Showing posts with label Swiss National Day. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Swiss National Day. Show all posts
Zurich...Part Deux
After we finished enjoying the cowbells and alpenhorns, we wandered the streets of Zurich looking for more excitement. Unfortunately, it was getting late in the day and my fair bride needed food. We found a lovely place called "The Spaghetti Factory" which specializes in some sort of noodle dish. It was delicious and I highly recommend it to anyone in Zurich looking to avoid the rain that they would have otherwise been exposed to had they remained outside looking for something more Swiss. In fact there is a lot of great Italian food in Europe, so for those worried about having to dine on pig trotter
s, foie gras, and terrine de beouf, worry not! There are also plenty of McDonald's although just to warn you a McChicken combo meal costs about 14 CHF (that's about $14 US, and you don't get free refills for your Coke, ketchup for your fries, or ice unless you are really persistent).
We took advantage of being close to the border of Germany to go celebrate the evening with a fireworks spectacular on the Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen. The falls were about an hour's drive from Zurich which allowed us to see some lovely countryside, and allowed the sun to come out to allow for fireworks (yeah!). We had to walk a bit to get to the falls but they were amazing. There was a neat ledge that went out over the falls that Alli refused to go onto, and also threatened to not rescue me if I went out onto it and it broke loose sweeping me away in the river. Thankfully it did not as I think Alli would have felt pretty bad about having to explain to my family why she didn't a good enough job warning me about the dangers of waterfalls. (The photo below was taken by me as Alli would come nowhere near the platform I was standing on...I guess she's never heard of a cantilever.) Just standing near the falls you could feel the raw power of the water, it was also a bit misty.
Now these falls are no namby-pamby waterfalls, they average a water-flow this time of year of about 700 cubic meters per second, (about 25,000 cubic feet per second...that's a lot of orange juice) and although they are smaller than the Niagara falls (average of about 8 times more water-flow per second) they are still very impressive. I was prompted to come to this spot for fireworks as I learned through the power of the internet that the falls are a spectacular place to watch fireworks and it's cool to watch them go over the waterfalls. Indeed.In America, we would have been kept a great distance away from the pyrotechnics (not to mention the waterfalls) for fear of lost limb or fireworks gone awry (or accidentally falling over the edge). In Switzerland, not so much. Not only could you get close, they pretty much were exploding directly overhead. You could feel the explosions in your chest, which I am sure would be great for those with pacemakers.. I would have expected the crowd to be a few thousand, maybe close to 10000 given that Schaffhausen is a town of about 33000 and not everyone goes to these events. Conservatively I would say there were b
etween 100000 and 125000 people there, it was amazing. People lined the banks of the Rhine, the railroad tracks above the falls, chartered boats to sit in the water below the falls, it was unreal.The show had typical fireworks you'd see in America, but there were a few displays that were, like totally awesome. One such display involved fireworks attached to parachutes. At first I thought they were balloons but Alli informed me (remember, I'm the engineer) that there is no way that they could launch a balloon and have it inflate (and stay inflated) with exploding shrapnel and intense heat from the very fireworks they were supporting. At least someone in this family is paying attention. The second involved launching fireworks into the water, which at first seemed like those shows you see on TV like "World's Scariest Fireworks Disasters," but eventually proved to be a deliberate act. I have attached videos of both below although they don't do justice to the awesomeness of the show.
If you are ever near the Rhine Falls and within a couple days of Swiss National Day, rearrange your plans and go check the fireworks out...you won't be disappointed!
Zurich...I Need More Cowbell
Tags:
alpenhorn,
cow herd,
cowbell,
Swiss National Day,
Zurich
This post is probably going to be lengthy, so I'll break it up into a couple to keep you on the edge of your seat. I must warn you that I don't advise reading this post on a laptop in the bathroom as being on the edge of that seat could create problems that I am in no way responsible for causing.
Well, it was bound to happen. No, we weren't arrested, deported, nor banned from anything...but let me tell you what went down in old Zurich town (Part I). Swiss National Day occurs every year on the first day of August. Every town and village celebrates the day marking the solidarity of all Swiss States as one nation (they've been celebrating this day for 100 years, although the official Federal Charter of Switzerland dates to 1291, so a little longer than the U.S., but who's counting).
