Chris' Blog

Site Redesign

2008-01-26T12:47:00.000+01:00

I'm redesigning schwiiz.org and part of that change is switching my blogging softward from blogger to Wordpress. The blog.schwiiz.org subdomain will eventually be retired and forwarded to the new blog site at schwiiz.org/blog.

Pick up my Camera

2007-12-05T07:50:00.000+01:00

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

2007-11-11T21:28:00.000+01:00

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

2007-11-04T19:53:00.000+01:00

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...

2007-10-04T17:44:00.000+02:00

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

2007-09-03T08:07:00.000+02:00

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

2007-08-02T07:31:00.000+02:00

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

2007-07-24T20:22:00.000+02:00

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

2007-07-15T14:05:00.001+02:00

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

2007-07-09T13:36:00.000+02:00

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

2007-07-01T17:04:00.000+02:00

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

2007-06-17T09:09:00.000+02:00

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

2007-06-01T10:00:00.000+02:00

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

2007-05-10T07:49:00.000+02:00

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

2007-05-08T14:02:00.000+02:00

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!

2007-05-05T09:57:00.000+02:00

'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!

2007-04-22T20:12:00.000+02:00

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

2007-04-16T13:40:00.000+02:00

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!

2007-04-14T07:31:00.000+02:00

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!

2007-04-10T20:43:00.000+02:00

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

2007-04-01T09:14:00.000+02:00

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

2007-03-20T07:26:00.000+01:00

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

2007-03-04T13:18:00.000+01:00

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

2007-02-27T22:47:00.000+01:00

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

2007-02-24T18:39:00.000+01:00

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

2007-02-22T07:46:00.000+01:00

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!

2007-02-12T07:28:00.000+01:00

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

2007-02-04T08:43:00.000+01:00

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

2007-01-24T21:52:00.000+01:00

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

2007-01-20T08:32:00.000+01:00

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

2007-01-16T08:06:00.000+01:00

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

2007-01-05T07:03:00.000+01:00

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.

New York

2006-12-21T16:29:00.000+01:00

It was a fun week in the New York City area. The weather has been extremely mild for December, which has allowed me to enjoy the city and cool air on foot. Yesterday I did a walking tour from Penn Station through Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Chinatown, and down to the Brooklyn Bridge. I found Little Italy and Chinatown fascinating. I saw many Italian and American flags sharing a flag post, but nothing similar in Chinatown. I walked along the market on Mott Street and was overwhelmed by the smell of fish. I couldn't believe how many people there were. At the Seaport Historic District I made a nice panorama photograph of the Brooklyn Bridge and then later crossed it by foot. The view back on Manhattan was gorgeous. I never realized by how much the Empire State Building dwarfed its neighbouring buildings.

Earlier in the week I was shown around Central Park and taken to the Martin Short musical Fame Becomes Me. The story was loosely based on Short's life and was full of laughs, fun, and original music. We also saw Bodies: The Exhibit, which is literally a museum of the human body. The exhibit was much easier to stomach than I expected but I wouldn't necessarily go again. A very emotional moment was the visit to the World Trade Center and seeing the wide open space where so many people needlessly lost their lives. In the Christmas spirit I enjoyed the windows at Macy's and the tree at the Rockefeller Center.

Tomorrow is the end of my visit and I'll be boarding a flight to Toronto. From there I will catch a ride to Sudbury where I will spend Christmas with my parents. I'm looking forward to the visit since it's been many years since I was there for Christmas. Unfortunately I still have all my shopping to do!

Christmas? Hello?

2006-12-13T14:44:00.000+01:00

I'm missing the hype and anticipation leading up to Christmas. I've been stuck indoors the last weeks and have taken little notice to the Christmas lights, signs, and gluehwein stalls around the city. The lack of snow hasn't helped either. But tomorrow I start my Christmas holiday with a visit to New York before continuing to Sudbury to visit my parents. I need this vacation.

The blog is now being hosted by Google's blogspot.com. They provide a number of neat features and enhancements that I couldn't get otherwise. Over time I'll modify the template to make it seamless.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Smile... it confuses people

2006-12-01T13:26:00.000+01:00

I read this on a sign while riding the London Tube yesterday. I don't think smiling at someone on the Tube would confuse somebody as much as making them think you're just nuts. Not much happens on the Tube during rush hour: People cram closely together, make no eye contact, utter no word, and pass the time with their iPods, a freely distributed newspaper, or by reading over somebody's shoulder. You could also be like me and be observing these things.

Yesterday over lunch my client took me on a short tour of the city. 'Short' is the only way you can describe a lunch-hour tour of London, but it felt much longer since we were jogging. This is the coolest thing a client has ever done for me during a visit. The exercise divided the day nicely and the hot shower left me refreshed for the afternoon. It was so nice that I may start going on lunch-hour runs at home. I just have this pain in my right foot, which I can't explain. Just my luck before the weekend.

Daily Photo

2006-11-21T23:06:00.000+01:00

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.

No Snow?

2006-11-19T21:01:00.000+01:00

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!

Update: Life's ToDo List

2006-11-16T15:27:00.000+01:00

523. ~~Ride the London Tube during rush hour.~~

Back on the Road

2006-11-14T07:08:00.000+01:00

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.

Mixed Update

2006-11-09T07:28:00.000+01:00

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.

Back to the Mountains

2006-11-05T23:35:00.000+01:00

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.

Thoughts on Daylight Saving Time

2006-10-25T22:59:00.000+02:00

This Sunday is the end of Daylight Saving Time, which just adds insult to injury. For weeks the days have been getting shorter to the point where I can no longer go for a bike ride after work. It's the beginning of the end of the summer and fall, which means shorter days and colder temperatures. I like winter, winter sports, and being indoors near a warm fire. It's just the short daylight hours that get me down. At the very least, the end of Daylight Saving Time will give me spring and summer to look forward to.

With less time to cycle, I've started jogging to fill the exercise gap. I still have my old Saucony running shoes that I bought in 1999 when I last tried to start. I'm doing much better this time and I'm loving it. A few weeks ago I bought a pair of sweatpants to prepare for the colder temperatures. Fortunately St. Gallen isn't as chilly as Canada, so jogging over the winter might just be possible!

The end of the season also has me reflecting on the year. For the most part it has been great. During the winter and spring I was planning and highly anticipating my first major solo bike tour. The tour happened in June and the accomplishment gave me immense personal satisfaction. I'd do it again in a snap, but next time with a detour around Sweden. In the meantime I'm giving consideration to the Cape Town Argus bike race that takes place in March.

Autumn is always a good time to visit Canada. For the first two weeks of October I was in Sudbury to visit family. The fall colours were beautiful and I enjoyed them on two hikes in the Killarney Provincial Park and jogs along the Laurentian trail. I'm beginning to re-discover the beauty of home that I long took for granted. I plan to return in the spring or early summer.

With less time to spend outdoors, I've taken up guitar as a new hobby. I've always enjoyed guitar music and always wished that I could play. It's a pity that years of violin instruction hasn't given me the satisfaction that I anticipate I'll have with the guitar. Fortunately the violin has given me a head start with the music theory and the coordination between my left and right hands. For two months I was renting a classical guitar, but today I swapped it for a Canadian made Norman acoustic. It sounds great and I look forward to learning with it. Tough luck for my neighbours.

The Crack

2006-10-11T06:04:00.000+02:00

Greetings from Canada! Today we had perfect weather for a short hike to "The Crack" in Killarney Provincial Park. The fall colours were stunning and were exactly what I had hoped for on this trip. I'm realizing more and more that I took this region completely for granted while growing up here: It's gorgeous and so easily accessible. I could well imagine someday doing the full 100km circular hike though the park. We took a number of photos, relaxed, and found the "Killarney - The Crack" geocache.

On Sunday we celebrated Thanksgiving with a massive turkey dinner. It was an exceptionally special event since it was our first reunion in six years with the entire immediate family. It was long overdue and I sincerely hope the next time is sooner than later.

Pearl Jam!

2006-09-15T07:38:00.000+02:00

I've wanted to see Pearl Jam live for a long time. I have a few of their bootlegs and always thought they put on a great show. So last week I played one of their CDs and it reminded me that I wanted to see them. I checked their tour dates and was blown away to discover that they'd be in Switzerland in just a week. Even more surprising that tickets were still available! I bought a pair and the other day I saw them live in Bern.

The show was nothing less than incredible. My only criticisms are the poor acoustics of the Bern arena and the stiff atmosphere of the crowd. People loosened up near the end, but for a good part of the show people stood around and looked bored: The pot and beer may have helped. Pearl Jam offers bootlegs from their website and I'll be downloading the Bern concert once it becomes available. I couldn't think of a better souvenir of this great night.

Landscape Panorama Photos

2006-09-13T14:08:00.000+02:00

I've put together a new 'Landscape' photo album on schwiiz.org. This album will contain my favourite panorama and landscape photos that I've made over the years. I hope you like them. Many of these photos are stitched together from a series of photos using PTGui. I highly recommend this software for anyone getting into panorama photography. The same software can also be used for making QuickTime Virtual Reality images, as found on my QTVR page.

Perfect Weekend in the Alpstein

2006-09-11T23:29:00.001+02:00

My aunt and uncle visited from South Africa this weekend and we had perfect weather for a hike. On Saturday morning we started in Wildhaus and hiked over the Alpstein to Bruelisau with an overnight stay in the Rheintaler Sämtis. Enroute were a few SAC Berghuetten where we could stop for a soup or hot drink. The scenery was spectacular and the little haze was perfect for some panorama photographs.

Enroute I saw a number of signs marking snowshoe trails. This area must be gorgeous under snow and so I can't wait to return with my snowshoes this winter.

Reinstalling Windows XP

2006-08-30T07:26:00.000+02:00

The other day I decided to rebuild my computer. Rebuilding means wiping the drive and reinstalling everything from scratch. It's been three years since I've done this and thought it time to purge the machine of unused programs that were just taking up space.

