Notes from a smaller country!

In defence of Switzerland

2010-08-18T18:58:00.002+01:00

This isn't a blog about the Swiss Military.... instead I feel compelled to defend my Swiss friends who came in for the normal stereotypical rhetoric from the Brits after sending out a record speeding fine of around $1M last week. To accompany the report was a "Have your say" forum discussing whether speeding fines should be based on wealth.

Amongst the various obvious comments regarding cuckoo clocks, watches, chocolates and car hating country, were some very wrong assumptions about the speeding fine system in Switzerland. Note: There was also the usual cyclist bashing comment from motorists (don't get me started). So I would like to make some corrections (based also on experience):

1/ There are no license points "awarded" for speeding in Switzerland.... this allows minor offences to be fined without jeopardising mobility;

2/ Fines don't start at 1KPH over the limit. Actually, the police always knock 5KPH off the measured speed;

3/ Fines are on a sliding scale, generally starting at CHF40 for 1KPH;

4/ Wealth based fines only start when you exceed the speed limit by 30KPH in town, 35KPH out of town and 40KPH on motorways;

5/ You will loose your license for at least one month if you exceed the speed limit by 20, 25 or 30KPH respectively.

For further clarification check ot the Basel Police Fin e table which applies for most Swiss Cantons. Really, I think the system is quite fair.

Now I can get off my soap-box for today :-)

A belated welcome to Ruben!

2010-08-14T17:52:00.005+01:00

Another year passes sans blog without a significant excuse other than the arrival of our son Ruben Wallace on the 3rd November 2009:

Not that Ruben is really an excuse to spend less time in front of a keyboard. I've found fatherhood totally absorbing and have probably become one of those previously loathed fathers of small children with nothing better to discuss than night time feeding routines and the contents of nappies! I'm sure that every parent thinks that their child is beautiful.... I know we do.... just that we are not sure where he get's his cuteness from :-)

Ruben gets his first name from "Rubens Barichello" of Formula 1 fame and his middle name is inherited from Grandad David who sadly passed way last year. Also inherited is his nationality (British) from his parents. Despite being born in Switzerland he is not eligable for Swiss citizenship as his parents are auslanders. One advantage, of course, is that he won't be eligable for military service either. The disadvantage is the bureaucracy envolved in getting him a British passport from the consuate in Paris (yes, Paris.... we used to be able to do this in Geneva but the service was cut..... long before the Torries got back into power).

Amazing then to find that the nine months since "B-Day" have passed so quickly. Autumn is soon upon us (tree's turning already in these parts) and Ruben is keeping his parents on their toes with his super-crab crawling style. He is also a well travelled little man and is notching up the air miles with visits to Grandparents back in England. He's also been to Italy twice, Austria, Germany and France..... but nothing makes me smile more than the look he gives to the neighbours when they talk to him in Swiss German (almost as blank and confused as his parents).

Fiona has spent the last nine months as a full time parent and although exhausted I have never seen her looking so happy and content. I guess that the hole in her heart has been healed. She has built up a great network of friends through the Basel Childbirth Trust who she meets every Tuesday for the "bumps and babes" sessions. I never did get a straight answer as to whether "babes" is referring to "yummie mummy's"..... Ruben would be graduating to the "bumps and bruises" sessions in the autumn, however unfortunately Fiona has to return to the office in October so he won't get the chance. Instead he will be going to kindergarten in Basel which is, thankfully, tri-lingual (english, german, italian) so he will get an excellent start in languages.

As for me, well I've done very little this year.... trying to limit my hours in the office and time spent on work related travel. I did make it to San Fransisco in January and Washington DC in June but that's about it, and enough too.... My fitness has taken a big hit with hardly any exercise all year. I did a bit of MTB'ing in the Dolomites in May but that's all. I brought a trailer for towing Ruben which has been used a few times, but, boy do I need to get fit!

So, hopefully this will be the start of a blogging revival. If you don't see any posts in a while, well, you know that's because I've been busy.... with my beautiful family:

In Memory of David Graham - 1945 to 2009

2009-08-08T08:45:00.007+01:00

Some of you may well ask why I haven't blogged in so long. It's a valid question, with one big answer... there have been many personal things going on this year that didn't seem appropriate to write about (in case of upset to those involved) and it also felt inappropriate to ignore these things in my writing.

June and July were tough months for the whole family. Unfortunately, Fi's father, David, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer at the end of last year. It was incredibly sad to watch an old friend and father become steadily weaker and more frail when you know that there is no cure and nothing that you can do to help. Fi was spending every second weekend in Crawley to be with her family while I "held the fort" back here in Switzerland. Being appart is never easy, however, under the circumstances it was even harder to bear.

It is also a very strange sensation when you are on one side so happy about the future birth of your son and on the other so sad for the loss of a loved family member. We decided very early that our son's middle name would be Wallace in order to maintain the family line from the Graham's.

David passed away peacefully at home. He was only 63. It was a great comfort to the whole family that David was able to spend his last days close to his family and surrounded by the things that were most dear to him. With 24 hour nursing care it was good to see that David always had someone close to him and it was also a great relief to the family who coped so well throughout demonstrating their strength and closeness as a unit. David leaves behind his wife Margaret, his Daughters Fiona and Jenny and his Son Alisdair.

Although a sad event, David's funeral was very well attended. The list of attendees really showed how active David had been in life as a cyclist, drummer, environmentalist, campaigner, and above all dedicated family man. The service was beautiful and included a recording of "Morning has broken" from David's most recent jazz band. They went on to play at the wake which was held at long term friend Chris' pub in East Grinstead.

My memories of David are varied but are all good! From the times when he looked after us youngsters on the Crawley Wheelers clubruns (buying us beer and laughing when we crashed on the way home!) to recent times drinking beer in the sun on the Rigi in Switzerland. David was always supportive of Fi and me and always full of useful advise while never forcing his opinion on others. David was never afraid to embrace new technology and could always keep up in the technology race with Alasdair. We could all learn from him.

I am fairly sure that where ever David is, he will have internet access! So remember, my old freind, you may be gone, but you will never be forgotten. Not by your family, not by your friends and not by your gandchildren! Shine on.

New and Forthcoming Arrivals

2009-05-03T07:51:00.002+01:00

I'm pleased to announce that after a long wait, Fi is pregnant (with child, blooming, up the duff, or whatever other way you would like me to put it). Certainly great news and food for thought.... if there were any food left in the house after Fi ate it all! So, there will be some lifechanges ahead which I have been assured will be wonderful, and frankly I can't wait until October! By some coincidence Fi's sister is also pregnant with only a three week difference in due date (sounds like supply chain.... 9 month lead time...). Fi and baby are doing fine so far, despite other issues going on around that I won't mention here. Actually, I'm really proud of how Fi is handling it all with much less panick than me.....

Personally, I'm getting quite excited and have already been checking out baby trailers for the bike. Perhaps I should also invest in a "long vehicle" sign for when it's dangling from the back of the tandem (at least that far back only Fi will hear it screaming). I don't like to refer to the baby as "it" so currently it is known either as "bump" or "squeaker"..... although perhaps we should call it "jaffa cake" based on Fi's current diet. Amazingly we have already decided on names so all we need to know now is squeakers sex...

So what about the new arrival? Yes, I have another bike in the stable. Finally got around to building up my Pinarello with a very nice Campy Super Record 11 speed group. Really, I should be out on it now, instead of writing about it..... but it rained yesterday and there are bound to be damp patches under the trees. It will be MTB instead today.

I am now more sure than ever that pulling out of the Gigathlon was a good idea. Since then my opportunities to ride have been narrowed down by work travels. It's quite a shame though. I've only made it out with the cycling club once this year. Never mind... I've entered a work team for "Bike to Work" month in June... OK, I'll be travelling most of June but the rest of the team can make up for me (just like work - LOL).

Growing Up

2009-04-07T21:38:00.002+01:00

Growing up... or getting sensible... or getting wiser as you get older... learning your limitations. Whatever you choose to call it, that point in your life when finally get a grip of reality hits us all eventualy (although there do seem to be some exceptions). Anyhow, I think that I reached that point in life about a week ago and since then can face the world with a lucid clarity that I don't think I've ever experienced before. Suddenly, my aims are clear and I really know where I would like my future to be whilst maintaining a solid grounding in the present.

Don't get me wrong..... I haven't got religion (of any kind) or had a drug-induced vision and certainly haven't been reading any self-help guides for the disoriented! Seems I just woke up a few days ago with a recalibrated life-compass and self-determination that I didn't have when my head hit the pillow the previous evening.

So what does this mean? I'm still me.... moody, stubborn, driven... just a more realistic me. First thing I did was to pull out of the Gigathlon. I didn't realize how much pressure I was putting myself under with that one and now feel realy relaxed about my cycling. Suddenly my bike rides are just for fun and fitness.... not that they are any fewer or lower intensity. Now I can make time for other activities (especially spending time with friends) without feeling guilty about that lost hour on the bike, or skipping the last climb because I'd rather be home with Fiona! There will still be a place for competition.... just at a realistic level that suits my lifestyle. There are just so many other interesting things to do. For instance, I spent the afternoon with Lorenz last Saturday visiting Astronomical Observatories. Very interesting, great fun.... and a good meal afterwards!

Work continues to consume alot of time and energy so I'm really lucky that I enjoy my job. Last week I was in Italy, in the region of Napoli and just in the shadow of Vesuvius. Always a pleasure to visit my colleagues there as they make me feel really welcome..... just wish the flight connections from here were a little easier. Fiona will tell you that I've been managing the travel and pressure better this year. Easy to say at the moment as I'm off for a week... BUT... no Blackberry... no withdrawal symptoms as there is plenty of other stuff to do in the beautiful spring weather that has finally decided to arrive in these parts.

Well, I hope it is Spring and not just a warm week as I put my summer tyres on the car this morning.... followed with cutting the grass for the first time. We even have frog-sporn in the swimming pool (not worried as we are going to get it filled in this year). Ahhh, the country life ;-)

Fröh Ostern!

Friends

2009-03-21T12:58:00.004+01:00

I need to remark on how priveledged I am to have such great friends! Last weekend I was fortunate enough to be able to drive down to Tuscany and meet up with my old East Grinstead CC team mates. Steve B, Steve D, Andy S, Paul B and Brian P were competing in a team time trial at Forte di Marmi, so I thought I would go and watch. They did good, recording 19th out of 170 teams...... I'm sure there will be a report soon on the EGCC web site, so I won't go into further details here.

Despite not participating in the time trial, I managed to get a couple of rides with the lads. On Saturday they were preparing for the race so proved to be a good indicator of my general lack of fitness. I was hanging on Steve D's wheel at around 50KPH and a pulse of 191BPM (don't tell my cardiologist). It was a true through and off manouver..... Steve went through and I went off..... off the back that is! Ouch!

You can tell good friends by the way you can just pick up where you left off with them. It was really just like old times, except that I was the whipping boy! I think they were getting their revenge on the Scratchman. I took another kicking on Monday morning when we all went for a ride in the Tuscan hills behind Lucca. I thought that the boys would be tired after their efforts on Sunday.... nope. First hill and I was shelled out... very quickly. Not to worry, it was fun to be out in a group and I could mainly hold my own on the flat. Just a shame that Brian had a spill on one othe dodgy damp and gritty decents. Fortunately, not too much damage done..... and soon forgotten following a pasta lunch sitting out in the Spring sunshine. Link to route of ride.

Steve and Alex (along with extended Italian family) were, as always very welcoming. How they continue to put up with hosting the British rabble, I just don't know..... Anyway, thanks from me for everything!

Unfortunately, the weekend was over far too quickly and we were saying our good-byes much too soon. A quick (5hr) drive over the Alps via Milano and back into the chilly Swiss night. Brrrrr! When is spring going to arrive here? Roll on my next visit to Tuscany..... I'll be fitter by then.

Cold

2009-02-01T13:35:00.002+01:00

For a number of reasons, that are just too sad or personal to mention here, 2009 has already thrown some hard challenges at Fi and me. January was an incredibly tough month, especially after having enjoyed a beautiful and relaxing Christmas in the Dolomites. Shit happens. It just seems that sometimes there is a muck spreader parked outside the front door!

