More Snow!

Just as we thought the snow might start to disappear here in Kaiseraugst we've got another day of snow showers! Here's our station this morning as I went into town...

This all augurs well for our ski trip at the New Year in Champery!

A Quiet Sunday

Yesterday evening was another wonderful experience at our good American friends, Jim & Beth. As usual the food was superb and too much beer, wine and strange liqueurs were drunk. As a result it has been a very lazy day for me and would have been for Claire if she hadn't realised that she needed to go into work for a couple of hours. She's far too conscientious for her own good sometimes.

Never Leave A Man Alone Near Technology

So we needed to get a little late Christmas shopping in Basel and we managed to buy shoes for ourselves and whilst Claire was sorting out a pair if boots....

I said I would meet her near Barfusserplatz which just so happens to contain a rather nice shop INGENODATA that houses the Apple store in central Basel. Suddenly out of nowhere I had purchased a brand new iMac!! No idea how that happened.... :-)

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!

As soon as Monica and Peter had left it pretty much started snowing and it hasn't stopped for over two days now! I expect the trains to the mountains will be packed this weekend as the first powder has really arrived. The weather forecast isn't too good though and due to the fact we need to prepare for the Christmas holiday our skiing will need to wait until the new year. :-(

Wet & Crowded in Colmar plus the Niggi-Näggi

We set off for the Christmas Markets in Colmar today and though the markets are probably pretty good the persistent rain and large crowds made it not quite as enjoyable as we would have wished. However, we enjoyed some rather nice Vin Chaud (see photo) and cheesy food (unfortunately for Claire most of the hot food had some cheese content!). After the markets we got back to Basel in time for the Santas on Harley-Davidsons who always drive round the town at this time of year before enjoying a meal at the Ueli Brauerei!

Car Trouble again..

It was a good arrangement whilst it lasted but our friends' Alfa Romeo has yet again failed to co-operate when required! Its battery was flat this morning as I was due to go to the shops to get some bits & bobs for our weekend guests. Oh well, never mind, it's back to the bike & trailer along with our good old trams, buses and trains. Luckily I didn't need the car for meeting Monica & Peter who arrived from Bristol via Geneva this evening.

Today is the day before.......

.....my parents-in-law arrive here in Switzerland. So that means that it's a weekend of Weihnachsmarkt (in Colmar) and mince pies with mulled wine, so very seasonal. The Christmas season over here (and in Germany) starts around the end of November (so not quite as bad as the UK). So just need to get in the kitchen and make those pies!

Discovering your past...

At my Dad's 70th birthday my Aunt Sue produced some photos and information on my family tree. She had been really busy and has gone back as far as my great-great grandparents. I now know that I have some Gypsy blood in me!! My grandad was imprisoned in a stalag and here's a photo of my grandparents' wedding!

Back Home for the Weekend

We've just got back from a hectic weekend in England where we managed to see our Swiss friends in St Albans, celebrate my Dad's 70th birthday, clean his house and see Gillian & Chris to share some memories of Judith :-(

It was one of those when you get on the plane home and think you've been away for weeks but it's only been a couple of days - but you've seen so many people and done so much.

That's just too young to die...

Our good friend Judith died yesterday and it's only just beginning to sink in at the moment. Throughout her last five years of battling cancer she has always remained pretty much the same Judith we knew and loved so it's really difficult to suddenly know she's gone. It was all so damned quick, one moment we're planning to see here at Christmas and the next it's an impossible engagement. It's odd how it hits you - for me, it was just as I was typing an email to our mutual friend, Gillian. Just having to say her name in the past tense made me burst into tears. Here she is enjoying the company of two of her best friends....

Sad news on Saturday's fire

It seems that two people died as a result of the fire, one in hospital and one in the building itself. There are still the odd signs of smouldering fire as well as the continuing smell of burnt wood.

Fire in Kaiseraugst

We were woken up very early this morning by the rather terrifying shouting across the road as the local nightclub was ablaze. Soon the fire was out of control and there were fire engines and firemen everywhere. We witnessed the rescue of 3 or 4 people, one of whom was taken from a blazing window. We will wait and see whether there are any casualties but our landlord said that 2 people were still missing.

