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Monday, April 24, 2023
AirPlus International Releases Industry Survey on the Travel Promotion Act
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - (Business Wire) AirPlus International, a global provider of corporate travel payment solutions, releases November’s The Wire…from AirPlus focused on the proposed U.S. Travel Promotion Act. Over 60 percent of respondents were not aware of the Act, with another 29 percent unsure of the details. Over 53% were unsure how the money collected would be used, and further, another 73% felt that if implemented, the fees would be reciprocated for U.S. travelers into other countries. For more details, including a complimentary PDF of the results, please visit the AirPlus Community.
“This Act will certainly have an impact on the travel industry overall, not just business travel. At AirPlus, we polled our industry colleagues to learn how they felt on the topic. Clearly, the results indicate that there is not enough awareness of the Act,” said Richard Crum, President of AirPlus International, Inc.
The Wire…from AirPlus is a monthly report on the pulse of the industry and its relevant topics. Results of this edition are based on a survey of 96 travel management professionals in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia/Pacific in November 2009. A link to the Travel Promotion Act website may be found here: http://poweroftravel.org/statistics/.
AirPlus International provides savings to over 32,000 customers worldwide through a suite of business travel payment solutions which include central bill accounts, corporate cards and online management tools. AirPlus is travel agency neutral, the leading issuer of UATP worldwide and the preferred partner of various airlines such as Air China, British Airways (NYSE:BAB), Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL), Luxair, Lufthansa German Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, TAP Portugal and Singapore Airlines. For more information, please visit www.airplus.com, contribute to our community at www.airpluscommunity.com, follow us at www.twitter.com/AirPlus, and become a fan at www.facebook.com/airplusinternational. Press may contact: Rana Walker, Marketing and Communications at +1 (703) 373-0947 or rwalker@airplus.com.
AirPlus International
Rana Walker, Marketing and Communications
+1 703-373-0947
:Article Source:
“This Act will certainly have an impact on the travel industry overall, not just business travel. At AirPlus, we polled our industry colleagues to learn how they felt on the topic. Clearly, the results indicate that there is not enough awareness of the Act,” said Richard Crum, President of AirPlus International, Inc.
The Wire…from AirPlus is a monthly report on the pulse of the industry and its relevant topics. Results of this edition are based on a survey of 96 travel management professionals in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia/Pacific in November 2009. A link to the Travel Promotion Act website may be found here: http://poweroftravel.org/statistics/.
AirPlus International provides savings to over 32,000 customers worldwide through a suite of business travel payment solutions which include central bill accounts, corporate cards and online management tools. AirPlus is travel agency neutral, the leading issuer of UATP worldwide and the preferred partner of various airlines such as Air China, British Airways (NYSE:BAB), Continental Airlines (NYSE:CAL), Luxair, Lufthansa German Airlines, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Air Lines, TAP Portugal and Singapore Airlines. For more information, please visit www.airplus.com, contribute to our community at www.airpluscommunity.com, follow us at www.twitter.com/AirPlus, and become a fan at www.facebook.com/airplusinternational. Press may contact: Rana Walker, Marketing and Communications at +1 (703) 373-0947 or rwalker@airplus.com.
AirPlus International
Rana Walker, Marketing and Communications
+1 703-373-0947
:Article Source:
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Christmas skiing in Zermatt
It's short notice, I know, but for a better-value family ski holiday (cheap might be asking a bit much at the present rate of exchange) try the week before Christmas – the only time of the winter when school holidays coincide with low-season prices. The snow is often good and the slopes are always empty
Prime candidates include Zermatt, where Europe's highest ski area straddles the Swiss-Italian border at the shoulder of the Matterhorn. Zermatt's winter season starts in October and it is one of the few resorts that puts more effort into the Christmas spirit than merely opening its shops. There are ski-testing weekends, special warm-up ski school weeks and attractive hotel-and-lift-pass packages.
This time last year they announced a new top-to-bottom ski race, The Infinity, to be held two days after the end of term. Top to bottom in Zermatt is not quite infinity, but it is about as close as skiing gets: an epic run of more than 20 kilometres for the 2,200m drop in altitude from the Klein Matterhorn (3,820m) to the village.
The format seemed surprisingly relaxed: no entry fee, few rules, and a family category with the generous provision that racers aged up to 12 would have their time divided by three. My son, who would be 12 years and 50 weeks on race day, saw his name on the trophy and a few short weeks later, as the strains of the last "O come let us adore him" rang out across the quad, we made our escape from school and a beeline for Switzerland, Infinity, and beyond.
"It must be difficult for you British this winter," said a man in a tight black vest, dumping our bags on a purple bearskin rug in our room at the hip new-look Hotel Post. "Would you like to order a packed lunch for tomorrow?" A packed lunch, in the mountain restaurant capital of the Alps? The full impact of the financial crisis hit home with a ghastly thud. A generation has passed since we were routinely patronised by hotel porters in this manner. I thanked him and said we would see how we got on.
After supper we attended a race briefing in a bar near the ice rink. Organiser Jürg Biner, a former Olympic freestyle skier, outlined his vision of Infinity. "It's a Chinese downhill," he said. "We all start together, and it's quite narrow up there, so no skating or pushing please." Jürg reckoned 11 minutes was the time to beat.
No pushing at the start? George hadn't heard anything so stupid since I asked him not to hit the ball at the opposing lady net player in the village mixed doubles. Was this a race, or a high altitude love-in? The Infinity sounded good to me: a brave throwback to the early days of skiing when our racing grandparents set off in a free-for-all "geschmozzle start" and came in with bloody noses and broken skis.
Then Jürg dropped his bombshell. With ''extreme weather'' forecast for the morning, the Infinity's chances were… infinitesimal. As a fallback he suggested catching an early train to Gornergrat for some fast skiing and an altitude drop of 1,150m on the 10km run back. Gornergrat was no substitute for Infinity, but on a day of freak storms when all Switzerland battened down the hatches, it gave us a thrilling kick-start to winter, on a longer run than top-to-bottom at most resorts. By the time we set off down it for the third time, our racecourse was more like a slalom than a downhill as the piste filled up with holiday skiers. Some stood aside and shook their fists at Jürg, while others put their heads down and joined in the fun.
As the weather deteriorated and chairlifts closed, we headed for our first post-Lehman Alpine lunch: two plates of carbo-loaded mountain fuel, a Coke, a glug of house wine, and no change from £50. Did someone mention a picnic?
Using the new high-speed rail link that has brought Zermatt an hour closer to Zurich, George and I took our act to the Bernese Oberland, swapping one Swiss beauty spot for another. "Arriving in Mürren is like coming home," George wrote in the diary I handed down as a punishment for beating me down the mountain in Zermatt. "Alan's hotel and Annelis's hotel are waiting there to welcome us, like smiling faces on the platform." It occurred to me that referring to a hotel not by its name but by that of its host is a sound measure of a good billet.
Alan (Ramsay, from Peebles) came to Mürren as a school leaver, banged on doors refusing to take no for an answer and worked bars until the owners of the wonderful Hotel Eiger ("Annelis's hotel") had the sense to entrust him with the job of reviving the run-down hotel next door. Alan and his wife have made The Eiger Guest House the perfect base for prime Swiss skiing on a budget.
Their upgrading campaign has reached a halfway stage where we can choose comfort with en suite for the parents and a bargain attic for the children. Alan pulls pints, waits tables, finds time to chat, keeps hot food waiting for late arrivals and stops working only if snow conditions absolutely require him to snatch an hour on the hill, where he skis in a kilt at high speed, as witnessed by an assortment of broken skis decorating the bar.