And it's cold. The weather certainly doesn't help the mood at the moment. On the health front, I've had cold after cold this year, culminating in catching flu last week whilst in New York. I returned early and spent two days in bed. Lovely..... at least I had an excuse to get some sleep and I also discovered that when you feel ill you don't notice jet lag. However, I don't recommend long haul flights with the flu, even in business class.

Reviewing my "resolutions" for the year, I am pleased to say that I have made progress on all of them. Since drinking 15 beers in NYC last Saturday night I'm pleased to say that I have now given up alcohol. Not sure how long it will last, but it's good for my weight which is getting progresively lower. I'm trying hard (even if unsuccesfuly) to give up working at the weekends, although, I haven't been up to cycling and I do need something other than the playstation to fill up my time.

I'm definately trying to stay positive. Boy, that's hard at the moment. I'm planning a comeback on the bike this year (again) and have just finished building up an old Treck OCLV that I "found" in the loft. One day, I'll get around to building up the Pinarello Paris I bought two years ago.... but that is going to be expensive (will have to be Campag Record 11 Speed). Fiona and I are going to be spending holidays in England this year, so there is a good chance of doing some races in blighty as I build up to the Gigathlon in July. I have a "race" up Alpe d'Huez planned for August that has €10 resting on it..... and my pride. So if the cold weather and the flu would just go away, I could do with getting on with some training. Please.

I need to remark how useful Facebook has been in getting in contact with a lot of old friends. I've recently rekindled many old friendships and have a long list of people to contact next time I'm in the UK. I caught up with my old cycling buddy Leigh in NYC last weekend (hence the beer). Next time we'll be cycling together again, only 6000Km west of our old stomping grounds of Surrey and Sussex.

So, here's hoping for a brighter and warmer outlook.

One year ago.....

2008-12-30T12:22:00.002+01:00

About this time, one year ago I was sitting on the stairs drinking a cup of tea, having just returned from a bike ride. I never expected that the strange burning sensation in my chest and kneck would have such a profound impact on my life.

Certainly, it's not a good thing to dwell on past events unless you learn from them and use them as a reminder to not slip back to old ways and habbits. As I wrote in my last blog, there have been many positives to the year, however, learning the lesson is not as easy as you would think. Being, by nature, a competitive person, I have found it all too easy to regress back towards my old lifestyle and have started to push the boundaries of what is reasonable for the body and mind to accept. Taking the advice from my doctor in the rehab clinic, I have to change. I owe it to myself and I also owe it to Fiona, my friends, my family and my colleagues who have rallied around me throughout the year and got me back on my feet.

2008 has been all about, recovery, survival and getting back to normal. I can't thank enough my close support network for getting me to where I am today!

2009 has to be a year of change and prioritization of the various aspects of my life. I'm sure that I wrote about that during my time in rehab.... just never followed through on it. Ultimately, the buck stops with me. I have to make the changes that will enable me to repay all those who have shown faith in me over the last 12 months.

Therefore, as a (kind of) resolution to the future, I pledge the following:

Learn that I don't always have to be the best (second place is cool too);
Realize that there are only so many hours in a day and that you can't do everything;
Spend time to enjoy the company of others and have some "me" time too;
Live a healthy, tollerant and sustainable life;
Identify and limit negative exposure to negative energy sources.

And please tell me if you see me violating this pledge. I'm only human and I need to be reminded from time to time....

I'll finish by wishing all of you a happy, healthy and successful 2009! There will be challenges, for sure, but with the right combination of friends, family and self motivation it's possible to overcome most things.

2008 - End of Year Review

2008-12-10T11:41:00.004+01:00

So, the end of the year is nearly upon us. Only 5 more days left in the office and a whole heap of work to get through. But, I'm not going to let that stress me out. After all, there are more interesting things to think about, like the upcoming festivities and the winter snow.

I think it's fair to say that 2008 will be remembered for mainly the wrong reasons. It's certainly not been the easiest of years, although after starting the year in intensive care, I think that things have had a generally positive trend. Personally, there have been some really positive things:

1/ I discovered the "off" button on my Blackberry.... although I seem to have lost it again recently. I must work on that....

2/ I was promoted at work and Fiona has a positive career trend too.

3/ We had a couple of great holidays. Majorca seems a long time ago now and our holiday in Italy also a distant memory. But, definately great times!

4/ The difficult personal situation this year has really brought Fi and I even closer together (if that is possible). Without each other and our close friends I don't know how we would have got through the year.

5/ We have re-discovered many lost friends and relatives this year. It's heartening to know that people remember us.... and still want to be in contact.

6/ I won a bike race! So a 100% win rate :-))

7/ I broke all my geocaching records.

8/ Germany didn't win Euro 2008 (sorry German friends)!

I am not gong to dwell on the negatives so I'm looking forward to 2009 with anticipation. We already know that it isn't going to be an easy year, but I think we will come through it stronger on the back of our experiences this year. Actions plans are almost formulated to ensure we both get things back on track..... and it's a Gigathlon year again.

Hopefully this won't be my last blog entry this year, however, just in case, I would like to wish all of you a really happy festive season and a good start to 2009.

Also, a special thanks to our friends the Fluck's and the Curle's whom without we would probably not have made it through 2008 without such success.

Where is the year going?

2008-10-12T10:07:00.002+01:00

I can't believe that I haven't blogged since the Olympics. Already the days are getting short and there have been the first snows, closing the passes in the Alps. For one reason or another (that I'm not going to get into here) the last couple of months has been quite tough going. Finally we have a weekend where we have some "us" time and are taking the advantage of a lazy Sunday morning while we wait for the fog to lift prior to another stunning Autumn day. Yesterday we decided not to do the usual Saturday chores and went for a wonderful hike in the Jura. With the autumn colours and the bright and warm sunshine we had great time. I picked up a couple of caches along the way and I don't want to think about how many photo's Fiona took (she has a new toy). Fortunately, there was no rush!

With the Olympic spirit I broke several of my Geocaching records in August, smashing my monthly p.b. to record 50 caches in the month. By combining rides on the cyclo-cross bike with geocaching, I managed to combine two hobbies. The downside was the number of ticks that I picked up along the way.... not painful but potentially dangerous around here as they carry a nasty brain-wasting disease a bit like CJD. Now I'm part way through a course of inoculations against the virus so should be protected for next summer.

I see that Lance Armstrong is going to make a comeback next year. In my opinion he should have stayed away as the sport doesn't need any more controversy at the moment. Sadly, the UCI are bending over backwards to accomodate his return. Personally, I feel sorry for the new stars like Alberto Contador who will, I'm sure, end up having to work for him. The other question in these times of low budgets and dwindling sponsor numbers is "can anyone afford Lance". I'm sure his wages alone would fund a complete team of up and coming riders.

The shocks to the financial markets recently are causing some gloom about the place. At the moment, we don't see a major impact other than fear over the bank that we have our mortgage with. Oil prices are coming down just before we need to fill our tanks for the winter, which is a bit of luck, and we don't have any share related investments. For me, the only risk is if the company wants to tighten its belt again which would mean more HQ job losses as more jobs end up in Asia.

My promotion finally came through and now I find myself responsible for a team of people disributed between Switzerland, Spain and the US. Certainly the new job is a challenge and has been reflected in my waist-line as my exercise regime has gone to the dogs. I've got to get that back under control before I have another "yellow card". It's a good thing we can't do any chores on a Sunday. The cars could definately do with a clean (mine hasn't been cleaned since April) but they will just have to wait. It's Sunday, I'm being lazy and I'm going to put my feet up!

Olympic Geocaching

2008-08-13T17:47:00.003+01:00

Looks like my Geocaching friend Pa(MaKiKi) is a little bit annoyed by my latest escapade.... 10 caches in one day (a record) over a 30Km bike ride. Even more suprising was that Fi came along for the day and appeared to enjoy the experience. Although my hands were dirtier than hers at the end of the day, she had more blood to show for it. Provided the current disgusting weather clears up I'll be going for a new record at the weekend. I've got a nice ride planned! Can't keep this up for too long though as I need to start training for the upcoming time-trials. I appear to have put on some weight recently so some fat-burning is definately the order of the day.

Tonight I'm staying in Nyon on Lac Léman, just outside of Geneva. Unfortunately this is definately a Geocaching dead-zone, so no chance to pick up any points this evening. Perhaps I'll just go to the bar instead......

Stop Press: More praise for Fabian Cancellara after gaining a Gold for Switzerland in the Mens TT. Even better, Emma Pooley got Silver in the womens event for team GB. A just reward after working her t**ts off for Nicole Cooke in the road race!

I read on CyclingNews.com that the French recon they will whip team GB in the velodrome.... just because it has a French name? Oooh la la.... let's see shall we?

Well done "Cookie"

2008-08-10T19:12:00.003+01:00

Well done to Nicole Cook for a superb victory in the Olympic Womans Road Race!! Being Welsh, I'm sure that the weather conditions suited her.... Next comes the velodrome... Come on team GB!

....and Relax!

2008-08-10T08:27:00.004+01:00

It's Sunday morning and life is starting to return to it's normal Hellikon quietness. Just a few cows mooing and some kites calling. Carla, Steve and the girls left yesterday and now the house seems strangely empty. I'm knackered... don't know how these parents do it! Yesterday I went to bed for a couple of hours recovery!

Most of my tiredness is due to the bike ride that Steve and I did on Friday morning. OK, for Steve it was probably a bit of a potter, but for me 80Km with 1500m of climbing was the hardest ride I've done in a couple of years.... and certainly since the heart attack. I had forgotten how well Steve climbs so spent a lot of the ride on my own. It was fun though and has shown that I can still do a serious ride. Next time 100Km....

Interesting to see the Spanish still dominating in sport with a win in the Olympic mens road race. I was suprised that it wasn't Valvedere after his ride in San Sebastian, however, he was well marked I suppose. It was great to see Fabian Cancilara getting the Bronze for Switzerland, surely just rewards for his efforts in the Tour de France.

Fi and I are off for a ride later. We'll put the bikes in the car and find some flat roads on the other side of the Jura. I also plan to get a few Geocaches today as my colleague at work (PaMaKiKi) is fast catching me up.

We had our tandem serviced a coupe of weeks ago as we plan to do a tandem club run with the VC Zeiningen at the end of the month. Somehow the guys in he shop managed to put a big dent in the top tube. Aaaargghhh! I could have cried. Our beautiful tandem. Now I don't feel so bad about buying a mountain bike from Fuchters in Rheinfelden.....

Oh well, it's nearly 10AM... time for breakfast.

Allez Carlos

2008-07-27T15:42:00.003+01:00

As I sit watching the closing 30KM of the Tour de France on the telly, I have to say that I'm pleased to see Carlos Sastre has finally won one of cyclings monuments (well provided he get's across the line). The attacks are now starting and it's got me thinking about the hard week coming up when when my sister comes to visit. It will be hard because Steve D will be coming too which means that I will be getting in some hard hilly kilometers. Still I've got some routes plans, all of which have at least a 1000m of climbing so he should enjoy them. Hopefully it won't be as bad as last time he came over..... I had to resort to the road bike while he rode the MTB!

Still, I'm a bit nervous since, for one reason and another, I've been neglecting my training and giving the PlayStation more attention than I should. In summer too! What is that is so attractive about beating people up with a baseball bat? Lucky I can seperate the virtual world from reality.... well I hope! Fi and I spent a couple of weeks in the high mountains which, I have to say was a disaster for cycling. I didn't realize that the medication would have such a drastic effect to my ability to process oxygen at over 1500m. It's a good thing that I had a triple chain set, but a shame that even a 30x25 was to big at times.

Other than that our June holiday was great, although we didn't help global warming as "Little Brum" just needed to be thrashed over the passes. We did have to pick our roads carefully as mny were already full of summer traffic. Thankfully the motorhome muppets hadn't quite got going in June so we were spared the frustration of sitting behind these underpowered dinosaurs.

So, I guess there will be another party in Spain tonight, following Euro 2008, Giro d'Italia, Wimbledon...... The Olympics are coming, what will the achieve there? Good for them or all this winning. Definately good for them for beating Germany in the footy. There were some quiet people in the office the next day ;-))

Oh well, I'm going back to the garden to enjoy 30°C and cold glass of Rivella. Allez Carlos!

Football Crazy, Football Sad....

2008-06-08T21:03:00.002+01:00

So the European Football Championships (known here as the "EM" or "EuroMeisterschaft") has finally kicked off in Switzerland and Austria, with the first game being played just down the road in Basel. As I'm watching (with one eye) Poland versus Germany, I think it's a good time to let you know just how crazy Switzerland has gone over the football.

