Flaming Street Parade

This evening we went out to a small town towards Basel to check out something that I would have to consider as one of the most unsafe public spectacles I have ever witnessed.

This Fasnacht (Carnival) parade was a one hour show of men and women dragging various flaming objects through the street.

On the website there are warnings to wear old clothes in case you get burned and no children under 6 or dogs are allowed.

Some of the portable bon fires are so intense that the crowd has to turn their back or risk being burned. I have some amazing photographs and this is just one so there will surely be more to come.

Fasnacht 2010: Update

Guggenmusik Group Wandering the Streets

Last night, the Saturday in the middle of fasnacht is usually one of the loudest of the entire 6 day event. I think that is in part because of the 'working' people can stay out until the wee hours of the morning and still have time to recover on Sunday.

This photograph was taken close to our apartment in the center of town. Bands such has this one walk through the streets banging their drums and blowing their horns as loud as then can. Last night I heard 2 new songs I haven't heard covered before. The theme song from the old T.V. program bonanza, and 'Black or White' by Michael Jackson.

The peak of the noise seemed to be around 10:00 pm when the groups were really going and probably still sober enough to make lots of noise. I went to sleep around midnight. I did not get my usually 2:00am wake up call, but I was woken by a group that walked under our balcony around 4:00am and then again an 5:00am. By 5:00am this morning I think everyone had worn themselves out because that was the last of it.

Only two more days and then I will be free from this. Although Tuesday night is usually the loudest evening, I actually will be out of town on business. That is just one small saving grace in all of this.

Snowshoeing at Rigi

View from Rigi Snowshoe trail

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.

Snowshoeing: The Day After

Snowshoe Trail Near Amden/Arvenbuel Switzerland

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.

Hiking in the Woods

Today we went for a hike through the woods not far from our apartment. We live the area north of the Alps so believe it or not we don't get too much snow here. Most of the snow will fall in the mountains and nothing other than a grey fog makes it as far north as our town. That means a walk through our little piece of Switzerland at this time of the year is usually covered only lightly with traces of snow.

It was much warmer out today that I had anticipated. Once we got moving, I took of my hat and gloves and unzipped my jacket to enjoy the fresh air. Or course part of that could have been the uphill hiking as well.

I did notice that it is staying light a little later now. Even at just before 6:00 in the evening there is still a faint bit of light in the sky. Just enough to see the outlines of the distance hills.

To night we are going to watch a recorded episode of Bauer Sucht Frau, but I'll leave those details for another post

Sledding at Flumserberg

This week I made a trip to Flumserberg for a little sledding. Maybe 'little' isn't quite the right way to put it. For a guy that grew up in the flat lands of the Midwest of the United States a sled hill that requires a ski lift is definatly not little.

If you have a chance to try sledding at a ski area in Switzerland you'd be foolish not to try it out. It is like nothing else. Taking the lift up to the top, and then the bone rattling ride done some long forgotten mountain road that slowly disappeared as this seasons snow erased it from the face of the mountain is a real thrill.

I just love the exhilerating feeling of riding a davos sled down the steep trail, all the while trying to avoid the big ruts that can send you flying 3 feet into the air. The little dips that can launch a person airborne are great fun for the kids, but for a grown man, they can be a bit painful if you aren't careful.

I managed to squeeze in 3 runs down the mountain to the tannenheim ski lift. The first run was about 30 minutes while I learned the trail. The second two I made in 15 minutes each. I managed to crash only once after I launched myself in the air and landed flat on my backside just before sliding about 20 feet and coming to a stop. Yes it hurt, but oh it was so fun.

I was walking a little funny the next day, and did make a trip to the spa for my sore muscles, but I am feel pretty good today. Maybe I'll even be foolish enough to do it again!

Resturant Colopic in Düsseldorf

My wife is in advertising. She always says that low brow humor does not have a place in a really 'Creative' ad agency. Maybe, but I don't really care because it still makes me laugh.

Here is a sign I spotted in Düsseldorf last weekend. Yes its low brow toilet humor, so sorry but I'm still chuckling about it.

We made the trip last weekend to visit a friend that moved from the US to Germany. She is just getting used to the expat life. It was fun to catch up with her and hear about all the tough challenges she is facing as she adpots her knew life. She is of course facing the same things we did when we got here. I know exactly how she feels.

Christmas Tree Is Up

This weekend we got the tree up. As we always do, we put it up a bit early so we can enjoy it before we make holiday trips home. We got a tree as always at the jumbo, this being the smoothest bus ride home yet. I finally have a good process down for getting the tree home on the bus. Pick it up at the jumbo, strap it to my pull shopping cart, and drag it home.

I was a bit worried about not having enough lights since the little Italian Christmas lights are so expensive. As I approached the bottom half of the tree I was dreading I would run out. At 20 USD for 100 lights it is quite a shock to have to pay so much. My wife pulled the unused set of lights out of the Christmas decoration box all the while telling me not to worry, we had plenty of lights. To my surprise I had invested the 20 bucks last year in a set of lights that I never even opened.

I know we put our tree up early, but its after Thanksgiving so I somehow feel justified in having it up.

Balconies of Barcelona

Balconies in Barcelona

I have posted before about windows being a view into the lives of the people that live inside a building. I think balconies offer a similar perspective. Seeing peoples laundry, plants, and tables and chairs gives you a perspective on the the lifestyle of the people that live in the building.

When we were in Barcelona there was an apartment building right across the street from our hotel. Each morning when I would wake and look on the window there would be different laundry hanging. This image is just one the series. I'll have to put a few of them together and see what I get.

I have been a little slow to catch up on going throught my photos this month. I really want to get through them so I can start on my yearly travel book that I like to make. It usually takes be about 2 weekeneds to finish the book and I need to order it before I make the trip home for Christmas so I guess it is time to get started.

Weekend in Barcelona

I had a business trip to Barcelona on Monday and Tuesday so we decided to go a bit early and spend the weekend wandering around from one resturant to another enjoying the local cuisine and culture. It was a great way to relax and get away from the gray Swiss weather.

Not much to say about the trip right now, other than it was alot of fun and a good chance for me to practice a bit of my extremely rusty Spanish.

