Swiss Cheese (and Jersey Cows)

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-26T08:24:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving at Amy's brother's in Bristol, CT. Peter has a passion for historic buildings and architecture. Peter is renting this old mansion, which is on the historic registry. The place was built in 1910 and at the time it had all of the latest amenities.

Click to play and then Double click below to increase size of picture:

Rose's First Birthday

2011-09-24T03:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know this is a bit late since we were in Florida at the end of June, but I am finally getting around to posting Rose's first Birthday video.

Rose's Swim Lessons

2011-05-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

As we are planning to spend a week on the beach in Florida at the end of June, we thought it would be a good idea to get Rose use to the water. The community center is less than a mile from our house and they have a ton of kids' programs. Here is a little video of us during here second day at the pool. She loves being in the water.

Rose and Chester Share a Bath

2011-03-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Since the arrival of Rose, Chester has taken his role as big brother very seriously. He has been by her side since we brought her home from the hospital. No matter where she is, he always wants to be by her side. When she starts to cry, he is right there..."ok what the matter? Are you hungry? Do you need a diaper change?" What ever the case, he is on it. Here he is watching over her and even helping to give Rose a bath.

Rose and the Boys

2011-02-13T09:23:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning we had the whole menagerie hanging out on the bed, so of course everyone wanted some camera time including Zoe. But the best shot is saved for the end. Enjoy!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-31T06:14:00.000-08:00

Rose's First Food

2010-12-15T04:05:00.000-08:00

We were so fortunate to have my Dad and Sandi here this past weekend. Rose was so excited to show them one of here firsts. Sunday night Rose took here first food!

We used a food mill to prepare some butternut squash.

Rose was quite the little eater, however, I don't think she has acquired the taste for Butternut squash yet.

The obligatory home movie

2010-09-08T03:16:00.000-07:00

Finding Balance

2010-07-30T04:04:00.000-07:00

We love the new addition to our evolving family. I can't put into words the new level of love and joy Rose has brought to our home. It could go without saying that our new addition has also changed the pace and pattern of our lives. Like all new parents, we are experiencing the hectic routine of feeding, burping, swaddling, cleaning and diaper changing. Add two dogs plus a high maintenance parrot and its no surprise there are days when we sit down for dinner over two bowls of cereal. To be quite frank, Amy is doing most of the heavy lifting in this world of parenting. I get a break from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday while at work. Amy is on 24/7, feeding every 2-3 hours.

That being said, we are very fortunate and grateful to have Amy's mom, Linda, less than two hours away in New York. She comes down each week and stays for two days. It helps to break up the week for Amy and gives her a chance to get out with the boys or go for a jog. In addition, it allows Amy and me to spend some time together, just the two of us. I feel like taking this time together is a critical part to the success of raising Rose. It helps Amy and me stay connected and maintain a sense of balance in our lives. This week's time with Amy was particularly special as we took the opportunity to get out for a bike ride. It was our first ride together since September of last year. In our nine years together we have spent a great number of hours pedaling along side each other, negotiating obstacles and experiencing the exhilarating wild ride of a fast down hill. Becoming parents to Rose offers a new opportunity to share in an exhilarating wild ride.

An Early Start

2010-07-18T03:53:00.000-07:00

For those of you who we have spent holidays, vacations or any other amount of time with Amy and I, realize we have a passion for the outdoors. In addition, Amy has a very difficult time sitting still. The woman is always on the move, either on the trail or on her bike. Since I have known Amy, I think the longest she has gone without doing some sort of exercise or physical activity is 3 weeks. This 3 week period was following a serious accident with a horse and left her in a back brace for three months. Even then she was back on the stationary bike within weeks. Throughout her pregnancy Amy was constantly on the go, hiking almost to the very end of the pregnancy. We did a 3 and a half hour hike in Herrimans State Park less the 48 hours before Rose was born. So needless to say Rose has already spent a lot of time on the trails. So at 10 days old Rose Katherine took her first official hike, a 2 and half hour stroll through South Mountain Reservation. Enjoying the outdoors with little ones (even really little ones) is easy. There are all sorts of baby carriers, from backpacks to slings. At this young age the sling is perfect for Rose. We have a Havo by SlingEZee. It is a versatile carrier for newborns, that is light weight and breathable. Perfect for getting out there on the trails. Plus, I look really good in it. Rose enjoyed her first day in the woods with the whole family. Actually, she slept through the entire thing, but I guess that is a good thing.

New Addition to the Menagerie

2010-07-09T12:15:00.000-07:00

What an amazing experience we have had over the last 3 days. Little Rose is about 60 hrs old and she is an amazing gift. Many thanks to Joe and Shari, from The Birth Boutique for helping to prepare us for the day. Having the knowledge of what to expect and some confidence going in allowed us to relax and truly enjoy the moment.