The Ease of Going to the Cinema in Basel

One of the great things about Basel is that it's really easy to go to the cinema with no worries about language problems as the films are always shown (in one cinema or another) in English (with German & French subtitles). So we went off to the Pathé Kuchlin to see the latest Bond movie which was appropriate as I've just ordered the last two DVDs to complete my Bond collection! I always enjoy them even if this one has had mixed reviews - I don't care I like 'em all (even OHMSS!) and this darker, edgier version that Daniel Craig brings is thoroughly enjoyable.

Basel Region Walk #1

Here's the little walk that we managed today on a beautiful, if slightly chilly, day here in Switzerland. After the weather this week it was no surprise to find a little snow on the walk up to Sissacher Fluh. At the top we were rewarded with a great view over the hills to the Engelberg Alps, all covered in relatively fresh snow. At the other end of the walk (entitled, "Vantage Point to Vantage Point") was the Aussichturm, which we didn't climb this time as we had already walked for four hours. It is only a 50 minute walk from Kaiseraugst so we'll be back, I'm sure. So we've now completed the first of the "Basel Region" Walks that are listed on the wonderful Swiss Tourist website, www.myswitzerland.com . It was enjoyable and we're also looking forward to the higher walks in the Jura soon.

First snow spotted

We went for a walk today up into the hills near where we live and by the time we had got to the top we saw the first snow of the winter had appeared on top of the hills in the Black Forest. However, it's no sign of a cold winter this year as next week it's meant to be 20 degrees plus!

Well played the Tigers

I have to admit when you get beaten by a better team (so long as it's not one of those you really hate - you just can't then) and yesterday that was the case. It wasn't a great day at all as I forgot my Network & Oyster cards, the flight from Zurich was delayed an hour and my credit card had its pin number blocked! Thankfully the beer was as good as ever and with a 5.30 KO we had more time to drink before the game.

Last day in Singapore

Due to the global financial crisis hitting various American banks over the weekend it meant that Barbara suddenly wasn't able to say a proper goodbye which was a shame. However, Clive helped out by taking us to the Chinese Gardens on the way to the airport to see their lantern festival (with me leaving my camera in the car here are some photos I found on the web). It was a great way to end a wonderful two weeks in the Far East. Plus a random panoramic photo I took of Boat Quay.

A Singapore Sling

Although it took us till nearly the end of the holiday we finally managed to get to Raffles Hotel for a visit to the tourist trap and a Singapore Sling, except for the fact that I really don't like that particular cocktail and so it was just Claire that partook in the drink. In the morning we visited Sentosa Island, another tourist trap though more for the Singapore locals with its rides, bars and beaches.

A walk in the jungle and....

This morning we took a walk through the jungle in the MacRitchie Reservoir Park and it was a good if hot & humid experience. Part of the walking route involves a wonderful Tree Top walk that proved a little difficult for Claire but she managed it in the end. We also saw a tree that had a billion ants marching up and down it, which was an amazing sight.

..and it was Matthew's Birthday

today as well. So Clive had organised a treasure hunt and BBQ down by the sea for Matthew's friends and families. Luckily after wet weather the day before and in the morning, today was warm and sunny with a beautiful sunset.

Back to Singapore

So today was the last day on the island of Bintan and we left in a torrential downpour at the ferry terminal so it didn't quite feel like we were leaving paradise. One strange thing that happened was the need for the Singapore authorities to x-ray the bags on arrival at the port as well as departing the island? In the evening Clive and Barbara took us to a really fantastic party at the American Club in Singapore to celebrate its 60th anniversary. With overflowing champagne and food from every corner of the globe it was a fabulous occasion.

Last full day on Bintan

Today we spent most of the day underwater snorkelling and it was such a pleasure to see the variety and colour of the fishes around here. Parrot fish, Clown fish (though not the same colour as Nemo) and Angel fish were my favourites but the worst experience was the site of a very large jellyfish that I just managed to avoid.

Bintan Golf - a truly wonderful experience

Today Clive came over from Singapore with a few ex pat buddies for a round of golf at the Ria Bintan Golf Course. Clive had explained that this course was a truly wonderful place to play and it didn't fail to deliver despite the fact that we could only play 9 holes of the Ocean course (we played nine on the Forest course to make up the 18). You can see the "Amen Corner" of the Ocean course above in holes 7,8, and 9! The par 5 Seventh had a sign at the tee box that claimed it had been voted "Asia's best par 5" and our magnificent 3 ball all played the hole perfectly with textbook 5s - good drive, good fairway wood, good chip and exemplary 2 putts!

Local Lizards by the pool...

