Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Basel..








When we arrived in Basel, it was cold and foggy, so instead of walking around the city, we headed straight to the Art Museum. We had exactly an hour before it closed to peruse the 20th century collection as well as breeze through the medieval collection. So, it was a quick visit, but a lot of interesting art. For dinner, we stumbled upon an interesting place. It was definitely old fashioned. I felt like I walked into the 1950’s upon entering the place. Aside from some interesting hair dye-jobs and hair dos, I think we were the youngest people in there. The other young couple next to us ordered Steak Tartare, something that is all too rare on menus in the US anymore. To prepare this, the chef came out with two plates, each with a patty of ground beef and a raw egg yolk atop. He also brought his various tubes of condiments, something that made the “prepared in front of you” experience a little less fancy, for he would take the tubes of various mustards etc and just “squirt” them into a bowl, as you would a tube of toothpaste…
The next day, while T was busy with a tour of Novartis, a large pharmaceutical company, I walked the city. It was another glorious sunny day, which definitely made the 4-5 hours that I walked very pleasant. Walking through Basel was a little like walking through Zurich, with the cobblestoned alleys and cute side streets with shops, confisseries, watch stores, antiques..you name it. The thing that I loved about Basel that I have yet to have found in any other city that we have visited, is the presence of SIGNS!! There were signs everywhere with arrows to point you in the direction of the museums, sights, the SBB train station…it was great. I barely had to use my map. They even had special self guided walking tours, where you followed the picture of some historic character, with the arrows pointing in the direction of the tour. I had grand plans to see a couple more museums, including the Paper Mill Museum and also the Jean Tinguely Museum , but both were closed! Instead, I was able to see some historic city gates and walls, some churches, parks and the many stores that had started hyping the annual Basler Fasnacht , a huge festival and celebration that takes place for three days following Mardi Gras. Basel was a neat city yet its people seem a little reserved. This could be in part to the little cloud of controversy that hangs over, regarding a few specific banks in the city and their role in laundering money that the Nazi's stole from the Jews and other persecuted groups.
For more stories on Switzerlands "Not-So-Neutral" role in World War II Click Here

Fun fact: Did you know that Basel lies at the point in Switzerland where Germany, France and Switzerland all meet?

Monday, February 27, 2006

The Glacier Express and Zermatt…









If it weren’t for the absolute Magnificence of the Matterhorn, especially as we were so lucky to have seen it on a clear, sunny and crowd free morning, I probably would have opted not to journey to Zermatt.

After boarding the “wrong” part of the Glacier Express and nearly missing the other… “right” half as it pulled out of the station, T and I made it…..Barely. As we were sitting in our “wrong” half of the train, we were a little perplexed as to why we were the ONLY ones on the train, especially since the “Glacier Express” is one of the most popular trains to ride within Switzerland..almost as popular as the destination, Zermatt, itself. If not for the Janitor who curiously eyed us, sitting alone, as he made his cleaning rounds…we would have missed our train; for he was the one to actually shout down the platform for the conductor to hold the train.. “two dumb Americans are coming yet!”
So, we made it, barely… and we were lucky to be crammed into seats next to the likes of: “Halitosis Hal”, “Know-it-all Norman ‘Stinky-Feet’ III”, “Lucille”- a SPITTING image of Lucille from the show “Arrested Development” and “Fifi Fur.” These would be our travel companions for the next 5 hours.
Just to give the run down, Norman III had made the “Glacier Express” journey MANY times before, so he was able to give us a play by play of each corner we turned, each glacier we passed, every type of sediment of rock we viewed..As if THIS wasn’t enough, he had also climbed the Matterhorn dozens of times as well as many remote and Majestic peaks around the world. (Did I mention that he skiied down them as well?)
Meanwhile, as if breathing in my direction wasn’t offensive enough, Halitosis Hal (read: in a thick and nasal British accent) spent his time continually bragging about his friend from the Financial Times who had written this article about skiing in France…Blah, Blah, Blah..as well as making remarks about those neighbors across the pond and their “yet another typical American catastrophe..”..blah, blah…
Across the Aisle, Lucille, with Ipod in tow and more than her share of drinks under her Gucci belt, was actually singing out loud. “ Looooove For Saaaaale..”
Fifi Fur looked appalled, but I think that the plastic surgery had just contorted her face to always look that way…She was making comments about not wanting to accompany her husband, Hal, to some far off destination, all because she had heard, “that the food is just Atrocious!!”
Luckily, we were able to enjoy a bit of peace and quiet when the Foursome made their way to the dining car..