The Prologue
This past weekend Amy had become quite frustrated and tired after being 1 week over due. On Tuesday morning we were at our regular scheduled weekly doctors appointment when her water broke at 1130am. The doctor sent us directly to Saint Clare's, Amy was 1 cm at that point. Amy was very fearful of having a C-section and did not want to be put in that situation, and therefore chose to start the pitocin. The staff were great and our doctor kept things simple. He said, "Look this should be an enjoyable experience. So don't think you have to be a hero." This was good for Amy to hear, as she is very stubborn and often feels she has the bear burdens she does not deserve. The Nurse asked Amy, "On a scale of 1 to 10, what amount of pain are you willing to bear?" Amy responded, "seven". Now, I know Amy and she has an amazingly high pain threshold. I watched her suffer through 3 months in a back brace following a broken back, with little more than Tylenol and rarely a complaint. So her "seven" would be my "eleven".

The Early Stages
The contractions came fast and furious for 2 straight hours with little break in between. By this time she was a little over 2 cm, but the pain was getting worse. I kept asking her what was the pain level. She started at four, then five, then six. After 2 hours she was at seven. I reminded her about the earlier conversation and she recognized the need for some pain medication. Once the epidural was administered, she was able to relax and went from a little over 2 cm to 4cm in about an hour. At this point, I thought it would be a good idea to head home to let the dogs out and get the bags we had packed. We had not brought them with us to the doctors, as we had not planned to be sent directly to the hospital. I left the hospital at 4pm, got the dogs situated, the house in order and grabbed the bags. At 5:30 I called Amy before leaving the house to make sure there wasn't anything else she needed. At that point, she indicated she was 9 cm. I thought "Oh man I have got to get back to the hospital or I am going to miss this thing".

The Sprint
I arrived back to her room just before 6pm. Amy had just begun pushing with the aid of the Nurse. I missed the first push, but quickly got to her side and actively got involved holding her leg and head and encouraging her along. She was amazing and powerful as she pushed for about 45 mins. Rose came quickly at 6:33pm, a beautiful little girl, a wonderful gift, an amazing day.

The Recovery
Now as Amy shifts from birthing to nourishing, she is doing a fantastic job. Rose latched on in the hospital for her first feeding like a champion and Amy has been so generous and loving with these early feedings. Last night was our first night home and things went pretty well. As instructed and trained, I have become the designated burper and swaddler.

The Road Ahead
Every new moment of this experience I gain greater and greater appreciation for Amy's toughness, perseverance, generosity, and love. We know this journey is not an easy one and it has just begun, but we are in it together...100%.

Amy Update

2009-09-02T21:49:00.000-07:00

It has been two and a half months since Amy's accident with the horse that sent her to the University Hospital, where she was immobilized for five days. She was taking her morning lesson and performing an exercise to improve her balance. The instructor had her riding with her feet out of the stirrups, when the horse began to gallup. It essentially rode out from underneath Amy, causing her to hit the ground in a sitting position. She landed on her tail bone resulting in a broken coccyx and a compression fracture to the L1 vertebrae.

Amy has made an amazing recovery. After her hospital stay she came home in a brace. The first three weeks were very difficult for her. The brace was uncomfortable, awkward and limited her mobility. For a person like Amy, who is always on the move and rarely goes two days in a row without exercising, the situation was incredibly frustrating. However, after three weeks Amy was able to get back on the stationary bike. After five weeks she was on her mountain bike riding the roads around the house. Although the brace makes for an uncomfortable ride, she manages pretty well and has been out on her bike daily; sometimes for up to three hours.

Amy has had regular visits to the hospital for follow up x-rays. Although she has lost about a half centimeter in height, the vertebrae is healing according to plan. Amy will be in the brace for two more weeks, then she will need physical therapy to strengthen her back muscles. So, like Chester Amy is expected to make a full recovery and be back to her crazy athletic self in no time.

From Aug 1st 2009 Hike to Dent de Leysin

The Tour de France 2009

2009-07-20T01:16:00.001-07:00

The Tour de France practically came through our back yard this year. The stage 15 route covered many of the roads and two of the climbs we do on a regular basis here in Switzerland. The route took the riders over the Col de Mosse, which is one of our favorite climbs and then finished atop Verbier, my favorite place to snowboard. David and Hazel, our friends from Los Angeles just happened to be staying with us and were excited to see the race too.

Spring Time in Savigny

2009-04-27T11:13:00.000-07:00

The long winter has officially ended here in Switzerland, ok so maybe I am a bit late with my post, it ended about 3 and half weeks ago. One thing is for sure it was a long winter for this Florida boy. Actually, it was a long winter period. Amy's from New York and she even commented about the length of the season. The snow started in mid October and covered the back yard until late March. Here in Savigny we are at about 853 meters, (sorry to my non-metric American readers, that is 2,979 feet) the snow line is at about 800 meters. Therefore, in the winter, when it rains on Lake Geneva we are usually getting snow up here.

Spring comes very quickly, like I said we had snow on the ground in March and by mid April we had Tulips in bloom.

From Swiss Spring April 2009

Here are some other signs Spring has arrived here in Savigny.

The cows come out to pasture after a long winter cooped up in the barns.

From Swiss Spring April 2009

The green houses and fields have been planted.

From Swiss Spring April 2009

Zoe gets to hang out in the trees.

