I hope that carnivores amongst the readership won’t object too much, but I feel a few vegetable-related posts coming on. It’s just that time of year.

The time of year when the Swiss love to have festivals celebrating a particular vegetable – be it pumpkin, turnip or carrot.

So a warm welcome to today’s vegetable; the onion.  Starring at an onion market in Bern next Monday, 24th November. If you want to sound local, it’s called the Zibelemärit.

Most onions are of the genus Allium cepa (which I guess explains the Italian word: cipolla) but I wouldn’t betting you’ll find a good few variants on the stalls next Monday.

Some are intended to be eaten, others to be gazed at in wonderment. Currently I’m struggling to visualize 50 tons of onions. It sounds like a lot…

Certainly onions feature in so many recipes throughout the world it must be impossible to count them. Other than salt or pepper, is there a more common ingredient?

As usual in Switzerland there will be some form of fairground, and a craft fair, but the hardiest of visitors, arriving at 5am for the kick-off will be more impressed by the braided plaits of onions (and interloping garlic).

Cheese, and cheese flans, onion tarts and other delicacies await the hungry, with Glühwein to warm the cockles of your heart should you so desire.

Photo: Flickr clare and ben

Post from: The Switzerland Traveler

Part of my daily ritual is to check the headlines on the Daily Telegraph, surely one of the finest online newspapers there is.

On a more infrequent basis, I also read Private Eye, the satirical current affairs magazine.

Why do I tell you this? Because one of Private Eye’s most common digs at the Torygraph (as the Telegraph is also known)  is that it tends to use pictures of scantily clad females in newsworthy situations, presumably to boost circulation. I think I’m talking about number of copies sold, rather than circulation of blood, but you can never be too sure.

So, today, I find myself doing precisely that, because there is a beach volleyball event taking place in Gstaad this week, and I, er, thought you ought to know about it.

It runs from Monday until Sunday 27th July, features parties and concerts (William White would appear to be the highlight on Thursday evening).

Fun for all the family.

www.beachworldtour.ch

Photo: Flickr – bernat

Post from: The Switzerland Traveler

Sometimes I think that the Swiss flag should be green, white and blue.

Maybe with a bit of brown to represent the cows too.

Today I’m featuring a series of photos taken by StrahlemannBE that show Switzerland in its classic natural summer beauty.

I’m guessing that the BE at the end of the name mens that Herr Strahlemann comes from the Canton of Bern,

but some of these pictures were apparently taken in Obwalden,  one of the original cantons to form the Swiss (or Helvetic) Confederation in 1291.

Whatever, I hope you’ll agree with me that Herr S has done a great job, and that Switzerland is quite simply an enchanting place to live or visit.

Photos: Flickr

Post from: The Switzerland Traveler

Having mentioned Switzerland’s tragic record in the EM, I feel it only fair that I should mention that yesterday they beat the country that most pundits consider favourite for the title.

Not only that, they scored two goals – one from the penalty spot, which is more than they have scored in an EM finals game before.

So now we’ll all be backing Portugal, because if they win the tournament, we can say that we beat them!

Have you spotted that I’m now saying “we” to refer to the Swiss?

Picture: Flickr Frank

Post from: The Switzerland Traveler

Lest we forget what it’s all about, here’s a photo of some actual football. One of the best exponents of the game with the ball at his feet.

Looks like rain?

Oh yes! My God it tipped down. Fortunately I was under cover, but still got soaked.

Two countries that have impressed so far – Holland and Portugal.  And the fans have all been remarkably well-behaved…

…even with the amount of beer that is being consumed!

Photos Flickr Sam Herd meckimac coyote agile rhurturbia  jacek NL

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Switzerland play the Czech Republic in the first match…

All of Switzerland seems to expect the Nati to win. The national team. Everyone except the foreigners that is, who have seen the the team lose their last four games and don’t believe that the home advantage will make any difference.

