April 20th 2005
Isola Bella
Lake Maggiore is a long body of water that extends to the canton of Ticino in Switzerland.
Isola Bella is one of the three islands on the lake.
The gardens of Isola Bella
Archive for 2005
April 20th 2005
Spring Festival in Zurich
We were in Zurich for a day on our way home from my husband’s Belgian assignment. That day couldn’t have been luckier because they were celebrating their spring festival, Zechseläuten. There was a colorful parade of costumes and of the different guilds from the cheese, wine, livestock, etc industries. The parade ended to the bonfire where the “Böögg” (a snowman effigy representing the “Old Man of Winter”) is burned at 6pm, sharp.
The procession of the guilds
we saw the Böögg and its platform of tree branches being assembled in the morning.
the snowman ragged doll is bedecked with firecrackers which kept on exploding while it burned..
still the burning snowman..couldn’t really see it well because i was very very small and the Swiss are giants!
Time for cake and coffee.
Cool! You choose the patisserie you want and they will serve it to you in the cafe section which is in another room. We ordered apple strudel which is a must-have when in Zurich.
According to several surveys in 2006 and 2007, Zürich was named the city with the “best quality of life” in the world.
April 9th 2005
Cambridge
Cambridge is one of the few remaining English cities that were able to preserve their medieval feel and charm and even the good old gentlemanly conduct . And I’ve been to so many places in the UK but it’s only in Cambridge where - for the first time - a man (old man at that) walking towards my direction lifted his hat to say “Good morning!”
I fell in love with Cambridge the first time i saw it. Just walking through the old town, on the narrow pebbled streets, where every now and then a student on a bike would be cycling gently past, you will be mesmerized by the amazing architecture of the olden days, stilll majestically standing there, and now serving either as student accommodations or university/college halls.
If you come across the river Cam, follow the narrow footpath by the riverside and marvel at the combined sight of weeping willow trees bowing into the water, ducks and swans swimming with their youngs, and the green park on the other side, rife with flowers blooming everywhere - and you cry with joy because this simply is the real England you have been wanting to experience!
A city of bicycles
The Great Gate at Trinity College.
Trinity College is the most aristocratic of the Cambridge colleges. Among its students were King Edward VII, King George VI and Prince Charles.
Trinity College with a statue of Henry VIII, its founder.
A flea market is going on
The Church of the Holy Sepulchre or the Round Church, now serving as exhibition venue. It is one of four round churches in the UK and was built by the Knights Templar. One of the other round church is the Temple Church in London, made popular by the Da Vinci Code .
A bridge over the river Cam
Punting is a must-do activity when in Cambridge. Punt is a flat bottomed boat, without a keel, steered with a 10-foot-long pole. This tradition started in Edwardian times. The punters are usually enterprising students who want to earn the extra quid.
