Weekend art exhibition

Morgenstund hat Kunst im Mund, the unconventional art exhibition will take place at Hotel Wartmann over this weekend (12th and 13th)

More than three dozen artists travel from far and near to spend the night at the Hotel Wartmann and to sell works of art. This year's theme is 'friendship' with the renowned Swiss writer and journalist Iso Camartin reading from his book 'In the Garden of Friendship'.

On Saturday there is a bar with musical intermezzi provided by Francis Duende and on Sunday there is a public breakfast.

Times are as follows:
Saturday 3pm-8pm
Sunday 10am-2pm

Admission is free. For a detailed program see www.kunstweise.ch

My Winterthur postcards are now on sale!

My A5 Winterthur postcards are now for sale at Paddy O'Briens in Winterthur! You can find them on the bar - a bargain at 5fr each :D

Offene Ateliers/ Open Doors this weekend

Around 60 artists open the doors to their studios throughout our beautiful city this weekend (29th/30th) for the annual Open Doors event. There will be a host of opportunities for creative inspiration and exchange: 

http://winterthur.art-map.ch/winti/

Metronomy brings Musikfestwochen to a grand tub-thumping finale

It was a hazy, lazy, Sunday night in Winterthur and we ambled up Marktgasse in the warm evening sunshine, feeling lucky to be out on the last night of the summer holidays and excited about seeing Metronomy at the Grand Finale of the city’s 43^rd Musikfestwochen.

It was all going on around the Kirchplatz and we strolled in through the gates easily, flashing our tickets and receiving a little cloth band which was lovingly tied around our wrist. There was a wonderful, relaxed ambience, people milling everywhere - a huge diversity aged from 0 to 100 (and probably over, knowing the Swiss) We grabbed a couple of Chopfab Truebs from one of the many pop-up bars and relaxed on the beautiful raised terrace which had been fixed temporarily to the side of the church for the event with laidback seating amongst a host of potted tomato plants and herbs. Many people were enjoying a bite to eat from a great variety of food stalls offering plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. It was such a relaxed and happy atmosphere. We felt in the midst of a giant sociable hug.

With this lovely fuzzy feeling still strong, we made our way back down to Steinberggasse and managed to bag a spot close to the stage 10 minutes before Metronomy were due on. And at 8pm, there they were, walking quietly onstage and then – BAM! - they began to play with FUNK, glorious FUNK. All I can say is wow. Wow, WOW! I haven’t experienced such an energy of this calibre in a gig since The Coral at Liverpool’s The Royal Court many moons ago.

Metronomy is one of the most exciting British bands around right now. They’ve been called a host of things, from lounge-pop to fairground synth, to disco, to sexy electro-pop but for me they just ooze funk, the best, sexy, kind of funk, which all began in the bedroom of Joseph Mount. They’re slick, they’re full of surprises – I loved it when the drummer Anna Prior returned to the stage dancing with her tambourine before launching into Everything Goes my Way with her sexy sultry voice. There was the nostalgic Love Letters with its boppy beat and a new exciting song and then towards the end a tub thumping hypnotic performance of The Look which left us in no need for an encore. And best of all, the band were having a great time – I love how they all sing along to each song - feeding off the energy of the crowd. The tempo would constantly change and gather pace, keeping us under a spell, then Olugbenga’s boom, boom base line would cut in and the crowd surged, roaring with appreciation, a mass of bodies rising and falling in time with the beat. I did not stop dancing, along with everybody else around me. Neither did Gray - and he has a bad back (for the time being forgotten)

Winterthur has done it again, bringing us a 12 day long love affair with music, enhanced by the perfect garnishes of food, beer, fellow music lovers and stunning array of places to sit, stand, dance and enjoy the buzz.

https://musikfestwochen.ch/

Am Römerholz: A treasure trove of art

I’ve been to some amazing art galleries around the world – The Uffizi in Florence, The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, The Picasso Museum in Barcelona, The Prado in Madrid, to name but a few. But nothing prepared me for my visit to a certain art gallery in Winterthur yesterday.

