Under rather different circumstances, we made a posting by the same name on our Russian blog last year (click here).

On November 29, a national poll will be held to settle three referendums. One of them, backed by a vocal faction of Swiss nationalists, asks voters to embrace a complete ban on minarets (the slender call-to-prayer towers often accompanying mosques).

Click above image to enlarge.

The federation council has urged voters to resist the ban. Supporters, however, have found “creative” ways to broadcast their message ahead of next week’s referendum.

For English coverage of the controversy, click here.

Waking up a much later than I had wanted in Bern put me en route to Zermatt much later than I originally had anticipated. The train ride to Zermatt was stunning. I had to transfer trains several times, the routes took me high in the Alps and through the beautiful mountain passes, over ravines and gullies, over streams and alongside waterfalls. The expression on my face was that of a little kid in a candy store. I was overly excited to be in such a beautiful place, and knowing I was going to hike in the area made me even more elated. The closer I got to Zermatt I noticed that the concentration of outdoor enthusiasts on the train increased. Seeing people with backpacks, hiking poles and boots I knew I was in the right place.

Small electric taxi's take people from place to place in Zermatt, Autos are prohibited

The Gondola I refused to take

At 11:30 when I arrived in Zermatt I hit the ground running. I had plans to hike up to the Matterhorn and by golly I was going to stick to them. I briskly walked over to the visitors center to grab a map and some information about accessing the trails. Armed with my map and determination to stick to my plans I walked through Zermatt very fast heading toward the Matterhorn. The town of Zermatt is very quaint and cute with little skiing and sporting goods shops everywhere. If I was a rich tourist I would certainly come back to Zermatt for a few weeks and indulge in all their town has to offer.

Hiking at a fast pace up the hill I passed several other hikers with smiles on their faces just like me. I reached a small town up on the hill, Old Zermatt, even cuter and smaller than actual Zermatt. Continuing on I noticed that the number of hikers dwindled substantially. I like very few others decided to actually walk up the mountain rather than take the 45 Euro cable car up. Past the small town is where I really noticed my climb to begin. The air was cool and crisp as I headed up the mountain. The further I got the more I noticed the weight of my pack. Being as how I had everything with me for my “round the world journey” plus extra food and water it was certainly noticeable on my back. Drenched in sweat I continued on the path through the beautiful lush forest up into the sky.

Prior to my trek up the mountain I had noticed a cloud covering the tops of the mountains and the hillsides obstructing my view of the Matterhorn and anything up passed a few hundred feet from Zermatt. Now that I was several hundred feet above the town I too was engulfed by the looming cloud. A fine mist permeated the already cool and damp air. Completely drenched with sweat my core temperature began to cool as I ascended. Pushing myself to keep warm I hiked faster and faster, making amazing time up the increasingly steep mountain.

Exhausted I climbed out of the timberline and into the high elevation meadows. I grabbed my plastic poncho just before it started to rain. I ran into two other hikers roughly my age from San Francisco who had prepared even less than I had for their excursion and headed down the mountain when their cotton sweatshirts were nearly soaked. Discouraged that my new hiking buddies had quickly abandoned me I wearily kept storming up the mountain, not letting it or the weather persuade me to turn around. Arriving at one of the gondola’s stops, Schwarzsee Paradise, I found a small restaurant and hotel to get shelter and warmth at for a little while.

Once inside I headed for the bathroom where I used more than my share of the hot air hand dryer then I took off my wet poncho and studied the map carefully. Knowing that I had quite a ways to go I engineered myself a new clothing “system” for the remainder of my hike. I changed into my warmest and driest clothes that I had, layering of course. Next I grabbed one of my huge black plastic trash bags and cut two leg holes in it, I secured the trash bag on me like pants and tucked everything in to ensure maximum waterproofing. Next I put on my jacket and made sure it was nice and tight, next my backpack, and finally my plastic 97 cent poncho. Making sure everything was tucked in and secured I grabbed a quick bite of my Swiss chocolate bar for some energy. Looking at myself in the mirror I realized I looked pretty silly, for one I was covered in plastic, and secondly I was dumb enough to go outside and hike up the mountain in a storm. Luckily I found a back door out of the place and took it so that no one would see me.

