Ballenberg XII

So there were houses from all over Switzerland. All of them smelled bad, but what can one expect after being so old? But they were all pretty, and in original stand. Amazing when one thinks about it. This is how people lived. And not only in Switzerland, there were similar standards in other countries.

All wood, all very basic with a fireplace, some beds, the better ones with a living room. What is great though is that they took really good care of their animals. There were shelters, hay, and in some houses the cows, goats and sheep and other domestic animals were living on the ground floor, and the people upstairs. Close relationships. Not exactly privacy.

Some houses had straw roofs. Which when you think about it is very clever. Straws are hollow, and the water runs straight through the straws, yet being insulating.

Ballenberg XI

You gotta love this. A drain! But I seem to remember from my history lessons that the Romans invented aqueducts some 2,000 years ago, transporting water and getting rid of unwanted stuff. Mind you, looking at the situation in Naples today, where trash are stacked in droves on the streets, they may have forgotten. Personally I think it's the mafia after reading Roberto Savianos book Gomorrah.

Nevertheless, I find this drain amusing.

Ballenberg X

Vino. Now we're talking!

Ballenberg IX

Not sure about the story of these bells, but my chauffeur told me something about men walking around the streets wearing these and making a lot of noise. Me, I cannot think of any reason whatsoever doing that.

Ballenberg VIII

They have certainly chosen a good location for this collection of old houses, now called an open-air museum. And we managed to drive all the way from Zürich through fog and clouds, until about 2 km before Ballenberg. Then it opened up and I had to take my jacket off. Reckon it was about 25°C and sunhine the whole day.

Ballenberg VII

Cheese! They made their own cheese. Big buckets over an open fire. Don't ask me exactly how it was made, but I know they still make it. Hopefully they have learned to embrace some modern tools.

In a shop outside the area they made their own chocolate. Unfortunately there were little information about the production, only a shop with a wheel that went around and around. Between the kids covering the information sheets I manage to read that it takes between 48-72 hours to wheel the chocolate to perfection. And ok, the chocolate bar I bought was ok, but for the price I had expected more.

Ballenberg VI

Cooking took a long time back then. And the heating system were from a fireplace in the middle of the house, in the kitchen. Few houses had more than one.

Ballenberg V

People in the old days were short. At least I'm guessing so, since the beds were. And most of them had a little something built next to their bed to house the kids. Or they had a bed they had to climb into, and another bed underneath. I'm thinking there were little time for privacy, but that doesn't seem to have stopped them from well-you-know bonking.

I cannot help making the connection to nowadays. Back then there were no pensions, and in general our society seem to go back to the old days. Most people are getting poorer, and the pensions are soon but a memory.

And a horrid thought! Perhaps people will start to have more kids, 'cause they want somebody to care for them in old age?

Ballenberg IV

Waterworks. This particular one to get the mill going. It's amazing to think about how much work got into getting food in the old days. I mean, I go to Migros, Coop or Denner and immediately I have a dinner ready in no-time. Back then, they had to grow the crop, use the mill, then bake the things they wanted to eat. Like bread.

We also saw storage houses, where food were kept. The clever ones built it above ground, so that mice and rats wouldn't get to it, but imagine to eat something that were stored in autumn and had to be eaten in spring. No fresh veggies, no herbs. No wonder they died early!

Ballenberg III

There were craftsmen and women, who I guess try to protect the old way of producing useful things, or at least show us tourists how things worked in the past. I mean how many people nowadays know how to weave and make baskets?

Ballenberg II

Loadsa animals there were too. We saw geese, cows, pigs, horses, sheep, a donkey, chicken, rabbits, lizards (scuttling around the houses from Ticino - the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland and further south), goats and even a cat.

Ballenberg I

This week I was visiting Ballenberg, which is an open-air museum, big area, difficult to get through in one day, but interesting as hell.

It has old buildings from most areas from Switzerland. Old houses, that have been de-assembled in one place and brought to be re-built in Ballenberg. 700 years old, 200 years old, all of them very old, they were amazing to see. Mind you, they didn't smell very good.

In those days they really knew how to work the land, and use what came from it. They would've frown at "bio" since nothing else existed, there really were no E-numbers back then.

I believe this device was used for pressing oil out of whatever-you-press-it-from, like sunflowers or nuts or something else, or perhaps even producing wine from grapes?

New building

There is a new house being built in my hood, containing approx 15 flats and today when I passed by a sign said "welcome". Ha! I love seeing other peoples houses, and either marvel over their choice of interior, or be disgusted when I see what they have chosen.

All of the flats were different (yes I checked out all apartments in one of the three buildings). No way would I've chosen the flats on the ground floor, with a living room and kitchen next to a street so that everybody can look in, unless you choose to have covering curtains, but then what's the point of having windows there?

And that bright shiny red kitchen? What could they possibly have been thinking? Or those tiles in one of the bathrooms?

But all in all, they were all new, spacious and smelled fresh. One had a very big wash-room which I thought was very nice.

But the top floor was a bit funny. First bedrooms and then you had to walk around like 180° to get to the living room and kitchen. I think they might be cooks or bakers, since they had two normal ovens and one microwave, as well as a sorta cupboard that can be heated up for plates and stuff.

All of them had terraces or balconies with a half-decent view. Lots of wooden floors, none of them as nice as my granite ditto :).

Nah, I prefer mine but if I had had the cash I would've bought one of them to let. It's a good location, and as the city grows it'll probably only go up in value.

High up the hill

Today on the trek my friend brought a rucksack, which is fine, it's good for the back. Me, I brought as usual a shopping bag wearing it over my shoulder. Inexperience of hiking I guess. But holding all the essentials, i.e. 2 plastic glasses and a bottle of vino. Plus some napkins and extra ciggies.

Anyway, his rucksack looked very full and I couldn't figure out what he was having in that sack. But when we stopped for a wee break I realized he had brought it all, including a cutting board! Haha, we were in the forest sitting at a wooden table and he brought a cutting board. Talk about having the wrong priorities!

But I guess we all have our little tics, so I let it go. After laughing at him of course.

And the wine came in handy after we survived the cable car coming down the hill. F...I really don't like heights.

Two hours in the wilderness

Ok, so nature is nice once in a while, and today was perfect walking weather. And yes, wearing sandals are fine when walking in the mountains (I cannot believe I get judged every time I show up wearing sandals, they are extremely comfortable).

And on a Tuesday in October it wasn't exactly crowded. Perfect. The older I get, the more I enjoy avoiding crowds.

25 years

I was skyped today by a friend, asking me if I knew what day it was. Of course I know it's 1st of October, I am not yet senile.

Turns out it was 25 years ago we first met and worked together, and he thought it was something to celebrate, hehe.

Our old company was later bought by another, and today this is what it looks like.

Good thing we both left.

Pluto is a dog, not a planet

Was out hiking today, and along the route there was information posted about all the planets in our solar system.

Listen to me Swiss people, Pluto is no longer regarded a planet. Nowadays it's only a dog.

But having lived in Switzerland 11 years, I have learned that it'll probably take another 11 to change what was once decided :).