Am Römerholz is the former residence of  Oskar Reinhart (1885-1965) who was born into an old family of Winterthur merchants. Inheriting his father Theodor’s devotion to art, he became a dedicated art collector once his duties to the family firm were relaxed at the age of 39 in 1924. Oskar also bought Am Romerholz at this time to house his expanding collection. He then lived in this villa until his death in 1965, surrounded by his beloved works of art. However, it was always his intention that the collection should ultimately benefit the community and in 1940 he donated his holdings of Austrian, German and Swiss art to the town of Winterthur, which has been housed since 1951 in the Museum Oskar Reinhart in the centre of town. In 1958, seven years before his death, he bequeathed the remaining part, together with the Am Römerholz villa, to the Swiss Confederation, which opened it to the public in 1970 - and it was this particular collection I went to see.

Hermann Hubacher Daphne and Chloe 1940-43

The sun was shining as I set out with my two daughters from Winterthur Bahnhof to walk to Am Römerholz, a 20 minute journey which actually took more like an hour, as we made a few wrong turns. The last five minute walk up a pretty steep hill is however signposted and the gates of the villa (signalled by three posters of paintings set in among the trees) are in a wooded place which feels quite mysterious and magical.

It all feels very understated as you pass through the gates which I love. Poppy actually asked if we’d made a mistake and were entering someone’s house. I said we were but it was no mistake, smiling at the idea that someone would leave their home and all in it that they loved for future generations like me to enjoy. Before we entered, we caught sight of gorgeous little sculptures of bears decorating an old stairway up to a now unused terrace. I made my way gingerly up the stairs and as I surveyed the little steps which now descended on either side into an overgrown wood, with a shiver I experienced an immediate sense of life 100 years ago and the sheer pleasure this little terrace would have brought to its users.

Renoir After the Bath 1913

We then opened a door into the little foyer where two smiles received us. I paid my 15fr (children go free) and the very nice lady behind the desk gave the girls audio guides (again free for children but adults must pay) and gave a comprehensive demonstration on how to use them. The girls were immediately intrigued and felt very important. A good start for an art-loving mum hoping for a couple of hours in a gallery with children of short-lived attention spans.

We spent three hours (!) making our way around this beautiful villa and its grounds. And I was spellbound at the sheer abundance of artistic treasures on show there. It was as if Oskar Reinhart could see into my art loving soul and had purchased each and every piece to please me! On entering you are greeted by the most gorgeous Renoir painting of a woman drying herself (I think his wife) After the Bath (1913) To the right of this, placed in all it's gorgeous chunky glory - Artiside Mailol’s The Mediterranean - oozing sensuality. Such a breath of fresh air in contrast to our thin-obsessed society of today.

Renoir Mother and Child 1916

I could talk like this about each and every piece in the exhibition, featuring a wealth of delights from Picasso, Van Gogh, Courbet, Toulouse Lautrec, Daumier, and glorious Renoir after Renoir after Renoir (I do love Renoir) But there were pieces by Courbet, so sensual and erotic, that I had never before witnessed, as well as beautifully vibrant pieces by Van Gogh which he painted while in hospital in Arles. I was very aware that many of these masterpieces are little known treasures, as Oskar was very firm that these pieces should never go out on loan.

And then, the absolute climax of my journey of awe and wonder around this gallery was a little bronze by Renoir – I didn’t even know Renoir worked in bronze – of a lady in a hat and coat breastfeeding, entitled Mother and Child. This little piece I later found out followed on from a painting Renoir had made of his wife breastfeeding their first child. Many years later, after his wife had died, he again came across this painting and decided to use it as the theme for a sculpture to commemorate his beloved wife. And with the help of Richard Guido, he did – and that very sculpture was right there in front of me. Wow. Moments like this I truly treasure.

We strolled around the lovely little formal garden and ate our sandwiches in a shady corner, played games on the lawn and then enjoyed chocolate cake ‘afters’ at the café (with a little glass of Pinot Noir for mummy) The café atmosphere was wonderful, with a large party of seniors enjoying a table full of food and wine outside in the sunshine. It didn’t take much imagination to see a young Oskar Reinhart doing the same with his art loving friends in the distant past. I took a few covert photos of the merry making in the dappled sunshine, hoping to recreate a Renoir-esque painting of the scene at a later date (I can but dream…)

We went home, trotting down the hill, chatting and giggling after our visit to Am Römerholz. The No.10 bus picked us up several minutes into our walk and deposited us outside the Oskar Reinhart Museum in Stadthausstrasse five minutes later. Thank you Stadtbus Winterthur. Thank you Oskar Reinhart. What a guy.