In fact, you can't go anywhere without being reminded that the EM is on. Even in the small villages you can see huge wooden footballs built by the local carpenter or a garden converted into a mini soccer pitch, hosting a game between small "plant people" sporting colourful jersies. Of course, not everyone is looking forward to the arrival of thousands of intoxicated footie fans.... although there seems to be a general consensus that it's a good thing that the English didn't qualify as their fans are hooligans!!! Obviously nobody noticed the Italians, Dutch and (dare I say) Swiss football hooligans in recent months.

For Fi and me it's quite an anticlimax since England aren't playing. We are doing our best to support the Swiss squad although Degen, Frei and co don't really liven up the pitch quite as well as Lampard, Rooney, Terry, Crouch and Gerrard.

Two-Nil to Germany

I've bought a Swiss team jersey and we have a huge Swiss flag hanging from our balcony. Hopefully we won't get asked to take it down like when we hung a George cross during the last world cup.

I think that cycling is going to take a hit during EM. Not only because I intend to watch on the TV, but because getting across Basel on a bike is a nightmare with all the drunk fans staggering around. Anyhow, after riding up to the Black Forest for a conference last week and riding back in the pouring rain, I've just about had enough at the moment. It's been raining most of the weekend so I only got out for an hour this evening. Just typical that the only time Basel makes it onto Britisch TV it's raining. I hear it's sunny and warm back in Blighty. Ho humm.

Hopp Schwiiz !!

Triple Positives

2008-06-01T17:53:00.003+01:00

Early summer appears to be in full swing now, with hot humid days being followed by thundery and wet evenings. Absolutely perfect time trialling weather if you don't have to do a hill climb. Five months after my heart attack and I'm really starting to turn the corner, both physically and emotionaly.

I have had to admit defeat on the hill climbing front since my cardiologist wants me to stick with the beta-blockers until the end of the year as a precaution to my resurgent enthusiasm for the bike. When I say "defeat", I mean that I have had a triple-chainset (30-42-52) fitted to my training bike so that I don't have to grind up hill in the 39x27 anymore.... that's what I found myself doing last weekend when I covered 1100m of climbing in just 65Km! There really are some ba**ard hills around here.

Still, five months on, I'm really starting to take some positives from my experiences:

1/ I've lost a lot of weight;
2/ My diet is really much more healthy;
3/ I've rediscovered the pleasure of riding a bike for company and fun (why did I spend all those years getting up at the crack of dawn just to ride up and down a traffic filled by-pass?);
4/ I've been in contact with a lot of friends that I haven't seen for years - I was contacted by Leigh who now lives in New York who has also had a heart attack in recent years;
5/ My work-life balance is (at the moment) under control;

And to cap it all, I rode a 40Km (25mile) TT in France this morning and actually won it! My time wasn't too bad either as I finished with 59min 32 secs including going wrong at the first turn. Even better, the trial started at 10AM and I only saw 3 cars on the course. Many thanks to "English Mike" (crouching in picture below) for organizing the event. Even better that it was free to ride and, being a bit cloak and dagger we had no numbers and no rules! I'm guessing that the Gendarmerie hadn't been informed either. The RTTC could learn something from that. So, this evening I'm chuffed to bits and really looking forward to my ride into the Black Forest tomorrow afternoon.

So the European Footie Champs starts in Basel next week. I see the BBC have got desperate and started a campaign along the lines of "Who are you going to support?"...... No decision for me. I'm sitting here in my Swiss football top. At least I'll be interested up until the quarter finals start ;-))

Hopp Schwiez!!!!!!

Another public holiday.....

2008-05-12T11:26:00.003+01:00

One great thing about living in Switzerland in the spring time is the number of public holidays (with additional days added on by the company). Today is another one..... Pfingstmontag... whatever that is! I never was that clued up on the religious calendar but I'm guessing it's a pagan festival usurped by the Christians (just like Christmas, Easter and the like).

So the sun is shining again and the valley is peaceful. No lawn-mowers or the like. Strangely there isn't the normal procession of motorbikes today so we are guessing that Germany is working today!

As I was down in Weggis on a training course all week, Fi joined me on Friday evening and we spent Saturday in the mountains. For a change we went to Stoos which is a small village at the top of a very steep (78%) funicular. Although the village was definately between the ski and summer seasons, there was one restaurant open and a magnificent view down to Vierwaldstattersee. We were back home by Saturday evening and spent the evening on the patio eating pasta and drinking wine.

On Sunday I was up early for the local club ride. Fortunately, I decided to check the club run route on the internet to see if I would need my passport or not. Lucky thing too, as there wasn't a club ride (just a family tour today). So I went out on my own and did 82Km with just under 1000m of climbing. I felt suprisingly good on the climbs which, I guess, is down to the amount of weight I've lost. Hopefully that bodes well for my visit to the cardiologist later in the week.

So, it's time for another cuppa, sitting in the sun..... then I think we will cycle down the valley in search of an ice-cream Sunday.... or is that Monday?

Spring Update - Part 2

2008-05-01T10:00:00.002+01:00

So I went out with the VC Zeiningen evening ride on Tuesday..... and I'm still recovering! I don't know how much of the lie-in ths morning was a result of staying up to watch Chelsea win in the Champions League Semi-Final last night though.....

The club ride started easily enough, but as soon as the group climbed out of Zeiningen, a few guys went to the front and Hubi from the bike shop asked if I was coming too. I jumped on the line and then spent the next two hours definately on the limit. We did at least 800m of climbing in a combination of long climbs and short, steep walls. Although I had a problem to maintain contact on the longer climbs (to Hubi's 50 year old amusement) I had a really good time and won the sprint into Weggentstetten jus to prove their is some life left in me. If all the rides are going to be like that, who needs racing?

Yesterday was definately a rest day, so Fi and I went to the Beyler Institute to take in some culture (plenty of Picasso's and the like) and have a nice lunch. Today we are going off to central Switzerland in the car..... taking our bikes for a nice easy ride.

Spring Update

2008-04-29T09:46:00.002+01:00

April has been another busy month but I'm pleased to say that Spring has finally arrived in Switzerland, with the entire Fricktal region being coated in a layer of fruit blossom. The rape seed is about to flower, which can only mean the onset of the hayfever season!

When I say that April has been busy, it has been busy with holidays! Fi and I spent a really relaxing week in Majorca, staying again in Puerto Pollenca. This year we decided against self catering and booked ourselves into a proper hotel (Hotel Galeon) located on the sea front just a little way from the town center. The hotel proved to be really quiet and the staff always efficient and friendly.

We hired bikes from our friends Bruce & Lisa at ProCycleHire and I managed to get out on the bike every day, covering 200 miles in mostly sunny and warm weather. I even got out with the "gruppo" one day which was fun and also got out for a ride with Bruce on the Sunday morning before we flew home. To be honest, we didn't do a lot else as we were both fairly exhausted following events earlier in the year. Also, having been to Majorca so many times before we didn't feel the need to get out every day sight seeing. I did a few Geocaches, but to be honest, I'm a bit "cached-out" at the moment after doing so many earlier in the year.

The good news is that we both came back with a bit of colour, although I still find that I have to wear sunglasses if I expose my pale english legs to the sunshine back home! Even better news is that this week I have another week off! Here in Switzerland Thursday is a religious holiday (aufahrt) so the company has been good enough to give us Wednesday off for shopping and Friday off because it would be silly to go back for a day. I thought it would be rude not to take advantage of the situation and am taking the remainding two days off as holiday. Fi is at work....

Hmmm, work is already full on! I returned from sick leave hoping to take it easy for a little while but was immediately confronted with an increase of job scope. I really hope that I can live up to the "honour", but have my doubt whether a good work-life-balance is possible in the new situation. I'll see how things are at the summer holidays and reassess the situation. As an example, Fi and I returned home from Majorca on Sunday evening at 11PM. The next afternoon I was in a meeting in Naples, Italy for three days..... Not the best circumstances for reducing stress levels.

Despite the best efforts of my boss, I've still managed to keep ticking over on the bike and am please to report that I've lost over 10Kg this year. In fact, I feel healthier now than I have at any time in the last two years..... despite all the medication..... although the medication may help! My legs are really starting to look like real cyclists legs again with a spring shave and tan helping the look along.

I bought a new bike last week. I'm now the proud owner of a cyclo-cross bike with a triple chainset. The rationale is that I don't really do proper mountain biking and I like to combine some tarmac and dirt tracks into rides. Let's see how it goes.... I've ridden it once, and off-road it feels fine.... On-road it's a bit tough going with the fat "cross" tyres sticking to the tarmac. I need to find time to give it a proper thrash before I pass judgement. It could become my geocaching bike ("cachemobile") of choice.

So, finally, on the cycling front I'm getting in some reasonably good rides and doing a lot of climbing. I really feel like I've "turned a corner" physically although I'm still having problems recovering from a big ride since the lactic acid isn't getting pumped out of the muscles efficiently. I'll see my cardiologist in May and see if I can finally get off the beta-blockers.

Tonight I'm going out with the local cycling club to see how it goes (if it doesn't rain....). My first race is only a few weeks away now so I need to start increasing the intensity slowly. Next week I will be on a management training course in Weggis which I aim to ride to on Monday afternoon. That means I need to dig the folding bike and trailer out of the basement. Hmmm, I know what I'm doing this afternoon!

Back to normal..... well almost

2008-04-05T20:13:00.002+01:00

Sorry for the lack of updates recently..... I've just been so busy.... which, I guess, is a good sign! The week before Easter I had the long awaited visit to the cardiologist, who after a brief discussion and a session on the exercise bike while hooked up to an ECG, proclaimed that my heart appears to have made a good recovery and shows no outward signs of the heart attack. Hey, hey! Great news!

The offshoot is that now I am allowed to exercise as hard as I like which, as I found it is a pulse of 160BPM. The beta-blockers act a bit like a rev limiter which means that I have to train in "Diesel Mode". Hopefully I'll be off the pills by summer and then I should really be able to train properly. The cardiologist isn't too happy with the prospect that I want to race again, however, he did conceed that racing is better than no exercise at all!

The green light was well timed as Fi and I went down to Tuscany for the long Easter weekend to visit Stevie B and Alex. It was great to catch up with them and I got out for a ride with Steve on Friday and watched him race on Saturday (he's still damn fit). Of course, I managed a few geocaches and endulged in some naughty Italian treats (Palma ham pannini's and cream cakes mainly). OK, the weather was pretty bad, just like everywhere else in Europe but getting together with old friends is always special. Funnily enough, as we joined the Autostrada back towards Genova the skies cleared giving a beautiful view over the freshly snow ladden Appenini mountains. We decided to drive home over the Simplon pass (-10°C and drifting snow at the top)and take the Lötschberg tunnel (car on train) to Kandersteg. We reached Bern just before dark as it started snowing heavily. It took us two hours to do the next 15KM.......

The down-side of getting the green light is that I am now back at work 100% (actually 120%, but that's another story) which is making it hard to keep up with the cycling. I'm determined to keep it up though as I've lost a shed load of fat and don't have to buy a new wardrobe of clothes after all! Actually, I'm feeling healthier now than I have for over a year. Last weekend I did 80Km (50 miles) with 850m of climbing at an average of 30KPH..... better than any ride I managed last year.

In reality, I don't have much choice except to stay on the bike. I had a reminder from the finance company for my car the other day that the lease is finished at the end of July. This prompted me to check the conditions. Ouch! Every KM over 60,000 is going to cost me 27 rappen (approx 13 pence) which I'm not prepared to pay. That means that I have only enough space left for a couple of trips to Zürich airport. The car will stay locked in the garage...... and "little Brum" will have to work her stripes off!

The first local time trial is in May..... looks like I'll be riding out to it ;-)) Bring it on!!!

Onwards and Upwards

2008-03-09T21:10:00.002+01:00

After a wonderful warm and sunny weekend a couple of weeks ago, nature has gone into full swing and the usual crop of spring flowers are already brightening up the garden. That's probably why it snowed last week.... hopefully for the last time this winter. The poor weather forced my to go underground for a while for a spot of geocaching in a cave. It's lucky that I've lost a fair bit of weight recently, otherwise I would have got stuck crawling up the passage to the cache.... andI was on my own in the middle of no-where. Stupid I know.... and Fi has let me know that.... alot!

