Underwater Love

On our way to the bus station we have to walkk through the old town down some broad tall steps and over the river Ruess. As we descended the steps today and look out over the river, legions of wetsuit clad individuals are gripping inflatable crocodiles, seahorses, sharks and the like, there must be at least 200-300 people. As we watch they board the bridge we are about to cross and fan out making a line along every available river boarder, some climb over the rail of the bridge standing and waiting, others dip their toes into the rivers side all preparing for some signal.
It transpires that they are all from a Swiss diving club, they are taking part in a cross country, I would say swim but their not, float. It doesn't seem to be for charity or anything else, therre are no placards or banners, it seems more like some out of control drink fueled idea. They seem to be awating eleven O'clock to strike, people sit in unflattering wetsuits smoking and larking around. The river is now surrounded by divers and observers no space is left unfilled, I have never seen such a turn out in one place here. The river is usually populated by many swans and ducks here, and they soon realise that its the humans day for water sports, swans flap mighty wings and flee in panic, the water surface slowly emptys. At eleven an anouncement over a loud hailer starts them off. People flop and dive into the water from the bridge, the more dignified easing into the water from the side. The river is swift and they are soon taken quietly and quickly. Its some fifteen minutes before everyone is in the water, many seem to be taking their time, some scream declarations before jumping in, some wave flags others shoot water guns at the crowd. The bridge and waters edge gradually emptys and the water is filled with the colout of wetsuits and blow up creatures. They will float for 25km or 14 miles over rapids under trees and bridges, past fish and around rocks, why, I have no idea, did I want to go? Yes.

More Water Shots

Basel

Hello and welcome back to my Blog after some time.

Saturday the 16th of June saw a host of Erasmus students set out for basel. Florian, Felix, Anna, Jan, Hiromi and myself. BAsel lies about an hour and a half north west of Luzern. We are going to basel to take in the 'Art Basel 38' Art fair.
Basel itself doesn't seem as impressive architecturally as other places I have been to, neither is the journey there as beautiful, which isn't to say that it isn't a nice place, and it does have the mighty river Rhine flowing through its midst.
We tack a tram for a rattling ten minutes through the streets and arrive rigt outside the art festival. Its located in a large rectangular square(?), Art Basel one side and the Swiss art awards the otherside, inbetween it is lilttered with large sculptures of chrome icecubes, tree houses, ornate trucks and immoral Santas.
The venue is huge and reflecting this is the quantity of work as well as its diversity of new and established artists. Before going our seperate ways we agree to meet an hour and a half later, after 10 minutes I realise how insufficient this is going to be in order to take it all in. Hiromi and I pass through video art, instillations, sculpture, interactive pieces, and on. The air is a fug of video clips and the pink noise of so many people talking at once.
Unfortunately cameras were not permitted and I am unable to show you any of the work. My favourite piece of the day was by vallance. Vallance sent one of his personal ties to the heads of various countries during 1978-79. He had a set format for his letters, this is what he basically wrote:
"As a gesture of goodwill between our countries I am sending you one of my personal ties. The tie is a symbol of modernity and civilisation and by swapping ties we can help to bring our cultures closer together. i would ask in return that you send me one of your personal ties".
Or something similar. The exhibit featured letters from about thirty countries, each with a reply each with very different responses. The smaller countries tended to display enthusiasm and openess to the idea of cultural togetherness, many returned personal ties, the more developed countries imposed a strict boundry of official distance refusing gifts from 'nobodys' but sending polite replies, some countries participated in his gesture but with disbelief in his motives, and some countries were confused by the gesture. Every letter reveals something of the identity of the country at that time, every letter featured beautifull headers and seals, some with autographed photos, some with ties, others with versions of their countries tie.
The fair exhibited an array of truly beautiful and inspiring works, and a could creative doesn't borrow, he steals. Or so I'm told.
We also went to the neighboring building which was hosting various galleries from around the world. if 'Art Basel 38' was enormous then this was gargantuant, we barely saw half of it in the hour and a half we spent their. It was strange being so close to such famous and notorious pieces of work, the cast of artist and catalogue of work was astounding. Warhol, Picasso, Auerbach, Frued, Bacon, and on and on. It was equally strange to be surrounded by such obviously wealthy people, swaggering and pressing their way through the peons.
I seem to reach art saturation after a few hours and am unable to digest anymore. Naturally the only thing left to do is shop. However everything is shut, so we settle for dinner and then home.