Am Romerholz website.

Celebrating Art on International Women's Day

The art galleries of Winterthur are celebrating Women's Day by offering free admission to women for the day. Am Römerholz, on the edge of the city, is an incredibly stunning art collection of Oskar Reinhart who left behind around 600 works of art when he died in 1965. The works are housed within a glorious estate, the former home and gardens of Reinhart. At present there is a wonderful exhibition about the Hidden Treasures of the collection, featuring works by greats such as Gustave Courbet. What a joy to see these beauties. The exhibition continues util 23rd April.

I also love Winterthur Kunsthaus which houses a host of cracking masterpieces by the likes of Picasso, Braque, Pissarro, Sisley and Monet, as well as the monumental Rodin sculpture, Pierre de Wissant.

International Womens Day: www.internationalwomensday.com

Am Römerholz: www.bundesmuseen.ch

Winterthur Kunsthaus: www.kmw.ch

Fasnacht fantastic

Phew, finally caught up with my blog. We've been busy checking out the Fasnacht carnivals this year. Each one has it's own unique atmosphere and traits. Lucerne was a jaw dropping spectacle with what seemed like the entire city dressed up in a huge range of outlandish clothes. The parade featured warrior wild boars (not real) horses (real) and a few political gibs, mainly towards the new president of the US (in one case featuring something very unpleasant attached to his feet!)

A few days later we went to Bassersdorf, a local village nearby, which was different again, and featured music galore, with all the bands performing on the roundabout podium after the parade. We then finished with Winterthur on Sunday, always a favourite of ours, with splendid costumes and great performers.

The weather was beautiful this year and we enjoyed the sun on our backs while soaking up the carnival atmosphere. Enjoy the pics.

It's almost Fasnacht - time to party!

@SallyAnnEgerton (http://sallyegerton.blogspot.ch/)

There are a few shady looking characters popping up in windows and odd places around Winterthur. Manor has gone to town with half a floor devoted to fancy dress, wigs and oversized glasses. It can only mean one thing - the imminent arrival of Fasnacht.

The Swiss love their traditions and carnivals - and most of all they love dressing up and role playing. And this all comes together nowhere better than at Fasnacht. It is such great fun, the outfits are incredible - and sometimes rather scary - and all spectators are encouraged to dress up too.

@sallyannegerton

Many of the characters in the parade are mischevious, throwing confetti over people, stealing accessories out of their hair and I have even seen a few teenagers picked up, slung over a shoulder and buried in a wagon of confetti! It is all great fun – everyone has a ball and my girls absolutely love it. Best of all, it is my eldest daughter’s birthday at the end of February so it always feels like an extension of her own celebration.

Fasnacht officially begins in Winterthur with the Ham feast, kicking off a week long period of different, and sometimes rather surreal, events - including a three day and night party for those who can still party big time! But the highlight for us is the large carnival which takes place through the city centre from 2.15pm on Sunday, 5^th March. For more information and all other events surrounding Fasnacht in Winterthur, visit the website here.

And then of course if you can brave the crowds there is the mother of all Fasnacht carnivals in Basel, hailed as one of Europe's top 50 local festivals, taking place on the Monday after Ash Wednesday: Baseler Fasnacht.

(I've been having fun painting our favourite Fasnacht characters - I hope you enjoy them :)

Rocking Winterthur Half Marathon

I love to run. But I don’t run in races. I’ve never understood running in a race I will never have the chance of winning. My hubbie seems to think this is a crazy notion, ie it’s not about the winning, it’s about the taking part (although we all knew that wasn't true when our parents told us as kids)

So, anyway, this leads us to spending lots of time at running races – hubbie running in them and me watching them. Which I actually don’t mind because I love the atmosphere at these events and so do my girls. We've been to a few in Switzerland now and they are always very well organised - and the majority of those taking part are pretty fit - even the seniors, So you may find yourself in a different overall position to that which you are accustomed to - and you may find yourself being overtaken by a surprising number of sprightly runners who are 20 years or more senior than you. But don't let that put you off, you'll still have a blast.