It's usually a straight forward task: You backup your data, delete the drive contents, reinstall, and apply the latest patches. Easy, right? Admittedly I didn't do the full backup that I should have. I have two drives in the system and my work was to be limited to the drive that contains the applications and not the drive with the data. During the installation I got mixed up with the drive letters and deleted my data partition. Oops! That had me worried for a few hours until I restored the contents with this little application called TestDisk.

The installation of Windows went smoothly until I went to install the latest patches. Microsoft has an online tool for downloading and installing these patches, but unfortunately it requires you to be online. On three occassions my machine got infected by a worm or virus that exploited one of the security holes that these patches were trying to fix. I finally had a break and got the OS and patches installed with only a single and curable infection. In the future I would only attempt to do this again with a router that has a firewall.

The machine is finally working and is noticeably faster without the little drivers and applications that I had on my previous installation. I hope it stays this way.

Updated Bike Map

2006-08-25T20:30:00.000+02:00

The amazing people at Google have updated their Google Maps API to let people like me create cool and interactive maps. I updated the Switzerland to Sweden Google Bike Map with the new API. The map now has the route, the places where I overnighted, and higher detail. Check it out!

Great Videos

2006-08-19T09:31:00.000+02:00

I don't like music videos nor understand how people can watch MTV or MuchMusic. It's dead to me. But sometimes an original video comes along that I enjoy. A good example is Short Skirt, Long Jacket by Cake. Now that's fun. Recently a friend forwarded to me this low budget video from 'OK Go' called Here It Goes Again. Check it out.

Going Home!

2006-08-15T11:52:00.000+02:00

I'm overdue for a trip home and so last week I booked a flight to Canada. I'll be staying in Toronto for a few days before continuing to Sudbury. In Toronto I hope to see a Leafs game, hang out with friends at the Madison Avenue Pub, and do some shopping at MEC. In Sudbury will be a reunion with the immediate family. We were all together last in 2000 and this time a new member of the family -my niece from South Africa- will be joining us. The vacation will coincide with Thanksgiving and the lovely autumn colours. I'm becoming nostalgic just thinking about it.

Good Coffee

2006-08-07T00:23:00.000+02:00

I love good coffee and so recently I bought the Turmix TX100 Nespresso coffee machine. I got it in yellow for that cool retro look. My first Nespresso coffee was during a customer visit a few years ago and I couldn't believe how good it was. The system uses disposable coffee capsules where one capsule makes a single espresso. There are a variety of capsules in different strengths and flavours, and they're colour-coded to make them easily distinguishable. It's fast, clean, tastes great, and is always fresh.

Switzerland has completely changed my taste in coffee. I can't drink those sugary dessert coffees anymore, which I used to enjoy at Second Cup and Starbucks. Even the legendary Canadian "Timmies" coffee or any filtered coffee doesn't cut it anymore. My first choice is always now a black espresso or cappuccino. It's that strong hit that I so enjoy.

My Legs Hurt

2006-08-01T00:48:00.000+02:00

On Sunday a friend, his dog, and I hiked the 2805m Calanda mountain in Graubunden, Switzerland (photos | google earth). This is the highest I've ever hiked and the scenery around us reminded me of what you'd see from an airplane. It was spectacular! As expected, the hike down was painful and I'm still feeling it in my legs 32 hours later. In an odd way I'm enjoying it.

New Blog Template

2006-07-29T12:32:00.000+02:00

I created a new blog template to match the style of the rest of the site. Let me know what you think!

Sehr Hoher Kasten

2006-07-23T22:01:00.000+02:00

This afternoon I cycled up Hoher Kasten in Appenzellerland. It's been a while since I last went mountain biking and I'm surprised that I waited this long. It was great!

I found the track on gps-tracks.com and was able to program my GPS to lead me. This is very convenient as it allows me to ride without having to stop and look at a map. The trail started in Appenzell and I almost fainted when I saw the huge mountain in the distance.

The bike is a lot lighter when you're not pulling a 20kg trailer behind it. I ascended at a fast tempo and had a fine lunch at the summit restaurant. The route down was slightly different and included some great single-track dirt trails. It was a lot of fun and I will definitely do this again!

There are additional photos in my album.

Virtual Reality St. Gallen

2006-07-23T21:48:00.000+02:00

I've added a new virtual reality photo of Multertor, St. Gallen to my QTVR page. I changed the process so that I no longer need to take a handheld 'down' shot. Take a look to see what I mean. Don't mind the half car; I was too lazy to clone it out.

Tour de Schwiiz 2006

2006-07-15T23:00:00.000+02:00

10-15 July 2006

Today was the end of the Tour de Schwiiz. On Monday morning we met in Rorschach to start our six day journey along the 'Seen-Route #9' to Vevey. The weather was perfect with lots of sun and little rain. Three nights we stayed in a 'Schlaf-im-Stroh!', one night in a caravan, and one night in a hostel. It was mandatory to swim in most of the lakes we passed.

The route was much more difficult than the Mittelland Route #5 that we did last year. This tour went over the Etzel Pass, the Bruenig Passhoehe, and through Zweisimmen. The climbs wore us out, but I enjoyed the challenge and the rewarding scenery that met us at the top. I was especially impressed with Vaud where I had not been before with the bike. Next year we've tentatively decided on the North-South #3 route, which includes a huge climb over the St. Gotthard Pass. I'm already excited.

The end of this tour also marks the end of my cycling sabbatical. I had a fantastic six weeks and I'm now looking forward to returning back to my normal life. These trips have made me realize how much I love cycling, but for now I will take a break from touring and get back into mountain biking. A good start might be the Hoher Kasten or Kamor this weekend. It should be a lot easier without that trailer!

(photos | google earth)

Bike Tour 2006

2006-07-06T14:33:00.000+02:00

Switzerland to Sweden by Bike (~2500km)
5 June - 4 July 2006

The following text is paraphrased from the journal I kept on my four week bike tour from St. Gallen, Switzerland to just outside of Stockholm, Sweden. The trip was planned for months in advance and lived up to the experience I wished and dreamed for. The weather was nearly perfect with only one day ruined by a thundershower. I slept most nights in a tent with the occasional stay at a hostel, hotel, or with friends and family whom I visited en route.

Some photos are online and I've made available a Google bike map and Google Earth KMZ file where you can view the exact route. Enjoy!

St. Gallen - Jestetten (105.86km)
June 5 / Day 1

This morning I shook with fear. The wait was over and I was minutes away from departing on my first multi-week bike tour. What was I getting myself into? Could I handle the physical challenge of biking so far and the mental challenge of being alone for so long? I'm going cycling for four weeks! This moment was the focal point of months of preparation and anticipation. Everything was packed and double-checked. It was time to go.

It was an odd feeling as I closed my apartment door, mounted my bike, and cycled those first few meters away from home. I was alone but excited about the adventure that lay before me. The fear subsided as I rode along the familiar Konzil Radweg that extends from St. Gallen to Kreuzlingen. There were a few drops of rain, I came close to causing only one accident, and the Bob Yak trailer and Canadian flag attracted many curious looks. I was happy with the distance and thought to myself, 'Just 18 more times to reach my goal.' In all, a good start!

Jestetten - Moehlin (187.7km)
June 6 / Day 2

Today was the return to work after the long weekend so it was no surprise that the bike trails were quieter than yesterday. The route between Kreuzlingen and Basel crossed many times over the German and Swiss border. The German border control always waved me through, but I was surprised that the Swiss border control was almost non-existent. The area is industrial and this meant heavy truck traffic. Although bikes usually have their own lane, it's still unnerving whenever a large truck passes by.

I had my first mechanical problem with the bike. The front derailleur cable fraid and limited me to the bottom two rungs. This isn't a problem in these flat areas, but I'll need to get it fixed soon before it snaps.

Near the campsite is a swimming pool that I wanted to check out. Outside the pool was a sign with a little pointer that could be moved back and forth to indicate the water temperature. I should have realized that when the pointer is as far left as it could go -at 18 degrees- that it's probably cold. I put my foot in the water and decided on a hot shower instead.

At the campsite I met a Dutch couple who arrived shortly after me. I was inspired to learn that they've been on cycling tours together for over 10 years. I could quickly tell by their efficiency and coordination that they weren't new to this. It's amazing what they were able to pack on their matching bikes: Their tent was larger than my apartment, they had two full-sized folding lawn chairs, two gas stoves, and a homemade portable kitchen with little compartments for butter, spices, and other stuff. I asked the man if he knew where a grocery store was and his response was a short lecture on being better prepared. I had to laugh, but he was very kind to provide travel assistance and milk for breakfast.

Moehlin - Briesach am Rhein (294.85km)
June 7 / Day 3

It was a perfect morning that required lots of sunscreen. I got the derailleur cable fixed, bought lots of food, and made my way to Basel. Navigating through the city was stressful and the police almost busted me for riding where I should have been walking. It was an easy mistake to make since the signs looked so similar.

I said goodbye to Switzerland and continued north along the Rhein. It was a boring dirt road and I somehow expected to see more towns or human activity in these parts. About 30km before the campsite I started to feel sharp pains in my right knee. I bore the pain, continued, but worried as it got worse. About 20km later I came across a couple who were trying to take a photo of themselves. I offered to take the photo for them saying that I needed to break anyway due to the pain in my knee. To this the guy replied, 'That happens when your seat is too high.' I then had a flashback to the morning and recalled raising the seat 1cm higher than usual. I took the photo, thanked them, lowered the seat, thanked them again, and rode off noticing an immediate improvement.

Tonight I stayed at a campsite in France where they didn't provide toilet paper. Apparently that's normal here. Ewh!

Briesach am Rhein - Strasbourg/Kehl (370.28km)
June 8 / Day 4

It was another perfect and sunny morning. I crossed back into Germany, did some shopping, and continued north along the Rhein. This section of the route is in much better condition than what I rode yesterday.

The route was extremely repetitive and the wind was merciless. I rode an 8km stretch where I didn't see a change in the scenery or a single bend in the road. Shortly before Rhinau I crossed into France and continued along the Rhein-Rhône-Kanal to Strasbourg. I can't get over how few towns there are around here.