From Swiss Spring April 2009

The horses are let out in the pastures to graze, resulting in Amy resuming her manure duties.

The boys can begin swimming in the creek across from the farm again.

And we trade in the mittens and cross country skis for spandex and bicycles.

From Swiss Spring April 2009

The Right Shoulder

2009-04-02T19:50:00.000-07:00

A ride along with the voice inside my head as I make the 50 km commute from Savigny to Gland by bike on March 30th 2009.

Another cold morning. I hope I put on enough layers. I should be fine if I can keep my hands and feet warm. Good thing for these gloves and shoe covers. The clouds are really low this morning. No lake or views of the Alps. Cresting the small hill to the village center. Better shift. No traffic this morning on the Route de Oron...nice. Huh, they took down the snow fences along the route into town. That means it will probably end up snowing again this weekend. Oh small hill...shift and peddle, pedal, pedal. I am warm now. I should have put my lights on, the sun is coming up later now due to the time change. Oh well, the reflector strip on my yellow jacket should be visible enough. These big looping "S" curves on the down hill are so fun, that guy in the Saab doesn't know what he is missing. Stop light. Can I balance here without putting my foot down before the light changes. Come on, come on turn green already. Nope. Foot down. I love that the lights turn yellow to warn you they are about to turn green. Is this only in Switzerland?

Pass the hospital. Why do thy call it the CHUV. I should know this after being here a year now. Through the center of Lausanne. Traffic is light this morning. I love the bicycle lanes. I shouldn't have had that second cup of coffee. Gotta pee. Shit, did that motorcycle cop see me just blow through the stop sign? Another round about, look left. Eye contact, eye contact, there it is. She sees me. Accelerate and pass these cars on the right to the front of the line at the stop light. Ok balance, balance. Don't put your foot down. Light is yellow, now green. Go! Finally, onto the lake road. Thirty minutes to get to the lake road, not bad, and just in time for the sun rise.

A little tail wind this morning, makes for an enjoyable ride. Uh Oh, road construction, bike lane ends. I better hug the right shoulder of the road. Lets see how long I can ride on this yellow line. Do I have any meetings this morning? Why the hell did I bring my lap top home last night, carrying this thing sucks! Ok, does that dump truck see me? Eye contact, eye contact, eye contact. What the fuck...how can you not see me in my canary yellow jacket, sparkly yellow and orange bike and reflective booties. I look like something out of a freakin circus, you idiot. Do you think I dress like this for the fun of it. No, its so A-holes like you can see me. Wake up, take the cigarette out of your mouth and pay attention before you kill someone. Nothing like a dumb ass to get your heart rate roaring in the morning.

No, I don't think I have any meetings until 10 this morning. I hope there is more than 30 seconds of hot water in the shower at work. I haven't seen any other bikes this morning. Why don't more people ride their bikes to work? I loved riding my bike to school as a kid. Through the center of Morge, this is such a pretty lake side town. Its Tuesday, that means street market today. Wow that bread smells good. Look at all the fresh fruit. I need to tell Amy about this market.

Another round about. How come we don't have round abouts back in the states? They are so practical, and far more efficient than four way stops. Very rarely do you have to come to a complete stop. The U.S. should also import lights that turn yellow, to warn you they are turning green. I bet some Swiss transportation analysis did a study on the warning yellow light. He probably found that it allowed those who drive manual cars a half a second to get into gear prior to the light turning green, which allowed for 2 additional cars to make it through the light each cycle. Now with X number of lights around Switzerland they were able to move X thousand more cars through the intersection each traffic light cycle.

E'toy, what an ugly place. Box stores and box apartments. What were the developers thinking?Ok, my butt hurts and I still have to pee. I like this area between Allaman and Rolle. Nice rolling sections hardly any traffic. Rolle is nice too, I should take Amy to that French restaurant on the hill she would like the views. The road through the center of Rolle is narrow. Move to the left, take the center of the lane, watch for car doors. Cross walk ahead. Slow down for the guy with the baguette leaving the bakery. Hey, look another cyclist coming my way. Lets see will he wave. I gave him the handle bar wave, he gave me the head nod, we're cool. Thank god for my iPod and DJ Steve Boy. This mix is awesome, pretty funky, 120 or so beats per minute. The music help keeps a nice tempo. Last 10 km of slightly down hill through the vineyards. Lets push it a little bit so I can get to the office before 8:15. Heart rate check 154. Shift into the big ring and lets go.

Why Europeans don’t take long weekends.

2009-03-23T12:30:00.000-07:00

As has become very evident since arriving in Europe, Americans need to take more long vacations (aka Holidays). As typical Americans, Amy and I usually take a few long weekends during the year and then maybe a week or two around Christmas. Most Europeans don’t take long weekends they take “holidays”. Its typical for most to take at least 3 to 4 weeks off at a time.

