Pick up my Camera

It's annual tradition for St. Gallen to light up the old town with Christmas lights, and it was five years ago when I took this photo of the lights on Multergasse. The photo is posted on a few websites, and it was recently picked by a photo.net editor to be a part of this year's Editors' Picks: Winter Photos 2007. It's flattering to see that some of my photos still gain an audience. The timing is also right since St. Gallen just strung up the lights for the holiday season.

It's a shame that I don't take as many photos as I used to. I have a nice DSLR camera with an assortment of lenses and accessories, which don't get the use it deserves. I think it's because I spend so much time hiking and cycling, and carrying a heavy camera is the last thing I want to do. Although, I still have my compact camera, which I usually take along.

I've been developing a new script for displaying photos online. There are already thousands of scripts to do this, but I never found one that I really liked. Most album software shows you a small thumbnail with an enlarged image, which I find tedious. The thumbnails are often too small to get a sense of the album, and the enlarged view requires you to slowly page between each photo. I wanted something that displays my photos similarly to a real photo album, which has three or four images per page. Check out the following examples. Use the back button of your browser to return to the blog, and click on an image to switch views.

[ Photos 2006 | Photos 2007 ]

Shopping Blues

My new apartment has something the old place doesn't: space. I want to fill this space with furniture, but shopping for it is daunting because I'm so bad at decorating. If you don't believe me, then come over and see the green shower curtain that I picked out for my bathroom. It's almost as daunting as buying wine, but at least with wine you only need to drink it once. If you buy a couch and don't like it, you're stuck with it.

On Saturday I went to IKEA to find a few more things for the apartment. The store is a massive maze of showrooms, and I proudly never needed to ask for directions. Although, I did have trouble finding the mustard dispenser in the cafeteria. The showrooms were filled with ideas, which I had difficulties extrapolating to my apartment. There were many things I liked, and a few things I thought might work in the apartment. I plan to go back soon and spend some money, but with my fingers crossed.

Shopping alone for furniture is difficult enough, but it must pale in comparison to shopping as a couple. I chuckled whenever I saw a couple pondering a decision about a chair, bed, or anything else. Obviously one of them didn't like it, or they wouldn't be thinking about it. The best was watching a man or woman sit in a chair or flop on a bed, and stare at the other seeking their approval. If there is a 1 in 10 chance you'll like something, then there is only a 1 in 100 chance that both of you will. That's being optimistic, I think. I do have it easier, but I'll still be unhappy with whatever I buy.

Three Days on the #5

I rode off on Friday morning on what was to be my last bike tour of the season. It's not often I have a three day weekend, and even less often that the weather forecast is agreeable. Mind you, not many people would consider highs of 10°C 'agreeable' for a bike tour, but I digress. It was perfect and just required a few extra layers of clothing.

I went west along a familiar route towards Zürich, and got onto the #5 Mittelland Route near Uzwil that continues another 350km to Lausanne. I traveled this route during the 2005 Tour de Schwiiz, but this time only wanted to get as far as Neuchâtel. The morning fog muted the fall colours, but were warmed by my rose tinted sunglasses. It's strange wearing these sunglasses since they look like something you'd find at the Zürich Street Parade, which is definitely not my scene. Being Friday on a cool day, it was hardly surprising that the trails were so empty. I had the most peaceful ride through the forests with only the sound of the wind and the leaves crunching under my tires.

A small aside here, so bear with me. Last month in Canada I had my eyes corrected with LASIK eye surgery. There is also LASEK eye surgery, which I learned after the procedure is not a typo of LASIK. It's a different procedure. I knew it had to be cheaper in Canada than in Switzerland, which is one of the reasons I had it done over there. My prescription wasn't strong and some people asked, 'Why bother?' My vision was blurry enough to annoy me when I went hiking or cycling, and I didn't like having my glasses fog up whenever I walked inside from the cold. The procedure went very quickly, and more time was spent in the waiting room and having tests done. After an uncomfortable 15 hours with plastic shields over my eyes, I left the clinic with 20/20 vision. Simply stated: Wow! The worst side effect was not being allowed to do any sports for two weeks.

Those two weeks of no sports got extended a few more weeks due to a bad cold. Come to think about it, I think I had two colds. This bike trip was my first outing since the eye surgery, and the first chance to test them for the very reason I got them done. Everything I saw became an eye chart: I looked at signs as I approached them and looked for the moment I could identify the word or letters. What an improvement! The landscape looked glorious and I could see the defining shape of each autumn leaf. It's exactly what I wanted and hoped for. It astounding to me that a few minutes under a high precision laser can rid me of glasses and make such a minute but wonderful change to my vision. And the cost of LASIK in Switzerland? Double.

I rolled into Baden shortly before sunset and checked into the Linde Hotel. I've seen the world 'Linde' used all over the place but never knew what it meant, until today. It means lime tree, which explains the apparent abundance of lime trees on the Under den Linden boulevard in Berlin. I'll need to take a closer look the next time I'm there. Anyway, I stayed the night at the Lime Tree Hotel and payed more than I should have. My choices were limited with Baden's crappy selection of hotels, and I was too lazy to double back to the Youth Hostel. I had supper and a few beer at the Pickwick's pub, and crashed early for the night. I hoped the breakfast buffet the next morning would make up for the cost, but that was also a disappointment.

The next morning I left Baden with the goal of reaching Nidau (near Biel). I had some pains in my left knee reminiscent of the pains I had last year. The day before I had modified the position of my new Brooks bicycle seat, and wonder if that could have played a role. That, or perhaps it came from not biking for five weeks? Either way, the pain subsided after a few kilometers and I made it to Nidau. There I stayed at the Lago Lodge bistro, brewery, and backpackers, which I also stayed in a few years ago. Supper was delicious, and the beer even better.

I would have slept well had the guy on the top bunk not kept turning and snoring all night. He was originally on another bed in the room, but switched to the top bunk after another guy took the bed immediately next to his. Homophobic, perhaps? I couldn't wait until morning and was relieved when it was.

