Thursday, November 30, 2006

Gone fishin’!!


Hi Everyone.

Well the date has finally arrived and I head of to Oz for just under a couple of weeks holiday in the Great Southern Land.

I fly Air France Geneva- Paris-Singapore-Perth. I feel a little like Indiana Jones flying on one of those China Clippers and carving a red line across the globe!

It’s summer down south so looking forward to getting some beach and/or boat fishing in, plus a dive or two from on e of the charter boats that does dives on the Marmion Reef marine park.

It’s been two and a half years since I’ve been back so my once little niece and nephew will be looking me in the eyes!

I’ve been spoiled by short haul European flights so the long haul south will be a bit of a change – I’ll be buying a lot to read on the plane!!!

Well, I’ll be posting as and when during the vacation. See you all on the flip side!

Warmest wishes,

Marc

Monday, November 27, 2006

Montreux

Hello again.

Well making the most of the unseasonably warm-ish weather on Sunday, I headed to Montreux about 65kms away at the other end of Lake Geneva to see the Xmas market. It is a beautiful town/city with the lake right in front and with the Alps climbing into the clouds right in front of you on the other side of the water. Tucked around the corner is Château Chillon which is really interesting and so beautiful and has a couple of resident white Swans who glide serenely around looking very elegant and doing very nicely courtesy of the tourists.

The town itself has a Casino – very bijou by Vegas standards - but with all the usual bells and whistles one normally sees. There were lots of the usual folk in the slot machine rooms (Man! How much cash must this place take in every hour – the folks were pouring cash into those suckers).

The room with all the baccarat and roulette tables for the high rollers is closed off to keep the unmoneyed masses (like me!) out ha, ha! That room is for those with serious cash. I’ve heard corroborated stories in the press about Australia’s richest man and multi-billionaire Kerry Packer (a physical giant of a man who recently passed away at a fair old age from Kidney related problems) who would drop millions in Las Vegas in a night without blinking. To give you some idea of how much cash this guy can afford to play without worrying, there is one tale that recounts how he was gambling and a local U.S. millionaire (no offence to some of my favourite foreigners) who, instead of just moseying up to the tables and playing a few hands with the boys, was doing a lot of huffing and puffing about just how much money he had. Kerry eventually got fed up with this fellow and finally asked him how much he was worth. When he proudly told him the amount, Kerry then just said ‘Tell you what, how about one game of double or nothing?’ Just goes to show how much some people’s wealth goes into an altogether other dimension...

Anyway, I digress. There were lots of wooden log cabins set up along the promenade as stalls and selling Xmas and Swiss knick-knacks. A few CD’s playing in the background playing yodelling music which the local youth thinks is sooooo uncool – they’re all into hip-hop etc these days.

From the lakefront you can see around the corner and on most days can see the mighty Matterhorn and surrounding peaks. It is just such a beautiful place and really makes you feel relaxed and content like there is not a care in the world…Walking along the lakefront or just sitting on the flagstones and soaking in the scenery is the best balm to the soul I could prescribe anyone.

Here is a picture or two – but is just doesn’t do it justice…

Snow on the Jura mountains

Hi All. Apols for not posting for a little while.

The weather is getting colder here and we’ve had the first snows of the season! Going to work one morning and I could see on the top of the Jura mountains the first real fall – it was so beautiful. I spent the whole journey just staring out the window taking it all in (it’s OK, I was on the bus!). The snow lasted most of the day, but as daytime temperatures were still getting to 10-12C from the overnight minimum of 1-2C, it still isn’t quite cold enough to stick just yet.
The second snow fall came about a week later and was a lot heavier. At lower altitudes it was very heavy rain – I should know, I was trying to drive back to town through it and it was so heavy I almost needed a person walking out the front with a flag to lead the way! It was one of those nights when you lean forward, hanging onto the steering wheel trying to peer through the gloom. But anyway, at about 1,500-2,000m up it was a thick blanket of snow which lasted for a few more days this time. The next time we get snow, it will begin to stay on the ground now.

Apart from an unseasonable blip we are having at the moment of cool-ish temperatures, it is slower getting colder and closer to real winter, and after the first snows, all the sport shops were madly stocking skis, boots, doing re-waxes and adjustments on clients equipment ready for this season.
I joined in and got a couple of clothing items to add to my ski gear and can’t wait for the season proper to commence. Some stations open in about 2-3 weeks I believe.

