OMG - Has She Got The Blues!
15th May 2012, by PlanetRuss
My obsession with the beautiful sound of the Fender Telecaster continues (not the way I play it obviously). But occasionally you come across something so good that you cannot 
keep it to yourself.
Looking around on Youtube recently for great guitar players, I came across Joanne Shaw Taylor with her first album from 2009 White Sugar. She was discovered by Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics, and has been called "The new face of Blues" by UK mag Blues Matters.
So with such credentials is the album any good?
Any Good? It's bloody brilliant. The guitar work is astonishing and as someone trying to get old fingers to cover the frets to make some sounds, I find it incredible that someone has such musicality, and gets so many sounds from her instrument.
If you want a master class in just how great a Telecaster can sound, check out the title track. White Sugar romps through all the sounds you can squeeze from the beast, while Just Another Word shows the lyrical side of both her voice and the guitar. And for fans of deep gutsy blues, I think Blackest Day is going to be your pick.
Checking out her website (which you can do here) I found that she has another album from 2010 called Diamonds In The Dirt. No surprise to you that this is downloading as I type and I can't wait to get it on my Ipod.
I think you'll love Joanne as much as I do (even if you're not a Fender fan)
May Day Walk
1st May 2012, by russandjilly.net
Russ and Jilly celebrate the May Day bank holiday, with a walk in the beautiful Swiss countryside near Bachtel.
Maldavian Memories
15th April 2012, by russandjilly.net
As you probably remember, we recently had a nice break in the beautiful islands of the Maldives.
Here are some memories......
(use the scroll bar, or just drag the pics around. Click one that interests you and you`ll zoom right in)
Fender Bender
11th April 2012, by PlanetRuss
Thought you may like a viewing of the guitar fleet......
Left to Right:
Hondo vintage acoustic in gloss black - not flashy or rare, but a great sound (Hondo now make highly rated Tokai guitars)
Fender Telecaster Blacktop in silver with black scratchplate- the newest range of Telecasters with humbucking pick-ups for an aggressive sound
Fender Standard Telecaster in Olympic White with white scratchplate - a classic beauty epitomising Tele Twang. As heard in the guitar solo on Led Zeps Stairway to Heaven
Squire by Fender Stratocaster in Black with White scratchplate - every home needs to have a strat, and even if it's an inexpensive Squire. Brilliant sound and easy to play
Fender Mustang 2 Amp. More electronics than Dixon's and programmable online with Fender Fuse software.
Now all I have to do is learn to play them properly.......
Happy Birthday Frank
11th March 2012, by russandjilly.net
Last weekend we headed back to Dusseldorf to help Frank Colenso celebrate his 60th Birthday. This is the first time that Jilly had been back to our old home since we moved to Zurich, so she was interested to see how it had changed.
The party was a great success - what a great bunch of family and friends the Colenso's have!
Here's Jilly with Frank smooching......
We also took the chance to go back to Sonderburgstrasse, the street we used to live in Dusseldorf to see what had happened to the house.
The family Johns bought the place just as we were leaving, and they have clearly done a lot of renovation.
They are both doctors and now have a cardiac practice on the ground floor. They live in the middle apartment and another family occupy the 2 levels we used to have. The front of the house looks much nicer for a lick of paint and some chrome trims!
Ski The Swiss Dream!
18th February 2012, by russandjilly.net
It's become something of a tradition that Russ and Jilly go for a skiing holiday at the time of Russ' Birthday (5th February - put it in your diary so you don't forget). This year was no exception, as we took ourselves off to Laax for the week.
Laax is part of the Weisse Arena Gruppe resort comprising the other villages of Falera and Flims, and is the home to a number of FIS WorldSki Championship competitions as well as the finals of the British Snowboard & Freeski Tour, and the Burton European Open in Snowboarding.
Of course we're not quite ready for that level of competition but the runs in the area are perfect whether you want a relaxing ski down a picturesque blue, something a bit more daring with a faster red, or go for it on the few blacks that are dotted around. This is a resort perfect for beginner and intermediate skiers. You can find out more about the resort by looking here.
We stayed at the Laaxerhof hotel which has a fantastic location, right by the cable car and gondola stations. It also has a very convenient boot room underneath the hotel, so getting ready for your day on the slopes or taking your boots off at the end is easy peasy.
This time the weather was beautiful looking, with stunning views and clarity of the scenery, but absoutely freezing temperature! So cold that Jilly had to buy super-insluated mittens to keep her fingers from freezing.
Every evening after dinner we always enjoyed sitting in the bar with a glass or two and watching the Swiss folks dance to the resident duo - Jozef and Eve of Staccato. In fact on the last night, we got drinking with another couple (he being Swiss and she being Brazilian English) and ended up having a fine time with them and Staccato in the bar. If you would like to book Staccato for your own event, you can reach them here
Overall a great way to spend Russ' birthday, and we're already looking forward to our next skiing trip!
By the way, if you have been skiing before but not recently and want to get the feeling back, or you've never been skiing and would like to experience for yourself, here are some exciting vids from the holiday:
Snow Patrol 2
30th January 2012, by russandjilly.net
Welcome to the latest update to russandjilly.net - your regular dose of ex-pat English living in Switzerland.
This weekend was a nice long holiday for us as we had Friday and Monday off and Tony and Kirsty joined us for the weekend, and as you can see, we had our very own Snow Patrol! (Kind regards to Mr Tony Saxby for the gag!)
We climbed the observation radio tower at Bachtel, had a fondue, went to Zurich and Rapperswil, and in Flumserberg - a massive snow fight. Here you see us four clearly suffering the effects of the cold.
Only problem with the weekend was that the sun or sky never made an appearance. And if we hadn't gone to Flumserberg I am sure that no one would have believed there were mountains at all. (We hope the weather is better when we go skiing in Laax next week).
We ended the short break with a well earned beer and Bratwurst at Nelsons pub.
Their Empire Is Not Really Falling!
21st January 2012, by PlanetRuss
I think everyone loved the first album from Snow Patrol, as Eyes Open certainly spawned one of the most sing-along-able songs in history. Chasing Cars had us all warbling "If I laeeey heeeeeere....". Plus of course the song covered and arguably made more famous by Leona Lewis - Run. So has their latest album Fallen Empires got the same credentials?
Well on first listening, the first track put me off as the production seems to have everything placed just a bit too close to the mics, so it sounds a bit thin and distorted. For that reason it took me a few attempts to actually start listening to the album. But when I did just let it wash over me, you come to their latest warble-along song; Called Out In The Dark has a driving beat that rocks along nicely and is a great car song. Generally, the modus operandi of Snow Patrol is to keep the tempo moving but gradually ramp up each song to deliver anthemic qualities that are always pleasing. This Isn`t Everything You Areis a power ballad that has the message "look, no matter how shit everything gets, don`t keel over". V nice!