I continued a short distance to Neuchâtel and caught a direct train to St. Gallen. Direct connections are the best since you can doze off without care until you get home. I enjoyed retracing the tour I did in 2005, and reliving some of the memories of that trip. It helped clear my head after all that has happened these last few months. I'm sad the bike season is over, but am looking forward to winter.

Sad Days...

News of my mom's illness came on June 13, 2006 during my bike tour to Sweden. I was sitting in my tent in Koblenz, Germany at the junction of the Rhein and Mosel Rivers when I received the e-mail with the subject and body: "Not good / I just got the bad news over the phone. I have been diagnosed with AML, that is Acute Myelogenous Leukemia…" A wave of sadness and confusion overwhelmed me as I crumbled into a ball on the floor of my tent. What did this mean??

Fifteen months later I know the answer. After six months of chemotherapy, a brief remission and then relapse, my mother passed away on September 12, 2007 due to complications. We are fortunate that her passing was quick and spared her from major discomfort or pain. She enjoyed life to her last day, and her eternal optimism and laughter helped us deal with our impending loss. She enjoyed the simple things in life, loved the company of her friends and family, and had a creative touch that is everywhere in her home. I think often of her and miss her so much.

Tour de Vorarlberg & Allgäu

It's been a while since I last wrote something here. August has come and gone, and much has happened that I could write about. I won't, but will say that the month was filled with hikes, bike rides, the St. Gallerfest city festival, and Badenfahrt. A typical August.

This was my last free weekend of the summer, so I packed the panniers, oiled the chain, and got out for a weekend bike tour. This was also a chance to try out my new Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires and Brooks B17 saddle that I replaced since my June tours. The route was to be through the Voralberg region of Austria and the Allgäu region of Germany, located directly east of St. Gallen. Incredibly, this was my first time in the region after living next door for the last seven years.

The area reminded me of Switzerland with the mountains, rolling green hills, farms, and cows. The big difference was that I could understand the language, and everything cost half the price! The area had few bike paths and was almost void of bike signs, and I often had to share the road with heavy traffic. Fortunately, I had programmed my GPS with the route, and this saved me from having to refer to the map.

I stayed the night in Immenstadt. I always saw this place on the map and wondered what it's like. Now I know. It's a cute little town in the mountains, but I couldn't identify anything that made it special as a cute little town in the mountains. Later in the evening I met Attor from Basque. He was in the area to attend the bicycle exposition in Friedrichshafen, but decided to combine the trip with a short bike tour. We had a few weissbier and chatted about bikes, life, and why Basque is not a part of Spain.

This morning I woke and wondered if I should sleep another hour, or perhaps have had one less beer last night. Luckily it wasn't anything that breakfast and coffee couldn't fix. Attor and I rode a short distance together before our routes forked. We said our goodbyes, and with some luck I'll stop by his bike shop someday if I ever get around to walking the Camino (his shop is directly on the route). With the crisp air and warm sun, I constantly had to remove and replace my jacket depending if I was going up or downhill. I went through Allgäu, and have to say that the road between Oberstdorf and Hittisau is one of the most beautiful routes I've ever taken. The highlight was the contour road that provided breathtaking views over the valley. What took me so long to come here? I got home around 18:00, tired, but feeling great about the tour. The new tires rock and the bike seat is very comfortable.


This was my last tour of the season. It saddens me, but gets me thinking about next year. I have a few places in mind where I'd like to tour, but southern Italy, the Loire Valley, and Iceland are all on top of my list.

Some photos are online, and below is a map of the route.


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Swiss National Day

Yesterday was Swiss National Day, celebrating 716 years since the signing of confederacy in the year 1291. I started the day with a hangover from celebrating the night before, and going to a farm for a breakfast brunch. Apparently, it's tradition to have brunch on a farm on National Day, but this was the first time doing it myself. While cycling to the farm I noticed that Swiss flags were hanging everywhere. I found that nice.

Following brunch I jumped on my bike and cycled to Appenzell. The weather was perfect for a ride, and I wanted to repeat the Hoher Kasten ride that I did last year. I struggled with the ascent since I was tired, had a less than optimal breakfast (although yummy!), and still had beer flowing through me from the night before. Nonetheless, I made it to the top and had a gorgeous view over Appenzell and the Alpstein. It was on the way down that my day was ruined.

After cycling up a 1000m, I was very excited about the downhill ahead of me. I earned it! I got 400m down when I heard a hiss from my front tire. I had a dramatic moment of denial, "No. NO! NOOOOOOOOO!" Was it was my front wheel or my excitement that was more deflated? I was now walking and cursing that I had left my spare tube and pump at home. Lesson learned! I called some friends who came to rescue me, and they even invited me along to a barbecue. How lucky am I?

Later that night I sat on my balcony and watched the fireworks. This wasn't sanctioned by the city, but rather by amateurs who put on their own show over different parts of town. It wasn't elaborate or anything, but enough to generalize that the Swiss like to blow things up on August 1st.

Tessin Weekend

Last weekend a few friends and I visited Tessin for some camping and hiking. We arrived on Friday night, lit a fire, grilled, and had a couple of beer. We would have had more beer had our supply not been washed away by the river. I was responsible for cooling the beer, and did a terrible job of securing the bag in the river. I'm still beating myself up for this, but my friends were forgiving, and perhaps even thankful for saving them from a hangover the next morning. Yeah, right.

The next morning we drove an hour north to Lago di Luzzone where we parked the car and started our hike. The weather was perfect, and the scenery was, as always, absolutely spectacular. Although it was warm out, the strong winds forced me to wear a jacket and remove my hat. Unfortunately, I had forgot to put sunscreen on my forehead, which is now burnt and shiny red. Ouch!

We got back to the campsite just as it started to rain. We ditched the campfire idea and setup our tents instead. Magnus had this huge circus tent, which was perfect for lounging around and having a few beer while watching the lightning in the distance. The tent would have been nice to sleep in, but it didn't have a floor and water started to creep in from the sides. In a panic I had to repack my stuff and switch to another tent.

