The Switzerland Traveler

 
Ic skating is pretty popular in Switzerland, and in most towns there’s probably an ice-rink near the city centre, or maybe out by a lake or river.
There’s one where I live, one in Zurich, one in Baden, well, pretty much everywhere…
This one is in the Quartier du Flon in Lausanne, the French speaking part of Switzerland, and as you can see, there’s some attractive lighting going on.

You can rent skates at the rink, or even just go and watch while people practice their dancing or hockey moves.
And if you get thirsty, there’s almost always a little wooden hut doing a …read more

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 The six day bike race is a bit of a tradition.
The history of six day racing seems a bit unclear, and seems to have started either in the UK or the US, but is no mainly popular in mainland Europe.
A number of events are held throughout the year, and one of the oldest is in Zurich.

This year the 52nd Six day race will be held, and it’s as much a social occasion as a sporting event.
Social in the sense of groups of (mainly) men eatring, drinking and smoking cigars – although the latter might be getting a bit less popular.
The …read more

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 Was that the most boring game you’ve ever seen?
Two great footballing nations: Think Real Madrid and Barcelona; AC Milan and Juventus. And all the rest…
I really feel sorry for the people that paid for tickets. So many games in the EM have been entertaining but that was dire.
I watched the BBC coverage of the game, and the most entertaining part was the irony of the commentary. At half time they showed a feature on the old Orsoin Welles film noir The Third Man. To which Gary Lineker responded: You know the football must be rubbish when we get more worked …read more

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Well, you’re not going to be hearing about much other than football for the next few weeks I’m afraid.
I’ll try to make it as informative as possible, but that’s the theme you are going to get.
So two things:
Firstly, England did not qualify, and this is the last time I shall mention that they didn’t, and also that they deserved not to because they played like a bunch of amateurs – with all due respect to amateurs who might feel slighted by the comparison.
Secondly, when I say football, I mean the game where you spend most of the time kicking a …read more

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I’m feeling a bit moody, so a B&W shot today.
Bad Tiefenbrunnen is in fact, a jolly place. Located down at the end of the number 2 and 4 tram lines, it’s a very pleasant place to be in summer.
Open from 10 May to 15 September, usually to around 20:00, but that depends on the weather. If it’s warm enough to be there, it’ll be open, if not, it’ll close.
You’ll find places to grill your sausages, and please excuse me at this point for mentioning that there are naturist terraces too.
If you need it, there’s a shop to buy the sunscreen you …read more

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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 …read more

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There aren’t many opportunities to drive quickly in Switzerland so when my ex-boss offered me the chance to drive his race kart, I jumped at the chance.
Jumped too much as it turns out, as my last skiing injury hadn’t completely healed and I ended up snapping a bone in my arm. Why is it called humerus?
Quite impressive without even having an accident…
Anyway, don’t let me put you off, it’s great fun, check out www.kartbahnwohlen.ch for opening times and prices.
Photo: Geoff Collins
PS I’m feeling a bit indisposed, so may not update quite so much over the next few weeks.

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If you’ve never seen Telemark skiing done properly, how about a trip to Saas Fee this weekend?
And don’t forget, the new tunnel saves around 45 mins when travelling from Zürich.
It’s apparently a very friendly event, emphasis being more on style than speed but I daresay some will take it very seriously!
Here’s how it’s set to unfold:
Friday:From 8p.m. “Meet & Greet” at Living Room
Saturday:From 9a.m. Nostalgic ski race at StaffelwaldFrom 4p.m. Apéro at Black Bull BarFrom 9p.m. Nostalgic party at Living Room
Sunday:“early birds” Off-piste with Mountain Guide11a.m. Brunch in the ski area
+41 (0)27 958 18 82
www.saas-fee.ch

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Dog time again.
The Swiss Championship for dog-pulled sleds takes place at Les Mosses, a Col situated between Aigle and Bulle in a couple of weeks time.
It’s a sprint race, run over a distance of 8 to 16 km, and around 500 dogs will run in two heats according to the categories and number of dogs that make up the team.
Office du tourisme Les Mosses-La Lécherette, Les Fougères, Case postale 38, 1862 Les Mosses
+41 (0)24 491 14 66 www.lesmosses.ch

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If money’s no object, then the new spa at the Gstaad Palace Hotel might interest you.
You may have already heard of the Palace, but the Spa is new.
It was opened a couple of months ago, and covers 1800sq meters, which must be about 20,000 sq ft.

With spectacular views over the mountains, it’s sure to be a place you won’t want to leave in a hurry, so make sure you are there for as long as you can be. 
Rooms at the Palace start around 700CHF/night for a double.
Or, if you are lucky, you can book as an external guest for …read more

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