My knee felt better this morning, but started hurting again about 20km before Strasbourg. It had me worried and I hope this little mistake of raising my seat hasn't sabotaged the rest of the trip.

In Strasbourg I fought crowds to get to the main square. There I sat and had a coffee while gawking at the massive size of the Strasbourg Cathedral. Apparently the cathedral was the tallest building in the world from 1625 to 1847. I walked with my bike for 30 minutes and this seemed to calm the pain in my knee.

I met a few English tourists while checking in at the Kehl campsite. They were traveling with their motor home and came to Kehl with 15 other couples to visit the factory where their motor home was manufactured. The 'Mecca' of motor homes, I joked.

At the campsite I met an interesting German who is also on a multi-week bike tour. His attitude about touring is right: He's simply riding towards Switzerland and seeing where it takes him. He has no daily goal except to enjoy himself. This is quite different than to how I'm doing things: I'm in the mindset that I must ride so many kilometers per day if I wish to reach Stockholm. Is this realistic? Am I stressing myself and missing a vital part of the trip? Shouldn't the goal be to just enjoy myself? Should I do like my German friend?

Kehl
June 9 / Day 5

My German friend is an interesting fellow. This morning he meticulously filled three thermoses with three different types of tea, adding mint oil to the green tea and paying special attention to how long each steeped. He then told me that he doesn't pack books because he likes to travel light. I had to chuckle. With my knee still in flux, he convinced me that it was a good idea to take the day off to give it time to rest. Let's see how it is tomorrow.

I had an accident with the gas stove while cooking supper. The pot slipped off the wire elements and spilled hot water on my foot and leg. The pain is bearable, but I'm upset about the stupid design of the stove. From now on the stove will be five meters away and on the ground!

In the evening I was in the campsite bar chatting with other cyclists, sharing stories, looking at maps, and watching the World Cup. I'm primed for a big day tomorrow.

Kehl - Mechtersheim (506.86km)
June 10 / Day 6

I woke at 5:45am and was the first cyclist to leave the campsite. I'll miss my stay here and will definitely think back to it when I remember this trip.

I wanted to make good distance to make up for the day off yesterday. The weather was again perfect and fortunately the winds weren't too bad. One of my goals was to visit the village of "Kleinkanada" (Small Canada) just off the cycling route. Well, Kleinkanada was a klein disappointment. It was just a bunch of apartments and the only thing I saw for sale were cigarettes from a vending machine. Noted streets were Alberta Street, Ontario Street, Toronto Street, and Victoria Street. That's it. There wasn't even a sign anywhere indicating that I was in Kleinkanada.

Shortly before arriving in Kleinkanada I came across an old fighter jet from the Canadian Air Force. It was mounted as a monument with a plaque detailing the Canadian military presence during the Cold War. This must certainly be related to Kleinkanada.

This evening I stayed at a campsite near Mechtersheim where I watched a World Cup game over a litre of Weissbier. Tomorrow I go to Darmstadt.

There are permanent residents in many of the campsites that I have visited. These 'dauercampers' live on a tiny plot of land in their caravan and are often surrounded by other dauercampers. The dead grass under the trailer, the fence, and the inlaid stone steps are all giveaways of a dauercamper. The residents of the Mechtersheim campsite have even named the paths between the caravans and put up street signs. It's kind of cute in some way. There is some appeal to their minimalistic lifestyle, but I'd definitely go nuts if I had to live like this. What's appealing is that you can simply drive away if you don't like your neighbours.

Mechtersheim - Darmstadt (625.58km)
June 11 / Day 7

It was another perfect day. The weather has been very cooperative and I hope bringing my rain gear was unnecessary. This morning I slept longer due to the late evening and beer. I had breakfast at the campsite restaurant and was packed and underway by 9:30am.

Today's ride was uneventful except for the last 20km that brought me from the Rhein cycling route to Darmstadt. I rode on a major road and the winds were merciless. My knees are fortunately better and I'm being more conscience of my peddling rate. I read somewhere on a bike forum that it takes five days to find your cycling 'groove'. I think I hit it.

Today I will stop making blog postings from the road. I was trying to make regular posts with my phone, but there were too many technical problems and unknown costs that were being compounded from having repeat everything two or three times.

Darmstadt
June 12 / Day 8

It was a relaxing day in Darmstadt. We walked into town, shopped, ate lunch, and chatted. I found a great deal on bike maps: For EUR 10.- I had cycling maps (1:150'000) for all of northern Germany. In the evening we watched Italy beat Ghana 2-0 in the World Cup.

My laundry is washed and my batteries are charged. I'm ready to get back on the road tomorrow.

Darmstadt - Rüdesheim - Koblenz (705.28km)
June 13 / Day 9

I woke early this morning, had breakfast, said goodbye to my hosts, and headed west towards the Rhein. The weather was again perfect and the 80km ride to Rüdesheim was quick. I had a close call when a car pulled into an intersection and almost hit me. It would have been his fault, but I would have blamed myself for not being more aware of his carelessness. No harm done, but the expression on his face when he hit the brakes was priceless.

I arrived in Ruedersheim at 16:00 and boarded the 'Goethe' steamboat to Koblenz. The four-hour boat ride gave me a chance to gaze at the amazing castles that line the Rhein. It also gave me time to unwind and escape the heat with a beer and newspaper.

At 20:00 I arrived in Koblenz and stayed at a campsite that borders the Mosel and Rhein rivers. From there I had a fantastic view of the Deutsche Eck where the World Cup was being shown on a large outdoor screen. The campsite was less than mediocre. When I registered the host bragged about the free showers, but neglected to tell me that they didn't have hot water.

A good friend wrote to me in an e-mail today, "Der Weg ist das Ziel!" which means, "The way is the goal!" Good advice!

Koblenz - Neuwied (730.08km)
June 14 / Day 10

I woke to a lovely sunrise that lit the Deutsche Eck just over the Mosel River. It was to be a short ride today, so I went into Koblenz and loitered for a few hours. Koblenz is a pretty town with many shops, sidewalk cafes, and restaurants. By mistake I walked through a seedy area of town and was solicited by a horribly ugly women (if it was a woman?). I forgot that prostitution is legal in Germany.

It was a short ride to Neuwied and it took a few minutes to find my aunt's address. We last saw each other when she and my mom visited St. Gallen a few months ago. It was a pleasant afternoon chatting, walking, and shopping in town. In the evening we joined other family members for dinner in a local beergarden.

The celebrations after Germany's defeat of Poland in the World Cup went into the early morning. I still slept well considering all the noise.

Neuwied - Rodenkirchen (809.29km)
June 15 / Day 11

I woke to thunder and during breakfast it started to pour rain. To help pass the time, my aunt and I played a game that could best be described as 3D Connect Four. The rain stopped after two games and so I packed my things and continued up the Rhein.

Today was a national holiday in Germany, which may explain why there were so many other cyclists. This area of the Rhein is very pretty and has many small villages and towns. This is a strong contrast to the vast nothing I saw north of Basel.

A man approached while I was eating my potato salad and sausage lunch. He was looking for a tire patch kit since his girlfriend had a flat, and they were around 10km from Bonn where they needed to be in a few hours for an Alice Cooper and Deep Purple concert. I didn't have a patch kit, but was able to provide them with my spare tube. They were extremely appreciative and invited me to contact them if I made it through Muenster after Monday. Unfortunately the timing of my trip wouldn't allow that. I wonder how the concert was.

En route a man saw the flag on the trailer and stopped to ask if I was from Canada. He then told of his first trip to Canada and how he landed in Toronto, rented a car, and drove north to... Sudbury! Small world! He was quick to say that Sudbury isn't much of a tourist destination, to which I half agreed. I also had to tell him that Sudbury is much nicer now than it was 20 years ago when he visited.

Germans are flying their flag proudly in support of their national football team. They're on cars, window, hanging from balconies, painted on people's hair, and on t-shirts and bandannas. It's great to see and I hope the attitude doesn't change after the World Cup.

I found the GCTY5D geocache, which was sitting in a tree directly along the cycling route. Unfortunately, it was too small for the 'Kaefer-Beetle' Travel Bug, which I've had in my possession for far too long.

The Rodenkirchen campsite near Cologne was full of World Cup fans. Fortunately, I have a small tent and was able to squeeze between a camper and another tent. I enjoyed the evening on the campground terrace eating BBQ, drinking beer, and watching the evening matches. At the neighbouring table were a group of Swedish fans cheering on their team and next to them a group of Czechs who were there to provoke them. It was hilarious listening to them curse at each other in broken English with their Swedish and Czech accents.

Roenkirchen - Duisburg (920.32km)
June 16 / Day 12

Duisburg must be the ugliest city I've ever seen. It's industrial and this seems to be common in these areas. Mainz, Cologne, and Bonn also have their neighbouring industrial areas just a few kilometers from the town center. You probably won't read about these in the travel guides. They're horrible!

I managed to bike through Dusseldorf without even knowing that I was in Dusseldorf. I took a wrong turn -thanks the wonderful bike signs- and thought I was biking through a neighbouring town. I only realized where I was after I got closer to Duisburg. How embarrassing! I probably didn't miss much.

My knee started hurting again and on two occasions it felt as if someone had shot it with a gun. I need to force myself to take more frequent breaks.

There are no campsites in the area and so I had to travel through Duisburg to get to a Youth Hostel. I had a hell of a time finding it after one guy got so confused with the map and told me three different and incorrect ways of getting there.

The hostel was a nice change to camping, where I was able to drink beer and watch the World Cup. Well, perhaps it wasn't that much different.

Duisburg - Ternsche (1013.02km)
June 17 / Day 13

I was happy to find a quick way out of Duisburg. I decided to head directly northeast towards Muenster and Bremen instead of continuing up the Rhein to Wesel. The route twisted, turned, and I made good progress, but I'm still 32km short of Muenster.