On Sunday morning we were lethargic and took our time leaving. We headed home and went for a short walk on the Lukmanier Pass. It was a fun weekend and my legs are still sore from the hike. This seems to be a pattern when hiking with Magnus!

Tour de Appenzell

Summer returned in time for the weekend. On Thursday I picked up my bike from the shop, and was giddy with anticipation. This weekend we were finally expecting sun, and it was too long ago since I last went mountain biking!

On Saturday morning I put on my gear and slapped on a layer of sunscreen. Deja vu. I thought back to the tours in June, but reminded myself that today wasn't going to be that easy. I wanted to push myself hard, really hard. This was to be hardest yet.

Tanja joined me for a part of the ride. She also loves to bike. I was very impressed that she worked until 2am the night before, and still had the energy to join me at 7:30 in the morning. For those who know Appenzell, our route went from St. Gallen - Speicher - Gäbris - Gais - Biseren (near Hoher Hirchberg) - Weisbad - Chamhalden (near Schwägalp) - Blattendürren - Jakobsbad - Gonten - Chuterenegg - Hundwilerhoehi - Hundwil - Stein - St. Gallen. Here's a Google Map (with photos) for the rest of you.

Wow! What a ride! The altitude profile is below, although I did cheat and walk the last 100m of the Hundwilerhoehi. I took a wrong turn somewhere that I had to correct by walking up a 40% grade (not to mention that it went through cow poop and I couldn't feel my legs). It was tough, but I'd do it again. I'd just skip the Hundwilerhoehi next time due to the steep descent and loose stones on the path. I think I got tendinitis from braking!

Next weekend camping and hiking in Tessin!

[ Some photos from the ride ]

Cold & Züri Fäscht

I never expected to find relief in a cold, but this time I did. The symptoms started on Friday, but I was worn out the entire week. I thought it was a reaction to returning to work after my holiday, but others suggested the drab weather. I don't blame the weather for my mood, so at least the cold gave me a scapegoat. Fortunately, it was a mild one.

On Friday night and Saturday I went to Züri Fäscht 2007 in Zürich. It was big city festival in the old town with bars, bands, food, midway rides, and people everywhere. Entertainment included air shows over the Zürisee, trapeze artists, motorcycle races, and diving expositions. The highlight for me was the incredible fireworks on Friday night. They were launched from four boats anchored in the lake, and were synchronized to a live orchestra playing The Moldau by Smetena, Pomp and Circumstance by Elgar, and two other orchestral pieces. It was beautifully choreographed: A crescendo in the music had a matching intensity of fireworks, with a massive explosion of light synchronized to the climax in the piece. It was spectacular!

Tour de Schwiiz 2007

On Wednesday a group of us completed our fourth annual Tour de Schwiiz bike tour through Switzerland. This year we cycled the national route #3 known as the "Nord-Sued" or "North-South" route. It's exactly that. It starts in the northern Swiss town of Basel and goes south over the St. Gotthard Pass into Tessin. Erik already wrote a good summary of the trip on his blog, so I won't bother reiterating his eloquent words. Enjoy!

Photos | Google Map (with photos) | Google Earth KML (with pictures)


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Bike Tour 2007

Donaueschingen to Vienna by Bike
3-14 June 2007 / 960km

Photos | Google Map (with photos) | Google Earth KML (with photos) | Erik's Story

Prologue

After twelve days of cycling, we arrived at the Stephansplatz in Vienna, Austria. We started our tour west of here in Donaueschingen, Germany, and followed the Danube Rive bike trail for 960km to get here. I was joined on this trip by Erik who is a best friend from childhood. He doesn't cycle much, but proved that a good attitude is all you need for a tour.

We were very impressed with the bike route. The route follows closely along the Donau River, and is composed mostly of dedicated bike paths or roads with no significant traffic. Some areas were so remote that you could only hear the wind, the water of the Donau, the tires on the tarmac, or me humming a tune.

The Donau Radweg is part of the larger and newly established EuroVelo 6 bike route extending from Saint Nazaire, France to the Romanian coast of the Black Sea. I had originally planned to cycle the Loire Valley section of the route, but decided on the Donau after researching train connections. Everything becomes more complicated when you travel with a bike. Getting to Saint Nazaire with the bike would have meant 18hrs on the train and multiple changes between regional train lines. No thanks.

A strong cycling infrastructure revolves around the trail. The route is clearly marked making it impossible to become lost. Cycling information signs with more detailed route information are sporadically found en route. Beer gardens, restaurants, hotels, and guest houses are all "bike friendly" and openly welcome cyclists. I supposed they'd need to around here. Passing other people on tour was often met with a friendly hello or wave.

We had luck with the weather, despite the grim forecasts. I've come to learn not to trust the weatherman (or woman), and simply accept the weather for what it is. We got rained on a few times, of course, but not nearly as often as Jenny Harrison would have us believe. Erik believes this was the result of his new found zen beliefs called The Secret; I think it was just luck. Perhaps Erik should have another granola bar and get back to his yoga class.

This was the first tour with my new Trek 520 touring bike, and the first time I had loaded panniers on the front wheel. I expected this setup to compromise my steering and balance, but was I ever wrong! It felt so natural that I often forgot that I was riding on a loaded bike! I think back to last year and have no idea how I managed to cycle to Sweden with that Bob Yak trailer. Never again! Anybody want to buy a Bob Yak?

The following is a chronological travelogue of our trip. Enjoy!

Donaueschingen - Moehringen (44.29km)
June 3 / Day 1

"Woohoo!" was my reaction as we started to pedal away from Donaueschingen. How exciting to be back on tour after a year! Last year I was so nervous when I left, but this year I was just anxious.

We started a day late due to heavy rains, but this worked out fine. We had plenty of time and Erik really wanted to see last night's game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. We watched Ottawa beat Anaheim (the only game Ottawa won of the series), at the cost of staying up all night and having a very slow and groggy morning. Thank you coffee!

