Switzerland is famous for its cows with the always present bells.
However you might risk to meet also some little stranger… creatures if you are wandering around in the Swiss Cantons!
Swiss… creatures
Animals
The Korean mosquito
I was just reading about a new variety of mosquito, aedes koreicus, which can live at low temperatures, and which is now present in Europe, after arriving from Asia with the globalisation…
Yesterday one of these new insects was just resting outside of my window, enjoying the fresh clean air (5 degree C!) in the morning.
After work
After a long working day I was lucky yesterday to be able to relax while walking home.
In 35-40 minutes I could have such a nice way home…
My little pony
Picture “My little pony: friendship is magic” from: Variety.com
This post will not speak of the famous series “My little pony” invented by the American Hasbro and very popular among all young girls (including mine!).
You will not hear me speaking of pony characters such as Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash or Pinkie Pie (Having two girls, I am a master of the “Little Pony” nomenclature…).
Instead, I am telling you a unique experience I got today.
While going to the supermarket of a neighbouring village to buy some water, I had this “prime”: in a small piece of land just next to the supermarket I saw a “baby” (almost just born) pony, a real little pony!
I never had the opportunity to see such small animal before!
It was very cute: first, sleeping next to the mother under the sun, and then starting to walk around in an unstable way.
The pony mother was very protective: when the pony father tried to get close, although busy with her “herbal” meal, she gave him a two leg kick, which made him immediately go back to his corner! This is harsh, this is actual reality, this is true maternal protection instinct: well different from the coloured, carefree, timeless, imaginary stories of… “my little pony”!
Wettingen… Raven nest at the roundabout
Today I observed it again… it is always surprising!
In Wettingen, at the roundabout Landstrasse-Staffelstrasse, four ravens are watching the traffic from their nest in a curious and a little scared way.
This is an interesting wooden work made by the artist Alex Schaufelbühl. According to the newspaper Aargauer Zeitung (online article from 16.8.2012), the sculptor was inspired by the hundreds of ravens which are spending the night on the trees near the artificial lake of Wettingen.
The masterpiece is made of driftwood and the birds are not painted black, but their dark colour is the result of a flame-thrower. The sculpture was installed at the end of 2009.
This is one of the street with the highest traffic. The big wooden baby birds of the roundabout are probably reminding us that nature, even if dark, even if sometimes hidden on top of some trees, is always to be preserved and shall not be disturbed too much…
Fashion outlet at Heidi’s home
Last Saturday the sun was shining really strong and we decided to drive down to Canton Graubünden, very famous mainly for its ski resorts.
We actually aimed at the Fashion Outlet in Landquart. A nice place, just besides the mountains, where you can walk among various buildings with many shops.
Inside the outlet you feel like everywhere or nowhere… it’s like an international location: when you are here you might be in many other places which all look similar.
But still the landscape reminds you that you are in the nice Confederation.
We spent a good time, we spent some money and we took a warm sun (for free)!
By the way, very near this fashion resort, you can find the so-called “Heidi village” (Heididorf): Meienfeld!
Unfortunately we could not visit the place, but keep in mind: Meienfeld is the location which gave the inspiration to the writer Johanna Spyri for her Heidi “epic”!
Fortunately at that time there was no outlet in these surroundings, otherwise maybe “The Devil wears Prada” would have been created, instead of the cute story of the little girl who is friend with the sheep and the mountains!
Quality of life also for the cows
Picture from Youtube.
On the coming 25th November, the citizens of Switzerland shall vote on some referendum questions. In addition to some serious subjects, there is one which is really strange!
It relates to the so-called “Initiative for the cows with horns” and encourages the farmers to keep horns to their cows and sheep, instead of cutting them (as it happens nowadays on 3 cases out of 4).
Points in favour of “yes”: The animals would feel better with their horns, but, because of that, they would occupy more space; therefore the State should give some financial support to the farmers owning “horned” cows!
Point in favour of “no”: The animals with horns should be kept tied, and they would have a higher risk to injury themselves.
Switzerland holds the first places in all statistics dealing with quality of life… Maybe even the cows’ one is taken into account!
A deer and multiple colours while going to the office
During my walk through the “wilderness” to go to the office, today I met something very unusual, even for Switzerland! Just next to the street.
First a young deer, sitting next to the main road… thinking, resting or maybe terrified because alone.
After that, nice and brilliant “stripes” of colours in front of my eyes: grey, white, green, yellow, brown.
Just some impressions on the way to the office… nature and forest before work.
The duck is too fast!
Photo from blick.ch
Last week something happened which deserved the pages of many newspapers in Switzerland, Germany, Italy and even on the British Daily Mail!
In Switzerland the speed limit is a serious matter! And the maximum speed shall be always complied with.
In a lot of places, to be sure that no one can drive too fast, there is a generous installation of fixed or moving speed traps and cameras.
In this case, the location is a small city not so far from Bern, Köniz. In particular a street, with related speed trap, where the maximum speed is 30 km/h.
One of the fastest at the speed trap, with 52 km/h, was not a sporty car but just… a duck!!
A flying duck which was not “captured” on the lake or shot by a hunter, but by a very diligent speed trap!
Swiss crow
Could you see that small black spot on the pedestrian crossing?
When I was in Baden this morning around 09:30 (quite early for a Sunday!), I could not believe my eyes when I saw it!
A crow! He was smartly walking on the street, crossing it using the prescribed crosswalk!
Swiss crow… Swiss discipline!
Did you know that other Swiss animals can also be very good on the street?
See my old post: https://geoch1.wordpress.com/2014/10/02/swiss-cat/
Real Swiss 