We were told that we would get the opportunity to see some rather large lizards whilst on the island and today we saw this rather large Monitor lizard that was quite happy lazing on the rocks right by the beach pool. It wasn't the only wildlife we saw as our sea view hut had two visiting bats that spent each evening and night with us. In the early evening they would drop half eaten nuts on our heads and we would wake in the morning to find the debris from the previous night's feast! In the morning the local squirrels woul deat the huge sea almonds on our balcony leaving even more of a mess.

....planting trees.

The second part of our package was the chance to plant a tree. Okay we're not changing the world here but it was great to feel that we can come back in 10 years time and see a permanent reminder of our trip. The tree itself was a Sea Almond Tree.

Nature Trails &....

We had booked the hotel as part of a "green" package which included a nature trail as part of the stay. We were shown part of the jungle and trails around the hotel & coast as well as some of the local settlements. Here is a picture of some of the local fishing boats. Unfortunately there was a lot of different creatures discussed but it wasn't really the right time of day to see any of them.

Settling down to the stress free life

Beach holidays would not normally describe my ideal holiday but a 5 star resort certainly has its attractions. However, I still managed to persuade Claire that we could a least take the 2 mountain bikes by reception out for a little ride. It was certainly a hot and humid trip around the golf course and down to the ferry port before coming back for a nice dip in the sea, though we did get a chance by bike to see some wonderful views.

Ferry to Bintan

Today was a quiet day as we had a ferry to catch just after lunch over to the Indonesian island of Bintan. The ferry trip is more like a plane trip with customs, baggage check in and passport control, all followed by a rather dull and boring waiting lounge. However, the trip over was only an hour long and seemed fairly full for a short journey. What is odd is the fact that the island is one hour ahead of Singapore time. Arriving late afternoon we still had time for a quick trip straight down to the beach!

Golf and Roof Top Bars

Claire and split up for the day as Clive had organised a round of golf with a group of his friends (mainly ex-pat) who met up pretty much each and every week for a game. We headed off to the Warren Country Club for a rather pleasant day out on the course, even if I hadn't actually hit a ball for nearly 18 months! The day had been a Singapore American Club day and so there was food and beers laid on at the end. Claire meanwhile had met up with Barbs for a pampering day and some shopping, of course. Clive said we would meet them later (which we did) after a visit to his local Hawker Centre (these are truly wonderful places to visit and eat, eat, eat!) at Zion Road. Here we could eat numerous Asian dishes all washed down with Tiger beer at $5 a pop (in a bar - $10+). After that we were ready to jump in a cab and meet the girls at one of Singapore's unique rooftop bars.

Ethnic mix of Singapore...

Our third day in Singapore was spent wandering around many of the ethnic areas from Little India to Chinatown as well as a trip to the famous Sim Lim Square shopping mall, where all the gadgets are sold to the locals and visitors alike. After that we went for one of Singapore's famous delicacies, Black Peppered Crab down by the sea.

Botanical Gardens, Clubs and Taxis in the rain

After another not quite perfect night's sleep we were persuaded by Clive to try the first of many "must see (or is that eat)" sights. He took us to a place called Mr Prata, where we had egg & onion, cheese & mushroom Roti Pratas with curry sauce! An excellent way to start the morning.

We then spent a lot of the day wondering around the Botanical Gardens, where we enjoyed the Orchid Garden, especially liked the Cool Garden and saw birds & lizards in a wonderful setting.

In the evening we met up at the Singapore Cricket & Hockey Club (where Clive is a member). Situated in the centre of town (right next to the route for the forthcoming Grand Prix) it was a very pleasant location for an early evening drink until the heavens opened! We then discovered the difficulty in getting a taxi in the rain. Normally Singapore taxis are the easiest and cheapest option for travelling around but as soon as it rains they go into hiding. Basically, as people need taxis in the rain you have to call and book (for a fee, of course) so they all make a little extra cash. But considering an average taxi ride is between $5-8 (around £2-3) it's not much of an imposition more a little aggravating.

Our First Day in Singapore...

Sleeping last night was okay (ish) though I did awake at 4am and had no real chance or inclination of going back to sleep! Clive suggested that for our first day that we didn't try and do too much, just get a acclimatised to the city and the temperatures. So we jumped on a Hippo tour bus for an open top tour around the city with our friendly (if Tottenham supporting) guide. This meant that we saw the basic sights all in one quick go - Little India, China Town, Merlion (left) etc. In the evening we had intended to see the famous Night Safari but with heavy showers and us both being rather tired we gave it a miss.