We boarded the morning train to Donaueschingen, and two hours later we were underway. It was no surprise that we saw a number of other cyclists getting ready for their own tour. There was a sense of excitement as we took group photos of each other with each other's cameras.

We had an easy day due to the late morning start, and our desire to ease into the distances ahead of us. That evening we found a hostel and ate dinner at a local beer garden. It was a good start!

Moehringen - Riedlingen (143.28km)
June 4 / Day 2

We returned to the beer garden this morning to fetch the jacket that Erik had forgotten there. The place was empty and closed, but by chance the owner happened to drive by and see us. He stopped and knew exactly why we were there. How lucky is that?!

We stopped in Beuron for lunch, and I got talking to another cyclist at the restaurant. He was local and told me that the Beuron Kloster has some type of connection or relationship to St. Gallen. This was confirmed by my cycling tour book, but I didn't understand what the connection was. So we went to the kloster. It was impressive to see, but the literature and lady at the gift shop couldn't tell me anything more. Does anyone else find it strange when a monastery has a gift shop?

Forget this "easing into distances" thing. We did 100km today!

Riedlingen - Ulm (217.80km)
June 5 / Day 3

Whew! We had tough winds today, but at least it wasn't raining, and the landscape was postcard gorgeous. After passing numerous other cyclists, I asked myself whether I'm touring too early in life. Everyone we passed, with rare exception, was a senior or a family with children. Where are the people my age?

We cycled into Ulm and checked into the first pension we saw. We wandered around the city, gawked at the size of the Ulm Cathedral, and found a restaurant for supper. I ordered the 'Parisian Rosti', which I can best describe as a McDonald's hash brown with frozen vegetables piled on top. It tasted that way too.

Ulm - Schwenningen (296.09km)
June 6 / Day 4

The Ulm Cathedral is 161.53m tall, and is the tallest church tower in the world. It was also the tallest building in the world from 1890 to 1908. It's quite touristy and it's almost impossible to find a postcard without a picture of the cathedral on it. We had a look inside, and had no difficulty deciding not to climb the tower's 768 steps. I bought postcards instead.

Germans are eager to give directions, even if you don't ask. I experienced this last year when a man pulled his car off the road to help when he caught me looking at a map. Yesterday, a cyclist rode out of his way to show us a direction, and today a man slowed down in his car, rolled down his window, and yelled "Diese richtung! Diese richtung!" while pointing with his finger. You don't need a map around here - just a blank stare and a blank piece of paper!

In Gundelfingen we stopped at a private car museum featuring mostly European classics from the 20s-50s. It was interesting, but what I really enjoyed was the curator's obvious dislike for Daimler-Benz. Did you know that fuel injection is actually a MAN invention and not from Daimler-Benz? This was written in big letters behind the MAN tractor collection. For that (and other reasons) he calls them arrogant.

We went about 2km off the bike route to stay in a castle in Schwenningen. The price was right, the room was big, and the food was delicious! I was concerned about security since the castle moat was only stocked with ducks and goldfish. Shouldn't there be crocodiles in there? We had a few drinks while the owner's son played around on the patio. He suddenly approached us and proudly said, "I can speak English too! One! Two! Three! Four Five! Six! Seven! Eight! Nine! Ten!" Cool! He then began to repeat what we said in a mocking tone: "Bleh blah bleh bleh blah." This kid is hilarious! This continued at breakfast the next morning, to which he added, "Eine lustige Sprache, gel? (A funny language, huh?)". I don't think he realized or cared that English is my native language. Apparently, he's been learning English from Benjamin Bleumchen tapes, but I'm sure his comical nature is pure talent.

Schwenningen - Ingolstadt (385.65km)
June 7 / Day 5

This evening we camped near the Auwaldsee and ate dinner at the campsite's beer garden.

Ingolstadt - Regensburg (477.80km)
June 8 / Day 6

The alarm went off at 6am, and by 7:15 we had the tent packed and were underway. Shortly after leaving I came within inches of making roadkill out of a squirrel. The thing jumped out of the bushes, ran alongside my front wheel for a second, and then dashed in front of my bike to cross the path. How stupid! What if I just maimed it? Would I have been responsible to euthanize the poor thing? That would have weighed heavily on my conscious.

The highlight of the day was passing through Weltenburger, home of the oldest monastery in Bavaria, and the oldest Klosterbrau (monastery beer) in the world. I wanted to try the beer at the monastery beer garden, but it was just too early in the day for that. We watched boat loads of tourists come and go, and from there we took a short ferry ride on the Donau to Kelheim. An audio guide played on the ferry's loudspeakers telling us fables about the rocks and cliffs along the shore. Apparently, one of the cliffs is Napoleon's suitcase! Really! It's cheesy, but tourists and children seem to like this kind of stuff.

Regensburg - Deggendorf (571.98km)
June 9 / Day 7

Last night I thought it was a good idea to drink five weissbier; this morning I thought different.

The river is changing as we progress downstream. It was quite narrow at Donaueschigen, but it's beginning to widen and we're seeing more industry and large container ships going up and down the river.

Our tour book told us about the Walhalla Temple, but it was the photo that got us interested. The temple looks like the Greek Acropolis, but in much better shape. That's because it was only built some 150 years ago. We cycled up a big hill to take a closer look, but I was more impressed by the view over the Donau River. We met a German teenager who eagerly told us that the Walhalla Temple is a historical milestone of German achievement. I'll have to read up on that someday.

Deggendorf - Passau (629.73km)
June 10 / Day 8

We were about to leave the hostel this morning when it began to rain. We debated staying another day in Deggendorf, but decided to put on our rain gear and get going. Not 20 minutes later, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and we had to put on a layer of sunscreen. "It's The Secret," said Erik. Go back to your drum circle, I thought.

