8 December 2017. PADDINGTON 2 **** Here’s a super fun Christmas gift – fuzzy, warm entertainment for the whole family! With delightful English humor to boot. Cute little Paddington bear is back, so happy in his cozy London home with the Brown family, who have taken him into their hearts. We get to see his […]
Archives for December 2017
Swiss rail tests its first automatic train
The Swiss train system is not throwing its engineers off the train (yet), but is experimenting with how to make their job simpler, while improving efficiency without compromising safety. Aircraft have long used a proven autopilot system that helps them fly efficiently, mostly hands-off, conserving fuel while minimizing travel time. Now CFF/BSS/FFS is testing similar […]
Large email hack reported – Swiss agency tool lets you check if your account was compromised
It’s the question lurking in many people’s minds, especially during the frenzy of online Christmas shopping: has my email account been hacked? MELANI has got your back – up to a point. The Reporting and Analysis Centre for Information Assurance (MELANI), is part of the Swiss Federal Intelligence Service. They have recently come into possession […]
My Swiss Story – how mountains changed my life
Everyone has a story. My Swiss Story is a series that looks at lives in Switzerland. This week we spoke to Alex Inchbald. He’s from just outside London, lives near Geneva, is married with two children, works as an extreme artist and leadership mentor and has a passion for skiing and the mountains. What brought […]
Former King Michael of Romania dies at his home in Switzerland
Michael I, Romania’s former king has died at the age of 96. A long time resident of Switzerland, he passed away today at his home in Aubonne, Vaud, Switzerland, a town more likely to be associated with an IKEA store than a former king. Under pressure from communists Michael was forced to abdicate in 1947 and […]
Verbier breaks Santa record
Over the weekend, Verbier hosted its opening day, an event where the resort attempts to assemble a record number of skiers dressed as St. Nicolas, or his redder equivalent Santa. Unlike the red man himself, this year’s Claus turnout left last year’s tally of around 1,200 looking thin. An official representing the Guiness World Records […]
Swiss Fact: Switzerland’s longest glacier has shrunk 1.3 kilometres
The longest, largest glacier in Europe is the Aletsch, in Switzerland’s canton Valais. The glacier is currently about 23 km. long and blankets about 81.7 sq. km. It’s estimated maximum depth is nearly 1 km. For now. Because, alas, like most of the planet’s glaciers, the Aletsch, which is part of a UNESCO World Heritage […]
Three of the top ten most mentioned wintery destinations on Instagram are Swiss
Three of the top ten most mentioned wintery locations on Instagram are Swiss. Focus Clinics, an eye surgery in London which counts Queen guitarist Brian May among its customers, ran a list of 70 wintery travel destinations through an Instagram search to identify the most photographed. Une publication partagée par Tom Archer ? (@tomarcherphoto) le 4 […]
Airbnb charges some customers more than others, particularly the Swiss
Many Swiss residents travel to neighbouring eurozone countries for their holidays. These countries are close and Swiss francs go far there. However, to get the most out of a strong currency you need a good exchange rate. If a Swiss resident presenting euro cash at a checkout in Germany or France was told they couldn’t […]
Heavy snow falls in parts of Switzerland
Snow has arrived in Switzerland, particularly in the west. While not as heavy as 2010 when 29 cm fell in Geneva between 30 November and 2 December, there is still a good dusting a bit above lake level, increasing in depth with altitude. Many ski resorts have received 20-30 cm of new snow with a […]