Raebechilbi Richterswil 2009 (Turnip Festival)

Turnip Lanterns at Tabebechilbi Festival

This Saturday night marked the Raebechilibi festival in Richterswil. The annual festival is a celebration for the local community to carve turnips and put tea lights in them. A similar tradition to the American pumpkin carving around Halloween I suppose.

The center piece of the festival is parade for the children to carry their carved turnips through the streets of the town. During the parade all the local homes and shops display thousands of carved turnips, each one glowing brightly. Literally every windowsill and roof awning is lined with hundreds of glowing turnips.

Just before the parade starts all the locals are up on ladders lighting the candles that have been set out during the day. It was really amazing to see all the glowing veggies as a loud cannon sounded and all the street lights in the city were cut to announce the beginning of the parade.

In addition to the children carrying there personal turnips, often hanging by strings from a stick some local community groups also created enormous parade floats for the celebration.

The floats themselves were often times nothing more than huge boards strapped to farm wagons. The boards had pictures painted on them in black and white and then hand hundreds of turnips with candles afixed to the white parts.

As is always the case with such festivals many of the floats were political or were representative of recent news. There was one celebration Bolts news world record for the 100 m sprint, 9.58 s. There was a tribute to Michael Jackson. There were two tributes to Snoopy. I don't know what that was about but maybe someone else knows.



One local cultural custom that I can not get over in Switzerland is that fact that they charge and entrance fee to attend parades. I am used to parades being free. You line up in the street and watch the floats and bands go by. Here there is a little bit different mentality here. As we got off of the train we were confronted by hordes of people selling plackets as then call them here. These are little trinkets or medallions on a string that you are supposed to buy and hang around your neck indicating you paid the obligatory 6 Francs to stand in the street.

I have never really seen anybody checking for these medallions, most Swiss are very good about following the rules. However, this time as were were standing waiting for the parade in the drizzle there was a women walking the parade route and checking that everyone had there placket. If you didn't have one she would be happy to sell you one.

This year the parade started around 6:30 and lasted about 1 hour. There were some food booths and hot drinks available as well. It was definitely worth the trip if you are close to Zurich and looking for something a little out of the ordinary.

The Cloud Has Landed

This afternoon I trekked up to the castle in Baden to test out a new lens and take a couple of panoramic photographs of Baden.

Above was the final shot from the day. The most noticeable element of the photograph is what I affectionately call the cloud. The gray mass of cloud that arrives around this time of year and won't leave until March or April.

One of the reasons for my trek up to the castle today was to practice the shot so if and when the clouds to lift this winter I'll be ready to get a good picture.

My Favorite Corner in Baden

This weekend I am a bachelor. Plenty of time to do....stuff. Whatever I want. So like any bachelor I turned to the things that I like, and spent the evening walking around Baden with my camera.

I love this one particular corner in Baden down near the river. There is something about the twisting, turning cobblestone road that is just so photographic.

I hung out on that corner just taking photos and watching people stroll by for about an hour. Sometimes it is fun to to stand there with a camera and a tripod. Even if you aren't taking pictures the fact that you have a tripod seems to give you reason to just be standing around lookin' at stuff. I've noticed when I have the tripod out people aren't as suspicious. They figure you must be an inspired artist so you have a right to be hangin' out.

Fall in Paris

Late last week I needed to make a short business trip to Paris. It gave me a good excuse to spend a weekend there and take in the sights. The weather was really great over the weekend and I had a chance to meet up with a friend of mine that lives in Paris.

We ate at the one restaurant we always eat at, Chez Papa. I don't think I have ever been anywhere else with him for dinner in Paris. It has become a running joke of sorts. He is from Toulouse and this particular resturant serves typical fair from southern France. I think it is his excuse to get a taste of home.

Following The Cows Home

Final Leg of the Alpabzug

So I last left off with us walking the back roads of Canton Appenzell with our milking producing friends and their colorfully dressed herdsmen. As we rounded each hill in the valley we approached closer and closer to the final winter pasture for the herd.


It is not uncommon to find small mountain restaurants along such roads. The cozy little two story buildings are often in the middle of nowhere, and seem to only attract the locals because frankly, there is no one else around.

As the herdsmen would pass such a restaurant the local inn keeper would run out with glasses of what looked like wine. The reward for the long days journey which can often start at 3:00 am. They had the opportunity to drink the liquid refreshment as quickly as possible in the middle of the street and keep moving with the heard, shoving the glasses greatfully back at the inn keeper while still maintaining and heir of importance.

Final, we reached the pasture. The two prized leading cows were released from the burden of their massive bells and the herd wandered on to the grassy hillside to rest and enjoy a bit of fresh grass.

The herdsmen gathered by the gate. One of them holding the massive bells, on hanging from each forearm. The herdsman slowly rocking the bells to continue the gentle tolling of the bells. This feat of strength continued as the others performed a private yodeling concert for the 8 to 10 family members and neighbors that welcomed them home. The quartet continued for about 15 minutes before calling in quits and having their first chance to rest all day.

What a really interesting cultural experience. We could have never planned it, and just were in the right place at the right time. How lucky we were.

Alpabzug: It's All About The Order

This photo was a complete accident. As we were hiking through the valley after a day at the Alpabzug in Urnaesh I heard what I thought was yodeling. Looking up the side of the valley, I saw a procession of farmers in the country side about 3oo meters up the side of the valley. I urged my wife 'Come on, if we run we can catch them, it will make a great photo!'

As the photo proves after a good sprint caring about 15 pounds of camera gear we caught the merry band of locals just in time. What was amazing is that in the countryside, far from the village the group continued with their traditions. Yodeling in full traditional regalia, these men were not interested in putting on a show, there was no one to impress out here. They were interested only in ensuring that the tradition lived on.

So what is that tradition? As far as I can tell it is something like a formal procession. The group starts with a young boy leading the pack. Just behind a small heard of goats sheparded by the families young children.

Behind the goats is what I'll call the bell cow, or cows. These cows carry the massive bell or bells that as best I can tell are a becon for the other cows to follow. All other bells on the other cows are either removed, or stuffed with grass to silence them.