Arriving in Singapore

We were in the very lucky position of being able to take a Business class flight on Qantas from Frankfurt to Singapore so even though we had a 12 hour flight the journey was that much more relaxing. In particular, Claire seems to just sleep very quickly on these airline beds. Me, I play with all the gadgets, watch a film or two, drink enough wine/whisky and grab a couple of hours. Never mind we had arrived at 6pm in the evening in Singapore to be met by Clive after an incredibly smooth arrivals hall at the airport. It was warm as we had expected but we would get used to the heat (sort of). Now to try and get over the jet lag.

Bye Bye Frankfurt - hello 12 hour flight!!

Yet another scorching day in Frankfurt as we went out for a wonderful late breakfast (I didn't realise these places existed in Europe) and then off for a river cruise. We always seem to end up going on some boat or other when visiting a city and it was a worthwhile experience before getting ice cream!

The lazy afternoon was spent sitting in the park before Sonja & Maike drove us to the airport for our flight. As we were travelling Business we got there early to enjoy the lounge and relax. Just as well really as Frankfurt airport seemed to be one big construction site and there was little out in the departure area. Despite chaos at the gate we boarded our flight on time and settled back with a glass of champagne, ready for the journey...

Frankfurt in the sun..

It seems we picked a great day to travel to Frankfurt as this weekend sees the Museumsuferfest where all of the city's museums are open for a single flat fee of €4. As well as this the river banks become a sea of eating stalls, bars and musical stages. Throw in a temperature of 30deg and it was certainly a wonderful time. Claire and I were met at the station by Sonja & Maike (friends from EURO2008) and we were shown the city before going out to eat in a traditional Frankfurt restaurant. Not, of course, before I managed to see the last 30 minutes of Arsenal's 3-0 defeat of Newcastle!

Off on Holiday Tomorrow

Yes the day has nearly arrived as we travel off to Singapore tomorrow. Well, actually we're getting a train to Frankfurt and staying a night before getting a very late flight on Sunday evening to Singapore. Looking forward to the trip, of course, if not the 12 hour flight - that's despite splashing out on Business class tickets. Post holiday there will be a diary....

Our Northern Guests Arrive

Yesterday our friends from the North of England arrived and brought with them heavy showers and black clouds. However, having travelled from France by car we can be assured that it wasn't some English rain that had followed them. After a trip round Basel seeing the sights we settled on a gentle non-competitive (!) game of mini golf. Of course, it transpired that Neil and I were pretty level most of the round and tied the game on the 18th - a perfect way to end the day.

Cycling to France in Switzerland!

Today I cycled around 80k, going to the Swiss town of Delemont and back, via Laufen. The strange (but not unusual) thing here in Switzerland is that you stay in the same country but the whole environment changes. You see, Delemont is at the edge of the French part of Switzerland - so suddenly the signs change from German to Swiss, but it's an intagible change. There is no border between the two distinct parts of the same country - it's just different.

A tad too much cycling today

It was a normal Sunday as we awoke too late (or later than we really intended) to have an early start to any cycling today. Anyway it didn't stop us getting out and cycling off to Rheinfelden and Bad Sackingen for a small beer and a short 50k+ ride. However, for whatever reason we were a little tired on the way back and we hit a strong headwind which soon tired us out as we struggled home. Mind you watching the Tour de France on TV this evening made us realise what really hard cycling entailed.

Another white wine for the lady....

Of course, one of the main reasons for choosing this part of France to meet up was, aside from the geographical symmetry, the potential wine tasting bonanza. Today I volunteered to drive the others around as though I like my white wine I prefer a drop of red. We spent the first part of the day sightseeing in Tonnerre and the neighbouring chateaux. Whilst enjoyable it was a mere prelude to the main part of the day.

On Friday evening we had drunk a rather nice white wine from Chitry and as this was very close to it's much more famous neighbour, Chablis, we decided to visit them both. What a good choice that turned out to be as we stumbled into (and three stumbled out of) a wonderful local wine producer there. Severine & Lionel Jacquet are small producers of the local wine and we sampled their red, rosé, cremant and rosé cremant. It was really superb and we purchased the odd case or 6 before departing to Chablis. Of course, they couldn't leave without a little tasting here and luckily Claire found a particular Grand Cru that she liked!!