With still one week to go before my appointment with the cardiologist, I crossed a milestone this weekend in that I got out on my road bike for the first time since the heart attack. OK, I only did an hour and had to keep mainly on the flat in order not to run out of gears, but it felt great. You just can't beat a carbon fibre frame paired up with deep section carbon rims and skinny tyres pumped up to 12oPSI. The way things are going between the UCI and ASO I may yet have a chance to ride the Tour de France this year ;-))

In the past weeks I've managed between one and two hours a day exercise - mainly on the bike. I've been making a few excursions across the border to Germany and really can't explain why I haven't bothered going over there much in the past. I've found some great roads with great views and very little traffic. The only rough thing is that I really have to stick to the mountain bike for these longer rides as the hills really make it tricky with the pulse.

Today I managed nearly 60KM with a lot of climbing (just don't ask me how long I was out for). At one point my pulse krept up to 150BPM when my concentration was broken by another cyclist. I don't know how long he had been sitting behind me, but as soon as I noticed, the git jumped me without so much as a "Grüzi". Normally not a problem but he was on a carbon road bike.... Still on the next drag he started to come backwards quickly and judging by his over-shoulder glances was suffering like a dog. I started to real him in and then I glanced at my pulse monitor. Arse! Just wait until next time matey boy. And there will be a next time......

Birthday(ish) Blog

2008-03-01T12:21:00.003+01:00

I turned 36 a few days ago, which means I'm officially over half way to retirement (assuming retiring at 70). My birthday week has been particularly naughty, doing a lot of things that I shouldn't at the moment! On Wednesday evening Fi and I went to Zürich to see The Cure in concert (http://www.thecure.com/). It's hard to believe that I've been listening to them for 20 years and this was the first chance to actually see them live...... they were excellent, playing with real power and obvious enthusiasm for their art. I'm starting to think that it would be worth flying over to see them in New York in June.... just wonder if there will be as many Goths in the US?

There have been a few late nights and beers this week, so now I'm on an alcohol ban for a couple of weeks. Recently I've been out on the bike for between one and two hours every day. Strictly "piano" keeping my pulse down to 140BPM. Encouragingly I seem to be able to get more out of my 140 beats every time I go out which, I hope is a reflection on my fitness. I'm even starting to get used to going slowly...... especially last weekend when we had some freak spring like weather and the temperature went up to 22°C. It's just a bit strange getting passed by old guys! Currently I'm sitting out a particularly British spell of weather and looking forward to getting out on the bike later.

I have to wait for the rain to stop as my bike will fill up with water if I go out now. Seriously! I was cleaning my bike and found a puncture hole through the down tube close to the bottom bracket. Must have been an off road wound from last year. I was wondering why the frame was creaking (thought it was the carbon seat pin). I'll have to got to Bike Point later and see about getting a new one. Tommi and Hubbi will be pleased to see me.........

With the increased exercise levels, my weight is dropping quite quickly. Next week I'll start riding home from work to make sure I get two hours a day.... that means I should be nicely light weight in time for the first local race in May (http://www.bhfm.ch/2008/rennen.asp). Don't tell my cardioloist!

Since Fi bought me a PlayStation 3 for my birthday, I'm going to have to be really disciplined. The "house rule" is that I'm not allowed to use it until I've done at least an hours exercise. I really hope that rain stops soon........

Pulse Up; Morale Down.....

2008-02-13T20:45:00.002+01:00

I finally managed to track down a cardiologist......and get an appointment......in mid March (it was going to be late April but I managed to negotiate). On the bright side I did get to talk to him on the phone for a while and explain that I really want to get back to bike racing as soon as possible. The response was far from what I expected as he told me that he thinks I should not race in the future! Obviously that's had quite a negative effect on morale at the moment.

On the bright side, after telling him how I got on in rehab he said it was OK for me to raise my training pulse as high as 140BPM....... so I can go a tiny bit quicker. Never mind, I'll be racing again in no time.

Fasnacht? Nah Thanks!

2008-02-11T17:31:00.000+01:00

Life needn't be an endless tunnel! Mind you, they are good at those in Switzerland:Two half days back in the office followed by three full days off....that's work-life balance eh? This Monday was the beginning of Fasnacht in Basel so the company gave us the day off (not an official public holiday, but they know it would be useless to be open when most of the employees are pissed).

Suprisingly it felt quite good to be back in the office and it was encouraging that my colleagues were pleased to see me. OK, in four hours a day there isn't much you can get done but I did get through most of the couple of hundred e-mails and three meetings that were scheduled. Tomorrow I'll start earning my money again and do some proper work (but only four hours mind).

Fi and I decided to avoid the Fasnacht parades in Basel as all of that standing around in the cold at 4AM can be so tedious.... or so we have heard! To be honest, it's just too bloody early in the morning for me...... and pipes and drum cliques are not so inspiring. I prefer the gugge parades which are later in the week. So, instead, we decided to head out for the mountains, specifically the Rigi which is undoubtedly the most beautiful place in Switzerland despite being a meager 1700m in altitude. Things didn't go entirely to plan as we arrived on the shores of Vierwaldstattersee (Lake Luzerne) in a fog that didn't look too much like it was going to clear any time soon.

We decided to have lunch while we waited for the weather to make up it's mind. Found a great restaurant on the lakeside (http://www.luetzelau-seerestaurant.ch/) which had unusually good service and an italian menu. I expect the view would be good if we could have seen it!

The fog didn't clear so we decided to head for the proper mountains and drove to Andermatt which, I'm pleased to say was bathed in sunshine and deep in snow, although not as deep in snow as it used to be when I was a kid and we used to sledge on this slope:

Since the Gotthard, Furka, and Oberalp passes were all ski pistes at this time of the year we decided to drive to the end of the road in Realp (1600m) where we gave "Tommy" a rest and drank a coffee whilst soaking up the rays....

There was more than enough snow to bring anywhere in Britain to a grinding halt up there but in Switerland, even the trains still run on time and we even got a chance to race the "Glacier Express"........

.....and marvel at the Swiss rail engineering. All this and less than two hours drive from home! Mind you I did have tunnel vision by the time we arrived back in Hellikon ;-))

Back to Work :-(

2008-02-06T18:48:00.000+01:00

Has it really been a week since I last blogged? As I told my bosses on Monday evening at a Superbowl party, I really don't know how I ever had time to go to work! I've been so busy..... it must be just like retirement (I'm sure Mum will beg to differ on that point!). Sadly my liberty comes to an end tomorrow as I have to go back to work (OK 50% and then Monday is a bank holiday).

Actually, I'm a little ashamed of myself as I've been off work for over a month and I have not spent any time to really sit down and consider my future in any detail. At one point Fi and I discussed selling the house and getting something smaller so that I could become a full time house husband! That would be fine except where would I put all my bikes? A more realistic option would be to go part time, but now that I'm on the verge of going back to the office, I find myself strangely looking forward to getting back to the madness. Also, I had a call from my Swiss boss yesterday and it sounds like my job is going to change a bit, and in the direction I would like to go as well! I'm also looking for a promotion (that reminds me.... must apply for it) which would definately rule out part time work.

In the last week I've done two 20KM walks in the hills and one bike ride of 28KM, amongst other shorter walks and home-trainer sessions. The "long" bike ride was much better than last time out as the wind was howling from the North. That meant a gravity assisted outward leg and a wind assisted homeward leg.... no problem keeping the pulse down, along with the speed!
At the moment it is Fasnacht (carnival) in Switzerland. In the catholic Fricktal it started last week and in protestant Basel it starts next week. You would think that these guys could agree on the date! The story goes that the protestants have their festival later so that it annoys the catholics during their fasting. Anyhow, we went to the parade in Möhlin on Sunday and had a great time getting covered in confetti, listening to Gugge music and scrabbling for the sweets on the floor (a bit like going to see the Tour de France, just a bit colder). Some of the floats were handing out cans of beer and glasses of wine which I'm sure would be illegal in Britain. One float was dishing out freshly fried eggs.... surely banned in the EU on health grounds. This year football was a big theme with the European Championships coming to Switzerland: And tonight it's England vs Switzerland at Wembley. Hmmm. In some respects I would like to see the Swiss win as it would be a big blow heading into the championships having been beaten by a side that didn't qualify. But don't tell anyone I said that! Hopp Schweiz!!

SUV's and all that

2008-01-30T17:09:00.000+01:00

I would really like an SUV...... Sweaty Under Vest that is. All of this exercising without getting warm is starting to get me down. I did try out the mountain bike with slick road tyres on which in one sense was quite liberating, but it was sooooooo cold! Trying to keep the pulse under 120 BPM is really tricky when you have to climb 100m from the bottom of the valley to home (of course, going down is no problem but usually you rely on the uphill bits to get warm).

To be honest the mountain bike looks a bit silly with it's little tyres on.... a bit like one of those Chelsea Chariotts that you doing the school run. Only my mountain bike is dirty! So it is an SUV..... Significantly Uncool Velo ;-))

Since cycling of any type is so boring at the moment I've been doing a lot of walking and geocaching. Yesterday I managed to walk into Germany without realising which was a bit of a problem given that my passport was at home. Not to worry, nobody noticed and I slipped back into Switzerland at the next opportunity. All this walking around the place is starting to worry Fi because she thinks I might fall off a mountain or something while I'm looking at my GPS. I'm having to text in my location and condition at regular intervals..... lucky the mobile signal is so good around here.

It's only a week now before I start back at the office. The good news is that I'm back for two days and then it's Fasnacht (Carnival) so we have a day off! Basel Fasnacht is a strange affair and seems to be loosely based around the ridicule of people from the Alsace (known as Waggi). All of the villages have effigies of Waggi sporting odd clothes and masks dotted around the place. Most disturbingly, in Zuzgen hey are hanging by their necks from lamp posts! The reason for this persicution of the Waggi is that they sold fruit in Basel back in the middle ages. So much for competition! These days you will see the Waggi throwing oranges out of the floats in the Fasnacht parades.

So with a week to go, I still haven't decided on my future. One certainty is that I will not be working late nights and weekends in the future. My laptop and work mobile will be switched off and my colleagues will have to live with that... empowerment I think it is called! There are a few things happening in the company that I think are a slap in the face to the employees who have been giving the company a lot of extra working time for free. Don't get me wrong, I'm going to work as hard as normal when I go back, I'm just not going to let work be my reason d'etre.

I'll be honest and say that I'm really quite enjoying myself at the moment. I'm not sure that I could continue this way though. It will be interesting to see what is on the table when I get back to the office before making any final decisions. Mind you, from what I've been hearing from colleagues everything is under control.... so that beggs the question: Do they need me back at all?

Back on the rack!

2008-01-26T20:12:00.001+01:00

Just to prove that I am starting to torture myself on the home trainer, here's the photographic evidence:
As you can see, I'm really happy to be spending an hour in a cold garage every day. Being on beta blockers means I don't get warm and my pulse doesn't get high. I can't explain the insane grin, however, maybe I have a future in synchronised swimming or ball room dancing..... both of which would mean shaving my chest hair (which has only just grown back). Judging by the photo I'm going to have to shave those legs and visit a tanning salon to get back that professional look. Might also help if I lost 15 kilo's and wore some proper kit (yes, that is an FC Basel footie shirt).

The only way is up from here! Just hope my morale follows suit.....

Home, Sweet Home

2008-01-25T14:12:00.000+01:00

So I've been home for a couple of days now having beaten a hasty retreat from the clinic early on Wednesday morning. I have to say that it's really nice to be home and to be able to do normal stuff. Well, when I say "normal" it feels strangely like being on holiday since I can do what I like as long as I take it easy and don't work.

I've set up a bike on the turbo trainer in the garage and bought some road tyres for the mountain bike which I will instal just as soon as I've finished writing this. Next job after that is to fill out a membership form for the local cycling club (Velo Club Zeiningen - http://www.veloclub-zeiningen.ch) which I've been meaning to do for almost three years now! They are a nice bunch (especially Tomi and Hubi who run the local bike shop -"Bike Point" http://www.bikepoint.ch/) and were quite keen for me to take part in a team time trial for them last year. Maybe this year?