Me in plastic in a Swiss bathroom

Thankful that my clothing efforts had not been in vain I kept hiking up the mountain. I was a little weary of going through a section of mountain sheep. Some found me quite curious, and a black one even chased after me a bit. Continuing to climb, the mountain became much more rocky and steep. A few minutes after seeing the sheep I realized that all of the people I had seen were heading down the mountain, and away from the storm. And all of those people were wearing expensive Gore-Tex hiking gear. They all had poles and everything one would need for hiking this terrain in this weather. I figured, oh well, I’m already this far, why turn back now.

The fog and haze of the cloud really began to engulf everything around me. The trail had progressively diminished from a dug out dirt path in a grassy area, to a well defined rocky trail, to eventually a barren wasteland of slippery rocks on a mountain ridge with orange and white markers. Hikers (in good conditions) are supposed to be able to see these markings painted on rocks, white orange white, and look to the next set of markings from the one they are currently at and continue hiking that way. However, in a storm it is nearly impossible to see from one set of markings to another. It wasn’t until I got into an area where I could see no more than 5 feet in front of me, did I actually worry. I got through my first set of markers okay and just had to stop. Getting turned around quickly I just decided to walk in the direction I felt was the right way, having gotten lucky I tried again on the next one. Several times over the course of this I had to backtrack and try another route to try to find the marked stones. The distance I covered would have normally taken me roughly 10 minutes, but instead it took almost 45.

Reaching a metal bridge I met one lone hiker who was just as lost as I was. He had come up from the gondola near where I wanted to get to and I was coming from where he wanted to go, so our exchange of information was quite beneficial. After exchanging pleasantries we went out on our ways. His leading him back to town and likely to a warm bed, and mine, leading me further up into the mountains in a wet, windy, rocky, snowy, barren environment where I was planning to spend the night.

The cloud cover began to clear a bit, and I was able to see the trail markers a bit more clearly. I heard a giant rock slide toward the direction I was heading, which made me all the more comfortable with the journey and my plans to stay up on the mountain at over 8,000 feet.

The area I had to choose a place to sleep

Finally reaching the general area I would call home for a night, I had to pick a spot that would keep me as dry and as warm as possible, while at the same time keeping me sheltered from any falling rocks and debris. The area I had to choose from was several hundred acres of open space filled with rocks, snow, lakes, ice, and snow, not to mention the cliffs on the side of the expanse. So, I began wandering around the open area in search of the perfect spot to rest my head, jumping over creeks and trying not to fall down the loose gravely surface I picked up a few stray pieces of wood, that had somehow gotten there and carried them with me while I searched. Finally I came to a large boulder that would protect me from the wind from at least one direction. I began to dig up larger rocks around the area and make a small perimeter around where I would be sleeping, giving myself some shelter from the wind. I found several small alpine plants that I used to pad the area where my head and shoulders would be resting. I did not want to be lying on either the cold mud, nor the sharp rocks during the course of the night. As for the few sticks I found, I took a bit of rope I had been carrying around with me the entire trip for the “just in case” factor and fashioned a “roof” over my head. Once my terrible rocky and cold structure was completed I headed out to brush my teeth and fill up my bladder bag.  Returning I unrolled my bivy sack and inserted an emergency blanket to try to keep some of my warmth through the night.

My dentist would be proud, Im trying to not die, and what do I do? I brush my teeth.

I used my rope, "What are we gonna need the rope for?"

This is what the inside of a bad idea looks like

Crawling into the non insulated bag I realized that this was a terrible idea. The ground was uneven, uncomfortable and frozen. The wind was relentless during the night. I didn’t really sleep. I just froze. It was by far the coldest night I had ever experienced. Once the sun went down the already cold temperatures began to drop even faster. I tried to get sleep but unfortunately I was so cold that my shivering kept me awake. I put on as many of my clothes that I could that were dry, to try to increase my temperature. This helped only slightly. I was afraid of my phone freezing and breaking, so I kept it close to my body. Aside from shivering all night I decided to get up out of my bag and do jumping jacks to try to get my blood flowing and warm up a bit. This helped for about two minutes and I was back to shivering again. Finally I grabbed another one of my emergency blankets and threw it in my bivy sack with me. I was able to fall asleep for roughly twenty minutes before I woke up freezing and soaked. The two emergency blankets had insulated me so well that I began to sweat so much that I had condensation forming on the inside of my bag and on the emergency blankets. When the freezing air reached it from the outside it froze and I was basically in a small personal freezer on a cold mountain. Waking up to the ice and water I jumped up and did my jumping jacks and shook out my iced over bag before trying to sleep again. The whole process probably took 35 minutes, for me to get to sleep, be asleep for 20 minutes, get up and do jumping jacks and try to get myself back in my bag. I did this the entire course of the night. It was an incredibly long night. For some hours I would basically just sit up and stare at the clouds wishing for the warming rays of the sun. Throughout the night I did get to see the cloud cover drift away from the top of the Matterhorn. Slowly but surely it began to reveal its strikingly beautiful presence.