Germany needs to standardize their bike signs. It's common that different bike routes will overlap, but it gets confusing trying to figure out how these routes -each with their own unique signs- interrelate. For example, if a sign for one route indicates a turn, does it also indicate a turn for another route? The sign design is also confusing. One route had a multi-coloured wavy arrow-like symbol and it wasn't immediately clear that it indicated a direction. Some signs are too small to read until you're very close and I've also become lost due to splits in the road where there clearly should have been a sign. Germany could learn from Switzerland where the signs are simple, clear, and consistent.

Ternsche - Tecklenburg (1115.26km)
June 18 / Day 14

The campsite in Ternsche sucked. The staff -if you could find them- were rude, didn't tell me that I needed tokens for the shower, and didn't provide toilet paper in the stalls. I thought I was staying in a German campsite!

In Telgte I stopped for water when a man approached and asked if I was from Canada. He seemed very happy to see me and wanted to know what I was doing there and if he could provide assistance. I told him my tentative route and he suggested an alternative, which I am now following. When I asked where I could buy groceries on a Sunday night, he told me that nothing was open but that we could get food from his home. I'm glad I declined because his persistence really creeped me out.

The disappearing bike signs led me into the driveway of a private home. Getting lost usually means wasted time and energy, but today it meant getting charged by a dog who was clearly ready to attack. Fortunately, I had already turned my bike around and was able to speed away. I ended up lost on a dirt road and had to cut through a wheat field to get back to the main road. Some of these routes are useless!

The Muenster area is known for its active cycling culture, so it was no surprise that I saw more cyclists today than on any other day.

Tecklenburg - Bremen (1281.55km)
June 19 / Day 15

Tomorrow is my birthday and I was determined to get to Bremen to celebrate with a friend. This meant riding a personal day record of 166km. The winds were strongly in my favour and gave me a helpful push. The weather was variable and I got soaked in a brief flash storm. I listened to music such as 'Beer' by Reel Big Fish, which set a good tempo for the last 20km. What a great song.

I arrived at my friend's place at 21:00 and had a refreshing shower before heading out for a late supper and beer. Midnight came and I officially turned 32. Yay!

Happy Birthday!
June 20 / Day 16

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes! We just came back from a beergarden where we watched Germany beat Ecuador in the World Cup. It was fun being among so many lively football fans. Tonight we go to a barbecue.

Bremen - Harsefeld (1367.36km)
June 21 / Day 17

The morning was cool and grey and the weather forecast said something about thunder. As long as it wasn't raining I was ready to go. The strong winds were in my favour and I managed to cycle 86km to Harsefeld without a break. It rained over the last hour.

Harsefeld is the hometown of my grandparents and I have fond memories of visiting them in the early and late 80s. They have meanwhile passed away, but I still have relatives here who own and operate the Hotel Meyers Gasthof in the middle of town. My grandfather was a regular at the bar where he'd attend his weekly Stammtisch. I used to tag along and get ice cream. Now I was here to drink beer.

I had my butterflies in my stomach as I got closer to the village. I never imagined in my life that I would cycle here. It was a nostalgic site as I rounded the curve in the road that put me before of the Gasthof. It was completely surreal.

I came unannounced and fortunately there was room at the hotel. The family has been extremely warm and accommodating with their hospitality. My aunt floored me when she brought down a glass vase containing the Manitoulin Island braided sweetgrass that my parents had prepared and I had given them 10 years ago. Attached was still the card from my parents and myself dated 30 August 1996. The big surprise was that the grass still had its original sweet aroma!

In the evening I watched the World Cup and drank Bitburger Krombacher Pils beer with one of the hotel guests. It's great being in Harsefeld again.

Harsefeld
June 22 / Day 18

This morning I felt groggy but happy that it wasn't a full hangover. I showered, got dressed, and headed towards the dining room for breakfast. At the Gasthof you must walk through the pub to get to the restaurant, and there I was handed a glass of champagne to toast my great-aunt's birthday. I picked a good time to visit.

In the late morning I followed the footsteps of my Oma and Opa. They both passed away in 1992 and are buried in the city cemetery. I visited Am Weisenborn (the street where they lived) and confirmed what I suspected would happen: Their house had been torn down and rebuilt. This will be my last visit to the address. I walked through the park where my Opa used to take me to feed the ducks, visited their graveside, and wandered back to the Gasthof.

That afternoon was a small birthday party for my great-aunt. This was a wonderful opportunity to meet family members whom I never met before, or whom I last met when I was too small to remember. Some spoke emotionally of my grandfather and gave me more insight to the type of person he was. I always wish I had known him better.

Harsefeld - Itzstedt (1466.74km)
June 23 / Day 19

This morning I left Harsefeld after a wonderful two days with my extended family. They were wonderful to me and I hope it isn't too long before I return.

A few kilometers outside of Harsefeld I met up with a relative whom I met yesterday at the birthday party. I was warmly welcomed to their home for breakfast before being accompanied on the bike to Luhe where I crossed the Elbe with the ferry. From there on it was direct to Hamburg.

I don't like cycling in big and unfamiliar cities and it's worse when you're pulling a heavy trailer behind you. Needless to say, Hamburg stressed me out. I finally got out of the city and onto a gorgeous river path that went north. The path was under a tree cover and the river was shallow, calm, and perfect for the couples who were drifting along in their canoes.

Itzstedt - Travemuende (1535.43km)
June 24 / Day 20

It was an uneventful ride today, except for the hard time navigating through Luebeck. The cycling signs and my map simply did not match! Outside of Luebeck is a canal that used to be crossable by a bridge, but it has meanwhile been replaced with a tunnel. The brilliant engineer who designed the tunnel forgot or neglected to add a cycling lane, leaving cyclists to use a shuttle bus driven by a grumpy driver. I'm sorry that my bike trailer slows me down, but I also understand that it must suck the life out of you driving the same 1km dark tunnel over and over again! Argh!

I made it to Travemuende and found the ferry line that would take me to Trelleborg, Sweden. The bike cost a mere EUR 5.00, but when I asked about the trailer I was told it would cost an additional EUR 50.00! I had to explain that it was a bike trailer and not a car trailer! I paid nothing for it.

The Nils Holgersson ferry from TT-Line is more elaborate than I had expected. The ship has a casino, movie theatre, bar (with cheesy live music), restaurant, sauna, and fitness room. My personal cabin even had its own washroom and shower! The shower was a welcomed surprise since I had been biking in the heat all day. I watched the Argentina vs Mexico World Cup game in the theater and bar, but started dozing off in the last minutes. I went to bed and slept like a rock.

Travemuende - Trelleborg - Nybro (1614.53km)
June 25 / Day 21

This morning I woke somewhere in the Baltic Sea and it took a moment to orient myself. The breakfast buffet had a good selection, but I knew I'd be hungry again in a few hours. It was an uneasy feeling arriving on a Sunday morning; if this place is anything like Switzerland, I'll have no chance to find anything open to get information or food.

The ferry arrived in Trelleborg at 7am. I had a few hours to kill since I needed to get maps and camping information from the tourist office that only opened at 10am. I visited the reconstructed Trelleborg Viking Fortress and thought it was neat. The town didn't have much else, and so I waited.

The tourist office had limited information on cycling in Sweden. This surprised me somewhat, but they did have an expensive bike map for the Skane region. I rode east along the coast and was initially impressed with the bike signs. This quickly changed as bike signs started disappearing and led me astray. Often the bike 'path' was no more than a 20cm shoulder on a main road shared with heavy trucks. It's very frustrating when maps and bike signs don't agree!

There was an aggressive headwind that made cycling very difficult. At one point the wind blew a large bug directly into my lower lip. I thought it had stung me, but it was just the high impact that gave the lip a tender feeling. I was annoyed but thankful that I didn't swallow it.

Tonight's campsite is one of the worst. I was told to camp on a section of uneven ground that had rocks, sand, and a few patches of grass. It took almost 15 minutes just to find a suitable spot. I can't wait to get out of here.

Nybro - Degeberga (1675.52km)
June 26 / Day 22

I was up before 6am and had little motivation to cycle. I decided to take a shortcut north instead of continuing east along the coast. This alternate route had many more hills than any other part of the tour. It was also very quiet and the long stretches were very lonely.

Over the last 10km of the ride it started to sprinkle rain and it soon turned into a thundershower. I rode into Degeberga, ate meatballs with mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce at a Swedish fast-food restaurant, and waited for the weather to pass. I dozed off while waiting but the weather only got worse. I checked into the Degeberga Stugby for the afternoon and night.

I was the only person in the building that evening; even the staff went home. I enjoyed the solitude by doing some laundry, cooking, and watching two World Cup games.

Degeberga - Karlshamn (1777.84km)
June 27 / Day 23

Today I realized how poor the cycling in Sweden is. The tourist office in Ahus also didn't have much information except for their local region. One of the guys working there was kind enough to photocopy a section of another map that would at least guide me to the region of Blekinge where I'd have to find another tourist office. It seems that the regional offices have autonomy and little interest in cooperating with the adjacent regions. In fact, one map I saw showed parts of the national route but did not indicate how the route continued to the adjacent region!

The bike routes in Sweden are also terrible. The signs are poor and the routes often go along busy roads -including highways- and on lonely dirt roads. It's hard to relax when 18-wheel trucks are passing at 110 km/h!

Karlshamn - Kristianopel (1883.57km)
June 28 / Day 24

This morning while changing I noticed a yellow stain on my sock. I looked into my shoe and saw that a slimy slug thing had made its way inside overnight. Yuck! Thankfully it wasn't mushed and only the sock got smeared. Close call! From now on my shoes stay inside the tent!

The tourist office in Ronneby was unable to give me cycling information north of Kristianopel. Getting cycling information in Sweden has become the most frustrating part of this trip. It seems that I must go from tourist office to tourist office to gather local cycling information. I have no overview on the overall route to Stockholm and therefore little idea of how much farther I have to go. How can the tourist offices here be so poorly organized?!

I find myself passing time by trying to pronounce the names of cities and the words on signs. I get the feeling that some of these names are used by English-speaking science fiction writers. Doesn't 'Degeberga' sound like a planet in Star Wars? I even passed through a town called 'Borg'! The language has a definite overlap with German and I can sometimes get the gist of what something says.

