the dark side

Something wrong is happening here. Have a look at this article.

A trip to Canada

I had 3 wonderful weeks in Canada. My last trip there was 15 years ago. I promise myself to be there more often. A big part of my family is there and now, my mother's ashes are resting there.
This was the goal of the trip: a ceremony with all my family to disperse my mother's ashes in the river St.Laurent.
August the 19th, we gathered all together beside the river in Rimouski, just in front of the summer chalet of my grandma.
Most of the family was there with us: my father, my brother, and I.
The ceremony was simple, as my mother would have liked it. My ... Marcelle, my father and I said some words to remember her. Then, my father and my brother dispersed the ashes in the river.
She will always be in my heart.

Flying with hippos

On my way back to Canada, I had a terrible experience. I flew with a Canadian company that has the nickname of air-sardines because the seats are quite small.
This is not a big problem if you travel beside two normal persons. I flew beside two hippos!!!
The two hippos in question were two horribly fat girls.

I was about to kill them!!!

Swiss people

Today I called my Internet provider in order to cancel my subscription.
After asking me all my details, she wanted to know the reason of the cancellation.
"I'm leaving Switzerland", I reply.
"I wish I could", she nearly shouted.
"Why?", I asked surprised.
"I don't like the people here", she whispered
"May I ask you where are you from?", I said
"I'm Swiss, from generations!!!", she answered.
We both started laughing and we went on for a couple of minutes.

the German way

I just got this invitation from a German girl:

mark the 21.7. = a Sat. in your calendar - it starts at 6.30h PM - I will catch you up at around 6.30h - ringing your bell this time- and we can go for a afternoon alcoholic drink ( I pay for it as I missuse you joining me)

I need to move to Geneva...

Blue mood

I don't know what you do when you are in a blue mood, friend.
For me, there is nothing better than sleep deprivation. It works, have a look at this link wikipedia

I came back from Dublin in a blue mood yesterday.
Once, I had a family over there. Many good friends. Now many of them moved and many other will follow. As result, Dublin will not my third home anymore.

I planned to arrive in Basel around 11pm but fortunately my flight was late and I lost my train connection.
I was really in a good mood for a trip, by car, in the German highways: no speed limit, all night, just fun.
I ran to the car rental and I asked for a good car: Audi TT, Audi S3, BMW Z4.
Basically, everything with 4 wheels and a top speed over 240 km/h. Price was not an issue but only a crappy Ford fiesta was left: damn!!!
I gave up and I planned to spend the night at the airport when one guy rented the Fiesta and asked me: "Do you want a lift?"
"Yes", I replied. This was the start of an amazing trip through Germany. I arrived in Basel at 8am!!!

By the way, I'm renting an Audi TT next weekend...

eat in Zurich

Some addresses in case you are around:

Restaurant Zeughauskeller, Bahnhofstrasse 28a, 8001 Zürich, phone 044 211 26 90, Tram 2,6,7,8,9,11,13 ParadeplatzThe sausage menu is one page long! From 15CHF to 25CHF

Sternen Grill, Theaterstrasse 22, 8001 Zürich, phone 044 251 49 49, Tram 2,4,5,8,9,11,15 Bellevue

the "best bratwurst in town"

Sushi, honesty, and dating in Basel. A night in Zurich

This weekend my friend Gianni visited me from Amsterdam. He arrived on Friday and we decided to go out for dinner.
The choice was between a traditional Swiss dinner or sushi. We decided for the latter!!!
There is a very good sushi restaurant in Basel:
Noohn
Since there was no need to impress my friend, we opted for a small sushi restaurant.
I will happy to invite to Noohn the next girl who visits me in Basel: any taker? :-)
At the restaurant, we were impressed by the good food and the waitress. Apart from speaking Italian, she was very nice, professional, and ... honest!!! Let me explain why she was honest.
At the end of a ton of raw fish and a couple of beers, we asked the bill: 140 Swiss francs, nearly 70 Euro in total. We expected a lot less but with the aplomb of two Rockefeller descendants, we payed. When leaving, the waitress stopped us. They made some confusion with the bills: our bill was just 70 Francs!!!
What a honesty!!!
We immediately decided to invest that money in whiskey heading to the nearest pub: O'Reilly.
That is the scenario of my next story: dating in Basel.

First, you need an introduction to the dating scene in Basel: total depression.
The first two weeks that I was here I tried everything and I could not even start a conversation.
Last week, my friend Martin -he is from Basel, told me: "Of all the Swiss girls, the ones from Basel are the most difficult".
Heading to the pub, I warned Gianni about how it is difficult to start a conversation with a girl in Basel.

But, as soon as I reached the bar to order, I started a conversation with a Basilisk girl!!!
I was so shocked that I did not follow the 3th rule of the manual "the perfect serial dater": I offered her something to drink... She grabbed the drink and faded away!

speed limits: the Swiss way

Yesterday was a good day: 30 degree and a sunny day. I decide for a small bike ride around the city. Since I'm quite fit, the small ride converted in a 60Km agony with a couple of killer uphills!!!
Here you can see the map of my tour.

The tour was great!!! You don't ever need a map because these signs are all over:
The landscape is also worth the fatigue of the ride:

But the funny thing is the climb between Dornach and Gempen. On each tree at the road side you can find an hanging CD. I was climbing and wondering why somebody has done this: there are around 3000 CD!!! Then the answer came. It was announced by a loud of typical noise: wrooommm!!! A black convertible Ferrari overtook me at around 120 km/h.
Considering the climb that was a hell of a speed.
Then a BMW Z4, then a lot of super bikes....
I asked to a guy and he explained me that apparently the CDs reflect laser beam. The Police use laser guns to detect speed limits.
The new name for the r0ad Dornach - Gempen is ... Indianapolis.
The speed limit for the descent Gempen - Liestal is 50 km/h and there are no CDs.
Since I have no plates, I was happy to run 70 km/h. Maybe the Police now have some picture of my buttock!!!

My friends- 29 years of friendship

for my mum

Death is nothing at all

Death is nothing at all,
I have only slipped away
into the next room.

I am I,
and you are you;
whatever we were to each other,
that, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name,
speak to me in the easy way
which you always used,
put no difference in your tone,
wear no forced air
of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we shared together.
Let my name ever be
the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect,
without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all
that it ever meant.
It is the same as it ever was.
There is unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight?

I am waiting for you,
for an interval,
somewhere very near,
just around the corner.

All is well.
Henry Scott Holland
1847 -1918