First picture I took when it was light enough. Its not in focus because my hand was shaking too much from all the shivering I was doing.

Trying really hard to smile here

Before the sun rose, I had determined that it was basically morning for me. I wasn’t going to kid myself any longer, I would not be able to sleep any longer because of the cold. So I got up and started walking around trying to get some feeling back in my toes. I was sure I had gotten frostbite on my big toes, I couldn’t feel them at all when I walked for the next few months. I examined my bladder bag I had filled the night before to find that the hose on it had froze and cracked, rendering it leaky thus ending its useful life.

Town of Zermatt covered in Clouds

I walked up to a rock where I perched myself with my camera taking pictures of the surrounding mountain peaks and the cloud cover that was blanketing the entire town of Zermatt. I was high above the entire town while they were trapped in a soup bowl of fluff. Slowly but surely the sun started to light just the tips of the peaks. Taking advantage of the amazing photographic opportunity I snapped as many pictures as my frozen hands could manage. Waiting patiently for the sun to illuminate the Matterhorn I was poised and ready to capture shots that those even in Zermatt wouldn’t be able to see. Seeing the glorious Alps in all of their majesty made enduring the bitter cold worth it just to see some of the sights I was fortunate enough to have.

I was relieved when I was finally drenched in sunlight atop my perch on the rock. I took full advantage of it while I had it. Once I was able to move my digits again I began to clear my camp. Working slowly I dismantled everything and readied myself for another intense day. Today’s challenge called for hiking another few thousand feet or so along a steep ridge to the actual Matterhorn.

After having my Swiss chocolate for breakfast I headed up the steep trail which took me along a metal grate-way bolted into the side of the cliff. The grates were coming apart in some places, so it was wise to be mindful of the loose panels, for the drop was not to be taken lightly. Once off the grate I and many other hikers who seemed to appear out of the woodwork (who I am sure came up the gondola like a sane human being), headed up the ever steepening grade toward the Matterhorn. Some were armed with climbing gear, some with small backpacks and some with just a bottle of water. I had all my stuff I needed for three months.

As the trail went higher the presence of ropes along the trail increased. With ropes also came steep drop offs to both the right and the left. At the top there was a rather large hotel, and restaurant that many climbers use as a base before attempting to summit the jagged peak. My goal was not to climb the monstrous mountain, but merely to get as far as I could without climbing gear, and touch the mountain. Which I am proud to say that I was able to do.

It the abyss...

(My beard is all messed up)

3260 meters = 10,695 feet

After touching the mountain I found myself a nice rock and had lunch, once again basking in the glorious view of the Matterhorn. After relaxing for a while I determined that I should head back down the mountain, all the way back down to Zermatt to catch a train out of Switzerland. Hustling down the steep slopes I decided to take an alternate way down, that afforded me another view of the Matterhorn, just as spectacular.

(YAY! I touched it!)

The sun was out and at its full intensity and I spotted a gigantic flat rock just off the trail that was calling my name. I climbed up and laid down on the flat stone staring at the snow blowing off the Matterhorn. I caught some necessary sleep on the rock. About an hour or so later I put my socks and shoes back on and headed down once more. Walking through beautiful green pastures I noticed a gigantic waterfall along the hillside in the distance. I started to see and hear sheep along the grassy hills. Then I heard cows, I noticed the sound kept getting closer and closer. Then I saw an entire heard of cattle right in the middle of my path, holy cow! (No pun intended). They were all wearing bells, I couldn’t believe it! I had never actually seen a cow wearing a bell, other than in cartoons. But these cows had nice pointy horns and they were all eyeing me with curiosity as I walked right in the middle of their grazing territory. I was a bit nervous about walking through a field full of cows with horns. I figured they wouldn’t hurt me, but some of them were right on the trail, and I certainly didn’t want to get in a fight with any of them over whose trail it was and whose it wasn’t. Taking a video of the cows the entire way through, I was relieved to be out of their territory. I kept heading down the hills toward Zermatt and once into town I had to stand to the side as several small children were leading a rather large number of goats through town. Again these goats were all wearing bells and the sound was intense but the sight was just too unique, for someone like me. I spotted a McDonald’s and convinced them to fill up my water bottle for free, feeling a little bad I bought a small sandwich and enjoyed the small hot meal I had bestowed upon myself. I kept walking and smiling toward the train station and I grabbed my ticket for the last train out of Zermatt just moments before it left.

