Overbloomed

I've been wandering the surface of mother Earth for almost forty years, but until this weekend I've failed to notice that there are plants for which just blossoming is not enough. They have blossoms within blossoms.

I have no idea how this one is called. It's humble yet beautiuful.



Well this one is a bougainvillea. A plant which has a special spot in my heart anyway.

Manumitted

The curse is broken. I just finished the Potter saga. Now I can live happily ever after with my deriously beloved Toño.

Swiss Navy

I reckon that I'm one of few Swiss working in the navy business. Not the easiest thing to do from an inland country with no domestic market whatsoever. Who was I to know:

(Click to enlarge)

Greasing is a common practice in international arms trade. Unlike others, Swiss Navy is completely open about it.

Te Beso Mucho runfunk.fm

I almost missed it. How could I. Many thanks Odi, for reminding me. runfunk.fm is back!

runfunk.fm is a radio station that broadcasts only a month per year. It's the frequent reminder how dried up the airwaves actually are. Or do you know any other station that dares to broadcast "Besame Mucho" for an entire hour?



Tune your Radio to runfunk.fm now. This year, it will last only until 1st September. Bad reception? Stream it!

Buyer's Remorse

The allegeably waterproof cycling shoes Shimano SH-W101 are neigther waterproof nor water-repellent. Twice, last evening and this morning, I got wet feet after only 10 minutes. I will have a word with Pete today.

While I'm at cycling and water: Zürich's cycling routes are not only patchy but also far from waterproof.



No, I did not drive through this.

There Is No Bad Weather Anymore

Again, Switzerland has not finished dinner or how is it to explain that we are again exposed to this overwhelming flow of rain. Whatever the reason is, it's a bad thing to go to the cycle dealer in this weather.

There is the ancient outdoor saying that there is no bad weather, there is only bad equipment. This is true with one exception. There are no waterproof cycling shoes.

Well obviously, things have changed dramatically, as my cycle dealer of trust claims:

Finally, a shoe for extreme weather cycling. Waterproof polyurethane-coated leather upper features a high-top neoprene ankle cover to help keep foot warm by shutting out mud and water. Cup-molded EVA backed inner sole and Texon mid-sole assure a rigid yet comfortable cradle for the foot.

My caring employer should hire my cycle dealer of trust, because he's the best sales man I know. Last time, I brought a bike for maintenance, I left with two new bikes. This time, with new boots and pedals.

Mr.Mac claims that I've more money than sense, because I wear wifebeaters by Hanro. I reckon there will a lot more rain be needed to prove him wrong in this case.

Slow Book

Toño and I are far from being zealots, but it is just natural for us to to adhere más o menos to the principles of Slow Food. Food just tastes better that way. However, Toño goes even a step further. He also practices Slow Book.

You can call it trivia, but we had bought the identical book* some months before we met at Katalin's swimming class for the first time. We also both had started reading Tolstoy's War and Peace in the restored original version at the same time (August 2004) , which was just before we copped off. Well, I finished this epic in prose about the insignificance of individuals somewhere over Asia on November 27, 2005 and Toño did it last night:



Toño's next book project will be "Matto regiert" by Friedrich Glauser. He can keep going there for a while. I have got Glauser's oeuvre. He happens to be my favorite Swiss writer. Maybe Toño's soon in some years as well.

* With one difference: Toño's copy has an inscription by the translator (in both Russian and German).

Not So Graceful

My colleague Gerd took this picture of me when I dared to step into Admiral Grace Hopper's footsteps by debugging on a navy vessel:



Though, I would never call myself software engineer since (I think it was) Michèle Roten wrote that male software engineering students have the worst sex life of all people populating a campus (female journalism students are supposed to have the best).

My Culpable Longing

I have got the blameworthy desire for this.



Yes, it's a Kenwood KMT076 in brushed titanium. Although it comes with the bare essential accessories to only half the price of my titanium bike, I was told that "we have other priorities".

Following My Urges

Sometimes you just have to do it. I mean following your urges. I don't mean the shopping of underwear for more than 500$ like we did this afternoon. I refer to something even lower on the Maslow hierarchy, such as Food.

I took charge of the grocery shopping today.