Behind the bell cow are four men, yodeling, with at least one carrying a wooden milk bucket over his left shoulder. The bottom of the bucket is beautifully painted with an alpine scene.

Following the yodelers are the rest of plodding, dirty, tired cows. The rest of the bunch are hearded by one, unlucky teenaged boy, who tends to look slighlty younger than the four yodelers. This young lad as the undesierable job to proding, slapping, and poking the cows along while wadding through piles of excrement and streams of urine. It is surely not a pleasant position to be in but I imagine he is the sole reason the group of cows get home. With every patch of grass one cow seems to wander over to grab a snack and the teen has to jump into action to keep them moving.

In the rear and not shown in the picture above is the final element of the procession. A horse drawn carriage. The carriage is caring the families wooden cheese molds, copper pots or as best I can tell anything else used in the cheese making process. This carriage is usually driven by the elder man of the family. I would imagine he deserves this position as it affords him a bit of rest at times when he wants to ride in the wagon. I'm sure he has earned the spot after years of particpating in the grueling hike.

So now that you know the who's who of the participants the only remaining question is where are they going?

Check back and you'll get the answer when I tell you about our unplanned side trip as we literally joined in to walk the cows home.

Back Roads of Canton Appenzell

Back Roads of Canton Appenzell

On Saturday we spent a lot of time wandering around the back roads of Canton Appenzell taking in the sights. The Appenzell region is just amazing. I am a bit disappointed that it took me this long to find it.

I spotted this barn along the side of the road and it just looked so picturesque I had to take a photograph.

This is another example of HDR photography.

Alpabzug: Bringing The Cows Home in Urnaesh

Urnaesch Alpabzug 2009

We made a special trip to the small town of Urnaesh to see the cows come down from the mountains. The yearly event marks the procession of the cows from the high alpine pastures back to the farms in the valley for the winter season.

Each farm has a procession of animals through the center of town. Each farm's convoy is arranged in the same order. I will provide more on the procession in an upcoming post.

As far as the event itself, the Alpabzug was one of the most interesting local traditions I have yet to experience in Switzerland. The traditional dress, jodeling, and festive atmosphere were really something special. While such an occasion could easily be turned into an elaborate tourist weekend, I felt festival still maintained a sense of authenticity.

Even with the farmers dressed in their traditional clothes, red vests, white shirts, yellow leather pants, and black hats rimmed with flowers they were there to get a job done. It was all about getting the cows and goats back to safer ground for the winter.

Purely by accident we ended up following one local farmer all the way back to his farm. The little unexpected side trip led to some amazing photographs and some experiences that were really and truly something special. I've got over 5 gigs of photos to go through from the day and plenty more stories to tell.

Knabenschiessen: Children's Rifle Festival

The second weekend of September marks the weekend in Canton Zeurich for the annual Knabenschiessen festival. The two day event is based on a long standing tradition to hold a rifle shooting contest for children and crown a King Marksman at the end of the festival.

Shooting is part of Swiss life. As every man has to participate in military service. An with that service every man is issued a rifle which he keeps at home. During his tenure in the military he must also qualify on his rifle every few years. The military he is not a standing army but rather a reserve force where every member is required to train a few weeks a year. This constant reminder of military also means that every town seems to have a practice range where soldiers can go to practice their marksmanship before they have to pass their tests.

I share that side note just so you understand the role rifles, and shooting play in Swiss life. As it is such a part of the culture seeing hundreds of teens lining up to take their turn with a rifle at the range doesn't seem as unfamiliar or strange as it would in the U.S.

Each child is escorted, one-by-one to a shooting stall. Each stall has a club member that gives instruction and coaching while the child takes their turn firing a few rounds.

The range has about 40 bays for shooting so you can imagine what it sounds like with all those guns going off. As you enter you are given obligatory ear protection for your own saftey.

Scoring is down with an electronic system. As each shot is fired, targets that are projected overhead on the wall are updated in real time with the location of the last shot as well as previous shots and the contestants total score.

As best I could tell any child could register to try. I looked like it would have been fun just to try it once, but I think they wouldn't have let me. First, because I am a grown man, and secondly, it would have been tough to take instructions in German. My rifle vocabulary is obvously something I have not developed yet.

ICF 2009 World Championships Thun

Practice Rune at the ICF 2009 World Championship

Last weekend we headed towards Thun to do some hiking. We had about a 30 minute layover in Thun before we had to catch a boat to our final destination so we decided to see a bit of the town.

We happened upon the ICF 2009 World Championships. Although I don't know anything about it, it appears to be some short of freestlye canoe trick competition. The contestants compete by doing all sorts of crazy tricks on a standing wave in the river.

The event runse from 31th August to 6th September and is about a 3 minute walk from the main train station in Thun. If you are looking for a bit of adventure it might be something to check out.

The Swiss Keeping Things Under Wraps

Aarberg, Switzerland

There are plenty of stories of the Swiss concealing a few dirty little secrets. Art during the second world war, money from the worlds rich, as well as a host of other things that foriegners need to keep safely out of sight and out of country.

Then there are the things that the Swiss seem to hide from themselves. I have very rarely if ever seen a homeless person. I have only once seen any form of a late model vehicle with a rust spot. And I have never seen a prison.

That was until I visited Aarberg. What we thought was castle in Aarberg is apparently some sort of youth detention center. The photo above shows the lovely home for the trouble youth on the hill just in back of the church.

I haven't been able to confirm that the castle really is a prison. I've only heard this second hand from other expats so it might be just a myth. But it wouldn't surprise me at all if it were true.

DJ Otzi And His Pizza Hut Obsession

A couple of weeks back I was preparing for our August 1st party and was looking for some 'Swiss Music'. I came across a collection of songs loosely titled 'Music for an Alpin Ski Hut'. This seemed appropriate.

What it turned out to be is a collection of various cultural curiosities including Jodeling, bavarian polka, German pop, and other stuff that is suitable for tourists. Perfect for the international party I was planning.

