Sonntag

For once I can report a Martin like Sunday lunch:




We are at my sister's enjoying a veal hock, from a calf born and bred on my brother's farm. A real family affair.

Toño, my sister, my niece and I will be travelling to México in March and met to discus the details of the upcoming trip.

Location:Im Sedel,,Switzerland

Saturday Flower - Midwinter Edition

This is a Helleborus niger, commonly also called Christmas rose. It's actually blossoming on our balcony. Strangely it's blossoming in winter and enjoys temperatures around the freezing point. I have no idea how propagation works for them at this temperature.

We bought three of them last year, when I took the picture I use on my blog banner. As this picture shows, they made it through summer. Though, we had to put it in the shade.

The In-N-Out Experience

Our last meal in California was at In-N-Out Burger at LAX Airport. In-N-Out has been recommended to me only minutes after we passed immigration and it has been many times again during out stay. Have you eaten already at In-N-Out? was a common phrase. Such highly praised things should not be missed and so we squeezed in this visit. I don't know if it was because of us or or the burgers... we were a group of 11 who showed up together.



The menu is pretty simple: burgers, fries and beverages. the burgers come in three different basic types (hamburger, cheeseburger, double cheeseburger) with a few options. That's it and it tastes delicious - not only for a fast food place. The fries are made fresh by hand at the shop and for the patties, the family owned company has got their own butchery. No microwave, no heat lamp, and no freezer compromise the taste. I loved it.

5 on the Fifth - Fun and Games

This month's 5 on the fifth theme is Fun and Games.

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Gisel and Nallely are dancing into 2011


Eduardito driving a 1965 Ford Mustang


Stuck till grabbed for two quarters in a Denny's


Eduarditos games



Jacqueline enjoying a Coca Cola.

Farewell to America

We are heading home soon. Between us and the airport is only a visit at In-N-Out, who's burgers had been recommended to us during this visit many times.

For the flight back we upgraded to business :) See you tomorrow evening in Zürich... and hopefully soon back in California :)

Location:S Grand Ave,Los Angeles,United States

Fixies FTW!

Fixes (or fixed-gear or fixed-wheel bicycles) are extremely popular here in South Central Los Angeles. According to Toño's primo Héctor, they have replaced skateboards as the main aid to attract girls.




A Fixie is a bicycle that has no freewheel, meaning it cannot coast. It's pedals are always in motion when the bicycle is moving. Due to the few parts required they usually look much more elegant than a coasting bicycle.

Sadly, if you are caught riding a bicycle without two independent brakes in Switzerland you are facing an initial fine of at least 258 Swiss francs plus about 300 Swiss francs for the paperwork. The fine doubles the second time (source: Tages Anzeiger, 27.10.2009)

Location:W Slauson Ave,Los Angeles,United States

Between the Festivities

For the days between Christmas and New Year we travelled to Las Vegas...




.... to meet Toño's cousin Sonia.




We were a party of 11, fitting more or less into a couple of hotel rooms. I was a tiny bit crowded...

Toño managed to turn 20$ I gave him into more than 1000$ at the slot machine :) though he did not manage to stop right there :( well, there is some left.

We also paid the new resort The Cosmopolitan and the flash City Center luxury shopping center a visit. I loved it and somehow managed not to flash my credit card. Eg, this is a part of the 3 story bar Chandelier:

Location:Las Vegas