"What's for supper?" was George's first question. "Tongue," Alan said. "Unless you'd prefer rabbit." My son's opinion of The Eiger Guest House took an instant nose dive. He perked up when Alan produced pork and chips, and went stratospheric when he saw the games room – pool table, darts board, internet stations – empty and waiting for him. For George, pre-Christmas skiing means being able to yo-yo between Alan's pool table and Facebook at will.
Some Mürren regulars consider the Eigers – Hotel and Guesthouse – too inconveniently located for skiing, at the wrong end of the village for the serious business of the Schilthorn cable car. I enjoy the walk, but there is no denying that children take the pleasure out of a morning stroll, double its duration and start the family ski day on the wrong foot. George and I fell into the lazy habit of catching the train in the opposite direction for the five-minute journey to Winteregg, where an agonisingly slow chair lift gave us a back door into the ski area. This winter it has been replaced with something twice as fast and the new lift will enable us to ski across to the Schilthornbahn in no time, bypassing the village.
For a sleepy old resort like Mürren, this is seismic change. And it leaves the Eigers better placed than ever. Lifts open next Saturday, Alan's hotel on December 12, Annelis's hotel on December 16.
Getting there
Swiss (0845 601 0956; www.swiss.com) flies to Zurich from London City and Heathrow from £109 return, with no extra charge for ski equipment. Swiss Rail Passes at www.myswitzerland.com; from £75 for a transfer ticket (one return journey within Switzerland); children under 16 travel free.
Staying there
Zermatt Tourism (41 27 966 8100; www.zermatt.ch) can organise four nights’ b & b and four-day lift pass from £282 per person; many other packages including spa treatments, ski school and ski hire are also available.
Mürren Tourism (0041 33 8568686; www.muerren.ch) can organise two nights’ b & b and two-day lift pass at Eiger Guest House (www.eigerguesthouse.com) from £91; and Hotel Eiger (www.hoteleiger.com), from £170.
Further information
This season a six-day or longer lift pass for Zermatt or the Jungfrau region (Mürren, Wengen, Grindelwald) can be used for a day’s skiing in the other area, during the period of validity.
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Prime candidates include Zermatt, where Europe's highest ski area straddles the Swiss-Italian border at the shoulder of the Matterhorn. Zermatt's winter season starts in October and it is one of the few resorts that puts more effort into the Christmas spirit than merely opening its shops. There are ski-testing weekends, special warm-up ski school weeks and attractive hotel-and-lift-pass packages.
This time last year they announced a new top-to-bottom ski race, The Infinity, to be held two days after the end of term. Top to bottom in Zermatt is not quite infinity, but it is about as close as skiing gets: an epic run of more than 20 kilometres for the 2,200m drop in altitude from the Klein Matterhorn (3,820m) to the village.
The format seemed surprisingly relaxed: no entry fee, few rules, and a family category with the generous provision that racers aged up to 12 would have their time divided by three. My son, who would be 12 years and 50 weeks on race day, saw his name on the trophy and a few short weeks later, as the strains of the last "O come let us adore him" rang out across the quad, we made our escape from school and a beeline for Switzerland, Infinity, and beyond.
"It must be difficult for you British this winter," said a man in a tight black vest, dumping our bags on a purple bearskin rug in our room at the hip new-look Hotel Post. "Would you like to order a packed lunch for tomorrow?" A packed lunch, in the mountain restaurant capital of the Alps? The full impact of the financial crisis hit home with a ghastly thud. A generation has passed since we were routinely patronised by hotel porters in this manner. I thanked him and said we would see how we got on.
After supper we attended a race briefing in a bar near the ice rink. Organiser Jürg Biner, a former Olympic freestyle skier, outlined his vision of Infinity. "It's a Chinese downhill," he said. "We all start together, and it's quite narrow up there, so no skating or pushing please." Jürg reckoned 11 minutes was the time to beat.
No pushing at the start? George hadn't heard anything so stupid since I asked him not to hit the ball at the opposing lady net player in the village mixed doubles. Was this a race, or a high altitude love-in? The Infinity sounded good to me: a brave throwback to the early days of skiing when our racing grandparents set off in a free-for-all "geschmozzle start" and came in with bloody noses and broken skis.
Then Jürg dropped his bombshell. With ''extreme weather'' forecast for the morning, the Infinity's chances were… infinitesimal. As a fallback he suggested catching an early train to Gornergrat for some fast skiing and an altitude drop of 1,150m on the 10km run back. Gornergrat was no substitute for Infinity, but on a day of freak storms when all Switzerland battened down the hatches, it gave us a thrilling kick-start to winter, on a longer run than top-to-bottom at most resorts. By the time we set off down it for the third time, our racecourse was more like a slalom than a downhill as the piste filled up with holiday skiers. Some stood aside and shook their fists at Jürg, while others put their heads down and joined in the fun.
As the weather deteriorated and chairlifts closed, we headed for our first post-Lehman Alpine lunch: two plates of carbo-loaded mountain fuel, a Coke, a glug of house wine, and no change from £50. Did someone mention a picnic?
Using the new high-speed rail link that has brought Zermatt an hour closer to Zurich, George and I took our act to the Bernese Oberland, swapping one Swiss beauty spot for another. "Arriving in Mürren is like coming home," George wrote in the diary I handed down as a punishment for beating me down the mountain in Zermatt. "Alan's hotel and Annelis's hotel are waiting there to welcome us, like smiling faces on the platform." It occurred to me that referring to a hotel not by its name but by that of its host is a sound measure of a good billet.
Alan (Ramsay, from Peebles) came to Mürren as a school leaver, banged on doors refusing to take no for an answer and worked bars until the owners of the wonderful Hotel Eiger ("Annelis's hotel") had the sense to entrust him with the job of reviving the run-down hotel next door. Alan and his wife have made The Eiger Guest House the perfect base for prime Swiss skiing on a budget.
Their upgrading campaign has reached a halfway stage where we can choose comfort with en suite for the parents and a bargain attic for the children. Alan pulls pints, waits tables, finds time to chat, keeps hot food waiting for late arrivals and stops working only if snow conditions absolutely require him to snatch an hour on the hill, where he skis in a kilt at high speed, as witnessed by an assortment of broken skis decorating the bar.
"What's for supper?" was George's first question. "Tongue," Alan said. "Unless you'd prefer rabbit." My son's opinion of The Eiger Guest House took an instant nose dive. He perked up when Alan produced pork and chips, and went stratospheric when he saw the games room – pool table, darts board, internet stations – empty and waiting for him. For George, pre-Christmas skiing means being able to yo-yo between Alan's pool table and Facebook at will.
Some Mürren regulars consider the Eigers – Hotel and Guesthouse – too inconveniently located for skiing, at the wrong end of the village for the serious business of the Schilthorn cable car. I enjoy the walk, but there is no denying that children take the pleasure out of a morning stroll, double its duration and start the family ski day on the wrong foot. George and I fell into the lazy habit of catching the train in the opposite direction for the five-minute journey to Winteregg, where an agonisingly slow chair lift gave us a back door into the ski area. This winter it has been replaced with something twice as fast and the new lift will enable us to ski across to the Schilthornbahn in no time, bypassing the village.
For a sleepy old resort like Mürren, this is seismic change. And it leaves the Eigers better placed than ever. Lifts open next Saturday, Alan's hotel on December 12, Annelis's hotel on December 16.
Getting there
Swiss (0845 601 0956; www.swiss.com) flies to Zurich from London City and Heathrow from £109 return, with no extra charge for ski equipment. Swiss Rail Passes at www.myswitzerland.com; from £75 for a transfer ticket (one return journey within Switzerland); children under 16 travel free.
Staying there
Zermatt Tourism (41 27 966 8100; www.zermatt.ch) can organise four nights’ b & b and four-day lift pass from £282 per person; many other packages including spa treatments, ski school and ski hire are also available.
