Summer Afternoon on Lake Zürich

Summer in Zürich is all about the lake. You can walk (or cycle) along it, watch a movie by it, enjoy an apero while looking at it, sail (or paddle) over it, and of course swim in it.

But on a sleepy Saturday morning the best choice is a ride on a lake boat. Find a spot on the deck, settle in, take in the view, and just chill. Food and drink are optional, although the crowd of white-haired diners in second class seemed to feel otherwise as they attacked their lunches with gusto.

This Saturday we took the boat all the way to Rapperswil (we were headed to the British Cheese event at the Rappi Bier Factory), and the ride was absolutely perfect. The hum of the engine, the water sliding by, the pretty shore all made for a gentle glide upwards to full alertness by the time we reached Rapperswil.
 




Along the way we passed a sailboat regatta. (Pause for general boat envy and then to take some snaps. Because the boats are very pretty.) We then passed the Halbinsel Au and later Insel Ufenau, both of which looked worthy of active exploration on a later trip.

The big payoff is arriving in Rappi by water. The view of the medieval town–with its huge gray schloss (castle) rising above it and the monastery walls dressing its shore–is picture postcard perfect. Ashore, the waterfront is lovely, crowded with terraced restaurants overlooking the tiny marina. One jetty lined with plane trees looked like the perfect summer place to sit and relax with a book.

We might have lingered and wandered a bit through the twisty streets of the old center. Instead, eager for a Ploughman's lunch, we followed the Seestrasse through the old town and into the new, all the way to the old arsenal where the Rappi Bier Factory stands.

I'm sorry to report that we never did get our lunch. The crowds waiting for theirs at the Bier Factory were just too thick. We did get to drink a lovely Rappi stout and to meet two congenial expats. But it was Saturday and having refused to give over any time on Friday afternoon or Saturday morning in preparation for the weekly sabbath, we were forced to rush back to Zürich in order to hit the grocery store right before the 6:00 closing time.

Perhaps next week, we'll take a boat to Ufenau, or to Rapperswil again. Maybe Richterswil? Or we could just take a round trip tour. It's all about the lake.



Story by Kathy
Photos by Tylonbrew

Get Your Tickets Now: Orange Cinema is Back!

What's better than a summer movie? Watching it by the lake, of course. Every summer Zürich screens premiers and summer blockbusters outdoors by the Zürichsee.  Movies range from classics like Charlie Chaplin's Modern Times to summer fluff like Sex and the City 2 to weightier fare like Dessert Flower.

It's called Orange Cinema and it's a great way to while away the hours in the cool(er) evening air.

                                                                                   
The doors at the Zürichhorn open a couple of hours before the screening so that you can take full advantage of the drinks and snacks provided by vendors like Hiltil and Vinothek Brancaia. Your ticket also includes a free ice cream cone.

Tickets went on sale on the 6th and are selling out fast, so don't delay. Many shows are already sold out. Tickets are available online or at Orange Cinema ticket stands around town.

See you at the pictures!



Story by Kathy
Photo http://www.orangecinema.ch/

Züri Fäscht!

It only happens every three years, but it lasts for three days. It's big, it's loud, and it's all about summer fun along the lake. It's Züri Fäscht.

The streets along the lakeside from China Garten to Mythenquai and along the river up to the Bahnhofbrücke are closed and the entire area is transformed into a giant carnival. There are classic concessions offering everything from rides to games, food stands serving street food from roast pig to pizza, and bar tents pouring summer drinks from capirinhas to mojitos. Plus over 60 stages for live acts and DJ shows. And watersport competitions like dragonboat races, diving, and (cable) wakeboarding. And there are the fireworks. Two nights of fireworks. With music These were some of the best fireworks I've ever seen, and on these two windless nights all of the patterns set perfectly.

It's like Mardi Gras, the state fair, and July 4 rolled into one. It's brash and it's kinda cheesey. And it's a lot of fun.

It's actually almost too much fun, and we took it in small doses. Friday night fireworks were followed by Saturday's bright, hot weather, which was perfect for a stroll up to the cable-wakeboard event. We stopped along the way for capirinhas. Yum. And then fireworks again on Saturday night. Beautiful.

Story by Kathy
Photos by tylonbrew

Buenos Aires in Züri!

Combine a warm summer Züri evening with the nuevo tango beats of the Gotan Project and for a few hours you'll be transported to Buenos Aires.  When Gotan came to the Volkshaus this past week, even the normally shy Swiss crowd couldn't help but sashay and sway a little to the music.

I stumbled across the Gotan Project eight years ago in a collection of remixed jazz classics put out by Verve (Verve Remixed Volume 2). The Gotans (a jumble of the word tango called a Vesre that is very common in Lunfardo, a dialect of Rioplatense Spanish) had done a remix of Whatever Lola Wants and I found the combination of Sarah Vaughan's vocals with a deep dub groove and the mystery of the bandoleone absolutely mesmerizing. And addictive–I went on a mad search for anything I could find from this band and impatiently waited for every new release.  Having missed their stop in Seattle a few years ago, and then listening to their Live double-CD release (part of which was recorded at a music festival in Switzerland), I despaired of ever being able to see them live. This past Wednesday, the despair ended.

I think the combination of various trip-hop, dub and house rhythms and the romantic, tragic and absolutely heart-rending tones of tango makes a combination that moves you in the soul and in the seat.  You've more than likely already heard their music–the beat and tango combo is used in a lot of advertisements now to communicate sophistication and quality (especially Epoca).

The Gotan Project combined their impressive stage presence–dressed in 1930s deco-esque pinstripe suits, fedoras, and two-tone oxfords–with a multimedia presentation of various film pieces and homages to classic Spanish directors with perfect effect.  There was a seamless collaboration with the rappers Koxmoz on film with the live band in Mi Confesion. Then a strange and haunting game of chance with a woman with a stag's head on the big screen while the band played their mysterious soundtrack. Add the masterful light show and that, my friends, is entertainment. It was an especially joyful moment when Christopher Müller, keyboardist and electro-wizard of the band, shouted "Grüezi, mittenand!" and welcomed the crowd in his native Schweizerduetsch–a surprise to many, including me. (The seminal members of the band are Philippe Cohen Salal of France, and Eduardo Makaroff from Argetina, along with Müller.)

The band is touring their newest release, Tango 3.0, and the band managed to include a number of the tunes from this release in the play list. One of the more memorable tunes of the evening was a medley of Panamericana–almost US western but with a distinct pampas flavor–and the smooth incorporation of Triptico from their earlier La Revancha Del Tango album. This is not your average soulless techno, or the mostly boring acid jazz that dominates many of the categories that Gotan might fall into. Rather the band has created a whole new genre in electronic tango or "electro-tango," and while there are other dabblers in the mix–Dr. Rockit, Tchen Tchen, Akimov–Gotan Project has defined the boundaries and filled them up with an original, emotional, danceable and totally satisfying form of music.

If you were there in the Volkshaus Wednesday night, it was a huge pleasure to share one of my favorite bands with you. If you couldn't be there, you owe it to yourself to grab a dance partner, a bottle of Argentine Malbec, turn down the lights and put on a copy of the Gotan Project Live double CD.  It's OK if you cry a little, it's tango.

Partial playlist - not in order

Diferente
Lunatico
La Viguela
Criminal
Arrabal
Mi Confesion
Queremos Paz
Epoca
Santa María (Del Buen Ayre) (Live)
Nocturna
Tango Square
Panamericana
Amor Portno
Sola
Vuelvo Al Sur


Story and photos by tylonbrew