One track I did not listen to and only stumbled on recently much to my surprise was called the Burger Dance by DJ Otzi. The first time I heard it I didn't know what in the world I was listening to. Some guy talking about every American fast food chain with a bad German accent. Just today I did a quick search of youtube to learn more and it finally clicked. The catchy tune is actually a YMCA-esque song for kids.

I don't know if kids should really be singing about junk food, but it is a catchy tune and the moves are funny. I could see how kids would have a good time with it.




If you thought that was good this appears to be the original version of 'The Fast Food Song' music video. Really fantastic. A warning, if you listen to this, there is chance you'll wake up in the middle of the night craving fast food.

Hiking in Switzerland: Top 5 Things to Take With You

I have reached a major milestone in my slow but gradual transformation to Swissness. Today I bought a proper pair of hiking boots. That may not seem like much to some people but I consider it the last part of my transition to fully committed Sunday hiker.

So now that I can call myself a hiker I thought I might share with you my top 5 list of things to take along any time you decide to hit the trails in Switzerland.

1. Hiking Boots
2. Hat
3. Water Bottle
   
4. Small Backpack
5. Watch

Hiking Boots: Might seem obvious, but you'll need a good pair of hiking shoes or boots. Sorry but Adidas running shoes just won't cut it in the Alps. You need something with a stiff sole and ankle support to keep you going all day. If you don't have good shoes after a hour of feeling every pebble under the sole of your pair of running or casual shoes you'll know why you need a pair of good boots.

Hat: Or anything else to cover your head. I don't exactly have a fantastically full head of hair so a hat keeps me from burning the top of my head. Aside from that, if you are higher in the mountains it is nice to be able to shade you eyes from the harsh sun. I don't always wear my hat but you can bet I always have it with me.

Water Bottle: Make sure it is filled when you leave. The great thing about hiking in Switzerland is the abundant water along the trails. Often times when walking through a mountain meadow you'll come along a random foutain dug out of a log. The fresh water from these remote oasis are perfectly safe to drink. It is not uncommon to wander up and find a fellow Swiss hiker already refreshing themselves at this little gems.

Small Backpack: You'll need something to carry your water, your hat if you aren't wearing it, and maybe a few other things for you trip. Packing a couple of snacks, a camera, or a map is made simple when you bring along a small backpack.

Watch: Why on earth would you need a watch. Well, this is Switzerland, and you do want to get off the moutain right?! Many hiking areas are accessed by cable cars, and the cable cars keep a schedule often closing down hours before the sun goes down for the day. If you don't plan to hike all the way down or want to make sure you don't miss the last post bus from you final destintation be sure to wear a watch.

Happy hiking and enjoy the trails.

The Decision: Where To Put The Painting

My Dorky Model of My Living Room

So I am a bit of a geek. I just spent the last couple of hours builing a 3d model of our living room in google sketchup 7 to see what some paintings we were thinking of hanging might look like. I have to admit, I really like building 3d models. Sometimes I think I should have done something different with my career.

So here is where I need some input from my followers. We are only going to hang one of the 3 paintings in the model. The paintings on the left and middle are the same, just shown in different positions, or we could hang a landscape over the sofa.

The paintings are a little bigger than the stuff we have now, but we thought larger pictures would add more color to the room. The two walls that are invisible are floor to ceiling windows.

So what is you favorite spot?

Friday Night In Baden

Not much to say today, so I will just post a picture of the plaza from this evening.

Schwarzwald - Germany

View of the Schwarzwald from a mountain meadow

Last weekend we did a bit of traveling with some friends. We took a trip to Alsace in France, as well as the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) in Germany. One of the highlights of the trip was a stop along the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse drive for a short walk along the edge of the forest.

Although the weather was a bit overcast and slightly rainy it made for some impressive pictures. I have to admit, we did stop for a piece of black forest cake. And it was wonderful. Definately worth a drive if you have some time and are looking for a good place to do some sightseeing.

There must have been a British car club out on the road during our drive as well. We saw well over 100 Jaguars running down the road, all with little signs on the front with a British and French flag. The cars seemed to range in age from about the 1930's to the most modern models. It was neat sight to see.

Alp Horns In Baden

The alphorn is a unique instrument. Last weekend I got a personal concert just outside my apartment.

We were walking around Baden when we ran across four gentlemen randomly playing their horns around town. At first we didn't know what they were doing, if there was a special event or something. We stopped for a few minutes to listen and then were on our way.

A few minutes after we arrived home later, the four guys showed up in the platz just below our apartment and gave a 10 minute concert. Unfortunately my camcorder didn't have enough battery power to let me go down to the street, and the only place on the baclony that had power didn't allow me to video all four guys.

Here is a short video of one of the songs.

Spanischbrödli - From Baden

Spanischbrödli from Mosers Backery

I can't believe I have lived in Baden almost 3 years I have just recently tried Spanischbrödli (small spanish bread) for the first time. The bread itself has no link to any spanish cusine. It somehow just got the name and it stuck.

The small pastry is about the size of a deck of playing cards. The pastry is similar to a croissant, maybe just a bit heavier. The middle is filled with a sweet hazelnut and carrot filling, it sounds strange, but it is really good.

When the first train line in Switzerland opened between Baden adn Zurich in 1847 the train became known as the Spanischbrödlibahn, spanish bread train, because it would deliver the Baden treats to the city.

If you find yourself in Baden, stop by a local bakery and ask for a piece. Get there early, because by the end of the day it is usually sold out, as I learned the first time I tried to get a piece.

Stockholm, City Hall

Stockholm, City Hall

I was going through some of my photographs today and spent some time working on this particular photograph.

It turned out just as I had envisioned it when I was standing there trying to capture the photograph. I really like the final result.

Weekend In Sweden

Stockholm waterfront

Last week I was asked to attend some meeting in Sweden for work. While I am not a big fan of travel, it did leave me in Stockholm on a friday in the middle of summer with a long weekend ahead of me due to a Swiss holiday.

The same weekend also included a wedding anniversary for my wife and I so it seemed like a good idea to extend my stay with my wife joining me for a weekend trip.

