by Meredith Graves

The famous “Christmas Show”, in all its glory, can be viewed in the conservatory this year. The du Pont family always had their Christmas tree in the conservatory and H.F. du Pont thoughtfully arranged the area around the tree with seating and a stunning display of plants. The Christmas Show arrangement allowed his guests to meander around the tree and to sit down and take in all of the beauty. We have replicated this stunning show after studying many of Mr. du Pont’s notes and photos. The 15 foot Norway spruce is brilliant, adorned with lights and ornaments in bold primary shades of red, green, yellow and blue. This was a very fashionable, state-of-the-art tree in the 30’s and 40’s!  Some of the plants you see displayed in the conservatory are yellow Oncidium orchids, blue Ruella or Mexican petunia, orange bird-of-paradise, red poinsettias, white cyclamen, pink camellias and a lush variety of ferns under tea olive trees. These plants echo the colors used on the tree and number over 300!

The flower arranging staff hope that you will find time this holiday to enjoy the arrangements in the house, come and feed your senses in this beautiful outdoor room, and sit for a while to enjoy the magic of this Yuletide season.

Winterthur’s Yuletide season is a busy time on the estate. It is a time of year when the rooms in the house take center stage and the holiday traditions of the du Pont family and the Brandywine Valley are on display for our guests. Our educational staff arrange workshops, lectures, demonstrations, and concerts throughout December, click here for a detailed calendar.

One of my favorite things about Switzerland is all the local food. I’m a big advocate, whenever possible, to eat locally and try to reduce our carbon footprint by regularly eating goods that are transported hundreds or thousands of miles. The Swiss are very proud of their local foods, and all foods are required to have the country of origin located somewhere on the packaging (or in the case of the grocery store, on the sign). Sometimes you pay a bit more for Swiss goods, but I think it is worth it.

Every Tuesday and Friday in the Winterthur altstadt (old town), there is a farmers market. I’m not sure what time the shops set up, but at 10:45 AM every one of them begins packing up goods (but a please and a smile will get you a few last-minute goods). Usually all of the food is local, with perhaps cherries from France or olives from Greece, but usually no further than that. There are copious amounts of small farms with stands packed with the season’s best and tons of florists. (The Swiss are keen to keep fresh flowers on the graves and in their window boxes. I’ve seen some truly outstanding gardens as well.) There are also two fish stands, a number of cheese and bread stands, some selling fresh homemade pasta, and a tiny spot for a lady that only sells fresh organically grown herbs.

I love going there whenever I can. The folks are always incredibly nice and helpful. I often get free samples offered to me, and sometimes they’ll toss something extra in my bag when I buy stuff. I’ve gotten free mushrooms, a bag of fresh egg noodles, extra Japanese Lantern shells, and even extra apples. Unless there is an event in the altstadt, pretty much each shop is in the same spot every week. It is nice when I want to say, just get some fish and some bread, or I’m craving a slice of lemon chocolate chip cake from a baked goods stand that is all the way at one end of the market line.

The market is year-round, but there are fewer stalls in the early spring, when there’s not much produce to sell other than stored apples and potatoes and eggs. During the month of December the Christmas Market competes for space in the altstadt. Practically each town in Switzerland has a farmers market once or twice a week – there’s even one in the middle of the busy Zurich hauptbahnhof (main train station)!

Here’s a few pictures of my cherished Winterthur market, mostly taken earlier in the summer.

A few more pictures can be found here.

Reto Buergin, Backslide

Last Saturday I had the pleasure of the Sonderegger family to take pictures with the baby Liam.

Die neue Website von Blumen Locher ging letzte Woche online. Eine hybrid Website aus HTML und Flash. Einem Animierten Eyecatcher (After Effects) und einigen Ajax-Galerien.

Ein Besuch lohnt sich garantiert und vielleicht findest sich schon das eine oder andere Geschenk zu Weihnachten.

With the winter holiday season upon us, most families are starting to get into the spirit. The signs include that real or imagined cold snap on Halloween night, slick merchandising catalogs overflowing from our mailboxes, store mark downs everywhere, and the lure of local craft fairs and festive events.

Conversations now include, “What are you doing for (fill in the holiday)?” and newspaper features carry tips on how to remain stress free. We want to remember family and friends and hope no one is left alone. As families extend generationally, geographically, and by marriage, there can be many decisions to make.

DH and I have a couple of philosophic ideas and old-fashioned traditions that give us a sense of peace. They link to our respective roots—Hawaiian Islands for me and Pennsylvania (Delaware County) for him.

One is to acknowledge and be mindful of the Hawaiian Makahiki season, roughly from mid-November through January (exact dates depend on the moon). The planting season is over, work is pau (finished), and warring ceases. It is the time of the god Lono.

The best of the harvest is dedicated to Lono in the form of ho‘okupu (offerings). The people give thanks, relax, socialize, play outdoor games, and generally enjoy themselves. No stress. It’s officially okay to play!