Doesnt that rock just say "Take a nap on me"

I bought Swiss Cheese and Chocolate

And oh were they good!

Feeling accomplished I felt I could finally rest for a little while I rode the train into Italy.

Arriving in Bern Switzerland I met up with my couchsurfers’ (from Zurich) cousins’ friend named Beat. A nice young man with good knowledge of the city. We waited at the train station during a downpour for our bus back to his apartment. We chatted for a bit and I was fortunate enough to write a bit on my blog. Once the rains subsided enough he took me for a tour of Bern. A beautiful city with a lot of history and gorgeous buildings. There were several funny statues around, including a pair of legs and a fountain with an ogre eating children.

While waiting in the Train Station I took a picture of their “Royal with Cheese”. Right after I took the picture a polite French speaking McDonald’s employee yelled at me.

One of my favorite signs

There were many great viewpoints along the way to the “Bear Gardens” an area where bears are kept for public display. Fortunately their original concrete prison was being renovated to be a much more pleasant living environment closer to the river. We stopped in at the resturant for a drink and headed home. Luckiliy for me he really enjoys cooking, and I was fortunate enough to eat another fantastic meal.

In the morning I headed for Zermatt, gateway to the Matterhorn.

Anarchie und Chaos bei Bounce, so wie wirs mögen:

Ungefähr zwei Dutzend Berner Rapper haben gestern das DRS Virus-Studio gestürmt. Kein Wunder: schliesslich hatten wir ein ganzes Quartier zu Gast…die vierzehn Jungs der im Spätsommer gegründeten Crew «Ds Quartier» haben innerhalb von zwei Monaten zwei «Mir hei Hunger»-Mixtapes rausgehauen (Downloads hier). Und ihr Hunger ist immer noch nicht gestillt, wie sie im Bounce-Interview beweisen, wo sie sich humorvoll, aber auch ziemlich aufmüpfig präsentierten.

Dass einige der Jungs erst vor Monaten mit rappen begonnen haben, ist auf dem Tontäger stellenweise nicht zu überhören. Aber Die Energie und der Enthusiasmus, den die Jungs um Rey Manolo an den Tag legen, sind vielversprechend. Wir bleiben drann. Die ganze Sendung inkl. Kampfansage an die Berner Rap-«Vetterliwirtschaft», einer genialen Jodel-Einlage (vom Herren im YB-Schal! siehe unten=) und Live-Rap gibts hier zum Gratis-Download.

Hier der superoriginelle Werbetrailer zu den beiden Mixtapes – vom Herren, der bei Bounce gejodelt hat:

Und hier die Playlist zur Show vom 19.November 2009:

01) Glasses Malone – Grown Man Anthem – GM/mix-cd: Fuck Glasses Malone/2009
02) Kano – I Like It – BPM/album: 140 Grime St/2008
03) Oddisee – Big Bidness – Halftooth/mix-cd: Foot In The Door/2006
04) Roots Manuva – Witness (1 Hope) – BigDada/maxi/2001
05) Ge-Ology feat. Sadat X & Talib Kweli – Communicate (Remix) – UpAbove/maxi/2001
06) Blumentopf – Block & Bleistift – Four/album: Grosses Kino/1999
07) Freddie Foxxx – So Tough (Easy’s Mo Tough Mix) – FlavorUnit/maxi/1991
08) J-Live feat. Oddisee & Posdnous – The Upgrade – BBE/album: Then What Happened?/2008
09) New Jack Hustle – Theme Music – Tres/album: Sound Check/2009
10) Snowgoons feat. Rakaa, Reks & Sicknature – Goons Stampede – Babygrande/album: Trojan Horse/2009
11) Ds Quartier – Fehler – DsQuartier/download: Mir Hei Hunger 2 / 2009
12) Ds Quartier – Bärn Idr Hand – DsQuartier/download: Mir Hei Hunger 1 / 2009
13) Ds Quartier – Skit 3 – DsQuartier/download: Mir Hei Hunger 2 / 2009
14) Ds Quartier – Näääää – DsQuartier/download: Mir Hei Hunger 2 / 2009
15) Ds Quartier – Ganoverap – DsQuartier/download: Mir Hei Hunger 2 / 2009
16) Ds Quartier – Strasse Vo Bärn (Hidden Track) – DsQuartier/download: Mir Hei Hunger 1 / 2009
17) Ds Quartier – Winter Idr Stadt – DsQuartier/download: Mir Hei Hunger 2 / 2009
18) 9th Uno – Don’t Get It Twisted – 9thUno/mix-cd: Unassociated Press/2009
19) Cru – Loungin’ Wit My Cru – Violator/album: Da Dirty 30 /1997
20) Babbletron – The Clock Song – Embedded/album: Mechanical Royalty/2003
21) God’s Gift – Incisions – Ramp/maxi/2006
22) The Weathermen – Reports Of A Possible Kidnapping – DefinitiveJux/comp: Definitive Jux 4 / 2009
23) Self Scientific – Live & Breathe – Angeles/album: Change/2005
24) Thaione Davis feat. Cosmo Galactus – 181 (Deep Rooted Mix) – ThaioneDavis/mix-cd: Situation Revisited/2004
25) Sektion Kuchikäschtli – Dia Wenn Au – Nation/exclusive/2009
26) Oxmo Puccino – Hitman – Delabel/album: Opera Puccino/1998
27) Greis – Klarheitsmoment – MuVe/album: 3 / 2009
Nächste Woche zu Gast: Projekt – Klartegscht.com