We finally had strong winds in our back, and this made the ride to Passau go quickly. Tonight we stayed in a four star hotel directly in the town center.

Passau - Ottensheim (719.29km)
June 11 / Day 9

The landscape changed slightly as we crossed into Austria. We were now cycling through a lush green valley instead of through the flatter farmlands in Germany. It was a nice change.

Ottensheim - Ybbs (813.48km)
June 12 / Day 10

The lady at the Ottensheim tourist office is a liar, stupid, or drunk. She told me last night that the Ottensheim campsite was far better than the campsite in Linz. I took her word for it, and so we paid €10.- to stay in the second worst campsite I have ever stayed in (the worst being in Sweden). Today we cycled through Linz and I saw the campsite she compared it to. She was out of line! Have another drink!

As we were about to crash last night, we saw a massive thunderstorm brewing in the distance. It was a beautiful site watching the lightning light up the dark clouds. We speculated on the safety of sleeping in a tent so close to a tree, but we were too lazy to do anything about it. We played the odds, and the storm passed without a drop of rain. "It's the Secret," said Erik. Have another bong hit, I thought.

In Ybbs we visited a small bicycle museum where the curator couldn't stop giggling. It was very interesting to see the evolution of the bike going back to those penny-farthing bikes of the 1800s. These bikes were huge! Some had a front wheel with a circumference of up to 5 meters! Think about that: one revolution moved you forward by 5 meters! Injury was a problem with these bikes; a result of a locking front wheel that catapulted the rider forward. Single-gear bikes were already being made by 1900 with frames and cranks almost identical to today's bike. It's amazing to see how fast things progressed, and how little the basic design has changed since.

Ybbs - Krems (879.07km)
June 13 / Day 11

Last night we met a colourful cross section of Ybbs. At the first bar we met three ladies from Vienna who were in Ybbs, "... to be cured." We didn't ask of what. After dinner we visited the Ybbserl pub, which is a popular hangout for the locals. Here we met some interesting personalities. The first was the man with the loose dentures, who was a spitting image of Fire Marshall Bill. He even talked like him! We then met a sweet, intuitive, and Canadian expatriate woman. Erik and her chatted and discovered that they knew common people in Toronto. Small world! Through her we met the suave doctor who likes to smoke (I always chuckle when I meet a doctor who smokes). His stories made us laugh so hard that I had tears streaming down my face, and I couldn't recognize my own laugh anymore. He confirmed what we speculated those three ladies were doing in Ybbs. Then there was Pete, the angry town drunk, who was upset at the doctor for speaking "Americanish" with us. We were later joined by a town councilor who is active with charity work for Chernobyl children, and bought us our last drink of the evening. It was literally a test-tube sized beer! Still laughing from the evening, we stumbled to the hotel and crashed for the night. I somehow avoided a hangover in the morning, but Erik wasn't so lucky. The Secret didn't help him on that one.

Our company from last night insisted that visit the Melk Abbey in Melk. The massive size of this abbey made it impossible to miss. It sits high on a rock in the middle of town, and makes the rest of the town seem insignificant. Tours buses lined the roads, so we knew we had hit a tourist goldmine. We toured the abbey and even paid the small museum entrance fee. It was pretty cool, and afterwards we enjoyed an expensive lunch at the abbey's restaurant.

We stayed in a guest house in central Krems. The lobby and halls were all full of porcelain dolls, and it was just creepy walking by them on the creaky floors.

Krems - Vienna (960km)
June 14 / Day 12

We made it! As we got closer to Vienna, the lonely bike path became busier, buildings started to get bigger, and before we knew it we were in the Stephansplatz in central Vienna. I recall being here a few year ago, but everything looks, feels, and seems different when arriving by bike. We sat for a celebration beer, watched the people and buskers, and continued to the Schweizerhaus for dinner and another beer.

We stayed the night with friends in Vienna. We were too physically and mentally tired to do much else, so we left the next morning with a stop over in Munich. We had a fantastic tour and I'm already thinking about next year.

Photos | Google Map (with photos) | Google Earth KML (with photos) | Erik's Story

Danube River Bike Trail

Bicycle touring has taught me something about packing. I once read on a forum, "When packing for a bike tour, pack as little as possible and then bring half of it." If it was only that easy! My Ortlieb panniers are stuffed full with a tent, sleeping bag, ground sheet, a gas stove, and extra clothes. Space is tight, but you'd think 65L would be enough for all of this!

The good news is that the bike tour begins tomorrow. A buddy is joining me, so today we went shopping to outfit him with a rental bike and cycling gear. We decided to change our route to something closer and more accessible by train. The new route is from Donaueschingen to Vienna along the Danube River bike trail. The trail is around 900km, flat, and part of the EuroVelo 6 bike route that I wrote about early. We budgeted about 2.5 weeks, and this agrees with other people's experiences. If time and will permits we'll continue to Budapest.

I'll try writing blog entries from the road as I did last year. To see the intended route, check out the following Google Map. Wish us luck!

EuroVelo

An ambitious project is underway to connect the European continent with a network of cycling paths. From the European Cyclists' Federation website:

EuroVelo, the European cycle route network, is a project of the European Cyclists' Federation to develop 12 long-distance cycle routes crossing the whole continent of Europe. The total length of these routes is over 60,000 km, of which more than 20,000 km is in place.

Exciting! For this year I'm concentrating on the western part of route #6, which also has its own website. The site is still in its infancy, and provides more hype about the route than concrete information. Heck, there isn't even a detailed description or map! So yesterday I bought some generic maps and got a feeling for the route based on the sketchy (literally sketchy) details on the site. This should get me from Basel to Orléans, after which the Loire-Radweg guidebook will take me the rest of the way to the Atlantic coast. I've also put together a Google Bike Map of the intended route.

My departure is in three weeks on June 1st. It's almost time!

Free James Brown Concert

If you're a fan of James Brown, like I am, you may want to download this free December 28, 2005 concert provided by npr.org. It's a fantastic show, despite the low recording level. Enjoy!