Mürren Tourism (0041 33 8568686; www.muerren.ch) can organise two nights’ b & b and two-day lift pass at Eiger Guest House (www.eigerguesthouse.com) from £91; and Hotel Eiger (www.hoteleiger.com), from £170.
Further information
This season a six-day or longer lift pass for Zermatt or the Jungfrau region (Mürren, Wengen, Grindelwald) can be used for a day’s skiing in the other area, during the period of validity.
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Share |
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/snowandski/6642550/Christmas-skiing-in-Zermatt.html
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Snow and Ski Get feed updatesTravel Get feed updatesBudget Travel Get feed updatesSwitzerland Get feed updatesRELATED PARTNERS
20% - 40% off advance ski hire from Skiset
Cheap ski holidays from Thomas Cook
Ski and board kit from Snow & Rock
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Sunday, June 19, 2022
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Saturday, May 28, 2011
Swiss press cynical about Mladic arrest
Thursday's news that Serb General Ratko Mladic had finally been apprehended for genocide marked the culmination of a busy and significant period in the development of international criminal law.
The new Egyptian regime confirmed this week, for instance, that former president Hosni Mubarak would be tried in an Egyptian court for the pre-meditated murder of protesters during this winter's populous uprising. Similarly, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced last week that he had requested permission to open an investigation into the postelection violence in Côte d'Ivoire, where former president Laurent Gbagbo refused for months to cede power to his democratically elected successor. And strikingly, when the UN Security Council drew up its initial list of measures to address the violence that Colonel Moammar Gadhafi was directing against the Libyan people, a referral of the situation to the International Criminal Court figured prominently.
The timing was perfect,” observed La Tribune de Genève.
“What a coincidence.” The arrest came on the day the EU’s top diplomat Catherine Ashton was in Belgrade. And at the same time, the prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was preparing to go before the UN to lambast Serbia for its insufficient efforts, the paper noted.
One year away from elections, pro-European Tadic also “needed to offer hope to a population shaken by the economic crisis. A candidature for the EU, that will improve prospects!”
While the arrest has been celebrated as historic in Europe, it won’t be making everyone happy in Serbia, the paper added. With Mladic regarded by some as a national hero, “these proud people hate to deliver their citizens to an international tribunal that is accused of dispensing the ‘justice of superiors’”.
“With the arrest of Mladic, Serbia has closed a dark chapter of its history,” wrote the Tages-Anzeiger’s correspondent in the Balkans.
Over the past 16 years, the Belgrade authorities have often led the West on about arresting Mladic, who has benefited from the protection of the army and the secret services in the meantime. These units have blood on their hands over the Bosnian war and still have no interest in ensuring all the truth is revealed. But this clique has now lost its influence, the paper said.
Moreover, Tadic has understood that anti-western politicians, ultra-nationalist parties and reform opponents no longer go down well with the Serbian people.
The UN Security Council created the "ad hoc" War Crimes Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda to address the tandem great humanitarian disasters of the 1990s. The project was nonetheless slow to develop, as there was much to be done: Tribunals were created and staffed from the ground up, criminal investigations were conducted and indictments drawn up, and, of course, key accused were tracked and extradited to the tribunals for trial.
None of this was easy, but the greater goal of justice for the victims and -just possibly-potential deterrence of future crimes, guided those who led the second wave of international criminal justice.
The 1998 creation of the permanent International Criminal Court further bolstered international criminal law immeasurably. The Hague-based Court was formed under the belief that the creation of successive ad hoc tribunals to address individual humanitarian crises was simply unsustainable. The creation of mixed international and domestic war crimes tribunals in Sierra Leone and Cambodia -the latter, a shocking three decades after the genocide that prompted its creation -further led to a sense of "tribunal fatigue" among many in foreign policy circles.
What was needed was one court that could respond to crises that would not be addressed domestically, a court that would be ready to react with indictments as soon as guns were first directed against civilians.
Over the past months, the International Criminal Court has proven its ability to do just that. Given that the permanent court is ever at the ready, what the international community was unable to do in previous conflicts -refer a developing humanitarian crisis immediately to an independent international war crimes court -has become a truly viable option.
La Liberté said that in one move Serbia had reconciled somewhat with its history while at the same time preparing for its future. Now, Serbia could “dream of Europe”.
“No arrest, no integration,” said the paper’s editorial. “The capture of Ratko Mladic was a key condition for Serbia to enter the European house. Yesterday, with one hand the government delivered the fugitive, with the other it was knocking harder than ever at the EU’s door.”
But it warned that while it had made an important step towards its candidature for the EU, “the road to Brussels is still long and there are many obstacles still to overcome”.
The country needs to fight against corruption and the influence of criminal networks and deal with its refusal to recognise Kosovo’s independence. After that, it still needs the backing of the EU’s 27 members.
But the EU has been exhausted by the latest entries of its poorest nations Bulgaria and Romania and with its less than reassuring economic indicators, Serbia doesn’t have the best profile for seducing the union, said La Liberté. “Just one rejection by a country would pour cold water on Serbia’s aspirations”, it noted.
The Neue Zürcher Zeitung saw the arrest as the result of both pragmatism by the Serbian authorities and pressure being exerted from outside.
According to the paper, Serbia now regards EU membership as more important than Mladic, a figure who represents a dark period that Belgrade would prefer to have nothing more to do with.
Its major obstacle towards EU membership is now out of the way, especially if Belgrade is cooperative over Kosovo, the paper noted.
Swiss bank official defends new regulations
Swiss banking rules which require banks including UBS AG (UBSN) and Credit Suisse Group AG (CSGN) to increase their capital, won’t impair the banks’ competitiveness, Swiss National Bank Deputy Chairman Thomas Jordan said in an interview with Neue Zuercher Zeitung.
It is “important” the banks keep their headquarters in Switzerland, the Zurich-based newspaper quoted Jordan as saying.
Switzerland is at the forefront of a global push for stricter oversight of systemically important banks and the Swiss parliament will have its final say on a draft law proposing tougher rules this autumn.
"The Swiss initiative will considerably ease the 'too big to fail' problem. However, the possibility that the state will have to intervene again cannot be ruled out for all times," Jordan said.
Switzerland had to bail out UBS during the financial crisis, when the bank was on the brink of bankruptcy.
The two banks, which participated in developing the new capital rules, have said they were concerned about competitiveness if Switzerland adopted much stricter rules than regulators abroad.
The fact the new capital requirements would not only apply to the banks on group level, but also to their Swiss parent companies has prompted criticism from the banks.
Parliament will consider the new rules in the coming summer and autumn sittings. If approved, the regulations could come into force in early 2012.
Jordan said that banks must "make an effort" to apply the new rules, noting they could have to build up extra capital and review their organisations.
"But I also want to stress that if these conditions are applied, then the large Swiss banks will be outstanding international finance institutions and will set themselves apart from foreign competition."
In October 2010, a commission of experts advised the Swiss government to take tougher measures than imposed by Basel III international standards, which require banks to raise their high-quality core common equity to 7.0 percent of assets from the current 2.0 percent.
Swiss experts have called for a 10 percent level as well as an additional stock of convertible bonds, which could be turned into capital in case of difficulties.
The Federal Council wants to avoid a repetition of the situation which drove banking giant UBS close to collapse in 2008.
The institution had to be shored up by a multi-billion dollar state rescue package.
UBS recently said it feared negative repercussions for the Swiss finance sector as a result of the new regulations however.
Dollar Steady After Drop, Swiss Franc Extends Record Run
NEW YORK, - The euro took off against the dollar on Friday, helped by comments out of Europe suggesting that Greece should be able to handle its heavy debt load.
