Balloon Over Chateau D’Oex Switzerland
Today I spent some time going through some more photos from our trip to the Chateau D’Oex balloon festival. I liked this balloon a lot. I guess it is a bit stereotypical in its style compared to some of the more elaborate balloons we saw. But sometimes I think simple is good.
Western Spirit Over The Swiss Alps
Two weeks ago we went to the 2011 Chateau D’Oex International Balloon Festival. It was the second time we had visited the the balloon festival. This time around we managed to get a room at a bed and breakfast right in town so we could forgo the morning commute to the launch site.
We arrived late on the Friday night that the festival began and stayed for Saturday and Sunday. I was a little disappointed that the weather didn’t allow for any flights on Saturday. I attempted to go skiing on that day which was a bit of a disaster due to lost gloves, mountain fog, and really icy conditions on the slopes near Gstaad, but that is another story.
One of my favorite balloons from the last time we visited the event was Western Spirit, piloted by a couple from the U.S. I was glad to see that the team had made it back this year as well. We were so close to having a chance to meet the team as well.
For the ‘mass accenccension’ Which sounds somehow like a church event, we took up a position a few hundred meters above the launch site on a mountain rode. Western Spirit ended up landing only about a quarter mile from where we were, but alas, there was an impassible gorge between us and the balloon so I guess we’ll have to wait until she rides again.
Hut on a winter hiking trail near Adelboden Switzerland
I had a chance to use a gift certificate for a hotel stay recently. The gift was given to me this summer by some friends and I hadn’t had a chance to use it. My wife and I were waiting for some good weather this fall to use our Smartbox gift certificate but the weather just never cooperated. Seeing that the certificate was going to expire in February 2011 we decided to take our chances and book a weekend in Adelboden.
It was just the start of the ski season in Adelboden. Although I didn’t manage to make it to the slopes we had some fantastic weather on Saturday afternoon and did some winter hiking.
We also had a chance to meet with a work colleague and friend that has a small flat in Adelboden. It was a nice opportunity to see the local side of the town culture. We meet a few of her friends and visited a few local watering holes. It was interesting to watch the locals. From what I understand the locals are really just getting ready to go into hibernation. From some of my conversations I learned that as the tourist season ramps up the locals don’t go out much. Places are too crowded and it just isn’t worth the trouble.
What I also learned was that many Swiss in this local resort towns only have jobs for about 8 months a year. They work for the summer tourist season and then the winter season. In between the seasons there isn’t much going on so many of the hotels, stores, and resturants close. What also struck me is that sometimes the locals don’t even know where they will be working during the next tourist season, jobs are guaranteed and it is common to move around.
If you think about it working only 8 months a year means the locals have to practice an extremely good form of financial planning and discipline. Not that I wouldn’t expect anything less of the Swiss. The reality is these seasonal works are still paying rent, utilities and buying food even during 4 months of the year when the are not getting any pay check.
The hiking and scenery in Adelboden were fantastic but what was really interesting were all the little things are learned about the local Swiss culture from my friend. Hopefully I’ll get to go back someday and have another chance to mix and mingle with the locals.
Finally to the guys that gave me the gift certificate, thanks, it was perfect and we had a great weekend.
A cup of Glühwein at a Christmas Market
It is officially Christmas market season in Europe. Last weekend we made a trip to Innsbruck, Austria with some friends to make the rounds at the local market. Mulled wine called glühwein in the local language is always a staple. The hot wine drink is a great way to warm your hands and your heart as you pass the time outdoors.
At most markets you’ll pay about 2.50 Euros for a hot cup, with an additional 2 Euro deposit on the mug. Once you finish your drink and return your mug you’ll get your 2 Euro’s back. For the expat, it seems to be a bit more difficult. My informal poll indicates that other expats like myself tend to keep the mugs as a souvenir from the trip. After all for 2 Euro’s you get a great little mug, with the city name and the year on it. What else could you want.
A view of the Baldegg restaurant from the water tower
Saturday afternoon we made the hike up to Baldegg to inpart to climb the water tower, and to stop at the resturant and get a afternoon drink and dessert.
The view from the water tower was really spectatular. We had planned the hike with almost Swiss percision reaching the top of the tower just as the sun was setting behind the distant mountains. I also took the chance to scope out the top of the watertower for a future 360 photo. I’m not sure how it will work, but I’m sure I’ll head back there with all my photo gear at some point.
We had not been in the Baldegg resturant since it had been renovated last summer. At first glance as we walked by we almost didn’t go in. We felt a bit under dressed compared to our Swiss counterparts when we peered in the windows and saw all the tables decked out with with table clothes and fancy folded cloth napkins. I was wondering what had happened to the kid friendly Baldegg resturant I had known before.
After a second pass, we noticed however that they had two rooms, one more for dinner guests, and a second more casual setting perfect for hikers looking for a coffee, or afternoon piece of cake.
