Tag Archives: Switzerland

Happy 1st of August !

The short version (for more details, click the links) :

The Swiss National Day refers to the Federal Charter of 1291. This pact is considered as the founding act of the Confederacy ; it was concluded “early August” between the representatives of three original cantons (Uri, Schwytz and Unterwalden). However, the Federal State as we know it today is only born in 1848.

In 1891, the authorities decided for the first time to celebrate the national holiday on August 1st and to choose the Federal Charter of 1291 as founding pact of Switzerland. Previously, it’s the legendary Oath of Grütli that was commemorated. The 1st of August is a holiday since 1994 only.

Every municipality organizes the festivities for the national day from the nightfall : bonfire, procession with lanterns, speeches, and often fireworks. The streets of cities and villages are decorated with Swiss flags and flags of cantons and municipality. The inhabitants decorate often their house in the same way.

We don’t like fireworks at all, and we prefer to celebrate in quietness at home !

Ta-daaa !

That’s it ! After one month of works, our new kitchen is finally finished ! The table is just missing (it won’t arrive before three weeks) : imagine a white table with anthracite feet and four chairs (2 green, 2 orange), OK ?

Before – after :

What Claire and Momo prefer : the dishwasher ! (it’s the first time they have one)
What we prefer : the return to normalcy !

However, we live in slow motion, because we’re living exceptional weather conditions. Indeed, the period from April till July is the hottest that Switzerland has lived since 1864, and the driest since 1921 (source : MétéoSuisse). We hope it rains, and the temperatures come down !

Trip in Switzerland : the Emosson dam

On Monday, Claire went on school trip to the Emosson dam, in the Trient valley, in front of the magnificent Mont Blanc panorama. The Emosson dam was built between 1969 and 1975, and it’s the Swiss’s second largest dam (capacity 227 millions m3).

She did the route by car from the school up to Châtelard (1125 m – 3690 ft); the car was well filled, because Claire and her colleague left with another class and its teacher.
Then, from Châtelard, she took the steepest two carriages funicular in the world ! This funicular has a maximal slope of 87% ! In 10 minutes, Claire had arrived at Montuires station (1825 m – 5987 ft).

From there, the little panoramic train led her during 10 minutes on the mountain side up to the foot of the Emosson dam. The landscape was simply amazing.

Finally, Claire arrived within 5 minutes at the Lake Emosson (1965 m – 6446 ft) by means of Minifunic, which slope reaches 73% all the same !

From there, she had an nice walk on the dam and on the lakesides with her pupils. On the way back, she showed them the charming chapel of Gueulaz, dedicated to Notre-Dame-Des-Neiges.

The day took place smoothly, and everybody was delighted. The trip back was made by the same way.

Upon her arrival at the house, Claire dreamed only about one thing : take a shower ! Thus I had to verify myself that she had emptied her bag well before tidying it up until the next excursion.