easyWine

We just spent a marvellous weekend in London and two follow up days in Brighton, where we saw the fabulous Pet Shop Boys* in the charming company of Borstal Boy.

Since Gatwick is in the middle of London and Brighton we choose easyJet as our carrier. Of course Toño could not resist to taste their selection of red wines:

Easy going with nice acidity and fruitiness. The nose holds a fine
note of plastic and dark berries. The palate is dominated by
blackberries.

* yes, the same show we saw a year ago on a bit too tiny stage in Zürich (read about)

On Knives ....

From a letter by Michelle:

Dear Urs

As you probably already know, Michelle is not up with technology, even with Twittering and Tumblring...

Just read your Tumblr bit on knives - my bestest suggestion is choose knives based on your hand size.

My hands a really small - like Elton John, one of my hands cannot span a full octave on piano keyboard (my only bit of Elton John Trivia - now you know why he didn't pursue becoming a concert pianist).

My knife advice to anyone is - please choose knives based first of all on your actual hand size and your own current hand flexibility. I can chop and onion onto very fine pieces with a chef's knife, but can do so far better, more efficiently and much more safely with my own sized knives. I keep them well sharpened and have taught myself good and safe knife skills, but not as the so called "great chefs" do

I *heart* Metal Boxes

I have this thing for metal boxes. Like I almost always carry a small metal box with some vital stationary equipment like pens, pencils, crayons, sharpener, eraser an a small ruler:



Thus I was even more exited when I saw the latest complimentary amenity kit by Lufthansa:

TGIF in Bangalore

I'm spending this week in Bangalore on a business trip. These week long meetings are extremely tiring (much more than one would think) and boring (exactly as one would think). It's monsoon here too, which completes the picture.



Though tonight, I'll be flying back home and tomorrow after lunch, I'll be back with Toño.

Dem Ingeniör ist nichts zu schwör*

Switzerland is lacking teachers and production seems far from able to satisfy demand. 6 Cantons (states) are introducing a new scheme allowing lateral entrants to become teachers. Training takes 9 to 18 months (unpaid). The details of the concept are supposed to be released this autumn and production should start in a year. They are especially looking for engineers. I might be a bit too old though.

Nevertheless, I think I have to keep an eye on this. I'm a bit bored of the engineering trade and could use a fresh start. Why not working on the future of our society?

* A pun in German which translates to "nothing is too difficult for an engineer". The line was put in the mouth of Gyro Gearloose by his brilliant German interpreter Erika Fuchs.

5 on the fifth - this past weekend

One of this month's 5 on the fifth themes is this past weekend. Well, this past weekend I could enjoy a wide range of wine and wine like beverages:

• Ferratus 2005 Ribera del Duero
• Pommery Brut Royal
• Peter Lehmann Layers 2009
• Château Mouton-Rothschild 2002
• Dolská medovina hořká mandlová
• Vin confit, Schlossgut Bachtobel
• Riesling "Rote Erde" Weingut Schauß 2008
• Monte da Cal Reserva, Alentejo 2006
• Château du Retout 2006
• Graham's Port

Of course, of all these, the Château Mouton-Rothschild was the most exceptional experience. Also, because I could enjoy it in very charming company.

The one in bold, I put in my 5 on the fifth for July 2010:

Reclaiming the Purpose to Live

I was rather down, grumpy and moody the last couple of months. I'm awfully sorry for this. However, today there was this current streaming through my body when I opened the post. Kylie's brand spanking new album Aphrodite is here.



It's almost weird yet totally flabbergasting how something like this can change your mood by 180°. Kylie saved me again :)

Underground

This week, I went underground with some mates from work to see the newest train tunnel being built underneath Zürich.



We entered the tunnel through a big hole.



The rear end of the front of the drilling machine. It is currently in "wet mode" drilling through gravel surrounded by groundwater. This picture is taken underneath Niederdorf.



The rear end of the drilling machine.



The patroness of the tunneller happens to be also the one of my business.