In Switzerland from Big Zurich and Chagall to Picturesqe Pontresina, horse and carriage, and back

I am planning a trip to Switzerland and a friend wants a group of us to stay at Pontresina, which is in the region of Zurich. Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland, although the government is in Bern which is called the capital.

I asked Gemini

 How far is it from Pontresina to St Moritz? Would anybody go the other way, from St Moritz to Ponstresina? 

Gemini told me:

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 The distance between Pontresina and St. Moritz is around 7 to 8 kilometers (about 4.5 to 5 miles). 

 By Car or Taxi: About a 10-minute drive. 

 By Train / Bus: Around 10–15 minutes on local public transit (or aboard the Bernina Express network). 

 On Foot: A scenic walk through the larch forests takes about 1.5 to 2 hours. People absolutely travel the other direction from St. Moritz to Pontresina.

 St. Moritz is a famous, glitzy resort town, while Pontresina is known as a quieter, traditional mountain village right at the base of the glaciers. 

 Why People Day-Trip from St. Moritz to Pontresina: 

1 Glacier Access: Pontresina is the gateway to the Morteratsch Glacier and the Diavolezza cable car, offering iconic alpine views and high-altitude glacier hiking. 

2 Hiking & Nature: Popular trails start near Pontresina, such as the panoramic hike from Muottas Muragl or walks into the car-free Val Roseg valley via horse-drawn carriage. 

3  Cultural Highlights: Visitors travel to see 

the Museum Alpin and 

the Alpine Dairy of Morteratsch to see traditional cheese-making in action. 

4  Atmosphere & Dining: People staying in high-end St. Moritz hotels often head into Pontresina for a more relaxed, rustic dinner or a quieter day away from the resort crowds.

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Picturesque Pontresina

Pontresina's main street has cobble-stoned pavements and patterned roads. The street is bordered by historical hotels and buildings with arched doorways, shuttered windows and high triangular gabled rooftops.

The Pontresina Tourist Board website sells, in addition to books and pictures, a key ring, mug, towel, deck chair, ski strap.

Val Roseg

The name Roseg has nothing to do with rose but is connected to the old word for a peak.

From the station you can take the scheduled hose drawn carriage shuttle up the car-free Val Roseg to the hotel at the end. 

Hotel Restaurant Roseg Gletscher

There is a once a morning bus to the hotel, and an afternoon return at 5 pm on request.

Look out for Swiss nut tart (made with walnuts) and Engaldiner tart.

Ruhezone (Quiet Zone)The Swiss law preserving quite places restricts traffic to the horse drawn shuttle and emergency vehicles and farmers. to keep the quiet atmosphere and protect wildlife and plants.

What about Zurich?

Zurich has an international airport. However, my husband and I are thinking of driving across Europe to meet up with a group of friends who go hiking in summer.

St Mortitz

Expensive and exclusive ski village. 

St Moritz Events

Snow polo takes place Jan 22-24 2027 on the frozen lake. Horses wear special shoes to stop them slipping and give good grip.

St Moritz Souvenirs

Candles, bottle, cap, clutches, prints, scarves, swim shorts, tee-shirts, towel, travel bottle, mug, vodka with snow polo label. If you like vodka, this one is made from local water. Whether or not you like vodka, the picture of snow polo on the label is a conversation opener.

Zurich

From the station go to the riverside promenade. At the far end is the uphill art museum. Famous classic and modern artists.

Cross the bridge to the other side for the church, big as a cathedral, containing the three tall colourful Chagall windows with biblical themes. Read Chagall's account of how he planned them.

South of Zurich, if you are driving that way is Lucerne. You could see its famous covered bridge with interior frescoes and chapel, driving to or from Zurich and Pontresina..

You can see from this map why the west of Switzerland bordering France is the French speaking region. To the south east  are Italy and the Italian speaking region. To the north East are Germany and Austria and the German speaking parts of Switzerland.

You can see from this map how St Moritz and Pontresina are near each other in the Engadin region, the eastern part of Graubunden (there should be a double dot above the second letter u).

This map shows you that Geneva and Lausanne are in the South West, Driving in an arc  clockwise you come to Bern, the 'capital', admin centre.Basel is the north west. Lucerne or Luzern in the middle, with Zurich to the north. Lugarno far south east near Italy.