The other is adopted from Winterthur, Delaware, not far from DH’s birthplace. As tourists we visited Winterthur, a museum and the former country estate of Henry Francis du Pont. During his life H. F. du Pont collected whole room interiors of various periods, not to mention whole street fronts, and installed them in his mansion.

The museum decorates the rooms of this big house for Yuletide, and visitors can tour them around the same months of Makahiki in Hawaii. The holiday decor matches the period style of each different room. It’s educational and very festive.

When we visited, our favorite room showed how du Pont’s own family celebrated in the first half of the 20th century. The story was told that Yuletide, the time around the Winter solstice, was a time to visit and entertain friends, to rest and to celebrate a successful harvest. Children were seen but not heard.

Decorations consisted of a small table-top evergreen—adorned simply with cookies, candles and strands of popcorn and cranberries—that was set atop a pie crust table. Gifts were exchanged among immediate family members only and placed in a basket for each person. If the children behaved well, they could have the cookies!

We liked the idea so well that we brought home a furniture piece similar to a pie crust table for ourselves, in a nod to the East Coast style and DH’s regional heritage. Each year we hang on a small tree the wooden ornaments crafted by DH’s parents for their first granddaughter on her first Christmas.

At a lost for that special gift?

FOR YULE or any other special occasion such as a wedding, a big birthday, an anniversary, or a move to a new home, do consider giving a painting. Yes, a painting! An original oil painting is special and unique, so unexpected, so memorable. It is a one-of-a-kind piece of art, it’s durable, and it can provide years of long-lasting enjoyment. Support the Native Hawaiian artist! I can work with you now on a selection and a payment plan, if necessary. I will be traveling and away from the studio for a good part of December, so if you are at all interested, please contact me. Click on PAINTINGS in the menu bar to see the images. I’ll be installing additional pieces in the next few days too. Thank you!

Copyright 2009 Rebekah Luke

References:

In years past I have participated in the Makahiki observance on Kahoolawe island. You may read about Makahiki on the Protect Kahoolawe Ohana website:

http://www.kahoolawe.org/home/?page_id=7

For more about Winterthur and the du Ponts, click on this link:

http://www.winterthur.org/about/about.asp

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)

In the town of Winterthur, there are two castles. The more well-known is Schloss Kybourg. It is a bit confusing to get there by public transportation, so while it is on our list of places to check out, we’ve not exactly been there yet. A fun little castle that is very easy to get to is Schloss Hegi. It is on the north-east finger of the city of Winterthur, and I can walk there from our flat pretty easily. I first noticed it while taking a hike along the overlook above Oberwinterthur. In the picture below, it is that cluster of very old-looking buildings on the edge of the town.

Once I figured out what the buildings were, I was determined to check it out. I mean, come on, as an American, when will you ever live within a 15 minute walk of a castle? I went there twice this summer (once with my visiting friend and former boss, Sharon, and once with a group of our local friends), and it is really a unique castle and museum. It was only opened to the public very recently. Schloss Hegi was first built in the 1200’s with later additions in the 15th and 18th centuries. This odd clash of time periods makes for a fascinating set of buildings. From what little information I’ve dug up, it seems that the main tower was built first, with the rest of the buildings added on later.

Schloss Hegi

What makes a castle unique? They are a dime a dozen here in Europe, right? Well, this castle is more like an estate house or a very tiny palace. Perhaps in the 12th century it was meant to be a fortification, but the additions from the 15th and 18th century show a more pastoral lifestyle. When the castle was made into a museum, it wasn’t extremely well-thought out. The only way in most areas or floors is the way you came out. Narrow cramped staircases (in some cases ladders!) lead you between floors. If you aren’t careful, you’ll miss a whole section of the castle or a room. There’s dead-ends and locked doors. It sounds completely nuts, but really that’s part of its charm.

Old firewagon

The objects in the museum are completely random as well. On the first floor and in the basement you can find a collection of small cannons, ancient fire-fighting wagons and buckets, and a hearse (the kind which would be drawn by a horse). More fire buckets line the first set of stairs. Interesting tidbit about the buckets: each family in the area had their own. When a fire was discovered, each family would fill their own bucket(s) and come running. Each of the buckets in Schloss Hegi has a different family crest or symbol on it. The buckets are all made of leather, too, and kind of an odd elongated narrow shape.

Fire Buckets

We also encountered a tiny landing full of odds and ends leftover from the kitchen: copper pans, and utensils and a big cast-iron pot. It looked like a mish-mash of things left behind for the past few centuries. There are several large sitting rooms or possibly dining rooms, cozy little bedrooms, and tiny maid’s quarters. There were rooms with no obvious original purpose, each filled with things like armory, antique children’s toys (which, in my eyes were very creepy), and even farming tools. Every room had something new and interesting to look at. Kids will like it, too, but very young ones like ours had to be watched at every second. Still, everyone had fun.

Kiddos share a windowsill in one of the tower rooms.