Stockholm was a great place to be in the summer, lots of colors, activities, long days, and too much sun. The 3:30 AM sunrise, and sunsets close to 11:00 pm meant the sun was always out. By the end of each day walking around the city, I felt like a burnt piece of toast. It was almost too much.

Saturday and Sunday we ran around like American's with our Stockholm cards, which gave us free transportation and access to many of the local attractions. The 48 hour card seemed to be well worth the price if you are going for the American style visit which is to cram in every single sight.

By Monday we had slowed down, and took are more leasurly place. Just wandering the streets, with no where in particular to go.

My favorite stop was the Vasa museum. The Museum is home to a ship that sank in 1628 on its madien voyage. It was underwater for 333 years before it was salvaged in the 1960's. The ship has been restored and is the key focal point on the museum. The size of the ship was amazing, I couldn't believe how huge the ship was, and that it was built way back in the 17th century.

View of Santis Mountain from the Lazy Gardener's Place.

Last weekend we had a bit of an adventure. My parents-in-law are here for their annual visit and we decided to head to Appenzell. Little did I know another Swiss friend of ours would offer to show us around the area.

Our friend had insisted that he had several friends in the area and he would be more than happy to make a few calls and arrange for a day trip. Only after we were on the train on the 2 hour trip to the area did we learn that this particular 'Tom's Toxic Tour' would take us to visit a few people that Tom had meet for 10 minutes at some party a couple weeks back. Hmmm.....this sounds like trouble.

Our first stop was in Appenzell to visit an entreprenuer that had her own Lingerie shop in downtown Appenzell. After a Sunday afternoon private tour of the shop we took a walk around town and ended up at the prioprietors house. Her house was one of the oldest in the village. It was one of the few homes that had survived the great fire that went through the town in the late 1500's. She gave us a tour of her house, which is unheard of. And then we had an apero complete with Prosseco and breadsticks in her garden. Our host was wonderfully cordial, and it was a great start to the day.

The next stop on Tom's Toxic Tour was a personal afternoon with the famous Lazy Gardener of Switzerland. He and his lovely wife invited us for an afternoon in their garden with a few bottles on champaigne, cheeses, and other delights. The conversation was wonderful, and the corks kept popping. After several wonderful hours taking in the view and enjoying the afternoon, the Gardener and his wife invited us for a risotto dinner cooked with fresh rucolla from the garden. The dessert also included a fantastic ice cream served with rubarb sauce topping made fresh to order.

By the end of the day, the Toxic Tour had not disappointed. Full of food and drink we slowly made our way back to Baden on the train. I give a special thanks to our hosts in both Appenzell and Tuefen and hope we have a chance to visit the area again.

A Sunday Drive and Fun Snapshots

Hello Mr. Cow

We tried something a little different this weekend, we went for a Sunday drive. We don't often have a car and this weekend we did something a bit spontaneous. We thought we would see if we could rent a Mobility car, and take a Sunday drive in search of a good spot to take some pictures of the rapeseed fields. This time of year the rapeseed fields are full of amazing yellow blossoms.

So we got in the car, and just drove until we found something that inspired us. We found a really nice spot somewhere between Birr and Schinznach Bad. It had all the elements for some good photos. Cows, castles and rapeseed fields.

Although I like a well composed photograph, sometimes quick snapshots from the hip can be great too. The photo above was just a quick, fun picture of a cow, looking at me, while I was looking at him. He seems to be saying, 'Hey, I know the view is great, now let me get back to my grass.'

Villa Boveri for Photographs

Statue at the Villa Boveri in Baden, Switzerland

Earlier this week we took a tour of the city. We have been living in Baden for over 2 and a half years but we had never taken the official city tour. The tour is not offered in English very often but this week was an exception.

The tour was well done and introduced us to a fact we did not know. We had heard of the Villa Boveri, and knew that the grounds were used for some special events including summer concerts but we were not aware that the grounds of the house once owned by the Boveri family was a public park open from 7:00 to 21:00 dialy.

We made the first trip to the park yesterday and got caught in a bit of a rain storm. We only had a few minutes to look around before the rain. Since the house is only about a 5 minute walk from our apartment at the other end of the Alt Stadt we went back today to spend a bit more time there.

I used the outing as an excuse to take some photos. I can imagine that the well groomed grounds would be a great place to take a picnic in the summer. That will definately be in our plans for the future. As for today, even though it was sunny and wonderful out this morning, there was only one other person in the park. A lone sunbather.

If it proves to be as quiet as it was today in the middle of the summer it looks like we may have found our own private backyard to play in. It is crazy how you can live somewhere for so long and still discover new things right around the corner.

Getting Ready For the Weekend

This week I was grilling some ribs, and what do you I know I ran out of propane. Luckily I had a bag of charcol in reserve and although there was a bit of delay in cooking we still managed to get the ribs cooked.

Running out of gas requires a lot of extra effort. Exchanging the gas cans can take a lot of work. To make it all happen we rented a mobility car for 4 hours today. I am just getting ready to head out the door now.

The first stop will be the Jumbo home improvement store to replace the tank. Since we have the car for some extra time other stops are going to include Ikea for some new cushions for the outdoor furniture, maybe a stop of Pfister to check out a chair we spotted recently, and then on to possibly mediamarkt to look for a printer.

I haven't owned a printer in several years and it seems like it might be about time to get one. Especially since my wife as started doing more and more work from home.

Well, off for traditional Saturday shopping....

Uneventful Saturday

We got up early today. Yeah, I know 8:00 doesn't sound too early, but for me, on a Saturday, thats early. The reason we got up earlier than normal was that we had reserved a mobility car to take a trip over to the Jumbo home center to get some plants for the balcony.

We ended up with a good buch of geraniums, some petunias, and new guinea impatients. After the trip we also stopped by the weekend market just below our balcony to pick up some snap dragons as well from one of our favorite flower vendors.

We had big ambitions to plant this afternoon, but a mid afternoon nap got in the way. Then by the time we were ready we were only outside for about 30 minutes before it started to rain. As of now it is still raining so I'm just wasting time, waiting. waiting for dinner, or the rain to stop. Not sure, but I'll just sit around until something more eventful happens.