Useful Websites (alphabetically by place name)

Covered bridge, Lucerne

https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=luzern+covered+bridge&title=Special%3AMediaSearch&type=image

Pontresina

https://www.pontresina.ch/en/guide/accommodation/hotels/hotel-restaurant-roseg-gletscher

Pontresina/Engadin Accessories, clothing, prints.

https://booking.engadin.ch/en/souvenirs?merchant=131&page=5

St Moritz events

https://www.snowpolo-stmoritz.com/

St Moritz Souvenirs

https://booking.stmoritz.com/en/souvenirs?page=12Switzerland

https://cakieshq.com/recipe/engadiner-nusstorte-swiss-nu

Zurich

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Zurich

https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-gb/accommodations/best-of-swiss-hotels/wine-hotels/

Heated Poncho

'Wearable blanket' heated poncho blanket, looks interesting. Variations are the colours which include beige, green or burgundy, and hooded versions.

https://modsluxe.com/products/wearable-electric-blanket-wrap-yourself-in-cozy-warmth?

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Landmarks and Attractions in Basel, Bern, Lucerne and Zurich, Switzerland

 

Chapel Bridge, Lucerne, Switzerland.

• Basel

  • Basler Münster (Basel Minster): A  red sandstone cathedral featuring colorful roof tiles and the historic tomb of Erasmus of Rotterdam.

  • The Rhine Embankment & "Fähren": Scenic riverbanks featuring historic, cable-guided wooden ferries that cross the Rhine using only the river's current.

  • Basel Spalenentor: One of three magnificent medieval gates from the city's old fortifications.

  • Jüdisches Museum der Schweiz - Basel - Jewish Museum of Switzerland, on Vesalgasse.

• Bern

  • Altstadt (Old Town): A UNESCO World Heritage site famous for its six kilometers of medieval arcades (Lauben) and sandstone architecture.

  • Zytglogge: An iconic 15th-century astronomical clock tower where animated mechanical figures perform before the hour.

  • The Rose Garden (Rosengarten) & Bear Park (BärenPark): A terraced hillside park offering sweeping views over the loops of the Aare River.

  • Einstein's House.

  • Smaller exhibition on Einstein in the main museum.

• Lucerne

  • Chapel Bridge (Kapellbrücke): A historic 14th-century covered wooden footbridge spanning the Reuss River. The bridge is famous for its interior triangular painted panels. The city's main attraction. Allow a long time to cross the bridge and read captions.

  • Lion Monument (Löwendenkmal): A 'poignant and dramatic' sculpture carved directly into a rock face to honor the Swiss Guards killed during the French Revolution.' This is on tours of the city. Rather small.

• Zurich

  • Fraumünster: Zurich's landmark church, famous for its tall, stained-glass windows designed by Marc Chagall.

  • Bahnhofstrasse: Long shopping avenue, running from the central station to the shores of Lake Zurich.

  • Useful Websites

  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Einsteinhaus

What To Eat In German Speaking Switzerland - Cheese, Chocolate And Nuts

 

Walnut Pie

Highly calorific, the walnut pie, walnuts and honey filling in a shortcrust pastry. Chop up a small piece to go with coffee. Buy as a gift. Can keep well for months. 

German name Nusstorte

Bündner Nusstorte (Graubünden nut pastry), also known as Engadiner Nusstorte,

How to progress from basic to advanced in German or any language in ten simple steps.

1 Start with some loan words which are the same in both languages.

2 Learn 5 to 10 basic words, hello, goodbye, please, thank you, one, two, three, and, the. 

3 Add one simple sentence, such as my name is or where is the toilet, or  (I want/need) water, a sandwich.

4 Learn I you, he, she, it, we, you plural, they.

5 Learn the sentence structure. Is it subject, verb object, like English, or subject, object verb?

6 Learn plurals. Add s, as in English, x as in French, es, as in Spanish, or double (repeat) the word as in Malay, Indonesian and Chinese.

7 Learn some common first names or surnames.

8 Learn some common place names.

9 2 Take up an online course such as Duolingo. Do one exercise every morning, while waiting for breakfast, or coffee, or waiting for transport. 