The euro, however, hit a record low versus the Swiss franc, as did the dollar, indicating investors remained worried that sovereign debt problems in Europe, a divisive budget debate in Washington, and low U.S. interest rates that would hamper both currencies.
The euro's rally versus the dollar gained momentum in the New York session after a member of the European Central Bank Governing Council, George Provopoulos, said Greece will be able to repay its debt in full without restructuring if it sticks to an austerity plan. For details,
The comments by Provopoulos, who is also head of Greece's central bank, were followed by remarks from French President Nicolas Sarkozy, who said France would defend and support the euro. Sarkozy also said the country opposed any kind of debt restructuring for Greece.
Swiss Exports
Switzerland’s economy is showing few signs of slowing down as the lowest unemployment rate in more than two years bolsters household demand and booming Asian markets fuel export growth. Nestle SA (NESN), the world’s biggest food company, last month forecast profitability to improve in the second half and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development said on May 25 the economy is showing a “strong recovery.”
The International Monetary Fund said yesterday that Swiss gross domestic product may rise 2.4 percent this year and 1.8 percent in 2012, after increasing 2.6 percent in 2010. The Swiss government will report first-quarter GDP on May 31.
The franc is considered a haven currency, along with the dollar and the yen, even as their growth and fiscal outlooks differ because Swiss, American and Japanese investors tend to invest abroad and send money home during crises, according to UBS AG.
The bank estimated that Swiss unit trusts have around 70 percent of their total assets in foreign investment, compared with 45 percent among similar Japanese assets and around 25 percent for U.S. mutual funds. Financial funds in the euro region have less than 20 percent of their assets in foreign countries.
Swiss government bonds were little changed, with 10-year note yield at 1.82 percent. Swiss securities handed investors a 1.7 percent gain this month, compared with a 1.6 percent return from German debt and a loss of 1.7 percent from Greek bonds, according to indexes compiled by the European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies
Simona De Silvestro still upbeat for Indianapolis 500 despite burned hands
22-year-old Swiss with HVM Racing spoke to swissinfo.ch from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where she will be one of four women to race in the 100th anniversary of the world-class event.
The 500-mile-long contest – where 33 drivers compete at speeds close to 230mph (370 km/h) – is nothing new to de Silvestro, the most decorated female driver in the history of the Atlantic series of open-wheel racing. Last year the Swiss was named Rookie of the Year during her first Indy 500, in which she finished 14th. In 2009 she had no fewer than nine podium finishes.
But things quickly went wrong during this year’s Indy practice rounds. Coming into a corner on May 19, de Silvestro lost control after the rear suspension failed, sending her #78 Nuclear Clean Air Energy car airborne and into a catch fence before grinding to a fiery halt.
“It got pretty hot in there,” said de Silvestro, who was quickly freed from the wreckage, whisked to hospital and considers herself lucky to have walked away.
Despite second- and third-degree burns to her hands, two days later the Thun-born racer grabbed the wheel of “Pork Chop”, an older, heavier backup car, and clocked an average speed of 224.392 mph. It was enough to put her back in the race.
Not only did she make the grid in 24th spot for the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing", De Silvestro did it in her 2003 backup car 5km/h faster than in the HVM Racing No1 car.
And, to make things more difficult, she had to pilot the car at nearly 360km/h with second-degree burns on her hands.
De Silvestro told the Weekend Herald how she managed to get a gig in IndyCars.
"It's a dream come true for me to be racing in IndyCar.
"I worked really hard to be here and sacrificed a lot but it's really paying off now, and I want to be remembered as a really good IndyCar driver.
"I did my first test in 2009 and it went quite well and everyone liked how I worked and I was pretty quick. I supposed you'd really have to ask the team why they picked me."
What makes De Silvestro's qualifying run even more remarkable is that one of the patriarchal families of IndyCar Racing, Andretti Racing, could only qualify three of their five cars - and one of those spots was bought from AJ Foyt.
De Silvestro will be in 24th spot when the flag drops with the three other women drivers in the field - Danica Patrick, Pippa Mann and Anna Beatriz - in 26th, 32nd and 33rd respectively.
"Qualifying is the most nervous part of the whole time with so many cars trying to qualify," she said.
De Silvestro won the Indy 500 rookie of the year in 2010 after finishing 14th.
Foyt agreed, and Hunter-Reay took over a car driven by Brazilian Bruno Junqueira that had qualified. But because of the switch, Hunter-Reay's No. 41 car will start at the rear of the field.
"[It's an] awkward position to say the least," Hunter-Reay said. "I feel absolutely horrible for Bruno. But this whole deal is not about me.
"I talked to Bruno right after this," Hunter-Reay said. "He understands it's big-league sports."
Patrick denies jump to NASCAR
Danica Patrick denied a report this week that she was making plans to definitely switch to NASCAR stock-car racing full-time next year.
"That is not true at all, not at all," Patrick said. "There haven't been any decisions made."
Patrick, 29, has been competing part-time in NASCAR's second-level Nationwide Series around her IndyCar schedule and has said she is mulling whether to choose one series or the other in 2012 or continue dividing her season.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Switzerland modern market economy
Switzerland is a peaceful, prosperous, and modern market economy with low unemployment, a highly skilled labor force, and a per capita GDP among the highest in the world. Switzerland's economy benefits from a highly developed service sector, led by financial services, and a manufacturing industry that specializes in high-technology, knowledge-based production. In recent years the Swiss have...................
Read More:http://wsjr.nl/Switzerland.htm
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Swiss Forex Twitter
Swiss franc rallied versus its main rivals as traders on expectations of Switzerland's inflation report for June. The alpine currency thus, climbed to a 4-day high against the euro and the US dollar and rebounded from its early Asian session's 4-day low against the yen.
Switzerland's Federal Statistical Office is due to unveil its consumer price index for June at 3:15 am ET. The CPI is expected to rise 0.9% on year, while a 0.1% decline is expected on the month. In May, the consumer price annual inflation slowed to 1.1% from 1.4% in April. The annual rate stood below the expected 1.2%. Month-on-month, consumer prices dropped 0.1% in May, while economists had been expecting it to stay flat.
Slowing down the inflation may prompt the Swiss National Bank to hold the interest rate steady for sometimes now, which in turn makes the franc less attractive to investors. Data released from Switzerland yesterday showed that retail sales growth in May accelerated to 3.8% year-on-year from the prior reading of 1.3% on year. However, the pace of the growth slowed to 1.3 percent on month from 1.5% reading in April.
The Swiss franc advanced to a 4-day high of 1.3291 against the euro around 11:35 pm ET and the next likely resistance level for the domestic currency is seen at 1.3170. Thereafter, eur/CHF pair moved sideways and is presently quoted at 1.3297.
Against the US dollar also, the Swiss currency soared to a 4-day high of 1.0605 at this time and a move above the 1.0580 resistance could set its strongest level in nearly 3 months. usd/CHF pair is presently quoted at 1.0611.
The Swiss franc rose to as high as 1.6060 against the pound around 11:40 pm ET and the pair moved sideways thereafter. The domestic unit thus tested yesterday's 4-day high of 1.6058 against the pound. GBP/CHF rally is presently worth 1.6070 with 1.60 seen as the next likely target level.
Bouncing back from its early Asian session's 4-day low of 82.03 against the yen, the Swiss franc reached as high as 82.67 before leveling off around 11:35 pm ET. CHF/JPY pair is presently quoted at 82.61 and the next upside target is likely to be seen around the 82.80 level in near-term.
Opening a Swiss bank account
In the internet age is a very easy thing to do. The main reason for opening a Swiss bank account is for the extreme security and privacy Swiss Banks uphold thanks to Swiss laws that have been in effect for over 75 years. Contrary to popular belief, opening a Swiss bank account does not always mean that you are a tax evader, criminal, or money launderer.