Huusiweihigsparty!

'When is the housewarming party?' was often the question when I told of the new apartment. It was last weekend, and it was great. The lead up to the party was stressful, but pushed me to get a number of things done. I finally finished unpacking, throwing away the trash, buying sofas and crockery, and putting up decorations. There is still lots to do, of course. The party went until 5am, and we only got one complaint from a sleepless neighbour. Many thanks to everyone who came, to those who brought gifts, and especially to those who helped!

Bodensee Gets Own3d!

The ride to Zürich last week was just a warm up. Today I set new personal single-day best of 196km with a ride around the Bodensee and the Überlinger See. My last record was 166km, which I did last year between Tecklenburg and Bremen during my summer bike tour. It's not fair to compare the two rides: Last year I cycled on a mountain bike and pulled a loaded Bob Yak trailer, and today I cycled on a minimally packed touring bike. That's a big difference.

I've long wanted to do this ride after trying (and failing) to do it over two days in September 2005. It was a good ride, but I began to bonk somewhere in the last 30-40km between Bregenz and Rorschach. It was completely my fault for not eating enough. The last climb to St. Gallen was murder on the knees and soul, but I was overly happy to make it home.

I put a Google Bike Map of the route online. The entire ride was just under 12 hours, including lunch and breaks.

Tomorrow is Monday when I usually go to the gym, but I think I'll give myself the day off; or heck, the entire week off. I need a rest. Time for bed.

Shopping & Ride to Zürich

The new bike and I get along well. On Saturday I took it shopping at Krapf Velofaszination and made a pre order for a Tubus Tara front rack and a pair of Front Roller Plus panniers. These should be the last major purchases to prepare the bike for the summer tours. The combined volume of all panniers is around 65L, which is considerably less than the 94L bag I had with me last year. I need to revisit my packing list.

I'm feeling more comfortable on the bike, especially at higher speeds. On Sunday I rode it to Zürich and was very pleased with how it handled. There are some funny noises coming from the back wheel, which I initially thought were being caused by the brakes. After further research I've isolated the problem to some of the crossed spokes rubbing against each other when bearing my weight. I'll get it checked when I downsize the lower chain ring in the next weeks.

Loire Valley by bike!

I received some good news. Earlier this year I requested an extended vacation to do another bike tour as I did last year. Yesterday I received approval and I can now move to next stages of planning. If all goes well, I'll depart on June 1 by bike or train towards Orléans, France and continue along the famous Loire Valley that ends at the Atlantic Ocean.

I'm excited about the trip. The Loire Valley itself is only 500km long, so depending on my pace I'll extend the trip to some of eastern France or the Atlantic coast. I don't plan to cycle at the intensity I did last year. My biggest mistakes last year was setting a goal of where I'd like to be in four weeks, which forced me to cycle so many kilometers per day at the expense of not appreciating where I was. This would be a gross mistake to make in the Loire Valley, which is supposed to be absolutely gorgeous with the vineyards and castles.

It's likely a buddy from Canada will be joining me. He's doing some traveling and plans to be in Europe in early June. We just need to figure out how we'll get his cycling gear and a bike to our rendez-vous point. Any suggestions?

Easter Weekend!

The weekend started on Friday morning when I arrived in Airolo with my bike. The sun was out, the air was warm, and I put on my shorts. From here I cycled along the #3 North-South route towards Biasca, but made a small detour according to a mountain bike trail that I found on GPS-Tracks.com. The route was great, but I had to turn back due to the wet snow at the higher altitudes. From then on I rode on a parallel road about 1000m above the valley. Absolutely spectacular! The downhill was fantastic and the rest of the ride to Biasca was uneventful.

That night I camped with friends near Biasca. We had a delicious BBQ salmon dinner and drank a few deserving beer. The next morning three of us rode to Losone (near Locarno) where we camped the second and third nights. En route we stopped near Gudo where I tried to locate the old home of a great-aunt. We had limited information and unfortunately no success.

The next day I did a solo ride, "Mountain bike tour Casone" up the Luera. The accent was strenuous but manageable; it was the ride down that killed me. The path was steep, full of rocks hidden under leaves, and had a steep decline down one side. I had a few close calls that resulted in small rock slides. The path went through Rasa, which is a little village in the mountains only accessible by cable-car. Where do people get the incentive to move to these places? I had to carry the bike for another 700m until I finally hit a ridable path. Frustrated, I almost snapped at a hiker for calling me a "Velo-wanderer". I calmed once I got to the road that took me back to camp. I should have paid closer attention to the difficulty rating and the comments left about this route before attempting it. It was still fun, nonetheless.

The last day was uneventful except for the ride to Bellinzona where I caught the train home. In all it was a fantastic weekend and I could easily see this becoming an annual tradition. Some photos are online and I put together a Google Map that plots where I rode over the four days. Enjoy!

New Jersey, Bike, & Easter

Last weekend I made a quick trip to New Jersey to visit a good friend. The flights were cheap and flew direct so it was an easy decision to make. Although the trip was only for four days, we managed to pack a lot into that time. We visited The MET, the New Jersey shore, the Broadway production of 'Chicago', a jazz club, and a comedy club. Fantastic! All of it!

I bought the Trek 520 touring bike that I that wrote about earlier. Fortunately the size was correct and the test ride immediately impressed me. The bike is now leaning against a wall in my living room, and is slowly being modified and fitted for touring. I added a mount for a GPS receiver and fitted the Ortlieb touring bags for the rear carrier. Soon I'll get a front carrier and bags and downsize the crank. I definitely need a smaller crank for the mountains around here, but it's open whether I downsize just the lowest chain ring or the entire thing. The difference in price is not subtle.

Next weekend is Easter and I wish to use the four-day weekend to test the bike with a short tour. I hope to bike in Tessin, but this depends on the weather and if I get the chain ring modified in time. If not, I'll just need to find a flatter place to bike.