And last weekend’s Marathon/Half Marathon event in Winterthur certainly didn’t disappoint.

We arrived just under an hour before I expected Gourmet Gray and his brother Paul to finish and the atmosphere was buzzing. There was rock music playing loudly, the perfect musical accompaniment to any public, testosterone-led get together I feel. We squeezed into a space in the crowd of people lining the last 100 metres before the finish and started ‘hop, hop’ hop’ (ing) the runners as they headed for home. The lovely thing about this race was that every runner had his first name on the front of his vest so the audience could shout encouragement to each runner by name, which I think is a lovely touch.

The music went off and a band started playing just as there was a frisson in the crowd and the first Half Marathon runner came in (Dadi Fikru Abera at the amazing time of 1:06)

It was of course a little while later before daddy arrived but I was over the moon for him breaking his PB in under two hours. I love to witness the elation among the runners as they cross the line on a high and feel a little stab of something – who knows, perhaps one day I can also run a race without the need to win.

www.winterthur-marathon.ch

Details of Sunday's Winterthur Marathon competitors here.

A lorra laughs at Winterthur's Comic Slam

At the weekend we experienced Winterthur’s first Comic Slam event which brought together nine of the city’s talented illustrators and cartoonists.

The stage was set in the atmospheric Alte Kaserne on Teknikumstrasse (why have I never come across this amazing place before) in the ‘heart of Winterthur’s comic scene.’ Cartoonists taking part were: Lilian Caprez, Schlorian, Daniel Bosshart, Zea Schaad, Caro Rutz, Rina Jost, Frida Bünzli, René Lehner, Beni Merk.

After first emailing the very nice Daniel Bosshart, president of the club behind the event, to check it was suitable for children and being assured it was, I took my 9-year-old daughter who is a huge comic fan (she became really interested in comics on our arrival here as the libraries have buckets of them and I now happily attribute this to her being an avid reader and picking up German so easily) 

After paying our 15sfr entrance fee (10sfr adult, 5sfr child) we had out hands stamped and were given a red strip of paper each on which to write a word. This required thought – what word would give a cartoonist potential for a great cartoon? And, out of my fairly unsophisticated German vocabulary, which could I spell correctly with some degree of certainty?  I finally settled on Überraschung – surprise – (but did have to check the spelling with my daughter) who spurned my suggestion of elefant – pretty self-explanatory - and instead chose geschenk (present)

We were early enough to bag a good table in front of the main stage and sat down with a glass of red wine and a coke purchased from the small, well stocked bar inside. A lovely lady artist from Henngart also sat at our table and told me lots of juicy facts, for instance, one of the artists taking part - Lilian Caprez – has recently won third place in the Fumetto International ComicFestival Competition in Luzern.  

Just then the show started, ably and wittily compered by René Brügger & Andrew Wolfensberger. I only understood sections of the chat but that didn’t matter as it wasn’t too long before a word was being drawn out of the pot and the first three artists were busily sketching.

I think they had just three minutes to complete each drawing – and it wasn’t easy, as some members of the audience had submitted horrendous words such as ‘winter jacket’ ‘ahoy’ and ‘national anthem?’ And the comperes ended up chucking more than a handful away over their shoulder in disgust. But then, to our delight, my word was pulled out, along with the word ‘Eule’ (owl) and three very entertaining sketches ensued. 

The atmosphere was buzzing and I especially loved the countdown music and clapping for the last seconds of each sketch. There were nine illustrators and graphic artists competing against each other in all (three rounds) And the audience voted for the best in each round, with much applause, and finally Caro Rutz, all the way from the French speaking part of Switzerland, was crowned the supreme winner.