Weihnachtsmarkt in Bern

Die als UNESCO-Welterbe ausgezeichnete Altstadt bildet die einmalige Kulisse für die zwei unverwechselbaren Berner Weihnachtsmärkte auf dem Münster- und Waisenhausplatz.

Auf dem Waisenhausplatz

Die aus dem 15. bis 17. Jahrhundert stammenden Altstadtbauten bilden die einmalige Kulisse für die unverwechselbaren Berner Weihnachtsmärkte. Der Weihnachtsmarkt auf dem Waisenhausplatz im Herzen der Stadt Bern hat eine über 20 Jahre alte Tradition. Vom 28. November bis 29. Dezember 2009 wird an über 50 festlich dekorierten, individuell gestalteten Holzhäusern, umrahmt von Tannenzweig-Zäunen, ein reiches Angebot präsentiert. Auch kulinarisch wird auf dem Berner Weihnachtsmarkt viel geboten: seien es Glühmost, Glühwein, Karamell oder Lebkuchen. Natürlich gehört auch der Besuch in einem typischen Märitbeizli zum Besuch des Weihnachtsmarktes.

Der Berner Weihnachtsmarkt findet auf zwei verschiedenen Plätzen statt, diese sind jedoch keine zehn Gehminuten voneinander entfernt. Auf dem Spaziergang bezaubert die Weihnachtsbeleuchtung in den Gassen und versetzt so richtig in Adventsstimmung.

Auf dem Münsterplatz

Auf dem Münsterplatz wird insbesondere typisches Kunsthandwerk angeboten. Über dreißig Kunsthandwerker aus der Berner Region haben dort vom 28. November bis 24. Dezember 2009 ihre Stände aufgebaut. Seit 25 Jahren gestalten die Künstler diesen etwas anderen Weihnachtsmarkt. Beim Stöbern findet man künstlerisch gestaltete Kerzen und handgemachte Souvenirs. Bei einem Besuch in einem der legendären Altstadtlokale – entweder im 350 Jahre alten Klötzlikeller oder im Kornhauskeller – kann man den Weihnachtsmarktausflug zünftig ausklingen lassen.

Top-Angebot für das Weihnachtserlebnis in Bern Für das Weihnachtserlebnis in Bern bietet das 4-Sterne-Superior Hotel Allegro Kursaal ein tolles Angebot. 2 Übernachtungen mit Zimmerupgrade von Freitag bis Sonntag inklusive Frühstücksbuffet und Gratis-Eintritt ins Grand Casino in Bern gibt es für nur 158 Euro (239 Franken) pro Person im Doppelzimmer. Viele weitere Top-Angebote mit tollen Extras aus allen Schweizer Urlaubsregionen und Städten hat Schweiz Tourismus unter www.MySwitzerland.com/top zusammengestellt.

Detaillierte Informationen über die Weihnachtsmärkte der Schweiz gibt es im Internet unter www.MySwitzerland.com/weihnachten und mit persönlicher Beratung unter der kostenfreien Rufnummer von Schweiz Tourismus 00800 100 200 22.

Hi to everyone!