 But wearing red is obligatory for the real fans. And packing out the Fanzones – this one is in the Bundesplatz in Bern - is the best way to enjoy the game.

Alex Frei, one of the team’s key players, is injured before half time. Heartbroken – not just injured.

The team try valiantly, but it’s their opponents that score the only goal of the game.

Now the Swiss must beat Turkey midweek. Which must be a challenge for the three ex-Turks in the squad. 

Photo: Flickr Scorpio81ch

Post from: The Switzerland Traveler

I went into town last week to watch the final of the Champion’s League in a bar, and I have to admit, it’s now time to start mentioning the football.

The European Championships (which is essentially all the world class teams apart from the South American nations) is being held in Switzerland and Austria from 7-29 June.

So, to put it simply, if you’re planning to be in Switzerland over that time and haven’t already booked flights/hotels, do it now. On match days, the authorities haver even extended the allowed night-flying times, to allow more efficient handling of passengers.

 It’ll be a great event with a lot of temporary viewing facilities being erected throughout the country, so it’ll be great to be here. Party zones are the talk of the town and I have to admit I’m curious what will be built!

The matches in Switzerland are being held in Geneva, Basel, Bern and Zürich. The photo above shows the Zürich stadium (hosting an athletics event) and the one below shows part of England’s dismal attempt to qualify.    

I’ll be running a series of posts on this over the coming weeks, but will intersperse it with some of the normal (and wacky) stuff too.
Photos: Flickr BeatKüng JohnTheScone

Post from: The Switzerland Traveler

Each year the good people of Grindelwald celebrate the fact that they live right by one of the greatest mountains in the world.

The north face of the Eiger is still one of the most diffcult climbs, and the anniversary of the first ascent is worth remembering. Imagine spending a night sleeping in that concave bit!

The celebrations last a week, from Sunday 24th, and will appeal to anyone that appreciate mountain sports, and nature.

Paragliding features too, so there will be plenty of opportunities for colourful photos.

A central fire marks the meeting point for all activities.

www.eigerlive.ch

Photo: Flickr – ronlayters

Post from: The Switzerland Traveler

You can pretty much guarantee in Switzerland that it’ s not very often that there is no exhibition of Ferdinand Hodler’s work going on.

This summer, it’s Bern’s turn, with an exhibition at the kunstmuseum.

It runs until Sunday 10th August.

There will be over 130 of his paintings – some of which are by no means small.

The works cover his early, more traditional work, moving on to the abstract, impressionist stuff.

The Swiss view him as someone with a symbolist vision of man and nature forming one harmonious unity. 

I look on him as someone that painted pictures of mountains in a sort of abstract way.

But then, I’m no art critic.

www.kunstmuseumbern.ch

Photo: Flickr – clare and ben

Post from: The Switzerland Traveler

Sometimes I wonder if I bang on about art museums too much.

So today, I’m going to talk about another one. But not for the art, for the architecture.

The Paul Klee Museum in Bern was designed by Renzo Piano, who, I must confess, I’d never heard of until a visit to the Lingotto in Turin last year.

The museum is located next to the main Zurich -Geneva motorway, which certainly livens up the journey as one passes it.

The downside is that you can’t step back very far to take in the perspective…

Piano’s idea was to build “the leading centre of competence worldwide for research into and the mediation and presentation of Paul Klee… a platform for interdisciplinary forms of artistic expression”.

I’m not sure how many centres compete along those terms so he’s probably achieved his goal.

The museum was built to house around 4,000 pieces of Klee’s art, which is a lot in anyone’s book.

So, regardless whether you enjoy art or architecture, or more probably both, the Klee museum is a great place to visit.

The wave form is certainly distinctive, and for those of you on the other side of the water, is said to echo elements of Piano’s work on the Nasher  Sculpture Center in Dallas, TX.

Zentrum Paul Klee
Monument im Fruchtland 3
Postfach
3000 Bern 31
Switzerland

Photos: Flickr – numstead

Post from: The Switzerland Traveler