Swiss bank accounts can protect one’s money from prying relatives, nasty divorce settlements, lawsuits, and more. Some people just want a Swiss bank account because of the allure and mystery often attached to Swiss bank accounts, but whatever your reasons it is relatively easy to find a bank and open an account.
You’ll want to start your search online and be sure to look for trusted and well known Swiss banks. UBS and Credit Suisse are two of the largest Swiss banks and have sprawling international networks available. Many Swiss banks like most banks these days will allow you to set up and open an account online securely. The initial deposits may be higher for some accounts and some accounts may come with annual fees. Obviously you’ll need to have an existing account through which to transfer money to your new Swiss bank account with.
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Swiss Will Not Release Polanski Before Monday
ZURICH (Reuters) - Swiss authorities will not release Roman Polanski into house arrest at his luxury Alpine chalet until Monday at the earliest as bail conditions still have to be met.
A spokesman for the Justice Department said on Friday Polanski would not be allowed to travel to his holiday home in the ski resort of Gstaad until next week. The department will issue a statement as soon as he is freed, the spokesman said.
"The conditions have not yet been fulfilled," he said.
Polanski's is fighting extradition to face U.S. sentencing over a 1977 case of unlawful sex with a 13-year-old girl.
The Swiss government announced on Thursday it would not appeal against a court ruling allowing Polanski to be freed as soon as electronic monitoring is ready and he posts $4.5 million bail, surrenders his identity and travel documents.
The 76-year-old Oscar-winning director, who holds dual French and Polish citizenship, was arrested at the request of the United States when he flew into Switzerland on September 26 to receive a lifetime achievement prize at a film festival.
Polanski was originally indicted on six charges, including rape, for having sex after plying the girl with champagne and drugs. He pleaded guilty to one count of sex with a minor.
But he skipped bail and fled before the case was concluded, believing a judge would sentence him to prison despite a plea for time already served.
The Swiss Justice Department is expected to decide "within weeks" on Polanski's possible extradition, but he could still appeal, potentially dragging out the dispute for months. He faces up to two years in a U.S. prison if he is extradited.
Polanski's films include "The Pianist" in 2002 for which he won an Academy Award, "Rosemary's Baby," "Repulsion" and "Knife in the Water."
:Article Source:abcnews.go.com
HSBC, Standard Chartered Lead Dubai Loans
4:00 PM London, 11:00 AM New York – UK stocks rebounded after early losses on the worries that Dubai debt rollover may presage a wider problem in the region. The banks in the UK and Europe dropped more than 5% after RBS confirmed that UK banks have $50 billion of loan exposure to UAE.
UK stocks managed to erase losses in the day on the worries that Dubai loan rescheduling may generate losses at UK banks. Royal Bank of Scotland said that UK banks have nearly $50 billion of loans exposure to U.A.E.
RBS also said that French banks have loans $11.3 billion and German banks have loaned $10.2 billion. Swiss banks have loaned $4.3 billion and Italian banks have lent $1.9 billion to the emirates. The data reflect direct lending at the end of June and does not capture the bonds issued and securitized by banks.
According to the data available from Bank of International Settlements and Emirates Banks Association said that HSBC had the highest loan exposure to UAE that may be as high as $11 billion followed by Standard Chartered Bank with $7.8 billion.
The FTSE 100 Index closed higher 60.24 or 1.1% to 5,254.37 and the pound edged lower to close at $1.643 and at €1.102.
Gainers & Losers
Accident Exchange Group Plc closed unchanged at 14.00 pence.
Ascent Resources Plc dropped 4.0% to 6.24 pence after the oil and gas explorer has conditionally raised £6 million through the sale of 120 million new ordinary shares at a price of 5 pence per share.
The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC rose 0.9% to 194.10 pence after the mobile phone retailer said first-half revenues rose 13% to £789 million from £697 million a year ago. Net profit for the first-half fell 96.5% to £20 million or 2.2 pence per diluted share compared to net profit of £574 million or 62.6 pence per share a year ago.
Chamberlin plc closed unchanged at 50.50 pence after the foundry and engineering firm said that demand has largely stabilized in most areas of the business and some sectors appear to be showing signs of recovery.
Domino''s Pizza UK & IRL plc rose 1.0% to 298.00 pence.
Hilton Food Group Plc increased 3.3% to 186.00 pence after the meatpacker said that it has signed a long term agreement with Coop Danmark, Denmark’s leading food retailer, to supply retail packaged fresh meat from 2011.
Hogg Robinson Group plc closed unchanged at 38.00 pence an international corporate travel services company said first-half revenues fell 9% to £155.3 million from £171 million a year ago. Net profit for the first-half fell 50% to £1.7 million or 0.5 pence per diluted share compared to net profit of £3.4 million or 1.1 pence per share a year ago.
Holidaybreak plc added 2.4% to 255 pence after the travel group said full-year revenues rose 4% to £473.4 million from £455.1 million a year ago. Net profit for the full-year fell 84% to £2.8 million or 4.7 pence per diluted share compared to net profit of £18 million or 31.3 pence per share a year ago.
International Public Partnership Limited the public and social infrastructure investment group rose 0.2% to 114.00 pence.
Morgan Sindall plc the contractor fell 0.5% to 529.50 pence.
Pinewood Shepperton plc fell 3.8% to 126.00 pence after the film studio said the planning application was refused on October 21, principally on the grounds that the development is in the green belt. The company will contest this application.
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc the bank added 1.5% to 33.50 pence and the bank has agreed to join the Asset Protection Scheme proposed by the UK government which will be put to the shareholders’ approval on December 15.
The bank also led the consortium of banks to raise debt for Dubai and said that UK and European banks are lead lenders to Dubai World.
RPC Group Plc advanced 4.7% to 226.00 pence after the manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging said first-half revenues fell 7.6% to £351.9 million from £381 million a year ago. Net profit for the first-half was £8.0 million or 8.0 pence per diluted share compared to net loss of £3.1 million or 3.1 pence per share a year ago.
SnackTime PLC the vending machine operator increased 5.4% to 192.50 pence.
:Article Source:ticker.com
UK stocks managed to erase losses in the day on the worries that Dubai loan rescheduling may generate losses at UK banks. Royal Bank of Scotland said that UK banks have nearly $50 billion of loans exposure to U.A.E.
RBS also said that French banks have loans $11.3 billion and German banks have loaned $10.2 billion. Swiss banks have loaned $4.3 billion and Italian banks have lent $1.9 billion to the emirates. The data reflect direct lending at the end of June and does not capture the bonds issued and securitized by banks.
According to the data available from Bank of International Settlements and Emirates Banks Association said that HSBC had the highest loan exposure to UAE that may be as high as $11 billion followed by Standard Chartered Bank with $7.8 billion.
The FTSE 100 Index closed higher 60.24 or 1.1% to 5,254.37 and the pound edged lower to close at $1.643 and at €1.102.
Gainers & Losers
Accident Exchange Group Plc closed unchanged at 14.00 pence.
Ascent Resources Plc dropped 4.0% to 6.24 pence after the oil and gas explorer has conditionally raised £6 million through the sale of 120 million new ordinary shares at a price of 5 pence per share.
The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC rose 0.9% to 194.10 pence after the mobile phone retailer said first-half revenues rose 13% to £789 million from £697 million a year ago. Net profit for the first-half fell 96.5% to £20 million or 2.2 pence per diluted share compared to net profit of £574 million or 62.6 pence per share a year ago.
Chamberlin plc closed unchanged at 50.50 pence after the foundry and engineering firm said that demand has largely stabilized in most areas of the business and some sectors appear to be showing signs of recovery.
Domino''s Pizza UK & IRL plc rose 1.0% to 298.00 pence.