Mothers weekend

That very Freitag friday (?) my Mum arrived from England for the weekend to find a new husband with riches beyond her imagination, however most people assumed I was her toyboy.
In true English spirit I will describe the weather conditions first. The freiday was a sweltering introduction, the saturday a temperate affair, sunday began cloudy AND misty but brightened in the afternoon, monday was a miserable bastard.
So as sson as She steps from the plane she is taken against her will to the Freitag party, she would have sat outside in protest of their prices had it not been so hot. We took in some fine argentinian barbeque and a train trip home to Luzern, past an inferno of burning tyres, which were trying to blot the sky out, it was like an Iraqi oil field.
We had a leisurely start on saturday and took in the local market and various other tourist must do's (chocolate shops, Swiss army knife shops, jewellers etc), I think the sites and sounds their usual hypnotic effect and she feel in Love with the town.
Sunday we took a boat trip across the lake to Vitznau. Our boat chugged along at a healthy pace scaring swans and the like, stopping here and there at various harbours sometimes in the shadow of a cliffs and also into harbours with carribean festivals. The boat had a deliberate and consistent sound, which made me sleepy. Vitznau has little to offer in terms of tourism, aside from the fact that is a pleasant suburban village on the lake with a harbour guard with an astonishing moustache. We took a private cable car about a quarter of the way up Rigi (a mountain) and took in a local restaurant. I say restaurant, it was more liek a bar/socila club. It was diffeicult to imagine people living at this height in these remote conditions with such an amazing backdrop, but here they were playing cards and drinking beer as old friends. The cable car is 10 times scarier on the way down, launching over gulfs and over houses and trees, we can't take photos quick enough. Every new place I travel to provides novel views and dramatic scenery each as breath-taking as each other. Our trip home is on a paddle boat, two gaint wheels thrash through the water at high speed, its engine room exposed to the publics scrutiny.
Monday is a quiet walk around town in the grey light and persistent drizzle, its a sad way to finsih her trip, but at least she has the whoel spectrum of Swiss weather. I only hope that she had as much fun as we did.

Freitag Birthday Zurich

So on Friday the 25th of May it was the one year anniversary of Freitags zurich store. They had a party, and if you're an exclusive member like myself then you were invited along to smaple some of the wares they were hawking. I was going in high hopes of discounted bags and what not, perhaps free posters or postcards something anything, anything free, my hope was sadly misplaced. They did have a barbeque and drinks, but where my discount dammit.
On the upside their building is something worth seeing. They have a nine story buidling made from metal storage containers (which Ben informs me are called gaylords, I don't belive him at all). The shop only spans three of these in height but it is full to bursting with recycled bags, ipod holders, laptop cases, wallets et al, a very handsome building. Hiromi and I climbed to the top to the observation post. As you climb and other people descend next to you, you can't help but notice the building sway ever so gentle with the motion. The top yields a 360 degree view of town, its not a great view but you are up high.
One of the two Freitag brothers was behind a bar dolling out drinks, looking shabbily well presented in mock overalls.
I take my hat of to their concept, take some second hand truck tarpualin, bike inner tubes, and car seat belts fashion into handsome products and sell at high prices, genius. They are now branching out into punch bags, footballs, seating and more, you can also go to their website and with the aid of the 'F-cut' cut out your own bag from a selection of tarps for assembly and delivery for an extra 20CHF on top of the usual price. What are you waiting for?