Hiking In The Spring

Mountain Trail near Giessbach falls

Last weekend we spent some time in the Alps in the region of Switzerland near Interlochen. While interlochen itself feels too commerical and touristy the surrounding areas provide great places to hike and enjoy nature.

We took a hike with friends near the Giessbach falls and the scenary at this time of the year when the leaves are just coming out in the Alps is amazing. As we were climbing one of many hills, I noticed that the light coming through the trees was illuminating the fresh new leaves in a unusual way.

The light during our hike was amazing. There are plenty of great photographs that I have yet to explore from my trip.

Swiss Electronics Recycling

As part of the 4 day Easter holiday here in Switzerland I have been doing some cleaning up around the house.  Yesterday I spent a good bit of time in our basement storage area rummaging through things looking for items that can be trashed.  

I found an old suitcase which I packed with garbage and will toss this weekend.  I also found an old laptop computer I had bought back in about 2001 which needed to be recycled.  

Given the complexity of the Swiss recycling system I was a bit fearful of how in the world I would be able to recycle a computer here but after a quick search online and reading through a few websites I found a note on the Baden town website that said all electronics will be accepted back at the place of purchase.  

It is a similar policy to the U.S. regarding things like car oil, and car batteries.  If you buy new from the garage they accept the old and recycle it.  The difference in my case is I did not buy the computer form a local store.  Before walking over to the local Migros store, which sells electronics, I took the time to remove and destroy the  hard drive to make sure no personal data was available to anyone.  Then a short walk to the store and the service desk where I inquired about recycling the laptop. 

The customer service person politely told me to walk down to the electronics desk where I could leave the computer.  I had half expected to be charged a small fee, 5 or 10 Francs for the recycling service.  I would have gladly paid, but instead the gentleman took the computer and without asking me for any money bid me farewell.  

The ease of the entire process was great.  I didn't have to get in my car and drive a million miles, or find a special location for recycling, just back to the store and drop it off.   I have to give the Swiss credit on this one.  They have it figured out. 

Searching for a New PC

Thank you to all of you that have sent me personal e-mails touting the advances and benefits of a Mac. Needless to say, your suggestions are futile. We have a mac at home already, and I really don't care for it.

As my current PC is at a little over 3 years of age, I am not suprised that it is failing. I usually coun't on hardware lasting about 3 years. I think my last laptop lasted about 5 years, which really suprised me.

So now I find myself shopping for a new PC. I've been spending most of my time on the Dell Switzerland site. I am pretty sure I will be purchasing from an online store like the Dell site for one single reason. I can order an English version of the operating system.

So after battling through the Dell Switzerland site, presented in either German or French, I have finally settled on the machine. I am pretty sure I will be going with a XPS 430 with 4GB ram. I want all the ram because of all of the photography work I do.

The only remaining question I have is should I get a 64 bit or a 32 bit operating system. The benefit of 64 bit is better handling of large quantities of data. Large photos as an example. I have checked compatibility of a few of my favorite programs and both Adobe Lightroom, and iTunes of course, are 64 bit compatible. One program that might be a bit of a problem is my QNAP 209 NAS device. The QNAP 209 is a large network storage device where I keep all of my photos. If I can find proof that that will work I might go with 64 bit. If not I think I will stick with 32 bit.

Looks like I need a couple more days to investigate before I am ready to make a purchase.

Kaiserstuhl, Switzerland

Kaiserstuhl, Switzerland

Last weekend we took a trip to Kaiserstuhl Switzerland on a whim. We wanted to get out for a hike and do somewhere within a short trip. We found that Kaiserstuhl fit the bill. It was about 45 minutes from Baden and was touted as having a great old town center right on the Rhine river.

The town was small, You could walk from one end of the town to the other in about 10 to 15 minutes, but it was still a nice little town. The bridge along the Rhine takes you right into Germany. We strolled across the bridge and no one even seemed to notice. The boarder crossing was unmanned, the staff probably had Sunday off I supposed.

On the German side we walked along the river along a nice path, occasionally met by a group of walkers muttering their 'Gutten Tages' and 'Hallos' as opposed to our usual Swiss 'Gruezis'.

Go to Kasierstuhl for a walk along the Rhine, and only if you are in the area. It probably isn't worth much more than that.

Street Performers - Time Lapse of a Native American Flute Band

I had some free time on Saturday and there was a group of street performers outside of my apartment so thanks to the advice of my wife I decided to try to make a time lapse movie of the event.

She wanted to know how many people actually put money in the music case of the musicians. This video depicts about 1 hour of real time in a 2 minute video.

If somebody wants to watch and count the number of times people drop change in the case be my guest.

Visit To The Art Museum: Street Art In Switzerland

Gaffiti Near Neuenhof, Switzerland.

Today we went to the art museum. Not a traditional museum, but rather what I would call at street art exhibition. Not far from Baden is a long concrete bridge. The upper level is for vehicle traffic and underneath is a pedestrian path. The walk way under the Schwimmbadstrasse bridge has become a sort of gallery for street artists.

On any given weekend a walk down the paths reveals two or three artists at work in plain day light. Buckets of paint, large paint rollers, and backpacks full of spray paint cans are carefully laid out in front of the concrete canvas.

Rollers are put to work painting over a old work clearing the way for a new installment. Being Swiss and concerned with safety dusk masks are donned shortly after the base layer drys. A sure sign that the real creation is about to start. The Swiss seem to accept graffiti in some areas like this underpass. Artists seem to be allowed, and even encouraged to use the space to express themselves.

Although the bridge is only a couple of hundred meters long the art is really amazing. We spent about an hour walking the path and admiring the work. As artists come and go, so do the works. A constantly changing canvas of concrete. We'll surely be back in a couple of months time to see the new installments.

HDR Images From Barcelona

La Pedrera, Barcelona Spain

This past weekend I had a chance to spend a few days in Barcelona. As always I brought along my full compliment of camera gear including a couple of additional pieces of gear that I normally don't carry as well.

In addition to my st camera and compliment of basic lenses I brought along a flash, two extra lenses, an extra camera body and 2 tripods. So why all the gear? My wife had decided to get me a photographic tour from Barcelona Photographer as a birthday gift.