10 Start a notebook with target language words and start talking to yourself in the target language and noting words you don't know and need.

  Where can you learn and practise speaking German? 

Flag of Germany

Flag of Austria

Flag of Switzerland

You can use German in Germany, Austria and German-speaking parts of Switzerland.  Also Luxembourg, Liechtenstein, and parts of Belgium and Italy.

Flag of Luxembourg.

Flag of Liechtenstein.

A one week plan - beforehand

Learn ten words a day for 7 days and at the end of the week you have 70 words. 

During a one week holiday note ten words a day. that's another 70 words. 140 total. You will recognize people speaking your target language, and be able to identify magazines, newspapers and street signs in the target language.

On a one week or fortnight's holiday take a language course. Or organize a homestay with a family who speak the other language. A meal, a weekend, a long weekend, or whole week. You can invite them back to your place later the same year or another year. 

Aim to learn 1000 words in a year. If you learn only one word a day, most days, you have 300 or more words in a year. If you learn ten words a day, without breaks, and with revisions, you have 3,650 at the and of a year. 

A the end of five years you will be fluent in one language or get by in five languages.

Some online courses match you up with native speakers. 

Failing all else buddy up with a friend or new friend who wants to try the new language.

Buy or make sets of stickers for around the house in the target language, if you live alone or your family agree. 

Play songs in the target language and learn the words. 

Know clothes sizes, colours, the date, your favourite foods, favourite sports, or business words such as meeting, buy, sale, discount, entrance, exit, open, closed.

Know simple danger warnings such as stop, go, danger, fire, flood, river, airport, no parking, no smoking, no entry.

Advanced Language Learning

Know plurals, past, present and future, a statement and a question, 

1 Read bilingual labels on clothes, addresses on food and drinks and wine bottles.

2 Read a newspaper in the target language.

3 Watch a film with subtitles, twice.

4 Learn English from the target language in Duolingo.

5 Switch your Wikipedia to the target language. Have the other language on your phone or a second phone or another computer screen.

6 Switch your phone to the target language.

7 Switch your satnav to the target language.

8 Join a Toastmasters International or other social or sports group which speaks the target language.

9 Find a friend, marry somebody who speaks the other language, or work for a company which uses the target language.

10 Take holidays in the target language country, and other countries which speak dialects.

Useful Websites and books

duolingo.com

Useful |Books

First thousand words in (Usborne books)

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German Words In Several Countries - Placenames And Memorable German Words Similar To English

 

Where can you use German? In Europe: Germany, Austria, Switzerland.

Also in parts of several other countries. 

Belgium (co-official language in the German-speaking Community in the east.

Liechtenstein (official language)

• Luxembourg (co-official language alongside Luxembourgish and French)

Also Recognized & Spoken In Regions 

• Italy: Recognized as an official regional language in the South Tyrol (Alto Adige) region.

• Namibia: Recognized as a national minority language (due to its colonial history).

• Minority Communities: German is also spoken by recognized minority populations in parts of 

• Poland, 

• Czech Republic, 

• Hungary, 

• Romania, 

• Slovakia, 

• France (Alsace and Lorraine), 

• Denmark, 

• Russia (Volga Germans).

Some words you might spot when travelling. 

Austria

Innsbruck

The word Bruck means bridge as used in the Austrian city of Innsbruck.

Salzburg

Salzburg in Austria means salt city.

Germany

Frankfurt

Furt means ford, as in the German city of Frankfurt.

Dusseldorf

Dorf, like the English word thorpe, means village. You see that is German towns like 

Dusseldorf, and in the English attraction, Thorpe Park. 

German - English

Bus - bus

Film - film

oft - often

Maschine - machine

English - German

bus - Bus

film - Film

machine - Maschine

often - oft

-ends-

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I ordered the glasses and mini milkjugs I saw at Dove Restaurant - what can you bring back from travels worldwide?

The new water glasses ordered midnight on Saturday arrived by 11 am on Monday, in less than two days, one working day.