I took full liberties by deciding that I desperately need some really fresh Russian Salad. Well, I did compromise by having entrecôte on the side.



Toño chose a bottle of Cuvée Expression 2004 Mansis de Fenolheto. A prudent, nevertheless expressive wine. Like the rest of the meal.

We defiantly need more of everything, Russian Salad, meat and this wine.

Dawn on Planet Earth

The last couple of weeks have been marvellous. Since Prince released "Planet Earth", being on it has been become so much more enjoyable.



Planet Earth did not take me by storm, but it enchanted me completely since they* arrived at my weekend residence. It's versatile like this summer which makes it the perfectly matching soundtrack of the season.

* I pre-ordered more than one copy. You might call me impatient.

Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Be patient for a minute, then your jaw will drop.



There are loads of these videos out there. When did this Daft Hands movement start? Do I have to paint my fingers now with words and try to memorize the steps, when I can hardly tell left from right?

In The Hands Of The Vikings

It has been a long time since the last serious business trip (not counted the sleepovers). But now I'm again parted from by deriously beloved Toño. Actually, I'm totally surrounded by Vikings. Blond, tall and blue eyed folks everywhere.



The view might be great here in Korsør, but the weather has its strengths too. I was almost blown off the vessel today. And my touch pad refused to work in the rain. I hope the tide will change.

Caravan of Ridicule

Today's France Soir ran a mock obituary on its front page, telling that the Tour de France has died yesterday "at age 104, after a long illness". Le Tour had been the only sport event I was actually interested in. Seems like a long time ago. For me the obituary is real. May Le Tour rest in peace.

Michael Lives

On Sylv's request a brief review of Armistead Maupin's new book Michael Tolliver Lives, which I took on our trip to California



Was it page turner?
All books by Maupin were so far. It took me less than two weeks to read all six books of the Tales of the City series. Well, the book is quite thin and Maupin writes not that complex. It took about a couple of days to read it.

Was I laughing out loud?
No, I wasn't or I can't remember. However the characters were a lot and quite often during the many sex scenes.

Do I recommend it?
I'm not quite sure if this book was really necessary. Of course, it was nice to read what Michael is up to and how life had treated him over the last 20 years. But I think that was it. What I really like about Tales of the City are all these preposterous coincidences the characters were exposed to. I missed those. If you haven't read Tales of the City, then it's a definite No! There is no point in doing so. However, if you read them, you don't insist on preposterous coincidences and you don't mind people chuckling or doing worse while having sex you might give it a try.

Something Between Heaven and Earth

I'm one of those schmucks who read while sitting on the loo. The appropriate printing matter for these occasions are trash mags. However this morning there was nothing else at hand but The New Yorker. And so I had to learn between first coffee and breakfast smoothie how ignorant I actually am. I basically know but can not quite tell the difference between a meteoroid, meteorite and meteor. The New Yorker gave some hints but I had to look it up:

meteoroid
A solid body, moving in space, that is smaller than an asteroid and at least as large as a speck of dust.

meteorite
A stony or metallic mass of matter that has fallen to the earth's surface from outer space.

meteor
A bright trail or streak that appears in the sky when a meteoroid is heated to incandescence by friction with the earth's atmosphere. Also called falling star, meteor burst; Also called shooting star.

I so have to stock up trash mags.

Changing Course

We had been exposed to the cuisine of the U.S. of A. for almost two weeks.



It already shows on the waistline. Staring is never an option. However, it must have some impact on the weekend shopping list:

Fruity Sweets & Drowning

Sometimes Toño packs me a lunch bag. Like today, when he made ma a marvelously fruity version. Besides of a peach and banana, I've got these fruity pastries by Sprüngli:



They are delicious yet anything but healthy...

Talking about health... mine seems anyway in peril. I will have to do some job related sailing in August and September. As usual, to get on a navy vessel, you need a clearance. In this case, they even asked, who is to inform in case of my decease. Nice prospect. However, I hope not to share the fate of the lady on Zappa's Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch.

100% Swiss Gherkins

You heard it here first (remember). Swiss Gherkins survive.

Yesterday, Hugo Reitzel presented the last truly Swiss gherkin on my brother's farm to the world media.