Ah, now to Zermatt.
So, I got so wrapped up in the Fearful Foursome, that I didn’t mention anything about the journey itself. It was beautiful, but unfortunately, it was cloudy on our way in and quite foggy as we got nearer to Zermatt and the Matterhorn. When we arrived, it was very foggy and snowing, and there were millions of people with skis, snowboards etc EVERYWHERE. I should have known that it would be a zoo. I haven’t spent much time in ski towns, and never had I been to Zermatt, so I guess I just didn’t think that everyone would be there for the weekend. SO, right off, I think we were a bit stressed. Trying to maneuver our way through people with their skis poking out everywhere, while the roads were slippery with snow and ice.. and the “cabs” (there are no real vehicles here, just these go cart things) driving like maniacs in and out of people..it was a bit crazy. And, we had really just come to see the Matterhorn, and we couldn’t see anything in the fog, so I was feeling a bit dejected and let down. But, we checked in and had a meal and good nights sleep, and planned, the next morning, to get up at the crack of dawn, to catch the first train up the mountain, for a better view. The next morning, it was PERFECT. Before dawn even broke, we could see that it was crystal clear out. We could see the outlines of the mountains that towered above the village, AND, we could see it. The Matterhorn. In the pre dawn light, it was beautiful. SO, we spent a little time, at 6:30 in the morning, walking through Zermatt as we liked it the most. Quiet. Empty. Peaceful. We were actually able to breathe in that mountain air, for the night before, we were constantly surrounded by smokers. Agh. When the dawn did break, we were the first ones on the train, no lines, no skiers. As the sun came out, we were at the top of the mountain (well, as far as the train would go..some 10,000ft high) We had a panorama of mountains to ourselves, the sun, and a perfect blue sky. It made the whole travel worthwhile for me. It was breathtaking. It was Postcard perfect. When we headed back down and disembarked, the craziness with all of the people had already begun. There were hoards of people in the station awaiting the next train up the mountain. We felt so lucky that we were able to avoid all that, because, had we come into the train station at that point to go up the mountain, we surely would have turned right back around and walked right back out. Having seen what we had come to see, in all its glory, I was satisfied. So, without further ado, we packed our things and decided to leave Zermatt, it’s hoards of people and the Matterhorn behind.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

An Ode to the Train…and Zürich




Today I have a two in one blog.

The First is a love story. about a Train. Well, not any Train in particular, although I have become quite fond of the Swiss Trains.. I am so impressed with the rail system here. I love it, so much, that I am even starting to love everything about the Train (well, not the bathrooms just yet)…I love the awful screeching noises they make as they slow to a halt, and I am starting to love the distinct smell of the Train station….But, what I really love is that riding the rails here in Europe, so far, has been so incredibly easy, except for our first failed outing; relaxing; convenient, you can hop on here and off in Italy, France, Germany or Austria in a mere few hours or less; and pain free, the Closter phobia issues of last week aside. Here in Switzerland, the Trains are also extremely timely.
Funny, I remember 8 years back laughing about how the trains in Switzerland start moving RIGHT as the clock ticks to the corresponding minute of departure, and by contrast, in Italy, the conductor steps out for a smoke and a piss at the moment the train SHOULD be moving. All in all though, we have seen few delays.
Another beautiful thing is the Eurail Pass. You certainly pay the price, but it is definitely worth it. Sitting in First Class is worth it. (This perk is included on the pass..) Oh, and another thing too. You can literally show up one minute before departure and still just hop right on, as T demonstrated last week on our way to Berlin..(but that is another story!) NO checking in, NO lines, NO stress…
Because I don’t want to spoil this “Praise-the-Train” moment, I wont get into the lack of Security or the random unattended bag that we saw sitting at the Zurich Station last week. I will say that we alerted “The Officials” and the bag was confiscated…No Bomb Sniffing Dogs, No nothing…they just picked it up and took it away..
Aside from the Trains being a convenience, enhancing the quality of life for Europeans and travelers alike, it is also a great way to see the country side all while reading a good book, and sipping a cold beer or a glass of wine…
I will stop before I start to sound like an advertisement..and, who knows, 2 months from now, after having riden the rails for over 3 months, I may be singing a different tune…


Zürich.