When you tap the new low glasses, they don't have the high pitch ring of the tall glass in the middle of the three in the picture, the style which they will replace. The old tall glass seems quite solid and stable. I don't know how I have previously managed to knock over the higher glass and spill water all over my desk paperwork and computer leads. but the new glasses look smaller and stack. So far, so good. Do they hold enough water for waking with pills? 

I ordered the glasses and jugs I saw at Dove restaurant. I mentioned these in my previous post. The jugs are in my later post.

Preview Of A Hiking Holiday In Switzerland

 

My hiking holiday friends are considering a holiday next year to German speaking Switzerland. A German speaking member of the group recommended the region.

One of the main areas to visit will be his favourite, Pontresina, which has cheap or free transport. At least it did last time he was there.

I have had a quick look at it. The area is on the Eastern side of Switzerland, nearer to Germany, hence the language. 

The Countryside in Pontresina, Switzerland

The countryside offers: 

summer hiking, 

winter skiing, 

a cable car. 

If you want to venture further, trips to: 

St Moritz, and 

trips on a red train. 

The Culture in Pontresina, Switzerland

For those interested in food and culture: 

the Museum Alpin, and 

the Alpine Dairy of Morteratsch which makes cheese.  

Useful Websites about Pontresina and Switzerland

Not be confused with the Alpine museum in Bern, Switzerland:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swiss_Alpine_Museum

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Switzerland

https://www.morteratsch.ch/en/activities/summer/alpschaukaeserei/

Also see my posts on Swiss-German language.

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Chocolate Choices, Cadbury's Chocolate, Hershey's, Memories, Hotel Chocolat

 

British favourite chocolate. Cadbury's. Totally different flavour to American Hershey's which to the British tastes stronger, more bitte and wax. 

Hershey's was designed not to melt in the heat when carried as an energy and mood boost by soldiers. 

Cadbury's was always the king of chocolate, supposedly containing calcium filled milk when markets sold cheaper chocolate used by confectioners, and like Hershey's, using a substitute for milk which would not melt in the heat. A flood of memories from childhood.

More memories of holidays in the USA when somebody stole the chocolate from the back window of the car. Then we realised it had melted in the heat.

Check out any city you are visiting for chocolate tours of chocolate factories, chocolate tastings and chocolate making in chocolate shops. In the UK. London and York, especially holidays such as the late May Bank Holiday. And before Xmas. I have been to chocolate museums, exhibitions and shops and events in New York, USA. London, England, York. England, Switzerland, and Umbria in Italy. See my previous posts for mouth-watering pictures.

Hotel Chocolat at Euston

If you are in London, go via a chocolate shop. In Euston we found wonderful chocolates at Hotel Chocolat. A box of chocolates all different. Sometimes you can make up your own.

A day later we bought chocolates from a Laderach of Switzerland chocolate shop in St Pancras station. My husband asked them for all identical chocolate dark chocolate balls  to share with a group when we ordered coffee after a lunch ending with a drink of port. They don't usually do that. Like Hotel Chocolat they provide variety. However, they are customer orientated and provided what he requested, a box of identical chocolates, so everybody had the same, and no delay choosing which one.

They discussed the chocolate content about which my husband was quite knowledgeable and insistent. Once on his birthday., I went to buy him a bar of dark chocolate in my local supermarket. I saw three different percentages of chocolate, hesitated over whether to buy the one with the highest percentage, or two, or all three in case I got it wrong. That proved interesting as we were both able to compare all three. To our surprise, both of us found the very highest chocolate content made a chocolate which we found too bitter. Incidentally Laderach features slabs. 

Currently, in May 2026, they have a newsletter offer. Sign up for their newsletter and you are entered into the following month's draw date for a free slab (bar) of chocolate. 

 Handy if you are in a hurry. I was not impressed by the plain chocolate balls, but my chocoholic friend had no trouble eating two chocolates. The slabs come in nut toppings, white with fruit flavoured swirls and many more surprises. Their locations include several in Switzerland and German as well as Dubai and Orlando in the USA. 

The business is run by a family, now in the third generation. The family name is Swiss-German meaning clearing, for people living near a clearing.

They have a museum in Switzerland. 

Hotel Chocolat

However, if you have time, go to Euston,  Hotel Chocolat. A feast for the eyes and tastebuds. Nothing to match the visual appeal or taste, and possibly higher price, but worth it, whether for yourself or a gift, at Hotel Chocolat.

