Britain’s Meteorological Office announced that 2007 will be a record year for heat, and we will have that wonderful El Nino “weather phenomenon” to thank. So, in an effort to think cool thoughts, I’m passing on this picture from January 2005 of an ice storm’s effects.
This freezer-burned landscape was found along Lake Geneva in Switzerland. Apparently, the spray from the lake turned to ice, and subsequently ruined the day of the poor folks who parked by the water.
Flying makes you claustrophobic, you say? There is hope for you.
Yves Rossy, or jet-man, a Swiss ex-military pilot has been trying to revolutionize air travel for years and he has broken several world records. The guy has become the first human being to fly horizontally with wings and four jet engines attached. The height: 4000 meters (12,000 feet). The video looks amazing.
Watch out, this might be the Segway of air-travel. Hopefully, a little more successful.
There’s a tranquil valley in central Switzerland that’s a haven for ballooning. Chateau-d’Oex, near Gstaad, known worldwide by balloonists because of a lack of strong winds, and the views can’t hurt either. The first, non-stop, balloon global circumnavigation took off from there in 1999.
You can join the fun: for about $320 bucks per person, Swiss Balloon Flights or Ballon Chateau-d’Oex will take you and 2-4 of your friends on a ride for 90 minutes. Other operators from other locations in Switzerland can be found here.
Don’t think it’s just a summer-time thing either: they operate year-round, and the winter usually offers clearer skies and unbelievable vistas. In fact, the ballooning festival takes place there in late January (1/20-28). Don’t miss the lighted night-time shows!
James Bond was one of my first introductions to the larger world. I was enthralled as a child with not just the amazing locations in which the British spy found himself but his cool adventures as well.
Over the years, a number of travel articles and books have focused on the locations Bond has traveled to but few have focused on the adventures themselves. A recent article in The Telegraph, however, manages to replicate the World of James Bond far more thoroughly than I have ever seen before.
The article kicks off with the famous bungee jump from the opening of GoldenEye. Although the jump takes place in Russia in the film, the dam from which Bond dives off is actually located in Switzerland. Fortunately for those of wanting to follow in Bond’s footsteps, as crazy as they may be, a company now operates a 728-foot bungee jump off the edge of the dam for 170 euros. Those willing to take the dive will experience an eight-second free fall and speeds of 120 miles per hour. Check out some pretty frightening video here.
The Telegraph then moves on to other Bondisms, breaking them out by category and offering Bond-wannabes tips on how to emulate their favorite spy. Here are just a few:
Bond Slopes (the Swiss village of Mürren)
Bond Beaches (Koh Khao Phing Kan in Thailand)
Bond Toys (The Seascooter GTI)
Bond Wardrobe (Brioni suit)
Bond Car (Aston Martin, of course)
Bond Hotel (British Colonial Hilton in Nassau)
Bond Shootout (Walther PPK at a shooting range in Latvia)
Bond Women (www.007dating.com)
This is truly an in-depth and entertaining article that provides many more recommendations and tips than we’ve included here. Take a moment to read through them and go ahead and live out your spy fantasy. Just try not to kill anyone, including yourself.
I love the composition of this photograph… the separation between the two people, estranged in some way yet still connected by the stone walkway. If it were a painting, I think it would symbolize death… the wife waiting behind while the older husband leisurely strolls to his peaceful end.
We can thank Pedromgb for this great shot of Mt. Tamaro, Switzerland and all the symbolism it conjures.