Bergsee, Bad Saeckingen

During the fall 2020, we had a chance to explore Bergsee a beautiful small lake in Bad Saeckingen. We visited this lake also in summer and did boating in this picturesque lake but it was totally a different landscape in Autumn with colorful leaves and their reflection in the water. Tatjana and Mathias being locals guided us with a short trekking in the forest, there is a small zoo where one can feed the animals, Anish totally enjoyed it. There is a Kletterwald also near by this lake and with all surprises Anish performed it for the first time and finished the first level. It was a beautiful weather and the pictures came almost for a photo frame. Thanks Tatjana and Mathias for organizing this short picnic and it will stay in our memory forever.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Snow... Sledge... Skating !!

 Snow in Black Forest area and Basel has been difficult to spot out in the last years because of global warming. I still remember I planned for a week vacation to learn Skiing and there was no snow and I went to Hamburg. Fortunately it was snowing few weeks before Christmas and it was indeed a pleasant sight to watch from the window especially the first Snow. We had a chance to visit Tatjana and Mathias at their home in Rickenbach and it’s around 800 m above the sea level. There was heavy snow, we tried Sledge with the kids and of course the great snow fights. 

Another time, we tried the Ice skating near our home with the Skating shoes and I must say it was certainly very difficult if one hasn’t tried in younger age. It’s certainly in my dream that one day I wanted to learn Skiing, Ice Skating at a mediocre level to enjoy the winter time. Let’s not forget I am a tropical guy having brought up near the beaches and not the mountains ;)

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Colmar, France

Recently we had a chance to explore Colmar, a town in the north eastern France near the border with Germany. Its old town has cobblestone streets lined with half-timbered medieval and early Renaissance buildings. The city is on the Alsace Wine Route and local vineyards specialize in Riesling and Gewuerztrainer wines. We had a chance to do boating with scenic architectural buildings across the banks and the weather stayed great throughout the day. Once again Aman and Anish had a great time together in this short picnic. Heard Colmar’s Christmas Market is one of the best in Europe to be visited during Christmas times. Unfortunately, everything got cancelled in 2020 due to Corona pandemic and hoping for a better future in 2021. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Halloween 2020

We never had a chance to celebrate Halloween before in western world. This year we had a chance to celebrate Halloween in our home with our good friends Tatjana and Mathias and their kids Emilea and Amaya. It was a great evening with the exercise of peeling the pumpkins, with ghost songs around and some cocktails ;) It has always been a great Halloween celebration in USA than in Europe and the kids love it a lot with visiting different houses and collecting the chocolates. A day to remember..

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Deepavali 2020

Due to pandemic situation in 2020, we couldn’t celebrate Deepavali in a larger group and we celebrated with our good friends – Aman, Ujjwala and Prasad in Bern. In the beginning we had no plans but in the end it turned out to be great celebrations with food, fireworks for the kids and a nice Indian attire after a long time. Anish and Aman from the same age group gel quite well and it makes easy for us to concentrate on our activities :P  We also had a chance to explore Gantrisch, the nearby mountain peak from their place and it was indeed a great trekking experience with the kids. Thanks Ujjwala and Prasad for the great hospitality and certainly a much needed get together during the depressive times.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Food festivals in Switzerland

Being a great foodie, I thoroughly cherish the food festivals in various cities in Switzerland. These festivals have always been a means of uniting communities through celebrations of harvests and giving thanks for a plentiful growing season. You get a chance to try food from different countries/continents: Asian –Thai, Chinese, Indian: African, Continental all at the same time. We went in different places in Switzerland – Basel, Rheinfelden, Lenzberg etc and it was a great outing during the summer.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Papiliorama, Bern

I had a chance to take Anish and his friend Naksha to a butterfly dome Papiliorama in Bern where over 1000 exotic butterflies fly freely around the visitors in a lush tropical garden. With their dazzling colours and various shapes and sizes, they offer an enchanting ballet. The other stages in the butterfly’s fascinating life cycle can also be discovered: the hatching of a butterfly from its pupa in the emerging chamber or the eggs and caterpillars in the terrariums. Both Anish and Naksha had a great time exploring this wonderful simulated place and it’s a great day spent.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Brunni Bahnen – Die Sonnenseite von Engelberg

 

My good Swiss friend Stephan suggested a very good place in the heart of Alps – ‘’Brunni Bahnen – Die Sonnenseite von Engelberg’’. Engelberg is a village resort and a municipality in the canton of Obwalden in Switzerland. We made a joint trip with our good friends from Karlsruhe and Hamburg to this wonderful place and the kids totally enjoyed to the core. The cable car, the 3-seater chair lift and the T-bar lift Schonegg is certainly an experience on its own and takes you to the top of Haerzlisee at around 2000m above the sea level.