You'll find them on Amazon and ebay but I recommend the Euston shop if you are passing through Euston. Or check online for your nearest physical shop or supplier.

Other locations offer their drinking chocolate in assorted flavours, hot or cold.

Useful Websites On Chocolate Shops

https://www.hotelchocolat.com/uk/chocolate-shops

https://laderach.com/uk-en/our-locationshttps://houseofladerach.com/product/besuch-schokoladenmuseum-mit-schokoladen-atelier/

https://www.names.org/n/laderach/about

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Where Are The Fire Exits And Fire Extinguishers?

The New Year's Eve fire in Switzerland has caused discussion on what fire precautions should be taken by the public and how laws should be tightened.

Fire Evacuation Announcements & Drills

 If you have been on an aircraft you will have heard the fire evacuation notices. On a ship you have fire drills and announcements.

I remember having fire drills at school.

Fire Exit Maps

Hotels have exit maps on the back of bedroom doors.

Smoke Alarms

Landlords are required to provide smoke alarms in residences, and check them annually.

Fire Extinguishers in Restaurants

When I was recently in a Chinese restaurant, JM, in London, a fire extinguisher was on the wall. 

Today I was in a cafe, Gail's, near Smithfield Market, which had a fire extinguisher on the wall.

It is reassuring to see that plans are in place.

 Useful Websites on Fire Escapes & Safety

https://www.hse.gov.uk/simple-health-safety/risk/risk-assessment-template-and-examples.htm

https://www.safelincs.co.uk/blog/2024/05/02/fire-exits-and-regulations-information-guide/

Fire Safety in buildings - what can you do? What should you know?

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Lessons have been learned' about fire safety. 

Over New Year, new Year's Eve 2025, Hong Kong cancelled fireworks because of the recent fire in November 2025 multistorey residence blocks, with more than 150 believed dead. 

A Fire at a night club in Switzerland, in Crans-Montana, a ski and golf resort village, with views of Mont Blanc, claimed lives in the early hours of January 1st 2026. The place is known for skiing races, bike races, and once being the former home of Katherine Mansfield, the author, and Roger Moore, Bond star. Currently it is the location of a school of hospitality management. Those who died or were missing were Swiss, from nearby Italy, and other countries, and were transferred to hospitals in France and Germany.

What lessons have I learned? Apart from the old adage that nothing good happens after midnight, partly, perhaps because people short of sleep, or taking alcohol and drugs to keep awake, take risky actions or are slow to react to danger, or are victims of others.

Every public restaurant or disco should have framed checklist, including, 

number of fire exits, 

numbers allowed in the venue

fire extinguisher type and expiry date, 

staff and customers (menu) briefed not to allow candles, incense or fireworks, cigarettes, 

flame retardant wall and floor coverings. 

No highly flammable decorations nor furnishing. 

Display Number to call for fire brigade. ... police .... ambulance ....

Fire brigade or others should turn off electricity, evacuate.

Close down dangerous places or those with two dangerous events in one year.

Ban moving flames - carrying cakes with candles, sparklers etc. 

No flames above table height. 

No flames within three feet of the ceiling - same as hobs under cooker hoods.

Sound/acoustic baffling should not be highly flammable.

A license for events and late night after midnight opening should require a fire safety check.

no time should be allowed to implement safety measures. They must be done by nightfall or the venue closed down temporarily until the safety measures are implements.

Fire drills should be held weekly, with instructions on fire safety read out.

All staff should read and sign that they understand fire safety rules.

You may be interested in the four Ps of fire precautions

Prepare

Plan

Practise

Prevent

I don't think it is appropriate for mourners to light candles.

After reading

Fire Extinguishers

About this, I checked the expiry date on my kitchen fire extinguisher. My home has a back door, plus windows for escape.  Next job, check any property you or I are renting, letting or managing.

to my mind, two obvious fire preventions, all events for. Ban fireworks nights and have public displays or laser shows. Have dinners where people are sitting down, so that the numbers are limited. Ensure every person seated can reach exits in under five minutes without being blocked by long tables, which are a hazard, blocking escape. Do not block windows and exits. 

