It’s official; my clothing will smell like cheese for the next few days and I don’t mind a bit. Last night we had fondue with Beda Zengg, the man who will be in charge of catering at the House of Switzerland in Vancouver and Whistler during the 2010 Olympic Games.
Originally from Ontario, Beda’s family is Swiss and he has spent most of his adult life over here (even completing his tour in the Swiss Army). He joined us at Adler’s Swiss Chuchi in Zurich and told us all the proper way to prepare and feast upon the cheesy dish, which is as much a social event as it is a dinning experience.
During 2010 he will be preparing not only Swiss traditions such as fondue but also modern delicacies that the country can bring to the table and offer its athletes and guests.
After the fondue, we headed over to the Hollenstadion (the country’s only multi-purpose arena) to watch EV-Zug take on the ZCS Lions in tournament play. We were swept up to a private box and greeted by Florian Zimmerman from EV-Zug to get a rundown of the differences between the NHL and Swiss hockey league play.
Assembled by Florian Zimmerman – Number8 Ltd.
The crowd of bout 6,000 was chanting as though it were a football match, calling out players’ names in unison and taunting the opposing fans that sat across the arena. The pace was quick, the clock ran up (instead of down), the rink was wide, and if there was any inkling of a fight at all, play was stopped. The Lions came out on top with a strong 4-1 finish and we even got to see some play from former Vancouver Canuck, Josh Holden.
I also came to realize that no matter what country you are in, hockey arena music is pretty much all the same as our ears were treated to AC/DC, Def Leppard, Bryan Adams and even a special Nickelback roundup.
Following the game Doug Shedden coach of EVZug (also former Maple Leaf & Nordiques player) came up to the box to chat with our group. Shedden coached team Finland to a bronze medal in the 2008 World Championships and has a real passion for not only the game of hockey, but also being a part of the Swiss league. He jested that road games don’t mean over-nighters across the continent, moreso a short bus ride home (or the equivalent of about two beers). With a maximum of about 400km to travel to play a visiting team, it’s nothing compared to thousands of miles NHL teams must travel to meet opposing conference rivals.
In the past year I’ve experienced hockey games from Burnaby, to Vancouver, and even Moline, Illinois. However, being able to witness European hockey at this level (and in Switzerland to boot) is the ultimate hockey pilgrimage for a fan like me.
You can view the rest of my photos from my media trip to Switzerland in this photo set, and read all posts here.
Waking up this morning in Lausanne, Switzerland my group headed over to the International Olympic Committee headquarters for a tour. We saw the top secret meeting rooms, the VIP meeting rooms, the grounds, the buildings, and even some protesters outside. However, I’ll be covering the IOC and the Museum in another post, which will be much more Olympic in size.
We left Lausanne, which is definitely worth revisiting; if not for the history or the fact that it’s home to dozens of worldwide sports federation headquarters, but for the breathtaking scenery at the foot of the Alps along Lake Geneva.
Bowling through the countryside on the highway I looked out on what seemed to be something straight out of a Grant Wood painting. With the Alps behind us the rolling hills, clustered towns, and green pastures reminded me of another place I know well.
There were no cows with bells around their necks, and no girls up on the hills in pigtails, just small towns, fast speed limits, and plenty of tunnels that take you from point A to point B in no time at all.
Arriving in the Swiss capital of Bern we had lunch with Chef de Mission for Swiss Olympics, Erich Hanselmann. I’ll cover more of our discussion in another post, when I include the IOC and Olympic Museum visit. We have been lucky to be accompanied by Dr. Sibylle Ambühl throughout our trip and after lunch at Cafe Federal, she showed us the parliament (since it is the Swiss capital) and gave us a quick walking tour of the city.
Founded in the 1100s it was rebuilt after a fire in the 1500s. Since that time, no buildings have been replaced or torn down leaving only their historic facades. What you see are the original buildings dating back to the 16th century rebuild and the entire town is a UNESCO world heritage site.
I completely fell in love with the city within minutes but we had little time to spare before hitting the road once again. It’s mix of old and new was dazzling. We walked by Einstein’s house, which was just above a Lush soap shop, and watched with fingers poised above our shutter buttons as a 1600s clock chimed in the hour (as though it was high noon in Gastown).