In the camping guide it was written that the Kristianopel campsite was the 'hippest' around. I had to check it out and so I cycled hard to get there. I was impressed. The campsite is located directly on the east coast with a gorgeous view of the Baltic Sea. The owner was extremely welcoming and when he asked if I'd be leaving before 9am he said something to the effect, 'Well, probably not. You'll be coming out tonight to join us for a few beer.' I liked his attitude and that evening he was performing with his band. It was a fun, expensive, and enjoyable evening.

The Swedish flag, as I know it, is a yellow cross on a blue background. I didn't see many of these in Sweden, but I saw many yellow and blue pennants that could easily be mistaken for the Ukrainian flag. I'd like to know what the significance of this flag is.

The Swedes have a lovely way of saying hello. They say 'hey' but exaggerate the 'eh' part. You'd think this would be easy for a Canadian to pronounce, and it was. One lady was convinced that I was Swedish because of my 'very Swedish' pronunciation. I feel weird saying it because it sounds too much like the informal, 'Hey!' in English.

Kristianopel - Timmernabben (2007.66km)
June 29 / Day 25

I woke at 4am with the hopes of watching the sunrise over the Baltic Sea. The sky was clear except on the horizon where the sun was to rise. I went back to my tent and slept for another few hours. Later that morning I saw the guitar player from last night cleaning the washrooms.

At check-out I tried paying with my credit card. The card was rejected and so I tried paying with my Maestro (debit) card. It worked, but I was shocked that I didn't have to enter my PIN code. What?! I later phoned my bank and learned that some countries treat the Maestro card just like a credit card, or much like the CASH card here in Switzerland. This scares me: It means that somebody could steal the card and empty the account without knowing the PIN number! I have to talk to my bank about this again.

I cycled to the tourist office in Bergkvara and finally found what I was looking for since I arrived in Sweden, 270km and 4 days ago: A national cycling map! It was a poor 1:250'000 map but at least gave me idea of where the national route went. I asked the tourist office lady why it took this long to find the map and she sang, "Because we're the best tourist office!" This competition thing between the offices must stop. I drank a complimentary coffee and left glad knowing that I finally had an idea of where I was going.

It's great biking north in a direct line towards Stockholm. I hit the 2000km mark on my GPS (odometer) and estimate another three or four days until the end.

The host at the Timmernabben campsite spoke no English, but a girl at the neighbouring kiosk was able to translate for us. I told her about my trip and she asked if I was lonely traveling alone. 'Only in Sweden,' I replied. These last four days have been very lonely in comparison to what I experienced in Switzerland, Germany, and France. I've seen very few other cyclists and only spoke to one of them. He seemed crazy or his English was just really bad. The roads are void of people and the villages I pass through have no life: No shops, no restaurants, no bank machines, and no people. I'm looking forward to getting out of here.

Timmernabben - Vastervik (2143.63km)
June 30 / Day 26

Today was hell. This wonderful bike path that goes along highways brought me to a desolate area with hilly dirt roads. My back wheel formed a warp and a bike shop said it would need to be replaced. The rear derailleur is messed and I spent about 1.5hrs in a school playground trying to calibrate it. I had a flat tire and was surprise to find that Vastrum had no campsites. While looking at my map and trying to figure out what to do next, two young kids aged around 8 and 10 biked by and asked if I had something to smoke. I decided to do something stupid and bike on the major E22 highway to get me quickly and directly to Vastervik.

Today was a definite test of will. I keep telling myself to stop, get on a train, and go home. But what's another two or three days after four weeks? I'm starting to think that cycling to Stockholm was a stupid goal and that I should have listened to what I wrote on June 8.

Vastervik - Soderkoping (2269.97km)
July 1 / Day 27

Happy Canada Day! I didn't realize it was today until I started writing in my journal. I'm slightly spaced from the day and unfortunately have no beer.

It was a long and grueling ride. The sun was very hot and the constant up and down felt analogous to repeatedly digging a hole to fill the dirt into another hole. At least the roads were paved, which was a huge improvement over yesterday. Nonetheless, these long stretches are very lonely and I'm questioning if the Swedes like to bike.

A friend is helping me find a way of getting home. In nearby Norrkoping is a train station that should easily connect me to Hamburg where there is an overnight train to Zürich. The problem is that Swedish trains do not allow bikes. I figure I may as well fly if I need to go through the trouble of disassembling and packing it. Apparently there is a discount airline that flies from Norrkoping to Copenhagen. I'll go to the airport tomorrow and see what's available.

I found a beer at a nearby Shell station. Mmmm....

Soderkoping - Norrkoping - Nykoping (2364.92km)
July 2 / Day 28

This morning I met a young Swedish girl who is also touring on her bike. Her bike was a simple 3-speed, had a single pannier over the back tire, and a basket on her handlebars to hold a tent and sleeping bag. Her cycling uniform was a sundress and she wore no helmet. We spoke briefly and I learned that she was doing the same route as me but in the opposite direction. I felt concern for her considering the rough time I had over the last few days. I gave her my old maps and advised her to be careful.

I cycled a short distance to the Norrkoping airport where I wanted to inquire about connecting flights to Switzerland. The airport was closed and I had to wait an hour before it opened. Cimder Air is the SAS partner airline that operates flights between Norrkoping and Copenhagen. When the airport finally opened I was told by the ticket agent that Cimber Air's new fleet of Canadair jets are, of course, too small for bikes. Scrap that idea.

I biked into Norrkoping and found the train station. There I was served by a young woman -who clearly hates her job and life- who condescending told me that bikes are not permitted on any Swedish trains. 'The trains are too small for bikes,' she explained, 'and would have to be boxed.' She was useless.

I considered renting a car but when I called Hertz I got an answering machine that spoke gibberish in Swedish.

I became desperate and lost and thought I'd give the tourist office a try. There I received the assistance of a young lady who took pity on my situation. She phoned places, offered suggestions, and even stayed after closing hours to help me find a way out of Sweden. Even the buses and coaches in Sweden do not allow bikes! We finally found a Ryan Air flight from Nykoping to Frankfurt where I'd have to continue by train. It also meant cycling another 50km to Nykoping. Fine.

This entire circus of getting home has been ridiculous. Sweden has no infrastructure to accommodate cyclists. How is it possible in Sweden to go on an extended tour that isn't circular? It's no wonder that I've seen so few cyclists. It's unfortunate but I'm beginning to wish that I never came here!

I cycled to Nykoping and spontaneously decided to check into the Ibis hotel for two nights. I think I earned it after these four weeks. This marked the end of my tour. I had an overwhelming sense of accomplishment but I was also sad and elated. It's time to go home.

Nykoping
July 3 / Day 29

I woke before 6am and it was already full daylight outside. I ate breakfast and got ready to take care of a few packing errands. I was planning to bike into town but again had a flat tire. Argh! Better now than on the road, I suppose, since I had already used my spare tire. I walked into town and left the bike at a shop to get fixed and packed. The bike shop mechanic later told me that the flat was caused by a piece of glass stuck in tire.

I bought a book and watched the movie 'Mystery Alaska' in my hotel room. It was a quiet and relaxing day and my sore legs appreciated it.

Going Home!
July 4 / Day 30

My alarm went off at 3:55am, five minutes after I was supposed to receive a hotel wake-up call. Even at this time it was full daylight outside! I ate breakfast, checked-out, and crammed into a taxi with two others for the ride to the Nykoping airport. The airport was very busy due to Ryan Air flights to London, Rome, Barcelona, and Frankfurt. Check-in with the bike was painless and I was surprised that my Bob Yak bag weighed less than the allowed 20kg!

This was my first time flying with the discount airline Ryan Air. Their cost cutting measures were quite obvious: They fly into obscure airports, offer no complimentary food or drink, have no preassigned seats, and pack the plane by jamming the seats tightly together. A passenger joked with me that Ryan Air is a, 'bus with wings'. A fitting description. The flight was extremely dull.

We landed in Frankfurt Hahn airport where I boarded a bus to Mainz. In Mainz I jumped on a train to Zürich where I transferred and continued to St. Gallen. The trip home was literally Planes, Trains, and Automobiles.

It's good to be home.

Sweden!

2006-06-27T10:38:00.000+02:00

This will be a short post since I only have a few minutes on this computer. I'm at the tourist office in Ahus, Sweden. I arrived in Sweden two days ago on the overnight Travemuende to Trelleborg ferry. Yesterday's ride was cut short due to a thunder shower that started in the early afternoon. I stayed in a hostel to dry off and watch the World Cup. Fortunately the weather looks better for the ride to Stockholm. More later. See you!

Google Bike Map

2006-06-12T10:15:00.000+02:00

Last night I put together a Google Bike Map of my route. I'll update it whenever possible.

Velo Tour Prequel

2006-06-05T09:40:00.000+02:00

Today is the day. In a few hours I'll be living in my dream. My bags are packed and the stress has subsided. I'm about to embark on a bike journey from Switzerland to Sweden via Germany and Denmark. Please return to the blog to get updates on my progress. I may post GPS coordinates so you can see where I am. You can contact me at chris(at)schwiiz(dot)org, but I cannot promise an immediate reply. I'd appreciate any words of support. Many thanks and I'll see you in a few weeks!

Wedding Weekend

2006-06-04T23:57:00.000+02:00

I'm too tired to think. Yesterday was the wedding and wedding party of two good friends. The venue was at a beautiful castle/hotel at Lillafuered about 170km outside of Budapest. The weather around Europe has been terrible this last week, but yesterday it cleared and allowed the ceremony to take place outdoors. It couldn't have been prettier. I wasn't planning to take photos, but I agreed to after the groom handed his camera to me.

The bride and groom have many interesting friends. Most guests were either Austrian or Hungarian, but Italy, Portugual, and Sweden were also represented. For one night we were all best friends; drinking, dancing, laughing, and telling stories of how we know the bride and groom. It's sad: These people are so nice and I'll likely never see any of them again. It was a slow morning for everyone and I'm still very tired from the little sleep I had the last two nights. With some luck I'll be awake and fresh for the start of my tour tomorrow.