Auxerre & Joigny - 2 beautiful towns.

Actually I should include a 3rd as we had a coffee in the town of Sens, very close to our small hotel. I've actually stayed in this town before, on the way to an Arsenal match with Auxerre in the Champions League - a fairly dull 1-0 win with the only thing of note being Jermaine Pennant's debut in the competition! We grabbed lunch from the market in Sens and eat it by the river at Joigny. A town that I had visited twice before; once during said visit to watch Arsenal and the secon when I cycled around France in 2003.

So onwards to Auxerre we went (originally we were going to visit Chablis as well but that had to wait till Sunday!). The weather perked up and we enjoyed the river, the sunshine and a jolly nice day.

Off to the Bourgogne...

Today we face a small 400km drive to the wonderful wine region of the Bourgogne in France. Here we will spend a weekend with Monica & Peter as it's approximately halfway between us in Basel and their boat in La Roche Bernard. The weather forecast isn't looking good for the journey but not too bad for the weekend. Here's the small hotel that we stayed in.

Euro 2008 Fans Montage

Some images of fans during the European Championships.

Video Review of Euro 2008 Working

The Abschluss Party!!

I managed to get home last night (sorry - this morning) at 5.30am with birds singing and the sun already in the sky. I think it has probably been far too long ago since I did this. The only real time I've stayed up till the early morning has been for Sports events on the other side of the globe - I remember a Lions tour to New Zealand and GB winning the hockey gold in Seoul as two examples. However, coming home from a great party at the end of a great five weeks seemed to be the least I could do!

On the Pitch Pre-Match

I'm pretty certain no one in the UK saw me last night on the pitch before the Semi-Final between Germany & Turkey. It was a last minute thing as I had been expecting to just be working in the Accreditation Centre as normal. However, some extra staff were needed to help with an Anti Racism banner due to expected high winds. So there I was, standing behind the Turkish team on the pitch as the National Anthems were played. Claire recorded some TV coverage on SF Zwei but watched the BBC. Apparently my 15 seconds of fame on UK TV lasted around 1 second as my nose appeared in shot. Along with this experience I also stayed on in the stadium to watch an enthralling match.

Trip to Geneva

Another beautiful, if rather hot, day in Switzerland and with no work today I took advantage of the free travel (for volunteers during Euro2008) to go to Geneva with one of the other volunteers, Alex. It's quite a long journey for one day, being around 2hrs 40 mins from Basel, but as usual the scenery was generally superb during the journey. Geneva's famous Jet D'eau now has a special Euro2008 ball floating above it but that's pretty much all we saw that indicated Switzerland were hosting a major sporting event.

Summer's here

Yesterday there was the first really hot day and today that weather continued, which was handy since some volunteer colleagues came round for a BBQ. The only problem was that it was almost too hot. In fact the fridge certainly gave up the ghost early in the evening and we had a real struggle to get any cold beers. I just wanted to post this picture of the wonderful cake made by one of the volunteers, Nicole- very appropriate.

Oranjeboom, Oranjeboom it's a lager not a tune

That song, for some strange reason, has remained in my head as one of those adverts you don't forget. It also was the first thing that came to mind as I witnessed the mad Dutch hordes straddling every square inch of Basel today. It was a truly wonderful, if slightly scary, orange fuelled sight.

Preparing for the Dutch Invasion

After my visit to Bern last week I think I've got a reasonable idea of what to expect this weekend as Basel anticipates the expected 100,000+ Oranje Army. After work today at the, yet again, very quiet accreditation centre, I cycled home via the Pratteln Fan Camp. What a difference a day makes! Last night Claire and I came down to the camp to watch the Germany v Portugal game and found the scouting parties for the Dutch hordes plus many Swiss locals. Today the camp was beginning to heave and it was a sea of Orange.

A Trip to Zurich

The trip had been planned by quite a few of the volunteers as soon as the fixtures had been finalised as it meant there was to be a showdown in largest Swiss city between the 2006 World Cup finalists, Italy & France. It's actually a very easy trip from Kaiseraugst or Basel, being just over one hour away. The afternoon was also made more enjoyable as we had a local guide in Eva, one of the volunteers, to take us to some wonderful viewpoints of the city.



You can see details of the game and the best football bar in the world here.

