Bleeding just keeps on moving, Tourism - Pt.9: Switserland

[evilshell]

@ all - yep, chocolate, cheese, mountains, banks and watches are all very typical Swiss things!

@ Mas - I have never heard of Zwitserse powder cheese or seen it in the grocery stores in Zurich or Basel! In looking it up on google, it seems to be a Dutch thing  I'll ask the husband when he gets home.

@ grym - It depends where you are, some places in Switzerland aren't cold at all! I'm in Basel (northwest Switzerland) and we rarely get more than just a dusting of snow and I don't own a proper winter coat - I'm able to get by with a thin leather and a hoodie underneath. The south, on the Italian border, is also pretty warm, particularly in the winter!

@ prab - One of the favorite things the Swiss enjoyed doing when I first moved here was getting me to pronounce several things in Schwyzertüütsch, including "Chäs-Chüechli" (cheesecake, or, more accurately a pseudo-quiche) and "Chuchichäschtli" (kitchen cabinet). Pity for them that I'd prepared myself and even got the guttural "ch" sound down, at least for these two words.

@ AoP - Soldiers on bicycles crack me up. As do the soldiers coming home for break, rifles slung on their back, waiting for their  tram or bus. Sometimes they even just pile them up when there are a few together, half the time nobody even watches to make sure nothing happens to them!

@ Metal RN - The St. Bernards are no longer being used for search & rescue :( I read an article earlier this year that the monks that kept them up at the pass are adopting them out for winters, to be brought back in summer for the tourists to see.

Basel Laeckerli is hard and gross

If you guys ever come around the Basel way, let me know! We can offer some crash space to you two.


More to come..........

[Prab]

Interesting informations

[evilshell]

@  AoP

I had to clarify the military stuff with my husband, since he's Swiss and a guy.

It has been a big trend over the years for guys to get out of military service, many have not gone through the normal training. Instead they either pay an annual fee (which is what my husband does) or they do civil service.

There is one gun per male (who has completed military service) in the house, up to some time in their 40s. They also keep their ammunition separate and must account for every single piece.

Every house is supposed to also have an air raid shelter, but some (like ours) don't and you have a designated spot in a neighboring building.  They test the air raid sirens yearly, an ear-piercing experience. When we lived in Zurich, they sounded more like giant theramins than air  raid sirens, though.



Anyone else have anything about Switzerland that I can either confirm or deny?

[shadowman]

Wow fascinating stuff Evilshell...
I read this with the greatest attention...
Any idea what is the reason that the rest of the world know so little about Switserland ?

[TexJoachim]

Any idea what is the reason that the rest of the world know so little about Switserland ?

Well, why in the world would anybody like to know anything about a country that is neutral in everything?


SCNR,

Tex

[Souleraser]

Any idea what is the reason that the rest of the world know so little about Switserland ?

Is that true?
Honestly, compared to the size of the country and to the additional facts evilshell had to unveil, I think Switzerland is one of the countries we do indeed know a lot about.

[Souleraser]

@  AoP

I had to clarify the military stuff with my husband, since he's Swiss and a guy.

Thank you, Shelley. I had supposed something like that (is there any western European country that does not provide a way to avoid military service these days?) but did not know any details. Though I have to admit that situation about air raid shelters was new to me, too.

[shadowman]

Any idea what is the reason that the rest of the world know so little about Switserland ?

Is that true?
Honestly, compared to the size of the country and to the additional facts evilshell had to unveil, I think Switzerland is one of the countries we do indeed know a lot about.

That is very strange indeed because here in Belgium we have zero information about Switserland, nothing... zilch...
Though I read my newspaper back and forth everyday and quite a lot of magazines on weekly basis (one of the advantages of working in a printing factory  ) there is never anything in it about Switserland ...

[Souleraser]

But you had some knowledge at hand.

[shadowman]

Hahahaha... Yeah, you used the right word 'some'...
No all that much considering the fact I have been around for quite some time now...

 :roll:

[Virvatuli]

Wow fascinating stuff Evilshell...
I read this with the greatest attention...
Any idea what is the reason that the rest of the world know so little about Switserland ?

At least more than you had about Finland  :laugh:
Small countries are easilly forgotten

[shadowman]

Wow fascinating stuff Evilshell...
I read this with the greatest attention...
Any idea what is the reason that the rest of the world know so little about Switserland ?

At least more than you had about Finland  :laugh:

*bows head in shame* You are right my love !... :oops:

[Souleraser]

I beg forgiveness but I don't see why there would be a reason to be ashamed of anything.

I believe to remember there are about 186 countries out there. How could one know everything or just "a lot" about all or most of them, without being a complete dumbass in everything else?

Personally, I prefer to know something about a lot of things than knowing a lot about few things.
Once there's a reason for it, one can always gather more knowledge and learn more about certain topics.

[shadowman]

Couldn't agree more oh mighty Ambassador...