Hilton Food Group Plc increased 3.3% to 186.00 pence after the meatpacker said that it has signed a long term agreement with Coop Danmark, Denmark’s leading food retailer, to supply retail packaged fresh meat from 2011.
Hogg Robinson Group plc closed unchanged at 38.00 pence an international corporate travel services company said first-half revenues fell 9% to £155.3 million from £171 million a year ago. Net profit for the first-half fell 50% to £1.7 million or 0.5 pence per diluted share compared to net profit of £3.4 million or 1.1 pence per share a year ago.
Holidaybreak plc added 2.4% to 255 pence after the travel group said full-year revenues rose 4% to £473.4 million from £455.1 million a year ago. Net profit for the full-year fell 84% to £2.8 million or 4.7 pence per diluted share compared to net profit of £18 million or 31.3 pence per share a year ago.
International Public Partnership Limited the public and social infrastructure investment group rose 0.2% to 114.00 pence.
Morgan Sindall plc the contractor fell 0.5% to 529.50 pence.
Pinewood Shepperton plc fell 3.8% to 126.00 pence after the film studio said the planning application was refused on October 21, principally on the grounds that the development is in the green belt. The company will contest this application.
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group plc the bank added 1.5% to 33.50 pence and the bank has agreed to join the Asset Protection Scheme proposed by the UK government which will be put to the shareholders’ approval on December 15.
The bank also led the consortium of banks to raise debt for Dubai and said that UK and European banks are lead lenders to Dubai World.
RPC Group Plc advanced 4.7% to 226.00 pence after the manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging said first-half revenues fell 7.6% to £351.9 million from £381 million a year ago. Net profit for the first-half was £8.0 million or 8.0 pence per diluted share compared to net loss of £3.1 million or 3.1 pence per share a year ago.
SnackTime PLC the vending machine operator increased 5.4% to 192.50 pence.
:Article Source:ticker.com
Lauren DeTurk is now playing professional volleyball
Former Yucaipa High alumnus Lauren DeTurk is currently playing professional volleyball in Switzerland for the Saignelegier club team. DeTurk was offered the contract after playing at Northeastern University in Boston where she was Colonial Athletic Association 2008 Player Of the Year.
DeTurk is helping Saignelegier toward the “B” League championship which has already qualified for the Swiss Cup. There are three other Californians on her Saignelegier team: Kristin Kelly, Devon Sutherland and Emily Day. Their coach is Kevin Wray, a former assistant at Golden West College in Hun-tington Beach. There are a total of six American players on the Saignelegier team. “Lauren really enjoys it there and with the other English speaking girls, can travel around the country,” said DeTurk's mother, Betsy. According to Betsy DeTurk, her daughter signed a one-year contract and will return to America in April, when she will tryout for an Associated Volleyball Professionals beach team. She will ultimately return to Northeastern to complete her coursework for a biology degree. “It’s funny that the United States has some of the best Olympic volleyball, yet has no professional team leagues.”
Betsy DeTurk is the current boys junior varsity coach at Yucaipa High. She said that professional volleyball is very big around the world. “Six-figure salaries are common and in Russia, professional male players can earn $600,000 per season.”
After playing four years at Yucaipa High for coach Gail Diliberto, DeTurk earned a scholarship to Northeastern, a NCAA Division 1 school founded in 1898. Along with a number of All-League honors, DeTurk led Northeastern to the CAA League title in 2008 with a 12-2 record (19-11 overall). She was the sixth player in school history to surpass 1,000 kills and digs. Her 1,330 kills were third in school history. DeTurk was first team all-Colonial Athletic Association and East Region honorable mention.
She was a member of Northeastern’s track team, increasing her personal best in the javelin throw at every meet. She placed third in the javelin at the 2008 Eastern Regionals.
:Article Source:newsmirror.net
DeTurk is helping Saignelegier toward the “B” League championship which has already qualified for the Swiss Cup. There are three other Californians on her Saignelegier team: Kristin Kelly, Devon Sutherland and Emily Day. Their coach is Kevin Wray, a former assistant at Golden West College in Hun-tington Beach. There are a total of six American players on the Saignelegier team. “Lauren really enjoys it there and with the other English speaking girls, can travel around the country,” said DeTurk's mother, Betsy. According to Betsy DeTurk, her daughter signed a one-year contract and will return to America in April, when she will tryout for an Associated Volleyball Professionals beach team. She will ultimately return to Northeastern to complete her coursework for a biology degree. “It’s funny that the United States has some of the best Olympic volleyball, yet has no professional team leagues.”
Betsy DeTurk is the current boys junior varsity coach at Yucaipa High. She said that professional volleyball is very big around the world. “Six-figure salaries are common and in Russia, professional male players can earn $600,000 per season.”
After playing four years at Yucaipa High for coach Gail Diliberto, DeTurk earned a scholarship to Northeastern, a NCAA Division 1 school founded in 1898. Along with a number of All-League honors, DeTurk led Northeastern to the CAA League title in 2008 with a 12-2 record (19-11 overall). She was the sixth player in school history to surpass 1,000 kills and digs. Her 1,330 kills were third in school history. DeTurk was first team all-Colonial Athletic Association and East Region honorable mention.
She was a member of Northeastern’s track team, increasing her personal best in the javelin throw at every meet. She placed third in the javelin at the 2008 Eastern Regionals.
:Article Source:newsmirror.net
Ex-Canuck loving it in Switzerland
ZURICH, Switzerland -- Josh Holden is not easy to spot on the ice at Hallenstadion.
Nor are any of his EV Zug teammates or host ZSC Lions opponents because Swiss National League A uniforms are plastered with sponsors' logos from helmets to ankles. The leading scorers wear golden jerseys sponsored by Switzerland's post office.
The 1996 Vancouver Canucks' first round pick's name is on his lower back, not shoulders, and his number 27 is barely visible. He does get noticed when he sets up Fabian Schnyder for their club's only goal midway through the game. The chanting, scarf-waving fans from Zug (pronounced Zoog) enjoy a lone moment to rejoice during the 4-1 Thursday loss.
"They're right into the game," Holden says. "Back home it's a pastime to go and enjoy hockey, sit and watch and analyze. Here they come and jump and bang drums, scream and holler and throw beer."
Teams play 50-game regular seasons. The top eight make the playoffs while the bottom four play their own post-season tournament to decide which team gets relegated to the B-division. The three-metres-wider international rinks mean the hockey is more tactical and less physical. The shorter season in a small country also means less travel. Zug is just a half-hour from Zurich. The team's longest road trip is just over three hours by bus to Geneva.
"You can store more energy and rely on your strength and power," he said. "Even if you have an injury too you can wear it off and be ready for the next game.
The 31-year-old Calgary native, who has four children, had stints with Vancouver, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs before going to Finland's HPK Hameenlinna to keep working amid the 2004-2005 NHL lockout. Holden is in his second year in Zug, his third stop in the Swiss league after two years with Fribourg-Gotteron and one in Langnau.
:Article Source:vancouver.24hrs.ca
Nor are any of his EV Zug teammates or host ZSC Lions opponents because Swiss National League A uniforms are plastered with sponsors' logos from helmets to ankles. The leading scorers wear golden jerseys sponsored by Switzerland's post office.
The 1996 Vancouver Canucks' first round pick's name is on his lower back, not shoulders, and his number 27 is barely visible. He does get noticed when he sets up Fabian Schnyder for their club's only goal midway through the game. The chanting, scarf-waving fans from Zug (pronounced Zoog) enjoy a lone moment to rejoice during the 4-1 Thursday loss.
"They're right into the game," Holden says. "Back home it's a pastime to go and enjoy hockey, sit and watch and analyze. Here they come and jump and bang drums, scream and holler and throw beer."