While possibly not the gem of Winterthur, if you are in the area, Hegi Castle is worth a visit. The caretaker that was there both times I visited was extremely nice and helpful, making sure we didn’t miss any parts of the castle, and even helping us take a group picture in front of it. The first time I visited, he was popping out of random windows as we were leaving the castle, like some sort of bizarre Monty Python character. Hegi Castle (aka Schloss Hegi) is only open March through October, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 2PM to 5PM and Sundays from 10AM to noon, and in the afternoon from 2PM to 5PM. You can find out more about visiting Schloss Hegi here.

More pictures of our adventures in Schloss Hegi can be found here.

So, this is my first post in a ring of this type, and I hope the organizers can forgive me for it being a bit late – having a toddler makes me pretty brain addled sometimes. World Blog Surf Day is an opportunity to learn something new about a different culture, especially through the eyes of a non-native.

The topic for this year’s World Blog Surf Day is Holidays and Celebrations – what is your new favorite as an expat living in a foreign country? My husband and I had a chat about this today. We’ve encountered so many fascinating cultural things unique to Switzerland. We narrowed it down to three: Fasnacht, the Zurich Limmatswimmen, and of course the cow parade when they are moved between the winter and summer pastures.

I think the wildest festival, and the one that is completely local to northern Switzerland where we live is Fasnacht. World Blog Surf Day is a perfect time to introduce the world to this crazy Swiss tradition. Fasnacht is like a mashup of Halloween, Groundhog’s Day, Mardi Gras, and a trade show all wrapped up together. Each town that celebrates it has a huge parade of participants wearing incredible costumes and masks that rival anything we’ve ever seen before. Members of various guilds dress in matching costumes, and often have a band. Confetti is everywhere, and even the parade-viewers dress up.

The festival is based on the idea of frighting away the winter and welcoming the spring. It is usually celebrated close to Mardi Gras, which is Lent, the beginning of the Christian period leading up to Easter. The festivities are run by the city and by the guilds of that city. In the middle ages, guilds were very popular, and the membership in them passed from family to family. Most guilds were originally based on a particular trade, such as bakers, carpenters and wine merchants. You can read more about the Zurich Guilds here.

Our home city, Winterthur, has a huge celebration. While not as famous as the one in Basel, the Wintherthur Fasnacht festivities go on for several days (and nights) culminating in an over-the-top parade. Each guild has their own matching set of costumes and/or masks, and nothing I can say can properly explain the excitement and chaos of the Winterthur Fasnacht.

On the day of the parade, my husband, son and I caught a bus into town very early into the altstadt (old town area). We scouted out a spot on the parade route, and waited. By the time the parade started, we were packed in. Our son fell asleep as soon as it started, so my husband pulled the stroller out of the crowd, and watched from further out. I braved the crowds right on the front line of the parade route (it was, at times, up to five people thick) and was stepped on, shoved, and drowned in confetti, but I got some great pictures out of it, and a great view. It was incredibly loud, and there were tons of bands all playing very good music.

One of the things I found most fascinating was all the masks. For each guild they are similar, as if made by the same person, but are often slightly different for each member. Most look like they are made of wood, but I assume that might be a bit too heavy. Regardless, I couldn’t help gasping each time I saw a new group go by.

Occasionally parade members would grab older children and carry them off partway down the parade route. They would usually try to grab children who were throwing confetti or acting even more wild than the rest of the crowd.

We held in until nearly the very end of the parade – about two and a half hours – but snuck out to catch a bus home, grinning and covered in confetti. We shook out our coats and the stroller (child removed, of course), and were still finding confetti for months afterwards.

If you are visiting or living in Switzerland, I would highly recommend checking out one of the major Fasnacht festivals. Here’s a few links to learn more:

• Basel Fasnacht
• Winterthur Fasnacht
• Olten Fasnacht
• Wikipedia has a great article about Fasnacht here.
• You can see many many MANY more pictures I took at Fasnacht here.

So that’s about it! Please go on to read another great World Blog Surf Day, by visiting the next blog, BBE’s Video Snapshots and his post about All Saints Day in Belgium from the eyes of a UK expat. If you are reading through the ring, and find the chain broken, here the link to the master list of participants of the third WBSD.

Also, many thanks to Karen, who is helping in today’s events for World Blog Surf Day. Karen is an American expat blogger last seen in Prague. The Wall Street Journal said, “Her blog makes a fun read for anyone looking for reassurance that change can be a wonderful thing–and also for anyone interested in visiting the Czech Republic.” You can check out her blog here: Empty Nest Expat.

By William I. Lengeman III

Nowadays there are any number of ways to prepare a cup of tea. But one of the most time-honored and popular methods is that old standby – hot water, tea and a teapot. Many teapots are simple devices, but many others are impressive works of art in their own right.

If you’d like to look at teapots up close, you might be in luck, depending on how far you’re willing to travel. Here are several museums and collections that are open to the public.