I can report that both the Apfel Struddle and the plum ice cream were excellent. I even managed to somehow stay away from the coffee even though that would have tasted so perfect together with the struddle.
Panoramic View from RigiI haven’t posted much about photography lately. For the good part of the last month I haven’t really felt inspired. That tends to happen once in while. I go though creative spurts, and then periods where work, or travel, or something else just get in the way and I don’t feel like doing much with the camera.
If are a follower of the blog it is clear when I am not inspired. But you may have noticed that I am posting more lately. The return to Switzerland after the Christmas holiday and this years ski season have ignited a bit of a creative streak.
I have been experimenting a log with panoramic images lately. While we were at Rigi I managed to capture a really fantastic image of the view from Rigi. The photograph was made from 10 images stitched together to make a final panorama that shows about a 180 degree field of view. Imagine looking over your right shoulder, then turning your head to your left shoulder. That would represent a 180 field of view.
So enjoy the photograph of the view from Rigi and be sure to zoom in, explore, and find the skiers.
On the most exciting aspects of moving to Switzerland for a kid that grew up in the flat lands of the midwestern United States is the prospect of winter sports. In the words of some British friends, ‘Proper’ skiing as compared to the stuff in Wisconsin and Michigan.
I am by no means very talented in winter sports. I have played a little hockey, and managed to learn to downhill ski. I have even taken up snowshoeing this season. And the sledding here is fantastic! One type of sledding I haven’t had a chance to try yet, and I’m not sure I want to is called Skigibi in Swiss German. It is pronounced something like ‘SHE-gi-be.’
The concept is to take a single ski, screw a seat to in and ride it down the mountain. Sounds crazy. Over the weekend when we were at Rigi I actually saw two people with Skigibis and I just had to take a picture.
A Swiss friend of mine told me that these things were likely invented in the Berner Oberland. She mentioned that she thought they might have even originated from Adelboden. Every year in Adelboden there is a annual skigibi race and it is puported that last year some guy hit 137 kph (85 mph) on his skigibi.
Would you be brave enought to try your luck? What winter sports are you planning to attempt for the first time?
This morning we decided to get up and head to the mountains on the train for an afternoon of snowshoeing. The trip started well with a surprise. The train ride to the top was much less than expected because as of December 13th 2009 you can now use a GA for the Rigi Bahn.
Rigi is one of my favorite views in the summer but we had never been there for the winter season. I was not disappointed by the winter view. The snowshoe trails were marked but a lot of the portions of the trail looked like no one had trekked on them yet. In some places we were cutting the trails ourselves walk from marker pole to makerpole.
After a good 2 and a half hours of hiking we finally fished the number 3 loop and returned to the upper train station at Rigi Kulm. We visited the resturant for a nice big dish of Alpener Maccaroni one of my favorite winter time dishes. After that it was lights out. I feel totally drained this evening. But drained in a good way. I know I will sleep well tonight. For now, I am just fighting to stay up so I don’t go to bed to early.
We had such a great snow fall over the last weekend that I decided to hike around town to capture a few more winter scenes for the Baden virtual tour page. My with these tours is to give anyone out there considering moving to Switzerland they will have a few pictures of small town live in Baden.
The promenade along the Limmat river here in Baden is one of my favorite place to relax. A stroll along the river after a snow, or in a summer evening after dinner is the perfect way to relax. The promenade is also the perfect path to take between my apartment and the thermal baths which are located next to the promenade on the north end of town.
Check out the new Limmat promenade virtual tour to take a look around.
Yesterday we did a 2 hour snow shoe trek through the alps near Amden Switzerland. The weather looked a little foreboding as we were taking the post bus up to the top of the mountain. The area had just gotten about 8 inches of new snow the previous night, but no worries, the bus had chains on the tires and I am sure the driver was well experienced.
This was the first time I was ever snowshoeing. It is a really great time if you are hiker and want to get out in the snow. The blue trail leaves from Arvenbuel and is a 2 hour loop. As you can imagine the 2 hour loop with me and my camera meant we took a bit longer.
At the end of the trip the group of about 10 of us found a Switzerfamilia feuerstelle to make some fondue. The first 8 to get to the fire pit dug out the fire pit from under about 3 feet of snow and then lite a fire and began about 30 minutes later just in time to enjoy the fondue.
Everyone had carried about bit of the meal on the hike including some wood. I was carrying the 3 package of fondue cheese. So although I was a bit late we could only make 1 batch of cheese at a time in the pot so it worked out well that I was a little delayed.
This morning my legs were killing me. I couldn’t believe how exhausted I felt after truding through the snow. Some parts where I stepped off the trail I found myself waist deep in snow. With all the sore muscles today we made a trip to the Thermal Bath in Baden for the afternoon. It was a beautiful day for the baths. Snow was coming down like crazy while we were outside in the 35 deg celcius (95 F) swimming pool. What a way to end a weekend.
I will be looking for more snowshoe trails for sure. Do you know of any in Switzerland? Leave a comment.