And I simply love The Garden Rules as it`s as good a picture of childhood playtime as you`ll ever get in a song, plus it`s a beautiful love song too - I wonder if she will ever know how much he loved her?
Lifening is not s spelling mistake, but one of my favourite songs - "This is all I ever wanted from life....." Brilliant.
So since I persevered with listening I have discovered that I`ll Never Let Go (the song I said I had difficulty with) also has a sing along opportunity with a great big Whhhoo-ooo-oooooo-ooooo or two thrown in. And of course Called Out In The Dark is all over the radio.
By the way, Snow Patrol are on tour right now - in the UK through February and then onto the world later. They are coming to Switzerland, but only to Basel. (Shame). Anyway, you can find out more at www.snowpatrol.com/
Good work lads. Whhhoo-ooo-oooooo-ooooo
First Ski of the Year
15th January 2012, by russandjilly.net
Yesterday was our first opportunity to get into the great outdoors and go skiing. We stayed over in Tannenheim, Flumserberg so we could have a nice dinner a few cheeky glasses, and then be up to hit the slopes early.
We had a glorious days sunshine and really enjoyed our skiing. Can't wait to do more!
Greetings from the sun and snow at Flumserberg.
Christmas Pics...
15th January 2012, by russandjilly.net
So firstly a belated happy 2012!
Been a bit busy so haven't had a chance to update the site much, but take a look at the new header that gives an impression of what you'll find on the site.
We spent Christmas time in the UK, so in the scrolling pics you'll see us leaving our snowy house, flying to London City airport and then staying at Great Hallingbury Manor hotel. We also had the chance to catch up with friends and family, and pictured with Marion & James.
Merry Christmas (Nearly)
23rd December 2011, by russandjilly.net
So this is Christmas? Well nearly.
We're back in UK for a few packed and fun-filled days, before returning to our winter wonderland and who knows? Maybe there'll be time for skiing. The snow is now fine (so if you've booked a skiing holiday and were beginning to get a bit worried, now above 800 metres the snow is ok). And here's the scene today outside our house.....
Drawn to the Madness?
1st December 2011, by PlanetRuss
Firstly, can I just say...... OMG! December already? You gotta be kidding me.
Two album reviews this time for ye. But why "Drawn to the Madness" as the title? Well let's just say that Bjork and Kate Bush are not every ones cuppa Darjeeling, but they're alright as long as the medication works!
Starting with the new album by Kate Bush, 50 Words for Snow is a classy, fabulously unhurried work of jazz that when played in the right context, you will find luxuriously relaxing. (So don't play it when your football mates come round or they'll become convinced you are both mad and gay)
I listened to this on a flight from Amsterdam and found it incredibly calming (except the bit where she goes on about "I'm falling, look up and you'll see me". I could only keep thinking "I bloody hope I'm not falling").
Even the track Among Angels which is a duet with Sir Elton John is great, and I'm not normally a fan of the partner of Mister David Furnish (aka Frank S name redacted at Frank's request).
The title track 50 Words for Snow is so much fun, with a repetitive backing track over which Kate counts as a man narrates 50 words for snow (geddit?) and then chips in "come on man you've got 44 to go"....). Although I have to say that I am sure they made some of them up. Apparently Eskimo's do have over 50 words (have a look here if you don't believe me) .
The most shocking track is Misty in which Mrs. Bush seduces a snowman, and talks about feeling him melting in her hand. Now there's a metaphor if ever I heard one. The worse part about that is she only ends up with a great big wet patch in the bed - I bet if you're a lady you're nodding your head knowingly right now eh?
Overall then seasonal, classy, adult and generally brilliant. Download today for those quiet reflective moments of contemplation in your life.
Secondly this time, we turn to the beautifully mad Bjork. Actually one of my most favourite artists, but I know also one of the most challenging in terms of listen ability. Is her new offering any more accessible?
Well, if you're not a fan, errrm - No.
Biophilia was mostly composed on an Ipad and features very stripped back production because of that. In fact that allows her voice to really be the focal point, and as I love the way she uses her voice to soar above the music, this is perfect for me.
My favourite track is Crystalline which has a wonderful chorus sound with jingling, jangling sounds behind. And just when you think you got it, in comes a thundering drum n bass beat (at 4:15 if you wanna check it out). Bloody brilliant. Equally, Cosmonology features Bjorks voice at her very best, with such a beautiful tenderness. Honestly, just listen and let her wash over you.
If you're a Bjork virgin though, don't start with the track Dark Matter cos it's very, errmmm, Dark Matter indeed!
And then the last three tracks, although I like them I couldn't listen to them all day long. In fact if you're not a big fan, then I'll bet that if you hear Mutual Core, Solstice and Sacrifice you will think them pretentious and wanky.
But for die hard fans like me and Pooley, this will firmly stay in our ITunes folder.
Hey - bring on the winter madness!
WOW
31st October 2011, by PlanetRuss
I don't know what the weather was like where you have been today, but here at home it was murky and grey.
Until I decided to go for a walk - 1 hour and 20 minutes near vertical from 600 metres (where we live) to 1100 metres at Bachtel, and just look at the difference:
Beautiful sunshine, and the cause of all that grey stuff underneath can be seen nestling in between the mountains and the woods.
I also met some friends on the way:
Yes? May I help you?.........
Snow Joke: 2011. 2
29th October 2011, by russandjilly.net
A sure sign that snow is soon to come.
This week the local authority have erected snow sticks along our street. The red tipped sticks are placed so that when snow builds up and you can't tell the difference between road and gardens, you just steer in between the red sticks. (At least that's the theory).
Pic shows our street. The stones and shrubs in the near ground are ours!........
Snow Joke: 2011
19th October 2011, by russandjilly.net
Russ had winter tyres fitted this morning.
Just as well. The first snow arrived this evening during the drive home. Here's some shaky pics taken whilst driving....
(Rush Hour Swiss Style) To be fair not in Zurich where traffic is a nightmare, but in Oberland where we live this is the jam!
Velociraptor. Not the Biggest Dinasour. But the Best!
16th October 2011, by PlanetRuss
The Velociraptor became famous when it was featured in the movie Jurassic Park, even though they showed it much bigger than it actually is (typical Hollywood BS).
But now I suspect it'll become even bigger, as it's the name of the new album by Leicester based band Kasabian. And this is easily the best album I have listened to for ages. It's hardly been off my Ipod - in the car, in the garden, on the cross trainer - everywhere.
So what's it like? Well I think it's a heritage work - it features songs that could have been at home in many decades, with tons of swagger reinforced by the fact that it's already being used for TV trailers (so you may have already heard a bit of it).
The title track is a magnificently boisterous and energetic pop song that'll have you bouncing as you join in with the chorus and the line where they say "there's nuthin to it man!"
In terms of decades, you've got La Fee Verte (the green fairy) that's like a drug-induced 60's tune, I Hear Voices is like late 80's electro-pop, and Days Are Forgotten (the one off the telly) is like a manc 90's attitude stomp.