No fireworks or candles indoors, only electric imitation candles. (My grandmother made this rule years ago, after a fire in her house when curtains blew across candles.)

No candles or sparklers in basements.

All flames, if any, to be kept on tables, nothing carried or lifted overhead. Give workers right to refuse to do any unsafe practice. Material which is flammable should be labelled as unsafe for ceilings, like the warning labels on night dresses.

I have noticed that many religious buildings have signs banning alcohol. Wooden and other religious buildings such as churches distribute alcohol, albeit in small amounts. 

Religious buildings also sell candles or light candles to pray to deities or honour the dead. Also eternal lights burn. 

Nowadays eternal lights and commemorative boards often have electric lights instead of messy candles which need replacing.

Fir Warning Signs And Banning Signs

Any building which has a flammable ceiling should have a sign saying, no naked flame, candle or fireworks allowed in this area, with a crossed out sign like a no smoking sign.

You can easily check websites for fire prevention and fire signs in your country or a country you are visiting.

In basement restaurants I ask to be seated near the door, staircase of exit. I ask if there is a back exit through the kitchen. Though the kitchen exit is good to escape terrorism, a fire is more likely to start in a kitchen.

Google fire safety signs and you will see signs saying

No smoking No vaping

No candles

No naked flames

Text and visuals for no fireworks.

The United Nations should make Dec 31 fire safety day.

I was surprised to read that they don't yet know the width of the staircase. An emergency services official with a tape measure could find this. An online researcher looking for the last sale of the building on Zoopla should be able to find a floor plan. The sales of any door would tell you the width of the exit.

Useful Websites

Fire Tragedies

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15427131/Swiss-inferno-nightclub-one-escape-route-wooden-furnishings-foam-ceilings-allowed-deadly-

https://apnews.com/article/hong-kong-new-year-eve-fireworks-a

https://cfpa-e.eu/app/uploads/2022/05/CFPA_E_Guideline_No_9_2012_F.pdf

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Crans-Montana_bar_fire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Qaraqosh_wedding_fire

https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/switzerland-swiss-ski-resort-fi

Fire Prevention Or Escape

https://sprinklerdesigns.co.uk/

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pomya-Emergency-Switch-Release-Security-

Travel

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crans-Montana

https://www.crans-montana.ch/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fireworks_accidents_and_incidents

Visit One Lake in 3 Countries, Lake Constance, in Switzerland, Germany & Austria

.

Meersberg lower town on the side of Lake Constance. Photo from Wikipedia.

The landmark bear fountain on the hilltop upper town of Meersberg in Germany. Photo from Angela Lansbury.

From Meersburg in Germany you can take a ferry to Konstanz which is on the border with Switzerland.

Meersburg, Obersee. Ober as in over or upper. See as in sea or water. 

You will find lots to admire and learn in this area.

Meersburg

The bear is holding the town coat of arms.

Meersburg. 

Meer means lake or pool. Alternatively, castle o the sea. Burg is castle or manor. 

Meersburg is a medieval town attracting many tourists. The statue of the bear holds the town's coat of arms, which appears on stationery and official documents.

Meersburg has an upper and lower town with a steep pedestrian street and two sets of stairs. From the top there is a view from the castle. You must pay to go into the castle, but it's free to go to the cafe and you glimpse a bit of the castle en route.

Actually there are two castles. 

The Old Castle, Meersburg

The old castle reaches to the sky, overlooking the lake. The old castle has a statue outside of Writer Annette von Droste-Hülshoff. She wrote poetry and composed music. She is best known for her novella, The Jew's Beech, based on the true story of how a Jewish man was murdered and years later the murderer returned and hanged himself in the woods. 

Statue of Annette outside the castle.

Annette's book, The Jew's Beech.

The New Castle Meersburg

The second one is a grand pink block, with a wide oblong frontage. New in its day, the 1700s. Contains a hall of mirrors.

Look for the area's multi-site ticket..

Mesmer

A small oddity is the grave of Mesmer, from who we get the verb to mesmerise, meaning to hypnotise, as well as the term animal magnetism. And his experiments and the tests on his veracity, led to the discovery of the placebo effect.