We have just arrived in Zurich after what seemed to be a rush hour trek between the two major cities. I’m not going to lie, waiting for traffic to move in tunnels is not something that makes me feel at ease however after watching a recent Discovery Channel special with John about the mad tunnel-building skills of this country, I felt slightly better.
I’d love to share more and describe the sights and sounds in detail but we’re off to a hockey game at Hallenstadion. I can’t wait until I have more time to document (and digest) some of the magnificent views and scenes I have experienced so far.
You can view the rest of my photos from my media trip to Switzerland in this photo set, and read all posts here.
I am currently laying amongst the cloud-like pillows of the Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne, Switzerland. Along with journalists and members of the media I will be spending the next 4 days exploring Switzerland, learning about the country, and even how it will be represented at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games.
Our flight was long (and held-over in London) so we arrived at night and haven’t been able to see much of our surroundings. Luckily we were greeted by Dr. Sibylle Ambühl, from Presence Switzerland (the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs) who gave us a crash-course in everything Swiss. She amazingly managed to explain all the basics of the geography, political system, military, electoral process, education, and health care infrastructure during the ride from the airport. She said that many other countries have lakes, mountains, snow, agriculture, and metropolitan cities however Switzerland has all of that packed into 41,000 square kilometers (which is about 25 times smaller than British Columbia).
Tomorrow will kick off our expedition as we say goodbye to the Beau-Rivage and head to IOC Headquarters and the Olympic Museum. From there, we’ll take trains and buses across the entire country — exploring and uncovering all that makes Switzerland tick.
This will be my first night in a 19th century hotel (where the Treaty of Lausanne was signed) so sleep is the first part of my adventure.
When the sun rises I’ll be able to look out the window and truly get a grasp on my surroundings. Over the next few days, I hope to share all of the elements of Switzerland that make it much more than a nation of cheese, chocolate, and finely crafted watches.
You can view the rest of my photos from my media trip to Switzerland in this photo set, and read all posts here.
I am currently traveling to Switzerland on a media trip although I’ve come to a halt at Heathrow in London. My first flight to Geneva has been canceled due to weather (or as the pilot said “wind so fast it’s bound to turn your umbrella inside out.”)
As such, I thought it would be a good time to prepare a blog post since I’m currently 9 hours ahead of Vancouver and likely to pass out upon arrival in my Swiss hotel. I’m not sure when I’ll wake up or what day it might be but please enjoy this next installment of the “Then and Now” photo series.
1924
Davie at Thurlow
Photographer: WJ Moore, Item #: Bu N324
2009
1928
10th at Hemlock
Photographer: WJ Moore, Item #: Bu N252
2009
1936
Tudor Manor, 1311 Beach Avenue
Photographer: Stuart Thomson, Item #: CVA 99-4913
2009
1940s
Cambie at West 23rd
Photographer: Jack Lindsay, Item #: CVA 1184-1939
2009
Sources: The older images are courtesy of the City of Vancouver Archives and the 2009 images have been screen-captured from Google Street Views.
This is my second “apartment” theme but if you have any suggestions for a future “Then and Now” series please feel free to drop me a comment.
This weekend the National Yoga Challenge will take place at the Olympic Oval in Richmond and the Yoga Sanctuary in Toronto. This 3rd annual event will run November 20th until the 22nd to support UNICEF’s Unite for Children, Unite against AIDS campaign.
The National Yoga Challenge is presented by Yoga4Kidz as it encourages instructors, health enthusiasts, and those passionate about contributing to a cause to join in this weekend. Thousands of men, women, children and their families across the country and beyond will come together to practice yoga, and to observe compassionate living.
Participants are encouraged to collect pledges, like you would for a fun run/walk, and can either fundraise on their own or as part of a yoga team. You can register online or pledge to support a participant. You can practice as much yoga as you like throughout the weekend, whether it’s just for 30 minutes or a full 24-hour period (as they have a yogi sleeping area). However, the “challenge” part is that the team that raises the most donations will get free yoga classes for a month.
Find the National Yoga Challenge on Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr for information and updates or drop by the Olympic Oval this weekend to participate.