All tracks are fantastic - each different and distinctive, but always with anthemic qualities that will leave you singing along to every one of them. If there's one album you need to get into your collection this year, this is it.
Read all about Velociraptors here.
Why Snoopy?
16th October 2011, by russandjilly.net
We met our new 2-door-down neighbours the other day. They turn out to be Norwegian immigrants to Switzerland and have been here 20-odd years.
Christine told us that her husbands name is Walter, but everyone calls him Snoopy.
Have we got a nosy neighbour on our hands?
Have Faith in Humanity.....
25th September 2011, by PlanetRuss
I know - it's a bit of a Sunday-preach kinda message. Unusual for PlanetRuss.
But something happened to us today that gives me faith that the world is actually quite a nice place to be (like I have any choice?)
I know that our neighbours over the road - Jeremy and Lillianna were working on their back garden over the weekend and obviously decided to thin out some of their SnapDragons - this afternoon our doorbell rang, and their 8 year old daughter was standing on our doorstep with a bunch of flowers in her hand.
"Ich habe eine Blumen Geschenk fur Ihnen" she said. (I have a gift of flowers for you).
What a nice gesture - great to have such nice neighbours - and the little girl a credit to them.
I'm sure she won't be looting the shops in Duernten any time soon.
27 Years & 10 Days. But Who's Counting?
25th September 2011, by russandjilly.net
September 15th 1984 at 5:00pm was the day that Russ and Jilly got married, so that means this year we celebrated our 27th Wedding anniversary. We marked the occasion by going to our favourite restaurant of all time - the Gasthoff Loewen in Bubikon, near to where we used to live. (BTW they've got a very nice web site that gives a good impression of the place if you are interested. Just click here to visit)
Here's a little test for you - what is the special gift for a 27th wedding anniversary? No Idea?
Well it's nothing from the traditional list (great - that's cheap), but on the contemporary list 27 years is shown as "Sculpture". We did manage to resist the idea of buying a life-size Venus De Milo for the garden though.
We also celebrated together with Gill and Darren who joined us for the weekend. (See pictured above - the hat was made with love by 
Gill at the restaurant, where she turned the table place paper into a jaunty little pixie hat) We also went walking in the mountains, and as you can see, Gill and Darren certainly have a head for heights!
By the way, talking of the hat.....
When we got back from the restaurant, Russ "delighted" the group with a guitar jam session. Of course when people are captive in our house in Switzerland, it's not possible to escape so gives the perfect opportunity to work a captive audience! We think the hat sets off the guitar really well - what do you reckon?
We Know What You're Thinking......
12th September 2011, by russandjilly.net
Where the hell have you been?
"Last post 18th June, and now updated only September? What is it...... Nothing to Report?"
Actually the opposite. We've had a hectic summer as we moved house in June and up until now, all our spare time has been taken with getting the place straight. Our neighbours must think the house is like Swiss cheese as I've drilled so many holes! But we must say we think it's looking good.
We're in an area about 10 KM from where we lived before, and you could say we've gone up in the world - from 480 metres to 800 metres. We look forward to welcoming you here soon.
Blues 1
12th September 2011, by PlanetRuss
I decided to take this week as holiday, as apart from the week when we moved house, I haven't really had any time off. So why the blues?
1. I have had a healthy year. No health complaints - no coughs & sneezes, no head lice or piles - nothing. So as soon as I take some time off? A cold. (Not man flu - just a cold). In my own time...... I ask you!
2. No problem, I can settle down in front of the TV or catch up on favourite web sites - yes? Er no. Swisscom have a fault at their central hub which means internet (and therefore television) is down and could be so for up to 24 hours!
3. Tried to lay in this morning. Woken at 07:15 by men weeding our roof. WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY? WEEDING THE ROOF! Yep. Our house is built to minergie standard, which is a sustainability mark in Switzerland. And part of that green-ness is an environmentally friendly roof that occasionally needs weeding apparently. Good for green, not so good for lay-in.
I had so many plans. I was going to go walking in the mountains. I was going to continue my learning journey with the guitar. I was going to do some stuff around the house. Now I even have to work tomorrow as we have to get our European plans together.
That's why the blues.
Blues 2
12th September 2011, by PlanetRuss
One of this sites most dedicated followers is my good friend Steve Blake. Who apart from being a classic Jag driving training expert of some note, is also a bit of a music buff.
He must be, because after my review of the Incognito album; Transatlantic RPM, he went out and bought the cd and loved it so much emailed me to say so. (It's still a great album by the way - if you want to see what I said about it in August 2010 just click here)
So occasionally, Steve gives me a tip of his own and says - if you think it's worth it, maybe you can review it at russandjilly.net.
So last time I saw Steve in Dusseldorf, he mentioned that I might like a blues singer and guitarist by the name of Samantha Fish. (Honestly not a promising name, but hang in there). The album is called Runaway.
Now one of the reasons this work made the cut is that I am trying to put a few riffs together with my beloved Fender Telecaster, (or with my new present-to-myself - a Fender Squier Stratocaster) and Miss Fish provides some great examples of modern blues guitar to get your teeth into. Including one of my favourite repeating riffs in a song - ever! I
The song Otherside of the Bottle has a great blues pick sequence with slide punctuation in G and then a lovely arpeggio for the C and D transition. Of course I also sympathise with the subject matter as someone who never knowingly leaves a bottle until reaching the other side. The title track of the album is a piece of raunchy driving blues with a really nice vocal on the "runaway" sequence.
And if you feel like being transported to a smokey nightclub whilst someone like Jessica Rabbit sings seductively at you, then you have to check out Feelin' Alright.
Overall if you like blues (playing or listening), then this album gives you a lot to enjoy. Steve also mentioned that if you do like Runaway, then you'll also like another album called Girls with Guitars that also features Samantha Fish.
In fact, even typing about it now, I have an urge to grab the tele and practice the riff from Otherside of the Bottle.
Raining 2
18th June 2011, by PlanetRuss
Today has been a terrible day for me- grouchy, bad tempered and mad at the world. And I scratched my car in the Coop car park (Stupid little spaces - what are you trying to do? Force us all into Smart cars!)
But what has made it so bad? My allergies have been terrible! Snotty, sniffling and sneezing non-stop. And it's raining.
Now I know what you have just said to yourself...... Probably the most annoying thing that people always say to allergy sufferers when it rains - "but surely you don't get hay fever when it rains - everybody knows that the rain knocks the pollen out of the air".
Well bugger off - I don't make the rules and I certainly don't choose to be Mr Snotty all day long and it does just so happen to be raining (again like hell).
I once told Nick when he ventured the old "everyone knows that pollen" etc that I believed it was mold spores. And how he laughed!
Anyway, I am not alone. Shar, Derrik, Omertal and Jona are among those who say their allergies are worse when it's raining - and the culprit? They all agree..... Mold! So stick that up yer jumper Burchell!