Our long weekend to Italy was to begin early Friday morning at 4am to catch a 7:15am flight out of Geneva. Arrive in Nice at 8:00am with our bikes and enjoy the forecasted sunny skies, riding 50 kilometers along the French Riviera (about 30 miles) to Ventimiglia, Italy. Along the way we thought we would enjoy a leisurely ride with a couple of casual stops along the way, including lunch in some beautiful seas side café in Monte Carlo. The plan was to arrive in Vetimiglia by early afternoon, in time to explore the old medieval city, check into our B&B shower and head back into town for a well deserved dinner at a traditional Italian restaurant.

From Milan-San Remo Mar-09

Our day did not exactly work out as planned. We flew “EasyJet”, now know as “Not So EasyJet” or “I am a Hard Ass Jet”, who some how lost our bikes frames between Geneva and Nice. Now this is absolutely absurd, the flight was a non-connecting 45 minute flight. Evidently, the baggage guys forgot to put them on the plane. Well at least we got our wheels, although they arrived completely flat. Lesson #1: When traveling with your bikes, deflate your tires before loading them as the air pressure change will cause them to explode.

Since we had until 2pm before our bikes arrived on the next flight, we had plenty of time to take the bus into Nice and find a bike shop to fix our flats. Upon getting off the bus in Nice, there was rain and wind and plummeting temperatures. So much for the forecasted sunny skies. The locals were friendly and helpful. We were able to get our flats fixed at Culture Velo bike shop.

From Milan-San Remo Mar-09

We arrived back at the airport around 1pm a little wet and a little chilled. Lesson #2: ?When traveling with your bike, yes pack light but at least bring something just in case it rains. Oh yeah, we arrived back at the airport just in time to see that our bikes were running late as their flight out of Geneva was delayed. After having a rather terse conversation with the Baggage Services from EasyJet that went something like this; “I should be compensated for my time. I have wasted one day of my very short 3 day holiday f…ing around with you people” Sorry President Obama, so much for change, I was the stereotypical ugly American. I realized at that moment that had this been a 3 to 4 week holiday, I would not have given a shit, I would not have been stressed about getting to Ventimiglia before sundown. I would have booked a room in Nice and spent another day exploring.

Well the bikes finally arrived by 3:00pm. By the time we put them together and changed over to our riding clothes we set off almost 8 hours late. The sun was shining and things were looking up for our nice leisurely 50k ride. We had planned about 2 to 2 and half hours of riding along the nice flat coastline. Lesson #3: Check the elevation along the route, oh yeah, don’t forget to figure time battling a 25 mph head winds and compensate for the 20 pounds of gear your are carrying.

From Milan-San Remo Mar-09

Three and half hours after leaving the airport and in the dark, we bumbled our way through Ventimiglia to find our Bed and Breakfast perched 150 km overlooking the old city. Our hosts Jessica and her husband were patiently waiting for us and were quite surprised to see us show up on our bicycles, as they had thought we were coming by motor bike. Neither of them spoke English and they had been translating our e-mails with Google Translator. Fortunately, they spoke French. So once again we relied on Amy’s 2nd grade level language skills to get us by. Our hosts were amazing, they had our room ready and prepared a home cooked Italian meal for us. It was the beginning of what was to become one of the best “Long Weekends” ever.

Chester is Doing Great

2009-03-08T00:28:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that it has been 5 weeks since Chester's accident and surgery. He is doing amazingly well. After his emergency surgery he spent 2 weeks at the University Hospital in Bern. During his stay his neurologist and two physical therapist worked with him every day. He did hydrotherapy and ultrasound therapy twice a day. He made tremendous progress and we were able to bring him home on Friday February 20th. Amy's friend Karen, who is boarding a horse here on the farm, comes by once a week to do accupressure on the little guy. As you can see from the video he has made great progress.

Chester Update: Post Op Day 5

2009-02-06T06:34:00.000-08:00

We saw Chester for the first time since his surgery on Sunday. We left this morning around 7:30 for the hour long drive north to Bern. Both Amy and I were a bit anxious, although we have been getting daily reports from his neurologist, we still weren't sure what to expect. Would he be the same old crazy Chester man, full of attitude and energy or would he just lay there? Prior to his accident we really thought Chester was bomb proof. For a little dog he is tough as nails. He does everything with a sense of reckless abandon. He throws himself out of bed in the morning, scrambles down the stairs, plays ball for hours, eats like its his last meal. He races around the cow pastures, hurls himself down snow banks and takes on all comers at the dog park. Is he going to be that same dog?

Well, it did not take long for that question to be answered. When Dr. Alves brought us to the therapy room where he stays with 3 other dogs, Chester was at the gate monitoring the hallway and standing (ok sitting) guard over the room. When he saw Amy it was all he could do to contain himself. I was scared at first, thinking he was going to rupture another disc from all of the excitement. He practically licked our noses off our faces. We sat on the floor with him as he scooted between Amy, myself and the therapist, just as happy as can be. He is so full of life, so full of confidence, I don't think he really realizes his legs don't work.