Digging Up the Pitch

I know I've a specific blog dedicated to football matters but this is slightly different, as I've decided I can include football comment where it is related to my working day. It's not my fault that my current work at EURO2008 is all football linked! Anyway, today it was another very quiet day in the accreditation centre but, luckily, I got out to work inside the stadium to modify some pitch/corridor signs. It also meant I could see, at first hand, the relaying of the pitch ready for the first quarter final on Wednesday.

Playing football at my age..

Yes I know, I shouldn't, but you just have to, when challenged by a German, in particular. Unfortunately, I went over on my ankle and ended up with a swelling like an apple this morning. this was all part of a day of "fun" games at the volunteer centre yesterday. I managed to complete the football skills challenges okay but also excelled at traditional English sports - Darts & pool!!

Soaked!

Blimey you always imagine the summer in Central Europe to be warm and sunny with the odd violent thunderstorm. We seem to have missed the warm and sunny bit but caught many of the storms. Yesterday, after working at the Accreditation Centre, I walked about 300 yards to the tram stop in some of the heaviest rainfall imaginable. Oh well it could be worse, it could have been cold as well.

Never go out for a "a quick one"

It's the worst phrase in the English language, "I'm just going out for a quick one". Inevitably you get home at 3.00am and wake up the following morning with a throbbing headache. This is made worse by the need to work on a hot day. The fanzone at Basel was very quiet, yesterday , for the Spain v Russia game but it was very nice to watch a game by the river. Even if , the view point is completely wrong - you should never have to watch a TV by staring to your right at 90 degrees.

That wasn't the major problem of the evening but the drinking till 2.00am was. Thankfully the extra train service home at least allowed me to get back to my own bed in the middle of the morning.

Bern & the Orangemen

Yesterday I went off to Bern to watch the Holland V Italy game in a fanzone in Bern. I think I knew there would be a few Dutch peeps there but, my god, there must have been around 100,000 of them. It was a world of orange wherever you looked. Here's the biggest orangeman we met!

Claire is off again

Unfortunately, just after being away in the US for a week, Claire is off again this week to Lucerne for a week's training course. I will have the Euro's to keep me company along with the other volunteers.

Basel goes Euro 2008 Crazy

It probably won't last very long but the city of Basel has gone very Euro 2008 crazy today, with nearly 100,000 people either at the game or watching it in the Fanzones. Yes, today was the opening game of the tournament, Switzerland v Czech Republic. Shame the result went against the hosts. Claire and I did enjoy the atmosphere around Basel with fans mingling all around town.

Wet and drizzly and listening to the cricket

Yep a pretty grey day here in Kaiseraugst. Claire bought me back a nice present from the USA in the shape of a Swiss watch (something about coals to Newcastle I suppose) that I've been hankering after. My discussions with the little old man at the shopping centre who does watch repairs was a little difficult but he managed to understand that I needed the strap adjusting.

I'm writing this whilst listening to TMS, one of those pleasures that makes any ex-pat's life so much more fun. I've also found a site where I can view the recorded Channel Five highlights that have been uploaded, even if it takes a day or so for them to appear.

Claire gets back - bag stays in JFK Airport!

The apparent main reason for losing baggage (aside from travelling with BA via terminal 5) is catching a connecting flight as part of your journey. It was, therefore, no great surprise when Claire got back from Chicago, via JFK & Heathrow, to discover her bag had not travelled with her. She was in good company, though, with ex-South African rugby captain, Francois Pienaar, suffering the same fate.

Counting sheep ( I mean seats)....

Yep an odd day at St Jakob's today as a few of us helped to check seat numbers and locations at the stadium to ensure people with tickets actually have a seat!

Claire's godparents stayed last night on their way back from a week in the Swiss Alps - which they thoroughly enjoyed.

A very early start....

Yep after last night's dinner I was regretting the fact that I had agreed to get to the Accreditation Centre for 8.00am on Sunday morning. Even the beautiful weather and cycle ride failed to wake me up. The early rush subsided quite quickly and we had a very slow morning (again) - I hope it picks up in the final week before the games start.

A Thai curry with the Germans

A quick trip to France in the morning to buy some essentials from the Géant supermarket was mildly ruined by the lack of a L'Equipe due to a strike in France (who would believe that hey!). I needed to plan for dinner in the evening as some of my German volunteer colleagues were coming over. Alex & Eva came over first to watch the Germany - Serbia friendly and Sonja/Maika arrived late due to having to work at the centre till 20.00. I think they all enjoyed it and it's been great to meet some many different people during the volunteering activity.