Statues of Mesmer. Photos from Wikipedia.Polkadot tablecloth 

Baden

Baden is bath. Baden-Wuerttemberg. 

The origin of the name Wuerttemberg is possibly a man's hill. 

Lake Constance

Constance is also spelled Konstanz. From the city of Konstanz.

Lake Constance is Europe's third largest lake. Big with borders. One lake divided between three countries. Switzerland (eastern). Germany. Austria. A short drive from France.

The name of the lake comes from the city of Konstanz, named after the meeting which took place here. The city was named after a Roman emperor. We are famiiar with the name Constantine, associated with the first Christian Roman emperor. But his father has a similar name, Constantius.

BODEN SEE

Boden see, lake with a lake bed. 

Bodensee is not a place on Lake Constance, It's the German name for Lake Constance. See, think of sea.  

Also in the region, the grave of Mesmer, who inspired the word to mesmerise.

Where next?

Ferry ride.

Waterside grand building with museum about poet Annette.

Useful Websites

https://www.bodensee.eu/en/where-to-travel/lake-constance-cities/konstanz

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Meersburg

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Constance

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constantius_Chlorus

https://ashesfromburntroses.blogspot.com/2014/06/poetry-pentecost-by-annette-von-droste.html

Birthplace of Annette with museum about her

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annette_von_Droste-H%C3%BClshoff#/media/File:Burg_H%C3%BClshoff.jpg

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How to Identify Places In Old and New Travel Photos

 You may recall the title of the American comedy, If it's Tuesday, this must be Belgium.

Date Photos

That's your first clue to how to date photos. The magic word is date. 

A second important word is diary. You can write the names of places you visited in a small diary. It might be worthwhile to buy the smallest diary you can find just to keep your travel record. Then you don't need to write the date, just the name of the country, city, monument, or people met.

You can stick a Post it note on the page, or a paperclip. Or carry a small roll of sticky tape, and stick down place names cut or torn from brochures. 

Date Maps and Leaflets

Another system is to write the date on the top of brochures and maps you are given. Later you might wish to throw out last year's city map, and keep this year's. 

If you are a librarian or historian, you might file successive years of maps in date order, with the most recent on top in a box file. Then you can find the name of the hotel on the central square of a city you visited ten years ago, which has now changed its name or been replaced or converted.

Family Photos Of Travels

My first thought on trying to clear clutter is that I can throw out old, out of focus pictures. I can also discard pictures of my family silhouetted against windows.

In theory, you can take out of focus physical photos, copy them, bring them into focus, make them lighter, and colour them.

Add Colour To Photos

My husband has used a website, one of several similar sites, to colour old photos of groups of people around railways, stations, trains, for his historical account of wine and railways.

How accurate is the colour? Does this matter? 

The colours of trains and uniforms of soldiers are often known.  In modern times we have numbers specifying exact colours so you can order paint, or print company stationery and signs.  Big companies such as McDonalds specify the exact shade of yellow or red.

Take Self-captioning Photos

I take self-captioning photos deliberately at the start of a trip. Failing that, in the middle. I take photos saying welcome to, signposts, history boards, hotel and museum names over doorways.

Check Old Photos For Name Signs

Sometimes old photos show the placename by chance. The hotel name is on the doorway. The sign post or street name is small in the background.

The Bear Fountain - A Vital Clue

In one of my old family photos, lacking a caption, the photo shows my mother is standing beside a fountain. 

Angela Lansbury's mother on holiday. Where?

On second glance, I notice another vital detail. The fountain has a bear on top of a statue in the middle of the fountain.

Swiss Bear Fountain

I start by searching for statues with bears. I discover a city in Switzerland, Bern, known as the city of bears (and clocks). I find a photo of a bear statue on a fountain. Eureka.

German Fountain

On second thoughts, are we sure? No. The fountain below is a different shape. 

Eventually, after more searching, we find an exact match.  The fountain is on a plinth. The buildings on the other side of the street are timber-framed. The road slopes downwards.

The photo was of Bodensee, Lake Constance, Germany. 