You have probably noticed that my Geocaching count has been steadily on the rise over the past days! Since I have to do plenty of walking it's a shame not to combine the two activities, especially given the spring-like weather we are having at the moment. I had a new GPS for Christmas from Fi which I've been trying out. With the Swiss Topo map installed it takes a lot of the guesswork and frustration out of the hunt (see..... reducing stress!).

I went to see my GP this morning. Apparently, the heart, like all muscles, heals in around six weeks, which is great news since she thinks I'll only have to maintain low level exercise for another two weeks before starting to build up the intensity. She also said that I'll have to work part time (50%) for at least the first two weeks back and would like to see me during that period for a check up. We were talking about how I can reduce my stress levels in the future and suggested that I try to change my job or working conditions (e.g. going part-time). That is an option that Fi and I have already seriously considered since we would be able to survive financially and it would benefit both of us through reduced stress (I'd become a part time house husband). I'll have to meet with my boss to discuss further, expecially as I heard through the grapevine that they have "plans" for me.... which is positive... provided it fits in with the adjustments that I'm going to make to my lifestyle.

What else? We received the forms to fill out for our new residence permits. After five years (where did it go) in the country we go from a "B" permit to a "C" permit which gives us a permanent right to abode, although nothing like gaining citizenship which is a long, complex procedure without any guarentee that you will be accepted by the people in the village (and Hellikon always says "no" to everything). Anyhow, with Switzerland due to join Schengen this year, I see little point in going for citizenship unless the UK change their tax laws and start wanting a slice as well!

Oh well, those tyres aren't going to fit themselves...... but surely it's time for my afternoon napp?

Last night in rehab!

2008-01-22T20:29:00.000+01:00

At last I've made it to the last night in the rehab clinic. That means that I should be able to sleep tomorrow night. Despite not really wanting to be here it's a little strange to be leaving so soon. I guess it's because I know that all the time I'm here I am being monitored and can't do myself any harm. Fiona is quite worried that I'll do something stupid (like going for a hilly bike ride) as soon as I get home. Fortunately, I have a lot more self preservation instinct than that.

I had my final meeting with the doctor here before she "signs me over" to my GP in Basel. To be honest, I'm a bit disapointed that she thinks I should take it so easy (bike training restriction of 160 Watts), especially after putting out 385 Watts in test this afternoon. Doctor knows best..... but I still want a second opinion!

I've been signed off work for a further two weeks (until 6th Feb) at which point my GP will decide what happens next. I'll have to make sure that I keep active (mentaly and physicaly) and I expect that Fi is already putting a list of tasks together! As I said before, the next couple of weeks will give me a chance to step back and evaluate the situation and think about what I want out of life moving forward. Of course, I'm open to (sensible) suggestions from YOU so please drop me a mail if you have the time.

So, for a lack of anything else to say.... good night!

She canno' take any more cap'ain

2008-01-21T20:15:00.000+01:00

I will certainly have left my mark on the rehab clinic by the time I leave. That is, I will have left sweat marks on the nice wooden floor in the gym! To be honest, it's a little embaracing to sweat so much. Everyone else is churning out 40 or 50 Watts while I do 170! I'm guessing that no Americans have ever had to stay here as there is no air conditioning of any type in the gym.....

Well, I had a meeting with the doctor just after lunch today. The results were a little depresing and I'm going to try and get a second opinion just as soon as I can find another cardiologist. Although my heart attack was small, apparently it was in a bad location (yeah, in my heart derrr!) and spanned both sides of the heart which really messes with the electrical impulses (or at least I think that's what he said). The off-shoot of this is that I should not exceed the pulse safety limit (150BPM) for at least three months. That means another three months without riding the bike on the road, although I am toying with the idea of getting some slick tyres for the mountain bike which should give me low enough gearing to get up some small hills without red-lining.

They will give me another test tomorrow to see if my safety limit can be raised a bit. Anyway, I'll be off work for a while yet as the doctor is going to sign me off for at least another couple of weeks after the clinic. Then I'll probably be 50% for a while while I "get used" to working again. The last thing the doctor said to me (and I know becasue he said it in english) was "You have to change yourself". I think he was refering to my competative streak - that or dress sense. Sometimes being a competative person can make your life difficult.... although I'm determined to get over this quicker than Joe Average! Guess I'll have to start thinking about making those life changes once I get out of here.

On the bright side, the weekend was really great. Fiona and I were invited to Lolo and Bea's for dinner on Saturday which was a welcome distraction from recent events. It was really nice to have something different to talk about.... and of course a little bit of alcohol (my first this year)! We got home way past my bed time which meant a very long lie-in on Sunday which was a beautiful sunny and unseasonably warm day. Sometimes the simple pleasures of tea and cake in the afternoon sunshine are the best. I tried driving the car too..... probably not the best idea given that the beta blockers modify adrenaline response and my concentration isn't all it should be. It's amazing how much I can make those snow tyres squeel on the corners ;-)) Note: Fiona not to pleased about this and won't let me drive her car :-(

So tomorrow is the last full day in the rehab clinic. It's funny how quick you get used to being tucked in at night by a nurse (get your mind out of the sewer)...... talking of which I better go!

Some answers at last!

2008-01-18T17:11:00.000+01:00

I've had quite a busy day today and met with my doctor twice (which meant that I missed the gym training and the lecture session - super!). Since I've been here I've been trying to get answers to a few questions that I have. Finally I have some more information:

Q1 - Did I have a large or small heart attack? (Basel said small, Rheinfelden said big).
A1 - It was a small heart attack caused by blockage of a small artery. They also believe that full recovery of heart action will be achieved, indeed it may be already.

Q2 - What caused the heart attack?
A2 - Given that there is a history of high blood pressure in the family and that I was already suffering from "very" high blood pressure, this is the most likely cause. The doctors believe that the high blood pressure is work stress induced which coincides with the timing of the attack being just before returning from work after holiday. It's been recommended that I don't go back to work for a couple more weeks and then start at 50% for a while. I will need to constantly monitor my blood pressure and may have to stay on beta blockers for some time.

Q3 - What's with my blood?
A3 - One of the lipids and (news to me) cholesterol are high. This needs to be controlled.

Q4 - What is the follow up when I leave the rehab clinic?
A4 - I was amazed to find that the first thing that I have to do is visit my "hause artz" (GP) who will then refer me to a specialist. The doctors at the clinic are not allowed to recommend a specialist / cardiologist. I thought that was strange.... however, I am allowed to search out a preferred choice - so now I'm looking for a sports cardiologist who speaks english. Could be a challenge!

Q5 - When can I resume "proper" bike and running training?
A5 - As expected - when my appointed specialist says I can!

So there you have it! You know as much as I do.

The rest of the day was fairly normal except that I went for a two hour walk this afternoon. It also seems that there is not too much communication between the doctors and the trainers as the wattage on the velo machine was upped to 170 today! I left a suitably sized sweat puddle on the gym floor ;-))

So tomorrow is Saturday and I have a guarenteed home pass! I can leave after velo training tomorrow morning and don't need to be back until Sunday evening. The weather is meant to be OK, so hopefully we can get out to the Rigi on Sunday and eat sausage and chips in the snow (sorry I meant cheese salad). Best of all I get one night on my own bed and can cuddle Fi!

I hope that you have a great weekend. I'll probably have the weekend off blogging unless something really impressive happens.

And the scores on the doors.....

2008-01-17T20:06:00.000+01:00

I'm really tired tonight, so I'll keep it short. I'm sure you won't mind.

I had a meeting with the doctor today and the results of the ergospirometry are in. I "expired" at 384 Watts at a maximum heart rate of 184BPM. Personally I thought that was quite respectable for someone who is relatively out of condition, has just had a heart attack and is on beta blockers. Although there is absolutely nothing wrong with my lung function the specialist recommends that I restrict my efforts to 130 Watts on the exercise bike. How depressing. Fortunately, I did get my doctor to conceed that we shouldn't drop down from the 160 Watts I'm doing at the moment. It also turns out that there is something wrong with my blood.... elevated levels (three times normal) of a certain lipid. Doctor doesn't thnk it's anything to worry about and could be a reaction to the medication (statins). Anyhow, I have to have another arm full of blood taken tomorrow as a follow up. Perhaps I should ask them to store the blood so that I can have it back some time before an important race ;-))

The news about limiting my exercise really pi**ed me off. Who knows when I'll be able to ride a bike properly again..... if ever. I was doubly pissed off when I had to stop my second velo session of the day after only 30 minutes because I really couldn't sit on the saddle any more. And not to mention my chest.... with the almost constant ECG monitoring it looks like I've done ten rounds with a sea monstor. Even the skin is starting to come off now.

So this afternoon I went AWOL and walked to the nearest cafe (2KM) where I got a nice unhealthy schnitzel brotli (with plenty of sauce and onion) and a coffee. Then I went for a 4KM hike on the way back to the clinic. I bunked off relaxation classes, opting instead to sit in the sun and observe the beautiful view over the alps which are taunting me.... just out of reach.

I met with the clinic social worker this evening who, I am pleased to say, speaks really good english. I outlined my concerns and questions about the heart attack and he questioned me about work-life balance (what balance). Unbelievably, it turns out that my doctor can speak good english too.... not that she ever mentioned that. Hopefully things will become clearer in coming days.

The highlight of the day, as always, was Fiona's visit. We tend to meet in the clinic cafe as she comes straight from work and arrives at the same time as dinner is served on the wards. We get to have a coffee together and then go up to my room to chat and watch DVD's. Tonight Fiona arrived bearing a card and gift from some colleagues in her office. Thanks guys and girls! I'll have a lot of fun playing with myself...... solitaire that is ;-))

Just time for a cup of camomile tea before bed...... L8RS.

Thrills, Pills and Bottom Aches!

2008-01-16T20:14:00.000+01:00

The results of yesterdays ergospirometry test are not yet in, or at least I didn't have time to speak to the doctor today. My betting is that they can't believe the results. So I spent a total of two hours on the the exercise bike pushing out 160 Watts at a steady 125 BPM. Soooo boring and now my backside hurts too! Oops... mentioned the "b" word. That means I'll have to tidy my room ;-))

Fiona took the day off work today and came to visit for the afternoon which was a welcome distraction. She even came along for the zombie walk in the woods which meant I had to walk slowly for a change. After the walk I had to go for a lecture on diet where we were all treated like kids and asked stupid questions like "Do you think spinach is a good source of protein?" Derrrrr! I wonder? Why don't you just tell me? You're the expert!!

To add insult to injury I got back to my room to find that Fi had eaten my special Snickers bar. I'd been taking that one out for walks for a few days and built up a special bond with it. Fi just bit it's head off. Murderer! Funny how the thin air messes with your mind.

So more of the same tomorrow. Another two hours of arse pain on the exercise bike and a walk in the woods. I've also got a Gym session, relaxation session and meetings with the Doctor and the "sozialberater" who/whatever that is. Looking at my schedule it's starting to look like a day in the office!

I did find time to take a look at Mike Antons photo's of the East Grinstead CC Christmas "eight and a bit" today (http://www.mikeanton.com/Cycling/EGCCXMAS1023Dec07/index.html). I just hope the cycling authorities don't find them... there is definately evidence of irregular and perhaps, dare I say, illegal behavior. Surely there is a law against cycling dressed up as elves? And allowing someone to sit on your wheel when you haven't got any mud guards on? Criminal! Mind you, there is hope for all of us in that John G still manages to get the horn at his age ;-))

Oh well, time for an early night I think. Only two more days until I get a weekend pass so I had better be well behaved. Tally Ho!

Cos my friend said you did and that you liked it!

2008-01-15T20:53:00.000+01:00

I'm knackered! It's been quite a "full on" type of day now that the guys here at the clinic have given me a more realistic programe for a 35 year old sporty type. First up was 30 minutes on the cycling machine again. Funnily, they keep upping the wattage but my pulse doesn't seem to get any higher:

12th Jan - 130 Watts - 120 BPM
14th Jan - 140 Watts - 125 BPM
15th Jan - 160 Watts - 126 BPM

Also my resting pulse is quite low (always between 45 and 50 BPM) which is a result of the Beta Blockers (mind you, it used to lower than that from exercise in the good ol' days). Not really sure what my blood pressure is as there is a dotty nurse who comes in every morning and very rapidly determines 120 over 80 every day without fail.....