The Twining Teapot Gallery
The Twining Teapot Gallery is part of the Norwich Castle Museum and Art Gallery, in Norfolk, England. The collection numbers more than 3,000 teapots in all manner of shapes and sizes, with items that date from the 1730s to the present.

Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware
The Flagstaff House Museum of Tea Ware is a branch museum of the Hong Kong Museum of Art. It’s located in the former office and residence of the Commander of the British Forces in Hong Kong, in a building converted for museum use in 1984.

Trenton Teapot Collection
Located in that other Trenton (Tennessee), this collection of teapots modestly claims to be The World’s Largest Teapot Collection and includes pieces that date from 1750 to 1860. Teapots have become so important in this region that Trenton has hosted the annual Trenton Teapot Festival since 1981.

Time for Tea! Selections of Teaware from the Winterthur Collection
Located at the Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, in Winterthur, Delaware, this collection features “nearly 200 ceramic, metalwork, and glass teawares from America, Europe, China, and even Turkey that range in date from the 1600s through the 1860s.”

Sparta Teapot Museum of Craft & Design
The Sparta Teapot Museum is located in Sparta, North Carolina and is open every weekend from Thursday to Saturday.

Check out William’s blog, Tea Guy Speaks, for more great info!

The 2009 JASNA AGM ~  
Jane Austen’s Brothers and Sisters in the City of Brotherly Love

Philadelphia October 9-11, 2009

The best-laid plans of course often go astray – so my hopes to do a close analysis of everything going on the 2009 AGM have been sadly reduced to a mild wish to present a quick summary… so here goes… 

The Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of JASNA has indeed put on a lovely event – the City of Brotherly Love opened its wide arms for all 550 of us obsessed Janeites, offering great tours, excellent hospitality, lively and elegant evenings, and fabulous sessions filled with all things Jane.  I always upon returning home have the worst time re-entering the 21^st century – and this time more than ever.  And time spent with my best-AGM and travel buddy Sara, just adds to the treat … and this year the special treat of JASNA-Vermont friends Kelly and Carol…

 Day 1:  A tour of Winterthur on the Thursday, one of my favorite places through books only, was a living reality of the beauties of home and garden, what one man with a lot of money was been able to preserve for future generations.  I discovered that Electra Havemeyer Webb, the founder of the Shelburne Museum here in Vermont and one of the first collectors of American art and decorative arts, was the inspiration behind Henry du Pont’s veering away from the popular collecting of European antiques toward acquiring Americana.  It was a lovely day and a wonderful way to start that entry into the late 18^th-century the rest of the weekend promised!  [only downside: I missed the talks on writing and Wedgwood.]

Thursday evening ~ “Elizabeth Garvie in Conversation with Dr. Elisabeth Lenckos” was a special offering this year and began with a short clip of the first proposal scene in the 1980 Pride & Prejudice.  Ms. Garvie, who most everyone knows as Elizabeth Bennet in that adaptation, and now an active patron of the Jane Austen’s House Museum in Chawton, charmed the audience with her engaging and honest responses to Dr. Lenckos’s questions: the realities of filming a television production in the late seventies; how she portrayed a sister with four sister siblings without any of her own [she had a mother with FIVE sisters!]; a few comments on deleted scenes [falling off the log during that outdoor reading of Darcy’s letter…]; how each new P&P adaptation has something to offer each new generation with a reinterpretation of Austen [though she didn’t like the pig in the 2005 movie either!]  She ended the talk with a very humorous reading from one of Austen’s juvenilia pieces, “The Three Sisters.”

Day 2:  Had breakfast with several Austen-L / Janeites participants [though I have been only a lurker for years!] – and ended up having a rousing discussion on Georgette Heyer!

An early visit to the Regency Emporium always ends with too many books and items that add to the weight of my suitcase [and those flying rules now are intimidating – even Austen cannot impel me to go over that 50lb limit!] – thankfully Jane Austen Books where I spent most of my time [and money] sends everything media mail after the conference, so I just set up a running account of sorts – almost guilt-free ~ and shopped happily away… The Emporium is great fun to catch up with many of the other regions, Chawton House Library [director Steve Lawrence was there], Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine [with editor Tim Bullamore], Austentation [two tables filled with regency accessories!] and a few other vendors with Austen-related goodies ~ I went back many times over the course of the conference…

 Off to a talk on tea by Mim Enck from the East Indies Company – and learned how to make the perfect “cuppa”…  and then a talk with visuals by Louise West, from the Jane Austen’s House Museum, on the exciting new addition to Chawton Cottage, the dreams, the funding, and the lovely reality.  The grand opening was in July – if you have been to Chawton, but not since this work was done, put it on your next Austen trip itinerary!