Teams play 50-game regular seasons. The top eight make the playoffs while the bottom four play their own post-season tournament to decide which team gets relegated to the B-division. The three-metres-wider international rinks mean the hockey is more tactical and less physical. The shorter season in a small country also means less travel. Zug is just a half-hour from Zurich. The team's longest road trip is just over three hours by bus to Geneva.
"You can store more energy and rely on your strength and power," he said. "Even if you have an injury too you can wear it off and be ready for the next game.
The 31-year-old Calgary native, who has four children, had stints with Vancouver, Carolina Hurricanes and Toronto Maple Leafs before going to Finland's HPK Hameenlinna to keep working amid the 2004-2005 NHL lockout. Holden is in his second year in Zug, his third stop in the Swiss league after two years with Fribourg-Gotteron and one in Langnau.
:Article Source:vancouver.24hrs.ca
Touring: 28 trains later
Dave Richardson jumps onboard a Great Rail Journeys escorted tour to Switzerland and, with only one 10-minute delay, discovers travel that runs like clockwork
It was good of the hotel manager to invite us for a welcome drink, but we didn’t expect him to turn up in cloak and deerstalker hat sucking a long curling pipe. He didn’t say, “Elementary, my dear Watson” – but he really looked the part of Sherlock Holmes. His appearance was appropriate, as the Park Hotel du Sauvage in the Swiss resort of Meiringen is where the great fictional detective stayed the night before his “death”. Built in grand Belle Epoque style in 1880, this was our base for seven nights on Great Rail Journeys’ Jungfrau Express escorted tour.
The next day we took the first of many mountain trains, up to the Reichenbach Falls above Meiringen. A plaque marks the spot where Holmes and the dastardly Professor Moriarty plunged to their deaths in a story called The Final Problem, but as all Holmes fans know, it didn’t happen. Author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, although bored by his creation, had to bring Holmes back from the dead by popular demand.
There’s also a Sherlock Holmes museum in a former chapel next to the hotel, and the Holmes connection certainly added mystique to the holiday. Most people came for the scenery, and fortunately everyone enjoyed rail travel as there was plenty of it.
Tour manager
As on nearly all Great Rail Journeys’ European tours, the holiday started with a Eurostar train from London St Pancras. After taking five trains with one overnight stop, we arrived in Meiringen a leisurely 26 hours later. The tour manager plays a huge part in any escorted tour, and ours – an avuncular chap in his sixties – looked much like a typical client. He had plenty of responsibility looking after our large group of 38, including one with obvious walking difficulties. The age range was typical of escorted tours, mainly from mid-forties to mid-seventies. He did his best to integrate the group including three travelling alone, and gave out the first of his daily handwritten bulletins at St Pancras with details of train times and stops. A tour manager needs to be friendly but also authoritative, and he fitted the bill perfectly. He had a half sympathetic, half bemused expression which said, “I share your pain” – and that first appeared in Paris. The only problem I found was that you have to heave your own luggage on and off trains, although this was done for you at hotels in Meiringen, Cologne on the return trip, and at Brussels when changing to Eurostar.
Switzerland
We had to take a coach between stations in Paris, and due to station restrictions it was parked some distance away meaning elderly people had a struggle. But this was forgotten when we reached Switzerland, the perfect destination for a rail holiday as public transport – including lake steamers and buses – works so well. It’s a country of green meadows, steep mountains and placid lakes, and on all our excursions around the Bernese Oberland we saw fat, contented cows, and wooden houses with window boxes full of flowers. Highlights were a lake cruise from Lucerne; a trip up Rothorn mountain behind a gutsy little steam engine; and finally a trip up the Jungfrau, one of Europe’s highest mountains at 3,454 metres. The railway here is carved out of tunnels through the mountain, and on a clear day the views from the top are sublime, if very chilly.
Just one 10-minute delay
Only once did the tour nearly descend into chaos, as even the Swiss are prone to human error and seat reservations failed to materialise on one of four crowded trains used to reach the Jungfrau. Texts flew furiously back and forth to Great Rail Journeys’ HQ in York, and the tour manager’s “I share your pain” expression became set in stone. “There’s only one thing for it – use your elbows!” he declared. By the time we returned to London after 10 days, we had taken 28 trains (four of them optional) and only one had been late, by 10 minutes. By now we were firmly with the escorted tour mentality, and looked in vain for the tour manager to give us our tickets and lead us into the Underground. Suddenly we had to think for ourselves – and it didn’t come easily!
On track: more rail facts
Great Rail Journeys uses first-class travel wherever possible, including Eurostar. Another of its brands, Treyn Holidays, uses standard class travel and tourist class hotels, and it operates a rail and hotel booking service for independent travellers (www.railselect.com).
Other operators specialising in rail holidays and selling through agents include Ffestiniog Travel’s See the World by Rail (www.festtravel.co.uk), French Travel Service (www.f-t-s.co.uk), GW Travel (www.gwtravel.co.uk), Orient-Express (www.orient-express.com) and Dertour (www.dertour.co.uk). Explore (www.explore.co.uk) also has a rail brochure.
Group sizes vary, but are generally between 10 and 40.
Book it
Great Rail Journeys’ Jungfrau Express is priced at £1,598-£1,628 for 10 days including breakfast, dinner and all excursions, with one free day. Departures are weekly, with a few exceptions, from May 6 until September 30, 2010.
www.greatrail.com
:Article Source:ttglive.com
It was good of the hotel manager to invite us for a welcome drink, but we didn’t expect him to turn up in cloak and deerstalker hat sucking a long curling pipe. He didn’t say, “Elementary, my dear Watson” – but he really looked the part of Sherlock Holmes. His appearance was appropriate, as the Park Hotel du Sauvage in the Swiss resort of Meiringen is where the great fictional detective stayed the night before his “death”. Built in grand Belle Epoque style in 1880, this was our base for seven nights on Great Rail Journeys’ Jungfrau Express escorted tour.
The next day we took the first of many mountain trains, up to the Reichenbach Falls above Meiringen. A plaque marks the spot where Holmes and the dastardly Professor Moriarty plunged to their deaths in a story called The Final Problem, but as all Holmes fans know, it didn’t happen. Author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, although bored by his creation, had to bring Holmes back from the dead by popular demand.
There’s also a Sherlock Holmes museum in a former chapel next to the hotel, and the Holmes connection certainly added mystique to the holiday. Most people came for the scenery, and fortunately everyone enjoyed rail travel as there was plenty of it.
Tour manager
As on nearly all Great Rail Journeys’ European tours, the holiday started with a Eurostar train from London St Pancras. After taking five trains with one overnight stop, we arrived in Meiringen a leisurely 26 hours later. The tour manager plays a huge part in any escorted tour, and ours – an avuncular chap in his sixties – looked much like a typical client. He had plenty of responsibility looking after our large group of 38, including one with obvious walking difficulties. The age range was typical of escorted tours, mainly from mid-forties to mid-seventies. He did his best to integrate the group including three travelling alone, and gave out the first of his daily handwritten bulletins at St Pancras with details of train times and stops. A tour manager needs to be friendly but also authoritative, and he fitted the bill perfectly. He had a half sympathetic, half bemused expression which said, “I share your pain” – and that first appeared in Paris. The only problem I found was that you have to heave your own luggage on and off trains, although this was done for you at hotels in Meiringen, Cologne on the return trip, and at Brussels when changing to Eurostar.
Switzerland
We had to take a coach between stations in Paris, and due to station restrictions it was parked some distance away meaning elderly people had a struggle. But this was forgotten when we reached Switzerland, the perfect destination for a rail holiday as public transport – including lake steamers and buses – works so well. It’s a country of green meadows, steep mountains and placid lakes, and on all our excursions around the Bernese Oberland we saw fat, contented cows, and wooden houses with window boxes full of flowers. Highlights were a lake cruise from Lucerne; a trip up Rothorn mountain behind a gutsy little steam engine; and finally a trip up the Jungfrau, one of Europe’s highest mountains at 3,454 metres. The railway here is carved out of tunnels through the mountain, and on a clear day the views from the top are sublime, if very chilly.