There was a disco afterwards with a DJ but it was 11.15pm and it was time to take Poppy home although she was still amazingly upright and buzzing with the thrill of it all. On the way out, I spotted Beni Merk who had made one of the ‘owl surprise’ sketches and asked him if there was any chance I could have it as it featured my word. He said somebody had already taken it and on seeing my crestfallen face offered to redraw it just for me! How amazing is that? So I had a super fab entertaining night – the event was very well organised and ran extremely smoothly - and I came away with an original sketch to boot!

The Club Comic Panel Winterthur was established on 7^th October, 2013, when eleven comic enthusiasts came together on the back of the city’s anniversary project which involved many of them sketching an illustrative street plan of Winterthur (which is available to buy) The association aims to promote comic art and provide a way for professionals and enthusiasts to network, as well as promoting their work to the public.

The next big event at the Alte Kaserne is an all hours marathon art session which begins on Thursday (26^th) and lasts until Sunday (29^th) After this, the exhibition of all the creations is on view until 8^th June.

www.comicpanel.ch

www.echtpunkt.ch

Comic Slam and other stuff going down in Winterthur

There is some good alternative entertainment in Winterthur this coming week and weekend.

At the Theatre Casino, Familie Hinztagram, an improvisation event, is already a sellout next Tuesday. In this story, it all goes haywire with the family Hinz as the audience dictates how the family should live. The creativity of the audience will have no limits and everything is possible. For chaos is taken care of, and daughter Leah posting this diligently on Instagram. The event includes a special improvisation theatre for young people.

At Winterthur's Alte Kaserne on Saturday from 8pm, nine illustrators and graphic artists will compete against each other while inspired by suggestions from the audience which then chooses the best cartoon. Amongst those present are Daniel Bosshart, who is a well known figure on stage. Zea Schaad, who has designed the funky logo for the event (pictured above) will also step into the ring.

Winterthur's International Short Film Festival is launched

The 19th edition of the Internationale Kurzfilmtage Winterthur, Switzerland's most important short film festival, kicks off today and will run until Sunday (8th)

A grand total of 59 films from 25 countries made the final selection for the International and Swiss Competitions, with Main Focus featuring everyday Arab life, while the Country in Focus section looks at Bhutan and Nepal. There will also be Swiss premieres of early shorts by Andy Warhol, celebrating 99 YE∀ЯS OF DADA.

On Thursday (5^th) and Sunday (8^th) there will be special screenings for children, The Magic Lantern: Shorts for Kids – True Courage? a programme of ten shorts for the whole family. The movies show the versatility of short film and most of them pursue the question of what true courage means.

This includes The Little Cousteau, a homage to Jacques Cousteau, featuring a little boy who longs for deep-sea adventures in a snow-covered city and Wombo, featuring an alien who makes an emergency landing on planet earth. But life here is no laughing matter. First, he is chased by a dog, then he ends up in a vegetable basket and nearly gets cooked for dinner. But why is all of this happening to him? The reason is simple: our alien friend happens to look like a potato!

www.kurzfilmtage.ch/en/info/

Winterthurs' Wildpark Bruderhaus is a great day out - even in the rain!

For a 'last day of the holiday treat' we visited Winterthur's Wildpark Bruderhaus which houses a variety of spacious enclosures comprising deer, lynx cats, bison, wild horses and wolves. It was a little rainy but that did not deter us as the walk through the forest is stunning at this time of year, with its autumnal colours and exciting clumps of mushrooms to find.

We love Peter Imfeld's White Stag sculpture which has steps up its hind leg for children to climb! The children's playground is on the way to the spacious wolf enclosure - the wolves stayed hidden but it was thrilling to glimpse three of them sheltering from the rain under the distant trees.

We entered the Restaurant Bruderhaus which was heaving with people - despite the weather - but a lovely couple shuffled around to make room for us. I enjoyed a very comforting Baileys Heisse Schoggi, the girls had mini hot chocolates and an ice cream dessert, which they were delighted to find came with a lolly, and we thawed out in the warmth and enjoyed the buzzing atmosphere. I was amazed to see a well stocked bar and a couple enjoying a bottle of wine at lunchtime. I love that about the Swiss, they just know how to enjoy themselves :)

Wildpark Bruderhaus also features a children's adventure trail with a rock garden, children's village and a Labyrinth. The Restaurant Bruderhaus is equipped with a barbecue area, benches and a 20-minute walk through the forest takes you to the restaurant Eschenberg, near the Eschenberg Observatory which opens its doors every Wednesday evening. Eschenberg Tower, which stands 30m high, is also located in the nearby Esch mountain forest.