After playing with some toys we brought him, Chester went into the pool for some hyrotherapy. The pool is a large tank with a treadmill. They placed Chester on the treadmill and lowered it into the water. They use the water to reduce the weight on his legs and try to stimulate the walking motion with the treadmill. Two therapists work his rear legs as he pulls himself forward with his front legs. He is showing a tremendous amount of determination and will power to get better. After the pool Amy worked with him on his standing balance. Then we took him outside for a walk, assisting his rear legs with a strap around his waist to lift his rear legs. All and all we spent two hours with the little guy. It was tough to leave him, but we know he is in great hands there at the University of Bern Veterinary Hospital. We can't say enough about what an amazing staff he has looking after him. His roommates and therapy buddies, Buffy and Lilly keep him company and motivated. Yes, it has been a tough week, and we have at least another week of therapy before he can come home, but we feel so very fortunate for all the loving, caring and highly trained people who have made it their goal that he walk again. Check out the video below of Chester's hydrotherapy session.

Chester Update: Post Op Day 2

2009-02-03T10:43:00.000-08:00

We are so pleased with the care Chester is receiving at the University of Bern Veterinary Hospital. He has a full team looking after him that includes a surgeon, anesthesiologist, neurologist and physiotherapist. The neurologist calls us every morning to give us a report on his progress. Today she was pleased to provide the news that he was urinating and defecating without assistance. He is off all of the pain medication and along with reacting to pain stimulus, he is starting to move his left hind leg. His muscles have loosened allowing the physiotherapist to work with him in the therapy pool (I am sure he will enjoy that, he loves to water.) She also said his fear has subsided and is less anxious. Amy had planned to go visit him today, but decided against it after hearing how well he had improved. Visiting him would have made Amy feel good, but upon leaving Chester would have likely suffered from another spate of separation anxiety. We were told it is better to wait to see him when we are able to take him home with us to avoid the anxiety. Thank you all again for your support.

Chester Injury

2009-02-01T11:33:00.000-08:00

At 10am this morning, Chester and I were playing in the snow with his favorite ball. He suddenly loss function in his left hind leg. Amy recognized the potential severity of the situation and we quickly rushed him to the emergency vet and specialty hospital in Bern. Upon arrival he had loss function in both legs. The MRI showed a ruptured disc between the thoraco lumbar 12 and 13. This is not uncommon with Dachshunds, however it is with a dog as young as Chester (1 and half years). The MRI also showed adnormalities of the disc along most of the spinal column. So the condition is likely genetic, and the continuous play and jumping combined with the cold weather resulted in the acute rupture. The ruptured disc was applying pressure and decreasing blood flow to the spinal cord. This resulted in paralysis of his hind legs. He went into surgery at around 5pm where a hemilaminectomy was performed to remove the disc material and pressure from the spinal cord. According to the surgeon everything has gone well and they will try to feed him tonight. He will remain in the ICU and be monitored by the neurologist until Friday. Because of Amy's quick response and us getting him to the surgeon in less than 12 hours the prognosis is good for a full recovery. Please keep the little guy in your thoughts and I will keep this blog updated with his progress. To learn more about the hemilaminectomy: http://www.michvet.com/library/neurology_ivds_thoracolumbar.asp

A New Addition to our Menagerie

2008-12-10T21:51:00.000-08:00

Well we have a new addition to our menagerie. Joining Cesar, Chester and Zoe is Charlie.

Charlie is a 4 year old Tinker horse, we are now the proud "semi-owners". He is boarded here on the farm with us. His owner ran into some difficult times paying the boarding fees. Amy has been taking riding lessons at a farm about 10 km from here. So we worked out a deal where we pay half of his boarding fees, he gets to stay here on the farm and we get to ride and work with him when ever we want.

Tinker horses, also known as Gypsy Vanner in the US are draft style horses, bred to pull wagons call vardons. These vardons are wagons designed to be lived in, like the ones gypsies would use. Although their bloodlines are still uncertain, they are related to the Clydesdales. You know those famous Budwieser drinking, football playing horses from the Super Bowl commercials. Well, Charlie doesn't kick field goals, but he is a sweet horse and hopefully I will begin to ride him. Amy will start riding him this week.

Amy learns to "drive"

2008-09-12T20:39:00.000-07:00

I will admit prior to moving to Switzerland I don't think I have touched a horse since that pony ride at Kristen Kip's 5th birthday party. I think there are pictures laying around some where to prove it...me crying for the entire 5 minute excursion. I guess you can say I am pretty much a city boy, not much cowboy in this here blood. Therefore, the edited version of Amy's riding lesson is from the city boy's perspective. Enjoy!!

Hiking in the Swiss Alps Sept 7th 2008

2008-09-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

This is a map of the hiking trip we took this past Sunday. The map was generated with the tracking feature of the GARMIN GPS unit, overlaid on a GOOGLE MAP. Click on the green triangle at the bottom to see the direction and elevation along the trail route. You can also click on the title to go to the full view of the trip, statistics, zoom in and out, etc. Pretty Cool!

Hiking Trip above Aigle 7 Sept 2008

Widget powered by EveryTrail: GPS Geotagging

Our Roommates?

2008-09-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of the horses we live with on the farm. There are 17 horses on the farm and they go out daily for some exercise before the riders come. Here is a video of the first group heading out for their morning romp in the fields and some grazing. They are absolutely beautiful!