I’m Bern Rueda as a new blogger in this generation.let’s make great things possible in this world.

Thank You!

A final batch of incriminating images from the B. parents’ first visit, as seen through the lens of their camera.

▲ There was no explanation, but the B. parents couldn’t get their fill of old Swiss churches.

▲ “Paparazzi, nyet.’”

▲ “Clean socks? We don’t need no stinking clean socks.”

▲ “There, mountain.”

▲ A mere third of the way up on the world’s longest passenger cable car.

▲ Rushing back to Bern for some non-alcoholic beer, instant coffee, and endless South Park episodes.

▲ Bo B. learned the hard way that the staff at this McDonald’s don’t take kindly to tourists snapping pictures of the front counter and menu. Perhaps their behavior has something to do with the fact that a Big Mac, fries, and a soda costs about $16.

▲ This kind chap offered to sell the B. parents some illicit chemical compounds.

▲ Fortunately, Towelie saved the day.

▲ An autumn view from Bern’s Rosengarten.

▲ I. finding her roots.

▲ A., L., and Mr. Swirlie raising hell on the way to Yverdon-les-Bains.

▲ Gorby’s reaction to the B. parents leaving for the States. Suddenly, his bowl is a little less full each day.

EF-S 17-55 IS USM @ F3.5  “Friday Night Lights”

Erstellt am S0, 08 November’09 @ 22:25.

kurz film tage winterthur. ufmüpferli.

ein block von sechs mehr oder weniger kurzen kurzfilmen, im weitesten sinne zur politischen landschaft der schweiz. eine mischung zwischen komödie und abschreckender realität.

der anfang bildeten zwei filme der polischen (jugend-)bewegung. über zehn jahre liegen zwischen den beiden produktionsjahren (1972; 1985) und doch behandeln beide filme erstaunlich ähnliche themen: waldsterben, atomkraftwerk, ajz, sexualität..

der abschluss bildete ein zusammmenschnitt aus youtube (handy-)filmchen, welche alle von usa soldaten erstellt wurden. spezielle, komische und erschreckende handlungen.

der höhepunkt war aber der die stangentanzende pandabärin.

hier noch vier zitate aus den ersten zwei filmen:
“wer turnt demonstriert nicht” (eröffnung vita parcours)
“gruppensex macht das volk krank” (passant zum thema volksgesundheit)
“i find hüserbsetzer immerno weniger schlimm aus tamile u türke” (passantin zum thema zaff)
“aids-angst macht männer treu” (blick schlagzeile)

Während des täglichen Planeten-Pingpongs unterlief das folgenschwere Malheure: Atlas liess die Erde fallen. Der Aufprall war sehr heftig. Und der exakte Punkt des Aufschlags – das wurde später von Wissenschaftlern errechnet – war im heutigen Bern. Ehrlich. Mutter Erde überstand den Schock wohlgemerkt nicht schadlos. Nebst dem Aussterben der Dinosaurier (bis auf einige wenige) bekam der Planet im Zentrum des Aufpralls ein kleiner Riss, wie eine Kristallkugel. Ein Sprung. Damit dieser nicht zu sehr auseinanderklafft haben schlaue Leute das Bundeshaus über die Stelle gebaut. Es hält die Welt zusammen. Im Endeffekt haben also wir die Welt gerettet, nicht die USA. Das hat den Weg in viele Geschichtsbücher nicht gefunden. Damit ist auch das ewige Rätsel, weshalb Entscheidungen mit globaler Auswirkung immer von Bundesbern getroffen werden, endlich gelöst. Ganz einfach. Das weisse Kreuz auf der Schweizer Fahne ist so übrigens ebenfalls erklärbar. Es kennzeichnet sozusagen die Stelle des Aufpralls, wie auf einer Landkarte. So, genug der Aufklärung für heute. Das nächste Mal erkläre ich, warum die Erde im Grunde genommen nicht um die Sonne kreist, sondern um Heidi Klum. Auf Wiedersehen.

Veranstaltungen – Kultur News: Ausstellung von Giovanni Giacometti, Kunstmuseum Bern, Titel der Ausstellung: Farbe im Licht – Zeitraum: 30.10.09 – 21.02.10. Ausstellungen Kunstmuseum Bern. Künstlerinformation: Giovanni Giacometti: Biografien; Museen und Kunstmuseumn: Giovanni Giacometti — Veranstaltungskalender, Kulturveranstaltungen in Bern: Kunstmuseum Bern, Giovanni Giacometti – zum Thema: Giovanni GiacomettiKunst und Kultur Deutschland, Bern. Kunst und kulturelles: Giovanni Giacometti, Kunstprojekte (TEXTPORTRAIT): Kunstmuseum in Bern.
Weblogeintrag allgemein / Aktueller Kunstevent: Thema Menschen.