There is a beautiful playing area for the kids with the snowcapped mountains nearby and in my opinion Brunni Bahnen had more to offer than the Titlis which is also quite nearby. While coming down, my friend Prabu and I didn’t take the cable car and it was a great trekking downhill in the peak summer with lushgreen grasses and flowers. Prabu and I also did the Paragliding for the first time and it was certainly an experience to remember throughout our life. The weather stayed absolutely fine and it was a day to remember!!

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Lauenensee am Pfingstmontag!!

On a pfingstmontag we had a chance to travel to Lauenensee, the mountain village of Lauenen which lies between Gstaad and the imposing Wildhorn. From here one can walk up to the Lauenensee, a lake widely celebrated in song. The snowcapped mountain with a beautiful lake around in summer is simply breathtaking to the eyes. One can also do trekking up the mountains which gives panoramic view of the lake Lauenensee. It’s around 200 kms from Basel which covered really nice scenic spots on the way and a perfect place for a day’s picnic. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Strict Corona Lockdown - Is it needed?

It’s been 8 to 9 months since the lockdown was enforced to us and now comes the second wave with another version of lockdown. I felt I need to pen down the pros and cons of such a controlling measures from a layman’s perspective. People in IT are lucky in this pandemic times to get their paychecks, pay their bills, and continue their life in an acceptable way. But its not too far way that fire will enter the house even there! How about for gastronomy, daily wage workers, hotels, airlines, culture and entertainment industry for their survival especially in developing and under developed nations?

The lockdown has definitely created lot of physiological imbalance in day to day life of numerous people around the world and it has taken a strain on the mental fitness even for people who are strong enough to face the various adversaries. What’s very hard to digest is kids cannot go to school in Asia and US and let me reiterate the fact kids were going to school even during the Second World War. Thanks to the Govt in Germany and Switzerland who made their decision for the schools to function after a break of 8 weeks in March, April. Thank god at least there is no panic news and scientific studies which says kids are dying with this virus. 

Next question which lingers in everybody’s mind will vaccine solve every problems. Is there a light at the end of the tunnel in 2021 and 2022? I doubt whether vaccine will eradicate Corona but it will remove the fear factor which has been instigated in the minds of people and it’s not far way that everybody needs a Corona vaccinated stamp in the passport like a school certificate. Hurry up Pfizer, BioNTech, Astra Zeneca, Moderna. Please finish all your deals with the government and start the punches. World needs it.

I strongly believe in Science and Statistics. I would like everyone to contemplate on the below numbers:

I am sure the numbers will be higher than Corona with people dying with cancer, heart attack and other ailments. I can totally understand the various demonstrations against these measures in various parts of the world. Critics can argue it’s mainly to stop the influx of patients in the hospital and all my friends who are doctors advised me not to come to hospital if you are infected unless and otherwise you are struggling to breathe and situation becomes worse.

I don’t want to sound philosophical because the numbers can be mere numbers in the news as long as it hits our own kith and kin and sincere condolences to all who lost their beloved ones in these tough times. Heartfelt thanks and salute to all the Covid warriors in the health sector and I haven’t contributed even 1% what you guys have done in these tough times.

This article is definitely not meant to propagate to everyone to break all the social distancing and go back to normal. Definitely not. Social distancing with acceptable day to day life, quarantining if infected, till the situation returns to normal. I strongly believe in my biology’s teacher remarks ‘Survival of the fittest’ and if we can’t survive in this world without vaccines and I think destiny is the answer. I hear the phrase from many people rather than dying at home let me die with Corona by doing something for my family! Let’s fight Corona but not stupidity. I am extremely sorry if I hurted the sentiments of anyone. Eagerly waiting for a better tomorrow in the history of mankind.

Prevention is better than cure !!

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Malta, Mediterranean Wonder

During the Christmas holidays of 2019, we had a chance to explore Malta – Southern European island country in the Mediterranean Sea. There is a direct flight from Zurich to Valletta, the capital city of Malta. The official and national language is Maltese and English is the second official language. We rented a car in Malta and explored some of the beautiful landscapes with blue skies and the Mediterranean waters along the shores. Besides the water front, Malta offers various attractions with Historical Museums, Forts, and Aquariums.  