Boubi is the first one out, then Hardy, next is Tonner (my favorite, the big brown and white tinker horse), then Akuba and Aricof (they are best pals), and finally Senor.

Don't Judge a Book by its Cover...or its Stench.

2008-08-10T06:16:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a week in Singapore, an island nation of about 4 million located 85 miles north of the equator at that southern tip of the Malay peninsula. I have a colleague, in the office here in Switzerland from Singapore. Upon learning I was headed to his home country for business, Eric began raving about the Durian fruit.

"Oh you have to try Durian when you are in Singapore. Its the King of all fruit", he said while salivating at its thought. For a couple of weeks leading up to the trip Eric kept on me about the Durian. Finally, I promised him I would try his beloved fruit while visiting his home country. "Just one thing, don't be put off by the smell. Really it tastes nothing like it smells", he said. I assured him I would not be put off by the smell, as I understand this concept of foul smelling, but good tasting. There is a saying here in Switzerland "The stinkier the cheese, the better it tastes". Some of my favorite cheeses smell pretty bad.

During my last evening in Singapore, I told my host, I wanted to try Durian. He thought I was joking at first, but then was pleased to find out I was not. We grabbed a taxi from the hotel and made our way to one of the small Durian fruit stands set up in the parking lot of the restaurant district. Durian is in season about every four months and we were lucky, as we hit the season right at its peak. The fruit is highly prized in this part of the world for its high nutritional value and complex flavors. The fact that it takes ten years for a Durian tree to bear fruit also adds to the mystique. There are a number of different variations of the fruit, we would be sampling the sweet and the bitter versions. Upon getting out of the cab the smell hit me, and we were still a good hundred feet or so from the

stand. The smell is a blend of rotting dumpster and day old

vomit, very organic. Not only is the smell less than appetizing, Durian is visually intimidating. It is about the size of an American football covered with inch long spines and weighing between 5 and 7 pounds. You have to hand it to the guy who first tried eating Durian, he was quite adventurous. The fruit looks completely alien, from the dangerous spines to the fetus like insides. Upon ordering our fruit, one of the workers grabbed a couple of plastic chairs from a stack and unfolded a table for us. With a machete he cut open the fruit and placed it in front of us.

Wow, the smell really hit me and my eyes started to water as I tried to maintain my composure. Another colleague with me from Switzerland, Didier, did not even try to stay composed, he was wincing at the stench. Inside the halved fruit, are a few large seeds about the size of an avocado pit covered in a slimy skin. Between the slimy skin and the seed is a custard like filling, the prize if you will. We started with the sweet one first, I grabbed one of the seeds and quickly stuck it in my mouth sucking the meat off the seed. It wasn't the smell that got to me as much as it was the odd custard texture. It slides around your mouth as you try to coral it with your tongue to swallow, then spit out the large seed. Ah, it wasn't that bad, but it wasn't that good either. As promised it tasted nothing like it smelled, rather nutty and sweet with after note of onion. I was ready to try the bitter one now, Didier on the other hand was done no more Durian for him. The bitter Durian was quite different than the sweet. It was more floral, less sweet and absent of the onion after note. Of the two I preferred the bitter. Come to find out many Durian aficionados also prefer the bitter over the sweet. I would have to say, I had no strong feelings either way regarding the "King of all fruit", it neither delighted nor disgusted. I am sure it is an acquired taste.

My Personal Tour de France: The Freedom to Ride

2008-07-26T19:54:00.000-07:00

As a kid I remember watching the Tour de France on the television show ABC's Wide World of Sports, before any of us new the name Lance Armstrong. It was an event that captured the imagination of a 10 year old, and was the impetus for the incessant pleading for a 10 speed bicycle. I received that bicycle the following Christmas. It was a tan Centurion, a small racing seat and black handlebar tape. I remember barely reaching the toe clip pedals. For those of you who know my Dad, realize it was bought for me to "grow into". I couldn't wait for the Christmas holiday to end, so I could ride my new bike to school and show it off. For the next 6 months I rode my bike to school everyday. On 86th Avenue, between the stop light at Oakhurst road and the Circle 'K' was my own personal "L'alpe d'huez" to conquer. Looking back it was only a small hill, maybe a couple hundred yards long and rising maybe 30 to 40 feet, but for a 10 year old with an imagination it was the King of all mountains. I struggled up it every day, testing my gear shifting abilities. That tan bike was more than just transportation to and from school, it was freedom on two wheels. That bike opened up the world beyond 86th and 125th, it took me to Dino's Pizza, the arcade and across the Park Boulevard bridge to Redington Beach. That summer, the one between elementry and middle school, my friends and I planned our own tour. Myself, Doug S., Rick B., Jason S. and Chris B. set out to leave the neighborhood behind. We made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, put Kool-Aid in our water bottles and packed some Snicker candy bars for our epic ride across town. We had to climb that hill on 86th Avenue then pass the High School where we flew down "Cemetery" hill. We then ventured where none of us had gone before without our parents in a car...Tyrone Boulevards pass the Mall. We sat on the curb and ate our sandwiches and Snicker's bars. From there we headed to old Saint Petersburg and across the Central Avenue Bridge into Treasure Island. Ahh the beach, we pulled our weary bodies off the bikes for a quick dip in the Gulf of Mexico, then it was back on our bikes down Gulf Boulevard. It was there with a strong head wind, the group began to struggle. Rick, Doug and myself had 10 speed bikes with drop bars and gears, Jason and Chris were on small one speed BMX bikes. Chris was really struggling, as he was the "big" kid of the group, you know the stocky kid who plays catcher. It was here that we employed our learnings from watching the Tour de France. Rick was always the strongest of all of us, he took the lead breaking the wind for the rest of us. We put Chris in the middle to make sure we didn't leave him behind. So with Rick pulling, Chris safely tucked away in the middle and me and Doug following up the rear we made our way back to the neighborhood. It was with that trip our small world had expanded, and with that ten speed bike I had found a new freedom.