Harvest has started and the production line is steaming up. It takes about three weeks for the gherkins to ripe in the glass and develop its genuine flavour. They should hit the shelf right after the Swiss National Day. Be ready for a patriotic experience of the rather sour kind.

Berry Season

Summer is almost a month old and I haven't reviewed Migros' Summer Yogurt Collection. Enough of this procrastination. First I will review the yogurts and then iron the laundry.



Migros made it kind of easy for themselves or they are just running out of ideas. Two of the yogurts are recycled!

Pêche Melba was part of the Spring Collection 2006. Peaches and raspberries are actually summery delights and it makes much more sense to present them now. However, the yogurt was such a disgrace that I will not buy it again.

Kiwi & Gooseberry was part of the Summer Collection 2005 and I still think it's the perfect summer yogurt that gives great cross-grained acidulous pleasure.

The new one is Redcurrant, which is also a member of the big gooseberry family. It lacks a bit the complexity of the Kiwi & Gooseberry version, however, it is still a worthy member of this year's Summer Yogurt Collection.

Catching Up

On our trip to California and back we flew Business (one leg a complimentary upgrade and the other against tons of miles). Why this is so important? Well, life is too short to drink mediocre wine like one has to do in coach. To our surprise, the Maître de Cabine brought us an envelope with an accompanied bottle of Bordeaux. It was the present of our neighbours, which we had asked to take care of our plants. A really nice way to say thank you for this honour.

Back to the main thread. I used to go to the cinema at least once per week. Unfortunately, those days are long gone. I have even difficulties to remember the last film I saw in a cinema. Flying business for almost an entire day gave me the opportunity to catch up a bit. This is what I saw on my personal screen:

Shooter



A glumly macho thriller full of action clichés, probably written by a script robot. Although I have a crush on Mark Wahlberg since his days as an undies model, I'm happy not to have wasted any money at the box office.


Die Herbstzeitlosen (autumn crocuses)



A swiss version of Cocoon that does not use aliens but the rejuvenating power fine lingerie to energize some seniors with youthful vigour. I really enjoyed it (and shed some tears).


300



The carnage at the Battle of Thermopylae is brilliantly choreographed and rendered with battleship-gray skies and copper fields (The New Yorker). But there is neither something called a plot nor any characterization. The dialogues are a complete disgrace. Quite a waste.


Azul oscuro casi negro (English title: Dark Blue Almost Blueack)



The absolute opposite of 300. Touching, surprising, unusual and intriguing. I absolutely loved it. The film is about making the most of it when life takes us in unexpected directions.


The Lookout



A tick further than making the most of it, this small-scale thriller is about turning a handicap into an advantage. Unfortunately, I have no idea how it ends. They switched off the entertainment system, before it happened. Never mind, I forget anyway the ending of both films and books. All I know is that I want to see more of the leading actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who looks a bit like a smarter version of Keanu Reeves.

We're back

Yes, our holidays in sunny California are over. We're back in the mild Swiss climate.

Our home base was South Central Los Angeles. Yes, it's exactly the place travel guides recommend not to visit. Although, I was the only pinche güero in sight, I never felt uncomfortable in any way. Toño's relatives took perfectly care of me. I have not the slightest idea, why the gringos make such a fuss about their neighbours from the south. The Mexicans I met set a shining example of taking care of each other and holding together as a family. IMHO you can't wish more upright, decent and hard working citizens.

4th of July Volleyball tournament in South Central LA.

Well the main purpose of our visit, the Quinceañera took place at Desert Hot Springs, which is close to the famous Palm Springs. It set the antipode to our Siberia trip. The thermometer read up to 113°F/45°C. We covered a range of 175°F/97°C and 19 time zones in less than a six months.



The Quinceañera itself was a blast. The unbelievable part was that I spent more time on the dance floor than Toño. There were about 350 people. Many of whom Toño has not seen for years. He is still the better dancer, but he had to catch up a lot with his family.

We also went to Las Vegas to see an uncle and niece of Toño and to Hollywood to meet with a friend from Mexico D.F. who is a director of photography to dine in a house which ones belonged to Charlie Chaplin. You see, there was no time for any sightseeing left.