Click here if you wanna see what those poor souls have to say about it.
Meantime for me, it's yet another one-a-day tablet (that's four today) and a large glass of wine.
(It's a well known fact that drunk people don't care about having snot dribbling down their faces).
Raining? Taking the Piss More Like!
16th June 2011, by PlanetRuss
What we now know about Switzerland, is that June seems to feature very sharp showers of rain (Like badly timed April showers).
Today I left work sharpish as I wanted to cut the grass - it's got to be done before we move. It's been fine for a couple of weeks, so I was sure it would be OK.
I got home.
I plugged in the strimmer.
It immediately poured down with rain. (I mean slashing down!)
Game over.
The Name's Bond. rusandjilly Style
31st May 2011, by russandjilly.net
So that's the last day of May then...... already!
Just wanted to bring you these pictures of last weekends James Bond Party at our house. In German they have an expression, which is;
"Warum? Darum!" In English that kind of means "Why? Why the hell Not!" So that's what we said when we were asked why it was a James Bond Party - just for the hell of it.
In the first pic you see us all as Daniel Craigs!
During the evening we voted on our favourite ever Bond film (far too controversial to share here), and we did a sniff-test of fragrances that you find in red wines.
Of course normally we just drink the stuff rather than sniff it. Some of the fragrences were a bit tricky. We are sure you'd get Vanilla and Strawberry, but how would you fare with Black Pepper, Grass and Green Pepper?
Afetr a few it had to be the obligatory "all-looking-down-gathered-around-the-camera" shot
It was also a moving out party, as part of the excitement of it being the last day in May, is that in June we will be moving house.
We had wine, dancing, James-Bond-Related fun, wine and some more wine.
And then even more dancing.......
Happy Anniversary Marion & James
28th May 2011, by russandjilly.net
We enjoyed the visit of Marion and James last week, as they celebrated their 21st wedding anniversary. We had a great weekend, and we wish M&J many more happy years ahead.
Meet Ricardo - My NBF!
15th May 2011, by PlanetRuss
We are very excited to announce that we are moving house soon. That did mean though, we had a lot of stuff in storage that we will no longer need.
However, it still left us a few things that we deffo do not want to move over to the new place.
I was thinking about ebay, but it doesn't really cover Switzerland very well - so what to do?
Thats when Sabine introduced me to my new best friend - Ricardo.
Ricardo.ch is the Swiss alternative to ebay and is where all discerning Swiss folk go to look for stuff.
The only challenge is that it's entirely programmed in German (or French) - so we have had to call on Google Translate to understand all the questions that people send and then reply (unser gesprochenes Deutsch ist ziemlich gut, aber geschrieben ist ein bisschen schwierig für uns!).
But does it work? Yes...... brilliant!
Just 20 seconds ago we got the first bid on the last item we have on the site - so we sold a table and chairs, some cabinets, dishwasher, washing machine and a whole lot more - very successful!
Now we're looking around the house for more stuff to sell!
2 Billion Reasons Why Britain is Still Great!
30th April 2011, by PlanetRuss
Yesterday will go down as a day when the world watched how Britain can be great!
No matter whether you are a fan of the Royal Family or not, you can't dispute the fact that the wedding of William and Kate was a spectacle - and that made anyone British proud.
It's estimated that two billion people watched proceedings around the world, and the event went off impeccably. I was in Netherlands last week, and everyone at the airport, in the taxi's and all my colleagues were talking about the wedding and asking how we were going to celebrate. (We had the day off and watched it recorded in the afternoon with a few friends and beer).
However, looking forward to another global event for UK expectations for the Olympics are not that high in my experience - I remember when the new T5 opened at Heathrow Airport. I was due to be flying out of T5 to return to Dusseldorf, and the fiasco of the day meant our flight was cancelled and we had to stay over one more day. Over dinner with four German colleagues that evening, they all agreed that they never expected that England could actually pull of a major engineering feat like that. I suspect they feel the same about the Olympics.
I am sure that the Olympics will be a brilliant success - and if there is any doubt about that, just watch the re-runs of yesterdays wedding, public engagement and street parties.
The spirit of Britain is alive and well. Well done you lot! (And congrats to our future King and his beautiful bride).
(Her sisters not too bad either....)
Easter Bunnies Go To Pilatus
25th April 2011, by russandjilly.net
Had a nice day out for Easter Sunday with Nick, Jennie and Max, when we visited Mount Pilatus near to Lucerne.
Pilatus is over 2,000 metres high and to get all the way to the top you can take the worlds steepest railway - the Pilatus Bahn - that runs from Alpnachstad. Built by engineer Eduard Locher in the 19th Century, a steam version of the railway started operation in 1889, even though people said he would be crazy to try it - in places the railway climbs at an angle of 48 degrees! In those days it was steam powered, and manages to cling on to the tracks by two horizontally revolving cogswheels that grip a central spine rail.
But don't worry, you don't sit in your seat at an angle like an Apollo astronaut ready for take off - the train itself is of stepped design so you stay nice and flat.
The climb to Pilatus Kulm takes around 40 minutes with one stop en route if you wanted to hop off and walk the rest of the way. As that would take about 3 hours, we opted to let the train take the strain all the way to the top.
Up on Pilatus itself there's a hotel that's currently going through a major re-build and it looks like when it's finished it's going to be a fantastic venue. There's plenty to do when you do get there too. Legend has it that the ghost of the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, roams the mountains here, and for many years climbers were not allowed carry out their sport for fear of disturbing the ghost.
It's also thought that Dragons roam the area, and there are many tales of dashing young men coming to fight the dragons to save fait maidens. There's a walkway called the Dragon Trail which doesn't seem to have real dragons along it, but definitely some hair raising views of sheer drops, only protected by thin wire fences. If you go and take kids - don't let them climb up or you'll never see them again (in one piece anyway).
You'll also find one of the longest summer toboggan runs in Switzerland up here, and at only 8 Francs a go we all thought it was a bargain, and really great fun. If you don't think the views are exhilarating enough, there's even a rope park with walks on wires through the treetops. All in all, Pilatus is a great day out!
You can see more details of everything Pilatus has to offer by clicking here
March in Morrocco
10th April 2011, by russandjilly.net
When Gill and Darren first said about going away for a weekend, we immediately said we were up for it. Then they said to Marrakech in Morocco, and we were suddenly not so sure - Morocco is probably not the first place you would think of for a spring break! But we're glad we took the experience.....
We stayed in a Riad hotel - which means a small, walled hotel oasis right in the middle of the Medina (the old town). Riad's were originally homes of the rich people who lived among the poor in order to provide them with financial support by providing employment, and buying goods and services. There are more than 20,000 Riads in the Medina, and now many of them have been converted to small luxury hotels. As you step out from your Riad into the old City - you definitely have to keep your wits about you.