Get set for Oktoberfest!

One of the (many) things I love about the Swiss is the way they adopt the things they love from other countries and cultures and make them their own. They do it with the language - big time, and there there is green cake (an amazing concoction of sponge, cream and green marzipan which originally comes from Sweden) and of course they do it with festivals (and the Swiss LOVE their festivals)

So at this time of year, the stores are suddenly packed to the rafters with dirndls – the amazing traditional dress with built in cleavage (well, you will also need to wear your best push-up bra of course ;) Because it's Oktoberfest time and there will be events taking place all across Switzerland, with much beer, much cleavage, lots of swaying and a bundle of great traditional Swiss/German music.

The ambiance is jovial and total strangers sing well-known songs together as if they have known each other for years. The Oktoberfest – the original of which is held every year in Munich and opens with the famous words, “O'zapft is!” (it’s tapped!) – is becoming increasingly popular here. Every year, Oktoberfest hosts invent new specialties to treat their guests to an unforgettable Oktoberfest experience.

Tomorrow, (Friday, 2^nd Oct) there will be a Children's Oktoberfest for the kiddies to enjoy at Zurich HB between 1pm and 4pm, with clowns, magicians, a cotton candy and a carousel ride for free!

And in Winterthur's big event, which has now being taking place for 17 years, will happen on 22^nd October in the grand Oktoberfest Barn, with further events across the city right up until 7^th November – more details here.

For details of Oktoberfest activities throughout the canton of Zurich, visit here.

Musikfestwochen is launched!

As the summer is coming to an end, Winterthur turns up the heat once more as the Old Town vibrates to the rhythm of Musikfestwochen which launches today (12th - 23rd August) Over the course of twelve days contemporary music and cabaret are celebrated in and around the alleys and plazas of the old town.

The heart of Musikfestwochen (this year celebrating its 40th birthday) beats in Steinberggasse where the main stage is set up and the majority of the concerts take place. Most gigs are free - tickets are only sold for the major concerts - and the three day weekend music pass is already sold out!

Sunday, 16^th August is the family orientated day, taking place in the church square from 2pm until 4pm, with lots of drawing and refreshments. While in Untere Steinberggasse, there will be a Playbus, juggling, a tattoo show and general circus antics, including animation, taking place between 3pm and 6pm.

There will also be children's concerts taking place at the Kindertheater 'Roulette' on Graben between 2pm and 3pm at the weekend (Sat & Sun 2-3pm)

The children's theme continues into next week with Winterthur Library celebrating its Summer Stark Lesen challenge on Wednesday (19^th) afternoon (2.30pm – 5.30pm) with other events taking place on the Church Square.

The children will also enjoy the overall buzz of the city during the week with lots of free concerts taking place all over – but perhaps bring along the ear defenders incase it gets too loud for tiny ears!

http://www.musikfestwochen.ch/de/home.html

Family programme

The Albani Festival has touched down!

I love the Swiss. I especially love how much they love a good party or festival. And what great hosts they make. So we always get very excited about the Albani Festival, not least because it is right on our doorstep.

St. Alban, chosen as the patron saint of the city of Winterthur and dedicated to the city's church, was executed in 286 during the persecution of Christians. On the Memorial Day of Albanus on 22^nd June, 1264, Rudolf von Habsburg granted the town a charter of freedom and from then on, this event was celebrated on each Albanustag. The Albanifest as we know it today was established in 1971 and is considered Europe's largest, annually recurring city festival.

The main focus of the festival is eating, drinking and an amazing funfair which weaves its way through the old town and into the city park. There are also plenty of gigs to enjoy, throughout the day and night over the weekend, and the atmosphere is buzzing.

The weekend event kicks off today at 6pm with live music continuing until 2am!