Zurich is a neat old town, filled with neat old buildings and neat old people (just kidding, there were some new buildings too). We made our way to the neat old train station where we waited in a line for a while...we got older...the line was long...finally. Alli asked what there was to do today as all the shops were closed (due to the holiday) so there must be some fun things to do. The tourist agentista (I thought I'd make her sound more important than she really was, kind of like the barista at Starbucks) indicated that there was a parade to celebrate the Swiss National Day, but that ended a few hours ago (gee, thanks for making us feel like idiots for not being here first thing to watch the Swiss Shriners on their miniature funiculars going through the roundabouts spraying the crowd with fondue). She told us that there was a folk festival occurring down near the lake but that was over at four. It was about 2-ish so she figured we might not make it without some sort of transportation miracle, being that it was a good kilometer or so and who on Earth could possibly make it that far in such a short period of time, especially on foot? (If this doesn't make you chortle then you obviously don't understand the disdain Europeans have for traversing long distances in a short period of time. To them, driving an hour out of the city should take at least a day or two because there is just so much to see and do along the way. Look kids a rest stop! We'll, if they didn't want me to rest they wouldn't have built it, let's stop and sleep overnight...wake up, drive 50km, repeat. And that's the story of why Europeans need ten weeks of vacation each year). She then bemoaned the lack of fireworks in the city (she was quite apologetic...it appears the rest of the world understands our zeal for blowing up things for no reason as long as the colors are pretty and sparkly) and said there really wasn't anything else to do. (Note to self, Zurich is really boring according to the person being paid to be an ambassador of the city).
Being in the folk festival mood (and not wanting to miss what appeared to be the only fun thing to do in this city according to an underpaid tourist agenista) we strolled down towards the lake. We found the festival site (you could smell the bratwurst and rรถsti from blocks away...hey, my computer learned a new trick, the umlaut!) and immediately were taken by the crowd and the sounds of horns. I knew we were in for a treat when I saw what at first appeared to be standard sized horns, but upon closer inspection revealed three giant alpenhorns...(Never underestimate the power of good vision). We listened to them play for a bit and took in the festivities (heck yes it was awesome). It was at this point that I got a fever. No, not a real fever...but I tell you, the only prescription to cure my fever, was more cowbell. The alpenhorn, or alphorn, is used by the mountain cow herders to signal the cows that it is time to come home for milking, as at the time of its invention yodeling was still deemed 'lame' by the alpenteens.
Rolf, Fritz, and Larry
In Switzerland, we've noticed the cows don't always have brands or tags like the cows back in the good ole' USA, instead, they wear bells around their necks. The bells vary in shape and size ranging from the kind Alli uses to summon me to draw her bath or bring her a chocolate, to the size of bell you'd find on a medieval church tower to let the town folks know when it was an acceptable time to open their calf-skin satchels of wine and yodel at above normal levels (provided there was no imminent avalanche danger). I have learned through the art of folk-lore (I learned this at this festival) that the point of the bells is to prevent the herders of cows from being startled.
This is how the word coward was invented. A cow herder, or cowherd for short was usually a wimpish male deemed unfit for other tasks such as tending the fondue pot or rounding up the field mice and bopping them on the head. Before the advent of cow bells the cowherds were often found frolicking in the Alpine meadows chasing marmots and goats, dreaming of a life where they could do more important tasks such as brush the fur on the cows or make the giant wheels of Gruyere cheese (they were still allowed to make wheels of cheese, but they were only allowed to make the pocket sized ones you often find wrapped in red cellophane at the supermarket). The cows found it such good fun to sneak up on the cowherd and let out a resounding moo-yodel that the cowherd would often run fearing his life was in mortal danger (unfortunately I do not have this on tape). Over time, the word changed to our present day 'coward' meaning someone who is afraid of cows.
Thus, the cowards invented the cowbell to help alleviate the problem of mischievous cows. The size of the bell is indicative of the skulduggery of the cow, the bigger the bell, the larger the offender. True story, honest.
Back to the story, it was during the playing of the Alpenhorns that I realized their beauty and majesty...They played all of the Swiss hits such as "Edelweiss," "Heidi, Grandpa can't find his Special Medicine," "The Alp Horn Jive" and "Marmot-dance," and then we were treated to a very special song; complete with authentic cowbells. I simply cannot express in words the feelings evoked by the pastoral scene created by the musical harmony of the alpenhorns with the cowbells. Even watching it again and again I am struck by the grandeur of the cowbells...the only question I have is how the cow learned the melody.
Enjoy the clip below, I hope it brings you as much joy as it has to me!
Well, it was bound to happen. No, we weren't arrested, deported, nor banned from anything...but let me tell you what went down in old Zurich town (Part I). Swiss National Day occurs every year on the first day of August. Every town and village celebrates the day marking the solidarity of all Swiss States as one nation (they've been celebrating this day for 100 years, although the official Federal Charter of Switzerland dates to 1291, so a little longer than the U.S., but who's counting).