So after the "velo training" I headed for a gym session which, I am loathed to admit, I actually quite enjoyed. Although I did nearly knock myself out by heading a volleyball too hard! After lunch I again dropped the walking group so pi**ed off for a walk in the woods with only my i-pod for company. Not sure the wild boars appreciated my rendition of the Stone Roses.... but that's their problem ;-))

The big event of the day was the ergospirometry test. I knew it was going to be hard and painful and it didn't dissapoint in that respect. It had to be observed by the head of the clinic (and several student doctors apparently) who were upset to find that I was a cyclist. Cyclists always take longer to complete the test due to over developed legs and lungs. The test over-ran and I made quite a big puddle on floor of the lab. Unfortunately I don't have the results yet as they have to analyse the data due to a software problem.... Just hope I don't have to repeat the exercise any time soon as I was a bit woozy afterwards (had to go and lay down for an hour).

As the test over ran I missed the lecture on heart disease prevention. Not that I would have understood too much anyway. I think that there is a lot getting lost in translation at the moment, especially at the dinner table. The guys I sit with mumble at each other in Swiss German and sound remarkably like the farmer out of "Shaun the Sheep" (http://www.shaunthesheep.com) who is incomprehensible, although you kind of understand the meaning. Thanks to my sister-in-law I have the DVD which is keeping me and Fi well amused in the evenings. Funnily enough she also bought me "Shaun of the Dead". If you have seen that film then you will have a fairly good idea of the average resident in the clinic!

I almost forgot! I had the 24hr ECG removed today, along with quite a lot of chest hair attached to the tape. Ouch!! Disapointingly the only palputations were recorded after I went to bed and was thinking about work. I guess that says something. I'm reading a book about stress called "Relax and make your stress work for you" by Sarah Sutton. It gives a huge list of indicators for stress and predispositions for stress.... and I score on about 90% of them. As I said before, somethings got to change.

Well, at least I'm causing a stir in the clinic. I don't think that they have ever had an inmate who really wants to get better and has some uncompleted goals in life. I even caught one of the nurses checking out my bum today! She blushed and ran away (by the way the title of todays blog refers to this moment.... just buy the Kate Nash album and you'll get it). It's a good thing that Fi visits every day to keep the nurses under control..... she's quite handy with a fire extinuguisher ;-)) There's a fine line between reality and mentality at this place!

Oh well, I have two hours "velo training" tomorrow so I better get some beauty sleep. Maybe they will let me do 200 Watts.....

A more positive day......

2008-01-14T20:16:00.000+01:00

The rehab day started much as normal with an early (and fairly small) breakfast followed by 30 minutes on the exercise bike hooked up to an ECG. No sweat there..... restricted to 140 Watts giving a maximum pulse of 120BPM. Yawn!

Then I had the "walking test" which consists of walking briskly around the gym for six minutes to see what your pulse and blood oxygen content are. No problems there so I managed to convince the physiotherapist that my program is too light. So then a chat with the head cardiologist (a Brazilian who trained in Sao Paulo) resulted in, I think, some really positive outcomes:

Firstly, I'm now "wired" and have a 24hr ECG monitor strapped to me to check for any signs of problems with irregular heart beat or strange activity. This was a result of mentioning palputations. Sods law has subsequently kicked in and I haven't had any since the monitor was attached seven hours ago!

Secondly, I'm going to have an ergospirometry test tomorrow to determine my anaerobic threshold. This information will enable the doctors to set a meaningful maximum heart rate for exercise whilst I recover.

Thirdly I've got permission to go walking alone which is a great thing. Today I left with a group but dropped them all on the first hill. Unlike last time I didn't bother waiting and made an extra couple of loops in the woods to fill up the alloted time. Really, I'm not competative ;-))

So, I just received my new programme which includes 2 hours on the cycling machine a day. I hope they have mops around the place because once they up my wattage I'll be making puddles on the floor. I asked if I could bring my own bike and trainer to the clinic. When asked why, I told the physio that I still wanted to have kids. He thought I was joking and said how he liked the British sense of humor.... I can't bring my own bike!

I also went to a relaxation class this afternoon. I'm sure it would have been relaxing if I could have understood the instructions. I just layed on the floor and tried to block the obligatory pan-pipe music out of my head. Bloody pan-pipes, I hate them. Especially the busker at Zürich airport. The Pink Floyd I had been listening to previously was much more relaxing.

One great thing about rehab is that you get time to think. That's something that we don't have much of these days. Today I made a list of the the top five most important things in my life:

1/ Fiona and our marriage;
2/ Family and Friends;
3/ Health;
4/ Fitness;
5/ A balanced lifestyle.

Unfortunately, all of these (except #1) seem to be suffering from neglect at the moment (unless Fiona cares to correct me). Therefore, the next thing to do is identify the factors that are having a negative impact and then make the necesarry changes to bring things back into balance. By the way, I think it's important to distinguish between Health and Fitness. For me you need to have good health before you can obtain fitness which I regard in a sporting sense (i.e. fit to compete). Of course, there is "fit" in the sporting sense and "fit" in the visual sense. Personally, I'd like to be both..... but I'll have to shift 15KG first ;-)) To quote Kate Nash: "I'd rather be wiv your friends mate 'cos they are much fitta"

Ho well, it's getting close to curfew again..... Bis Morgen, Tchuss!

A change of plan required!

2008-01-13T20:49:00.000+01:00

OK, it's actually not that long since I last blogged (by my standards at least) but there have been some big, and I guess, life changing events for me over the last two weeks. Two weeks ago today (30th December 2007) was the day I suffered a heart attack. To be honest it was a bit of a shock and something that I really hadn't anticipated...... at least at only 35 years old. I'm not going to harp on the details of the "big event" except to say that it was really great to be released from hospital within a week.

I've been really overwhelmed by the support received from my family, friends and colleagues both here and in England. The kind messages, cards and visits that I have recieved have really meant a lot to me and given me a lot to think about whilst lying around doing very little. Most of all, Fi has been a real tower of strength for me, never waivering in her sympathy during a time which has been for her physically and emotionally testing. She has done a great job keeping me on the straight and narrow and maintaining focus on the important things and keeping my frustration to a minimum. Thanks Darling, it's been easy for me with you to lean on! I love you so much!

One of the most testing things to deal with over the last couple of weeks has been the language barrier. Most hurdles can be overcome and I have learnt a lot of new words (both German and Swiss-German) but I have to say that it is really difficult to express how I feel emotionally. I expect that I come across as moody and impatient....no difference there then ;-))

Well, I was home for a few days which was really nice, just until they found space for me at the rehab clinic (Klinik Barmelweid - http://www.barmelweid.ch/) where I started on Thursday last week for 14 days. The clinic is located at the top of the Jura overlooking the Swiss midlands with beautiful views across to the Bernese Oberland. Unfortunately that makes it very remote and a real trek for Fiona to get to every evening after work. The clinic itself is fine except that their normal clients are aged between 60 and 80 so the rehab is for me no effort at all. That is presenting it's own problems in that I'm totally frustrated with very little to do between the 2 hours of activities presented per day. OK, I know that I should be resting, but when presented with a location that is hiking and mountain biking heaven, just sitting around is real torture. I've never been good at just sitting around so the torture is quite amplified and not reducing my stress levels at all. It feels a bit like being in prison so I can't wait until next weekend when I will be allowed home for a couple of days. At least my bike on the turbo-trainer is more comfortable than the exercise bikes here.......

So now is the time to make some changes to prevent this happening again. First things first, I've withdrawn from the MSc course, at least for six months. To be honest, whether I restart depends upon a lot of decisions that I need to face over the next few weeks and months. Obviously I need to find the root cause of why I had a heart attack..... and it's all pointing at stress at the moment which tends to point at factors such as work-life balance, pressure and lifestyle. Things were already coming to a head before I finished work for Christmas and I need to apologise to my work mates for being such a miserable b***ard. I've already discussed with Fi and we agree on a lot of things and have some ideas which we will explore over the coming weeks (and I'll mention here once discussed with all the right folks). One thing is certain - I'm not going to go back to my previous lifestyle. I'm definately going to make more time for Fi and me. No more late nights in the office or weekend e-mailing for me. I'll do more exercise and get home-life under control.... and really get properly fit again. I'm just listening to Nouvelle Vague and the words seem to sum the situation up:

The future's open wide,
There's nothing that you and I won't do,
You've seen the difference and it's getting better all the time,
I'll stop the world and melt with you.....[Fiona]

Not sure when I will get back to work yet. I've already missed a management training which is annoying. Of course, I have no illusion that my colleagues have everything under control. I've even switched my Blackberry off which is actually making me feel quite liberated at the moment.

One thing is certain..... Fi and I need a holiday. I don't think that I can fly long-haul for a while so it will need to be Majorca or somewhere soon. On the up side we have tickets to see The Cure and Kylie (not at the same time) in Zürich. Cool.

Oh, well...... I better post this before lights out! Reminds me of youth hosteling in Wales ;-))

Return of the Blog.....

2007-12-30T11:34:00.000+01:00

Hi All,
I know it's been a long time, but it's also been a really busy year! Since getting the tick, summer came and went (although it was fairly rubbish weather wise and nobody really noticed......). So for a quick summary:

1/ Managed a weekend break in little Brum cruising Austria, Italy and Switzerland. Bad for the environment but good for the soul. Had the chance to meet up with our Italian pals. It was soooo hot down by Lago di Garda (31°C at 11PM) it was a relief to get back to the cooler climbs of the alps, although Little Brum struggled with the tight bends on the Passo do Spluga.
2/ Holidays were spent in Scotland: Three weeks spent shivering in August.... Dumfries, Inverness and Pitlochry. Actually Fi and I had a great time visiting castles, walking, cycling , dolphin spotting and shivering ;-)) Not sure if Hertz will ever rent me a car again after returning it with mud all over the roof......
3/ Work was mad, as always. Fi has started making me wear suits and stuff to work as she thinks that it will enhance my career opportunities. Actually I look like a bit of a tart, but it might help me to survive the company downdizing in 2008.
4/ Just for "fun" I've started an MSc in Information Support Management from the University of Liverpool. (http://www.uol.ohecampus.com/programmes/msc_ism.phtml) The course is 100% on-line so I don't need to actually go anywhere near Liverpool until I (hopefully) graduate! Work are paying for half of it so that will keep the pressure up. Twenty hours a week studying a week is really going to challenge my time management skills!
5/ Christmas was spent back in Crawley. We had a nice time and managed to see almost everyone we wanted to. Back in Switzerland this morning it seems fairly quiet! Whilst in Crawley I managed to crack the 200 geocaches in Goffs Park no less. Maybe Dad will start doing this when he retires?
6/ Kept my Lufthansa gold card for another year..... with trips to Singapore (x2), Bangkok, Brazil (x2) and US. Hopefully I will travel less next year.... I haven't been anywhere on business since October, which has been heaven!
7/ And next year? Plans are to have a main holiday in Northern Spain, perhaps following the pilgrim path to Santiago..... no religious meaning, just read a book about it once...... I also plan to do a bike tour of the Alsace around May time and do some serious cycling again (entered the Raid Cristalp (http://www.grand-raid-cristalp.ch/index-ENG.html) already). I'm hoping for a work trip to Japan, so if that comes off I'll probably stay on for a week and visit the peace park in Hiroshima.

So hopefully I'll keep thing a bit more up to date this year!

Ticked Off!

2007-07-10T19:09:00.000+01:00

To be honest, I'm a bit ticked off at the moment! Fi and I spent a sizeable chunk of Saturday morning at the local hospital while I waited to have a tick removed from my arm. I'm not sure how it got there, but I guess it was when I was Geocaching on Thursday evening. Funny thing is that I was really togged up because the weather was crappy. Another reason for feeling ticked off.

The June weather was a very wet and July has started the same way. The Rhein is really high and close to flooding in places. At least the weather seems to be semi coordinated as the weekends have been reasonably dry. Next weekend is meant to be hot, although it's a long way off.

Hopp Schweiz!! Check out the Tour de France - Fabian (Swiss) Cancelara in yellow and winning two stages out of three. Hopp Schweiz again!! Big Roger Federer (aus Basel don't you know) wins Wimbledon for a straight 5th time in a row. OK, it's a boring game but Roger is such a nice guy and much better presented than that Nadal scruff!