Le Tour de France: L'alpe d'Huez

2008-07-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

One of the first thing we did upon arriving in Switzerland was plan a week long trip in France to follow the Tour and ride our bikes through the Alps, however at the last minute our trip was cancelled by the organizers with whom we had planned our travel. After failed attempts to rebook with other bike touring companies we decided we would go it alone. The Tour de France is the most famous bicycle race in the world, spanning 2,200 miles over 23 days. The TDF was started in 1903, like with so many great ideas, as a publicity stunt...to sell news papers. For both Amy and I to watch this epic bicycle race live was an opportunity of a life time. Being only a 3 hour drive from the most epic stage, of the most epic race in the world, we would be crazy not to go. So with all of the hotels fully booked and not really sure where L'alpe d'huez was (thank goodness for GPS) we set out for France with our tent and sleeping bags.

Finding a New Rhythm

2008-07-11T22:09:00.000-07:00

Here in the Romande region of Switzerland, food and drink take on a significance greater than mere sustenance and hydration. One quickly recognizes the differences in perspective between this region of Europe and the US. The most obvious difference is the emphasis or even obsession with quality over quantity. You won't find the "Cheese Cake Factory Trough" style portions nor the mega thick 56 oz steak. Instead you will enjoy modest portions of local perch from Lake Geneve, fresh seasonal vegetables and grass fed beef. As mentioned in my earlier post, local cheeses and artisan breads accompany

just about every meal. Another significant difference is the dining experience. Patience is revered and meal time is to be taken leisurely, sit down style, with friends or colleagues. Yes just like every where in the world you will find the

ubiquitous "Gold Archers" of McDonald's and Starbucks, but they are the exception not the norm. You will rarely see people eating in their cars or walking around with a cup of Starbucks coffee. A "cafe" is to be taken in a cafe with friends (and often times a couple of cigarettes...that is another blog). Here there is a rhythm to dining-out. At first this "rhythm" seems very slow and often frustrating for those of us use to the North American style restaurant model, where to survive waiters have to turn as many tables as possible to make a living off of their tips. Here the leisurely tempo of the meal is expected and the wait staff are paid a salary or livable wage that doesn't require them to hustle for tips. The first impression upon arrival is "wow the service here sucks, I have been waiting 15 minutes to pay my bill", but in reality it is just a different perspective. a waiter would never bring you your bill without being asked, as this would be perceived as very rude. A meal here, even in the most modest of restaurant, will take at least 90 minutes. The rhythm goes something like this: We start with an "appertif" (a drink) almost all lunches and dinner begin with a glass of beer or wine (the drinking age here is 16). This is followed by your "entree" or salad, then the main course with another drink, next the dessert, then the coffee. Interestingly, here you don't take your coffee with your dessert, I received a very strange look from my waiter the first time I asked for coffee with my dessert. As if he were saying "Puffffff... monsieur this is not the rhythm, please follow the rhythm".

What is it about this rhythm and why such reverence for food, drink and the meal time experience? If you excuse my broad generalizations and unsubstantiated opinions, I will hypothesize. The Swiss have a strong culture of agriculture, and being such a small country much of the population is in close proximity to the food they consume. Two fifths of Switzerland lies in the Alps where cultivation is not possible, therefore farm land, crops and vineyards can be found in, around and close proximity to population centers. Over 40% of Switzerland's land area is cropland. Although only 5.5% of the Swiss work force work in the agricultural industry, most of them either live, work or commute near a farm, a vineyard or some cropland.

This is unlike the US where our vast plains in the west and midwest produce the majority of crops and live stock. The closest I came to seeing my food produced is during cross country flights at 30,000 feet. I think it is the proximity to the food production, the ability to observe the rhythm of the harvests and the close ties to their culture of agriculture that give the people of this area the appreciation the wonderful food and drink of the land. After 6 months here, living and working amongst the fields and cows, I too have come to appreciate this rhythm.

(Above: A wheat field next to my office, across the road they are growing corn)

Life in Switzerland June 2008

2008-06-30T21:15:00.000-07:00

It is hard to believe we have been here for almost 6 months already. After more than 4 months in temporary corporate housing we moved to our own place in the small farming village of Savigny.