I can't say that I have heard much about Zürich in the past. For some silly reason, one thing that I have associated with at least the word ‘Zürich,’ is the chorus from an old song by Pavement that I can never get out of my head when I think about the city. “Zürich is stained and its not my fault, just hold me back or let me run.” It is definitely a random line for me to actually associate with the city itself, but the song is a depressing one in any sense, so for some reason, because of that and nothing else, I thought maybe Zürich was a depressing place.
....yet after today, depressing is one association with Zurich that I won't make again. Aside from the somewhat grey weather, Zürich was quite a lively and quaint city. It was much smaller than I imagined and also much more “walkable.” Many of the streets were cobble stoned and narrow, with cute storefronts tucked away into every little nook and cranny. There were also some nice parks with views over the rooftops and the river, and cute alleys leading to grand churches. I discovered some wonderful Macaroons, in nine different flavors, I might add.. and one of the best Art Museums (Kunsthaus) that I have seen. The new exhibit was themed “Feast of Color” and featured works by Calder, Picasso, Van Gogh, Klee, Kandinsky, Kirchner, Matisse and Miro..among others. Their permanent collection, which I didn’t have time to go through, at length, was also quite impressive.
My explorations today also led me up some 200 steps to the top of the Grossmünster church tower, where I had a 360 view over the beautiful yet foggy city below. Unfortunately, I made one of the best discoveries only a mere 10 minutes before my train was to depart. In the train station, of all places, was a great Farmers Market. Among the trains and platforms were tables of stinky cheeses, organic vegetables, dried and cured meats, pastas-both fresh and dried, antipasto olives, spices, pastries, breads, pestos and jams…Was I ever sorry that I had stopped just minutes before for a cold and stale soft pretzel!

We will definitely be back…

Monday, February 20, 2006

Berlin..










One thing that I have discovered, upon our return from Berlin this morning, is, that after 14 hours of being on a train, I have ‘train’ legs. My whole body actually feels as though it is still ON the train, rocking to and fro, back and forth.
This time around, this trip to Berlin was my first night train experience. I was a little nervous, after having some awful night train experiences years ago, when H and I didn’t feel like splurging for a couchette or sleeper car. So, I had no idea what to expect when we ordered up a sleeper car for this trip. On his last night train to Prague, T had a plush car all to himself with much free space, so we thought that was what we were getting this time around too.
You can imagine my surprise when we boarded the train and opened the door to our ‘room’ to discover that we were retiring to a CLOSET for the evening. I think the closter phobia set in right away as we closed the door behind us and tried to settle in, which required T to lie underneath on his bunk, while I took my coat off and set my things aside, and for me to jump onto the high bunk as he took off his coat and set his things aside.. It was THAT small! On top of that, we were in the lower ‘room’, which meant that there were two people on top of us in their own closet…eeeek.
After the initial shock wore off and we resigned to the fact that we would be spending the next 12 hours locked away, it wasn’t TOO bad. I think lying down and reading, and then trying to sleep helped to take my mind off our close quarters.

So, we arrived somewhat fresh to a rainy and dreary morning in Berlin, which somehow seemed appropriate…I say this because the city has definitely undergone a HUGE transformation since the Wall came down in ’89..Yet, there is such a tragic history there,a history that is dreary in itself..

We started out by heading to Starbucks, which is by the Brandenburg Gate, one of the most important landmarks in all of Berlin. Funny how Starbucks is just a stones throw away from the Gate, as is Dunkin’ Donuts.. Anyway, we decided to do a Free Walking Tour, although at this point the rain was falling pretty steadily. We are glad that we did do it, well, at least part of it, until T was pretty much soaked through and I was just freezing my ass off. We learned a lot in just that short and wet period. We were able to see and learn about some important places in Berlin, like the location of Hitler’s Bunker where he later committed suicide, which is now in some fancy apartment complex that gets hoards of tourists coming through their courtyard hourly. We also learned about how the Brandenburg Gate supposedly lay in the “Death Zone” between the outer and inner parts of the wall, so in fact, it was an isolated piece of history in a no mans land between the walls, and until the walls came down, there would be no traveling through the gate, that is unless, you wanted to get yourself killed. Interesting Irony. We also learned a bit about the Holocaust Memorial and how it is coated with a non-graffiti type spray..(Berlin is FULL of Graffiti..) An interesting fact is that the company that manufactured this “non Graffiti” spray also produced the toxic gas used to kill the Jews during the Holocaust. Interesting how things work out. Aside from some interesting historical facts, we also saw the famous hotel window from which Michael Jackson dangled his baby…

