StringGrrl sees the World

April 13, 2013 enjoying the last day at LAAX Leaving LAAX at the end of a day of skiing, hard to believe given the weather at this elevation Flussbad Oberer Lettern is packed on this first day of real Spring weather The Olde English D in Zurich, Looking over the Zurichsee toward the mountains A large sculpture celebrating the industrial roots of Switzerland An artist was stacking the rocks artfully at the lakeshore a near impossible balancing act The swans rule the lake

The far shore of the Walensee area looked not so promising for skiing Leaving Zurich on an early Saturday morning to go skiing when the forecast in the city is for clouds and rain with high temperatures in the 50's F (10's Celsius) left us feeling a little foolish walking through the Hauptbahnhof with our ski gear in tow. Most others that morning had light coats and umbrellas, we had heavy jackets, ski pants, gloves and hats.  The Peaks closer to LAAX showed some potential The train ride to Canton Graubünden from Zurich took only one hour. Add 45 more minutes by Post Bus from Chur and we found that the temperatures had dropped dramatically and the peaks looked more friendlier for skiing. From the bus we boarded a large gondola up to the first peak; Crap Sogn Gion (Elev 2228 M) which took us just a few hundred meters above the frost line. Up there the snow was crisp and dry, with even some recent accumulation. http://www.laax.com/en/interactive-map/interactive-map...

Lake superior in the springtime looks no warmer than a winter frost. However stringgirl braves the cold for the beautiful beaches and scenic views  The beach at WhitefishPoint was a veritable treasure trove of rocks.  Ice formations still cling to the pier on this Late April afternoon.  The light at Whitefish point keeps a vigil over the dangerous waters of the Gitch lest another ship meet the fate of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

StringGirl and her new pal Flat sally out in the snow this fine "spring" morning

Windy day up top of Maschgenkamm elev. 2020 m After a relatively short train ride from Zurich HB to Unterterzen you take one gondola to the base of the Flumserberg ski area, and another to Maschgenkamm. From there you can get these terrific vistas. In the background is Wallensee which we visited in the warmer days of this past summer. View Larger Map Dr. Kerausch getting ready to ride Drs. Hambrecht and Kerausch high atop one of the most disappointing first runs ever In the end it was a good ski day, but it did get off to a very inauspicious start when we headed off Maschgenkamm to one of the flattest runs on the entire hill (we got passed by snow-shoers while skating and walking "down" this run). So for future reference, head right off the Maschengkamm lift station. Because to the left-straight is a short and step drop into the back side of the mountain, from which you have a long boring ride back to the main hill.

For most of us when we picture Switzerland we never picture palm trees, unless most of you are from Canton (state/province) Ticino in the south of Switzerland. The view from the Train Station at Lugano Boasting the sunniest peaks in the Swiss Alps this Italian Canton in Switzerland is an absolute treasure if you are having a foggy/rainy/cloudy day in the Northern part of the Alps.  Only a 3 hour train ride from Zurich HB, you will be treated to a fantastic trip through the Gottard Pass, and eventually get spit out onto what is often the only sunny spot in Switzerland. The walk uphill from the base of the Funicular to the train station Lake Lugano We managed to go swimming in Lake Lugano on a day that peaked at 70 degrees in Zurich (with rain) having pure sunshine at 85 degrees in Ticino. In the left of the photo above is the small beach (Lido) where we swam. Just inside the Civic Park. Sheri = HOT (let's see if she notices this picture) StringGirl and the girls strip...

I wonder if the folks at BP have used this site yet. REALLY Brings it home. At the current time, the spill would cover most of the Lower Peninsula. Many European nations would be lost in this spill.  If It Was My Home - Visualizing the BP Oil Disaster