Since it was the off season for tourism in Barcelona, Barcelona Photographer was offering private tours. The cost was a little higher than their standard package but considering we would get a personal guide for my wife and myself I thought it was still a good deal. I was hoping the tour would be a good opportunity for me to get some guidance from a local on the best locations for some great shots of Barcelona, while at the same time giving my wife a chance to learn something about digital photography with a digital SLR, a step up from her standard point and shoot camera.

I chose to do a night photography tour since I enjoy capturing night landscapes. Barcelona Photographer also offers day tours as well.

Our tour guide did a nice job of understanding our needs. He catered more towards working with my wife to teach her the ins and outs of a the basic functions of the digital SLR while pretty much leaving me alone while I took advantage of his past experience and comments on best spots or angles to photograph from.

As this was a private tour, I felt like there wasn't a lot of structure, and getting started was a little slow. The guide did a lot of asking questions about what we wanted to accomplish and after about 30 minutes of wandering and just conversing I felt like we really got started. I think most of that time was the guide just trying to figure out what we wanted to get out of the evening.

As a more experience photographer I don't really want to comment on the quality of the instruction because that wasn't my goal. What I got out of the tour, and I think what was the best value for me was the insight from our guide about the best locations to shoot.

Many of the great shots that I got from Barcelona were not taken during the tour itself but where rather taken during second trips to the same locations, or other spots that the guide recommended we return to during the day. Given that the tour was a fast paced 3 hours, I wanted to return to some of the locations when I had more time to be methodical and take photographs at a nice leisurely pace.

The tour gave me a great opportunity to practice my HDR (High Dynamic Range) image capture techniques. All of the photographs I am including in this post were based on HDR techniques. This is the first set of photos that I am really happy with. I am finally figuring out how it all works.

Walk In The Woods

Trail in the Woods Near Baden

There was some fresh snow on Saturday morning. Unfortunately though, we didn't get a chance to get out on Saturday to take advantage of it. Today we made the time to get out and enjoy the nice sunny day.

Knowing there was a fresh snow fall I also wanted to take an opportunity to bring my camera and tripod along to play a little more with some HDR photography. The trail above is about a 10 minute walk from our apartment. The final image was made of 5 individual images put together with Photomatix version 3. You'll have to excuse the watermarks, I was trying the demo version of the software trying to decide if it is worth the $100 before I buy it.

I am currently using Picturnaut, a freeware tool for my generating HDR images but after using Photomatix I may make the switch. I like the results of Photomatix were much better and simplier to achieve. The interface is a little more robust as well.

One area I need to improve is sharpness. The image above it a little soft and I haven't quite gotten the hang of putting together a nice sharp HDR image. Guess I need a little more practice.

Snow for Valentines Day

Today I woke up to a pile of snow for Valentine's Day. I wasn't expecting snow at all. The city looks fantastic in a new layer of white.

We are planning to take a quick trip to the store for our standard Saturday errands. Grocery shopping and a few other things. As Valentine's Day is kind a special day in the U.S. I have also planned a date with my wife.

This could be considered monumental by some regards. We made a decision early in the week that we would try to go to a movie. If you have read some of my other posts you may know that getting tickets is a pain in the rear. As the Swiss love to plan ahead you often times have to buy your tickets in advance. It isn't all all like the US where you just show up and there are 16 screens showing the movie you want to see.

So after trying to figure out how to buy the tickets online I caved in and went to the the movie theater on the way home from work this week and bought some tickets. I managed to get through the conversation to buy the tickets without the cashier asking me to repeat myself so I must have done pretty well with my German.

So tonight its off to the Kino to see Slum Dog Millionaire. I hope its a good show after all the extra effort.

Starbucks Bald In Baden

No Starbucks didn't lose its hair. Although it sure sounds that way from the headline in the local paper we received this week but the truth is they are almost here. Right across the street from us the American chain will be opening a new store.

I am not a huge fan of Starbucks, but on a cold day I do enjoy there hot chocolate. I would imagine I might stop by once in a while for a coffee and a good book but we'll just have to wait and see what kind of crowd it attracts.

That leads to another discussion. When we first arrived in Switzerland the only sign of Americana in the town was a lone McDonalds. At about the rate of one a year American franchises seem to be coming to town. Last year it was Burger King, this year Starbucks. What will be next?

In a conversation this morning I had my money one KFC, while my wife thought Subway. Although I would agree with her that Subway is more likely because I have seen 1 in Zurich. KFC is just my little pipedream. I tried to convince her that it might be realistic given the amount of schnitzel that is consumed here. To me Schnitzel and fried chicken seem to be in the same family.

I guess I'll just have to wait and see, read the papers and wait for the next surprise.

The Balloon

Looking Up

I really like this photo that I took at Chateau d'Oex during the balloon festival. The composition and colors are really amazing. I couldn't have asked for a better shot. Just so happened that this balloon was floating over my head and I pointed my camera directly up and got lucky.

On The Superbowl

Yes I am aware that the Superbowl is today. Or, really it is on February 2nd for us in Europe. I think the kick off time is actually 12:30 AM local time on Monday morning.

As I have no close ties to either team this year I will not being staying up to watch it. Instead, I have set my trusty Windows Media Center to record the live German broadcast on Eurosport. There is something slightly wrong about American football in German, but you gotta take what you can get.

I don't think I'll watch the entire game tomorrow but I will at least go through it. I'll probably fast forward through commercials and dead time and I bet I can squeeze the entire program down to about an hour and a half. At least I'll have something to look forward to for after work tomorrow.

Chateau D'Oex International Festival of Balloons

A Glimpse To the Skies Above Chateau D'Oex, Switzerland.

This weekend was the 31st annual festival of Balloons at Chateau D'Oex. Having read in 1000 places to see before you die a couple of weeks ago that this was something that should be seen my wife put together a travel plan to visit the small town in the Alps for two days during the 10 day festival.

I wasn't really sure what to expect other than a bunch of hot air balloons. That is pretty much what we got, but to see so many balloons concentrated in one small valley was really a magnificent sight to see.