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Marsha Huff, current JASNA President, welcomed all to the first official gathering, giving over the podium to our very own Vermont member Lorraine Hanaway [who was there for the founding of JASNA in 1978] who introduced the first Plenary speaker, Jan Fergus.  I love Dr. Fergus’s talks  – she inspired a whole new way of looking at Austen in her “The Whinnying of Harpies”? Humor in Jane Austen’s Letters” [Persuasions 27 (2005)] and has continued to regale her audiences with the humor of Austen’s whines ever since!  Today she spoke on “’Rivalry, Treachery between sisters!’ Tensions between Brothers and Sisters in Austen’s Novels” -  and the various ways in which Austen’s fictional siblings either love and support or compete with one another. Some of this thinking is based on the conduct books of the 18^th-century, but also the reader must have awareness of the problems that arose between siblings due to the inheritance laws of the time.  Fergus showed by example Austen’s use of humor as a form of criticism between characters and how a sense of humor or lack thereof is an important gauge in understanding Austen’s characters:  i.e Marianne lacks humor and openness, thus her lack of understanding Elinor’s humor causes friction between them; Mr. Woodhouse has no sense of humor, just doesn’t get it!; and finally an emphasis on Elizabeth and Jane and how their different personalities and use of humor causes an undercurrent of almost comic aggression on Elizabeth’s part.  I liked this differing view of Elizabeth, not so perfect but with a tendency toward jealousy…

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One of the problems in the AGM is choosing between the breakout sessions – so much to hear, so many speakers – whichever one you choose leaves you knowing that you are, regardless of how great your chosen session might be, missing so much else.  One can only hope that many of the talks you miss will be in the next issue of Persuasions.  I am a voluminous note-taker – but alas! none of my friends are, so after a full day of events and all things Austen being bandied about, one is lucky to get a few intelligible sentences about a missed session – I know if I didn’t take notes, I would have trouble piecing this all together – and indeed even my notes leave me stupefied occasionally! – so I can only present a few thoughts of the four sessions I did go to, knowing full well I am only scratching the surface of the possibilities…

I went to hear Jocelyn Harris, author of ….Jane Austen’s Art of Memory and A Revolution Almost Beyond Expression:  Jane Austen’s ‘Persusaion’, who spoke on “Jane Austen:  Frances Burney’s Younger Sister”.  Harris’s emphasis is to move away from the biological interpretation of Austen toward an historical one, Austen being very connected to her historical and literary references.  In Persuasion, Austen shows her knowledge of the Navy, Nelson and the Napoleonic Wars, but Harris also shows how the two cancelled chapters of Persuasion are steeped in Frances Burney’s The Wanderer.  I confess to having read several books by and about Burney, but The Wanderer has sat upon my TBR pile for many a year, never opened, largely due to the negative contemporary reviews and all those succeeding.  But Dr. Harris has inspired me to finally pick it up, though she says herself it will be a bit of a “slog” – a perfect winter read perhaps…?

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Then on to Susan Allen Ford’s “’Exactly what a brother should be’? The Failures of Brotherly Love”:  Again, with an emphasis on the contemporary conduct literature [and with a very helpful handout with bibliography and selected paragraphs], Ford reviews the examples of fraternal love in the various novels in the context of the time – issues of inheritance, personality differences, the role of women and the emphasis on them as daughters and mothers rather than sisters, the economic realities of the sister’s lives.  And while she says that “the fraternal role is difficult to define in Austen because the characters as brothers are not often in the foreground”, it was an interesting discussion on their varying degrees of success and failure:  John Dashwood as a brother [yikes!]; the parallels between Edward and Robert Ferrars; Tom Bertram, the prodigal son; the jealousy between Darcy and Wickham, but Darcy’s anxiety and his overriding concern to be a good brother; James Morland as a good brother who wrongly throws his sister into the hands of the Thorpes [yikes again!]; and Edmund, brother / lover who neglects Fanny once Mary appears on the scene [this is when one audience member graciously invited everyone to join the SLEUTH club = “SLap Edmund Upside The Head” – there were many joiners on the spot!] ~ Dr. Ford’s choices? – Edmund the biggest failure [he indeed has NO relationship with his sisters], and most successful? [drum-roll please!] HENRY TILNEY [Mags are you listening??] – and I couldn’t agree more! [love the Henry!] – but an interesting question – who would yours be??

 Then off to dinner with Sara and friends of hers who live in Philadelphia for a few short hours back in the 21^st century – we went to an Israeli restaurant right across from the hotel [ Zahav ] and one of the best meals I have had in a good while – even the wine from the Golem Heights was superb!

Up tomorrow – Day 3 and 4…. meanwhile post a comment on your choice for the best and worst brother in Austen…

La Google Map du Tango en Suisse commence à prendre forme!

Merci beaucoup beaucoup à Mike qui a mis à jour les endroits où danser le tango à Bâle, Lucerne, Zurich, Winterthour et St-Gall, rien que ça! Il y a quelques mois, Alan avait déjà mis à jour la ville de Berne, et aussi mis à disposition le logo à utiliser.