In every tiny, hot, dusty street, thousands of people rush here and there, alongside donkeys and carts, men and carts, and a never-ending roar of mopeds driving as fast as they can. If you don't watch out you'll have 80 horsepower of Yamaha up your jacksie!
The Souk is a huge market that dominates the centre of the city, and at every stall the delighted man will shout "Shop?" and point at their workspace as if you'd never have seen it otherwise! If you do stop to browse, you are immediately shown all sorts of things that they have to offer - even things you had no intention of looking at. Then, if you express an interest in something, it is absolutely required to haggle. (Remember the scene in the Monty Python film "The Life of Brian"?) And here's the haggling tip, as given to us by our Riad owner:
Start off by offering half what you think you would want to pay. They will look offended and sometimes even laugh and gesture to the skies while saying "but my children.....". So you start to modify your offer upwards to the point where you are satisfied you have the right price, then just keep saying no. If it looks like he won't move, get up and walk away, and now here's the most important haggling tip - never forget this one........
If the man calls you back, stick to the last price you gave him despite anything he might say or do. That's because, if the price was not acceptable to him, he wouldn't have called you back.
This technique worked like a charm - we got leather All Star shoes, Ray Ban glasses, trinkets and ornaments using this technique. So don't be afraid to give it a go - it's really fun!
We had a fab time with Gill and Darren (even if we did end up in a restaurant one night that didn't sell alcohol) and it was fantastic to experience the madness of Morocco.
Russ Rocking at 50!
20th February 2011, by PlanetRuss
Hard to believe, but Russ celebrated his 50th Birthday on 5th February 2011.
We had a week in the UK with a small celebration dinner at an old windmill, then the rest of the week we moved out of our UK house which is now sold, and we attended the celebration for our friends Richard and Julies 25th Wedding anniversary.
Gifts for Russ included an Ipad (technically a joint present for both Russ and Jilly), and a Fender Telecaster electric guitar.
Why a guitar?
Well you may not know that Russ was in a band at school (We were called Votator, and it consisted of Russ on rhythm guitar, Michael Anderson on lead guitar, Trevor Dyer on Drums and Nigel Wilson on keyboards).
Russ has always had an acoustic guitar ever since, but hasn't really played for 15 years. So as a mid-life crisis, decided to take it back up again, and in order not to disturb the neighbours went for an electric guitar that means you can use headphones.
The Guitar is a new version of the classic Telecaster from Fender, this one being called the Blacktop, and it's different as it uses twin humbucking pickup's instead of the traditional single coil ones. This gives it a slightly more aggressive sound - a bit like a Gibson Les Paul.
So Rock on towards the next milestone! (And we're not talking a rocking chair either!.......)
And here for good measure is a pic of Russ and Jilly ready for the 25th wedding celebration. Congratulations Richard and Julie!
Could An App Kill The Radio Star?
7th November 2010, by PlanetRuss
The topic under review this month is my favourite all time computer application. If you've ever wanted your party to go with a swing and everyone dances to the songs spun by the DJ, this could also be the app for you.
You probably know that in my dim distant past I did a bit of dee-jaying; both mobile and on the radio station Ten-17 and I'd always thought that it would be great to be able to replicate the principle of twin decks at home without having all that grubby looking equipment 
hanging about the place. I'd never found a solution until I heard about a new application that is being lauded as a new way to use music with your mac. (Sorry folks, it's not yet available for windows based PC's).
DJay is an application to be found at http://www.algoriddim.com/djay. If you want to see a bigger image of the app so you can get an idea what it looks like just click here.
When you download the application you see the screen image of twin decks on the left, and your ITunes directory shown on the right side. All you do to play songs is to drag any song from the right and drop it onto the record deck, and it will start to play automatically. Drag another onto the other deck, cue it up and when you are ready start the song and mix the sound over.
There are a whole bunch of neat features that allow you to transition songs using preset or random noises (like backspin, echo or brake) to give you that professional DJ sound. The system also detects the BPM of each song, so if you want to manually mix like a big mix-meister, then it's no problem. If you're a little bit lazier, or you're partying too much to attend to the mixing, there's an automix facility which just plays a playlist in turn with cool transitions in between each song.
You can also record your mixes and even broadcast your set on Nicecast .
As if that's not all brilliant enough, you can also download a separate app to your IPhone or Ipod Touch which allows you to remotely control the system via your WLAN network. That means you can be in any room of the house and still use the application with all the mixing features giving you full control over your party even while your dancing!
Just one thing to mention for the technically minded dj's among you, if you want to use the built-in prefade facility, then you'll have to have an external sound card. Got it?
Downloadable for under 50 Dollars if you're planning your Christmas office party, then this is definitely worth getting. Of course you may need to buy a Macbook or IPad to run it on, but that wouldn't be a bad thing to do either. The IPhone or IPod app to run the remote control is available separately, but also worth getting for the cool-factor.
So could DJay kill the radio stars? I reckon it could - you get the opportunity to play exactly the music you like and pretend to be Chris Moyles at the same time. DJay comes highly recommended from PlanetRuss
What Could You Do With A Book Like This?
31st October 2010, by PlanetRuss
A doorstop? A step to help you reach high-up things? A piece of exercise equipment?
Yes there are many potential uses for the new Stephen King novel Under The Dome. That's because it's a whopping 5½ centimetres thick, and with a font of 8pt, you just know that's a lot of reading to get through.
Apparently he started to write this story in 2006 but was put off finishing it as he felt the story was too big for him, but the idea never really went away and so he continued for it to be published this year.
It's the story of a small town in the US that is suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. You would be forgiven for thinking “well how could anyone make a story about a dome last for 877 pages?”
Well that's because the real story is about small town politics and the struggle for control exerted by the towns second selectman – who as well as owning the local car dealership, runs a methadone factory in the fields nearby. As a devout Christian (he uses many funny phrases in place of swear words) he believes he is saving people by selling them the dope as there are fewer criminal acts – it's so easy to get the gear!
Of course people do not know anything about this, but the politician and his psychotic son are soon given trouble by the books hero – an ex-military man now working as a chef in the town.
Given that the hero actually spends most of the book in jail, it's amazing the tension that is delivered by this rivalry. It's so well written because the plot get's more and more tense as it goes on, and really doesn't lose any of that pace until right at the end.
For me the ending runs a little bit out of steam – but do we ever really find out who put the dome there and why?
You'll have to read it yourself to find out.
(PS Sorry for the long awaited update here - back end of summer has been a busy busy time in the Lewell household)
Holiday - Here We Come.....
22nd August 2010, by russandjilly
Friday is the big day for us as we go on holiday. And not that we're desperate or anything, but here's how long we have left to wait until we get on the plane
Just Sunday! (Part 1 - Incognito)
15th August 2010, by PlanetRuss
So I got to thinking - been a long time since PlanetRuss did a music reviews. Oh don't worry - I'm still downloading plenty, but listening more than writing. Recently I discovered that file sharing has an interesting dimension in Switzerland, in that it is illegal to upload to something like Limewire or Bit Torrent, but it is perfectly OK to download stuff. So if you can put up with the virus infected files that people put there for fun (just use Norton and a Firewall or something for goodness sake), then you can download whatever you like.