Season Change

Tomorrow is the vernal equinox and the first day of spring, and today is the first day of winter. Over the last 24hrs St. Gallen has had a dumping of snow greater than the entire winter combined. The snowdrift on the balcony is about 30cm and I can barely see the town through the snowfall. This was supposed to happen in December! A few more days of this and I may pull the snowshoes out of storage.

New things are happening at the apartment. The sofas arrived over the weekend and I couldn't be happier. The one sofa is dark blue, sits in the office, and also doubles as a bed for guests. The other sofa is sand coloured, L-shaped, and is part of the main seating area in the living room. It's strange writing that: I've never had my own living room before.

Tomorrow morning I fly to Newark to visit a friend. I look forward to getting away for a while and on Friday we're seeing the Broadway production of Chicago. I'm also shopping for the Trek 520 touring bike, which I wrote about earlier. It's been difficult finding a dealer who is willing to order the bike and risk that I may not buy it. I can't, of course, commit until I've given it a test ride. Hopefully that'll work out and there'll are no issues importing it into Switzerland.

A few people have asked me what's so special about this bike. Last year I established that I enjoy touring, but also that there are better choices to tour than with a mountain bike. I shopped around, read forums, and only had praise to read about the Trek 520. It looks like a racing bike but is built with stronger materials (albeit heavier) to handle the weight from the gear. The geometry is such that you sit more upright for comfort and to view the scenery, and the price is also very good in comparison with other touring bikes. So why not? If it all works out I'll likely upgrade the rear derailleur and change the gearing ratio of the crank. I have my fingers crossed.

Snowboarding, Shopping, and Biking

This weekend was the annual 'Snow Event', which is a two-day ski trip organized and sponsored by my employer. These trips are great for moral and team building. It's often on these trips that I meet coworkers from other offices who I wouldn't meet under other circumstances. This year we went skiing in Klosters and stayed overnight at the Berghuette Schwendi.

I don't ski often or very well but know enough to avoid black runs and how not to hurt myself. But this year I wanted to learn how to snowboard! I thought it looked difficult and learned very quickly that it is. I hired a teacher and highly recommend any beginner to do the same. He patiently spent the day with me working on the basics of stopping and turning. I fell often and have the bruises to prove it. I also had two or three spectacular falls that included somersaults and banging my head on the hard snow. Thankfully I was wearing a helmet! I received a beating and was shamefully happy that Saturday was a write-off due to rain.

I returned to St. Gallen on Saturday afternoon and promptly went shopping for the most important appliance: A barbecue! It would be wrong not to have one on this balcony. I put it together last night and fired it up this afternoon. Yum!

The weather is absolutely gorgeous today so I went out for a 20km bike ride despite the cramps in my legs, arms, torso, and neck. My legs are screaming so later I'll probably relax them in a hot bath. But that's after another barbecue, of course.

Why I'm a Mathematician Part II

I take back what I wrote the other day about limiting my home improvement to assembling Ikea furniture. Perhaps I should avoid that too.

Why I'm a Mathematician

I need to limit my home improvement to assembling Ikea furniture. I bought a new kitchen ceiling light to replace the boring and flat plastic fixture left by the previous tenant. I thought installing it would be easy, but it quickly became clear why I'm a mathematician and not an engineer.

The first task was to remove the old fixture. I couldn't find any screws along the base, so I figured there must be a base plate attached to the ceiling and the fixture just needed to be twisted to be removed. That must be it, I thought, since I read something about this on the internet just a few weeks ago. I twisted the fixture and off it came. What I didn't pay attention to was the crunching sound of the screws being ripped out of the ceiling. Oops... I guess there was no base plate.

The new fixture has a little plastic thing to attach a ground, L, and N wire. But what the heck is L and N? Do I attach the blue wire to L and the green to N, or vice-versa? I investigated further and learned that L and N stand for 'live' and 'neutral', but what difference does it make if we're using AC power? I called a friend to make sure that I wasn't being completely stupid, and surprisingly, I wasn't.

The screw holes of the new fixture didn't align with the existing holes, so I had to bore another. I used a little tool on the Swiss Army knife that nobody knows what to do with: You know, the pointy thing next to the cork screw. The ceiling is like a dry wall so it was easy to prepare for the plastic expansion screw. I put in the screws, attached the wires, and started to mount the fixture. I then noticed that the fixture didn't completely cover the hole in ceiling, which of course the old fixture did. I wasn't about to remove the expansion screws to reset it, so I'll just have to stucco the hole later.

I was now ready to test it. I turned the power back on, returned to the kitchen, and flicked on the light switch. *POOF* A spark shot out of the fixture and the circuit breaker broke. Am I that incompetent? I opened the fixture and noticed a wire having a tear in the plastic coating. Did I do that? I clipped the wire, reconnected everything, and tried again. Voila! Let there be light!

I now have four little spotlights on the kitchen ceiling that I can turn and tilt in different directions. It's kind of cool, but turning on the light has become a scary thing. Perhaps I'll get a friend to help me with the other four fixtures.

The First Week

I'm now living one week in the new apartment. It took a few days to orient myself around the kitchen and to locate stuff scattered around the place. There is still a laundry list of things that I need to get: Hangings for the wall, shelves for my books, a carpet for the living room, a barbecue, a big screen TV, and light fixtures. The weather looks poor this weekend so perhaps I'll make a visit to Ikea or Interio. Ah.. that can wait! The TV and barbecue come first!

The hand-off of the old apartment went smoothly. I've read and had people tell me that the inspection can be rigorous. As predicted, my landlady ran her fingers behind the heaters, along the top of the fireplace, and within the oven for any signs of dust or dirt. There were some small issues but the cleaners were present to quickly amend. I'm glad I hired them because I certainly could not have done what they did! The only concern is the wear on the floor that includes light water stains and scratches. My insurance company is now involved and I'll probably have to pay a small deductible to fix this. This isn't a big surprise.

Each morning I'm reminded of what a great decision this has been. I love the view from the balconies (see below) and the abundance of natural light. I somehow feel cheated that I didn't move earlier, but that's behind me now. This place changes everything.