Textportrait: Ralph Ueltzhoeffer, Installation New York (Foto).

Ralph Ueltzhoeffer.

Probably online somewhere this week before i take of to London City again. There will be some nice graffiti flicks from the Bern area featuring artists like: Dare, Toast, Rosy, Coyl, Serie and loads of others.

Erstellt am Sa, 31. Oktober’09 @ 17:30.

von diesem konzert wollte ich schon lange berichten. aber ja, die zeit läuft..
am samstag abend, 10. oktober machte ich mich mit der halben zwillingsfrauschaft auf den weg richtung bern, wo wir weitere dieser familie trafen. jetzt ging es auf, richtung reitschule (auch reithalle genannt) ins tojo theater:

tomazobi. drei jungs. drei berner. drei super musiker mit unterhaltung pur.

die plattentaufe vom ’schnouz’ führte durch die ganze welt.
von bern..

nach japan..

zurück über russland..

..nach england.

oder kurz gesagt:

Dwa dni temu wybralam sie do Berna po Indyjska wize. Wbrew moim obawom okazalo sie to nie tak skomplikowane.

Glowna ulica, wiadoca do starego miasta

Sama placowka przyjmujaca zgloszenia byla jedynie 9 minut od stacji kolejowej. Weszlam do dosc zwyczajnie wygladajacego budynku, przeszlam przez kilka drzwi i stanelam w poczekalni (przede mna byly dwie osoby przy okienkach). Czlowiek przyjmujacy wnioski byl mily i usmiechniety, choc prawie wszyscy mieli problemy z jego angielskim ( drugi przyjmujacy mowil jeszcze gorzej). Sprawdzilismy wszystko, oddalam papiery i wyszlam na sloneczne ulice Berna.

Skoro juz tu jechalam 3h, to grzechem byloby nie zobaczyc odrobiny miasta! Po krotkim posilku w okolicach dworca (smacznie i tanio, duzy wybor, mozna zjesc lunch za ok 10 CHF), wyruszlyma glowna arteria w strone starego miasta. Moim celem bylo zobaczenie ratusza, Münsteru i slawnego zegara. Niedzwiedzie tez chcialam zobaczyc

Tu mialy byc miski, ale spaly

Miasto leży nad rzeką Aare dzielącą je na dwie części połączone mostami. Założył je w 1191 roku książę

Münster

Bertold V von Zähringen i, według legendy, nazwał je Bern (niem. Bär – niedźwiedź), gdyż zabił tam niedźwiedzia podczas polowania. Niedzwiedz jest herbem miasta, a od XIX w. na wybiegu nad rzeką Aare (w formie fosy, Bärengraben) trzymane są niedźwiedzie. Oczywiscie, kiedy ja przyszlam misie spaly, wiec poogladalam sobie jedynie malownicze widoczki z drugiego brzegu rzeki.

Na stolicę Szwajcarii zostało wybrane w 1848 roku. Wpisane na światową listę dziedzictwa kultury UNESCO, stare miasto jest warte swojej renomy. W 1405 roku miasto, wtedy jeszcze drewniane, doszczętnie spłonęło. Odbudowano je głównie przy użyciu piaskowca, co nadało mu małomiasteczkowy charakter. W centrum starówki znajduje się katedra św. Wincentego ( St. Vinzenz Münster), wzniesiona w stylu późnogotyckim w latach 1421-1575. Płaskorzeźba znajdujaca sie w portalu katedry z 1490 roku przedstawia scenę Sądu Ostatecznego.

Szczególnie warte zobaczenia są ulice Marktgasse i Kramgasse, na których w odległości 150 m od siebie usytuowanych jest jedenaście ΧVІ-wiecznych fontann z figurami, w tym najpopularniejsza z nich Fontanna

Slawny zegar

Wielkoluda przedstawiająca olbrzyma pożerającego małe dzieci. Znalazlam tez jedna fontanne z pustym cokolem, gdzie turysci mogli wchodzic i robc sobie zdjecia. Co ciekawe fontaanny stoja na srodku przejezdnego deptaka, wiec trzeba bardzo uwazac na autobusy, bo ulicki sa waskie. Przy Kramgasse wznosi się również słynna Zeitglockenturm, wieża zegarowa z 1530 roku. Nie jest jednak prawdziwie po szwajcarsku, bo zegar spóźnia się 3 minuty na rok.

