Triesenberg, Liechtenstein: 25 January 2016 There is an 11-hour time zone difference between Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein, and Canberra, the capital of Australia. So while I was discovering the secrets of this land of the Walser in southern Liechtenstein, Australians were already starting up their barbies for cut lunch and snag while drinking stubbies of beer… Continue reading Viennese, Down Under
Category: History
Utopia unrealised
You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope some day you’ll join us And the world will be as one. Imagine no possessions. I wonder if you can. No need for greed or hunger A brotherhood of man Imagine all the people sharing all the world. (John Lennon, “Imagine”)… Continue reading Utopia unrealised
Last of the Knights Templar
Triesenberg, Liechtenstein: 25 January 2016 My private student in Winterthur had cancelled his lesson for today, leaving me only my regular lunch-time Cambridge BEC Vantage group in Vaduz. With the wife away in Zürich, with time on my hands and little desire to waste the clear skies and temperate weather, I decide to explore more… Continue reading Last of the Knights Templar
Konstanz: City of Shattered Dreams?
In the two years just passed and in the two years that follow, multitudes of people around the globe commemorate the events of World War 1 (1914 – 1918) that involved 70 million soldiers – 9 million of them killed in action, 7 million civilian casualities, and a conflict that lasted 4 years, 3 months and… Continue reading Konstanz: City of Shattered Dreams?
Where I am
“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name And they’re always glad you came You wanna be where you can see our troubles are… Continue reading Where I am
Sick daze
Landschlacht, 22 January 2016 Being married to a German doctor has its advantages and its disadvantages. Because Europeans and their higher educational standards are very demanding and extensive, one can visit a physician in Germany and Switzerland in complete confidence that they probably know what they are talking about should you ever have occasion to need… Continue reading Sick daze
Unforgettable
Landschlacht, The Ides of January 2016 “Ignorance is bliss.” A commonly-used phrase which has its positive and its negative sides. In the minus column, ignorance has led people to do violence against one´s fellow man or to commit acts of sheer stupidity. In the plus column, not knowing sometimes can be a blessing. For example,… Continue reading Unforgettable
The artistic criminal
Zürich, 30 December 2015: We have all seen them. Scribblings, scratchings, stencils, murals up, down, over and under in public places. Simple messages to elaborate street-long paintings. This is nothing new under the sun. Ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans knew them. Today, spray paint and markers and what has been wrought from them are part and parcel of… Continue reading The artistic criminal
The Haa Bay and Needle Park
Zürich, 30 December 2015 You have arrived at “the Haa Bay” as the locals call it: Zürich´s Main Station or Hauptbahnhof. You should be impressed. There are 3,000 trains, carrying around 350,000 passengers, arriving and departing daily on 30 tracks. The station is one of Switzerland´s oldest. The first station on this site was opened in 1847 by… Continue reading The Haa Bay and Needle Park
Remembering Marilyn / Plastered with Paris
Vaduz, Liechtenstein: 3 January 2016 Ute (my wife) and I visit the Liechtenstein National Museum to see a special exhibit on the life and times of American movie star, model and singer Marilyn Monroe, entitled “The stength behind the legend”. “Famous for playing “dumb blonde” characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of… Continue reading Remembering Marilyn / Plastered with Paris