As we got off the train everyone craned their necks skyward to get a glimpse at what seemed to be about 20 balloons, quietly floating thorough the blue skies with the majestic Swiss Alps as a back drop. As many pictures as I can post, I just don't think the photographs do it justice.

On Saturday there was a special exhibition of crazy shaped balloons. One of my favorites was 'Western Spirit' I'll let you guess which balloon that was from the picture. The best thing about the balloon is it was a perfect example of what the Swiss think of Americans. Cowboys riding horses through the western desert. Yep, and I can't believe I forgot my cowboy hat back at the apartment this weekend.

In all fairness 'Western Spirit' was piloted and owned by an American that brought his balloon in for the event. He assured the crowd that he would be back next year as well.

I've had a great time taking pictures and have a pile of images to go through. I'm sure I'll share more in the coming days.

Building Baden With Google Sketch Up 7

Working Model of Schlossberg Platz

I posted a in mid January about playing with Google's Sketch-Up 7 and Google Earth. After some initial fun with the tool I realized I could combine the modeling tool with my interest in photography.

One of the recommended best practices is to model buildings in simple cubes, adding textures with imagines.

To test this out, I have built a simple model of Baden's Schlossberg Platz. Then last weekend I did a tour of the square taking photos of the all the exteriors of the buildings. In my free time I have been editing and preparing the photos to apply them as textures to my Google Sketch-Up Model. Above is a work in progress picture of the model. The first one I started with was the building in the upper left corner of the picture. It is a nice sqaure building standing by itself. It was easy to photograph so was a perfect place to start.

I can not take credit for the model of the tower. I got that from the google warehouse. Someone else had already spent the the time to build that model, I simply added to mine to add to the effect.

As you can see I've still got a bit of work to do.

Hectic Week

This week was a little hectic. I had a lot going on at work including a short trip to Warsaw for business. Somehow I just got caught up in some many things that I lost track of blogging.

Today I've had some time to get back to normal. It was the first day in a long time that I remember seeing the sun. When we woke up we decided to grab a quick breakfast and then take a nice walk along the Lagern hill just on the other side of the valley. The path is a nice gravel and paved trail through some of the vineyards of Wettingen. It was quite obvious that we were not the only ones with the idea to get out and enjoy the sun.

Along the walk we met a couple that obviously had a new puppy. It was a tiny Dachshund. I made the mistake of saying that the dog was beautiful in German as the couple past. The tiny creature took a liking to my leg and started jumping up on me. Of course all the while the owner was making some small talk but neither I nor my wife could really understand the Swiss German. We just pet the dog a little and said the standard Adeiu while they were leaving.

For the rest of the afternoon we just hung around the appartment enjoying the sun streaming into our living room. It was really a great day to do absolutely nothing.

Hard Boiled Eggs, Straight From The Store

A set of pre-cooked hard boiled eggs (with one uncooked egg to show the difference)

I've been eyeing some very strange looking eggs at the grocery store for about 2 years now. They look just like Easter eggs. Some packages come in all in a single color (red a shown above), others are mutli-colored. What I have found is they all have one thing in common, they are hard boiled.

I don't seem to ever remember seeing such things at an American store. At Easter we always had to cook and color our own eggs. But here, they have simplified the process. Get them pre-cooked and pre-colored, year round.

I really like the name given to these eggs. They are called 'picnic eggs' and sell for roughly the same price as uncooked eggs. I paide 3.70 CHF for 12 ( 3.30 USD)

I got them because I am too lazy to cook my own hard boiled eggs and this seemed like a nice alternative. I really like a hard boiled egg with a little horse radish. It is tradition passed down from my grandfather. Ususally the only time of year I eat the combination is on Easter Sunday, but given the availability of these little red time savers I might bee having my traditional breakfast a little more often.

Annual Friends Reunion

Today we are having our annual friends get together. We usually get together at a local resturant & bar for a couple of hours and sit around and chat and have a few beers. People come and go as they please. It is a nice time and convinient way to get to see everyone. This year we haven't gotten too much response so I don't know what the turn out will be.

For the first time this year we moved the meeting to the late afternoon instead of the evening. Now that more and more of our friends have kids we figured it would be simpler to do a late afternoon event in case people wanted to drop by with their kids.

As always I know there are a few people I would have liked to have invited but I don't have their e-mail addresses or contact information with me. It is tough to keep everything in one spot with all of the different communication tools we have today.

This year for the first time in addition to sending out e-mails to friends for which I had e-mails I also posted an "Event" and a couple of "Notes" on facebook. I did get some comments and feedback but overall the facebook responses were limited. I guess I'll have to wait and see this afternoon how the turn out is. Some times additional people that I didn't directly invite show up through word of mouth. It is those friends that I really enjoy seeing because I didn't expect them in the first place.

These yearly get togethers are usually a little strange at first in that alot of my friends know more about me that I do about them because of my blog. While it is easy for them to ask about something I did sometimes it takes be a little longer to warm up the conversation for me because I haven't been as in touch with them for a while. But in the end, catching up is exactly what these gatherings are for and thats what we'll do.

The 'Whale' a the Porsche Museum outside of Stuttgart

When I was younger I had a unhealthy fascination with Porsche automobiles. I don't know if it was the snob appeal, the speed, or the pure engineering that inspired it. I would like to think it was the idea of the high tech engineering since that was the discipline I choose to study in college.

For the longest time I used to spend hours in my basement as a kid meticulously constructing and painting small models of the Porsche classics. The 356, the 304, the 935, the 959, and the classic 911.

So when we were in Stuttgart for the Christmas markets I couldn't help but make a trip to my personal mecca and visit the Porsche production facility and museum just outside of Stuttgart in Zuffenhausen.

Porsche is in the processes of opening a new, huge museum that was supposed to be open in 2007. Unfortunately it is still in progress. So, we only got to visit the previous, and much smaller museum that only houses about 15 vehicles.

Of course the vehicles that are on display are all the most amazing models. All the ones that I have at home, just in 1:16 scale.

For the enthusiast the museum was great. The new larger museum is set to open January 31st 2009. So not to much longer to wait. Guess I'll have to schedule another trip to Stuttgart next year for the Christmas markets.