Deception Point

Last night I finished reading Deception Point by author Dan Brown (Brown also wrote The Da Vinci Code). The story involves a woman who is asked by the president to validate the results of a major scientific discovery. The significance and timing of the discovery would swing the results of the upcoming presidential election. Missiles are fired and people are killed.

Brown should have chosen a title that didn't double as a spoiler. The book kept me up late on a number of nights and I suffered for it the next day at work. It's a fun thriller and I highly recommend it.

This last weekend was Easter weekend and I used the four days to visit friends in Munich. The time with them could not have been better: They are amazing hosts and a heck of a lot of fun.

On Friday we went geocaching in Munich. The Munich City Tour 1 geocache was interesting because it provided a historical tour along the waypoints of the cache. After a few hours of learning new things in the rain, we found the cache in a small park at the stump of a tree.

The next day we had better weather so we jumped on the S-Bahn and headed to Starnbergersee (Lake Starnberg) for a 50km perimeter bike ride. I was at this lake during a 1996 backpacking trip after mistaking it for the location of Neuschwanstein, the famous castle of King Ludwig II. We didn't find the castle, but we did find the spot where he mysteriously drowned in 1886.

On Sunday we went to the Bavaria Filmstadt. The Filmstadt is home of the film studios where hit movies and TV shows such as Marienhof, Das Boot (The Boat), Asterix & Obelix, Traumschiff Surprise, and (the only one I knew) The Neverending Story are and were filmed. What a surprise to learn that The Neverending Story is a German movie! The tour was very entertaining and I was even given a role as part of the stage crew for a short skit from Traumschiff Surprise. The tour ended with a 4D virtual-rollercoaster movie. What a load of fun!

Many thanks to my hosts and I look forward to my next visit!

Colleen and Peter departed yesterday morning after their week-long holiday in Switzerland. I hope this trip gave them the relaxation and break that they were looking for. I sensed that both were longing to return home to see their children.

We spent the extended weekend doing city tours in Zurich, St. Gallen, and Stein am Rhein. The weather didn't cooperate for snowshoeing nor for a trip to the Saentis. At least we didn't have rain. We had the obligatory cheese fondue, fondue chinoise, and roesti. It was great having them here and showing them my side of the world.

What a fine weekend. Colleen, Peter, and I escaped the weather in northern Switzerland and headed south to Lugano. Lugano is a Swiss town but with a strong Italian influence. We enjoyed the warm weather with a walk around town, fine Italian food, and a boat cruise on Lake Lugano. We were also joined by Karin & Bryan who were also looking for sun. More photos are on my web site.

I'm excited. This weekend my brother and partner from Canada are landing in Switzerland for a week-long holiday. They are the parents of my 4 year old nephew and 2 year old niece, and I believe this is their first holiday without the kids. I look forward to hosting them on their deserved break.