So, Berlin is still under construction. It was 8 years ago when I was here last, and it is still being rebuilt today. There has been a lot of progress though. Potsdamer Platz is a miniature Times Square now, full of interesting and modern buildings and bright lights with pieces of history tucked in here and there. The Berlin Film Festival was wrapping up the last couple days, so there were billboards showing the movies being featured and other interesting advertisements. My favorite one offered a glimpse into the movie stars of the past. The ‘exhibit’ took place in a row of new and identical Red VW’s. Each car was pumping out music, with lights flashing within. As you neared the car, the windows were frosted over, all except a little peep hole to look into. On the windows was written a history of the movie star that was featured within. When you looked through the peephole, you got a glimpse of a movie in which that star was featured. It was a crazy sight, especially at night because the cars lined the street and each one lit up and had some sort of music or sound to a movie blaring from it. It was a bit surreal and made me laugh to walk by it every night. Berlin was surreal to me in so many ways. It is so new and modern and bright, which is such a contrast to the old and historical dark side. Supposedly, only 1/3 or so of the city was left after the bombing in WW2, so you can imagine what is being done not only to rebuild but also to preserve.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Milan.


Felici Valentino!



Walking the side streets..



hmm, I gather that Avian flu is NOT an issue in Milan?




Ah, Milan. After leaving the pristine, crisp and clean that is most of Switzerland and riding the rails through some of the most beautiful areas in Europe, we descended into Milano Centrale. Upon arrival, instantly, I was on guard. As we stepped off the train, to meet us was Chaos.. hoards of all kinds of people going every which way, dirt, grime and I am sure a few pick-pocketers thrown in the mix as well. I wasn't surprised actually. I had been here once before, and I remember forming my only opinion of Milan based solely on the train station. Back then, it was pretty much the same, but on top of the dirt, grime and hoards of people was the heat and the smog that was actually INSIDE the station. As you can imagine, this was not a positive first impression. So, this time, since we had a couple days in Milan, I was hoping that we would begin to discover this other side of Milan, the charm, the history and the secret underlayer of the city. Of course, two days isn't enough to really get into the groove of any place, but we certainly did try.
Our first impression of the city was a good one, and this is because I actually picked a good hotel to stay in!! (Mindy, I am hoping that my choices on this trip will make up for the BAD choices that I chose for us on our cross country trip!)
We also had a pleasant first meal, T's first meal in Italy, complete with some fine wine, good food and some nice dessert and espresso. (Not to mention a smoke free environment, something that we had all but forgotten about!) The next day, before taking our first jaunt to Torino for the Women's Hockey game, we had some time to kill. One thing that I noticed right off was that some areas of Milan are not suited for walking, especially if you are a tourist and are not familiar with the city. The sidewalks turn into streets, turn into parking lots, turn into Piazzas...AND on top of that, the names of the streets change so frequently even walking in a semi straight line, that I had to consult the map all too frequently, something that I am uncomfortable doing in public anyway. Somehow, through much meandering, backtracking and map consulting, we happened to turn a corner. There in front of us was the Duomo. This was such a surprise; although we were looking specifically for it, it literally took my breath away to see it. I have seen some amazing things, but this was incredible. I think that I was expecting it to look different, like the Duomo in Florence, and when it was completely NOT what I expected to see, it was such a surprise. Of course, the area around the Duomo was also crowded with many people, and the streets around the Duomo are packed with all the designer stores and the beautiful shoppers. We decided that the Italians, so far, are the best dressed. I definitely felt a bit frumpy in my strectched out jeans,smelly sneakers and my Target brand sweater!
I think Milan began to grow on us a little bit after seeing more of it the second day. It definitely seems like more of a modern business city than a tourist destination. So, in a way, there isn't much to set it apart from many other cities. I am sure that any one loyal to Milan would probably beg to differ, but as an outsiders view, this is what I saw. The next day, we came across more of the local and charming side streets, something that we didnt see much on the first day. I was glad that we saw this other side to the city, becasue had we not, I might have been a little disappointed. We ventured to see "The Last Supper" of Leonardo Di Vinci's that is on display at one of the churches. Although we couldnt get in to see it, (a week ahead reservation is required! what?) we did find a couple great cafes to sit in, some good espresso and again, some good wine!
SO, all in all, we enjoyed Milan...but, we were definitely glad to leave the grime and chaos behind.

Torino.