Here are some pics to give you an idea..

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Trip to Paris


One of my long term friends was in Europe on a business trip a few weeks ago.

I haven’t seen Terry or his wife Julie for a couple of years so it was a great opportunity to catch up since he was relatively close. I caught the high speed train up to Paris CDG airport but we were delayed slightly (highly unusual for the efficient French train service) so I missed Terry at the airport. No problem – I just caught a taxi into the city through the still pumping traffic on the ring road and met him at the hotel.

It was great to see Terry. Even under the weather as he was from a dodgy schnitzel he’d had the night before in Bavaria he was great company and you feel comfortable as you do with old friends.

We stayed at the hotel he and his boss were at and explored Paris over the next day and half. I’d been to the city several times so knew how to get around quickly to maximise our time there. We went to The Champs Elysee, went inside and on top of the Arc de Triomphe, walked over to the Eiffel Tower, then saw Napoleons’ tomb.
We had a hoot one evening going up to see the Moulin Rouge cabaret in Montmartre (which also coincidentally abuts the red light district). Terry and Graham and I were invited umpteen times to sample some earthly delights raining from dances to ‘art films’ to more ahem, 'advanced' relaxation techniques…We all politely declined – persuasive as they were. I had to give one hawker ‘A’ for effort in her sales pitch though. “C’mon in, one drink and if you don’t like the girls you can leave after ten minutes…”. No doubt many punters once surrounded by a bevy of delightful females in alluring costumes and with a brew in hand tend to stay….! “Awww, heck five minutes more…” Cute.

Anyhoo, we also saw the Notre Dame cathedral and the Louvre as well as The National Assembly and other stuff. The photo Graham – Terry’s boss, fishing for my camera case which fell out of my hand. We made a fine sight – three weird Aussies - one climbing the grill (me) trying to get a view of my case trapped on the ledge below, Terry taking photos laughing and Graham who’d managed to stick his head through (my nut being too big), doing a Rex Hunt and fly-fishing for me.

Gotta go fishing with this guy, if he's half as good with a rod and reel as he is with a camera strap and bent paper clip, we're in for a good day!
All too soon it was back to normal life and the workaday week and we took the train down to Dijon where they got off and I continued onto Lausanne before backtracking to Geneva and getting home around midnight. Terry and Graham are back in Oz now, Terry in Perth and Graham in Melbourne, but I've got a long overdue trip home coming up in three weeks so shall see Terry and Julie and the gang again at a BBQ.

Catch you soon guys.
Put a bottle of wine in the fridge to chill...

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Rememberance Day

Today it's November the 11th and rememberance day. A cold, windy late autumn day but all the old soldiers were out to honour those who fell in WW1.

It was interesting to see - given how used to the Anzac day dawn and midday services I am used to seeing and ocassionally going to for all the Diggers * (Australian Infantry) who fell in WW1, WW2, Korea & Vietnam.
The mairie (town hall) was bedecked in flowers and had the flags of France, and fellow allies Britain, and the U.S. flying, as well as the modern German flag which I thought was a nice conciliatory gesture.
The vets were there in Blue balzers and Navy berets, and a few of today's serving soldiers in Green fatigues.
I had a quick chat with one policeman who at first was a little brusque with me thinking I was just some gawking tourist intruding on a sombre ceremony, but when I said I was interested in their rememberance commemoration, he warmed immediately and gave me heaps of information.
It is a public holiday today so it was very quiet apart from the speaches from the Mayor and the dignitaries.
It is interesting to see the differences between the two cultures, approaches and ceremonies. I enjoyed being able to see it. It is certainly still a very important event in the national calendar here and it was good to see people of all ages turn out to pay homage.
* Diggers - a term that originated in WW1. The first thing the (Australian & New Zealand - ANZAC) infantry soldier did on arriving at the front was to dig a foxhole or add to the extensive trench network so he didn't get his head shot off five minutes after getting there. Given the advent of the maxim machine gun and the close proximity of trench warfare, soldiers did a lot of digging. The term has stuck ever since.