I just started bike training again. Again. Stevie B in Italy is organizing a team for a team time trial around Lucca in October. At the moment, fitness is absolutley rock bottom (following travelling, food poisening and a couple of crappy colds) but I'm optimistic I can shed a few kilo's and get reasonably quick before October....... Next weeks business trip to New York isn't going to help though......hmmm......Burgers!!!! What worries me most is that Stevie D will be riding and he just did a p.b. for 50 miles.

I don't like to harp on about the weather but it's really cold. Last night I was wearing thermals. It was 12°C.......in July.....it was warmer - hotter - in April. Arse!

I'm not going out tonight. I'll sit back and listen to my new "Silbermond" album (http://www.silbermond.de/) and watch the rain......or is that sleat come down!

All set for the Summer

2007-07-01T11:17:00.000+01:00

The weather in Switzerland has been quite turbulent over the past weeks, fluctuating between 28°C and sunny to 15°C and wet in two days and then back again. Frequent heavy thunder storms and strong winds have added to the mix.

The weather hasn't stopped too many normal activities since I'm only just recovering from the technicolor yawn syndrome that I picked up while in Bangkok. I have managed to get out on my new MTB a few times, but nothing too serious, in fact, I've been able to do a lot of Geocaching recently instead. Unfortunately, I have been using the car instead.......which is probably why the tyres are about to wear out!

So today, you will find me sitting in the pleasant Sunday sunshine, expecting thunderstorms over night and a return to cooler weather for the working week. We have had the pool serviced which means we can finally (weather permitting) go for a swim. The "pool guy" turned up last Wednesday and then literally disappeared again, leaving all his tools and stuff in the garden in the rain until he decided to return on Friday.

Mum is visiting this weekend so I picked her up from Zürich airport on Friday morning. We drove home via a fairly convoluted scenic route - which is really easy when you don't use the motorways in Switzerland. We tried a different restaurant in Möhlin since driving down to Rheinfelden is a complete disaster at the moment.

Yesterday, Fi and I took Mum down to Pilatus near Luzern. Actually, we had planned to go to the Rigi which is by far prettier but were thwarted in our efforts by the traffic. It was first day of the continental school holidays yesterday so most of Holland, Belgium and Germany were trying to squeeze through Switzerland on their way to Italy. We had to abandon the motorway queues and had another very convoluted and very scenic drive to Kriens and the Pilatus cable car. http://www.pilatus.ch/

Inevitably, like any tourist attraction this time of year, Pilatus was crawling with a very international bunch of tourists, all doing their "Grand Tour" of Europe in week or two. A few years ago the jet-set bunch would have been limited to a few Americans and Japanese, however, with expanding economies around the world, you are just as likely these days to mingle with Indians, Chinese and Russians. It adds to the mix.......and definitely to the volume!

If you are looking for lunch out I definitely don't recommend Pilatus! Considering the huge number of visitors, the "restaurants" at the top are reasonably poor. Having said that, the view is stunning (between the clouds) and you do have the option of a cable car or train to the summit. You can even do a round trip including ferry and bus from Luzern.

So, now we are all set for the summer and now we only need the weather to oblige...... Mum's heading home tonight so hopefully the predicted storms will hold off! We are off to Schupfahrt for an ice cream soon ;-))

Just a note - To make uploading quicker, I've staring using the Picasa service from Google for displaying photo's on-line. Please click on the links......

Mum & Fi having fun:

http://picasaweb.google.ch/angloswisselms/Angloswiss2/photo#5082198866684943090

View from Pilatus:

http://picasaweb.google.ch/angloswisselms/Angloswiss2/photo#5082199519519972098

Sprung!

2007-04-22T19:07:00.000+01:00

It would appear that as quickly as it arrived, Spring has turned to Summer here in the Fricktal. Truely , Spring has sprung and gone! In fact it hasn't rained (or snowed) since before we went to Majorca at the end of March. Since Easter weekend, we have been basking under clear blue skies with temperatures already up into the twenties celcius.....meaning that I had to finally take off the snow tyres which really start to loose their grip in the heat. All the natural events seem to be really early too this year. The cherry blossom has been and (almost gone) and swifts are overflying the village. In the last couple of days the crickets have started up!

So, as I haven't been travelling with work at all, we have been really lucky to be able to get out into the country and enjoy it! For me mainly biking and hiking....for Fi....mostly in Little Brum!

Little Brum with an old timer friend........

Please note: This was written towards the end of April.....and unfortunately not published until now.

The Rain in Spain......

2007-04-09T17:02:00.000+01:00

.....falls mainly on the geocacher! So we went for a weeks Spring break to Majorca, the only catch being that Spring was decidedly absent. In fact is pi**ed it down every day. Torrential. The same week last year was 25°C and sunny. So much for global warming.

Fi got food poisening on the third day so that just about capped off a great week. We hired bikes from Pro Cycle Hire Majorca: http://www.procyclehire.com/ (well recommended....not just because our friends run it....and used by the great Sean Kelly) so I managed to get out for a few rides although I decided not to take in the joys of the mountains given the state of the roads. On my first ride I hit something and managed to rip a sizeable hole in tyre which meant that (fortunatley pre-poisening) Fi had to come and rescue me in the car.

I also managed a few geocaches whilst in Majorca, although not as many as I had hoped. One day I hunted for 2 hours in sand dunes in the driving rain and still never found anything. Such is the life of a geocacher. Another attempted cache was located high on cliffs above the bay of Alcudia. Unfortunately to get to the cache meant a bit of climbing which with wet shoes and rocks I really didn't fancy. Besides.....I had an ill wife to get back to!

The highlight of the week (for me at least) was a visit to the World Track Cycling championships at Palma. Had an absolutely wonderful evening with Bruce, Lisa and George watching Great Britain pick up 2 Golds, a Silver and a Bronze. Followed up with a few (too many) beers with Bruce recalling old times and bike crashes that we experienced together.

Just before leaving for the airport the sun came out. Typical.

Back in Switzerland for just over 24 hours before flying back to Spain. Barcelona this time, for more of the same crappy weather. I was there on business so not too much of a pain until it was time to come home. Unfortunately the plane was struck by lightning on the way into Barcelona so they had to give it a 100% inspection before we could leave. Consequently we landed in Zürich at just before mid-night. Ten minutes later and we would have been diverted to Geneva or somewhere else inconvenient. So it appears that I will be home for a while now and that means I should be able to do a bit more blogging.

It's Spring......or maybe not!

2007-03-24T08:18:00.000+01:00

Well, after 10 days of solid global meetings and evenings out, I've finally found 5 minutes to blog......although it's going to be a short one.

We have been in the throws of a beautiful spring with all the flowers and blossom arriving well ahead of the normal schedule. Then, last Sunday afternoon the temperature dropped by 10°C and by Wednesday it was snowing. It's still snowing now on Saturday morning so, as you can imagine, we have quite a few inches on the ground. Spring is truely on hold for the time being (well at least until the end of next week).

Fortunately, the weather didn't stop us getting our tax return in on time. It's the first time we've managed that since we lived here......the paperwork required is horrendous....and we still need to pay an accountant to fill out the complicated German language forms.

So, a short blog.....I'm going back to watching the snow fall and dreaming about the summer. Perhaps I'll do some Sudoku or something......

Look out for spiders!

2007-03-06T20:03:00.000+01:00

OK, it's been a while since I last blogged.......but I do have an excuse.....I've been traveling around on business.....this time to Singapore. Unfortunately, I missed all of the Fastnacht celebrations in Basel and even missed the public holiday. Instead I had to make do with a tower of beer in the hot, sticky Singapore evening ;-)) Fi tells me that the Gugge bands in Basel were quite good this year. Anyone who hasn't experienced the joys og Gugge Musik should go to www.youtube.com and search "gugge". Amazingly, there is an English Gugge group (Gugge 2000) who are actually quite good......although a little polished to be authentic!

I did get the chance to do a couple of geocache's in Sing. This proved a little dangerous due to the large spiders in the rain forest. It's a bit of a shock when you walk into a web that's as big as you are! If you are ever in Sing, I recommend a visit to the Botanical gardens and especially the national orchid garden. Absolutely amazing.

Food in Singapore is excellent. I managed a Chinese for lunch and Indian for dinner ever day! Not good for the waistline, but satisfying none the less. Most establishments wouldn't meet EU food hygiene standards, but so far I'm still alive and feel a lot better than when I returned from Brazil last.

Missed my Sing Airways flight to come home.....but managed to get a Lufthansa via Frankfurt. Phew! Happily I was paying (Swiss boss was happy to find that he wasn't either). Everyone makes mistakes sometimes. Probably drank too many beer towers to keep cool. Anyway, all ended well and I arrived home one day and an hour later than expected.

Sunday was wonderful in Switzerland. T-Shirt weather in early March. Went for a 5 hour walk (including multi-cache) and discovered that Buus (villae over the hill in Basel Lande) is actually really pretty. If I was American I'd say "quaint" but then again all of Europe is "quaint" for our friends over the pond.

Fi and I had the day off yesterday and took little Brum for a spin out to the Rhein falls near Schaffhausen: www.rheinfall.com . It rained. I was totally underwhelmed by the experience, although the drive was fun. We went home via Stein am Rhein which was a really nice little town.....although being a Monday was (traditionally) closed.

Anyway......I'll have to finish this off at the weekend. It's Champion's League tonight and Chelsea just scored.......photo's from the weekend to follow.

Order & Progress

2007-02-09T22:55:00.000+01:00

It's been a while coming, so you'll have to bear with me if I tend to ramble and get things out of order.......although that may be the wine...... Life's been a bit crazy (I got the promotion and now I'm doing 3 jobs at once........)

Unlike in Britain it has stopped snowing here and has become, again, unseasonably warmer. That should have been good news on the cycling front, however, the business trips have started again so absolutely no chance to get on the bike.

On the 2nd of February the village sports groups organised the first of four parties in the valley leading up to Fasnacht (this week was Zuzgen) which is the Swiss version of carnival. The party is a lively affair running from 6PM to 6AM the following day. Amazingly some people manage to work the next day. Being a member of the Damen Riege (woman's group) Fi was press ganged into helping. She had to work in the kitchens from 11:30PM until 4:00AM serving hot dogs. I did do my best to wait up (by building some Ikea furniture) but gave up at 2:30.

Most villages in the region are now "decorated" ready for Fasnacht. It's a bit strange because they put up bunting made from old rags and hang effigies from the lamp posts. The effigies are called "Waggi" and are meant to represent people from the Alsace region in France. Still not sure about that.......what happened to diversity and inclusion?

Last Saturday I flew to Sao Paulo in Brazil (no Sunday flight possible!!!) which is a real shock to the system after Switzerland. Fortunately I had been before so was prepared for the fun. The good news was that it was hot (32°C) and humid which was a pleasant change. The bad news was the constant distraction caused by the seasonal attire of all the Brazilian ladies........it would also appear that Wonder Bra's are in vogue this year.......

Actually I think I was lucky to get in since the immigration official was having a bad day and trying to have a fight with someone else in the queue. He didn't stamp my passport and ran off to confront the other guy, so I walked into Brazil, not sure if I was going to get out again. Sunday was spent working in the hotel room which was better than my colleague who went to the roof top pool and came back scarlet after only one hour.

Brazil is definitely a land of contrast. Sao Paulo, with a population of around 16million is the second largest city on the planet and, funnily enough, has the largest Japanese population of any city outside Tokyo. The traffic is terrible and the security situation dubious but the people (at least those that I met) are really friendly and helpful. Food is excellent (fruit and veg definitely fresher than Europe) and drinks pretty good too (hic!). As usual with these sort of trips I manged to contract an air-con induced cold. Bloody wonderful.

Work was quite tough (not because of the ladies) and it was quite a relief to be back at the airport drinking draft German beer (can't do that at Gatwick). I left as I arrived - in a thunderstorm which we bumped away through for a couple of hours. Actually slept on the plane for a change so was up for a night out in Basel with some colleagues.

The main reason for the night out was a visiting colleague from England. Unfortunately he got stuck at Heathrow (seems to be a regular thing these days) so we all had an extra drink for him! We went to the Fisherstubbe in Klein Basel which is a micro-brewery with, in my opinion, the best beer in Switzerland.

Today I took the day off (probably shouldn't have......soooo busy) but I did work all last weekend! It was a beautiful day so I headed off down to Basel for a spot of Geocaching. Managed 3 caches, although I would have done more if there hadn't been so many people around! I'll have to go back after dark (or at least on a Sunday). I sat outside Starbucks in short sleeves and enjoyed a Frappachino and cheesecake watching the trams go by. Ahhhh, it's good to be home.