Hoher Kasten

2006-05-22T18:48:00.000+02:00

Perhaps I'm avoiding cycling because I'll be saturated in two weeks. On Sunday I joined a friend for a 14km hike up the Hoher Kasten (1782m) in Appenzellerland. We started in Brulisau (823m) and completed the circuit in five hours. It was overcast and we were completely in the clouds when we reached the summit. The sky cleared as we hiked down and opened to a gorgeous panoramic view over Appenzell. It was perfect and my sore legs are reminding me of it.

Cycling on my mind V

2006-05-18T18:43:00.000+02:00

In two weeks I'll be at an Austrian-Hungarian wedding somewhere in the outskirts of Budapest. This is really cool and I couldn't be happier to be going. It's the wedding of good friends who I know from my university days in Edmonton, Canada. We don't see each other often, but when we do it's always a good time. The dance should be interesting since I haven't really danced since university. I'm sure there will be many waltzes and opportunities to step on people's feet. If only dancing were like riding a bike!

The wedding weekend is also the beginning of my six week leave of absence. Shortly after I return from Hungary I will get on the bike and carry out my dream of a multi-week bike tour. To some people's surprise, I'm heading along the German part of the Rhein for the first 700km before diverging to Stockholm. At least that's the plan. I like the Rhein because it's a beacon that will make it hard to get lost. It's also lovely, flat, and full of campsites. In the end it doesn't really matter where I go: This is my first solo trip and has more to do with the physical and mental challenge of cycling 2000km. If it's something I enjoy then I will make future trips to more exotic places such as Iceland.

I have the means to blog from the road, so come back to the site to read about my progress.

Velo & Camping Weekend

2006-05-09T08:27:00.000+02:00

Over the weekend a friend and I went on a two-day cycling and camping tour. Our original plan was to ride the strenuous Alpenpanorama Route #4, but decided against since we were tired, had concerns of snow at those altitudes, and had lots of camping gear to bring with us. Instead, we rode the Seen Route #9, which is the same route we'll be taking on the upcoming summer Tour de Schwiiz.

It was my first tour with the fully loaded Yak. The trailer definitely compromised my balance, but I felt good with it after half a day. I also had my first accident with the Yak while preparing for the trip: I was attaching a bungie cord when it slipped, snapped back, and the metal part hit me in the left temple. It left me dazed but also thankful that it wasn't my eye. Lesson learned.

On Saturday night we stayed at a gorgeous campsite on the Walensee just outside of Walenstadt. We cooked a spaghetti dinner, slept 12hrs, and woke to the most beautiful morning (panorama photo below). The Sunday ride was perfect with a strenuous 500m climb from Pfaffikon SZ to Einsiedeln. Near Einsiedeln we got soaked in a cold hail storm and I ripped my waterproof shoes. It was a bit of a downer at the end, but otherwise a perfect weekend. (photos)

Yakety Yak!

2006-05-02T22:05:00.000+02:00

I got a Bob Yak! A family in Gossau was selling one for CHF 200.- less than retail, so I went over, had a look, and bought it. I rode home with it and didn't even notice it was there. The only difference were the odd looks from people. I think it'll be perfect for my upcoming tour. Yay!

The weekend was fantastic. My mom and aunt arrived on Thursday night and stayed until Monday morning. The poor weather on Friday and Saturday didn't stop us from enjoying St. Gallen and each other's company. We shopped, cooked, toured St. Gallen, and played lots of Carcasonne. On Sunday we attended the Appenzell Landsgemeinde and watched the locals vote on issues by a show of hands. I always find that interesting. It was sad to see them go and I look forward to visiting my aunt during my upcoming June bike tour.

Easter Weekend & MSR Sucks

2006-04-19T22:58:00.000+02:00

On Friday morning we emerged from the train tunnel under the Gotthard Pass to the sounds of oohs and aahs as fellow passengers took notice of the perfect Ticino weather. Just ten minutes earlier on the northern side of the pass were grey clouds and pessimism, but that quicky changed as we entered Tessin.

Airolo was the starting point for our four days of hiking, cycling, and camping. We camped one night near Biasca and two nights near Locarno. On Saturday we got drenched while biking from Biasca to Locarno, but on Monday we had a cool and pleasant ride to Lugano for a weekend total of 195km. On Sunday we visited and hiked in the Verzasca Valley just outside of Locarno. For years I've wanted to see more of Tessin and this was exactly how I wanted to do it. (photos)

The weekend also gave me a chance to try out the tent that I had bought on eBay. I also purchased a new matching groundsheet, but was unpleasantly surprised that it didn't fit the dimensions of my tent. I contacted MSR and learned that the groundsheet was made for a newer edition of the tent. This isn't indicated anywhere on the tent, groundsheet, or MSR website. My conclusion? MSR sucks. That's the last MSR product I buy.

Easter Weekend Planning & Cycling

2006-04-09T09:36:00.000+02:00

Last night I met with friends to discuss plans for Easter. In Switzerland we have Friday and Monday off giving us a four-day weekend. The plan is to go hiking and cycling in Tessin (southern Switzerland) where the climate is typically better. I'm excited about the trip since I haven't seen much of Tessin except for Lugano. We're camping and this will let me try out my new gear before the upcoming June bike tour.

On Friday we will likely cycle the Lukmanier Pass that will take us to our campsite near Biasca. On Saturday we may cycle to the next campsite near Locarno and then go hiking on Sunday. It seems like a good plan. Let's hope for good weather. [Update: Forget the pass. It's April and still full of snow.]

Yesterday was perfect weather for a bike ride. I was joined by a new cycling buddy for an enjoyable 94km ride around St. Gallen and Thurgau (google earth). The ride shattered me and last night I slept like a rock.

Weight Loss - One Year Later

2006-04-03T20:43:00.000+02:00

"My God you've gained weight!" was my brother's reaction in December 1993, just months after starting university. I was never fat or obese, but I was also never happy with my weight. Last year I peaked at 87kg and was disgusted by the baggage that came with it. Coming off a recent breakup, I decided to focus my thoughts and energy on a serious lifestyle change.

In the past I had failed with ad-hoc healthy lifestyles because I didn't know what I was doing. I searched for direction, and a Google query brought me to the Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle (BFFM) program. It was perfect: The book provided guidance on the four essentials areas of goal setting, nutrition, cardio, and weight training. I applied what I learned and immediately saw results. This motivated me to work harder and after time the techniques became second nature. It's now one-year later and the results have been overwhelming: I'm 72kg, have replaced most of my clothes, and can cycle much harder than ever before. Most important is that I feel great.

Below is my weight chart for the last year. One thing that BFFM teaches is not to use weight as the primary metric for weight loss - fat loss is the real goal. Unfortunately I don't have a body-fat percentage chart because I get inconsistent results when measuring it. I know it's down, but I just don't know by how much. I highly recommend BFFM to anyone who wants to make a permanent lifestyle change to improve their health. I couldn't be happier.

Konzil-Radweg

2006-04-01T13:56:00.000+02:00

I just got back from a beautiful 40km bike ride along the Konzil-Radweg that goes from St. Gallen to Konstanz. It's a great route that parallels the Lake of Constance about 1km inland from the shore. I managed to get to Kreuzlingen five minutes before the returning train departed. Yay!

I'm impressed with what St. Gallen and Thurgau have done with their regional bike routes. Unless I was oblivious to it before, a number of new routes have been marked and mapped over the past few years. It's a wonderful compliment to the nine national routes of Switzerland. Kudos to the Thurgau Tourist Office for providing a free book with information about the Thurgau routes. I hope to find a similar book for St. Gallen.

Chris 360

2006-03-31T07:47:00.000+02:00

Yesterday my Panosaurus tripod head for shooting panoramic photos arrived in the mail. It's a strange contraption but does exactly what it promises. It was late in the day when I finally got it assembled and calibrated, so I rushed to Gallusplatz to take some photos before it got too dark. You can see my first results on my new subdomain panoramas.schwiiz.org. There is still room for improvement, but I'm happy with the
first results.

Which vs That

2006-03-29T13:03:00.000+02:00

Part of the reason I keep this blog is to practice writing. It's helped me identify nuances with the English language, which I would never have identified otherwise. One such nuance is the usage of which versus that and today I learned which to use when.

I Googled the topic and learned that it depends on whether the following clause is restrictive or non-restrictive. What does that mean? If the following clause only adds information to the sentence then use the word which. If the following clause is required for the sentence to make sense then use the word that. The Chicago Manual of Style has the following example:

"Pizza that's less than an inch deep just isn't Chicago style."

"Pizza, which is a favorite among Chicagoans, can be either bad for you or good, depending on how much of it you eat."

Note that if you remove "that's less than an inch deep" from the first sentence, it becomes inaccurate; i.e., it's not true that "pizza just isn't Chicago style." The clause, then, is restrictive (necessary) to the sentence; therefore "that" is correct. You could even leave "that" out:

"Pizza less than an inch deep just isn't Chicago style."

If, however, you take out the clause "which is a favorite among Chicagoans" from the second sentence, it still makes sense: i.e., pizza can be either bad for you or good, and whether or not it is a favorite among Chicagoans does not "restrict" this meaning; therefore the clause is nonrestrictive and should be introduced by "which" and set off by commas.

My mnemonic is that if the clause adds 'whatever, it's not important' to the sentence, then use what. Otherwise, use that. Let's see if I remember this.

I Declare!

2006-03-26T13:11:00.000+02:00

I declare today to be the first day of summer! Wow! The morning was chilly but switched to blue skies and warm air in the afternoon. It must be those föhn winds. I went on a bike ride to Bodensee and the locals were out in full force. Today is also the beginning of Daylight Savings time which is one of my favourite days of the year. That extra hour of evening sunlight cheers me up. Now I can go cycling after work!

Yesterday I went hiking with Magnus and Mika just over the border in Austria (photos). It was a steep climb with single-track and lots of ice. Nearing the top of the climb we had deep snow and a great view over the Rheintal. Fantastic! We also discussed camping, biking, and hiking in Ticino over the Easter break. I'm looking forward to that weekend.