The ferry from Valletta to Gozo is a great experience and the car can be embarked in to the ship. The country is an archipelago but the three biggest islands are Malta, Gozo and Comino. The scenic spots always remembers me the famous Tamil movie ‘Vinnaithandi Varuvaya’ where the song Hosanna was completely shot here. The weather was fantastic even during December and definitely an island to explore in the Mediterranean Sea. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Stoos, Skiresort

Anita’s firm’s winter outing took place in Stoos. It is a village in the municipality of Morschach. It lies at 1,300 meters in the Swiss canton of Schwyz and has about 100 inhabitants. It is used as a small ski resort with a cable car leading to the Fronalpstock. I tried Snow wandering with Snow shoes and it was a tremendous experience to explore the white capped mountains with two sticks and snow shoes. I can strongly recommend Snow wandering for people who found Skiing and Snowboarding difficult. It was a great weekend stay in Stoos with food, drinks, accommodation taken care by Anita’s company for the whole family. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

August 1, Swiss National Day

August 1st is Swiss National Day and it’s a public holiday throughout Switzerland. I had a chance to celebrate the fireworks along the shores of river Rhine with Florian and his good friends. The fireworks lasted for around 15 minutes with all the lights switched off nearby. It was a gala atmosphere in the whole of Switzerland. After the fireworks, we had a chance to hit the dance floor and it was a day to remember. Founding of the Swiss Confederation in 1291 Since 1891, the first of August has been celebrated as Swiss National Day. The date refers to a historic alliance concluded in 1291 by the three cantons of Uri, Schwyz and Unterwalden. This alliance was to become the focal point around which the Switzerland of today was built over the next 500 years.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Gruyères, Schweiz

Gruyères is a town in the canton of Fribourg in Switzerland. The medieval town is an important tourist location in the upper valley of the Saane/Sarine river and gives its name to Gruyère cheese. We had a chance to explore this beautiful city with my colleagues and we enjoyed the dining amidst the beautiful serene valley and they spoke mostly in French since it’s the French speaking part of Switzerland. The castle is a picturesque spot in this location and a walk in the downtown is a must in Gruyere and it comes in various films. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Barcelona, Spain

Recently I had a chance to attend IOT World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. After finishing the conference, Anita and Anish joined me in Barcelona and we spent the long weekend in this lovely Spanish city on the coast of northeastern Spain. I visited this city when I was a student and nice to explore this city again with the family. The architecture, the beachfront, the restaurants, the warmth of the people, the blue skies are simply breathtaking in this great city. The Olympic Stadium, the fortress at Montjuic, FC Barcelona stadium, Sagrada Familia are some of the top attractions in the city. We took the city bus tour and hopped in and out of the various destinations. The city is well connected with Metros, Trams, Cable cars. The sea food restaurants with Spanish Tapas is something one shouldn’t miss out here.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Hoechenschwand, Black Forest Area

Hoechenschwand is a town in the district of Waldshut in Baden-Wuerttemberg in Germany. Anita’s summer company outing took place in a beautiful resort in Hoechenschwand. The various team events, the amazing buffet lunch, BBQ dinners, the drinks and the fantastic weather made it a day to remember in the summer 2019. The Black forest region is a picturesque area of Baden-Wuerttemberg and Hoechenschwand is definitely one of the great location in Schwarzwald with lush green meadows and panaromic view of the Alps from a distance. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Oberwiesenthal/ Dresden

Oberwiesenthal is a ski resort in the district of Erzgebirgskreis in Saxony in Germany. It is situated in the Ore mountains, on the border with Czech Republic. Angela and Torsten took us to this place during the Christmas Holidays of 2018. We took the cable car and went to the top which gives a panaromic view of the Erzgebirgskreis. The drive from Chemnitz to Oberwiesenthal is a great experience with picturesque meadows and valleys around. We also had a chance to explore Dresden during this trip. Its one of the city which was heavily bombed during the second world war. The Frauenkirche, the opera house, Dresden Castle are some of the prominent places to visit in Dresden. Anish enjoyed the Dinosaur museum in Dresden. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Todtnauberg, Black Forest Area