Zurich is a neat old town, filled with neat old buildings and neat old people (just kidding, there were some new buildings too). We made our way to the neat old train station where we waited in a line for a while...we got older...the line was long...finally. Alli asked what there was to do today as all the shops were closed (due to the holiday) so there must be some fun things to do. The tourist agentista (I thought I'd make her sound more important than she really was, kind of like the barista at Starbucks) indicated that there was a parade to celebrate the Swiss National Day, but that ended a few hours ago (gee, thanks for making us feel like idiots for not being here first thing to watch the Swiss Shriners on their miniature funiculars going through the roundabouts spraying the crowd with fondue). She told us that there was a folk festival occurring down near the lake but that was over at four. It was about 2-ish so she figured we might not make it without some sort of transportation miracle, being that it was a good kilometer or so and who on Earth could possibly make it that far in such a short period of time, especially on foot? (If this doesn't make you chortle then you obviously don't understand the disdain Europeans have for traversing long distances in a short period of time. To them, driving an hour out of the city should take at least a day or two because there is just so much to see and do along the way. Look kids a rest stop! We'll, if they didn't want me to rest they wouldn't have built it, let's stop and sleep overnight...wake up, drive 50km, repeat. And that's the story of why Europeans need ten weeks of vacation each year). She then bemoaned the lack of fireworks in the city (she was quite apologetic...it appears the rest of the world understands our zeal for blowing up things for no reason as long as the colors are pretty and sparkly) and said there really wasn't anything else to do. (Note to self, Zurich is really boring according to the person being paid to be an ambassador of the city).
Being in the folk festival mood (and not wanting to miss what appeared to be the only fun thing to do in this city according to an underpaid tourist agenista) we strolled down towards the lake. We found the festival site (you could smell the bratwurst and rรถsti from blocks away...hey, my computer learned a new trick, the umlaut!) and immediately were taken by the crowd and the sounds of horns. I knew we were in for a treat when I saw what at first appeared to be standard sized horns, but upon closer inspection revealed three giant alpenhorns...(Never underestimate the power of good vision). We listened to them play for a bit and took in the festivities (heck yes it was awesome). It was at this point that I got a fever. No, not a real fever...but I tell you, the only prescription to cure my fever, was more cowbell. The alpenhorn, or alphorn, is used by the mountain cow herders to signal the cows that it is time to come home for milking, as at the time of its invention yodeling was still deemed 'lame' by the alpenteens.
Rolf, Fritz, and Larry
In Switzerland, we've noticed the cows don't always have brands or tags like the cows back in the good ole' USA, instead, they wear bells around their necks. The bells vary in shape and size ranging from the kind Alli uses to summon me to draw her bath or bring her a chocolate, to the size of bell you'd find on a medieval church tower to let the town folks know when it was an acceptable time to open their calf-skin satchels of wine and yodel at above normal levels (provided there was no imminent avalanche danger). I have learned through the art of folk-lore (I learned this at this festival) that the point of the bells is to prevent the herders of cows from being startled.
This is how the word coward was invented. A cow herder, or cowherd for short was usually a wimpish male deemed unfit for other tasks such as tending the fondue pot or rounding up the field mice and bopping them on the head. Before the advent of cow bells the cowherds were often found frolicking in the Alpine meadows chasing marmots and goats, dreaming of a life where they could do more important tasks such as brush the fur on the cows or make the giant wheels of Gruyere cheese (they were still allowed to make wheels of cheese, but they were only allowed to make the pocket sized ones you often find wrapped in red cellophane at the supermarket). The cows found it such good fun to sneak up on the cowherd and let out a resounding moo-yodel that the cowherd would often run fearing his life was in mortal danger (unfortunately I do not have this on tape). Over time, the word changed to our present day 'coward' meaning someone who is afraid of cows.
Thus, the cowards invented the cowbell to help alleviate the problem of mischievous cows. The size of the bell is indicative of the skulduggery of the cow, the bigger the bell, the larger the offender. True story, honest.
Back to the story, it was during the playing of the Alpenhorns that I realized their beauty and majesty...They played all of the Swiss hits such as "Edelweiss," "Heidi, Grandpa can't find his Special Medicine," "The Alp Horn Jive" and "Marmot-dance," and then we were treated to a very special song; complete with authentic cowbells. I simply cannot express in words the feelings evoked by the pastoral scene created by the musical harmony of the alpenhorns with the cowbells. Even watching it again and again I am struck by the grandeur of the cowbells...the only question I have is how the cow learned the melody.
Enjoy the clip below, I hope it brings you as much joy as it has to me!
Off to Zurich in the Morning
(Sung to the tune of "We're off to See the Wizard")
We're off to see the center, the financial center of Switzerland.
We hear it is a really nice place, to go and see some cool museums,
If ever, oh ever there was a center, filled with goblets and trinkets and golden fleeced sweaters, it has to be Zurich because;
Because, because, because, because, becauuuuuuse
It's Swiss National Day and Alli has the day off (barumpy dee dadumpy dum)
We're off to see the center, the financial center of Switzerland.
My apologies to fans of the Wizard of Oz for my attempt to rewrite the lyrics to fit our weekend travel plans. I'll keep my eyes peeled for flying monkeys with fancy watches and unnumbered bank account statements. We'll try and do something interesting so I have something to write about when we get back. Have a safe and happy Swiss National Day everyone! (It's true, other countries celebrate their "birthdays" too)
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