A photo of the day section has been added to the site. Here I plan to post a new photo each day selected from my archives or from today. This should be a fun way to showcase some of my favourite photos while keeping the content of the site fresh. I hope you enjoy it.
It's hard to believe it's November and there is so little snow at 2000m in the Alpstein. A few of us took advantage of these last days of autumn and went on a hike today from Wasserauen to the Marwees range and back. The temperatures were mild and required only a fleece top and the occasional wind breaker. The winds were extremely strong at the summit, which made the single track trails a little nerve racking. I'm sure these days are numbered and it won't be long before we're back with snowshoes. Photos of the hike, taken with the new Nikon D80, are online.
Last Thursday was the six year anniversary of my immigration to Switzerland. How time flies!
It was almost two years ago when I switched jobs at my company. The new position was a welcomed change since I would no longer be required to travel for work. I don't mind visiting customers and sometimes I really enjoy it. What I don't enjoy is the personal preparation time and everything between leaving my apartment and arriving at the customer's front door. It's also difficult to maintain a healthier lifestyle when on the road and there's usually not enough time to tour the city. I'm not really complaining: My job has great perks and I accept that travel is a part of it . Heck, it was the promise of traveling that enticed me to apply for the job in the first place!
So after almost two years I'm back on the road. I'm on the early flight to London tomorrow and will be staying for two nights. London is a great city but I don't anticipate any free time to do anything fun. I'd love to see a musical or the British Museum. Perhaps another time.
Monday morning I woke with a sore throat and a raspy voice. A number of people I know have been getting sick lately with a cold, so it was just a matter of time before I caught it. Fortunately I've been spared from coughing and congestion, but I've also been warned that it may still be to come. I hope not.
Tuesday night I joined six friends for the Canada vs. Switzerland friendly hockey game in Zürich. I'm trying to figure out who these players are since the NHL season is currently underway in North America. My best guess is that they're minor league players for various European teams who were thrown together for this game. It was an enjoyable three periods with a decisive 6-4 win for Switzerland. I was the only Canadian in the group and therefore received a brutal mocking. In fairness I would have done the same had Canada won.
Tuesday was also the US midterm elections. I'm usually not too concerned with US domestic politics, but the outcome of this election was too important. Both the house and senate branches of the government have shifted to the Democrats and this will finally put oversight over the Bush administration. This is a welcomed change and I'm very interested to see what the outcome will be these next two years.
On Wednesday morning my new Nikon D80 camera arrived. With it I also purchased a SB-600 flash, 4 gig SD memory card, and a handy infrared remote control. This is the replacement for the Nikon D100 I recently sold. My first impressions of the D80 are good and I'm very impressed with the simplicity of the wireless flash system. I'll try to get some photos posted soon.
This weekend I had a fantastic return to the mountains. A friend and I hiked to the Kistenstöckli (where is this?) from Brigels and overnighted in the Bifertenhütte. We had the mountain to ourselves and nobody else was staying in the hut that evening. I believe this is the highest altitude I have ever slept (not including overnight flights) at 2482m (8143 ft), and it was simply stunning to see nothing but mountain peaks as far as the eye could see. What I found very pretty was the moonlit mountains in the middle of night. Too bad it was so windy and cold that I could only enjoy it for the length of my bathroom break. Photos of the hike are online.