The latest album downloaded (from ITunes as it happens) is Transatlantic RPM by Incognito.
Now you probably remember Incognito as the British Jazz Funk band from the 80's, and of course you'd be right. Super songs like "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing" still get a lot of airplay. So are they relevant in the naughties? Well considering that they just got nominated for an award at the 2010 American Smooth Jazz Awards I'd say so.
And the album is nostalgic, funky, jazzy and completely brilliant especially for old soul boys like myself. (May mate Sax would love it!) The album features guest vocals by Chaka Khan and Mario Biondi - both worthy and slightly ancient soul disco legends. The music kicks off with a cover of Boz Scaggs "Lowdown" and right from the very first drum kick you feel - oh oh - this is going to be good! Mario's voice is like chocolate and Chaka's slightly mad screeching fits beautifully!
And if you hanker after the heady days of Jazz Funk, check out the totally Incognito-signature-like "1975". In fact it's got a bit of everything this album - Disco is taken care of by "Can't Get Enough""Put a Little Lovin' in your Heart" and "Let's Fall In LOve Again", Latin comes up in the wonderful instrumental "Expresso Madureira", and Soul is represented by "Tell Me What to Do" and Chaka Khan's effort "The Song".
It's a top album and I'm loving it - definitely one to rip just as soon as you can!
Just Sunday! (Part 2 - Wanna Get Dirty? Get Adidas)
15th August 2010, by PlanetRuss
Some of you know that I like to go running a bit - although the speed that I run could probably be defined more accurately as jogging. I'm not sure what the technical definition really is - but it's 45 minutes of torture anyhow!
Anyway, recently reading some stuff on a running web site, I realised that actually what I do these days in the woods and hillsides round 
So I thought maybe I should take a look at my running shoes. For the last 6 months or so I have been using a pair of Nike Equalon 3 - a perfectly good road running shoe, but I decided I needed something a bit more rugged.
So off to the running shop and the recommendation was a pair of Adidas Kanadia TR3 - an aggressive looking shoe with a mud repellent soul with spiky yellow nobbles that just shout grip as soon as you look at them. And how do they fare?
Brilliant! I run up the steepest and muddiest bits of Switzerland I can find, just to feel the four-wheel traction. So if you are thinking that you need to make your running a bit dirtier - Get Adidas TR3's.
Just Sunday! (Part 3 - Dinner with Nick and Jennie)
15th August 2010, by russandjilly
Only to put a note in that this sunday we're a little hung over, which is an inevitable consequence of having the Burchells over for dinner!
The Road to Makkah
24th July 2010, by russandjilly
Five days over the last week Russ had some work to do in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
It seems that this place is one of the only places left on earth where you can really feel alien to the rest of society. For a start it is a legal obligation for women over teen age to wear the full Burkah, where only the eyes are exposed when out and about in public. And many choose to go a step further with the full fact veil as well. This is particularly strange to a western European person when you see a family on the beach, and the father and children all happily splash about in the sea wearing shorts and tee-shirts, but the mum sits on a towel still in full Burkah.
I asked a local what happens if the mother wanted to go for a swim? No problem, he said. They just go into the sea in their Burkah!
The other thing that makes Saudi Arabia different, is that Alcohol is completely illegal - even if you are staying in an international hotel as I was. You cannot get a beer or wine anywhere, although I heard there are places in the city that you can buy stuff on the black market, but those places are so criminalised even the police do not enter. I thought about trying it, but the idea of spending time in a Saudi Arabian jail was not appealing.
So a detox week it was then!
I had another suprise when I got home as I went for a run and did a work-out on the Wii Fit, because I thought my week of abstinence would have led to massive weight loss. Did it? No - just 1 pound. So if that's the case - I'll keep the drink habit.
So Jeddah was an interesting experience, but I hope not a place that anyone would think about sending me to for a relocation - can you imagine Jilly in a Burkah?
By the way - always good to fly long distance as you get the chance to check to out some latest movies. I watched the Jennifer Aniston film The Bounty Hunter.
The funniest bit of the film occurs in the first scene where the boot of the car is on fire, so it's not exactly a rip-roaring funny all the way through.
However - what's not to like with Jennifer Aniston in a sexy LBD? (Don't worry ladies, Gerard Butler is easy on the eye too....)
E Viva Espania!
8th July 2010, by PlanetRuss
So now we know the finalists for the world cup on Sunday and sorry to Germany and all that. Jilly has a certain way of looking at any teams exit from the championship - when England went out, she said "oh well, at least we get our lives back now".
And who will you be supporting this weekend in the final? (obviously we're not bothered about the "losers" final)..... It's either Spain or Netherlands / Holland.
By the way, if you are vexed about why one country has two apparent names which seem to be completely interchangeable, you can find a rambling ranting explanation about why the distinction is important over here.
Actually it's a bit like people who find it difficult to understand that England is different from UK and how Great Britain fits into the picture.
In fact when Jilly took her England flag into the office, a number of her colleagues asked what the flag was, why are their lions and roses on it, and shouldn't she have the Union Jack. (She patiently explained each and every time someone asked).
Looking towards the final we are not so sure that Netherlands have too much to worry about.
Watching Spain play is a bit like watching Flamenco dancing -
full of enthusiasm and spirit, pretty to watch, but with no discernable purpose.
Bring on the final! Ole
Summer = Soccer and Sneezing!
4th July 2010, by russandjilly
Hello all and happy independence day....
Well into summer and the regular misery has hit us. No not hay fever - the embarrassment of the English football team coming home from the World Cup early and putting the flags away for another few years.
People say "they buckled under the pressure" and some reckon "they're a bit knackered after a long season". Well I don't know about you, but we sometimes have to do pressure things at work and at certain points of the year feel like we could do with a holiday, but we get on with it.
We don't think our bosses would take kindly to us saying "I was a bit rubbish today, but I havn't had a day off since last Sunday"!
And of course we're not paid £100,000 per week just to play football are we?
Whatever the reason, you certainly know you're working in a multi-national environment when people are queuing at your desk to tell you how crap your football team is!
But it didn't stop us having a great time when we hosted a World Cup Barbeque at home. It just so happened that the parents of Nick and Jennie and Matt and Nickie were all in town too, so we had quite a house full as you can see below.
As you can tell from the title, the past week has been real misery for hay fever sufferers and Russ has been sneezing non-stop since last weekend. And that nose just won't stop running.
Talking to people at the office who have been treated, they say that the injections and acupuncture both work, but that you have to get it started in September. Now although we know that, by the time September comes and everything is fine again, it kinda slips off the agenda. So note to selves this year - in September get along to the allergy specialist!
AAAAaaaaa - chooooo!