After the hike I went to Bischofszell to pick up my bike. The bike looked brand new and it was a pleasure to ride home. I bought a pair of Windstopper cycling pants for the cooler and wetter days on my upcoming tour. I still have a few more things to buy including camping gear, rain covers for my shoes, and a trailer.

Last week I received wonderful news from Cape Town: Erin Meyer, my niece, was born. Heartfelt congratulations to my brother and sister-in-law. They picked a wonderful name and I look forward to meeting her when I visit later this year.

I'm starting with panoramic photography after being inspired by the amazing photographs at arounder.com. I already have most of the required camera equipment, but I still need to get a panoramic tripod head and software. In a few weeks I should have a nifty panorama gallery of St. Gallen online. Stay tuned.

Cycling on my mind IV - Shopping

2006-03-19T09:33:00.000+01:00

This weekend my favourite bike shop had a spring sale. I find the size of this shop remarkable for Switzerland: It's huge and reminds me of a typical bike shop in Canada. The selection is limited at most Swiss bike shops, but this place has a warehouse full of mountain, touring, and racing bikes of all brands. It's fun to just go and look at them. They have great service and a strong customer culture. On every visit I see cyclists stopping by - probably just to say hi - wearing a jersey with the shop's logo emblazed on it.

So yesterday I spent some money on cycling gear. I found a gore-tex jacket (picture) that will keep me dry in the rain. It was pricey but it'll also do nicely on hikes. I also bought gloves, an air pump, a spare tube, and fenders. There is still lots more to get!

The four-day Easter weekend is a month away and I think it'll be good to go on a short bike tour to test my new gear. If I go I'll probably head to Ticino where the weather is usually warmer. I've wanted to cycle this area for a while so this is probably a good time.

A few things...

2006-03-16T12:30:00.000+01:00

A wedding invitation has shifted the dates of my cycling tour. I waffled on how to fit everything into my plans, but decided this wedding was too important to miss. It's the wedding of a good friend whom I met while she was an exchange student in Canada. The wedding is in Hungary and I look forward to returning after my last visit in 2002. It's such a beautiful country.

My bike tour will start after I get back on June 4. This condenses the time I have for the tour, and I'm undecided if I will stick to my original plan to cycle to Stockholm or shorten it and go to Rotterdam. Either way, I have five weeks before I must be back in Switzerland for the July 8-16 Tour de Schwiiz.

Last week I received the most flattering request: Friends asked if I'd be godfather to their daughter. I gratefully accepted and look forward to the baptism slated for September. I'm godfather to two children now. I feel so grown up!

Finally, my aunt and mother are coming to visit in late April. I'm encouraging them to plan around April 30th to attend the annual Appenzeller Landsgemeinde. I've been twice and find it an interesting tradition to witness. I look forward to their visit!

Google Maps on schwiiz.org

2006-03-07T19:54:00.000+01:00

You're probably familiar with Google Maps, but did you know you can embed a map into your own web page? With the Google Maps API you can place a map on your page and add push-pins for places of interest. Take a look at the map I created for schwiiz.org. What do you think?

Cycling on my mind III

2006-03-04T23:23:00.000+01:00

On previous four- and five-day bike tours I used two rear panniers for my gear. For my upcoming Switzerland to Sweden tour I will need more space for my tent, thermorest, sleeping bag, and cooking gear. A friend suggested a touring trailer and I think I'm sold on the idea. This setup would remove the weight from the bike and put everything in one central and waterproof location. I love it!

The local outdoor shop sells the Bob Yak (as depicted) for CHF 495.-. It's expensive, but not much more than what I'd pay in Canada. I'll likely get a different coloured bag and replace the "Bob" flag with a Canada flag.

Cycling on my mind II

2006-02-25T11:26:00.000+01:00

Last night I finished watching 'Long Way Round', the Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman TV series that documented their motorcycle trip around the world. It's an inspiring story and interesting to see how the two of them maintained their friendship and sense of adventure during the most demanding times. One would expect problems on such a trip, but what do you do when your bike breaks down in the middle of Mongolia or when you encounter uncrossable rivers in Siberia? I highly recommend the DVD set (would make a great gift) to anyone who would like a little adventure from their couch. Hats off to Claudio von Planta who was the invisible third motorcyclist who followed the pair with a video camera. It was disappointing to see him ignored in the video since he was such an essential part of the trip.

The video also inspired me about my upcoming cycling tour. I've tentatively booked a month between May and June to cycle from St. Gallen to Stockholm via Basel, Dusseldorf, Bremen, Hamburg, and Copenhagen. My rough estimate is 2000km which I believe I can do in 30 days. I'm still working on my packing list and last weekend I got a great deal on eBay for an MSR Zoid 2 tent. I still have lots to plan and purchase!

Following this ride I will be back in Switzerland for the 2006 Tour de Schwiiz.

Deja Vu & Bern

2006-02-19T21:19:00.000+01:00

Last week was great. A fortunate coincidence brought many good friends to St. Gallen whom I hadn't seen for a long time. The week was full of drinking beer and catching up on times. We all got together one night and visited Baracca and Tankstell which are two bars we used to frequent. It was deja vu and so were the hangovers. I hope it's not two years before we do this again.

Over the weekend I was in Bern for a birthday party. I had some time before and after to wander the city and take some photos (link). Most interesting were the Baerengraben bear pits just outside the old town. My Lonely Planet guidebook reads, 'Undoubtedly the bears in this 150-year old pit are well cared for, but animal lovers might not approve.' It should also be stated that the pits are no different than any zoo exhibit. The bears are used to humans and can be fed with food purchased from the nearby kiosk. We also visited the famous Berner Munster that my great-aunt photographed for a book published in 1938. In 2004 we searched here for a geocache that we couldn't find. This time we found it. The view from the tower was stunning.

It's Sunday night and I'm tired. This last week felt like a vacation and that tomorrow it's back to the old routine. This week will be interesting with live music on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. With this warm weather I may try getting out for a bike ride.

schwiiz.org

2006-02-12T16:09:00.000+01:00

I decided to use schwiiz.org to host some of my favourite photographs from my main photo gallery. I recently discovered the SimpleViewer flash application that does a beautiful job of presenting a photo album. I customized it to for basic navigation and integration with DAlbum. Check it out!

Fun in the Sun

2006-02-06T18:22:00.000+01:00

It was fun weekend in the sun. On Saturday morning I joined friends for a snowshoe hike from Klewenalp to the Brisenhaus SAC hut. We were above the fogline and this provided a gorgeous and unique view over the alps. We overnighted at the hut and continued the next day to Niederrickenbach. The hike was only 10km but included some steep climbs and very steep descents.

Cycling on my mind

2006-02-03T17:03:00.000+01:00

I've been daydreaming about the summer bike tour and I’m wondering if six days will be enough. I remember meeting a cyclist in Iceland who was cycling around the island for two months. 'Wow!' I thought, 'I should do that!' Then recently a friend showed me the online journal of somebody who cycled from Florida to Alaska. Again, 'Wow!' I keep dreaming of doing something like this. What am I waiting for? I’m in the best physical condition of my life! It's time! Stay tuned.

Tour de Schwiiz 2006

2006-01-27T16:34:00.000+01:00

We're still months from July, but I'm already in the planning stages for my summer bike tour. This year will be the #9 "Seen-Route" or "Lake-Route" that cuts 500km diagonally through Switzerland. According to an online brochure:

This route takes you right through picture-postcard Switzerland, from Lake Constance to Lake Geneva. Cycle past the lovely lakes of Walen, Zurich, Sihl, Ägeri, Zug, Lucerne, Alpnach, Wichel, Sarnen, Lungern, Brienz, Thun, Vernex and Greyere. Spectacular Alpine lake landscapes await!

Sweet! The route is 500km and I estimate it'll take 6-7 days to finish. This will be harder than previous years since it's longer with more hills. I've sent invitations to my cycling friends and I hope they can all join. It's going to be a great time and I'm giddy just thinking about it!

Canadian Election

2006-01-24T13:55:00.000+01:00

Canada has elected a Conservative minority government after 12 years of Liberal rule. It's been a dramatic ride for the conservatives, starting with the fall of the Progressive Conservative party, the rise of the Reform party, the Liberal majority, the forming of the Conservative party, and now the recent election results. The Tories have 124 seats, just 21 more than the Grits. This small margin will force Harper to work closely with the Liberals, who could easily team with the NDP or Bloc to force another election. I'd be surprised if they lasted 18 months in this political climate.

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Ouch! My hands hurt

2006-01-17T22:06:00.000+01:00

Losing weight has advantages. Tonight I went rock climbing after a five-year break from the sport. I went regularily between 1998 and 2000 but stopped since moving to Switzerland. I forgot how difficult it was, but I think I did well for my first time back. We went to the Kletterhalle St. Gallen which is a small climbing gym just a short bus ride and walk away. The gym wasn't too crowded but I understood that to be unusual.

For those two hours I climbed simple routes while practicing my technique. Climbing requires strength but good style saves your strength for when you really need it. I had a lot of fun and I hope to go regularily again.

New Hosting Provider

2006-01-16T23:01:00.000+01:00

Last week I moved burntlands.org to a new hosting provider. The hosting company is Dreamhost.com and they offer above my previous hosts:

better price;
10x larger diskquota;
free domain registration; and
unlimited subdomains.

They also have a referrel program which means $97 goes to a friend who also uses their services. Since burntlands.org was already registered until 2008, I was able to register a new domain for free. I was surprised to find schwiiz.org available considering that 'schwiiz' is a common word in Switzerland meaning 'Switzerland'. My photo page is now at http://photos.burntlands.org/ and my blog has been moved to http://blog.burntlands.org/. I'll probably move it all around again in a few days.

Two days in the mountains

2006-01-15T21:28:00.000+01:00

It was a perfect weekend to be outside. On Saturday I went on a solo snowshoe hike from Schwagalp (the base of Saentis) to Stein (photos | google earth). Most of the route was in the shadow of a valley, but opened to a gorgeous panorama at Risipass overlooking the Churfirsten mountains. It was very quiet and I met only four other people over the 14km. I'd definitely like to hike here again in the winter and summer.