The late shift

Today I completed my first late shift (14.00 - 20.00) at the accreditation centre and yet another relatively quiet day but with a few beers afterwards watching the Switzerland - Leichtenstein game on the big screen in the volunteer centre.

Claire flies to Chicago

And that means a very early morning alarm call as Claire's taxi arrived at 5.30 in the morning for her flight to Heathrow before flying onwards to Chicago. She's off for a week and as I wasalready awake early I cycled to the Volunteer Centre this morning for another very quiet shift in the accreditation centre aside from the rather nice Carlsberg Hostesses who came in for their passes.

Volunteer Work Starts

Yep today I started work at the volunteer centre in Basel, in St Jakob Halle - next to the stadium at St Jakob. Quiet beginning but met up with some of the German guys & girls that I saw at the Kick Off event earlier this month. Here are three of us at the delivery desk.

A second visit to the Botanical Gardens

Claire and Avril both love gardening so we spent today going to the Botanical Gardens just outside of Basel. This time around the Iris's were in full bloom compared to our first visit.

A busy weekend

Yesterday I attended my training day for the Euro2008 volunteering work. You can read more on it via the link.

Yesterday also saw the arrival of Claire's godparents, Avril & Charles, for the weekend. Unfortunately, they arrived a day late due to French train strike and, more importantly, the ineptitude of the Eurostar advice on travelling. Today we took them for a look around the roman ruins here in Augusta Raurica before taking a boat trip from Kaiseraugst to Basel.

Volunteer Centre Opens

Yesterday evening the Euro 2008 Volunteer Centre opened in the St Jakob Arena (without the ice shown in the photo) here in Basel. The whole area around the St Jakob stadium is a plethora of sporting arenas with the football stadium, the ice hockey arena, the Halle where tennis played and, most importantly, an vast array of pitches for all sports for all to use.

I attended the opening of the centre before going in to Basel to meet Claire & Lee (and quite a few others), who are mad Chelsea fans, to watch the CL final.

Sorry - no more footie posts here!!!

Just a quick note on the evening of the "don't care who wins at all" champions league final...

The footie related content of this blog has been moved to the football obsessed website of www.oleole.com . Here you can find my all new anglo-swiss gooner centric football blog..

We All Live In A Toblerone World

Cheers

First visit to the Doctor

Moving country with a "medical condition", even a mild asthma as in my case, provides a new challenge. I did, of course, manage to get some extra supplies before moving out (just in case) to provide a settling in period. Now I need to get some inhalers and so having to adapt to the Swiss health system. Here, everyone needs private health insurance (at a cost) that has an excess (high) to reduce premiums to a reasonable (!!!) level. You then visit the doc, get the prescription and pay for the drugs until you reach your excess. At this point your health insurance pays for it.... I THINK! Anyway I forgot my health insurance card so I'll have to wait until tomorrow to get my inhalers.

Cup Final in Basel

Of course, you cannot miss the cup final just because you're not inthe country. Despite the low level of interest out here in Switzerland (no big 4, no Swiss players) there were a few folk in the Pub (Paddys) to watch. This may have been augmented by the absolutely awful weather today!!

The first long (ish) cycle of the summer/spring

In Switzerland it seems, as in England, we've bypassed Spring to go straight from Winter to Summer. As a result we are having a prolonged spell of warm weather (23-27 deg) that has lasted for over a week now. Obviously this means the bikes can be set free (see yesterday) and today it was time for a longer jaunt. One of my favourite rides here is from Kaiseraugst - Bad-Sackingen - Kaiseraugst (out and back along the Rhine, firstly in Switzerland and returning in Germany) for a trip of around 56km.

Another Bank Holiday - A Bike ride through 3 countries

Yep today was another Bank Holiday (Pentecost??) and with the bikes all fixed and ready to go we managed a 40km ride from home, over the Kaiseraugst Dam to Germany, over the new bridge to France and back into Switzerland...

Congratulations to FCB

Yep it was pretty much an anti-climax but FC Basel's 2-0 win over Young Boys meant they won the Swiss League tonight.