We're off

We're off to our holidays - sorry, vacations - in sunny California. Actually, it's visiting relatives of Toño. We're invited to a Quinceañera.



Yes. I've got Armistead Maupin's brand spanking new book with me, but we will not go to San Francisco to let our hair down. Our destinations will be Los Angeles to celebrate 4th of July, Palm Springs for the Quinceañera and maybe Las Vegas.

We will be back in a fortnight. See you then. Behave and don't do anything we would not do.

My Sister Is The Best Swiss Miller!

My sister Marlene learned one of the oldest trades of mankind. She just completed her three-year apprenticeship as miller with the best marks of the year.



Because Marlene was the best, she was awarded with a scholarship to study mill technology at university. However, she wants to give herself two years to gain more experience. One should not start to study before one is 50.

Bürli of Zürich

No, it's not all gloom and doom, there are things that cheer me up. Of course, my deriously beloved Toño tops the list. He and the nasty weather made it possible to have a double pleasure of a special kind in one day. Yesterday, I enjoyed both a Bürli by Buchmann for lunch and a Bürli by Gold for dinner.

The ones not living in the vicinity of the center of the known and unknown universe (exactly, it's Zürich) might think What is this weirdo talking about?. Let me explain: There are duopoly constellations in this world, e.g. think Pepsi vs Coca-Cola in soft drink market or Airbus vs Boeing in commercial jet aircraft market. Here in Zürich we have Buchmann and Gold in the Bürli market. Actually since 1910, when Gold joined the market one year after Buchmann.

A Bürli is a bread roll with a very hard crust. If you eat a good Bürli, your jaw hurts and there are bread crumbs all over the place. It also helps if they are made in a wood-fired oven. The higher temperature gives the extraordinary taste.



On the left, you can see a Bürli by Buchmann, which my caring employer sells in our canteen. I'm a late luncher and there is always the danger that they are sold out. Due to the nasty weather, less people take a salad for lunch, which increases my changes for a lunch with Bürli.

On the right, you can see a Bürli by Gold. Toño suggested to drop by at the Sternen Grill* for some sausages with Bürli. We went for both Cervelat and Bratwurst, which gave me three Bürli in one day!

Which one is better? For me, it's the Gold, it's texture is unbeatable and the jaw hurts a tiny bit bit more. Would I select the right one in a Pepsi Challenge? I think so.

* Paris has the Eiffel Tower, London the Queen, San Franzisco the Golden Gate Bridge and Zürich the Sternen Grill. It's a place where you can come in swimming attire or directly from the opera, nobody raises an eyebrow. However, the legend is that if you asked for knife and fork, the sausage chef points over the river and says the Baur au Lac is over there.

Taking a Bath in Self-Pity

This week I'm somehow trading water when trying to keep up my unflappable self in the face of adversity. Everything starts with taking a shower early in the morning.

Retail Therapy - Monday Edition

What do you do on a Monday, when

• it's raining like only in Vancouver;
• your staff is ignoring your commands;
• both of your feet hurt like hell;
• and you have to mop up the floor because you did not notice that your foot is bleading and hence you were dragging a trail of blood behind you?

Exactly, buying some flowery pictures:

Monder

This week we had major discussions about monder. According to Alicia (Toño's fabulously charming boss), you can't say that your are blanching and peeling a tomato. It's called monder a tomato.

Obviously, monder is French, the Lingua Franca of cooking. And being a graduate of the famous École Hôtelière de Lausanne, Alicia has to know this.

So how does one monder? It's quite easy. You even may do this at home. Just keep your kiddos away from the boiling water and the sharp knife.

Step 1: Get rid off the stalk of the tomato.



Step 2: Cut a small cross with the point of a knife



Step 3: Plunge the tomato in ebullient water and leave it there for about 30 seconds (which is the time it takes until you can observe that the skin is detaching from the flesh).



Step 4: Put the tomato in ice water.



Step 5: Now peeling is easy like taking candy from a baby.



Why all this effort? Well, I just wanted to make some Roulade Estiva.