In addition, there is a set price for all fast food and beverages – see below for an edited list of the most popular of festive fayre:

• Halfe litre of wine 16 chf
• Beer – 3dl - 4chf
• Beer – 4dl - 5chf
• Beer - 5 dl - 6chf
• Beer - 1 litre – 12 chf
• PET mineral, soft drinks 5dl – 5 chf
• Coffee, tea – 3.50 chf
• Wintiwurst – 6 chf
• Cervelat grilled bread - 5 chf

Happy Albani Fest weekend!

www.albanifest.ch

Let's ear it for Swiss walk-in clinics

I have had my first experience of a Walk-In Clinic this morning and I am very happy with the results.

Walk-In Clinics are usually known as 'Permanence' centres here and located at various strategic points around cities. The one in Winterthur (open between 7am and 10pm, 365 days per year) is situated above the main train station, on the 3^rd floor of the shopping centre. Funnily enough, the only other shop on this floor just happens to be the erotic Magic X shop so I felt rather conspicuous taking the escalator up there. However, the topic of sex doesn't have the stigma here that it does in the UK and a hugely diverse array of people drifted in and out of Magic X quite happily as I passed by looking for medical relief.

The ailment in question was concerning my right ear. I'll explain. With the tropical temperatures taking hold of Switzerland last week all this particular girl wanted to do was plunge into a wonderfully accommodating Swiss pool or lake to cool off (view earlier blog about my passion for outdoor swimming) In the space of nine days I swam in Winterthur's Geiselweid and Töss pools, Katsenzee lake and Pfäffikon pool and lake – oh yes and Bodensee Therme in Konstanz! 

The trouble is, since last year I had somehow been retaining water in my right ear, lasting for a duration of anything from 15 minutes to a few days. Although it wasn't painful it was extremely annoying and could hugely affect my sleep. And after swimming at Pfaffikon on Sunday I had it again - until this morning. This time around it was more of a nuisance – with a constant pulsating and 'popping' of water in my ear lobe - and last night I slept for a grand total of just two hours.

So I had to take action. After so little sleep I felt tired, lousy and miserable this morning so didn't fancy verbally wrestling with the non-English speaking receptionist of my local village doctor this morning (who I must point out is really lovely) But I had heard about the walk-in clinic at Winterthur Hauptbahnhof and dragged myself onto the 9.04am bus. I was walking into the clinic at 9.18am and was seen by the receptionist immediately who asked to see my health insurance card (which actually feels like a magic card most of the time because one flash of that at any receptionist and you can just walk out afterwards in the knowledge that everything financial is taken care of) I had to fill out a very simple form which was also in English and then directed to a very pleasant waiting area where four people already sat.

I was seen after half an hour by a (very young looking and non-smiley) male doctor who thankfully spoke great English, asked me lots of questions and then made his diagnosis – a build up of wax (Urgh!) which is why the water wasn't running away as it should after a swim. I was shown to another room where I waited just over another half an hour (luckily I'd brought a book) before another (very young looking and very smiley) girl injected pressurised water into my ear – a little uncomfortable but it only lasted 5 minutes or so – and I was cured!

Saved from giving up my passion for Swiss Badis and lakes

I went back to the first doctor for a quick check-up. And with one shake of the hand I was out of there. So in all, my visit took just over an hour but I didn't care. My fears of infections and never being able to swim again were all unfounded. Walk-in clinics get a big thumbs up from me. Excuse me while I go hunt for my bikini...(I won't actually be swimming for at least 5 days, just to be on the safe side as my ear has lost its natural 'coating' for a short while (double Urgh) but my bag will be already packed and waiting ;)

Expedition Wunderland arrives in town

I love going to shows. I miss going to shows here. Mainly because my grasp of the language isn't anywhere near sufficient, rather than there being a shortage of shows. In fact, there seems to be lots going on in Winterthur a lot of the time. And I should put aside my own needs and take my daughters to more of them as they too love shows. And of course they speak the language far better than me.

So this is why I have 'booked' two places for Expedition Wunderland, an improvisational comedy show geared towards children taking place at Gaswerks next month (although the piccy of an Indiana Jones look-alike helped!) We found out about this as Poppy's teacher gave the flyers out at school and mentioned that John, who used to help out in Poppy's class, is playing a role in the production.