Just one 10-minute delay
Only once did the tour nearly descend into chaos, as even the Swiss are prone to human error and seat reservations failed to materialise on one of four crowded trains used to reach the Jungfrau. Texts flew furiously back and forth to Great Rail Journeys’ HQ in York, and the tour manager’s “I share your pain” expression became set in stone. “There’s only one thing for it – use your elbows!” he declared. By the time we returned to London after 10 days, we had taken 28 trains (four of them optional) and only one had been late, by 10 minutes. By now we were firmly with the escorted tour mentality, and looked in vain for the tour manager to give us our tickets and lead us into the Underground. Suddenly we had to think for ourselves – and it didn’t come easily!
On track: more rail facts
Great Rail Journeys uses first-class travel wherever possible, including Eurostar. Another of its brands, Treyn Holidays, uses standard class travel and tourist class hotels, and it operates a rail and hotel booking service for independent travellers (www.railselect.com).
Other operators specialising in rail holidays and selling through agents include Ffestiniog Travel’s See the World by Rail (www.festtravel.co.uk), French Travel Service (www.f-t-s.co.uk), GW Travel (www.gwtravel.co.uk), Orient-Express (www.orient-express.com) and Dertour (www.dertour.co.uk). Explore (www.explore.co.uk) also has a rail brochure.
Group sizes vary, but are generally between 10 and 40.
Book it
Great Rail Journeys’ Jungfrau Express is priced at £1,598-£1,628 for 10 days including breakfast, dinner and all excursions, with one free day. Departures are weekly, with a few exceptions, from May 6 until September 30, 2010.
www.greatrail.com
:Article Source:ttglive.com
Reporter at large in Budapest
THERE are so many cakes on the table I have to stand up and move back to take a photograph. The best angle is a wide aerial. Our guide Katalin has ordered our small party a "sample selection" of treats at the character-filled Cafe Ruszwurm on Castle Hill high on the west (Buda) side of the Danube.
It is morning tea time, about an hour before we will have lunch and at least 10 minutes since Katalin braked suddenly at a mobile van near Matthias Church on our sightseeing stroll for us to try a chimney cake. It is so called, she says, because the mixture originally was rolled around a chimney to form its cylindrical shape.
It sounds like the fanciful stuff of fairytales but the vendor is indeed twirling a doughy mixture around a dowel-like spit until it crisps; then he rolls the hollow confection in cinnamon sugar and almonds and wraps it with a stiff twist of paper. It's like a crunchy Cornetto cone, without the filling.
And now we are cake-taking at the two-roomed Cafe Ruszwurm, a coffee house and confectioner since 1827. It's cosy and cheery in a time-stalled way with its tiled stove, lace doilies and cherrywood Biedermeier cabinets. There are chandeliers and brocade banquettes and a row of outdoor tables where students are smoking, drinking coffee and polishing off sugar-dusted slices.
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Katalin recites what she has ordered, pointing to each groaningly full plate. There are apricot jam-filled biscuits, poppyseed and sour cherry strudels, rich walnut Esterhazy cake layered with cream and topped with fondant, and slabs of crumbly Linzer torte. Then she suggests a slug of "Hungarian penicillin": a dose of Palinka, or schnapps. There's plum, pear and apricot: we take too long to decide so she orders the lot.
Next stop is the Central Market, in the 9th district on the east (Pest) side of the river, where there's a small chance to walk off some of the morning's excesses. It's the largest covered market in Hungary, about the size of an aircraft hangar, and ignoring Katalin's entreaties to try pickles and pressed meats from the basement stalls, we scurry around the main floor, only briefly pausing to admire strings of enormous garlic, missiles of extra-hot paprika and "goose-liver specialities".
The three-storey market, with its tiled floors and high vaulted roof inlaid with glass, was opened in 1897 and has been recently restored; you could easily spend half a day here, perhaps picking up the makings of a superior picnic.
As a former vegetarian (now an occasional meat-eater), I am terrified by the market's forests of salami and the prospect of pig's heads with hazy eyes. "The iron curtain might have vanished but the pork curtain was safely intact," notes my colleague James Jeffrey in Paprika Paradise, a rollicking travel narrative about his motherland. "The Hungarians applaud flesh in all its forms," he writes. "My favourite line in Lonely Planet's guide to Hungary was, until it was edited out, an overheard snippet of a waiter berating some helpless backpacker thus: If you don't want meat, go to Romania!"
Leaving my little group of fellow travellers, I take afternoon tea at Cafe Gerbeaud, founded in 1858 by a Swiss confectioner, and still one of Budapest's most popular. In a setting of tall ceilings and marble floors, there are elegant silver stands and glass-fronted cabinets filled with the likes of hazelnut truffle cakes, Sacher torte and flaky pastries chunky with apples and poppyseed. Chocolate cakes come with an astonishing six layers and even the cottage-cheese cakes (surely, comparatively light) look sinful.
And all to be washed down with hot chocolate (an alp of whipped cream on top) or a slug of that racy Palinka spirit.
Cafe Gerbeaud includes a pub and also serves meals (goose liver reigns) in its adjoining restaurant. It's a convivial spot to start the day with a continental breakfast, which includes sweet and salty rolls and a seasoned cottage-cheese platter.
On the afternoon of my visit, on its terrace overlooking tree-lined Vorosmarty Square, couples are rugged in coats against the early autumn coolness, small dogs on long leads waiting expectantly at their heels, no doubt ready to snap up any stray strudel flakes.
Should I also mention that on this piggy day I call into (but do not eat at) the sumptuous fin-de-siecle Cafe New York, its odd name attributed to the New York Life Insurance company, which opened it, on the ground floor of a palatial office building, in 1894? Once the haunt of playwrights and poets, its grandeur matches anything to be found in Vienna; or it did, until it was rammed by a Russian tank in 1956. Now it Is part of the New York Palace Hotel, glammed-up and re-ornamented by Italy's Boscolo Hotels group.
With parquet floors, tall mirrors and painted ceilings worthy of an Italian duomo, Cafe New York is extravagant beyond measure.
Should I confess that I lunch at the busy little Cafe Kor, in the 5th district, where the schnitzels are the size of hot-water bottles and pancakes come loaded with nuts and raisins, doused with sugar powder and chocolate sauce?
Or that I almost have to be carried to my room at the utterly lovely Four Seasons Gresham Palace, as stuffed as a cabbage? I lie down and try valiantly to balance Paprika Paradise on the expanded acreage of my stomach.
After a good night's sleep, you have to love a hotel that offers a breakfast menu featuring goose liver and wild mushroom omelet with roesti and a slug of Zwack Unicum herb liqueur "to make your stomach-ache go away".
Susan Kurosawa was a guest of Singapore Airlines and Four Seasons Gresham Palace.
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Checklist
The art nouveau Four Seasons Gresham Palace, converted from a grand apartment building, is beautifully located at Roosevelt Terrace on the east (Pest) side of the river. Its Gresham Kavehaz serves freshly baked pastries and cakes in a classic setting. More: fourseasons.com.
Most traditional cafes in Budapest offer meals and teas all day; Cafe Gerbeaud, for example, opens from 9am to 9pm. All cafes mentioned, except Ruszwurm, are on the east side of the Danube.
Paprika Paradise: Travels in the Land of my Almost Birth by James Jeffrey (Hachette, $35) is available at sites such as shop.abc.net.au.
:Article Source:theaustralian.com.au
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