Todtnauberg is a German village in Black Forest in Baden-Wuerttemberg and a famous Ski resort in the black forest area. Anish had his first Skiing lessons in Todtnauberg which is around 45 minutes’ drive from our home. The town is within hiking distance of Feldberg, the highest point in the Black Forest, and its open, well sunlit valley helps sustain its popularity as a destination for skiing in the winter and hiking in the summer. Definitely a place to be for a day’s picnic.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Hamburg/Lueneburg - Summer 2019

During the summer of 2019, I had a chance to visit Hamburg and Lueneburg with Anish without mommy. It was the first time that I travelled with Anish without his mom. It turned out really fantastic and Anish thoroughly co-operated with me during the entire trip. I took Anish to the hospital where he was born and it was simply nostalgic. My good friend Prabu arranged for a trip to Heide Park and Animals Park in Lueneburger Heide. Anish enjoyed the holidays with his fellow Lueneburger Nitika and also with Pari in Harburg. It was nice to catch up with many friends in Hamburg and Lueneburg as its like second hometown for me since I spent my first time outside India as a student and close to around 8 years in and around Hamburg. Finally I succeeded to manage Anish for the whole week without Mommy :)

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Cycling & Swimming in the Rhine

Cyling long distance is one hobby which I picked up in Europe and I thoroughly enjoyed cycling during the Covid lockdown times for about an hour daily in the evening. The Covid lockdown gave me a great chance to explore the nearby areas which gave me a surprise that lovely places do exists also in the nearby location. One such place is Sonnenberg which is around 8 to 10 kms from my home.  Swimming in the Rhine River with Wickelfisch in summer is a customary event in Basel. I did quite a few times during the summer from Tinguely Museum till Dreirosenbrucke and it was a fascinating experience. There is no need to swim and the downstream water simply takes you to the destination. I couldn’t imagine doing this in the Elbe river in Hamburg. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Le Parc du Petit Prince, Ungersheim, France

”Le Parc du Petit Prince” is a small amusement park located in Ungersheim in France, around 30 minutes drive from Basel. It’s not as big as Europa park but definitely good park for the kids around 5 to 10 years old to hang out for a day. Anish thoroughly enjoyed this park and there are so many different attractions for the kid in this small park. The little train, Trampoline Park, The Ballon of the King, Underwater planet are some of the main attractions here.

Cheers,
Sathish Kumar S

Bernau im Schwarzwald

Bernau im Schwarzwald is located in a high valley in the southern Black Forest, south of Feldberg and west of the Schluchsee. It is around 1415 meters high and a great spot for Skiing. Nearly 100 kms of well-marked hiking trails open up the 900-meter high and eight kms long high valley for hikers. We had a chance to go to Schneeskulpturen (Snow Sculptures) festival in February in Bernau. It is an annual event and displays variety of sculptures ranging from small, medium to big ones. From the top, it gives a panoramic view of the entire Blackforest area and definitely a great picnic spot during winter.

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Running in Switzerland

Running has been a great hobby for me in the recent times. Recently I finished Half Marathon in Luzern in around 2hr 41 minutes and it was indeed the best from all four half marathons. I practiced hard by running regularly in the gym and it paid rich dividends in the weight reduction and also to reduce the time in completing the half marathon. Anish also took part in Freiburg Fusilli run and he thoroughly enjoyed it.  Some of the runs, which we did in Switzerland.

1. Basel Bruggelauf 2018

2. Basel Stadtlauf 2018

3. B2Run 2018 and 2019

4. Freiburg Fusilli Run 2019

5. Luzern Half Marathon 2019

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Feldschloesschen, Rheinfelden

Feldschloesschen brewery is one of the biggest brewery in Switzerland and was founded in 1876. We could see this marvel from our kitchen and it’s a masterpiece in Rheinfelden. There is an annual event ‘Tag der offenen tuer’ which allows the locals to visit this brewery and see the various processes, machineries of making a beer. There is also food festival party being conducted here annually where one can try out different cuisines from different countries. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S

Football Club (FC) Rheinfelden

It was always my small dream that Anish has to be part of a Football club and I am glad he is part of FC Rheinfelden. It is so important now a days for the kids to do some sports and play outside and not just watching TV and playing games in the mobile. The training happens once in a week and there are some tournament with other clubs once in a month. It is a great exercise for Anish to do some movement and he started to enjoy it now. Thanks to FC Rheinfelden which takes lot of efforts for the kids to involve in football in the early stages. 

Cheers,

Sathish Kumar S