LIFE ON THE FARM:

We are renting a 3 bedroom apartment in an old farm house built in the late 1800s. It is a wonderful place surrounded by rolling hills, farmland and fields of wild flowers Most of our neighbors are dairy farmers with milking cows, goats and sheep. The dairy farms here are muc different than the industrial dairy farms in the US. Most of the Swiss dairy industry is supported by small family run farms with no more than a couple dozen cows per farm. Each village has their own milk collection point where the local farmers can sell their milk to the local cooperative for processing. The cows here have it good, they spend the spring an dearly summer in the lower lands and then move up into the mountains to graze on flowers and herbs later in the summer. Angeline, the owner of the farm where we live, was a professional horse jumper and trainer. Now she boards 16 horses here on the farm, we have met most of the owners as they come to ride a few times per week. Angeline is dutch, in her mid-fifties and pretty much runs the farm herself. She is up at 5am muking out the horses' stalls hualing feed and shoveling manure. Click here to view more pictures of the farm

SWISS FOOD AND DRINK:

As we live in the south west section of Switzerland, known as the French or Romande region, we have an opportunity to enjoy a wide range of great cheeses, breads and wines. Like the dairy farms, the vineyards are smaller family run operations. This section of Switzerland is known for their white wines. Before arriving here I was not much of a white wine drinker, but the dry crisp wines produced here have made me a big fan. Obtaining Swiss wine outside of Switzerland is pretty difficult, since the Swiss consume more wine than they can produce. We live about an hour train ride from Gruyere, known for their cheese, we spent this past Easter visiting the fromagerie and learning about how they make their world famous Gruyere cheese...oh yeah we did our share of sampling. Probably the food I love most is the bread. The bread here is amazing...I don't think I can ever go back to store bought sliced bread. The small village bakery is walking distance from the farm, so we have fresh bread every day! Yum! Click to view more pictures of Gruyere.

TRANSPORTATION:

The Swiss are incredibly efficient. The public transportation system, although highly subsidzed, runs extremely well. My first experience taking the train...I am sanding on the platform waiting for the train to arrive at 8:04. The clocks on the station platform have second hands, and sure enough just as the clock is striking 8:04 the train pulls up. I thought thsi was a fluke, but it was not, this happens 95% of the time. The trains are clean, timely and fast...oh yeah and a bit expensive, it will cost you twice as much to take the train or bus as it will to drive. However, it will also take you twice as long to drive your car. The roads here are tiny, even the highways (known as motorways / autoroutes), are two lanes each way. If there is an accident the Swiss Police close the highway and the alternate route usually takes you on some one lane farm road that snakes through the hills and villages, doubling your commute. Aslo, the city streets are set up to give the priority to the buses. There are specific bus lanes that cars are not allowed in. This allows for the buses (which are powered by electricity ) to run as efficiently and as timely as the trains, while making it inconvenient to drive your car. It is smart governing...if you want people to take public transportation, make it as easy as possible. If you want people to not drive in congested areas make it a pain in the ass. So other than commuting to work, we try to walk, bike or take public transportation.

BIKING:

The Europeans are obsessed with the bicycle. From commuting, to recreation, to racing, it seems like everyone owns and rides a bike, it is engrained in the culture. It is common to see a two year old child on a small pedibike (a small wooden bike without pedals) that the child straddles and pushes with their feet. You rarely see a child over the age two being pushed in a stroller...they are usually pushing themselves along on these miniature bicycles. There are bike lanes every where and drivers are very courteous to cyclists (unlike LA where Amy had a Coke bottle thrown at her during her bike commute to work). From the farm it is easy to get out on the small farming roads and ride for hours without seeing more than a dozen cars. We have made a number of trips on our bike...we will get up early choose a destination like Bulle, Bern or Fribourg and ride there, have lunch and then take the train home. In early June we road 180 km around lake Geneva. Bike racing is amazingly popular. The Pro Teams race almost every day some where in Europe. We spent 5 days in May following the Tour de Romande. This week is the Tour of Switzerland and next month is the grand daddy of them all the Tour de France. In between there is the Tour of Italy (aka Giro Italia), the Tour of Spain (Veulta Espana) and many others. Click here to view more pictures. and here for even more cycling pictures.

SUNDAYS IN SWITZERLAND:

If you ever come to Switzerland and arrive on a Sunday, you will think you travelled back in time. The Swiss have held on to the strong tradition of resting on Sunday. Most Businesses (except bakeries and restaurants) are closed on Sundays, so you better plan your shopping for Saturday. Sundays are amazingly quite, with everything closed there is no reason to get in the car, therefore the streets are pretty dead as well. Sundays are a time of rest and recreation in Switzerland. The lake is usually jammed with people walking or enjoying a picnic. The hiking trail s and bike paths are full of families enjoying the day together. And with the long days (it is light here until 10:30 pm ) you will see people on their verandas grilling out and sipping wine. Our Sundays usually consist of a long bike ride in the Swiss Alps or along the Rhone River. Click to view pictures of Sundays on the Farm.