Il manque maintenant surtout Genève. Vu l’actualité trépidante du tango argentin par là-bas, il serait mieux que quelqu’un de local s’en charge. (En attendant, vous trouverez quand même toutes les infos listées sous un format différent, merci à Luis.)

Moi, je continue avec la mise à jour le Canton de Vaud. Quant au reste de la Suisse-Romande, j’avais punaisé quelques endroits, mais je ne garantis pas qu’ils restent à jour. De nouveau, des ambassadeurs sont demandés…

Pour devenir ambassadeur, je rappelle qu’il n’y a pas grand chose de plus simple: il suffit que vous me communiquiez votre nom de compte Google, et c’est parti!

http://www.rollingrock.ch/blog/2009/10/x-mas-battle-2009/

http://www.rollingrock.ch/blog/2009/10/x-mas-battle-2009/

«Wenn man ans Gute in der Welt glauben will, vielleicht Gott, aber nicht die Dichter für tot erklärt und der Populärkultur einen Funken Interesse entgegenbringt – dann kann man nicht anders: Man muss ‹Sunne› lieben.»
(Aargauer Zeitung)

«Ein Werk, vor dem man sich verneigen darf: Das neue Album ‹Sunne› von Kutti MC.»
(Der Bund)

«Er zeigt sich dabei so vielseitig und experimentierfreudig wie nie zuvor, sprachlich hingegen so virtuos und pointiert wie eh und je.»
(St. Galler Tagblatt)

«Morgen geht die ‹Sunne› auf: Das grossartige neue Album von Kutti MC erscheint endlich.»
(Tages-Anzeiger)

«Dieser Rapper, der irgendwie gar keiner ist und doch der Interessanteste seiner Zunft bleibt.»
(Neue Luzerner Zeitung)

«Die Berner Songwriter-Tradition erfährt durch Jürg Halter eine Frischzellenkur. Kutti MC hat seine eigene Form von Mundartmusik geschaffen.»
(78s.ch)

«Die Sonne als Hiebe austeilende, verstrahlende Institution, aber doch gütig, wegweisend, wärmend noch die letzte Sünderin. Ist es Rap, Soul, Pop? Songwriting 3000.»
(Weltwoche)

Über die Schweizer Szene schrieb die NZZ vor einiger Zeit:

Als viersprachiges Land multipler Mundarten bietet die Schweiz ein pralles poppoetisches Potenzial – und mit dem «Menschenversand» ein engagiertes Label, welches seit einem Jahrzehnt die Originalität solcher oralen Offenbarungen dokumentiert. Die Doppel-CD «Mund auf, Wort raus» kann als Kompendium von nicht weniger als 26 Formen der Mund(un)artigkeit bereits bei ihrem Erscheinen den Rang eines Klassikers beanspruchen.

Dabei muss es ( im Unterschied zum Kabarett ) nicht direkt witzig zugehen, der Rede Dreh speist sich nicht selten aus mehr oder minder sublimierter Aggression: vom stoischen Antiwitz Pedro Lenz‘ ( geb. 1965 ) über die paranoiden Szenarien eines Jürg Halter ( 1980 ), die atemlos abgehaspelten Kleinbürgerglücksmomente der wirkungssicheren Stefanie Grob ( 1975 ) bis hin zu den geniesserischen Gewaltphantasien Lara Stolls ( 1987 ) in der Rolle eines John-Deere-180-PS-Supertraktors.

/ NZZ 6.3. 2009 (gefunden bei in|ad|ae|qu|at)

«Sunne» (Two Gentlemen/Irascible) ist überall im Handel erhältlich. Z.B. hier kann es probegehört werden: cede.ch

Kutti MC & One Shot Orchestra live:

2. Okt. Bern (Dampfzentrale), 3. Okt. Luzern (Südpol),
10. Okt. Aarau, Flösserplatz, 23. Okt. Nyon (Usine à Gaz),
30. Okt. Fribourg (Le Nouveau Monde), 31. Okt. Zürich (Moods),
6. Nov. St. Gallen (Kugl), 19. Nov. Basel (Kuppel),
20. Nov. Winterthur (Albani), 21. Nov. Thun (Mokka).

Recently we had the pleasure of hosting two designers from Collins and Dupont Interiors from Naples and Bonita Springs, Florida at our HCC University program. Today Carol emailed to tell us that we had been featured on their blog! Their post by Renee Gaddis Trend Alert: Quatrefoil included our Alexandra Side Chair by Suzanne Kasler as a great example of how quatrefoil motifs have become popular in the marketplace!

As I read on, I was thrilled to see the Gothick Bench from our Winterthur Country Estate Collection was also featured! The quatrefoil motif is incorporated into the back of this classic bench from the museum in Winterthur, Delaware.

These pieces inspired me to think about the other pieces in our offering that include the quatrefoil motif. The Collier Dining Table by Suzanne Kasler was designed to have a large quatrefoil as the stretcher. The shape of the legs with the quatrefoil stretcher create a beautiful shape.