This morning I woke up sore but determined for another day of snowshoeing. I went with friends to the Graeppelensee area in the Toggenburg (photos | google earth). It was very warm and we hiked for hours in our thin undershirts. By coincidence we ran into friends in the parking lot who were here for a 'ski-tour'. A ski-tour is a mixed sport of using modified skiis to climb up the mountain and then ski back down. We also found the Graeppelensee geocache with the help of Mika. Mika is a dog who accompanied us on the hike and dug through the snow to find the cache. Good job! We finished the day with a deserving meal and beer.

I'm pooped and looking forward to bed.

Christmas 2005

2006-01-04T13:37:00.000+01:00

Yesterday morning I returned from a short Christmas vacation in Canada. I somehow managed to drag myself into work just four hours after landing in Zurich. The jet lag wasn't as bad as I had expected, but I did have a moment of the shakes in the afternoon.

The week was spent with family and included games, building kapla towers, standing in line at the passport office, shopping, snowshoeing, eating, and relaxing. It was a perfect break and my brother has posted some photos on his website. Happy new year everyone!

I killed Bryan's blog

2006-01-04T12:48:00.000+01:00

My friend Bryan asked that I manage his headline news blog while he is away on vacation. This morning I managed to destroy his blog.

The blogging software is client-based and installed on an Apple laptop computer that Bryan gave me. I had difficulties from the beginning; it took two hours of trial-and-error to figure out that the first line of a blog entry must be blank for anything to display. That was rather obscure.

I last used the laptop 1.5 weeks ago before my Christmas vacation. The laptop booted fine but the clock reset itself to 1970 because it wasn't plugged in during my absence. No big deal, right? Apparently it is a big deal without administrator privileges on the machine. I couldn't reset the clock nor did the 'automatic clock updater' update itself.

I then made the mistake of publishing the blog which removed all the content from the site. I have no way of restoring the site unless I figure out a way to update the clock. Until then the blog sits empty. Oops! Sorry Bryan!

Pixel Ads

2006-01-03T12:04:00.000+01:00

You may have heard about the Million Dollar Homepage. The site is the original 'pixel-ad' site that was set-up by an English student to raise money for university. His idea was to sell one million pixels of advertising space on a single 1000x1000 image map for $1 per pixel. He has now earned $999'000 and is auctioning his last 1'000 pixels on E-Bay. Brilliant!

The idea has spawned copycat sites that will likely get a boost from the buzz surrounding the Million Dollar Homepage. I wonder how long this fad can continue and whether there is still money to be made. These concerns haven't stopped my friend Jeff from giving it a try. He purchased some advertising space on the original Million Dollar Hompage and linked it to his own Pixel-Mart.com site. Good luck!

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You Drink It Like That?

2005-12-31T16:46:00.000+01:00

The reverse culture shock when visiting Canada sometimes surprises me. My brother and I went for an espresso in a small coffee shop in Almonte. My brother ordered at the counter and asked what I'd like in it. 'Nothing,' I replied, 'I take it black.' The sales clerk was taken by my answer and asked with surprise in her voice, 'You drink it like that?' She then told us that before working at the shop that she believed espresso was never taken straight, but always made to be combined with other ingredients to make drinks such as a cappuccino or latte. Absolutely not. I explained that espresso is the coffee of choice in countries such as Italy and Switzerland and that my Swiss friends scoff at the idea of filtered coffee.

The espresso wasn't bad but neither great. It was on the weak side, but to their credit she offered to make me another one. I declined; two morning coffees were enough.

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Pimp My Snowshoes

2005-12-31T02:54:00.000+01:00

Last year I bought a pair of Atlas 825 Snowshoes after trying an older version of the shoe. I enjoy hiking with these snowshoes but I'm having frustration with the bindings. On each shoe are two rivets that fasten the binding to the frame. Last year a rivet popped off and it took the store three weeks to send the shoe back to Atlas for repair. This is very annoying since three weeks is a long time in a short snowshoeing season. Recently two more rivets popped off and so I accepted my brother's offer to drill holes and fasten the bindings with bolts. This will surely void the warrenty from Atlas, but this will save me from having to lose them again for a lengthy repair.

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Smoking Banned On All Swiss Trains

2005-12-21T09:30:00.000+01:00

The Swiss Public Railway (SBB CFF FFS) recently banned smoking on all public trains. This is a positive development in Switzerland and hopefully more rules and laws will be passed to ban smoking in public areas.

These smoking bans are a start, but I also believe that Switzerland needs to target youth with a stronger anti-smoking campaign. Too often I see young teenagers puffing on cigarettes with a look of confusion on their face. It's not clear to me if they enjoy smoking, but they seem to like being seen with a cigarette in their hand. This false image of being "cool" is all it takes to get hooked. In my entire life I've only known one smoker who was able to quit. It's a disease where prevention is the best remedy.

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Snowshoeing!

2005-12-18T22:36:00.000+01:00

Winter is here and I couldn't be happier. No more of this cold and wet inbetween season. Last week we had more snowfall and this got me excited about snowshoeing. Today we did a tour starting from the small village of Libingen in the Toggenburg area of St. Gallen. The trail went up a small mountain where we were rewared with hot barley soup at the Chruezegg restaurant. Delicious! We went down the mountain in half the time and had a traditional raclette dinner. The trip also gave me the chance to try out some new gear. Last week I bought a pair of North Face Chilkat winter boots. They performed flawlessly and kept my feet dry and warm. The MEC Slipstream Pants weren't as warm as I had hoped, but were fine after putting on an underlayer. A third layer might be needed in colder temperatures.

Technorati Tags: snowshoe

Tracy Chapman

2005-12-11T18:43:00.000+01:00

Friday night I saw Tracy Chapman at the Zurich Hallenstadion. I'm not a huge fan but have enjoyed her music more over the past few years. Chapman put on a great show but I was less impressed with the stadium, crew, and band. Hallenstadion is huge and no place for the music that Chapman plays. It was too loud to the point where bass notes were felt and not heard. I pulled out the earplugs for some of the solo and softer songs which made up for the those ruined by the volume. By the end of the show the entire stadium was dancing and a large group overwhelmed security and rushed the stage. What did they expect?

It was a long time goal to see a Chapman concert, but unfortuately this wasn't the show I wanted to see. Next time I hope it will be a solo and acoustic performance that doesn't require earplugs.

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"Wellness" at the Parkhotel Waldhaus

2005-12-04T22:12:00.000+01:00

The Swiss have a weird name for a spa. They call it "wellness" as if spending time at one will make you healthier. Anyway, we decided to give it a try and found a last-minute offer from the Parkhotel Waldhaus in Flims. It's an extravagant 5-star hotel with high ceilings, fancy chandeliers, and tunnels between the buildings. The tunnels are heated and have their own ambience with paintings on the walls and classical music playing. Our room was huge and included a balcony, living room with sofa, slippers, and bathrobes. Maid service was twice a day and two huge fruit baskets graced each floor. Very neat.

The spa was relaxing and clothing was optional. We spent a short time in the outdoor pool but found it not warm enough. We were pining for the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. We also enjoyed the aroma and steam baths, the quiet room, solarium, and gym. The entire "wellness" was followed by a 5-course meal at the hotel restaurant. The service, quality, and price were tops and provided some needed relaxation. Highly recommended!

Ich bin ein Auslaender

2005-11-24T17:30:00.000+01:00

I finally have it. Today, after complications and headaches, I picked up my long-awaited Niederlassungsbewilligung. The leo.org English-German dictionary translates this compound word as the, "freedom of establishment and services permit". I'm now a permanent resident of Switzerland! Cool!

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Lights!

2005-11-24T09:41:00.000+01:00

St. Gallen has strung up and illuminated the old town Christmas lights for another season. The transformation is gorgeous and helps cure the winter blues caused by the short days and long nights. A few years ago I photographed (see the photos) the lights in black and white. Perhaps I'll make more photos with my digital camera this year. I only wish the lights were left on for the entire winter.

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Rieden-Schaenis Hike

2005-11-22T18:42:00.000+01:00

On Saturday Bryan and I hiked an incredible 19km from Rieden to Schaenis (google earth). We didn't bring much food and so we were very happy to find the Ober Bogmen mountain hut open and serving hot soup and wieners. Delicious! It was three days ago and I'm still sore. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos.

I found the hike on the 100 Wandervorschläge (100 hiking suggestions) website. I highly recommend this site if ever hiking in eastern Switzerland.

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Five Years

2005-11-18T09:02:00.000+01:00

Five years ago I arrived in Switzerland to start a new chapter in my life. My intention was to explore Europe for a year, learn about Swiss culture, and then move back to Canada to be with my other. Circumstances changed and one year became five. It's been a good time and each year has been progressively better than the last. This year has been especially rewarding after losing weight and getting in shape. I've never felt younger.

Five years brings some rewards. First, I received confirmation of my Niederlassungsbewilligung (permanent resident status or "C-permit") which comes with a few extra rights: I can now search for employment and live freely in any part of Switzerland. Second, my employer recognizes five years of employment with a small gift. I've seen what coworkers have received and I couldn't be more excited.

I'm often asked how long I plan to stay in Switzerland. I sometimes thought that I knew the answer but clearly I don't. For now I'm happy, living well, and see no reason to change. Ask me again in five years.

Godwin's Law

2005-11-14T13:10:00.000+01:00

While reading an online discussion forum I came across Godwin's Law that states,

As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1.

The wikipedia page on Godwin's law adds,

Although the law does not specifically mention it, there is a tradition in many Usenet newsgroups that once such a comparison is made, the thread is over, and whoever mentioned the Nazis has automatically lost whatever argument was in progress.

This law says volumes about the quality of online discussions and I find it particularily applicable to heated topics such as politics. It is difficult to find serious political forums that don't end in verbal bashing or extremes such as Nazi or Hitler comparisons. I once heard a claim that newsgroups are the armpits of the internet. I believe it more and more.