Light & Easy - School Nights Edition

We've extended our Light & Easy meal theme to the entire week. These were the highlights:

Tomatoes and Mozzarella Salad with a Slice of Salmon



For the salad, Toño used Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and blanched and filleted tomatoes. You get the best results, if you use tomatoes of the kind Cuore di Bue, aka Bulls Heart oder Giant Ox Heart. Instead of basil, you can also use coriander (cilantro). Don't forget to season with Balsamic vinegar, pepper and salt. The salad goes also quite well with a slice of slightly fried tuna.

Refreshing Chicken Soup



Lemon, mint and sprouts make this the most refreshing soup I happen to know. Heat a bit of salted butter with lemon rind, lemon juice and the mint in a pan. Slice a big chicken breast and add it to the pan. Stir until the chicken turns white. Add stock and soup pasta and let it boil on low heat for 10 minutes. Decorate with sprouts of your choice.

Today we will deviate from our Light & Easy theme. We are invited to a Midsummer Night Dinner party. Life is about finding the right balance. Isn't it?

Ready to Flaunt

Toño's wonderjock has arrived. However, there is no reason to flock at Oerlikon tonight. Sorry, but he will not wear it during regular training sessions. We usually have to do some lanes of backstroke and we don't want to cause any shark alert.

Light & Easy

Maybe having his wonderjocks in mind, Toño asked for light and easy meals this weekend, when I went shopping on Saturday. Well this was my interpretation of his command:

Cannelloni ai zucchini



Paillard de boeuf avec ratatouille



Cherry Pie



Mediterranean Potato Salad

The Moscato d'Asti Project

Self indulgence is essential. Why? Because we all have deserved it so much and we're getting far to little gratitude anyway. Having this in mind and feeling the vibes of the times, we had to come to the conclusion that both this summer's indulgence and wine must be the Moscato d'Asti.

Moscato d'Asti is a very special effervescent wine from Italy's Piedmont region. Moscato d'Asti is aromatic semi-sparkling wine (about half the carbonation of a typical sparkler) with a mild level of sweetness balanced by vibrant acidity. Moscato d'Asti also serves well as a dessert wine, but possesses enough versatility to be enjoyed as a refreshing aperitif.

This summer we plan to taste a wide variety of Moscato d'Asti. Stay tuned and indulge yourself with us. But first we (i.e. Toño) have to carry the goods home.

The Car

Some weeks ago, Toño brought up a very itchy subject: The Car, like in We should get a car.

No, we haven't got one. Not because I'm a hopeless tree hugger. I have three other arguments for not having one:

1. Cars are just a big nuisance (maintenance, insurance, you can't drink and drive)
2. We live in a city. Parking space is rare and expensive and traffic jams rather frequent. Public transport in Switzerland is convenient, rather dense and on time most of the time.
3. We have Mobility. This is the most convenient car sharing scheme in the world. I can get a car within 15 minutes, if I needed one.

You see, I'vew prepared my case well. However, the good old Boy Scout rule goes be prepared!. If I can't say No! any more, I had to look that we get the right car - that is, a car with the right brand image. There is nothing more important that this.

E.g. it is absolutely impossible for me to drive an Audi. An Audi speaks to me like: My driver is in the middle management and can afford to pay far too much for a Volkswagen. Whether true or not, that is not what I want others to think of me.

Aston Martin would be a nice choice. However, I'm still a wage slave and somehow Aston Martin's brand image tells me that this just does not match.

I'm in quite a dilemma. But there is always the press. Hence, I spent some time on these sordid car sections of the papers. Car journalists are not for no reason the lowest of the lowest of this not quite well regarded trade. Back on track. I actually found some brand spanking new cars I might like. Here are the top two:

Fiat 500



Back in the eighties, when I was working in the construction business, I was driving an older model (company car). It's the perfect town car, agile and so unpretentious that it's fashionable.

Rolls-Royce Phantom Drophead Coupé



Closer to a sailing boat than a car (teak deck!), unmatched by anything called car, but what really got me were the thoughtful details. Such as the two big umbrellas that reside inside the hull. If you put them back wet, a fan dries them. Simply fantastic!

Limón y sal

Next Monday, Zurich's doctors will be busy setting peoples hips. This weekend, the town is in Latinos' hands. We are celebrating CALIENTE!.