Where Milan may have lacked in Charm and Character, Torino made up for. We could sense this right as we got off at the train station. Aside from all the Olympic excitement, Torino right away, we could see was a little more picturesque..set against the mountains with cobblestoned streets and bustling cafes. Who knows, maybe they cleaned up a bit for the Games, but on first impression, we liked it. THEN, there are the crowds, the Olympic billboards, the info booths, and oh yeah, the crowds, or did I mention that already? Actually, it really wasnt that bad. And I can be one for normally steering clear of crowds, but I felt that this was an exception that I had to make. The excitement of being in the host city of the Winter Games brought tears to my eyes..(yes, I tear easily, as you may know!) SO, I embraced the crowds and the excitement surrounding it all. We didnt have too many issues getting to the Hockey Game, and we actually had near front row seats! T made the comment that he never thought that the day would come where he wouldn't be able to see over the heads of the players.. True, we were sitting behind and not much higher than the USA team bench, so we did have some issues seeing the action on the far end of the ice, but, we were close, and when the American Women were pummeling the Swiss down at our end, it was incredible to watch, close up. Our next trip into Torino was a little more problematic. Well, we got to Torino ok, it was trying to get to the Curling venue up in the mountains where we ran into some issues. So, I have to say, there are very few signs depicting just how you get to these venues while you are in Torino. We received a booklet with the tickets talking a bit about the buses/trains to take but, I was really disappointed to see that there wasn't much more posted within the city. I wasnt really surprised though. It seems like the Italian way, to be a little laid back and maybe not the most precise about such things. So, after much frustration, we finally make it to Curling, an hour or so late. When we arrived there, we find more confusion and people milling around, trying to figure out just how to enter the venue around all the unfinished construction, lack of direction and again, lack of signs. We finally made it in though and were able to see a bit of the first "Round Robin" tournament, which is basically four different Games going on simultaneously. I enjoyed it. It was fun to watch the crowds from all different countries exploding in cheers whenever their team knocked the opponents puck-things (I dont know much about the game, as you can see..) off of the target. From here, we ventured back to Torino, a 45 minute train ride. More confusion. As we were boarding the train, an Official looking woman dressed in Train Conductor garb was charging people for the train ride, another thing that we and many others were not aware of. The helpful guidebook mentioned NOTHING about the costs of the transportation anywhere. The buses were free, but apparently, the train was not. Not to worry, we ended up making it back and to the Speed Skating venue, in time to cheer on the skaters in the Mens 500 M.
We are hoping that being the First and Third day of the Games, that these things were just some minor glitches that will get worked out...

some 'unfinished' business..




Cheering with the Fins!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Guggenloch Cookies..




Today I went with T's class to visit this small family run Organic bakery in the town of Urnasch.Their main focus is on cookies, made from an alternative to regular "white" wheat flour. It is known it the U.S. as Spelt, a more easily digestible form of wheat. Here, it is known as "Dinkel"..
The bakers are also looking to test out another form of wheat called Emmer Wheat. Supposedly, this similar type of wheat can be used as an alternative to people who have allergies to Spelt.

The bio-food market here is definitely on the rise...one of the new gourmet and organic stores around this area is called Yardo. I have been in there a couple times already and love looking at all the gourmet foods imported from all over Europe. YUM!

  • Guggenloch

  • Yardo.
  • Tuesday, February 07, 2006

    Salzburg....Classics, Castles and Cones







    We just returned from Salzburg, where the city is celebrating the birthday of Mozart all year long. I am wondering when this city DOESN'T celebrate him though! Many of the gift shops sell all-things-Mozart and occasionally, you will see something that mentions the other claim to fame, "The Sound of Music" as well. Not that this town needs Mozart or the Sound of Music to entice visitors. It is charming all on its own, with the cobbled streets of the old town and the Fortress that looms above the city, perched on a steep cliff. There is a little bit of shi-shi swank as well. We spotted a few too many fur coated ladies among the Prada, Hugo Boss and Gucci stores, most of which had on the signature Burberry scarves to match :)(mom, I think there were too many to count here!) Prices were a little higher here as well. It reminded me of when I was in Vienna 8 years ago with Heidi..As starving students, I remember laughing at the truth in a card that we bought that claimed, "Vienna was so expensive, that I could only afford half of this postcard!" Pictured was half of an image, the other half black...

    Some highlights of our trip here aside from the VERY cozy and romantic hotel, included a walk up to the Fortress and in doing so, discovering a water museum that was only open once a month (it was the day we happened upon it)and seeing a classical concert, the modern art museum and a great toy museum. We also had an interesting dining experience at a place that served all its "finger food" in cones. (see the Flickr link) This was quite good, with interesting flavor and texture combos. I also sampled some Austrian pastries. In honor of Mozarts birthday, a special Imperial Torte is being made and sold in Austria. I had some for dessert one night and was pleased to find that it wasn't bursting with the marzipan flavor that can overpower many of these traditional pastries. It was pistachio and chocolate, and it was subtle.

    All in all, we recommend this place..even at this time of year, you have the snow and chill but fewer tourists!