Zobaczywszy glowne atrakcje, postaowilam wsiasc w pociag (co godzine jeden jedzie do St Gallen). Przedtem kupilam sobie tarte serowa i kilka rodzynek w czekoladzie – trzeba bylo uczcic odwiedzenie szwajcarskiej stolicy.

Kunstmuseum Bern – Ausstellung: Giovanni Giacometti, Ausstellungstitel: Farbe im Licht – Dauer der Ausstellung: 30.10.09 – 21.02.10. Kunstausstellungen Kunstmuseum Bern. Infomaterial über (Künstler): Giovanni Giacometti: Biografie, Galerien, Museum – Events: Giovanni Giacometti — Kunst und Kultur in Bern: Kunstmuseum Bern, aktuelle Ausstellung von Giovanni Giacometti – …weitere Informationen über Giovanni Giacometti Kunstmuseum Bern – [Deutschland].

Aktuelles Thema “Kunst im öffentlichen Raum”:

Installation: Missing, New York (Fotografie, Portrait – Biografie).

Ralph Ueltzhoeffer.

EXHIBITION – artist: Giovanni Giacometti, location: Kunstmuseum Bern, date: 30.10.09 – 21.02.10 / current exhibitions at: Kunstmuseum Bern 2009. Artistinformation and biography-text from: Giovanni Giacometti Kunstmuseum Bern CATEGORY: art, modern art, projects: TEXTPORTRAITS Giovanni Giacometti by Ralph Ueltzhoeffer and Laura May. More information about Giovanni Giacometti Exhibition Kunstmuseum Bern, Germany.

New entries: actual 0

New York / Portrait (TEXTPORTRAIT).

textportraits by Ralph Ueltzhoeffer.

AKTUELLE AUSSTELLUNG: Kunstmuseum Bern; Künstler: Giovanni Giacometti; Betitelung: Farbe im Licht – Zeitraum der Ausstellung: 30.10.09 – 21.02.10. Kunstausstellungen (Deutschland) aktuell: Kunstmuseum Bern (2009). Weitere Informationen über: Giovanni Giacometti: Biografie/Biography — | Galerieninformationen/Gallery: Giovanni Giacometti — Weitere geplante Ausstellungen: Kunstmuseum Bern von Giovanni Giacometti — Giovanni Giacometti Kunstportal: Wikipedia (http://de.wikipedia.org). Mehr aktuelle Informationen über Giovanni Giacometti Kunstmuseum Bern.

Beitragsforum Kunst & Kultur allgemein:

Textportrait: Installation New York.

Textportraits – Ralph Ueltzhoeffer.

Ok, an update on the two happy bears.

Firstly their names are Mischa and Mascha and were a gift from the wife of the Russian President, Svetlana Medvedeva. Secondly, it is not part of the zoo as I incorrectly mentioned in my previous post. It is a Bear Park. Six thousand square meters of riverside accomodation just for the two of them. Details here in French only, sorry.

In fairness though, previous bears have not been so fortunate. They were accomodated for 142 years in a Bear Pit. Not so luxurious. A little history here in English.

So back to the creature comforts for Mischa and Mascha. Get the whole news story here.

And another story about the budget being blown!

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Why is he so happy?

In the current economic climate it really makes sense to invest in infrastructure projects. In Bern, the capital of Switzerland the local authorities have decided against boring bridges, roads, school, clinics, hospitals and child care centers. They have come up with a brilliant way to spend CHF 24,000,000. (That’s about $26,000,000.)

And it is? Of course, a new home for two bears in it’s zoo. Now don’t get me wrong here. I’m really happy for the bears. They must have got their application for a first home owner’s grant just perfect. (That they are the symbol on the Bern flag helped too I suppose.) In addition, their new home has been finished just in time for winter. Very comforting for them as they prepare for hibernation.

Courtesy of Swisster

Well, this is the catch really. The price the bears pay for their new state funded, river side, seven story, luxury penthouse is that people can look at them going about their bear business. So, for this deal top come off, people need to be able to see these bears. I’m sure you are with me here.

Yes. What happens when they hibernate? Will they be slugged with arrears for not keeping up with their end of the bargain? Or will we just be happy with adding a bear in Photoshop when we get home?

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