Move and No Fasnacht!

The move went well and last night was my first night in the new apartment. With the help of a few friends, we started at 10:30 and completed the move by 12:00. I now have an apartment littered with boxes and bags and it'll be a week before I'm unpacked. The move was mostly painless, but I was reminded of how inexperienced I am at driving. A friend graciously loaned me his VW bus and I had a tricky time parking it in the narrow space outside the apartment. Perhaps I should hire movers next time.

The first night in a new apartment is the strangest. It's an odd feeling turning off the lights and realizing that you're in a foreign location in your own bed. Swiss law gives you a day off work to help with the move and I'll be using that today to run errands. Fasnacht has begun in St. Gallen and I couldn't be happier to be outside of the old town. Call me a Fasnacht Grinch, but there's little worse than being forced to listen to the same crappy gugge tune over and over again!

I've posted a few photos of the empty apartment and I may post more after I'm done unpacking.

From 44 to 93

This weekend I started packing my belongings in anticipation of the move. The moving day is February 11 and a few friends have already offered to help. I also have use of a Volkswagen van, which should be perfect for the tables, shelves, and bed.

Moving within Switzerland is probably not much different than moving anywhere else, but with the exception of the handover of your old apartment. In Canada you simply move out and leave the maintenance and cleaning of the place to your landlord who prepares it for the next tenant. In Switzerland you're required to thoroughly clean the place and pass an inspection. They can be quite fussy about this: A buddy recalls his landlord putting on a white glove and sliding his finger across the top of a door. "Schmutz!" I'll probably hire professional cleaners who guarantee their services. It'll be one thing less to worry about.

The inspection also assesses the condition of the apartment and lists maintenance issues such as wear on the floors and marks on the wall. The question is, who pays for this? It seems to depend on a number of factors, but ultimately the landlord makes a subjective decision if I'm negligent and need to pay. I also understand that my liability insurance may foot part of the bill. These uncertainties have definitely contributed to my fear of moving, so let's see how it goes and I'll write about it later.

Gym, Apartment, & Foreigners

There is something rewarding to waking early and hitting the gym before work. It's a fresh start to the day and gives you more time in the evening for other things. I recently bought a gym membership after letting my last membership expire a few years ago. It's a new gym in the old town just minutes away from my apartment. I found the place by accident and was impressed with their location, price, hours, and facilities. My goal is to go 2-3 times per week, mostly in the early morning.

Today I signed the contract for my new apartment and gave notice to my current landlord that I'll be leaving. Things seem to be going to plan and I should be in the new apartment in just a few weeks. With luck I'll find a new tenant for the beginning of March and save myself having to pay for the last two months of my contract. Let's hope!

Recently a post was made on EnglishForum.ch concerning somebody's negative adjustment to Switzerland. They wrote:

A man went to a foreign land and asked a local, "What are the people like here?"

The local turned to the visitor and replied, "Well, what are the people like where you're from?"

The visitor answered, "They're all fools, close-minded, ignorant, cold and arrogant."

The local then said, "Well then, that's what you'll find here too."

I couldn't have said it better.

Moving Up

I finally found a new apartment! On Friday my new landlord notified me that I had been approved. I saw the place on Wednesday and immediately knew that I had to have it. The place is located near the old town of St. Gallen, has 3.5 rooms, lots of natural light, two balconies, a lovely view, and plenty of space. I couldn't be happier!

Applying for a new apartment here is like applying for a job. The landlord told me that potential tenants are first assessed to see if they're a suitable match for the building. For example, a senior would not likely be given an apartment in a building full of students, or vice-versa. I also needed to 'apply' for the apartment with a questionnaire, provide a credit report, and they also contacted my employer to validate my claims and to see if I earned enough money to afford the place! I love the Swiss!

I plan to move sometime in early February and hopefully before Fastnacht. I can't wait. This is such an overdue and needed change for me. Soon I'll be sitting on the balcony, hosting guests, and be feeling at home. I expect a visit to Ikea soon.

Cycling Tour 2007

Oh yes! It's back on my mind. It was a year ago when I began to dream and plan for my first solo bike tour, and it was such a great experience that I'm now considering a second tour for this summer. I haven't figured out any details yet such as where or for how long, but could imagine a 2-3 week tour through Austria along the Danube. The main criteria is that the route be on cycling paths and not on main roads. I'm also open to cycling on another continent. Any suggestions?

I'm also giving consideration to buying a touring bike such as the Trek 520. Last year I did the tour on a mountain bike with a Bob Yak, but I'm beginning to think that a touring bike might a better approach. I need to look into this more.

Sometime in June or July will be the annual Tour de Schwiiz. This year we're cycling route #3 the 'North-South Route' from Basel to Chiasso. It's a 363km ride that I'm budgeting 5-6 days for, and includes a 1680m climb over the St. Gotthard pass. I'm looking forward to that challenge!

Year-End Wrap-up

I've been back for three days and I'm just now getting over my jet lag. After some complications with Air Canada and my return flight, I was forced to buy a new ticket to get back to Switzerland. I'm very disappointed with Air Canada but the change let me visit New Jersey for New Year's. On New Year's Eve a friend and I were in Manhattan for the matinée performance of Mamma Mia. The show was fantastic but my date thought the wedding theme made it rather girlie. After the show we walked through Times Square but quickly got out of there due to the massive crowds forming for the evening festivities. That evening we were in New Jersey where saw a great Dr. John show and fireworks display. I flew back to Switzerland on New Year's Day.

The vacation was a great end to the year. I spent quality time with family and friends and only wished such opportunities were more frequent. It was a very good year and I'm now contemplating what I'd like to do in 2007. At the very least I'd like to visit Cape Town in either March or at Christmas and perhaps do another bike tour including the Tour de Schwiiz. I'm also thinking of a few trips to Canada and the US and definitely many weekends in the mountains. It should be a good year.