The Psychological Value Of Old Holiday Photos

I now know my mother visited Germany. She had a happy holiday there. So long ago. Is this important? Yes, psychologically. Instead of my most recent memory of my mother being the day she died, or the funeral, I have a more recent memory of her standing happily beside a fountain on a sunny day on holiday.

 I also broadened my general knowledge of places to visit. I know about Switzerland and Germany. I have places to add to my bucket list, must visit places.

I also have a concversation opener for two countries. When I next meet somebody from Switcerland or German, whether they were born there, live there, work there, or are planning a holiday, I can ask, have you been to those places, or were you near them?

Family Photo Detective

You might know that your widowed grandmother always wore black. If you know the date her husband died, you could date a photo of her, at least to after a certain date.

Home Country Photos

I look at my family photos. Some are where we lived in the UK, others in the USA, Spain, and Singapore. 

I have photos of the family in the back garden of our house. I notice the conservatory on the back of the house. If I know the date the conservatory was built, I can date the decade of the photo.

 I can see how tall our son is. If he is taller than his parents or grandparents, he must be at least ten years old. If he was born in one decade, that photo must be from the next decade or later.

If he is wearing a school uniform, he will remember the name of the school. On the wall of his old bedroom or the display shelving in the lounge, I have one or two of his old school photos. They show the school uniforms.

Add Anecdotes

A one line comment brings your story to life. I have a photo of Switzerland. My mother wanted to live there. 

You may have photos showing a package holidays starting in the Sixties. Package holidays were new and popular and cheap. What is obvious to the elderly who lived in that era might not be obvious to the next generations.

Print A Book Of Your Travels

I could now compile a book of my own or my family's travels. 

For an 80th birthday, or wedding anniverary, I could compile a book. Print on demand. 

In addition to museums and libraries, some pubs and restaurants displa hsitoric photos of the area. You might frame your photos for sale, on loan, as a gift. For a centenary celebration, annual fair, new year's eve party.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_It%27s_Tuesday,

More about Bodensee in the next post.

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Mountain Dangers In Switzerland & Safety Precautions in the UK

An alpine tragedy. Three young men and their uncle died. Wearing Alpine clothing, light clothing, usually worn for a contest over the mountains later in the year. But that is supported by organizers officials along the route.

they ignored weather warnings, apparently. They day looked bright and sunny at the start. But weather can change quickly.

To travel faster, they did not carry equipment to dig themselves a good shelter.

What else could people on mountains do? Are such tragedies preventable. In the midst of a blizzard a flare is no good because nobody can see it and it's too dangerous for the rescuers to risk themselves and their colleagues.

Flares are for earlier or later.

Apparently, according to one comment from the UK, from somebody who used safety devices successfully, a protectiv bag is the answer.

Ccarry a pocket sized survival bag, which is basically a huge, orange plastic bag that you climb inside. It protects you from the wind and elements and helps to preserve your body heat. You can even get them large enough for group use,

Instead of using the word tent,I found using the search word survival bag, orange bags on Amazon and cheaper on TEMU, alhtough whether you have free delivery on Amazon prime could make a difference in price.

Useful Websites

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13188999/family-died-Swiss-ski-trip-pictured.html#comments

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/warnings-and-advice/seasonal-advice/travel/out-and-about/camping-in-wind-and-rain#:~:text=Choose%20your%20equipment%20carefully.,30%20mph%20can%20cause%20damage.

https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=3&TopicID=230335&SearchPagePosition=1

https://www.ukcampsite.co.uk/chatter/display_topic_threads.asp?ForumID=3&TopicID=248707&PagePosition=1

https://www.temu.com/ul/kuiper/un9.html?subj=goods-un&_

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lifesystems-Mountain-Survival-Bag-Orange/dp/B000P9CSGU

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_kit

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poncho_tent

Charlie Chaplin, where can you see statues and mementoes worldwide?

 

Charlie Chaplin's statue stands in Vevey, where he lived in Switzerland. In London UK you can see a statue and plaques. Other mementoes are in a film museum. 

Hollywood star, Los Angeles, USA

Charlie Chaplin Park in Calcutta, India, has a gigantic model of his hat.

Mural in East London.

Charlie Chaplin Grave

See articles in Wikipedia.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Monuments_and_memorials_to_Charlie_Chaplin

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