Sharing my life with a Mexican, I could hardly stand outside. Thus we went to see Julieta Venegas.



I liked her music before the concert. But now she's burnt herself into my heart. Not only is she wearing frocks (always a plus with women), she is also extremely charming. And then there is this wonderful music. If there is any woman that could keep up with Prince's talent, it's Julieta Venega.



Right now, Julieta Venegas is on heavier rotation than Mika.

Reading Snack

I know, being a country cousin and living in Switzerland shields me from quite some terrible things out there in the world. However, sometimes I leave this Garden of Eden where milk and honey flows and I have to face the world.

This morning, I almost let drop my coffee and muffin when I spotted this on Glasgow airport:



Yes, it's a book vending machine. Those things might be common at your sort of place. And you might think that this must be serendipity for somebody with an addiction to all printed matter. Nevertheless, for me, it was quite a dystopian experience.

Until the end of June, Switzerland's book shops were bound by a book price trust. That means that until the federal court broke the trust, competition via price was prohibited. Of course, we were paying far too much for the books, but we still have a wide variety of book shops were the staff actually knows what they are selling and can give competent recommendations.

But now I've seen Switerland's future. Thank you federal court. Will we soon can buy justice too like books, chips and soda at a vending machine?

Complete Indulgence

Roman poet Juvenal is supposed to have said that rare indulgence creates greater pleasure. Knowing what rare food Cervelat would soon be, we went this lunch for a Sausage Cheese and Avocado salad.



We accompanied the salad with a Cidre Bouché from renowned calvados and cider producer Etienne Dupont from the Normandie. A splendid choice with amber colour and a refreshing balance between bitterness and acidity. This was what Juvenal must have had in mind.

Swiss Banger Crisis

This morning I fell almost out of bed when I was reading today's newspaper. Cervelat, the most popular Swiss sausage may run out of production because Brazil does not care enough about BSE *take deep breath*.



Almost a quarter of all sausages made in Switzerland are Cervelats. A key element of a sausage is the casing. In the case of Cervelat this is especially critical, because they can be roasted, fried, boiled or eaten raw. Only cows of Brazil and Paraguay are equipped with the high quality intestines which fulfil the though requirements.

Right now the European borders are closed for Brazilian beef products and the remaining stock in the Swiss warehouses can hardly supply this year's barbecue season. To make matters worse, Paraguay is reorganising its administration and hence no intestines can be sent to Switzerland. Hello gauchos, sort that mess out quickly!

Talking about intestines needed for Swiss sausages: Wieners are filled in Persian sheep intestines. For the Bratwursts, the ones of Chinese pigs are used. Those are ripped out of the body and not cut out with an air knife like in Switzerland. Ripping makes the texture smother. Both China and Iran are not the most stable places in the world. I fear we will face a lot more trouble with our sausages.

Wonderjock

Toño wants to be louder and prouder this summer. He covets aussieBum's new WONDERJOCK pouch technology swimmwear. It's supposed to enhance his natural assets, flaunt his stuff, make him feel proud and have fun on the beach this summer.



I have no idea what there is still to be enhanced and I loath sandy beaches. Nevertheless, feel free to send him a pair (Size S). Unfortunately for Toño, they are not available in orange. However, he would humbly accept a pair in black.

Avow Yourself!

This Saturday, Zürich was celebrating the Christopher Street Day. The turnout was excellent, despite the nasty weather. Never came so many people. This is good. We had to show that we can't condone the behaviour of the police in recent months (read more).



This was Toño's first demonstration ever and he seemed to have enjoyed it. We first planed only to listen to the speeches before the march, but it just grabbed us.

Other stuff what we've been up to this weekend is singing Karaoke with our swim buddies, joining a country festival to please a colleague of Toño and dining under the cherry trees at the birthday brunch of a dear friend of ours, besides of listening to Mika, of course.

"Everybody's Gonna Love Today"

I tried to resist, but I failed completely. I just love Mika's brand spanking new record. Today, it's already on its fifth rotation. I can't explain it but it seems all right to be flamboyant right here and right now. Have a flabbergastingly flamboyant weekend, you're gonna love it!