East Eats West

Sea of fog

Foreigners are sometimes baffled to hear the Swiss mentioning a weather-condition called “sea of fog” or a “fog border”. I recently took a helicopter ride I got as a gift to the Swiss mountains on a foggy winter day. We started underneath a thick layer of heavy gray fog. As we flew from Lucerne towards the alps over Lake Lucerne, the fog slowly disappeared and the sun broke through. This was the moment when we passed the “fog barrier” at about 1'000 meters above sea level. Once we were above the 1'000 meters we were bathed in sunshine and clear blue sky while beneath us was a big thick layer of fog; the “sea of fog”. But clearly the best part of the flight was landing on a deeply snow-covered glacier at about 3'500 meters above sea-level. What a view!

Fore more information on helicopter flights in Switzerland, visit: http://www.helikopterflug.ch/

PS: And if you wonder why helicopter flights are expensive, consider that a minute costs about 34 CHF and it costs about 50'000 CHF to get a license. 

 
 

Better than in Istanbul: a Hamam in Berne

Picture: The two years old Hammam in Berne (yes, it is as beautiful as on the picture).

In 2008 I visited the famous Ciagaloglu Hamman in Istanbul (it is in many guide boooks). Despite its grandeur, history and magnificent architecture the visit was a bit of a disappointment, simply because it was so crowded, noisy and touristy (never-mind the grumpy staff). Then when I visited Budapest, another city famous for its Turkish Hamam (public steam baths), another disappointment: all hamams were undergoing restoration and were closed. On a recent visit to Berne by accident I happened to come upon a relatively new Hamam beneath the “Bundeshaus”, the seat of the Swiss parliament. The hamam is situated in a steel structure that housed a gas-tank previously. Two years ago it was beautifully done up. The interior is dominated by a majestic relaxation pool that is crowned by a dome four stories above the pool. The lighting is very pleasing with colorful Turkish lamps and the color-scheme of red, brown and yellow oozes warmth and relaxation. The Hamman is run by an experienced spa operator and they make sure not too many guests frequent the facilities at the same time, which is a big plus!

For more information on the Hamman, visit: http://www.hammam-bern.ch/

For more information about the Cagaloglu Hamman in Istanbul, visit: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/east_eats_west/2008/08/naked-in-istanb.html

 

Blogging about quality in life

 I have been blogging since May 2005, at the start of my one-year Asia trip. Since then I have posted 1075 entries and got 154 comments. On average I got 214 page visits a day (mostly search engines). The numbers indicate that some people might actually like what I am doing. But every now and then I like to double check with my readers what they like to read about. A quick and informal survey has generated the following statistics: The Kiton shop in Zurich got four new clients through me, so did the shoe-shop Brogues & More. The not-so-pleasant Balint bespoke shoe experience got one client and I deterred two potential clients. I have friends who stayed at recommended hotels in Cambodia and Thailand and also my articles about Argentina got warm comments. Upon my recommendations some of my readers bought books like “Outlier” from Malcom Gladwell, watched videos of Randy Pausch while others visited Swiss Raclette restaurants. So I guess I hit upon something with my blog. It is about quality of life. It is about the good things in life away from marketing hype and luxury-brands. But my blog also has a downside: it can give friends a head-ache as to what to give me as a present. The reason being that there is an unwarranted perception that I have such discerning tastes that they would not be able to please me with simple gifts. However, a simple gift given from the heart means more than anything extravagant. So do not despair, just give it a try! 

The quest for the best shirt has ended

 Picture: All hand-made in Italy, stitch-by-stitch!

Since 2007 I have been on a quest to find the best shirt for me. I have searched high and low, near and far. I tried different made-to-measure tailors in Hong Kong, Singapore and Zurich and was still not pleased. However, the quest has ended (at least for the moment!). I found the shirt of my dreams (it is even not made-to-measure). The whole shirt is made by hand by expert craftswomen in Naples, Italy. All buttons are genuine mother-of-pearl and all of them are hand-stitched. The shirts come in a variety of soft fabrics, from basic European cotton to sea-island cotton to Egyptian cotton. In Switzerland the Trois Pommes shop in Zurich sells the shirts (ask for Giorgio). The best time to buy them is during the winter and summer sales (or at the Trois Pommes Vintage shop). But it is worth it, for sure! Since I got the shirts I have been getting praises from women (and this is what we men live for, no)! The brand? Kiton, from Napoli. There is no better quality, believe me!

For my blog-entries about made-to-measure shirts in Zurich: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/east_eats_west/2007/07/which-shirt-to-.html

For made-to-measure shirts in Hongkong: http://easteatswest.typepad.com/east_eats_west/2008/04/hong-kong-tailo.html