From the San Marino Collection, is the Quatrefoil Book Table. Available in over 60 finishes and Customer’s Own HardwareTM, this table is both functionable and fashionable!

Die Cablecom startet per sofort (?) ein neues Angebot in Winterhur und anderen Städten. tou.ch hat da ‘ne schöne Übersicht:

• Fiber Power internet 100 (100 000 Kbit/s Down-/7000 Kbit/s Upload für 95 Franken)
• Fiber Power internet 50 (50 000 Kbit/s Down-/5000 Kbit/s Upload für 85 Franken)
• Fiber Power internet 10+ (10 000 Kbit/s Down-/5000 Kbit/s Upload für 59 Franken).

Preislich recht i.O. – im ersten Jahr spart man auch noch 10%, so das man 100 Mbit/s downstream für CHF 85.50 gibt. Ist auch in Deutschland nicht wesentlich günstiger zu haben; bei KabelBW kostet ‘ne 100 Mbit/s Doppelflat 49,90 €, also so ca. 75 SFr. Im grossen und ganzen also ein vergleichbarer Preis.

ABER: Für wen soll das denn bitte sein? 100 000 Kbit/s Downstream ist ja ganz nett. Wer aber nutzt sowas annähernd aus? Und 7 000 Kbit/s Upstream scheint mir irgendwie lächerlich wenig.

Für mich ist das vermutsicherlich kein interessantes Angebot — habe z.Zt. ‘ne 5 000 Kbit/s Downstream und 500 Kbit/s Upstream Leitung bei denen und das reicht mir. Dafür zahle ich 45 Franken; eine Verdopplung des Preises bei kaum vorhandenem Bedarf meinerseits wäre also unangemessen.

Summa summarum: Das Angebot ist #fail was mich anbelangt.

Our city of Winterthur spreads out like a six-fingered hand into the valleys between wooded hilltops. The city and its people own all the wooded areas, and protect them from being developed. To maintain them, they periodically do selective cut logging of the woods, and sell the firewood. It is a really good system, and they are careful not to over-cull the trees. Each section of the forest has clearly marked trails and the occasional bench or fountain.

In these trails there are three vitaparcours, which are trails that have little stops along the way containing tools for exercising, and a sign explaining how to do the particular exercise. I remember seeing a similar trail in the suburbs of Dallas, too, so I know it isn’t all that uncommon in the US. The one nearest us is the Winterthur Lindberg. I’ve not had the chance yet to try all of it, but we generally try the exercise if we come across one. There are over 500 of these types of trails in Switzerland.

In addition to the vitaparcours, there are trails marked for jogging, bike-riding, and horseback-riding. Most trails are only for jogging, though.

We’ve mainly explored the Lindberg, which is the large area north of the city. The trails are really popular. On weekends we see lots of people on the ones that are an easy jog from the parking lot or the trails that are closest to the line where the city meets the forest. Even during the week day you’ll see lots of folks on their lunch, taking a break. Sundays brings families and slow walkers drifting down the wider trails, especially along a scenic route that takes you to a gorgeous overlook of the whole city. The name of the park where the overlook is located is the Bäumli.

Heath and Eddie relaxing in the small park called the Baumli overlooking Winterthur

Near the Bäumli, there is a restaurant, which we’ve yet to visit. And there’s also a pretty large vineyard on one side of the hill, with lots of trails zig-zagging through the steep slope. There’s also apple orchards, and private gardens that you can skip around. Basically, the rules are, if there isn’t a gate across it, you can go up, down, or through it.

Quite a bit further, on the other side of the park from where we live is a pond and some really great fire pits for grilling. I’ve only made it that far once, as it is over four miles round trip.

In the larger forested area to the south of the city, called the Eschenberg, there is a wildlife park, the Breuderhaus. We can get to the area easily by bus, and it, too, is surrounded by tons of varied walking trails. We’ve only been once, but it was a lot of fun.

So those are the basic facts about hiking around our city. I absolutely love being able to hike here. As a nearly native Texan (didn’t move there until I was 9), I didn’t spend much time outdoors, especially in the summer. If the heat and humidity doesn’t knock you down, the insect life will. With very few exceptions, Switzerland has nearly perfect weather in the spring, summer, and fall, and far fewer attacks of stinging and biting insects. Since we don’t have a car here in Switzerland, I walk to the grocery store and recycling areas two or three times a week, and we walk our dog several times a day. But I also try to get out of the city and into the wooded hills that surround it at least once a week.

Sometimes I just take our dog with us, and on less busy trails, let her off the leash. Sometimes I go during the day with the baby, pushing him up the steel hillside, and gasping for air by the time I reach the top. On weekends, we all go, and usually let Eddie walk along side for short sections of the trail.