John was one of those amazing teenagers who the hormonal thing seems to have completely passed by.  He was 16, incredibly polite, always smiling, very bright - just finishing Gymnasium and looking towards an even brighter future. It wasn't just Poppy who was gutted when he left her school as classroon helper last summer to move onto bigger and better things.

So of course we had to show our support. And I've never been to an 'impro-show' - and this particular show seems to be entirely directed by suggestions from the audience!

The reservation process is very strange - I have just booked two places on the website giving my name, number and address and not yet paid a penny! But it definitely registered because when I logged off the website and back on again the total availability - 120 - had gone down to 118. So watch this space...

The show, presented by Redaktion, takes place on Saturday 13th June between 1pm and 3.15pm and the age recommendation is 7-11 years. The address of the location is the Gaswerks Cultural Center, Untere Schöntalstrasse 19, 8401 Winterthur.

Admission is CHF 20, CHF 15 for concessions.

www.redaktion-winterthur.ch

FamExpo Winterthur 2015 this weekend

The FamExpo 2015 Winterthur celebrates its 10^th anniversary as it arrives in town this weekend, bringing exhibitors from Switzerland and abroad to demonstrate and inform about their products.

Dedicated family councillor Barbara Schmid-Federer will open the FamExpo at Winterthur Eulachhallen this Friday (29th) at 9:45am before the exhibitions launch at 10am, featuring:

• A live broadcast from PowerUp where visitors can submit song requests and see behind the scenes of a live radio station.
  
  
• A stage show from Billy & Benno, with their funny, upbeat children's songs, which the whole family can take part in.
  
  
• Former kindergarten teacher and music teacher Christian Schenker who has written songs for children will be performing together with his band Grüüveli Tüüfeli.
  
  
• Winterthur artist Bruno Hächler will present his new CD featuring Jap, the dog who comes from England and drinks tea all day.
  
  
• Circus Mugg will provide thrills for both young and old with a show followed by an interactive Animation Station where the little ones can get creative with circus props under the expert guidance of the young artists. 
  
  
• The Tierli interactive show features cute little dogs doing tricks.
  
  
• The FamExpo-Lotto featuring funny face cards for young visitors – there will be toys, clothes and accessories up for grabs.
  
  
• Photographer Oscar Brunet will be at the Baby Face booth to capture your little pride of joy for the Baby Face 2015 contest in a picture you can take home for free!

It's all going on at Winterthur Eulachhallen, Wartstrasse 73 - a 15/20min walk down Wartstrasse which runs from behind Winterthur HB. Alternatively you can take the bus No.1 to Toss or the No.2 to Wulflingen for part of the way for a shorter walk there. Going by car is not recommended as there are very few parking places – but there is a special offer on the price of your public transport ticket if you are visiting FamExpo.

Opening times are 10am until 6pm on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (29th-31^st May)
Admission 15chf for over 18s – under 18s are free.

www.famexpo.ch

Newts in our local pool

We had a wonderfully relaxing Bank Holiday weekend enjoying the Eurovision contest with friends and swimming in the outdoor pools - where we came across newts! Yes, newts in the public swimming pool!

Perhaps I should point out that the little dark 'Wassermolch' we saw was in a natural pool at Geiselweid Freibad in Winterthur. But it was so surprising - and very exciting for the girls - to see diddy newts scuttling about on the bottom of the pool.

I think it must have been the Alpine Newt as it is native to central Europe. The adults grow up to 11cm and are usually dark in colour, often with a marbled pattern.  They prefer ponds with vegetated areas which lack fish, which of course would explain the popularity of Geiselweid's natural pool. A blue tinge is often visible, which is what Graham caught sight of when he took the plunge.

It was cold - 16c - so only Daddy bear had the bottle to go for a swim in there, where he dived down to take a closer look, saying they appeared a dark blue colour close up. We jumped about excitedly for a while and laughed at Graham's icy shrieks before we settled for a swim in the much warmer heated outdoor pool nearby (24c)

Switzerland is so full of little surprises like this. I love it.