PS: Liking the new style? We thought we'd go for a summer makeover with some fresh new colours...... Hope you like it.
Got the Horn? Please Put it Down and Cheer!
13th June 2010, by PlanetRuss
So the morning after an average performance by our national side saw us at least not lose, we now think about having to win the next two games. We went to a barbeque at Matt and Nikki's to watch the match with a mixed English, American and German group (the referees), and at least we didn't have to fight at the end I suppose!
But Robert Green's schoolboy error is not the focus of PlanetRuss displeasure today - it's the horn!
If you've watched any of the matches of the World Cup so far, you can't have missed the droning, annoying buzz of the horn known as the Vuvuzela. This feature is a tradition of football in Africa, where they believe the "instrument" to be of tribal significance. I personally find the monotonous paaaaaaaaaarp to be a huge irritation when watching the football matches and I'll tell you why.
No longer can you enjoy the crowd chants, the rise in excitement as a player approaches a scoring opportunity, or the boo's of derision when a player makes a mistake and allows the opposition to score (Yeah that's you Robert Green - you donkey).
Also if, like me, you enjoy to snooze a bit during a match, the rise in crowd noise normally tells me that I'd better open at least one eye because something might be about to happen. For this championship though, I'm afraid that I am lulled to sleep whilst a plague of mosquito's buzz over the game. Or am I watching the match while sat on the perimeter of an aircraft testing facility where they are warming up the engines.
But it's not only me who doesn't like the Vuvuzela - doctors have warned that the noise level at about 130 decibels can permanently damage hearing, and due to the blowing required to make the "music", the incidence of transfer of colds, coughs and influenza are increased dramatically.
So, if you are going to a bar to watch a World Cup match and you've got your horn in your hand, please do us all a favour and kindly put it away!
I really hope we can get back to the good old chanting days like "You're mother is a W**** and your sister takes it up the A***" and "Who's the W***** in the black", and other family based football fun!
For more Vuvuzela related information so you can regale other fans with your horn-based knowledge, you can go here to find out more.
By the way, if you feel the same you can join a facebook group created to allow people to vent their fury at the annoying trumpet - it's at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=129240890430851
Plus you can complain right to the top - FIFA has a feedback site, which you can reach here http://www.fifa.com/contact/form.html
Russ and Jilly's Spring Break
30th May 2010, by russandjilly
It's official that russandjilly is lucky with the weather! For our spring break we had some things to do in the garden, but the forecast was looking decidedly dodgy. But as it turned out there was lovely sunshine that allowed us to get on.
We really enjoyed working outside as it built up our appetite for a glass of wine with our first barbeques of the year.
Wednesday night was Michael Buble night and we had a dinner package to see him at the Hallenstadion in Zurich.
It was a fantastic night and our seats were only three back from the front, so Jilly was very excited to be so close and get a good view.
Mind you, he did have to tell the crowd off after initially inviting everyone to get up and boogie, some of those in the cheap seats stood right in front of the first rows, so he told them to go back where they came from - yeah!
Then we went for a few days to the French speaking part of Switzerland that Gruyere cheese comes from - Neuchatel. We stayed in a beautiful hotel with a room built on stilts standing in the lake of Neuchatel itself - it was so relaxing and peaceful. You can see some shots from the week in the animation below.
So how quickly it goes by, and tomorrow we're back at work...... Oh well life can't be all fun n frollicks can it now!
Can You Wait for Crazy Love?
16th May 2010, by russandjilly
We're excited. (we know, you'll say we're always excited).
The week after next we're going to see Michael Buble as he continues his European "Crazy Love" tour, and he's coming to the Hallenstadion in Zurich. We've got VIP dinner tickets, so that means free booze and great seats.
If you haven't experienced the Crazy Love album so far, then we say download it immediately. We think the album is his clearest indication yet that he wants to either be the next James Bond, or that he at least wants to sing the next bond tune.
If you don't believe us, just check out the first and third songs of the album: Cry Me a River was used by the BBC as the song introducing the recent winter Olympics and Georgia On My Mind both have definite Bond themes running right through them.
If he was to be Bond, he would officially be the best looking super-spy ever and easily the one with the best voice!
We're also looking forward to seeing the support act Naturally 7. These guys are an accopella band that make sounds like instruments and you would never believe that there's no electronic gizmology involved.
They also feature on the album accompanying Buble when he sings the American songbook classic Stardust. You just gotta check that song out as it is Russ' favourite track on the whole album.
We'll be sitting down to watch him when he takes to the stage at 8:00pm on Wednesday 26th May 2010, and because we can't wait, we have decided to put a countdown clock here to see how long left until we're there.
Unfortunately, time has already rolled by and we had a fab time at the concert. See the text above!
Nice to Meet You. My Porn Star Name is.....
9th May 2010, by russandjilly
We had a lovely evening last night at Sabine and Andi's with a dinner to celebrate her 29th Birthday. Both Russ and Jilly can't wait until they're 29 - Ha Ha!
We also had the pleasure to meet Mike (or Michel / Michael - we were not sure whether to pronounce it as English, French or German pronunciation, so to be safe we used all three variants at one time or another).
As the evening proceeded, we played a game that I am sure you have all played at a dinner party before - "what's your porn star name?" If you haven't tried it before, why not do it right now?
There are various ways to do it, but our favourite is take the name of your first family pet, followed by the name of the first street you lived in.
For Russ: pet = Midge / road = Mountfitchet. Porn star name..... Midge Mountfitchet.
For Jill: Mimsy Mornington
Now they are both classic porn names (someone told me - I wouldn't know).
But Mike's porn star name was one of the best I have ever come across (if you see what I mean)....
His first pet was a german word that means kind of brown sugar, but we all agreed was most like "fudge" and his street was Kirche or "Church" in English.
We all decided that made his porn star name: Fudgy Church.
Not sure if that sounds like chaps-together type porn, or something from the Catholic speciality shelf! We should inform the Pope.
Cupid Stunt Meets Gloria Stitz
17th April 2010, by PlanetRuss
I was talking with a few colleagues at lunchtime in the office this week about brand attachment - the concept that someone would love a brand so much that they align their whole lifestyle to it, and hope that the perception of others is aligned with the same brand aspirations as their favourite.
There are easy examples of course, the most obvious being designer clothes brands like Hugo Boss and St Moritz Polo. Clearly people showing up in their Hilfiger polo says they have money and are fashionably cool. Or Fat Face which says I am a true casual and like outdoor activities like skiing and beach walking. (With fashion it's a bit easy to overdo it - like chavs dripping head to foot in Burberry - but you know what I mean).
The arch Love-Brand has to be Apple though, and we were talking about the new IPad and how at least two of us would get one at the earliest opportunity. In fact Jesse's wife is in the US at the moment and he sent her an email demanding "get one now!". I'll be trotting along to the Mac store as soon as they hit Switzerland - russandjilly.net is authored on a MacBook and I am forever downloading apps to my Ipod Touch.
