in the canton of Berne. Tourism is also important with key sites such as Interlaken and the Jungfraujoch station (or the top of Europa, at 3’454m). Also check out our post on the Niesen. In that area is so much exciting stuff to do!

The Canton of Berne2016-06-12T20:38:41+02:00

Winter Forest

2016-02-14T23:00:40+01:00

These last few weeks have been rather warm for this season. But finally winter has arrived and temperatures have now dropped to 0°C and below that. Only now snow stays on as it is cold enough not to melt anymore. And there is certainly more snow to come…

The forest is beautiful in all seasons. About a third of our trees are many different types of broad-leaved trees that mark the seasons clearly. Two thirds are various coniferous trees.

The forest has a long tradition of being well tended. It covers about a third of the country. A third of the forested areas is found on our mountains (Jura and alps). Year by year an army of forest workers cut specific trees and keep the many roads and hiking trails in the forests in good shape. 70% of the forest is in public hands.

Today our forests are very much parceled up. There are not many spots in Switzerland where you won’t see some artificial lights caused through cars or housing.

 

Winter Forest2016-02-14T23:00:40+01:00

Heidi, A Heart Warming New Movie

2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00

The brand new movie “Heidi” is set in the middle of the 19th century. The story was written by the Swiss Johanna Spyri and published in 1879. The book became such a success that it was translated into more then 50 languages. The new movie follows very faithfully the original book. The film makers took tremendous shots of the scenery of mountains in Graubünden (southeastern part of Switzerland) and interesting perspectives of the 19th century German city of Frankfurt. Here is the trailer of the movie in the original languages (Swiss German and German).

Heidi is an orphan girl that gets placed with her loner grandfather called Alpöhi. Up on the mountains she leads a carefree and simple life. Her best friend is a shepherd boy (Geisspeter) who daily comes by to mind the few goats of Alpöhi.

One day Heidi’s aunt Dete snatches Heidi away and takes her to the far away city of Frankfurt. Here Heidi is placed in the house of a rich German family. Klara is the daughter of the house owner and just a little older than Heidi. Klara is bound to a wheelchair. The two quickly become best friends even though culturally they are from incredibly different backgrounds. As time goes on Heidi gets so homesick that she is allowed to return home to her Alpöhi living high up in the mountains.

Later on Klara comes to visit Heidi in her remote spot. The visit even has the effect of her learning to walk again.

Heidi, A Heart Warming New Movie2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00

On January 6: The Three Kings Cake

2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00

At the beginning of January the three kings cake is a very popular bakery product. Leavened sweet bread is rolled into buns. In one of the buns a small plastic figure is hidden. The person who finds the figure has the privilege to wear the crown that comes along with it. Obviously every year the kids are very excited to search for the hidden treasure!

The three kings cake is sold in supermarkets and bakeries. This one here cost CHF 4.70 at Migros and weighs 420g. It really is delicious.

Nowadays most people are probably hardly aware what the three kings cake is all about. The biblical record states: “After Jesus’ birth, Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem. They asked, “Where is the child who has been born to be king of the Jews? When we were in the east, we saw his star. Now we have come to worship him.”” (Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 2, Verse 1-2)

By the third century legends started mentioning three kings. By the 6th century they were called Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. In Switzerland the tradition of the three kings cake was only introduced after WWII.

On January 6: The Three Kings Cake2017-08-03T12:14:27+02:00
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