Now looking forward to spending the weekend with Fi and maybe reacquaint myself with the bike. We may even get little Brum out for a spin, global warming permitting! Feeling better just thinking about it........

It's snowing.....damn it!

2007-01-23T22:54:00.000+01:00

Last night on my cycle home from the office it started to snow. Not much mind and only enough to be miserable. This morning was significantly colder, but dry so I decided to ride home again.

As I left the office it was -1°C and had just started to spit. By the time I was out of the city I was enveloped in steady freezing rain which froze solid on my clothes, bike and beard! The rain eased momentarily and when I reached Rheinfelden it had started snowing properly.

By the time I made it to home there was a fair bit of the stuff on the road. My brakes and gears were frozen but fortunately I was toasty warm (except for the ice in my hair) and had managed to stay upright. Also discovered that wearing contact lenses prevents your eyes from getting stung by the snow. Cool ;-))

We are expecting a proper dumping of snow tomorrow so the bike and car can stay at home. I'll go on public which still runs on time here after a few feet of snow. Besides Swiss Boss has asked me to meet him for dinner after work to discuss my future. Should I be worried? I feel some more negotiations coming.......

Achtung! Gefahr!

2007-01-23T20:50:00.000+01:00

Sunday morning was quite, well, naff! There was a howling gale and it was trying to rain......great motivation for my planned 100Km training ride. I did 47! That was enough......all downhill into a gale at 20Kph and then all back uphill.

As it usually does, the weather brightened up as soon as I arrived home so Fi and I decided to go for a gentle stroll to see the view from Mumpfer Fluhe (Fi was obviously jealous of my Geocaching and really wanted to see where the cache was stashed). So, upon our arrival at the viewpoint I was requested to demonstrate my climbing abilities (don't look down!)...

On the way home we noticed that modern farming techniques are alive and kicking in Aargau:

This reminded us of a little story about why the abbreviation for canton Aargau displayed on every registration plate is "AG". Apparently it dates back to when most drivers learnt their skills in agricultural vehicles.......so the AG stands for Achtung Gefahr! (Attention Danger) which is apparently a reflection on their driving standards. Personally I don't have a problem with the drivers from Aargau. I do have a problem, however, with those from Basel Lande (BL).....Bloody Looney's ;-))

Ho Ho, Here comes the snow......well almost!

2007-01-20T22:41:00.000+01:00

Despite tropical storm Cyrile doing it's best to mess up transport within Europe I arrived back from Lüneburg almost on time on a suprisingly smooth flight. Fortunately there was very little damage in Switzerland from the storm, although a train was blown clean off the tracks in Appenzel in the east of the country. Unfortunately the storm did prevent me from getting any caching done.....although it didn't stop me enjoying the local beverages ;-))

Today was another super warm day (14°C). I went out on the bike for a short ride and didn't even need to wear my gloves! Also went geocaching and can report that I was more successful than last weekend, finding a new "mystery cache" on the Mumpfer Fluhe. I did have some help from some fellow Geocachers who were looking for the same treasure before flying off to Israel to find some more in the sunshine. It should be said that the Swiss are really friendly and nothing like what you read about in all the ex-pat "guides". The view from the cache over the Rhein was marvelous and well worth the short walk. Fortunately the rain held off and the sun eventually came out.

The weather forecast is for a complete change to seasonal cold weather with a temperature of minus 6°C with heavy snow predicted by Wednesday. Personally I'll believe it when I see it. Still, the Polizei will be kept busy if the frost returns. Last Tuesday morning they were stopping drivers who had not cleared their windscreens sufficiently and were even taking photo's as evidence (at 06:30AM).

Come on weather. Bring on the white stuff! Well at least after Fi gets winter tyres put on little Brum........

Unfounded Optimism

2007-01-15T21:29:00.000+01:00

It's actually turned a bit colder in the last couple of days, although not enough to bring any snow. Even the world cup downhill at Wengen had to be run on artificial stuff.......and now the environmentalist lobby are raging over the impact of the chemicals involved which will soon be leaching into Switzerland's rivers. Quite right too! Damn ski boars.........I really can't see what all the fuss is about.

Anyway thought I'd do a multi stage geocache yesterday which entailed a 3 hour walk......and an hour searching a slippery rock outcrop to find a Tupperware container. I must be mad, especially as I didn't find it. Today I'm black and blue from all of the falls and knocks!

Tried out the new Thai restaurant in Wegenstetten yesterday with some good friends. It was almost empty but the food was good. We were stopped (again) by the local polizei on the way home. Unmarked car (silver beamer) and a not very enthusiastic copper. Anyway, all "tip-top" and no sign of a breathalyser, unlike last time (which was also "tip-top" I should say).

Today was a beautiful day with loads of sun although only a few degrees positive. Had a 7:30 AM meeting in Basel so arrived at the office at 6:30AM. Madness. Still, I knocked off at 3:00PM and managed to scrape an hour on the bike before dark. Early night tonight as I'm off to Lüneburg in North Germany for business in the morning. I'm optimistic that I'll get time to do some caching.......probably won't find them.....I'll let you know. In any case the brewery in Lüneburg is excellent which means I'll have to train harder next weekend ;-))

Tchuss!

Wanted: Cleaning Lady

2007-01-13T23:02:00.000+01:00

Another beautiful spring like day! Actually it felt more like autumn than spring with warm sunshine and a temperature of 20C on our front balcony.

I chose this morning to go for a gentle bike ride and ended up doing some really hard m-f hills on the Aargau - Basel Lande border. It was hard work but a step closer to the Gigathlon..... Since the sun was out I decided to walk off my ride so hiked around the Loonberg to check on one of my geocaches that nobody can find. Not surprising really as it has gone missing! It's either been stolen or the wild boars have got it. I'll have to re-plant this one soon.

Anyway, I came home to find Fi cleaning little Brum. Now that's a rare occurrence and I know I should have taken a photo. Even the bloke from next door was surprised. Reminded me of a car that I had passes earlier with "PutzFrau Gesucht" scrawled in the dirt (Wanted: Cleaning Lady). Now I'm going to have to translate "I wish my wife was this dirty" into German so that I can scribble that on Tommy;-))

This evening we went for a boozy (except for nominated drivers like me) birthday party down in the woods by Walbach. A great evening being hosted by our neighbor and his friend who have a total age of 70 this year. That's the same as me and Fi........
I have to say that the Swiss really know how to enjoy themselves and are quite uninhibited so we were soon racletting together and sharing experiences in our not very good German. In fact the Swiss put the Brits to shame with languages. Almost everyone here can manage some English so conversation is normally not too hard.

January Shorts

2007-01-11T22:31:00.000+01:00

I'm trying to remember the last time I cycled in January wearing only shorts (on my legs -of course). Apart from the odd cyclo-cross, I really can't think of such an occurrence. Don't get me wrong, I haven't travelled off to some far flung corner of the planet. I'm not sitting on a beach either! I rode home from the office tonight and stayed warm in my shorts. It should be minus something this time of the year..........

Even better, tonight my monthly issue of Evo magazine had arrived in the postbox. This month there is a great feature on how they created the Aston Martin crash in the recent Bond movie. If you haven't seen Casino Royale you should. Personally I recommend that you watch it in Basel so that you can experience the nervous laughter from the ex-pat's when the joke Swiss banker (from Basel) turns up. Being a Basler he didn't bring Bond any chocolates........or a cuckoo clock for that matter. He probably gave bond some Leckerli.

I wonder if David Beckham has a Swiss bank account? He should do now that he is earning $1million a week in LA. Apparently it's not about the money. I can agree with that ;-))

15C in January!!

2007-01-10T22:48:00.000+01:00

Today in Basel was a wonderful Spring day. Bright, breezy and 15C. That is quite exceptional weather for January as it should be closer to minus 15C. My Italian colleagues from Naples were obviously quite happy about the situation, however, the locals are getting increasingly worried about the prospects for skiing. I guess I will wait until next year before buying some snow shoes.

Set a record this morning for bed to office time (42 minutes). Forgot to set the alarm last night and was awoken by Fi shortly followed by a realisation that a global meeting was to start in Basel in 40 minutes. Hopefully the Polizei were not hidden behind any bushes on the way in!

I heard today that the Swiss authorities have been analysing water samples from the Rhein and have concluded that there are around 10,000 cocaine users in the Basel region. That's quite some deduction. I'm sure it's also secretly claimed that they are all on the German side of the river ;-))

No Sign of any Snow

2007-01-07T22:08:00.001+01:00

The weather at the moment (at least in North West CH) is weirdly warm. Today was again 10C and the forecast is for next week to be warmer! I guess this is global warming in action, so "little Brum" is going in the garage and I'm going to buy a train ticket. The locals are starting to get collectively twitchy about the prospects of skiing.

Still, on the plus side it means that I was able to commence my winter cycle training in Spring like conditions. I managed 50Km before I got the bonk. Oh well, only 10Km seeing stars as I grovelled back to home. The new cycle path up the valley is now fully open. It's a bit slower than the road and full of the usual scattering of walkers, runners and rollerbladers........however I can't complain as I can now ride all the way to Basel (35KM) on dedicated cycle paths. The Brits could learn a lot about that........and the roads here are really quiet compared with SE England.

After some heavy negotiations on Friday, it's looking like I'm going to get a new job (same boss) with more responsibility and a few direct reports. That means I will have to start reading my Management books and review all that leadership training I've had. At last, a chance to put theory into practice. Now all I need to do is negotiate an appropriate raise.......fat chance......the boss has deep pockets.........but suffers from short arms!

Better turn in now.......early start tomorrow.......have to appear keen.

Shocking Geocaching

2007-01-06T18:37:00.000+01:00

So today's the day I started training for the Gigathlon 2007. It's a good thing that the Racketeschneken (Rocket Snails) aren't doing the full seven days.......you should see the profiles! We are just doing the last three days which is more than enough for me.

Today was the first time on a bike since November which ended the longest break in riding for almost 20 years! To break myself in gently I thought I'd take the MTB out and plant a couple more geocache's in the hills around the village. OUCH!! What a shock to the system. Not to worry, I'll go out on the road tomorrow for a spin. Viva Carbon Fiber ;-))

Nice day for it today. It's unseasonably warm (10C) and not at all windy. Fi and I celebrated being warm by buying a new phone for the house. Now we can dial one's again! The problem for our callers will be that the answer phone is in German. Well they should learn just like us ;-))

We would take down the Xmas decorations today........but we never put any up. Sweet!

Spooky Earthquakes

2007-01-06T18:17:00.000+01:00

Last night we were at the "Möhlin Swatches" for dinner (an invitation that Fi had managed to forget). The after dinner conversation turned to the series of earthquakes experienced in Basel before Christmas. The worst was a "3.7", although there were 13 micro quakes in one day. The 'quakes were caused by a group of geologists who were experimenting with extracting heat from the Earth's crust by pumping water through it. The quakes were caused when the geologists turned up the presure in an attempt to make the rock more porous. Under a city! Muppets!!

Anyway, the conclusion was that there shouldn't be any more 'quakes because the geologists had been ordered to stop. It appears the muppets are back in business though. This morning at 8.00AM there was a 3.1 'quake in Basel. It didn't wake us up here in the country though!

How spooky is that?

Yesterday I told a fib!

2007-01-04T22:27:00.000+01:00

Obviously I was overcome with excitement yesterday! Something has changed in Switzerland.......more precisely Basel. The St Johann tunnel under Volta Platz has finally opened (although only one side). Perhaps it will take another 10 years to open the other carriageway!

Picked up Fi's car ("Little Brumm") from Zürich airport this morning so the logistical hangover from Xmas / New Year is over. Bad news is that I was back in the office and no one noticed my new beard! Not even my boss! Ho hum, back to reality.........at least it's only 1 more day until the weekend.

2007-01-03T19:29:00.000+01:00

Well, here's my first ever blog posting!

Fiona and I returned to Switzerland yesterday to discover that nothing has changed. I guess that's a relief, and even better, our luggage finally returned from Madeira. I think the local farmers couldn't believe the smell (worse than cows!).

I set up a new geocache on the Hellikon / Schupfart border today: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=2587bbbe-c8fa-4030-b797-45e4feb17191

That's about it! Hopefully something more stimulating to add next time!