But the main point of our conversation was the development of the brand behind BMW-owned Mini, and their new advertising hoardings that have appeared around the place. Not since the "Ali Kebap - New in Town" campaign has the appearance of posters made a buzz.
The Mini has had a playful persona since it's reintroduction, and with the launch of the new diesel they have developed a cheeky new strapline based on the fuel efficiency of the engines.
Unfortunately there are no images of the poster to show you so far, but I'll give you the strapline here and hopefully you get the idea.....
"Don't Be a GasHole"
Funny!
PS In the last post I mentioned that we were going to see the Nils Landgren Funk Unit on their Funk for Life tour. We went and the night was brilliant with the band performing the whole of the album and then an encore of earlier stuff - fantastic! If you like to funk yourself and you get a chance to see it I fully recommend it.
Funk is for Life - Not Just Easter
5th April 2010, by PlanetRuss
Hello Easter Bunnies - hope you had a good bank holiday.
We had Marion and James over for the weekend and a good time had by all; plenty of walking and fresh air, fondue and of course lots and lots of wine......
Meantime we are very excited, because this Friday 9th April, we're going to see the Nils Landgren Funk Unit at Kauflueten in Zurich as he proceeds around Europe on the Funk for Life tour. Before the music, here comes the background to the Funk for Life project.
The idea was put together by Nils Landgren together with fellow Jazz artist and funk unit member Magnum Coltrane Price and photographer Mattias Klum. It's basically a project that raises public awareness of the plight of those who live in the slums of Kenya, and working together with Medecins Sans Frontier and Air France they aim to help those that live in Kibera.
Kibera is Kenya's largest slum, covering an area of 2.5 square kilometers and home to over half a million people! The incidence of HIV affects 13% of this population, much higher than the average of 7% in Kenya generally. Nils has a history of supporting such ventures, having previously provided musical instruments and education to children in South Africa and Brazil.
There is an album to support the project and tour, and it's called (unsurprisingly) Funk for Life. The band will donate 1 euro of every album sold to the project.
And what a classy album of jazz and funk it is. It starts with a wonderfully smooth lilt with Kibera Sunrise, and that segues into the title track. Funk for Life drives along like Jeremy Clarkson in a new Aston Martin but without the piss-taking. Mag Runs the Voodoo Down features the vocals of Price and Landgren together and is truly catchy. In fact the whole album is classy, nostalgic funk, and when the band counts Ray (Ghostbusters) Parker Junior in the line up you can imagine the quality of the music. PlanetRuss thoroughly recommends this album to anyone who likes to move their stuff or shake their booty.
And we are very excited to be seeing the band for the second time. Last time we saw them in Dusseldorf and after the official set, the band just continued to jam and invited audience members to come onto the stage and join in with the jamming. Seeing people hanging off Ray Parker Junior as he was paying guitar was a fantastic sight! We are really looking forward to more of the same.
You can find out more information about the Funk for Life project by clicking here - there's even a competition where you can win tickets for two to see the band play in Paris!
And if you want to find out more about the Nils Landgren Funk Unit just go here.
Don't forget - keep funkin..........
Snow and Sun with Darren & Gill
20th March 2010, by russandjilly
Last time Gill and Darren came to visit it was autumn time and it rained non-stop, and the mountains resolutely refused to appear as they hid behind the clouds.
This time it was all different.....
We couldn't have imagined that the weather would be sooooo nice that we would be able to sit outside for drinks, and we even got hot walking in the snow up at Flumserberg.
We drove to Unterterzen on the banks of the Walensee, where there is a cable car that zooms you straight up to Tannenboden at 1300 metres. And from there it's a 45 minute walk up to the restaurant at Chruz another 200 metres higher. It was so warm that we all had to take our coats off.
As you can see below, it was sunglasses all around as we paused for a breather half way up. On the way down there were some dodgy moments as it proved to be a bit steep and slippy!
But on the flat we had a lovely walk and being a friday there were very few other people around so we had the place to ourselves!
The only downside of the snow and the sunshine was that Darren and Russ (both slightly follically challenged) both had burnt red heads afterwards, and even Gill and Jilly were a bit sun-faced.
Tasty! Spring Lamb Anyone?
As if the weather mentioned above was not clue enough, there's another way to tell that it's spring time.
We have some new neighbours, Hans sheep have had lambs - there were two born a few weeks ago, there are three due next week, and the ones pictured below are just six days old. In the picture you can see Hans' son Urs looking after the little fellas.
And Jilly couldn't resist having a stroke.......... Cute huh?
England Rugby? Balls......
14th March 2010, by PlanetRuss
Well what a very unpleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Watching so-called professional sportsmen play turgid rugby in front of a childish, booing Scottish crowd.
I'm sorry, but both England and Scotland have no chance in the world of rugby if you look at the magic of form teams like France and Ireland, who use flair, imagination, individual and team skills to produce something that anyone would actually want to go and watch.
Instead, we get a boring game peppered with threats of sin-bins due to sloppy schoolboy foul play, and a crowd that boo any time the opposition get a penalty kick. In fact the only time the crowd cheered was when the announcer said the Johnny Wilkinson was going off - a very adult reaction!
Ironically the Scottish football supporters are welcomed the world over for the cheery, colourful support and good nature - how can this booing, baying crowd be from the same streets?
The only excitement in the game was the score line that constantly remained at even-stevens, but not a spark from the play. And I would even go as far as to say that Martin Johnson and his team wasted 80 minutes of my life yesterday. I am seriously thinking about boycotting the team until they can earn my support.
And that's probably not a bad decision in advance of next weeks final match against France, where I forecast very bad things if England play the same way. We'll be cut open by the speed and agility of the French backs and I hope we get beaten well by them.
Maybe then someone will take the game seriously and train the squad to win.
Snowed-in in Barcelona? Yeah..... A likely tale!
You couldn't make it up! Last week I was in Barcelona on Monday and due to return to Zurich to catch a flight on to Helsinki on Tuesday.
So what?
Well you may have seen pictures from the Catalan capital, which had the worst snowfall for over 40 years on monday, resulting in the whole city grinding to a halt: The busses stopped because they were unsafe as they slipped about the place. No cars have winter tyres (of course) so were also waltzing elegantly into each other and roadside objects. The points controlling the trams froze up so they stopped and the trains ground to a halt too.
If you don't believe me, here's a pic taken from the staionary taxi. (I didn't go outside - I had nice leather soled shoes on and I didn't want to ruin them now did I?)
I sat with a colleague for 90 minutes in a taxi trying to get to the airport, to travel only 2 km before finally making our way back to the hotel we just left to spend an unscheduled additional night.
All that meant I missed my flight to Finland and had an unexpected week in the office after all.
By the way. We've all had a lot of snow this winter. It's been freezing cold.
So Question. Where are all the mouthy scientists who usually rant on about the global warming myth? Skiing?