On my walks, I’ve walked through orchards, vineyards, and seen amazing houses. I see some of the coolest snails as they creep across a walkway. I’ve found all kinds of hand-carved art in stumps such as in the picture above. We’ve eaten blackberries, rasperries, and elderberries. I’ve even gotten lost a few times, but now can generally navigate myself without the help of a map. And the view from the overlook trail on the Lindberg of the city of Winterthur – MY hometown, is breathtaking. Every time I walk this particular trail, I’m wowed and overwhelmed, and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Most days, beyond the city, and beyond the Eschenberg on the other side you can see the snow-capped Alps rising up sharply. They often seem so close – like you could just walk over the Eschenberg and be there, yet they are over two hours away by train.

From the door of our flat, it takes only about 10 minutes on foot to walk through a neighborhood and reach the Lindberg. Because the city of Winterthur stretches out between the forested areas, instead of taking on a more spherical shape, you can access pretty much any hiking trail within a half hour or less. I don’t know many cities that have such gorgeous nature areas right next to them in the US. In Switzerland, it is practically a vital part of a town or city. People spend a lot of time hiking, jogging, nordic-walking, skiing, and any other outdoor activity that you can think of. Even the largest cities such as Zurich have areas along the lake, and a forested area on the outskirts.

I wish I could spend as much time outdoors on such beautiful trails back home in Texas as I do here in Switzerland. I’d have to drive quite a bit from our house (even though we live in a semi-rural area), and then risk the inevitable attack of nature – poisonous spiders and snakes, mosquitoes from hell, and the terrible heat and humidity. I do miss a lot of things about our home, but I’d swap hiking in Switzerland over hiking in Texas any day!

Of course the best benefit is all the weight we’ve lost by being so active. The picture below I took of us while balancing the camera on top of Eddie’s stroller. It’s of us on our very first hike on our very first day of living in Winterthur. If you’ve seen us lately, you know how different we look now.

The Winterthur estate offers many beautiful places to picnic. Below are the answers to several “Frequently Asked Questions” about picnicking on the grounds. In general the responses below follow the golden rule and were developed to ensure that all guests at Winterthur have an opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Winterthur garden.

We welcome the chance to share the beauty of Winterthur with our members and guests. Becoming a member is an inexpensive way to have access to Winterthur 6 days a week, dawn to dusk, for walking, birding, picnicking, and otherwise enjoying the garden, galleries, museum collections, and wider estate.

Where can I picnic? Can I picnic on the grass? Can I drive to my destination?

Members and guests can picnic anywhere on the grounds. In the interest of safety, we ask that you do not explore the barns, houses, outbuildings, or any areas marked “Staff Only.” Please maintain a distance of 25 yards from outbuildings/work buildings and residences for your safety and for the privacy of our tenants.

You are welcome to walk on the grass and to set up your picnic in the shade of one of our trees. We do ask that you walk or take the garden tram to your picnic destination, not drive.

What hours of the day can I picnic? Days of the week?

Guests can picnic on the estate from 10:00 am to dusk, Tuesday-Sunday, with their wristbands and can come back the next day with their paid admission (they must request a second wristband). Members can picnic on the estate from dawn to dusk, Tuesday – Sunday. (The US Naval Observatory makes sunrise and sunset times available on their website.)

Is there a limit to the number of people in a picnic group?

The Winterthur garden is a peaceful and tranquil place. In the interest of keeping disturbance to other guests to a minimum, please limit the size of your picnic group to 10.

What are some of the better picnic spots on the grounds?

Sycamore Hill is a beautiful place to picnic. From the Bristol Summerhouse you can view across the valley to the train station and see the sky reflected in the pond – and there is almost always a breeze.

Behind the Cottage, along Clenny Run is a beautiful lawn and you can enjoy the sound of Clenny Run burbling along its stone-lined channel.

For families, the lawn next to Enchanted Woods is conveniently close to the children’s garden and to rest rooms. In April and May the nearby Sundial Garden offers a place for a fragrant, flower-filled stroll.

These are just a few – there are many more wonderful spots at Winterthur to enjoy a picnic.

What should I do with my trash?

Please take your trash with you when you leave. If you must deposit your trash, there are waste receptacles located in Enchanted Woods, near the restrooms, and adjacent to the Museum.

Can I pick wildflowers, collect mushrooms, collect rocks, etc. at Winterthur?

Please don’t! We ask that our guests and staff members take only photographs and leave only footprints. We ask that you help us to maintain the natural habitat that exists here at Winterthur so that other visitors can continue to enjoy the beauty of our garden, woodlands, meadows, and wetlands. Please do not move or remove any natural or manmade materials from any part of the estate.

What rules of “garden etiquette” should I be aware of?

Please don’t climb trees, stone walls, or other garden structures. Be aware that there are other guests in the garden and keep noise to a minimum (use headphones with CD players, etc.). Walking and running are allowed, but other recreational activities such as bicycling, rollerblading, kite flying, croquet, ball playing, Frisbee playing or sledding are not allowed. For safety’s sake we don’t allow guests to start fires, set up tents, or bring their own furniture into the garden.