24-APR-2007
Castle in the clouds.
I mean really, honestly - it's almost like living in Disney World or some kind of pretend country. As you walk away from the lake and approach the town square of Nyon, this old prison is the most pronounced structure among all of the other buildings. On the other side, you get a beautiful view of the lake... Don't know how good the food was 400 years ago, but I wouldn't mind staying in a prison with a view like that!
All of the streets in this part of the village were made from cobblestones, and almost every bakery and storefront was decorated with flowers showcasing every color of the rainbow. You could easily get lost in this little village for an entire weekend (week, month,.. lifetime??) as you browse around the many art stores and handmade craft stores, wait in line to taste the freshly made ice-cream, or sit outside under the sun at a quaint cafe overlooking the lake.
23-APR-2007
![230407.jpg](https://a4.pbase.com/g6/86/50286/2/77586843.DGjrdtxZ.jpg)
My Beautiful Country.
On a brighter note, this Saturday I was able to drive my car down to the local version of "Home Depot" and pick up some solder, a butane solder torch and some electrical tape. I managed to get my fingers under the handlebars far enough to do a very decent job at repairing the sliced ignition wires. After my bike was ready to go, I finally headed off on my first motorcycle ride through Switzerland with my friend Gaspare (who just bought a new bike!).
We rode out of Geneva on the 'left' side of the lake, past Nyon and Morges, and headed north up into the mountains for some amazing roads and amazing sights. So, over the next few days I'll bring you along with us, with various pictures from our 6-hour ride through central Switzerland this Saturday.
The first little town we rode through, Nyon, looks like something out of a children's fairy-tale book. Old beautiful buildings, flowers everywhere, ponds, tiny waterfalls and yes, even a 'Cinderella Castle' (an old prison given a serious facelift)... Truly amazing - and only 15 minutes east of Geneva. We jumped off of our bikes and walked up away from the lake to the center of the town. This is the view you get of Lake Geneva, as you begin to enter the "downtown" (Centre Ville) of Nyon.
One could really grow to love this country....
22-APR-2007
![I'm Back!!!](https://a4.pbase.com/g6/86/50286/2/77573287.sgcSaEWA.jpg)
Hello everyone!!!
I'm back!! - It's time we got these POD's started again!!! So, I decided to start off with the really bad news first, and of course after this news - things will keep getting better and better. Don't forget to check back every day for a new and exciting picture from the 'life of Tom'.
I was working late on Friday night, and close to midnight I was walking to my motorcycle when I noticed four guys walking "away" from my moto. Didn't think anything of it, this is Geneva right? So, I put on my gloves and helmet, jumped on the bike, turned the key and all of the gauges and lights came on as normal, then instantly shut off. After that... Nothing. I tried and tried everything, but couldn't get any power to the bike.
So, after 20 minutes of checking fuses, checking the charge on the battery, checking switch connections; I decided to leave her and walk home. When I came back Saturday morning, after 10 minutes of close inspection, this is what I found.
Apparently, someone cut my ignition wires and tried to "hotwire" and steal my bike. I got really lucky - the moto-gods are smiling on me. Even though I was pretty upset, I soldered up the wires and wound up going on my scheduled motorcycle ride through Switzerland, regardless. Make sure to check back, you don't want to miss the pics from that ride!!! And, from now on, I'm putting on my wheel lock, locking the handlebars and setting the alarm - so nothing to worry about.
Cheers!
Christmas 2006
Happy Holidays!
Finally the Christmas season is upon us. Do your best to make the most of the time you spend with the people that matter; those that you Love with all of your heart, your family, your friends.
See you next year....
18-DEC-2006
Military Strategy....
...although, after watching this "military demonstration", my friends and I realized why the French were defeated in 1602 - They were either:
1. Bored to Death.
2. Died from laughing too hard.
Basically, a bunch of guys with pink and purple socks ran around in a circle carrying oversized toothpicks while a few guys with black-powder guns took 10 minutes to pull off one shot... I'm glad there was an old lady who decided to throw a pot of hot soup on the French (as legend has it), because this army wasn't doing much of anything.
Still, pretty cool to see how things were done back in the day...
17-DEC-2006
Attack!
Back near the steps of the cathedral, the Swiss gave us an old-fashioned military demonstration. The "army" came in through a small alley near the church, and stormed up to the steps and quickly assembled into attack formation.
16-DEC-2006
....still going...
These guys (and gals) gave the Energizer Bunny a run for his money. I don't think they stopped until they either feel asleep or their drums ruptured.
15-DEC-2006
Secret Passage!
This was pretty cool. They open this "secret passage" only one a year, and we were able to walk through. It snakes behind the shops lining the streets, then across a roof, along ledges, and finally ends with a 10 meter walk between two huge buildings that are only about a foot apart from each other - I had to walk sideways and look up in order to pass through (this attraction wouldn't be too popular - or even possible - in the States given the size of the average American). This was one of the passage guards, making sure that we escaped (from what, I have no idea) safely.
14-DEC-2006
Drums.
Many of them. Everywhere. In the streets, in the alleys, on the steps of the cathedral, all night long, even at 2 in the morning. Oh yeah, with flutes too.... I don't think anyone that lives in the old part of town got any sleep during the Escalade celebrations.
13-DEC-2006
Skyline.
Quite different from that of New York City, but nice nonetheless. Directly in front of the church, in the town sqaure, modern-day tourists mingled with 17th-century soldiers and townsfolk. The celebration felt like a 'social-stew' of an American Civil War reenactment, the Renaissance-Days festival, Medieval Knights dinner-theater and a college-dorm keg party. But hey, at least the Swiss still find ways to party!
12-DEC-2006
Age.
As you walk around this part of town, it feels as if you are back in the 1500's. Throughout the evening, the classic tones of the cathedral bells echoed through the streets, accenting the drums and flutes of the marching troops.
11-DEC-2006
Escalade!!! (again....)
Okay, so last week, the running thing; that wasn't the real celebration. This weekend, the real celebration went down - and my friends and I walked up to the cathedral area to check out the festivities. Despite the cold, many locals (and many tourists as well) turned up to remember the city's victory over the Duke of Savoy's invading troops in 1602.