Using the car (for the first real time) for a trip to France

Yep we now have access to a car for occasional use. As long as we use it sensibly I won't be too concerned for my green(ish) image. Having been without a car for around a year it doesn't seem that much of a necessity but, as with everything, it will have its uses. Today we went over the border to France and the Decathlon store near Mulhouse to look at bikes for Claire. She feels that something a bit more whizzy is required to keep up with me!!! I am, of course, in my element as its my language skills required here and my limited german is superfluous. Unfortuntely, the bike she wanted is not in stock and we'll have to order it in about 2 weeks time when it reappears on the IT system!

A Fateful Saturday Ahead for FCB

Following last night's 90+2 minute equaliser our local side has the chance to win the Swiss league on Saturday. They play the second place side, Young Boys of Bern, at home and have a one point advantage. So a draw will do in front of a sell out crowd (and that doesn't happen very often at St Jakobs).

Last Game of the Season

So keeping the season ticket didn't seem that bad an idea now as Imanaged to get back for 12 games in the season. Last Sunday saw an entirely predictable "end of season" game with a 1-0 win over Everton. Of course, the main reason for going home was the end of season drink and an 11.15 return to Teddington after a game that finished at 3.15 was not too bad! Even Steve Marsh managed to find his way home....

The Bridging Day at the Rhinefalls

Taking advantage of a beautiful day we took the train (this time a German one from Rheinfelden) to Schaffhausen for a visit to the wonderfull Rhinefalls. Definitely worth the trip, despite the numerous tourists, for the spectacular falls (in width if not height) and the lovely town of Schaffhausen as well. If you go take a trip on the ferry across the river by the falls and take a wlak to the Munot in Schaffhausen!

A May Bank Holiday in Switzerland

Of course, the first thing about bank holidays in Europe is (aside from the fact there seems to be more) that the holiday is on the actual day and not the Monday following. This brings benefits most of the time but can cause a problem when, for example, May 1st falls on a weekend. Luckily this year May 1st is a Thursday and we get the bonus of the bruckestag (bridging day) on the Friday - so a nice long weekend. Today Claire and I found a wonderful spot in Basel with a quiet and serene area of calm (The Botanical Gardens at Merian Park) attached to a mad, children packed park just next to St Jakobs.

A Few Apologies for slacking...

Just a quick one to say that I've been slacking recently but I do promise to try and get back to a blog a day........ even if it's just to say "nothing happened (of interest) today" !!!

Starting with the bank holiday tomorrow.

Euro 2008 KICK OFF Event

Yesterday was the first official event of the Euro2008 Volunteering in Basel. Held at the Music Theatre in Basel it consisted of a series of presentations from the organisers with the addition of a live band, fashion show parading the volunteer uniforms and a visit from a Swiss football legend, Stephane Chapuisat. After the presentations there was a get together for all of the different working groups, mine being the Accreditation group. It seems I may be the only english volunteer - the major group of volunteers being Germans.

Calm Down Calm Down

So back for 5 days to watch two 1-1 draws with the scousers. This was the longest trip back but I did manage to see lots of old friends (thanks to Debbie & Keith plus Natalie & Keith for the wonderful lodging). During my trip I found probably the best "old-fashioned" pub in London - it's a Fullers pub near Hyde Park called the Victoria (see right). I also managed to spend 5 hours in Terminal 5 due to a light shower of snow (well compared to Switzerland anyway) but it could have been worse as many flights were cancelled.

Glacier Express Home

On the Saturday we took a longer route home (via CHUR!) that enabled us to travel on the much vaunted Glacier Express. We got exceptionally lucky in that the previous day's snow combined with a sunny day to provide excellent views en route. The journey in a panoramic carriage is well worth the money and though we missed the really famous viaduct the trip was a fantastic end to the week.

A Trip to Zermatt - Day VII

Our last day (after 5 days of good weather) saw the weather close in and we got a real snowy Friday. We decided that it would be an opportunity to go for a walk in the mountains. The snowy paths were definitely easier to walk up than down!

Us at the Top...

A Trip to Zermatt - Day VI

Another sunny day greeted us today but the temperature was chilly to say the least. At the top of the main 6 man chair it was -24 degs C!!! It was also windy which meant that we couldn't ski from the top of the glacier but we could go on the cable car to the top as foot passengers. With bad weather expected tomorrow we took advantage and went up to the peak of the Klein Matterhorn at just under 3900m. The view was simply stunning.

The Matterhorn at Night

I used one of the many scene options on our new camera to take this shot of the Matterhorn in (nearly) full moonlight. It was wonderful to see the mountain at night like this.